Barely Even Friends is a cozy, fast paced romance with heart melting character growth. Bellamy is set to the task of a complete overhaul of the crumbling Killington Estate only the heir Oliver, wants nothing to do with her or her ideas of restoring the house. Forced to coexist while Bellamy works on the estate her and Oliver agree to a truce only they can't fight the tension between them. The way Oliver slowly opens up to Bellamy and shows her the softer side of himself is just perfection.

Single POV, Spicy, Forced Proximity, I Hate You/It Turns Me On, Slow Burn, One Bed, He Falls First

A modern day beauty and the beast retelling that felt a little too on the nose. The fact that it took me 5 days to finish a book is never a great sign. I will say I liked the first half of the book more but it felt more like vibes and tropes and there was a lack of stakes that made it hard to feel invested in the story.

Oliver is the “beast” in this story, a recluse who hides away from his family and the company he stands to inherit after a car accident years ago left his parents dead and him injured to the point that he lost his ultimate dream to play professional football. He blames himself for the accident, convinced he’s cursed and somehow, the reasoning for this felt so very flimsy. And the idea that the entire world had turned on him, that the press would blame him and hound him for what was clearly a drunk driver’s fault, seemed far fetched.

Bellamy is the “beauty”, a historical home restoration expert with a penchant for suspenders. She has dreams and loves libraries and is convinced she’s not a forever type of girl because her profession keeps her moving every few months. I felt like so much time was spent on Oliver’s backstory, we got shorted with Bellamy.

The story was ok but the pacing was super slow in the beginning, the romance was okay, the household staff was very on the nose, and Oliver’s grandfather and cousin were absolutely odious.

All in all, it was ok but it wasn’t super memorable or great.

Content notes: grief related to parental death, parental abandonment, toxic family vibes, car accident off page and lengthy hospital stay, mention of therapy

I wanted to love this one so much, but it just wasn’t really for me.

📖 Barely Even Friends
📝 Mae Bennett
🗓️ 06/04/2024
💜 contemporary romance
📱 read on kindle (arc)

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
🌶️🌶️🌶️

💭 overall thoughts:
I really went back and forth on my rating for this one. Something intrigued me from the start, otherwise I would have DNFed.

Unfortunately, I found myself not really wanting to pick this back up.

All the bones were there, but the execution just didn’t work for me.
Since I read this as an arc, I’m wondering if there were possibly edits done and a different version is what will be released.

tropes + topics:
💛 beauty & the beast retelling
😤 enemies(ish) to lovers
🌦️ grumpy sunshine
🏠 temporary housemates (house restoration project)
🔗 forced proximity
💓 single 1st person pov

Thank you to NetGalley & Alcove Press.
All opinions are my own

Barely Even Friends is the perfect modern Beauty & the Beast retelling!

It captures the magic of the fairy tale (or Disney movie) but adds its own twist. I appreciated that Bellamy was not a bookworm. Bennett did something unique with Belle's character with Bellamy. I liked that she had her own personality but you could still see the Belle inspiration. Oliver was the perfect grump. I loved him and how soft he was for Bellamy. He built her bookshelves (my dream act of service haha).

I was not expecting this book to be as spicy as it was. What a pleasant surprise. That library scene!!! OMG! That will live in my head for quite a while. That scene was so hot.

A wonderful debut!! Would recommend if you enjoy Beauty & the Beast retellings or romcom enemies to lovers.

3.75🌟
I got into this book really quick, it was eas and fun to read. I loved Bellamy she was so headstrong and resilient trying to make her dream come true. I loved how passionate she was about her job. oliver my grumpy oliver who's a total softy from inside. I loved seeing their relationship grow. The slow burn was so good. Also the side characters were amazing. Ambrose, rue and Nick I loved their moments. Also how can I forget the AI bl8ze. Also oliver calling bell petal was so cute.
Overall it was a great book i really enjoyed it .
Thank you the author, publisher and netgalley for the e-arc.

3.5 stars - A cute B&B retelling!

This was the slowest burn for me, and I'm not sure if it was because I needed something quicker to get my mind off real-life stuff, but I just felt like the story development moved at a glacial pace. I stepped away and came back after finishing a few other books and am so glad I did.

I loved seeing Bellamy take the role that's predominantly male, so that was refreshing! Oliver was extremely closed off from the world, and rightfully so, but watching her slowly lead him out of his shell was so worth the slow journey. A genuine grumpy/sunshine story with a little home improvement mixed in.

Barely Even Friends is a modern take on the enemies to lovers classic story, Beauty and the Beast. Bell (Bellamy) gets to launch her own designs on a dilapidated mansion with a mysterious, grumpy resident. Oliver is struggling with his lineage in the Killington family, and the tragedy that destroyed his life.

What slowly develops as friendship, quickly morphs into lust and longing. Together, these two construct the perfect plan to make this house a home. Barely Even Friends is a cute, adorable fairytale retelling. Rating 3.5

Thank you, Alcove Press

Had me at a beauty and the beast retelling tbh.
This one took me a while to finish though. It might have just been my mood but overall it was a quick good read.

I absolutely love a debut novel - especially when it’s been written with this much care and attention.

This is a contemporary retelling of Beauty and the Beast, loose as the references are. Bellamy is a construction coordinator sent to the mysterious Killington estate to organise a renovation. Here she meets the caretaker Oliver Killington, a grumpy recluse - of course.

There’s more BatB references - a butler Ambrose, chef Rue and daughter Nick, and they add company and interaction alongside Oliver’s remaining family who are all high stakes, high drama people. There's a fantastic AI system - Bl*z3 - which is a friendly, though disembodied voice which automagically works throughout the estate - but with no cameras 😀

So what happens? Bellamy renovates, Oliver initially interferes, then helps. The best bits are the emotional connection between these two. She assertive, he is vulnerable. They’re both grown-ups and all the deliciousness and uncertainty and being out of practice is handled so beautifully as they use their words and care for each other. It’s steamy 🌶🌶 and so so nicely done.

Themes relate to being plus sized, being a woman working in a man’s world, and profound grief, all wrapped around renovation shenanigans, a deadline countdown, family obligation and succession, and all the things you’d expect in a BatB retelling.

I feel as if debut author Mae Bennett has put a whole lot of herself into this charming novel. Recommended!

Thank you NetGalley, Mae Bennett and Alcove Press for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

I connected with this author on Bookstagram several years ago on Bookstagram. I always enjoy her posts because we have the same interests - romance! I have found a lot of great books from following her so I got so excited when I saw she was publishing her first book!! This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling and I LOVED all the Easter eggs for the Disney lovers. I loved how this was a story of a woman trying to make it in a man's world and prove her worth. The tagline says with a Succession twist and being a fan of Succession too, I was excited to see that play out.

The writing was good and I loved the romance and seeing how this story played out. I loved the character development for the Beast/Oliver. This was also a pretty steamy read and it fit the narrative/storyline well. A great debut by the author and I can't wait for what's next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own. 4.5 rounded up.

can’t say i’ve read a lot of fairy tale retellings but this one was beauty and the beast and it was just such a fun time!!

i adored everything about this book!! ugh i loved every single character they were GREAT found family >

i just wanted to give both oliver and bellamy the biggest hug they truly deserve the world,, the nickame really got me tho 🥀 the bare minimum but i need someone that will learn taylor swift songs just bc i like taylor swift

also the TENSION??? MWAHHHHHH pls read this yall you won’t regret it
i had a BLAST

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am a sucker for retellings and this was such a fun quirky Beauty and the Beast retelling! Barely Even Friends may not be for everyone but if you are in the mood for a turn off your brain, let's have some fun romance, this is for you! There are plot holes and some scenes that I think should have more of an explanation or discussion between our characters but I was just vibing so it didn't bother me much. Barely Even Friends had some of my favorite tropes and I loved the plus size rep! I also don't read much books about fixing up homes and remodels so it was fun to imagine the before and after. Overall, I had a fun time with this book, it was nice with some good spice. I would read more from Mae Bennett.

BARELY EVEN FRIENDS is a super fun Beauty and the Beast retelling, which has always been one of my favorite Disney movies. (I mean that library? How could it not be!)

Bellamy Price has taken on the role as lead contractor for a huge renovation job at Killington Estate. There is a lot of mystery around the house — the parents were killed in a car crash years before, and the son, who was also in the car, hasn't been seen since. Bellamy hopes if she does well on this job, she'll be able to make a name for herself.

When Bellamy arrives at the estate, she discovers an unexpected hiccup in her plan — Oliver Killington, the missing son and heir to the Killington empire is living in the house and refuses to leave. Not only does Belle have to deal with him, but she also has a tight timeline to restore the house to make Oliver's grandfather happy.

Oliver doesn't make things easy for Belle, but they come together once they both learn they have ridiculous demands from Oliver's grandfather. And then, sparks fly for the two.

But Bellamy isn't one for putting down roots anywhere. And Oliver doesn't trust anyone at all. Can they find a way to let each other in?

This was such a fun (and steamy!) read! There's also an odd butler, a cook, and an AI voice who is all over the house and really funny. I've really gotten into grumpy / sunshine in the last year or so, and this is a great one. And of course there's only one bed (in a mansion! Don't ask, just read it!)

BARELY EVEN FRIENDS comes out June 4th, so make sure to grab a copy!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Alcove for my ARC.

Thank you Alcove press for my gifted copy. All opinions are my own. Also as a disclaimer Mae (twiceuponabook) is one of my favorite people to follow on bookstagram and I always love their recommendations.

I was so excited to get my hands on Barely Even Friends. Bellamy remodels historic homes and takes over a project for her father who’s been ill. She arrives at Killington estate in a similar fashion to Belle in the movie, but doesn’t let Oliver scare her away (although he tries.)

I loved seeing these two soften as they developed feelings towards each other. Bellamy was scarred by a past relationship and Oliver was in a traumatic accident where his parents were killed and he lost his future in football. He’s been a recluse for years at the estate and I loved seeing Bellamy restoring some life in him as well.

I’m a huge fan of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and loved all of the references and nods to the movie/storyline. I really appreciated the side characters, especially Rue, Nick, and Ambrose.

I really recommend grabbing yourself a copy and I hope we’ll get more books from Mae Bennett!

dnf at 25%

I hate not finishing arc's, but this was just not doing anything for me. I couldn't connect with the characters or the direction of the story.

It's not the worst writing by any means... it just wasn't grabbing my attention as I wish it did.

It is a Beauty and The Beast retelling with the following tropes:
• he falls first
• only one bed
• roommance
• plus size rep
• grumpy x sunshine
• frenemies to lovers

*𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳, 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯-𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸*

Unfortunately, I’ve figured out quite fast that this book simply isn’t for me.

I was originally quite excited about a beauty and the beast retelling with a plus sized MC and some modern house renovation. It just ended up being… too on the nose. Some lines are genuinely identical to the original, and honestly that wouldn’t bother me so much if it weren’t for the other, incredibly forced lines: such as the MC saying “why do you have to be such a beast!” When the LI said something that bothered her. It’s just feeling so forced, and it a really taken me out of the story. This might work for some, it’s just not working for me.

Thank you to Alcove Press & Netgalley for this eArc!

Barely Even Friends - Mae Bennett

4🌟

This book was so heartwarming and cozy and had me flying through it.

When I started this book I had gotten myself into a small slump and I struggled to get into this but once I sat down and really started reading this I couldn’t put it down. I basically read this in one sitting.

This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling and I’m not usually a fan of the retellings but I actually really liked this one. It didn’t feel too forced to get the original story in and it really did become its own.

I loved the characters. I really enjoyed the tropes in this one as we got a bit of forced proximity, grumpy x sunshine, plus size representation for both characters and a sprinkle of Taylor Swift. What’s not to enjoy.

I loved Oliver, nothing beats that grumpy man who gets his life turned upside down by the ray of sunshine FMC. I loved how after a while he was so open with his emotions and feelings towards Bell. I did want to punch him at the end when he just let her leave 👊🏻 However the declaration at the end made me forgive him.

I did really like the plot of this and how she was sent to his house to restore it. I liked the slow burn of their romance as it made the get together so much better. I loved the plus size representation, however there were moments when I felt it was too forced into the storyline. I am a plus sized girl myself and I found it too much at times.

Other than that, I really did love this one. What a debut novel by Mae Bennett and I look forward to more of her work. I highly recommend this story for those of you romance lovers and for those who like their romance with a dash of spice then you’ll want to read this one. 🌶️

Thank you to @netgalley @twiceuponabook and @alcovepress for this ARC. I really loved it and think you guys will too and you don’t have long to wait as this comes out 4th June!

2.5*

I had such high hopes for this book - a Beauty and the Beast retelling, what could be better?

The premise of the story was interesting, the crossovers to the Disney movie was unique and well done and the MMC, Oliver had some really endearing moments.

But, unfortunately, this book did not live up to my expectations.

The pace was a bit off and there were so many unnecessary details that did not aid the story line at all, that it took me out of the story. There were also some plot holes and disappearing characters.
I struggled to connect with the FMC as her inner monologue, dialogue and actions were rather immature.

Trigger warning: The FMC is "happily" of a bigger stature (the fact that she is "fat" is stated over and over). But, besides sweets, she forgets to eat for lengthy periods of time and the MMC has to remind/force her to eat continuously.

All in all, it was a lighter read and I am sure it will find it's place and become a favourite, as it is very inclusive and contains a lot of representation.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for the ARC to read and review.

DNF at 13%. Though I'm sure this is a fairly inoffensive and run-of-the-mill romance I couldn't get past the writing and being bludgeoned in the face repeatedly with Disney's Beauty and the Beast references. I did put it down for a few days and picked it up again in case it was just a case of me being picky, but no, I did not wish to continue as the characters were pretty one-dimensional, the premise paper-thin, and the stakes just not that interesting.

It is hard to put my finger on what bothered me about about the writing style, except to say it felt juvenile and a bit too focused on how special and different the FMC was in a Wattpad self-insert kind of way. The "montrousness" of the MMC (ie. he was accused of murder! gasp) was a little heavy-handed considering he is just a rude human male not actually a snarling beast. I was actually surprised that this was traditionally published as the prose and dialogue did seem to need the assistance of a firm editor. The introduction of the Lumiere character as a house-wired AI system was interesting and unique but also a bit cringe in the way it was executed. Similarly the other Cogsworth and Mrs Potts/Chip characters seemed caricatures rather than original interpretations of the roles.

In a world where there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of similar contemporary romances being published every week it takes a little something extra to stand out from the crowd, this book just didn't have anything to keep me reading it over the next one in my TBR pile.

Not publicly reviewed due to DNF.

I love a good Beauty and the Beast retelling! This was such a fun and cute one. I loved everything about Bellamy and Oliver, the banter between the two of them was perfect. He falls first and hard. He is just the sweetest grump ever!

Arc review :)