ARC Review: Frenemies with Benefits by Lydia Sharp
10:00
Series: None
Author: Lydia Sharp
Published August 29th 2023 by Entangled: Teen
Goodreads Synopsis
A playful and sexy contemporary rom-com perfect for fans of The Kissing Booth and Tweet Cute
If there was an award for Least Able To Function Around Cute Boys, Jess Webster would clean up. She can barely talk to a guy, let alone engage in naked things. But now that high school is over, Jess resolves to put her big girl pants on and at last bang bag the longtime object of her desire, Andrew. All she needs is someone to practice on first.
Enter Benjamin Oliver. Jock hot, nerd hot (which is just greedy, really), star quarterback, and all-around pain in Jess’s ass. While Jess would rather nap on a nest of fire ants than be his girlfriend, there’s still something about him that sends a jolt through her stomach, making him her best (and only) candidate for her guy game glow-up.
With summer in full swing and not one, but two, cute boys on the horizon, Jess is pretty sure she’s on the winning side of the bargain. But can her deal with Benjamin stay purely business-with-pleasure? And, the question that Jess soon can’t ignore: does she want it to?
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Jess Webster is barely able to function around cure guys, so learning that her older brother will be bringing his hot friend Andrew home for the summer, she knows she needs to do something to be able to entice him. Before Andrew arrives, Jess needs someone to practice her seduction on, and to be intimate with, so that she isn't a complete novice. Who better to ask than complete pain in the ass, Benjamin Oliver. Jess and Ben have never gotten along, but it is undeniable that there's a chemistry between them to explore, and he has more than enough practice to help Jess. Becoming secret 'friends-with-benefits', Jess and Ben realise that they have more in common than just their attraction to each other, and what may have started out as simply a scheme to scratch the itch, soon becomes the most important relationship either has ever had.
I LOVED this book! Honestly, it's the book that teenagers need, and I'm a little gutted that it wasn't around when I was younger. Jess and Ben are so brutally real, and this book doesn't glamorise relationships to an unnatural extent, but shows sex and intimacy in all it's true glory. The banter between the pair kept me so hooked, and I really believed in their relationship. There are some heartfelt moments too, where family issues are discussed, and walls broken down. Ben fell so hard for Jess, and it was adorable to see him yearning for her, when Jess was completely oblivious. I guessed at some of the 'twists' which came, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. Honestly, this was fantastic, and I want to read more books like this in the future!
Dates Read:
July 24, 2023
Rating
4 Stars
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