I had such a wonderful time reading this. I deeply connected to Ava, our FMC, and absolutely loved Finn, the MMC. I can’t wait to see what Georgia Stone does in the future!

4.25/5 Stars

The Friendship Fling is a solid, fun read with just the right balance of heart and humor. I’d easily recommend it to anyone in the mood for a lighthearted romance that doesn’t skimp on clever writing or character depth.

The early chapters felt a bit slow, and it took me about 30% of the way through to really connect. But once I hit that point, the rest of the book absolutely flew by. Georgia Stone has a great ear for dialogue, with several laugh-out-loud moments and sharp, witty banter that kept me grinning.

The characters were believable, engaging, and full of chemistry. I enjoyed the reverse grumpy/sunshine pairing. It added a fresh layer to the relationship and made the interactions feel less predictable and more grounded.

Thank you, Harper Perennial, for providing this e-ARC through NetGalley.

“I’m certain no one has ever belonged with anyone more than he belongs with me.”

The Friendship Fling is a sparkling, butterfly inducing, debut; witty, tender, swoony and sharp. Simply put, I adored everything about this book including the banter between Ava and Finn, the playfulness, the micro-tropes (so many favorites), the nicknames (she calls him a menace which happens to be my kryptonite) and an amazing cast of supporting characters. The 5 star friends to lovers romcom of my dreams!

This book follows English native Ava Monroe as she embarks on a friendship of convenience with serial relocator, Finn O’Callaghan. Ava is a grumpy London barista, and Finn is the charming customer that can’t stay away.

I was immediately drawn in with Ava’s witty dialogue and humor. I mean with a first line like this (below), I was committed.

“It is fundamentally against my morals to tell a man he’s funny. For starters, he might believe it.”

While parts of this book are lighthearted, there are deeper themes woven throughout the story. Reading this story was a visceral experience- I felt butterflies and gut punches, anticipation and trepidation. For a story with so much humor, it was still able to ring out strong emotions from me which is a hard balance to find.

Friends to lovers is a tricky trope for me; I either love it, or it falls incredibly flat. This one was incredible. I love how their love was built through friendship, experiencing the city together and domestic moments. The push and pull of will they or won’t they when the reader and all their friends can so clearly see they are falling in love.

I loved watching Finn help Ava feel safe to try new things, make new friends and take some risks. Conversely, it was a joy to watch Ava put Finn first in her prickly way since no one in his life ever does that for him. Ava loves fiercely and while it is difficult to break into her inner circle, the loyalty she shows her close friends and family is strong. Their emotional baggage and fears made perfect sense given their past life experiences. It was easy to see why Finn and Ava are the way they are and what they would need to move forward.

I cannot wait till Max (Ava’s brother) and Dylan’s story next in The Roommate Rule, releasing May 2026.

Read if you like:
•Dual POV
•Friendship of convenience
•Grumpy (her)/ sunshine (him)
•London setting

Thank you to Harper Perennial for an e-arc of The Friendship Fling by Georgia Stone. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series from Stone!

**Posting my review to Instagram the week of 7/28/25- will update links at that time. Thank you!

Oh. My. Heart. If sunlit serendipity, emotional slow burns, and grumpy-sunshine duos are your jam, then The Friendship Fling is your new obsession. This book is a cinnamon-sugar heartache wrapped in late-summer warmth with a big dollop of London charm.

Let’s set the scene: Ava Monroe is the kind of delightfully sarcastic, emotionally walled-off heroine who reads like a moody playlist and secretly cares way more than she lets on. She’s cynical, a little bruised, and absolutely not looking for connection. Enter Finn O’Callaghan—golden retriever energy in human form—who practically waltzes into her coffee shop with an infuriating smile and a “let’s be friends for the summer” proposition that is equal parts horrifying and… intriguing. 👀

Their chemistry? Electric. Like coffee and cream, like rain on cobblestones, like that first spark of warmth after a long winter. As they traipse across London checking off bucket list items—rooftop bars, floating adventures, moonlit museums—you can feel the soft unraveling of Ava’s armor, the slow build of trust, and the heart-thudding realization that maybe, just maybe, this “friendship” is turning into something breathtakingly real.

This story is funny, sexy, and so full of heart. It gives you those fizzy, butterflies-in-your-stomach feelings, but also digs deep into emotional vulnerability—why we protect ourselves, why we hold back, and what it means to open up to someone when you least expect it.

📚✨ If you loved The Flatshare, Beach Read, or anything by Emily Henry, The Friendship Fling is your next can't-put-down read. It's that perfect blend of wit and warmth, sass and swoon, with characters you’ll want to hug and a love story that lingers like the golden hour.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the e-book copy!

This might be one of my favorite romances of the year. I was a bit skeptical of it as the premise pitches this a short term fling between two different strangers. However, this book was bit more than that. It was really the story of two strangers meeting and becoming friends which eventually evolves into something more. I really liked Ava and Finn separate as well as together. Both were able to advocate for themselves as well as their relationship which was very refreshing to see. One thing that i thought could have been better was the pacing of their relationship. It felt like things didn't move till the bitter end and I feel for a romance novel it could have been faster as they were established well. Besides that, I still had a good time with this and would recommend checking this out if you like a good friends to lovers.

"for the record, friends don't typically look at friends like they're the brightest star in the sky."

ava and finn are strangers when they form a friendship of convenience because she needs a friend to attend her roommate's party and he has one summer to complete his bucket list before he leaves london.

this is a friendship of convenience only for the summer, bucket list, grumpy x sunshine but she's the grump, slooow burn, he falls first and harder 💛

i got to arc read this book and i absolutely can't wait to read book two following max and dylan! i have so many favorite scenes. one moment, i was giggling and kicking my feet and the next, i was in my feels!

this was a slooow burn romance so you better be veeery patient but when the spice hits, it's worth the wait, especially with the artwork 😝

The Friendship Fling is an adorable and emotional romance with just a hint of spice. I absolutely love Ava and Finn's relationship. They fit together so well as friends and that friendship translates perfectly into a romantic relationship. The character development was just chef's kiss. I am eagerly awaiting Stone's next release.

Firstly, I was drawn in by the cover. I also enjoyed the fun chapter titles. Fun elements like that can add to the reading experience! Diving deeper into the book, I enjoyed the characters themselves. I enjoyed the settings and how Ava Monroe works in a coffee shop. I was definitely giggling at some parts! It was so cute seeing the romance building up between the two throughout the book as they spent more and more time together going to different places together. They were relatable and felt real. Ava being a little grumpy and Flinn being sunshine It was nice seeing the representation of a family member in the hospital a lot. I feel like many people could relate to that. I was left not wanting to put the book down at the end. This is definitely an enjoyable summer read!

This was one that I read slowly to full savor and appreciate the friendship between Ava and Finn. I liked the back and forth chapters, and the side characters were just as engaging as the MC.

This book was such a cute romance book. I really enjoyed both of the character's journeys in the book. Ava is a barista at a coffee shop that is used to a routine and does not have many friends. Finn, is a consultant who has moved around a lot growing up because his mother was a diplomat. He and Ava decided to became friends and knockoff things on Finn's London bucket list. However, Finn is not planning on staying in London permanently, so while sparks fly, Ava worries about doing long distance. Overall, I really liked this book and give it three stars. I like the London setting and both characters. There was nothing revolutionary though in this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for a review. Out now!

The Friendship Fling by Georgia Stone is my first read by her and it probably won't be the last.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a grumpy/sunshine, friendship of convenience to more.

It's a slow burn and I liked that it took a while to become more than friends, but I felt the book itself was longer than it needed to be. Because of that, the burn was even more so. I feel like the pacing would work better as a film than as a book. It won't put me off from reading more from the author though. It was funny and sweet.

TW for cancer and it gets pretty emotional near the end of the book, so tread lightly. Other than that, the book was pretty lighthearted.

4.25 stars, rounded to 4.

Thank you to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks and NetGalley. I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

4.5/5⭐️

I read the indie version of this book and ARC read the trad version of this book and was SO impressed! I loved it the first time, and the edits only made it better. The chemistry between Finn and Ava, first as friends and then as more, is absolutely top notch. They are the ultimate black cat FMC/golden retriever MMC! The banter is phenomenal, and both characters had their own stories that were complete in their own right. I do think the title change was the right move - The Friendship Fling is such a good fit for the story. I’m thrilled to see what the author does next!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ava and Finn are easily two of my new favorite book characters. First off, Ava is freaking hilarious and I just know she would be someone I'd be friends with. Second, Finn is the most persistent - in the best way - and caring person, who would do anything to make someone's day. Their banter and witty comebacks are sooo,oooo good!! And the tension?! I was screaming at the book at one point because it was TOO MUCH!! Over-all 10/10 would read again.

set in london where the mmc falls first????? YUP. i picked this up because the cover immediately drew me in and im obsessed with it. i love ava so much. she may be “sarcastic” and “blunt” but she is so relatable. i also love the chapter titles, they were funny and had me intrigued to keep reading. finn was so in love with ava for who she is which is so refreshing. she may come off cold and harsh but with finn, she can be her true self and he adores her for it. he can read her like a book ;)

ava, a barista in a london coffee shop, is not a people person. she has a strictly no strings attached mantra for relationships. her best friend is leaving for a year and she wants ava to get out of her comfort zone. enter finn, who visits the coffee shop ava works at with an “unusual proposal: a mutually beneficial friends-only summer fling”. for finn, he needs a local to help him complete his london summer bucket list before he moves and for ava, to reassure herself and her best friend that she won’t be lonely. will their adventures lead to more or will it end when summer ends?

tropes: he falls first, friendship of convenience, grumpy x sunshine, dual pov, slow burn *do check cw*

“i’ve realized i don’t even want to spend time with people if they’re not you. no one compares” - finn

"Like sunlight, love finds its way in through the cracks regardless. Might as well open the door."

This was soooo slow. The second half the pace felt much better in my opinion - once their relationship started actually having any progression the story overall felt much better. I do like Ava and Finn together, and I think that they're relationship would actually last past the end of the book, but I do think this book would have benefitted from being about 50 pages shorter.

I do also wanna add that the disability rep in this is great! Ava’s best friend in the book is blind and all the little accessibility points were so well done and felt so normalized in the story.

Thank you to Harper Perennial and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

i couldn’t really get into this book and DNF but it wasn’t bad! it just wasn’t for me! overall still seems fun and cute!

4.25 ⭐️

The Friendship Fling is 𝘌𝘝𝘌𝘙𝘠𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘕𝘎 I love about a slowburn romance; I want to be tortured while reading, and this book left my soul on fire 🔥

The author did an amazing job of creating a natural start to a friendship that wasn’t immediately overwhelmed by sexual tension. Finn and Ava are just very real and raw characters who both have their own issues with the idea of love. As the story progresses, their witty exchanges and sweet banter add a delightful depth that will evidently lead to an undeniable chemistry❤️‍🔥

Ava and Finn might seem like an unlikely pairing at first. Ava’s guarded and grumpy demeanor contrasts sharply with Finn’s cheerful and kind-hearted personality. Yet, it’s this very contrast that shows deeper layers of their personalities, hinting at the reasons behind Ava’s reluctant nature and Finn’s openness. Meeting each other didn’t change them but gently nudged them toward an understanding of their own worth and potential.

I genuinely admire the depth of the conversations, especially when they delve into their emotions and challenges. It’s rather refreshing to have characters that don’t have their future clearly mapped out and are still feeling a little bit lost.

As I’ve mentioned before, the gradual unfolding of the story feels agonizingly slow yet immensely rewarding. It is truly the perfect slow burn for such a lovely and most deserving couple😍 Wandering through London with these two entirely different personalities and witnessing their emotional connection flourish brought so much warmth and comfort to my reading experience.

We will be getting a book 2, which I'm incredibly excited for!🥹 The side characters were a great and loveable bunch, and next, we'll get to follow Ava’s brother Max and Dylan. I can’t wait to get emotionally destroyed again 🥲👍🏻

*𝘈 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦-𝘢𝘳𝘤! 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.*

Grumpy Ava and ever-sunny Finn couldn’t be more different, but a chance meeting at a London coffee shop sparks an unexpected friendship. With Finn in town temporarily, Ava agrees to help him check off his London bucket list. Along the way, their playful adventures lead to deeper conversations, shared vulnerabilities, and surprising emotional growth.

This story is a charming blend of humor, heart, and slow-burn connection. Perfect for fans of opposites-attract dynamics and feel-good reads that still carry emotional depth.

I ADORED this book! I loved Ava and Finn and how their relationship progressed over time. What a perfect golden retriever Finn was. Was this a debut? Because I can’t wait for more from this author.

the grumpy x sunshine dynamic makes me want to fling myself off of something quite high up, that's for sure

this girl is giving him all the signals to leave her tf alone, and he keeps pestering her with his unwanted golden retriever energy, like get a CLUE

thank you to Harper Perennial for the arc in exchange for an honest review