Between Friends & Lovers offers a refreshing take on contemporary romance that transcends the typical love story. While the romance is present, it's Jo's character that truly shines through. Intelligent, candid, and unafraid to shake up her professional life, Jo captivates readers with her unapologetic authenticity. After years of harboring feelings for her best friend Ezra, Jo decides to move forward. At a party, she meets author Malcolm Waters, who is both surprised and delighted to learn that Jo, known as Dr. Jojo online, is the influencer he's been following. The mutual admiration leads to a date, but their chemistry is more subtle and nuanced rather than electrifying. This novel's strength lies in its well-rounded characters and engaging storylines beyond romance. Jo's journey, in particular, keeps readers hooked, proving that sometimes, liking the characters and their personal growth is more than enough to make a story memorable.

This one was a solid 3-star read for me. I enjoyed this book, but there was something ... missing. I think that the main plot might be just too shallow to support a full-length novel. There definitely isn't enough conflict, and there aren't any fully fleshed out subplots that really contribute well to the themes of the book. This one reminded me quite a bit of Olivia Dade's latest, At First Spite. Dade's book makes this one feel flat and superficial in comparison, especially when it comes to its exploration of mental health and the ability to pursue and maintain healthy personal and professional relationships.

I think the author has an engaging voice and I did love her characterizations of Malcolm, Josephine, Malcolm's friends, and Josephine's roommate. I felt like I got to know them and understood their motivations throughout the book. The banter is cute, and I was #TeamMalcolm from the very beginning so I loved that he enjoyed such a satisfying ending.

My hot take is that the story would have worked a lot better if one of two things had happened: Ezra became part of the action so that there was a true love triangle, or cut entirely from the present narrative and referenced only in flashbacks as context for Josephine's insecurities. As it is, his character kind of straddles the line between "this guy is trouble for our MCs, what's going to happen next" and "sigh,,.. who cares about this jerk."

This is only the author's second book, and there is enough good stuff happening here that I think it will be interesting to see how she progresses in the craft and learns how to construct a story.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read and review this novel. All opinions are my own.

This was such a fantastic follow-up to On Rotation, which I absolutely loved. It's more heavily romance focused, but still explores important issues including depression, anxiety, parental neglect and racism, although they are so skillfully woven into the story that it never feels fake or preachy.

Jo is a strong, capable, wonderful FMC who has so much difficulty and pain in her life, yet somehow manages to not only carry on but to do so with grace and with the strong desire to help and educate other women. She has received strong recommendations to finish her medical residency, but the thought of continuing on in a hospital setting leaves her cold. Instead, she's become "Dr. Jojo", beloved by a legion of fans online for empowering women and demystifying their medical issues.

As the book opens, she's not only struggling with her future plans, she's also realizing that it's finally time to move on from the man she's been in love with for the last 10 years, her best friend, Ezra, an up and coming actor and the son of a famous supermodel and a venture capitalist who was born with all the privilege. It's at this crossroad in her life that she meets Malcolm, a sweet, cinnamon roll writer with social anxiety, whose debut fantasy romance novel is being lauded far and wide.

Jo's challenge to truly move on, both in her professional and personal life is so movingly portrayed. This is a love triangle, but it's pretty clear which way the wind is blowing right from the start. Malcolm is so loving, accepting, and supportive that he's almost too perfect, but I didn't care, I'm always there for a gooey cinnamon roll hero.

Shirlene Obuobi is just so good at portraying strong, complicated women who are accused of being "too much" but really are just claiming the space they deserve in this world. I can't wait for her next book. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you @avonbooks for my free finished copy!

Y’all— when I say I want big cover energy, this is exactly what I’m talking about, the cover is so pretty and I am loving the colors!

I really adored this story!! Malcolm was my #1 favorite character that I just couldn’t get enough of. The way he loved on Jo was *chefs kiss!!* and I was so here for all of it! & can I also add that his character was narrated by my fave male narrator— JD JACKSON— so I don’t need to explain just how well he brought Mal to life! 👏🏽👏🏽

I got way more from this story than what I was expecting honestly. I thought I’d be just getting a romance but I feel like there was more to be discovered here. I enjoyed reading about the complexity of the friendship between Ezra + JoJo but not at all surprised by the feelings that came to be because of it. Reading about Jo’s relationship with her mom was quite heartbreaking & I was hurting for sis.

I also really love what Jo was for Mal and vice versa— it was so evident at just how they not only complimented the other but also how much they needed each other.

“There’s freedom in being in love..” 🥹

Y’all pick this one up!! It’s sexy, it’s emotional and it’s fun! 💗

After being in love with her best friend for years, she's finally had enough and now she's ready to fall for someone else... but now her best friend wants her back and the new man in her life has her questioning whether or not she's actually felt love before him. Josephine Boateng is a doctor who has a large following on instagram. On camera she's perfect, she's smart and kind. Yet off camera her life is much more complicated: she's dealing with depression and the pressures of her career, having a longtime unrequited crush on her best friend, actor Ezra Adelman, and it only gets more complicated when Ezra shows up to his birthday party with her childhood bully as his date. Jo has had enough and is finally taking her own advice and cutting the cord. Then... to her great shock she meets Malcolm Waters, a famous author who is as sweet and kind as he is handsome. Malcolm and Jo meet at Ezra's birthday party and instantly hit it off. But Jo is still dealing with her feelings for Ezra while Malcolm wants a serious relationship... and on top of that Ezra wants Jo back. Being in a love triangle is messy, but being in a very public one is even worse. Can Jo sort out her relationships before it destroys her? This book was definitely for people who enjoy love triangles, and it just kind of missed the mark for me. Jo is dealing with a lot and is a bit of a mess. Ezra was just ew for me and I adored Malcolm. Malcolm was so clearly the one from the beginning and you just find yourself rooting for the best for him. Overall, it's a fast read and if you like love triangles definitely give this one a go!

Release Date: July 30,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC of Between Friends and Lovers!

Dr. Jojo is an Instagram sensation. Her message: be smart (she has a medical degree after all), be significant, and do not put up with foolish men. But Jo’s story is more complicated—she finds her influencer career underwhelming; her potential career in medicine overwhelming, and she’s hung up on her best friend, nepo-baby and romcom heartthrob Ezra Adelman. After confronting Ezra at his 30th birthday party, she escapes to her bedroom at his mother's house to have a breakdown only to find it occupied by Malcom Waters, already having his own breakdown. Jo decides to move on from Ezra by getting it on for the first time and Malcom Waters is her target.

I really enjoyed this book! Jo is such an amazing character. A woman who is confident one moment but then overwhelmed by what career move to make next. The fact that she is great at her job but still uncertain is so refreshing to see. I love how she explained shy she feels overwhelmed and what she wants to do but is is just struggling with how to get there. I also enjoyed Malcom's character and how they come to depend on each other. Malcom felt almost a little too much like a man written by a woman but maybe there is a man out there like him that I just haven't encountered. I sure hope so because he is the ultimate book boyfriend.

I will definitely keep reading what Shirlene Obuobi writes!

Between Friends & Lovers by Shirlene Obuobi was excellent!
This was my second book by Shirlene Obuobi and it didn't disappoint!
Beautifully written, insightful, and joyful, this novel is a great woman's fiction, full of layers and so relatable to today's society.
The writing was engaging and the story was fast-paced.

Thank You NetGalley and Avon for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I am really trying to get into this book, but I don’t think it’s for me. I am not really into the love triangle trope - unless there is a clear front runner. I didn’t realize this would be a love triangle , but as I skimmed through it hoping to latch onto something to pull my interest, I just couldn’t find anything . The author writes beautifully, but I noticed myself drift off into space more than I typically do. I might be in a reading slump, so maybe I’ll go back to this book eventually

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this e-ARC of "Between Friends & Lovers" by Shirlene Obuobi, out on July 30, 2024!

I was so excited to read Shirlene's second book and it did not disappoint. I love the rawness and realness of Jo and as someone who follows Shirlene on social media, I enjoyed seeing some things from her own life or experiences in the character of Jo. I really enjoyed the story switching from Jo and Mal's perspective and it made me really know both characters better and understand them better. This book had me laughing and crying and I highly recommend checking it out!

I want to start this off by saying that Malcom is an incredible book boyfriend. You can tell he is definitely a man written by a woman (ifkyk). I adored Josephine's relationship with him. I was so nervous/curious on how their relationship would progress after their first date but it felt so natural. Nothing between them felt forced and even as Ezra became more of a present character, I still knew that Malcom was it for her. I loved the journey that Josephine took to realize that she deserves love too. I loved Jo as a protagonist. She was smart, funny, quick, a little annoying but it just added to how relatable she was. The writing was wonderful as well. I really enjoyed this!

Thank you so much to Shirlene Obuobi, Avon publishing, and NetGalley for sending me this electronic advanced readers copy of Between Friends & Lovers!
I can’t wait for the world to read and enjoy this story!

+ love triangle
5/5 Stars

This book hooked me from the dedication: For the “strong” girls. For the girls who seem to have it all together even when they're falling apart. For the Megan Thee Stallions of the world, who everyone knows how to consume, but no one knows how to protect. You deserve to be cherished too.”

Dr. Shirlene Obuobi’s debut novel, On Rotation, was an automatic 5-star read for me. I was so excited to settle in and read Between Friends and Lovers even before the download on my Kindle was complete because of her writing style and the premise.

On paper, nothing about this story should be relatable. Dr. Josephine Boateng, a doctor turned influencer, explores a relationship with a popular new author, Malcolm Waters, who is optioning his book with the family of her movie star best friend, Ezra Adelman - who, of course, she’s loved/loves. (Listen...she was confused.) Anyways, now what about that sounds grounded and relatable? Well through dynamic writing, engaging dialogue, and realistic depictions of depression, career doubt, and trusting yourself in love, it 100% worked.

My favorite genre/mini-trope is Black women being loved wholly and given a safe place to land. This book explores and examines how Black women are portrayed and seen not only as potential partners, but as people.

“Strong isn't a personality trait. It's a sign that you're neglected and not protected. It's just as much evidence of your trauma as it is of your triumph. So this year, I say, enough with strength. I'm entering my damsel era. I'm eating cake and being pretty and crying when I'm hurt and apologizing for none of it.”

This is one of the many quotes I highlighted. I absolutely plan on purchasing a physical copy to reread and annotate. This book made me laugh, cry, and throw my Kindle (on a nice, soft pillow) and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an ARC. Between Friends & Lovers will be released on July 30, 2024, and is available for pre-order now!

I kept going back and forth between 3 stars and 4 stars but in the end the love and the sweetness overshadowed the gripes I had with it.

In this story we follow our FMC, Jo. Jo is a doctor and social media influencer who is secretly in love with her best friend Ezra. When certain events take place she makes the decision to put herself out there and actually try having some sort of love life. In comes Mal willing to do that but not in the way Jo initially wants to. Between Lovers and Friends, explores love, past and present trauma as well as the journey to healing.

Over all I enjoyed this story but I will admit there were times I was over it. There’s a love triangle that just doesn’t quite make sense to me. Jo and Ezra have been friends for 10 years but the events of one night strains their relationship for months. This conflict just felt so weak and immature. At least in the beginning. I just had so much trouble understanding why Jo was so upset with Ezra and never even affording him an actual conversation. One of my favorite parts of the book was how Jo and Mal communicated, so we know she’s capable of speaking her mind honestly and articulately yet somehow she doesn’t give Ezra that courtesy?

This might’ve been a 5 star read without the love triangle all together. Focusing on this aspect felt forced and made the story feel repetitive and threw the pacing off. Jo and Mal both being on their healing journey from past trauma, dealing with their own current insecurities and navigating love would have been such a beautiful story on its own without the Ezra plot line.

With that being said I loved Mal and Jo’s relationship. I enjoyed how they saw the best in each other even when they struggled with seeing it within themselves. I loved how Mal never settled for the little pieces Jo was trying to give him and made it known they both deserved more. It’s something so beautiful when a person can set healthy boundaries and stand on what they want all while still considering the other person. Both Jo and Mal did a great job with this. I love Jo’s drive and her heart. Even though I found her character contradictory at times especially in terms of her feelings regarding love, I enjoyed being along for her journey.

There are some heavy topics touched on in this story such as depression, child trauma and suicidal thoughts. There are plenty of sweet moments and humor sprinkled in but if you are looking for something fluffy this isn’t it.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the e-arc!

Thank you to Shirlene Obuobi, Avon and Netgalley for a copy to review. My gushing opinions are my own.

Drop everything and go read this book! Not a romance reader - I don’t care. Read it anyway! Obuobi does a beautiful job bringing to life a story that is about more than just the central romance. It is filled with social commentaries, the reality of how social media is influencing every part of our lives, the physical, educational and emotional rigor of medical residency’s, finding love despite oneself, to not settling for what one wants but reaching for what one needs and coming to terms with people who have hurt you in the past. It is an insightful story full of humor and heartbreak that has the audience peek behind the curtain of a successful social media influencers life juxtaposing perception and reality.

Reps: depression, social anxiety, mental health, parent in ICU, therapy, black people in therapy (I know this shouldn’t be a distinction but given how therapy and mental is often viewed for many minority people I can’t help but want to highlight how beautifully if was handled in this book).

CW/TW: parental neglect, cyber bullying, bullying (discussed), suicide, heavy drug use, societal racism (not by characters in the story but by commenters).

Afterthought: What was I thinking??? Honestly I got a copy of this tremendous book a few months ago and kept pushing it further down my TBR list. It’s not like I hadn’t read Obuobi’s debut “On Rotation” and loved it. Clearly I wasn’t ready to emerge myself in her greatness again. So if for whatever reason you’re on the fence - just read it.

4.5/5 stars (rounded up)
2/5 steam.

Insta post will be up about 2 weeks before pub date.

I have loved both of Shirlene Obuobi’s books. Jo is such a strong character and I really enjoyed seeing how she changed over the course of the book. Jo and Mal’s relationship evolved really naturally and I liked how there was a bit of a love triangle but it didn’t take away from the main relationship. I would definitely recommend this book.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed Shirlene Obuobi’s debut, so I was excited to try her next book. Between Friends & Lovers teeters rather delicately between women’s fiction and romance, with a well defined personal arc for Jo, while also giving fleshing out Malcolm as the love interest and even exploring a bit of a love triangle in a way that didn’t infuriate me. There’s also great emphasis on mental health care throughout all the major characters’ arcs.
I really liked Jo and her journey as she opened herself up to love. The exploration of her professional life was cool, especially as she’s both a doctor and a social media influencer around medical stuff. I appreciated her journey as she navigated both these career pathways and the struggles with both, as well as her woes with her love life, and truly taking the time to put herself and her well-being first after having to sacrifice so much from a young age.
Malcolm is just an all-around sweet guy, and I liked how vulnerable he was about his struggles with social anxiety. And while he and Jo initially wanted different things out of a love connection, I loved the way they communicated and tried to make a relationship between them work.
I had mixed feelings about Ezra. He’s definitely rather clueless throughout the book about his impact on Jo, especially going out with someone who Jo has obvious animosity with. But by the end, there’s a revelation about his own struggles, and I appreciated how he apologized for how his behavior and issues affected Jo once he finally came to the realization. And I also appreciate that even though he’s dating her rival, neither he nor the other woman, Prudence, is ever villainized.
This was an affirming and enjoyable read, and I’d recommend it to readers interested in a fairly low-drama romance centering mental health and self-care.

I love Obuobi's storytelling style. This one was definitely more of a romance than her debut, but she still has a lot of plot elements beyond just the romance. She's an autobuy author for me now, for sure!

I enjoyed Between Friends & Lovers. Mal really made this book for me. He was the sweetest book boyfriend. Mal had all of the qualities you would want to see in a book boyfriend: level-headed, sensitive, and a good communicator. He was a good counter balance to Jo. I thought Obuobi created a realistic and flawed character in Jo. I liked watching Jo open up to Mal and overcome her relationship obstacles. Although some of Jo's pessimistic thoughts on relationships frustrated me, Obuobi did a fantastic job showing why Jo was hesitant. I didn't care for the whole "ghosting" scene with Jo. It was always one step forward, two steps back with Jo's feelings....which got a little frustrating. I thought the depression representation was done nicely. For a not so heavy plot, Between Friends & Lovers surprisingly read smoothly and quickly. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

This was my first book by Shirlene Obuobi and it didn't disappoint. Initially I didn't know the direction this book would go, especially with this being a love triangle to a certain extent (loved that we didn't get Ezra's POV so I immediately knew my personal pick would come out on top lmao) but it turned out really well. Typically in love triangles like this when there is long time unrequited love between two best friends they end up together despite the great qualities of the second male lead and I'm happy that wasn't the case here. In this case our second main lead was the Main lead. I'm so happy Malcolm was end game lol.

I really liked the relationship between Josephine and Malcolm. They were opposites to a degree, but grew close despite this. Josephine entered the relationship with Malcolm not expecting anything serious because she was trying to move on from being in love with her longtime best friends whole seemingly didn't a feel the same (but actually did, of course). Malcolm challenged her and her feelings and her approach on love. He really brought her walls down and allowed her to be vulnerable with him despite her fears.

Sometimes the flashbacks confused me because there was no distinct difference in the writing between what was a memory and what was a present thought. It wasn't hard to figure out, but just something that came to mind. I'm also very curious about the decision to make Josephines POV in first person and Malcom's POV in third person. It wasn't distracting because I didn't notice until about half way through the book, but it made me go oh!

Overall, I loved this book a lot! 4.5/5 Stars!

I feel like I keep searching through so many anticipated releases, waiting for something that will break the reading slump. Unfortunately, this one just wasn't the one to do it. I just felt bored.