ok after a slow start I ended up loving this book! huge friends to lovers girl and this was well done. loved the london setting. loved the MMC sunshine and FMC grumpy vibes. loved how patient he was. the tension and slow burn was great!

Love love love London! Also the cover for this book is stunning! I think it’s a new cover or for the U.S. edition? I’m not sure how the editions work but it’s gorgeous. I had fun experiencing London through this book and I’ve been craving a cozy romance book for a while so I was super excited to receive this ARC. Unfortunately I couldn’t connect with Ava but I think that’s because I’m not a Hinge user and have a hard time relating to that. I did love Josie and the representation she brought to the story. Having her was unique and I liked that she didn’t fall into the “quirky bff and roommate” cliche trope so many other books have because I’ve been getting burned out from those characters. Also loved Finn, in love with Finn, want Finn LOL I liked him from the second he appeared in the book!

This is easily my favorite friends to lovers romance. The characters are so authentically human in a way that feels they could just leap off the page and I am so pleased without how the author avoids the usual trappings that come along with this trope. The chemistry and banter between the leads is palpable and witty, and the plot feels well paced. I will be recommending this book to many people in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins Publishers, and Georgia Stone for this eARC!

Based on the book description alone, I knew I was going to like this book.
-London bucket list? Absolutely yes. I looked forward to reminiscing about my own time spent in London.
-Grumpy x Sunshine - especially when it's reversed from the 'normal'? Hell yes! I’m a little grumpy myself so I could very much relate to the FMC.
-When the first two lines of the book made me laugh out loud? Don't tempt me with a good time!

This story was so sweet! The banter was definitely bantering. I appreciated the emotional growth by both the FMC and MMC. It was heartwarming to see Ava, begrudgingly, open up to Finn and let him into her world. Talk about a SLOW burn! I could cut the tension between these two with a knife. The connection these two have with each other is…*sighs* so dreamy (see below). Even the side characters were fun to read and get to know (I'm looking at you, Josie and Max). If you love a good love story, I highly recommend this book!

Some favorite moments:
-"That's my requirement. Someone who looks at me the way Rory looks at biscuits."

-"This is decaf. Because, you know, your bowels." Romance isn't dead, folks.

-"You deserve someone who pays attention, Ava. It's not difficult. You were playing a part, which was stupid, as I said, but if he was really paying attention he would've noticed. Because, no offense, but you're not as good an actor as you think."
"Excuse me? I am a woman of mystery."
"Don't even try that. I can read you like a fucking book."

-"I'm sorry if that messes up this whole thing we've had where we pretend there's nothing going on here. Where you pretend you don't like spending time with me and I pretend the air isn't on fucking fire when you're standing too close. But it's how I feel."

-She sighs against me, and when my teeth drag against her bottom lip, I realize I've never wanted to learn a language so badly in my life. I wish we had more than a few minutes. I want to relish the softness of her; find out if my theory is correct, if our bodies have been purpose-built for each other, for fitting in the gaps we both leave behind.

-He kisses like he's been away for a decade, like he's telling me ten years' worth of stories with every miniscule shift in position. Or maybe it's the opposite. Maybe he's storing up these seconds like they're the life source that'll sustain him over the coming months.

The Friendship Fling is a slow burn, strangers to lovers romance book set in London. We follow Ava, a coffee shop worker, who meets Finn, a golden retriever type in an opposites attract situation. Finn is only staying in London for a short time while searching for a new job, so Ava acts as his tour guide for the time being, helping him check off his bucket list. This book explores the consequences of the lines of friendship being crossed, especially when it can’t last. Overall, I enjoyed this book, but it was very predictable. Throughout the book, I felt like the book was following the exact plot line that I had imagined in my head, with no plot twists in sight. I did think it was very cute, however, and I did enjoy how even though they were opposites in every way, they still were able to support each other. As an American myself, it was also interesting to see what British people think of Americans from a different perspective.

Features-
- Friends to lovers
- Slow burn
- She’s grumpy, he’s sunshine
- Third act breakup
- Golden retriever x black cat
- Summer romance
- Closed door (some fade to black)
- Found family

This book was amazing the plot was very interesting and fast paced. And the romance was so cute! I would highly recommend this book!

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up
A HUGE thank you to @netgalley and @harperperennial for an eARC copy!!

🌶️ Spice: Ch. 32,38

💕 Tropes
- Friendship of Convenience
- Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine
- Slow Burn
- He falls first

🚨Trigger Warning
-Cancer

💭 My Thoughts

The amount of time that I wanted someone to squeal with over this book was surreal! The main couple definitely have black cat gf/ golden retriever bf vibes in the best way! While it definitely was a slowwwww burn, it paid off and made the later half of the book that much more impactful (I even teared up a bit at the end)! What I loved most about it was watching the way the two main characters helped one another grow as individuals. Overall, the Friendship Fling is a great romcom with the perfect proportion of laughter and heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

This was an upside down topsy turby grumpy/sunshine romance story. When we usually read this trope, it’s a big grumpy guy with a ray of sunshine girl. In this rom com, Ava Monroe is our grumpy character, whereas Finn is our ray of sunshine.

Finn and Ava meet in a coffee shop where Ava works in London. Finn is working in London short term and enlists Ava to help him complete a London bucket list before he moves to his next destination. What was not on the bucket list was healing for both characters and finding home.

I thought this book was sweet, funny, and I really enjoyed and got the warm and fuzzies reading their relationship develop.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Georgia Stone's debut novel is a dual POV featuring Ava, cynical barista and Finn, a traveler seeking to complete his bucket list. There is a reverse grumpy x sunshine and friends to lovers trope.

Loved Finn.. Ava not so much although I sympathize with her familial situation. Wish we saw more of Ava and Finn's relationship progress versus seeing her dating other people.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial for eARC!

What a delightful friends to lovers story. Ava and Finn had black cat/golden retriever personalities that made for perfect banter and tension. I just loved how their relationship progressed, it was definitely a slow burn. They got to actually know each other, first for Ava as a way to get out of a situation and then they could not stay away from each other.

The story also shows how the characters deal with the other relationships in their life, specifically Ava and her brother Max. We learn why she is the way she is and is scared to open up after dealing with the fear of loosing him. The talk they have at the end is very emotional and heartfelt. In Finn's case it was his relationship with his parents and how he felt abandoned, all he wanted was some attention and love. It made me feel for him, he was my favorite character. I think the only reason it was not a five star was because the story dragged a bit at certain points. Overall this was a really lovely romance story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

The Friendship Fling was an unexpected surprise. I expected a fluffy read, and it was quite the opposite. It was thoughtful and deep. The way humans do certain things to protect themselves is relatable. It was quirky and fun but also serious and real life. I loved the main male character. You just want to hug him. The female main character was bristly but loveable as well. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and plan on reading others by the same author.

I finished this lovely romcom last week and have thought about it ever since!! I was enamored by Finn as soon as his Face ID wouldn’t work because he was smiling like an idiot, which happens in like, the first twenty pages. Coincidentally, I was also grinning like an idiot

Every time an author pulls off friends to lovers where the main characters are ACTUALLY just friends, it amazes me. Watching Ava and Finn go from (reluctant) friends (Finn is a chaotic ball of sunshine and Ava is a black cat in human form who definitely is NOT AMUSED BY FINN) to more than friends so naturally was the most satisfying thing in the world, getting all those achey heart feelings and swoons upon swoons. This book dares you to break your own mold, to go out on a limb, to maybe give love a shot, and it made me want to hug my Kindle over and over again. Georgia’s writing style feels like nice, warm hug from your very best friend—I can’t see what she does next :-)

I really enjoyed this book! The slow burn was PERFECTION. I loved that this book took place in London, as a reader I felt like I got to explore the city alongside the characters. Finn and Ava's story was so much fun. If you love a grumpy (her) x sunshine (him) trope, you'll enjoy this book. This book was a perfect palette cleanser and felt refreshing in all the right ways. I'd absolutely read more Georgia Stone books in the future.

The layers in this book, in my opinion, were what really made it unique. Meeting and falling in love isn't the only thing that happens. Every character in the cast was endearing, and their hardships seemed genuine and approachable. Even though it was a slow burn, the writing was captivating and really, really good. From the beginning, I found myself supporting the two main characters.

this is a fantastic, easy to read rom com that follows finn and ava who agree to a strictly friends-only summer fling in an attempt to complete finn’s london bucket list and get ava out of her comfort zone. if you’re a fan of the black cat/golden retriever trope, this is absolutely for you! it’s pretty predictable and had a couple of cringe moments (for me), but overall i loved the writing, the characters, and the story.

thanks to netgalley and harper perennial for my advance copy of the friendship fling by georgia stone. all opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Ava Monroe is not a people person. Unsure of what she wants for her life, she works at a coffee shop, predictable but less opportunity for surprises. When her best friend begs her to make a new friend so that she won’t be lonely while she works on a huge project for a couple of months, Ava reluctantly agrees.

Bubbly Finn O’Callaghan is in London on a six month work contract. He wants to make the most of his time there and do everything on his bucket list. He meets Ava at the coffee shop he frequents. When she tells a tiny lie and mentions that he’s her new friend, he comes up with the perfect bargain. He’ll be her friend if she helps him knock off the items on his bucket list. The pair venture to various London locations and tentatively begin a friendship. Things get complicated when real feelings start to develop because like it or not, Finn’s time in London is limited. What will become of the fragile relationship they’ve built?

This was very slow, and I think it’s because while the MC’s do need to time to trust each other and for their relationship to develop, not a lot happens. Which is odd, because they do go on adventures together and what not. I think it’s that, it takes so long for Ava to let her guard down. While her grumpy demeanor is fun at first, after a while it becomes a drag. There is some fun banter between the two, but I didn’t feel the chemistry between them. I think Ms. Stone did a wonderful job of capturing their friendship, but it didn’t feel like they were building towards an intimate relationship.

Ava needs so much therapy, as she’s not fully dealt with her brother’s previous cancer diagnosis. She keeps people at arm’s length except her friend Josie. I empathize with her, but it was hard to connect with her. Finn’s charm hides a man who is extremely afraid of abandonment. Growing up with absentee parents, it’s easy to understand why. His motivation for applying for a job in San Francisco is to be closer to the father he barely has a relationship. It’s heartbreaking to see how lonely he is. I think they each had a lot to overcome and there didn’t seem to be any fight towards that until the very end.

I did take issue with the fact that at 48% of the novel, Ava is still going out on dates. Why!?! It was frustrating. I’d much rather have seen more scenes of Ava and Finn doing activities together and getting closer. I’m not a fan of MC’s dating other people once they’ve met and have started interacting with each other. I see it as valuable time being taken away from the building of the relationship. It was frustrating to say the least.

This had potential, and I would be interested in reading more from Ms. Stone.

4.5 stars ⭐️
was so kindly gifted an ARC of this book and wow, i am so thankful. all thoughts are my own and *spoiler alert* i truly loved it.

this book was witty, relatable, had me laughing out loud and cheering on the characters. the writing was *chefs kiss* and i haven’t highlighted that many lines in a book in so long. you can’t help but love all of the characters so much. finn, ava, josie, max, alina, julien - i wanted to be friends with them all! would definitely recommend this book.

thank you georgia stone & harper perennial ❤️

My first five star read of the year!! I truly can’t believe this is a debut novel—I was absolutely stunned by The Friendship Fling! Georgia Stone perfectly combines humor, heart, and romance for the ideal summer novel.

If you like black cat x golden retriever, friends-to-lovers, and the vibes of People We Meet on Vacation, you’re going to want to snatch this one up.

Thank you to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley & Harper Perennial for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If this book is Georgia Stone’s debut, I am absolutely going to LOVE future books from her.

I love everything about Ava & Finn - their raw & realness to their chemistry & their banter.

And the side characters??????? They were as memorable as the main characters.

I need contemporary romance books that have emotion and The Friendship Fling made me cry, made me swoon, made me smile, made me angry (but only at a certain character)

This book is literally phenomenal and I wish I could re-read it just to experience it for the first time again.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for this advanced copy of The Friendship Fling.

4.5 out of 5 Stars

What a beautiful debut novel.
The Friendship Fling tells the story of Ava and Finn, two very opposite people who come together over the summer to complete a bucket list friendship. It’s a slow burn romance that explores ideas of friendship, trauma, loneliness, and avoidance. Ava is our traditional black cat character, closed off to everyone including herself.
Finn is our typical sunshine character, who just wants to enjoy every moment or everywhere he goes.
I just loved Ava’s change in this book. She might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but her growth is beautiful.

Also Finn is adorable and perfect and deserves all the good things.