Ok, we've discussed before that plot is not usually the primary element of a romance novel. But the plot does have to hang together a little bit, or at least a little bit more than it does here. Bennett certainly leans into her Beauty and the Beast homage, which I support, but I think if I hadn't read the publisher's blurb (and seen the Disney movie more times than I like to think about), I might have been more than a little bit confused about the set-up and the characters' motivations. Still, it's an enjoyable read, with all the feelings and the Happily Ever After one expects.

What an absolutely delightful read this was! And I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this story is this author's debut novel. It only means that her future projects already hold a lot of promise!

Bellamy, "Bell", our FMC, is absolutely lovable. She runs a home improvement business with her dad, but because of the way she grew up, has never truly had a place to call "home". Unfortunately, this has given too many suitors the (wrong) impression that she's a commitment-phobe.

Oliver, the MMC, is our broken hero. Labeled as the family's recluse, he is quite the grump when he first meets Bell. But, it becomes pretty evident that he is incredibly kind and compassionate as we get to know him more.

In this sweet re-telling of "Beauty and the Beast", we see two characters be brave enough to open their hearts to the kind of love that they've feared and run away from for most of their lives. It's clear that they both bring out the best in each other. Even the third act breakup is true to who they are as people; terrified of love, and wanting to be as selfless for the person that they love.

Oliver's family, specifically his grandfather and cousin, are basically insane and power hungry. They seem almost desensitized to the amount of pain the Oliver has inflicted on himself by blaming himself for his parents' death. Thankfully, when we meet his sisters, we learn that they're not of the same opinion. This is an interesting juxtaposition to Bell's background, a father who cares for her, but might not actually see her for who she truly is. But, when they start to rely on each other, not just for companionship, but also for support, it becomes evident how well they compliment each other.

If I have anything negative to say about this story, it would be the Sebastian and Finn element. They're incredibly overbearing and annoying for most of the story, even though they do redeem themselves in the end.

4 ⭐️

I devour retellings, especially those of Beauty and the Beast. This one's different from some that I've read, and I absolutely loved it. It's not fantasy or has any sort of magic. It's a modern take on the traditional story where Bellamy, Bells, restores houses. She and her father have a successfully known business and are passionate about their work. Bellamy is a strong, independent heroine who won't take crap from any "Sir Asshole". Then there's Oliver, "Sir Asshole" or the "Beast" who's grumpy, rude, and just the perfect enemy you'd want in an enemies to lovers romance. He's alone in a mansion grieving over his past and has been alone until Bellamy's next project is restoring his home.
As any enemies to lovers story, you get to read the arguments, butting heads, tension, and them falling for each other. There's also a lack of beds in the mansion, so do I need to say more? *wink*
This is the author's debut novel, and I enjoyed it. There are a diverse set of characters that you'll fall in love with, grumpy vs sunshine main characters, and just a sweet happily ever after ending.

Overall, this was a cute beauty and the beast rom com and I enjoyed it. I do feel like a couple things were left unfinished, but nothing super pertinent to the plot. It was a quick, fun romance and I will be stocking it in my store.

This was a cute story. There were a lot of side characters that I did not love. I felt as if they mentioned the characters were fat a lot. Overall not a bad book.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pretty good debut novel!

I personally don’t like when books reference movies or modern things. It takes me out of the book. But I don’t mind when they make up their own fictional version. Just me? Okay anyways.

Quirky FFM Bellamy restores the house for the grumpy recluse who is “cursed.” Super cute novel and loved the authors‘ take on Beauty and the Beast. It will make you giggle and kick your feet!

Tropes:

🥀Beauty and the Beast retelling
🥀Enemies to lovers
🥀One bed
🥀Grumpy x sunshine
🥀Forced proximity
🥀SO much banter

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I really wanted to like this, but at 55% through the book I am not connecting with the characters or their story at all. There’s also too much dry humping.

This is a rom-com/contemporary romance retelling of beauty and the beast where a grumpy rich homeowner is forced to work with a sunshiney project manager to update his estate.

I could see some readers liking this, it just wasn’t for me. I also don’t love the plus size trope - I don’t think the size of the character should matter. The inner monologue was a little cringey and the smut wasn’t for me either.

This was such a sweet book. I love a good Beauty and the Beast take, and this hit all the right spots, with a little bit of spice.

This was such a fun spin on Beauty and the Beast! I loved Bellamy and her determination to knock the renovation project out of the park, and Oliver was such a great grumpy hero. There were so many cute moments in this book and a really entertaining cast of side characters (including a meddling AI assistant, which made me laugh a bunch of times). Can't wait to read more from Mae!

Barely Even Friends is a fun, sweet, swoony, and spicy retelling of Beauty And The Beast.
I liked the contemporary take and the way the author turned the magic elements of the Disney's classic into something realistic.
This is the ultimate grumpy × sunshine romance. I liked the banter, the tension, the chemistry, the swoon-worthy moments, and the spice between Bellamy and Oliver.
If you are looking for a romance with fairytale vibes and all the spice, this is the right book for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

The horniest retelling of Beauty and the Beast that we all deserved. Thank you Mae.

I pre-ordered this.

Arc received from the author; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

A clever, cute, and swoony debut romantic comedy! I love beauty and the beast and was excited to see a different take on it in this original retelling. Bennett writes an engaging story with fun prose and banter, and characters you will love to root for. This is pretty steamy so people who enjoy spice will also love those scenes.

Grumpy meets Bratty.

A cute new contemporary romance that will really appeal to fans of Olivia Dade and Tessa Bailey.

I am a sucker for Beauty and the Beast so this new retelling was a must read for me.

Although, I will say the AI house guest was an odd addition.

I think the contemporary spin on the fairy tale retelling of one of my favorite stories is spot on. A renovator redesigning a crumbling old-money mansion? With AI as the whimsical non-human servant? Brilliant. I struggled through this book though, because of the execution. It needs a thorough round of edits. I would begin by providing a longer backstory in the first chapter to build up to arriving to the mansion. The led-up with the first chapter was short and rushed, making it hard to get into the story investing in the characters. With that, I recommend nixing the Bib storyline. Working at a museum, especially one as large as this is made out to be, requires years of museum experience and a PhD. Bellamy wanting to work there, without putting any dedicated training in the field beyond her work in renovation is very out of touch with the professional realty, and it really pulled me away from the story. The only thing that makes it realistic is the fact that it's a nepo hire since Oliver had an in. I think the story would be much more satisfying if she wanted to take over her father's business or start her own. My last comment is to rework the section when Bellamy introduces her friends to the reader during her phone conversation with them. Introducing them by their kinks was incredibly awkward, and I would rather get to know them by the personalities, friendship with Bellamy, etc before discussing their sexual life. I've never known anyone to introduce their close friends that way.

We stan a grumpy hero, who fall first and doesn’t think he deserves the FMC!! This was a fun and unexpected retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The slow burn in this really worked and I enjoyed the character growth. A modern spin on a beloved classic is hard to do but Mae accomplishes it!

This was a really fun retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Very steamy, and I loved the look into the whole building restoration process!

DNF @ 58%
I tried with this book. I really did. I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt because so many of the reviews I read were so positive. It wasn't that the writing was bad or that I didn't like the characters. It was just that Barely Even Friends gave me déjà vu. It didn't feel like the lose retellings I have read in the past. It felt like the author took the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast and just switched out parts to make her characters and their story fit into it. I also felt like there were parts of the story that were missing. I would be expecting a scene, and it would jump past it making the next one feel out of place. It came to the point where I was kind of bored and annoyed with it all, so I decided to give up. The writing had potential, so I would be willing to try a book by this author again if it wasn't a retelling.

A cute reimagining of Beauty and the Beast as a contemporary romance! If you loved the original Disney version as a kid, you'll love all the clever nods to it here.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

Thank you netgalley alcove press and mae for the e-arc. This was the most perfect modern beauty and the beast retelling. Mae is an incredible author that freaehed thia in the best possible way. I am so excited to add this trophy to my forever shelf amd will be preordering it

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book to read and review. All thoughts are my own.

I’m a sucker for retellings, so this one grabbed my attention. While I did enjoy most of this book; I didn’t really get “beauty and the beast” vibes.

The plot was fun, the characters were likable, and the spice was decent. I just wish it would’ve had more of retelling feel to it.

3 stars.