Mae Bennett delivers a compelling debut with Barely Even Friends, a modern spin on the "Beauty and the Beast" trope set against the evocative backdrop of a crumbling mansion. The story weaves themes of ambition, grief, and vulnerability, creating a slow-burn romance that feels fiery and tender.
Bellamy Price is a standout protagonist—determined, capable, and fiercely independent as she takes on the monumental task of restoring the Killington Estate. Her resolve to succeed in a male-dominated field adds depth and relatability to her character. Oliver Killington, the brooding heir-turned-caretaker, is a compelling match with his gruff exterior and guarded heart. Their clashing personalities evolve into a reluctant partnership, and their chemistry is undeniable, punctuated by witty banter and moments of raw emotional connection.
The Killington Estate becomes a character, its decay mirroring Oliver's emotional walls and providing a vivid, atmospheric setting. Bennett's writing shines in these descriptions, bringing the mansion and its secrets to life. The stakes feel tangible as Bellamy races against time to complete her project while Oliver wrestles with his familial pressures.
The novel balances humour, tension, and steam, making it a satisfying read. While some plot points feel a touch predictable, the charm of the characters and the emotional payoff more than compensate. Bennett's ability to explore complex emotions—grief, ambition, and the fear of vulnerability—adds depth that elevates the story.
Barely Even Friends is a delightful debut that combines heartfelt romance with a touch of renovation magic. Fans of clever, steamy stories with strong-willed heroines and grumpy but lovable heroes will find much to enjoy here. Bennett proves she's an author to watch.

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QOTD- What is your first read of June?

"Bellamy Price has just been offered the job of a lifetime: lead contractor on the restoration of the mysterious and sprawling Killington Estate. If she meets the owner’s ridiculous timeline, she’ll finally make a name for herself in this male-dominated industry. But when she rolls up her sleeves, slips on her suspenders, and shows up at the crumbling mansion, Bellamy finds the estate very much occupied.
After a traumatic car accident that left his parents dead and himself injured, Oliver Killington, heir to the Killington empire, took up residence as the grumpy caretaker of his grandfather’s mansion. None too pleased by the presence of the hammer-wielding woman who’s moved into his house, Oliver tries to block her at every turn.
But when Bellamy discovers Oliver’s facing his own ultimatum from his grandfather, the two form a cautious truce, which leads to flying sparks that are definitely not from faulty wiring. As Bellamy restores the gleam to the Killington Estate, she’ll have to decide if the walls she’s built around herself are worth knocking down to make space for someone else." -Goodreads

This was such a a fun Beauty and the Beast retelling! I thought this was a unique approach to the beloved tale as old as time. Definitely check this book out! 💛🫖🌹

You know how you can read a book and just tell it's a debut author? This book is that for me. Everything felt just a little too on the nose, and a bit too choppy. It was almost cliche. I really liked the premise, but the execution was just off. I think it was fine, and the author is as sweet as can be and has a lot of promise as a writer, but I think the book reads very superficial. Little things here and there bothered me, especially the pacing and the over-focus on her suspenders. I know these are all me problems, but I think it could use a little more originality without being "quarky" and trying too hard. So it was fine for a debut, but really didn't hold my attention and did annoy me from time to time, and the romance really wasn't believable.

I requested this title because I think the idea of different authors retelling varying Disney stories is a fun concept - however I forgot that I’m not really that big of a Disney fan as an adult - obviously I enjoy their movies, and enjoy showing them to my child - but the Disney aspect of the story threw me a bit.

I think because it so closely resembles the Disney retelling, the spicy scenes and language made me feel verrrrry uncomfortable, and it left my reading experience feeling disjointed. I know that is just my own issue, so I don’t want to reduce too many stars for it.

Overall the writing was very easy to follow, the characters were fun, and I enjoyed Bennett modernization of the concept.

Thank you to Mae Bennett and Alcove Press for an eARC of this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A very sweet 'Beauty and the Beast' retelling that skews very closely to the Disney movie, which sometimes holds the story back.

An interesting Beauty and the Beast retelling with a cozy vibe to it!

This book included a lot of my favorite tropes such as grumpy x sunshine and forced proximity. I was intrigued into the story right from the beginning and had several late nights because I couldn't but the book down. There were moments that went slower but overall I had a good reading experience.

Overall I really enjoyed the book. I liked Bellamy as the main character and thought that her job was really interesting and to see what she's doing.

The story had a really cozy vibe and fits perfectly into the current season.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this EARC! I'm excited to read more from this author in the future!

This steamy grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, only one bed, Beauty and the Beast contemporary reno romance debut was soo worth the wait for the audiobook excellently narrated by Victoria Connelly!

Oliver Killington is a former football player turned recluse who has been hiding away from the world out of guilt from his parent's deaths, while Bellamy Price is a fat female contractor with something to prove on this first independent project without her father. The two get off to a very rocky start but slowly a friendship develops into something much deeper.

I loved the mental health rep, the banter between the two MCs, the steam and chemistry, the plus size rep, the disability rep and the crazy rich family drama as well as the queer found family side characters. Heartfelt, emotional and spicy and just plain delicious from start to finish. I can't wait to read whatever Mae Bennett writes next!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and finished copy in exchange for my honest review!

I really wanted to absolutely love this book, but I didn’t. I really liked the modern take on Beauty and the Beast and thought the elements of the story to create a 21st century version were very clever. It also could’ve been thought through a little more. The Ai was a little too sentient. The house managers were also very quick to try to push two people together when they didn’t take the time to get to know the FMC at all. The male character was completely a gray space to me. I loved the FMC but could not find a pulse on the MMC. I hope this author’s next book finds a really good editor she can write alongside because she has the makings of being a great writer!

This was such a lovely and clever debut! I'll never say no to a Beauty and the Beast adaptation, and Mae Bennett's Barely Even Friends is a fantastic one.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Absolutely warm and wonderful and delightful. I loved it, and can’t wait to see what Bennett does next.

This was a cute modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast, I felt a bit of grumpy x grumpy which isn’t my favorite combination - but I liked both characters. I did struggle with this book a little bit but I do thing it was a complete me thing - it wasn’t vibing with my mood and I wasn’t feeling the chemistry between the characters.
I loved the fact that it was very women empowering - women can do anything that men can do AND that women deserve the credit and confidence.

Overall it was a cute book and one that I would like to re-read because I’m very much a mood reader & since I read this as part of a traveling ARC, it just hit me at the wrong time.

Thank you to Alcove Press for the traveling ARC for our group and thank you & NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First, a big thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC of Mae Bennett’s novel “Barely Even Friends" – “A grumpy, rich recluse meets his match in this steamy Beauty and the Beast retelling—with a Succession twist.”

Here me out, I am an instant sucker for the Beauty and the Beast trope. The author has really stuck to recreating that classic Beauty and the Beast vibe, but updated it with a modern twist. The lead characters Bellamy and Oliver are so engaging, with real depth and complexity that makes you feel like they are real people.

The tension is off the charts when ambitious contractor Bellamy gets thrown into the world of the mega-rich Killingtons, taking on a reno job at their ancient family mansion. Oliver, the brooding but fit heir, isn't having any of her being there at first, setting up a classic opposites clash dynamic that soon leads to sparks flying another way.

But it goes way beyond just a will-they-won't-they romance. As the juicy plot thickens, some right twisted family secrets and jaw-dropping twists worthy of popular tv show Succession get uncovered.

What really makes this a belter of a book are the blazing intimate scenes woven amongst that elegant prose. The author turns up the heat without being crude or vulgar about it. It's a total page-turner from start to finish. Fans of passionate romance tales such as Tessa Bailey’s “Tools of Engagement,” and Anne E. Collins’ “Love at First Spite” will love this book. Packed with loads of dramatic plot, you will definitely need to devour this book. I am definitely looking forward to reading more of this author's work and I am glad that I started here!

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I swear this has all of my favorite things jampacked into one book! First of all, I absolutely adore retellings but especially Beauty and the Beast retellings! I once thought that contemporary romance just wasn't for me, but I have never been so thrilled to be proved wrong! From the very beginning, this book grabs your attention and refuses to let go! The essence of the original fairytale has been so deeply embedded within this story, and yet it has such a beautiful originality to it that I didn't think was possible. Throw in a good ole grumpy sunshine but the grump is just a shy softie AND the spice was very much hitting. Adored!!!

I loved this story. The representation of larger bodies is something we need more in the romance genre. I liked the Beauty and the Beast vibes, and thought that Bellamy being a contractor was different in a good way. I love frenemies to lovers and I thought that this book did it very well. The tender moments hit for me and the spice was fire. Thank you for sending me this to read!

I’ve found a new author to love in debut author Mae Bennett. Mae writes like a seasoned professional delivering wonderful characters and a plot almost as old as time.

When her father is unable to head up a once-in-a-lifetime renovation job, Bellamy Price steps up to the plate. This is the moment she’s been waiting for her whole life. If she’s successful, not only will it boost her confidence, and give her bragging rights, but it will also look good on her resume and hopefully help her land her dream job. As with all the renovation jobs she and her father do, Bellamy plans to live on-site. She’s very excited to work on and live at the Killington Estate until she arrives and is reluctantly greeted by Oliver Killington whom she wasn’t expecting. Not only was she not expecting Oliver, she doesn’t know who he is, outside of being the grandson of the man who hired her father.

For the last eight years, since the death of his parents, Oliver Killington has been a recluse. The accident didn’t just kill his parents, but it left him injured, destroying any chance he had to live out his dream. His refuge has been the crumbling Killington Estate which was once his family’s vacation home. Oliver isn’t happy with Bellamy’s arrival and plans to renovate the estate. He definitely isn’t happy she will be living there.

Barely Even Friends is full of tropes: grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, only one bed, he falls first, and found family. It was a fun read with main and secondary characters I loved. The story is told in first person from the POV of Bellamy. I would have liked for there to have been some chapters from Oliver’s perspective. Throughout the book, you’re often left to wonder what’s going on in his mind and what his feelings are. But he IMMEDIATELY owned a piece of my heart. Bellamy and Oliver definitely have passion, in and out of the bedroom.

I am looking forward to reading more from Mae.

~ Favorite Quotes ~

“Information is power.”

“It’s nice to have a friend.”

“Lean into the joy. If you have something you love, do it.”

“I believe in you.”

“Blood makes you related, loyalty makes you family.”

“Vulnerability is hard. Trusting someone with your heart, having feelings that aren’t entirely in your control. That stuff can’t go on a to-do list.”

“Falling in love is scary.”

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This book was fun, light and fluffy while still holding substance and preforming as a well written book. The plot (although derived from beauty and the beast) was modernised and changed enough that it felt fresh new and original with a sprinkle of nostalgia. This book is for lovers of a rom com and the sweetness and depth that the genre is renowned as it embodies these qualities perfectly! Great read to cozy up in a chair and finish in a day!

What a cute and modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Barely Even Friends by Mae Bennett is a slow burn romance full of witty banter and house renovation. While this wasn't my favorite contemporary romance out there, it was really cute and funny overall. I loved Bl8z3, the AI in Oliver's house. He added a lot of humor and emotion to the story. The plot wasn't very strong or interesting but the romance was the main focus so it was easy to overlook. Once the slow burn was done simmering there was some pretty great spice as well. Overall, this was a quick and fun retelling Beauty and the Beast retelling.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute “retelling” of beauty and the beast! I loved the grump to sunshine trope and how feisty Bellamy was!! Fun and quick read.

Grumpy/sunshine, beauty & the beast vibes? Couldn't have asked for anything more. Seriously loved this book from beginning to end and I can't wait to read more from this author.