Grumpy x sunshine reluctant friends to lovers with an ever evolving bucket list that takes them all over London.

I wanted to love this so badly, especially because it's the author's debut and that's so exciting! Alas, this fell flat for me. Not even a sunshine, golden retriever MMC could keep me engaged.

This felt simultaneously rushed and slow. There were many things that dragged on, while major plot points were just breezed over in a couple paragraphs. I found myself repeatedly thinking, "show me, don't tell me" Also it's dual POV but the MMC only has like 5-8 chapters of 41?? And they barely added anything new to the story?? And we don't even see his huge third act moment happen from his POV or actually at all??

I did not love this book, but maybe you will! 2.5 stars rounding up to 3.

Thank you to NetGalley, Georgia Stone and Harper Perennial for the ARC!!

Super cute for a debut book! It was a nice change for grumpy sunshine to be a reverse trope. I do think the story was a bit too slow burn for my taste and definitely leaned too predictable, but all in all, it was a fun story. Rounding up to 4 for her first book.

Ava lives with her best and only friend and shoves blinders on to any other relationships. She doesn't have any desire to build a career or friendships/relationships with anyone else. Her life as a barista and random hookups is plenty to get her through. But of course, her best friend challenges her to make a new pal and Finn just happens to be a convenient excuse when he shows up with his smiles and his joie de vivre. The only thing that is on the table for either is a friendship for the summer, eagerly for Finn and an impossible amount of reluctance from Ava.
I fell in love with the cover first and when a friend highly recommending Friendship Fling, I ran to request on Netgalley. It took me a handful of chapters to buy into Ava as a lovable MC (she has a lack of direction or desire to escape her aloneness) but her character development was beautifully done. I loved how she played the grump against Finn's sunshine, that he worked hard to pull her out of her shell and bring joy to her life, and that she gracefully didn't shut him down when it actually mattered. Finn's bucket list as a catalyst for their relationship was *chef's kiss*.
Thank you to Harper Perennial and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley & the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute story and the first 25% had me laughing at loud. It then started to drag a bit and the story felt a little too long. It's almost like it just lost momentum. I also found it odd that they waited until 3/4 of the way through to kinda mention that Josie was vision impaired. There were so many random hints along the way, but it added nothing to the story but confusion. I will say that I loved the character growth, the cute grumpy/sunshine and feel it was great work for a debut novel.

Georgia Stone has written a fun and heartwarming debut that beautifully swirls the magic of the genre with the perfect amount of realism. While the story focuses on Ava and Finn, the romantic leads, it is full of artfully developed side characters that leave you loving the story as a whole, not just the romance that drives it forward.

It didn't hurt that it was set in London, which I still miss terribly. Reading this made me feel as close to the city as I can get without the use of a plane.

This was truly fun, feisty and ultra sexy.
I believe this is my first Georgia Stone book and I absolutely loved and adored it.

I look forward to her next one!

What a delightful read! A great romcom.

I had a lot of fun reading this one. I found it hilarious and heartfelt. The writing was easy to read and I escaped into the story with ease.

The grumpy x sunshine dynamic was well done too. The friendship between them feels natural. Ava and Finn had good chemistry and I liked that they could joke around with each other. They were able to connect on a deeper level too, especially on family issues. I thought the characters were loveable and easy to root for.

The romance is a sweet slow burn that will leave readers smiling. The progression of the romance from friendship was well done too. I really liked all the little moments between Ava and Finn.

The settings here were fantastic. I loved how they were described so I could feel like I was there.

Would recommend if you love romcoms.

Ava Monroe isn't a very social girl, in her opinion, life is safer, easier that way. No one to open up to, invest feelings and time into, or have to answer to. She can just do her own thing, in her own time, and enjoy her simpler life the way it is... it's her version of perfect. That is until a handsome tourist unexpectedly comes wandering into life.

The Friendship Fling is wonderfully penned slow burn romance riddled with feeling, humor, and captivating shenanigans that is destined to have you laughing about throughout. Ava is my kind of girl, I fully support her decision to keep her life simplistic and quiet. But I can also understand how living that way can hold you back at times and make you feel like your missing out on things in life. It has to be a perfect balance of both worlds, and our heroine finds that between the pages here, as well as, love. I thoroughly enjoyed watching these two take things slow, maintain what was happening between them was not serious, and fight their feelings every step of the way. It was the perfect rom-com!!

This book not only had me smiling throughout, but it touched my heart too! The story line was captivating and well penned and the characters unforgettable... one of the most impressive first reads I've had in a long time!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.

I loved this so so much! British romcom, strangers to friends to lovers, with alllll the feels. The tension between Finn and Ava was delicious! I was kicking my feet and giggling waiting for them to give in to each other already! I also love a black cat x golden retriever mix and these two were just perfect. I’ve never been to London, but this made me feel like I was there checking off things on my bucket list right along with Finn. This is such a great debut that comes out June 3 here in the US, so don’t sleep on it!!

This book made me realize just how much I love the grumpy x sunshine trope. Normally I want as much of the grumpy character as I can get but in this case I really needed more Finn in this story. He was so sweet and uplifting it made my day reading about him. Ava was cool but watching them interact when they are both so independent was nice. It was a sweet slow burn that I was so into and will most definitely be picking up when this book releases. 4 stars. -1 star for the lack of Finn chapters

gorgeous, fun, well-written ARC with awesome romance! would definitely recommend this book. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Such a cute read! Loved Ava and Finn, the story was fun and charming. Would definitely read this author again!

Finn is such a golden retriever/sunshine person. He is to everyone he meets! Ava is more than just the black cat energy she gives out. They are so different yet when they’re together their banter is incredible. Fun read!

What a cute little grumpy sunshine book! Such a good palette cleanser!! I’ll definitely be reading more Georgia Stone books in the future!

This was such a fun book full of charm and chemistry!
Reverse grumpy sunshine because usually it’s the male, but this time it was Ava and Finn was the sunshine ☀️
A friendship that sets off to fulfill a bucket list and becomes a friends to lovers romance. There was a lot of emotion and connection in this book and I truly enjoyed it.

4 ⭐️

Thanks so much to Harper Perennial for my ARC

Absolutely adored this! It captured that quintessential British charm without ever feeling forced – just genuinely relatable and real. The chemistry between Ava and Finn was electric right from the start, even with Ava's initial resistance. I especially loved seeing their relationship blossom from a solid friendship into something more, with that delicious tension building beautifully. Finn is an absolute sweetheart, and while Ava is prickly, her journey of letting go of her defenses and embracing love was captivating. With a fantastic supporting cast and an engaging plot, this debut is a winner!

This was such a fun book! Friendship Fling is about Ava and Finn deciding to be friends and tackle Finn's London bucket list before he leaves at the end of summer. It's a grumpy-sunshine, and Ava is the grump! (My favorite kind of grumpy-sunshine) It's a very fun story but it also deals with some serious topics, so it's not alwasy light and fluffy. I loved reading about their travels through London and it brought me back to when I went to London when I was 19. I highly recommend picking this up when it comes out!

This book sounded so cute, and I was excited to get started reading it. It started off like I expected, but I soon found myself bored with it.

This book would definitely be considered a slow burn. I just found it to be too slow. Honestly this book could have been 100 pages shorter and been just as good if not better. The pacing of the story was just too slow for my taste.

As far as the characters go they were ok. I didn't fall in love with any of them. None became my favorite. Again, they were just ok.

I'm sure many readers would enjoy this book. I'm not one of them unfortunately. I found this book a challenge to read and thought about giving up on it but since it was an ARC I (slowly) powered through.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Friendship Fling is an absolute rom com masterpiece that follows cynical Ava Monroe, peppy Finn O’Callaghan, and their tentative friendship that includes one summer and one London bucket list. Friends-to-lovers done in the best way, TFF handles so beautifully the feeling of opening your heart up to joy and hurt and every emotion in between. I laughed out loud and cried and kicked my feet until the very last page.

As the self appointed president of the Finlay O’Callaghan fan club, I feel qualified to say he is the book boyfriend blueprint (my formal apologies to Alex Nielsen). The care and consideration he gives Ava quite honestly is unmatched, and I love that he meets Ava exactly where she is. Finn is the picture of optimism, and seeing him learn to believe he is worth the love he poured into others was so important to me.

As for Ava, grumpy queen of my heart, seeing her from the story’s start to its end is so rewarding, and I have the softest spot in my heart for her. She’s so deeply funny and fiercely loyal. Seeing her bloom in this story is such a sweet reminder about giving yourself permission to live fully.

Ava and Finn are both such full characters, and the chemistry and banter between them is so special. It truly makes this book feel like a story you’re hearing about your very best friends. I love them, and when I say you need to read this book - I could not mean it more!!

It’s a real shame that Georgia Stone doesn’t have a backlist that I can binge. The banter, the character arcs, the pining, the yearning, the can you please just kiss already? I’m obsessed. Finn is my favorite man.

S/O to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the ARC!