“The city may have its noise, but it’s in the quiet moments with you that I find peace.”

Tropes:
Opposites Attract
He Falls First
Slow Burn
Workplace Partners-to-Lovers
Second Chance at Passion/Career

This rom-com is both charming and smart. Mariel Rivera, a young screenwriter struggling with writer's block and bad luck, meets Dash, a model dressed in Regency-era attire, after a chaotic encounter in Times Square. What follows is a partnership that mixes professional ambition with sizzling chemistry. Together, they create a steamy “historical content” series that will set the internet on fire—but will their connection stay just business, or is there more at stake?

The city itself, often overlooked in its beauty, felt like a character in the book—its frenetic energy mirrored the whirlwind romance between Mariel and Dash. It was a refreshing reminder of why I love living here.

Thank you to Lydia San Andres and Atria Books for the ARC through NetGalley! I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

This was one of the most unusual romances I’ve read- and it was all down to the tone of the FMC and her path to truly discovering herself. She is A LOT, our Mariel, but she is no manic pixie clone; she is utterly unique, genuine, vulnerable, forward and, most important of all, REFRESHING!! So many stories today seem to have been cobbled together via AI prompts but this story follows a path all its own, with plot points and motivations that I haven’t seen in other books. Looking at some of the lower rated reviews, I get the feeling that those readers wanted the book to be smutty- plenty of that to be found with other books and authors- the distinction here is that this is a very SEXY story. The MMC is a swoon-worthy honey, and the side characters grab your heart as well. I’m looking forward to more stories from Lydia San Andres.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for thie free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!!

Okay so i really loved the premise of this book. Starting out, I actually had no idea what Regency romance was, but I loved the idea of writers/actors working together based on a common theme that they loved.

I loved Dash and his open communication. I liked the casualness of how his sexuality came up in the book. It was written really well. He was very sweet and open during conversation and an overall good character. I had a harder time loving Mariel. I tend to feel this way about chaotic characters especially those who run away from their problems.

One random thing I loved was the couple of times the narration broke the third wall to make a joke about a pun in parenthesis's, I can’t pinpoint why but it made me giggle every time.

Overall it was a good and fast read and definitely super unique!!

Out February 10th, 2025
If you’ve ever tried to convince yourself that “just friends” is a totally chill and sustainable arrangement—this story is here to lovingly laugh in your face. It’s a slow-burn romance wrapped in tropical breezes and emotional repression, where every glance and casual touch feels like it’s carrying the weight of a thousand unsaid things. The vibes? Immaculate. The tension? Enough to power a small island.

The characters are delightfully stubborn, emotionally tangled, and just self-aware enough to make their own lives complicated. Watching them navigate friendship while clearly pining is like watching two people try to build a sandcastle during high tide—messy, doomed, and weirdly satisfying. There’s banter, longing, and a whole lot of “oh no, they’re hot” energy that makes the pages fly by.

This is the kind of story that makes you want to text your best friend “just checking in” and then immediately delete it because feelings are terrifying. It’s romantic without being cheesy, funny without trying too hard, and full of heart. Basically, it’s a love letter to all the people who’ve ever said “we’re just friends” while secretly hoping for more.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria/Primero Sueno Press for this ARC!

A cute own voiced book that has great LGBTQI rep (including the hero). This book is genuinely deeply sex work positive and gives a look at a really cool industry.

This book is about Mariel, who was fired from her job and struggled with writer's block. Her life started to change when she met Dash, a model whose current photos are risque. Dash saved Mariel from a mob and Mariel thinks that he could be the perfect person to play a character in her screenplay. They have those friends-with-benefits moments in the book.

This was a wonderfully done romantic comedy and worked well with the genre, I was engaged from start to finish and was invested in what was happening with the characters and their world. I was enjoying the way Mariel was written and thought this was realistic and had that element that I wanted. Lydia San Andres has a strong writing style and was glad I got to read this.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a bit flat and couldn't keep my interest, unfortunately

This book is cute and had a fun premise. It was a quick and easy read that was a great palette cleanser after a heavier read. There are definitely issues with this story. I thought Mariels character was very chaotic and she did not like dealing with her problems instead wanting to run from them. I did like Dash and that he was very sweet but almost felt too sweet and a bit one dimensional. Overall the book was cute but could've used some more editing.

This was such an enjoyable read. I have a soft spot for female main characters who have their walls up and it was no different with Mariel. And Dash was the sweetest, softest, gentlest, most patient book man ever.

Thank you to the publisher for providing the ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this one. The premise sounded so so good, but sadly it's a DNF at 30% when the mmc said he would miss her if she left after knowing her for 3 days.
It's the tell and not show book. There was also a lot of repetition. I had some issues with the pacing (they just met and already have a business arrangement).

The fmc was cute a quirky. And that could have been such a good selling point.

2.5, rounded up!

Listen, based on the description of this book, I wasn’t expecting anything too serious or mind blowing. And, honestly, that’s why I requested an ARC. I was intrigued by the premise of it. It’s not something I’ve ever seen in a book before and I figured that even if my suspicions were correct (that’s it not mind blowing) it would still be a fun read. And, I mean, it sort of was?

It was silly and definitely had a unique concept, but I caught myself skimming the pages a few times. Not that it was boring, per se. It’s just that the plot was barely there. I mean, it stuck to what the description promised, but that’s about it. It almost read like the author had no outline and just started writing as she went along. Not that that made the book bad by any means. I just think it could have been a tad more structured. Despite being a short book, it felt like it went on forever.

I wasn’t big on either of the main characters, unfortunately. Mariel was very chaotic and she kept running away from her problems (which was mentioned A LOT—at least she’s self aware). She was OKAY, but not my favorite. As for Dash, he was also just OKAY. He was super sweet and a big cinnamon roll (also mentioned a lot), but sometimes it felt like a little too much. Like he had no flaws. And don’t get me wrong, I’m glad he wasn’t a terrible person, it’s just that he didn’t seem to have any regular ole flaws either (even his apartment was spotless).

So anyways, I think a lot of people will love this book, merely because it’s a fast read and not overly plot heavy. And I also think lots of people will love both of the main characters! There is definitely stuff to like in this book! I like how diverse the cast of characters is and, again, how unique the concept is. Unfortunately, I wasn’t overly invested in really anything that happened in it.

Thank you Netgalley, publisher and author for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

The cover definitely is what got me interested in reading and the premise of the story. This was a quick read for me! But I struggled a little with the writing and felt like while there was good premise of the story, it fell flat a little with exploring more the aspects of Mariel's career and such. I did really like Dash's character, I am obsessed with cinnamon roll ish MMCs.

While this book was not totally for me, it may be good for you! Definitely has a good rom-com aspect to it! :)

the premise was great and the story was even better!! I had no idea what was going to happen or what I expected, but it was a fun ride!

Thank you to Atria for the advance reader copy of Only Friends by Lydia San Andres.

Mariel is an aspiring screen writer, fired from her job and dealing with writer’s block. She’s rescued by a model dressed in a regency costume. Mariel meets Dash, who has been modeling for years, and he’s the perfect person to play her character, the Duke of Harding. The two partner up to make spicy historical shorts.

I really enjoyed this premise! Oh my goodness, I adored Dash. Mariel is such a great MC as well and I love that we get the story through Mariel’s POV. I really enjoyed Mariel and Dash’s partnership and getting to see their relationship develop. There are some absolutely lovely moments between these two. I also enjoyed Mariel’s friends!

I wanted to love this because the premise sounded so unique and interesting: Regency romance meets OnlyFans/cosplay/content creation but... the execution fell flat and I felt like it was lacking a LOT. I try not to be so critical of books, especially contemporary romances, but I really was annoyed by Mariel. I did like Dash a lot! He was such a sweetheart, and really was a cinnamon roll type of MMC. I feel like it did not go as deep emotionally as I would have liked and felt very surface level to me. I felt like I just could not engage with it. I do think it had promise and I loved Dash, but other than that, it just did not work for me whatsoever.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lydia San Andres, and Atria/Primero Sueno Press for the eARC of this book.

I loved the premise of this book. A cosplayer/model/online sex worker meets by chance with an unemployed aspiring screenwriter. Sparks fly, and they engage in a whirlwind romance.

Mariel had a big Samantha-Irby-loveable-hot-mess vibe. Dash was the perfect foil to her with his attentiveness and devotion. That's not to say they both didn't have their own baggage to wrestle with and ultimately resolve. One thing that kind of bugged me was that while Mariel finally recognized what she was doing to Dash that picked open his old wounds (parading him around like a trophy) he didn't seem to realize he was doing the same wound-picking to her (ghosting her at the burlesque night). I also wish we could have learned a bit more about the outcome of Yaz, Mariel's cousin. I suspect she'll get her own book, but i felt like we didn't get much follow through other than a summary of what she planned to do after her own life imploded. She was such a major character at the start of the book and kind of fizzled out at the end.

Overall this was a great book and a solidly entertaining read.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Mariel is at a crossroads - recently fired from her job and struggling with writer’s block, her dreams of finishing a screenplay seem stalled. Enter Dashwood (aka Dash), who agrees to partner with her on an unconventional creative venture: an Austen-inspired OnlyFans account. Mariel writes the content, Dash performs as a brooding, modern Mr. Darcy, and their account quickly goes viral—bringing both the rewards and complications of internet fame.

While the premise is certainly contemporary, I struggled to connect with the tone and character development. The normalization of using a platform like OnlyFans to launch a career felt somewhat underexplored and inconsistent, with fluctuating levels of explicitness that left me unclear on the intended audience or message. Additionally, the main characters felt underdeveloped—Mariel came across as flat, and Dash lacked agency.

The novel had potential, especially in its commentary on fame, content creation, and performance, but it could benefit from stronger pacing and deeper character work. It may resonate more with readers who are more in step with its generational and cultural references, but it didn’t quite land for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Amazing book loved the characters and plot. I couldn't stop reading I stayed up all night. I loved the book so much thank you for the arc.

Lighthearted romcom with a unique premise.

OnlyFans but make it Regency? I was certainly intrigued. I thought the author did a good execution of the idea and it scratched that far-fetched romcom itch.

Dash was a dreamboat. He's sweet and patient (and hot). Mariel came off a bit as a manic pixie dream girl but I enjoyed her. She brought the drama and laughs. Their relationship was cute too. Their flirty banter and chemistry was fun.

A unique romcom that's lighthearted and fun.