This is one of those books that had me carrying my Kindle everywhere during the week so I could dive into it every spare moment.

I loved this book. Jo, Mal and their friends were all so easy to fall in love with. Even Ezra grew on me as the story unfolded.

The dual POV's were perfectly written and made the characters feel authentic. Mal and his low key, but strong vibes gave major book boyfriend energy and I wanted to be Jo's friend because even though she was a physician, she had many relatable characteristics.

As I got to the end I was freaking out because I didn't feel like there was enough pages left to wrap things up, but the epilogue really closed things out well.

*Bonus points for this story being set in my favorite city.

Im not huge on love triangles however this was cute.

I wasn't big on the characters at first but then started to love them, hard to get into at first but loved the rest of the book.

Thank you net gallery and the publisher for this ARC <3

Between Friends & Lovers was a beautiful story. I love a story that keeps me fully engaged. This one did it for me. Author Shirlene Obuobi created believable characters with captivating storylines. I found myself fully rooting for Malcolm and Josephine while also wanting the best for Ezra. I especially love that the setting of this book was in my hometown of Chicago. I believe this book ended the way that it should have. I will definitely read more books by this author. Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and advance copy of this book.

This was such a fun and easy read! I love a good easy romance and this is the first book I have read of this author, and it won’t be the last. The way the friendship transitions to lovers was such a treat. I am gonna try to get this one for my book club one month!

Another brilliant piece from Dr Shirlene Obuobi ShirlyWhirl, M.D.

This book focuses on a young woman physician, Dr Josephine Boateng. Hers is a story of challenges, difficulties, and major hurdles. Early in life, she had to learn to stand on her own, filing for emancipation from a single mother who didn’t care, and starting to forge her way through a harsh world. She makes it though, through sheer grit and determination. She goes through Medical School and completes a Residency even. She develops a social media brand - teaching health matters to the public and helping them navigate better through health issues.

You may think that the story revolves around these but nope, this is a story of matters of the heart and an oft overlooked yet significant issue among health workers. This one delves into depression and how it ravaged and derailed the trajectory of a young woman trying to make her way through post-graduate medical training.

Even bigger, is the story of two men in her life and how she is forced to make some decisions. Will it be Ezra, the longtime friend who has largely taken her for granted, or will it be Malcolm, the passionate newcomer? In our era of living large literarily, with social media amplifying every little issue, and forcing “influencers” to contend with a global court of public opinion, how will Jo find the quiet in her mind to make the best decision? Will she love herself again and realize the true gem that she is? Finally, will she get around to choosing the right guy before it’s all too late?

I’m giving this book 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ because I loved the story and plot and I felt that every character had a purpose and role.

Thank you to the Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

I just finished reading Between Friends and Lovers by Shirlene Obuobi and I loved it! This book is about a Ghanian American doctor who works as a social media influencer. She has been in love with her best friend for the last 10 years and after attempting to tell him how she feels realizes it's time to move on. She then meets Malcom debut author, whom she has been communicating with through social media over the previous years. He thinks she's even more stunning in person and he starts to pursue her! One thing I thought was interesting was the FMC POV was in first and the MMC POV was in second. Initially it threw me off but ultimately I feel like it supported the character development of the FMC. A few things I absolutely loved about the book was the female Ghanian physician representation, how she talked about how much stress and strain on mental health the limitations of the health care systems can put on doctors, and other health care professionals. Lastly, I appreciated the Malcoms (MMC) maturity, persistence, and transparency with loving Dr. Jojo. Ezra and Malcom absolutely adored Dr. Jojo and it was beautiful to see! So much to learn and so many quotable moments all throughout the story. A beautiful story about trusting yourself to love and to accept love.

This book was a refreshing take on a love triangle.

Jo is a doctor and social media influencer in love with her best friend, Ezra, movie actor and billionaire heir.

Jo meets author Malcolm Waters, a debut bestselling author, at Ezra’s 30th birthday, which Ezra attended with Jo’s childhood bully as his date. As Jo and Mal chat that evening they realize that they’ve connected before through Jo’s Instagram account and they eventually decide to explore their relationship offline.

This is a dual POV book and we get to see both Jo and Mal’s internal doubts and fears. They both help each other through their struggles and grow because of that.

This book was a fairly fast read even though it dealt with some heavy topics. I could have done with fewer Instagram post references and commentary, but overall I enjoy it.

TW: medical trauma, racism, class differences, depression, parental abandonment

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper for providing an advanced digital copy for me to review.

I knew I would love this book from the first paragraph. A book lives or dies on the strength of it’s main character, and from the very beginning you get a strong sense of who Jo is - a bundle of contradictions, hard and soft at the same time, shaped by a life that hasn’t been particularly easy. And Malcom. *swoon*. Such sweet, steady strength. I even loved the Adelman family, despite their flaws.

It would be so easy to go into this book rooting for Ezra, but Obuobi puts a great twist on the friends to lovers and love triangle tropes. She isn’t afraid to deal with issues of socio-economic disparity, class, race, our flawed medical system, and mental health - all without being too heavy handed for the genre. (That’s quite a balance to achieve.)

4.5 stars, rounded up to five. I’ve never been a fan of when dual POV switches between first and third first narrative. And there were a few details surrounding the central conlict that felt a little muddy. Otherwise, just about perfect. This was my first book from Shirlene Obuobi, and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy of this book.

I liked aspects of this but I don't think I was the target market. I enjoyed some of the character work and some of the themes but was left feeling like something was missing.

This is a romance novel that has elements of a friends to lovers dynamic and a love triangle. It was a pretty engaging read. I found both Jo and Mal to be relatable. They are both strong and successful but at the same time they are dealing with unresolved trauma and the impact that has on their relationships. I like that the characters aren't perfect as it makes them more realistic. The author also didn't shy away from the fact that racism does color almost every interaction POC have in the United States today.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback.

I recently read Between Friends & Lovers by Shirlene Obuobi, and it was a refreshing take on the classic friends-to-lovers trope. The story follows Josephine Boateng, a social media influencer and medical doctor, who is hung up on her childhood best friend, Ezra Adelman. She feels that her career as an influencer is underwhelming and her potential career in medicine overwhelming.

When Ezra shows up at his thirtieth birthday party with Josephine's childhood bully on his arm, Josephine realizes that it's time to prioritize herself for once. Meanwhile, Malcolm Waters, a debut novelist, is struggling with networking and socializing at a swanky penthouse party when he's rescued by Josephine, who he's been following on social media for years.

As Josephine and Malcolm start to connect, they both realize that their private and public lives are more intertwined than they thought. The story explores the blurred lines between friendship and love and the risks that come with pursuing something real.

What I loved about this book was the way the author managed to create relatable and well-developed characters. Josephine's struggles with balancing her career as an influencer and her desire to pursue medicine were relatable, and Malcolm's struggle with socializing was endearing.

The book also explores themes of self-discovery, self-love, and the importance of prioritizing oneself. The story is heartwarming and will leave you feeling hopeful and inspired.

Overall, Between Friends & Lovers is a well-written and captivating read that I highly recommend to anyone looking for a refreshing take on the friends-to-lovers trope.

I loved the humor in this book. I read her debut novel but this is way better. I feel
like I could better connect to the characters and their relationships in this book. A must read.

This was like reading a tv show that had characters you first hate and then start loving, characters you love from the start and continue to love, characters you don’t like seeing them together but then okay they grow on you. Characters you want so much better for and keep waiting for “their break”. Characters you want to scream at.
And an overall story line that makes for a good fun quick read!

One of my favorite books. I love Mal and Jo. This book is a fun, fast read but also deals with deep topics that really resonated with me. Especially Mal’s anxieties surrounding her publishing.

I thought it was a cute read and that the problems that come with relationships seemed real. I just wasn't sure about the characters and how she dealt with both Ezra and Malcolm.

Firstly, thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Wow! I really enjoyed Jo and Mal's love story. Shirlene has written two authentic and relatable characters that I saw so much of myself in. Her writing style is enjoyable and easy to read and the love story is and example of what we should all strive for. The Adelman's on the other hand, I won't speak too much on, but they should cross the road if they ever see me coming.

I adore Mal & Jo. Mal is a cinnamon roll of a book boyfriend, Jo is a bad ass heroine who is finally opening herself up to love and affection in the most entertaining way LOL. These two live rent-free in my head. Their dynamic is sexy, silly, and fun. This book made me laugh, cry, swoon. It’s one of my favorite reads.

This was so much fun! I loved Mal and Jo and their dynamic. Jo was so badass and Mal was just the sweetest but I love how both them had quite a bit of growth through out. I wasn’t sure about Jo’s influencer angle in the book as that is something I usually don’t like but it worked for me. This was a fun easy read perfect for the beach!

The voice is absolute perfection. The premise is great. The pacing is spot on. I stopped after chapter 1 (%), but easy three stars for the target, and four to five for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.