Look, I needed something nice. Something warm. Something with heat that wouldn't burn me, and I really loved Casually Yours for all of those reasons and more.

Dani and Parker have great chemistry, and I loved the nostalgic flashbacks to their childhoods. I also loved that we got to have tender moments with the family dynamics—just made me ready for the holidays!

I do no think I can convey how much I loved this book! I am obsessed with Dani and Parker individually and as a couple, I sped through this book it was truly incredible. If you love a hilarious FMC and a boy next door who you haven’t seen in years, this one is definitely for you!

Dani Tsai and Parker Tran grew up inseparable in Oregon and were best friends until they went off to college and their friendship unexpectedly ended. Seven years later, Dani is living in New York pursuing her writing career when she runs into Parker again. Parker is now a successful sports marketing executive, and even though they have not seen each other in years, he wants to reconnect. One impulsive kiss later, they decide to keep things casual while Parker is in New York. Of course, it does not take long for those old feelings and their connection to make things a lot less casual.

Dani was such a refreshing FMC, she was incredibly witty, relatable in her monologues and social stress. Her awkward nature represents many of us, her self doubt as a teen, and her inability to do casual was truly relatable. Parker was perfect in this popular boy, football player, successful marketing sports executive suit wearing adult. But he also was an incredible match for Dani. The comfortability was there from the beginning and their connection was always natural and believable.

This book truly made me swoon, kick my feet, laugh and smile and I wanted Dani and Parker to find their HEA like they were a real couple. I really appreciated the NYC setting plus their hometown in Oregon. The childhood flashbacks were valuable in understanding their history and just strengthened my view on their relationship.

Also loved their family dynamics and the connection we saw as a family. They were and are such an integral part to each other and their families and I really appreciated the moments of them all together.

I cannot wait to see what Vivian Jia Lac writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Third State Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Casually Yours sounded like a fun read, and it turned out to be phenomenal. I love finding new authors, and I will definitely be looking to read more from Vivian Jia Lac in the future. Dani and Parker grew up next door to each other, and were inseparable. As they grew older, they remained super close but never crossed any romantic lines. They were supposed to meet in NYC, and Parker never showed up. Dani was devastated, and avoided Parker and her hometown for seven years.

In present day, they run into each other at a restaurant in NYC, where both are currently living. Dani accepts Parker’s invitations to hang out, and they end up back in his hotel room for a memorable night after a gala they both attended. Despite their long history, they agree to stay friends. Friends who sleep together, text all the time, and spend more and more time together. Initially, they are just having fun, but it quickly gets more serious. I loved how hot their connection was, how deeply they cared for each other, and how they communicated honestly with each other.

Alternating between their time together in NYC and at home in Oregon, this book is full of hilarious banter and steamy moments together. Dani and Parker’s love is deep, starting in their childhood and continuing to the present. The author builds such a beautiful connection between them. The writing is excellent and the character development is extremely well done. I kept forgetting that Casually Yours is Lac’s debut novel. The third act breakup was sad and I was nervous they weren’t going to be able to figure things out. Everything is resolved and the epilogue is so wonderful! Now I need Nathan’s book ASAP.

Thank you to the author, Third State Books, and NetGalley for an advance reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Dani and Parker have a LOT of history.

They grew up together as inseparable best friends, always supporting each other and their dreams, until Parker suddenly ghosted Dani. By the time he tried to explain what happened, Dani was too hurt to listen, and their friendship ended.

Seven years later, they unexpectedly run into each other in New York.

One heated argument turns into a heated kiss, which turns into considerably more, and they eventually decide that while Parker is temporarily in New York, they'll keep their relationship completely casual.

Obviously, that goes wonderfully.

I really loved Dani and Parker together. Their banter and chemistry were fantastic, but I especially enjoyed seeing pieces of their old friendship gradually return. They know each other incredibly well, they have so much shared history, and watching them attempt to separate that emotional connection from their new “casual” arrangement was both sweet and entertaining.

Things get even better when they unexpectedly find themselves back in their hometown together and suddenly have to sneak around while everyone who remembers their spectacular friendship breakup is shocked that they're even speaking again.

I also appreciated finally learning what happened seven years earlier. I understood Parker much better once everything came out, although I couldn't help wishing these two had properly talked years ago. Losing seven years of such an important friendship felt incredibly sad.

At the same time, perhaps they found each other again when they were finally ready to have that conversation. They'd both grown and reached a place in their lives where they could clear the air, reconnect and figure out what they actually wanted from each other.

Overall, I really, really enjoyed Casually Yours. Both main characters were wonderful, the banter was great, the chemistry absolutely worked for me, and I loved the mixture of childhood best friends, second chance, forced proximity and sneaking around their hometown.

And watching these two become increasingly attached while continuing to call their relationship “casual”?

Adorable.

Guys, you weren't fooling anybody. 😂

5⭐

Casually Yours
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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FEATURES:
-Contemporary Romance
-Childhood Best Friends/Second Chance
-Vietnamese and Taiwanese Families
-Dual Timelines
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WHY 5/5:
What an incredible debut!
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These characters were built incredibly well - their personalities, careers, quirks, and family members were all crafted with such care!
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The history of these two childhood best friends who had a falling out was told with the perfect amount of layers and details that had my heart melting about their sweet past and rooting deeply for the characters to mend their friendship.
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I always have mixed feelings about characters entering into a friends with benefits situation, but it really worked in this story. These 2 friends who had so much history, but had never declared romantic feelings for each other suddenly kiss and explore more… Though they are dummies who think they can keep it casual (we all know that's not possible. Lol), it's sort of the chance for them to explore more with their best friend and mend the rift between them.
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These two leads have great back and forth banter and dialogue. They are sort of personality opposites, but with their long history they totally get each other.
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I love this and I hope the author writes more!
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Thank you @thirdstatebooks and @netgalley for my eARC copy. I was given this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

Ok, so I loved Casually Yours. Ate it up entirely.
Dani Tsai and Parker Tran grew up together, best friends from age seven until one Christmas everything fell apart and seven years of silence followed. Dani has finally, painstakingly learned how to live without him. And then they run into each other in a random restaurant in New York.

Dani runs, obviously. She doesn't get far before suddenly Parker is standing in front of her and back in her life, looking even better than he did when they were friends, and gazing at her with a heat in his gaze that sets sparks into flames.

I cannot express how completely I devoured this book. Dani is an absolutely wonderful little gremlin; her internal monologue, her whole being, is hilarious and delightful, and I would do anything for her. And her decision to just go for it with Parker? Excellent. Bold. Correct. I am a slow burn girly through and through, but the tension between these two did not quit just because they skipped straight to the benefits, because let's be honest, these two idiots were already in love with each other. They just took a seven-year break from admitting it.

Special mention to Parker, because that boy has been down bad for years, and you can feel every single second of it radiating off the page even through a single POV story. The yearning on this man. Extraordinary.

Casually Yours had me melting, swooning, giggling, and then ugly crying through the final chapters. Glasses off, the Kindle down, fully gone crying.

Honourable mention to the parents, Cô and her relentless feeding, Chú and his karaoke, and Dani's dad being the quietest little softie. Beloved, all of them. Absolutely no idea how to read a room, any of them. I loved them completely.