Such a charming and adorable read! I really enjoyed this book. I love a good friends to lovers trope, and this did not disappoint! I loved watching Brody and Kate’s sweet relationship grow. I only wish the book would’ve been longer because I enjoyed it so much.
This is a fun and lighthearted read that needs to be on your “must read” list! I look forward to reading more from Jenny Proctor!

Thank you to NetGalley and Four Petal Press for this arc!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved the adventure the story held. I loved Brody and his family! Kate however I wasn't a huge fan of. I grew to like her more at the end, but idk she felt a little stuck up to me at first. Overall this book gave me so many happy feels and made me want to go explore and kayak!

This book was cute and funny and sweet! I loved the two dancing around each other as they both tried to figure out each other’s feelings without admitting their own (even to themselves). From (cute) cliches to genuine friendship-rekindling, this was a joy to read.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and Jenny Proctor for this eARC.

Brody has been in love with Kate, his childhood best friend, for forever. Even as a well-settled chemistry teacher, years after he'd last seen Kate, he still loves her. But she doesn't love him back. And that proves to be a problem when Kate returns to their hometown after travelling the world. Now, Brody must try his best to not fall in love with Kate even further with Kate not making things easy at all.

This book was a cute, fun, and fluffy romance. Brody was an excellent main character, he was well-written and had great qualities that automatically make you want to root for him. Kate was a little more complicated, what with her complicated past and feelings, but she had such depth to her that you can't help but like her too. Both characters worked well alone and when put together, they made magic happen across the pages.
I would have liked to see a little more steam and angst but the book was absolutely perfect otherwise.

This was a best friends to lovers trope with the slowest burn ever! Brody and Kate are so sweet together and I think this was a great start for the Hawthorne brothers series that is coming up!

How to kiss your best friend by Jenny Proctor released on May 24th and is the first book in her new series. It’s a closed door romantic comedy with the you guessed it a friend to lovers trope. Brody and Kate have known each other for 19 years, they grew up together. Kate didn’t really get along with her mother so she spent a lot of time on the Hawthorn family farm.

To be completely honest I was probably not in the best mindset going into this one right after reading a really emotional book right before. The tears just carried thru to this one. Love that for me. It’s a very sweet read, the way both MC’s care so deeply for one another. But it’s not a sad story.

Friend to look lovers can be kind of cliché sometimes but this really worked for me. Brody’s been in love with Kate for years and when she comes back after not seeing him for 4 years he’s had a major glow up. I don’t know how she didn’t noticed him earlier but it’s like she saw him for the first time, all of him. Literally and figuratively.

It’s written in a dual perspective which is a favorite of mine. And the setting is really great, they’re in a small town where Brody’s family has this amazing farm. With baby goats. BABY GOATS! It sounds like a dream.

I highly recommend this to any romcom readers out there.

Whats not to love about this sweet, wholesome friends to lovers romcom? Kate and Brody are longtime best friends who are reunited in their (small) hometown after a few years of being estranged. Brody has always been in love with Kate, but Kate is only just now having an escalation in feelings for Brody. The problem is Kate is a woman of the world who loves to travel and has convinced herself she couldn't be the right person for Brody. Brody has to decide if/when he has spent too long pining over Kate, and if he should move on with his life.

This is a very sweet story, there is no spice (kissing only and a hilarious locked out of the house in just a small towel scene 😂)

I really enjoyed Kates journey through the book. Change is hard, especially when Youve done one thing for so long and convinced yourself thats all youre meant to be.

How to Kiss Your Best Friend follows Brody and Kate as they try to maneuver their friendship and growing feelings after having lost touch for four years. This book felt like a cute rom-com Netflix movie that had me smiling at the end. The author created such likeable characters that you couldn’t help but root for them. The setting of a small town North Carolina town had such great charm, and provided the perfect setting to showcase both Brody and Kates passions and the things they’ve been struggling with and what makes them, them.

I was super excited to hear that Olivia's brothers from the Some Kind of Love series were getting their own series, so when this book dropped I dropped my TBR and inhaled it in nearly one sitting! How To Kiss Your Best Friend is one of the BEST best friends to lovers books I have ever read. Kate and Brody had the right mix of challenges and chemistry to make their story believable, and I loved being able to go back and visit the Hawthorne family and their adorable goats.

Friends to lovers is one of my favorite troupes so this one was a treat. I thought it was a little slow and while I thought Kate was an ok heroine but I just didn’t get why Brody pined over her. Like couldn’t understand why he loved her so much, I didn’t totally by their chemistry. Nevertheless it is definitely a cute summer beach read

Childhood Best Friends, to Strangers, To Lovers Trope

Brody has been in love with his best friend, Kate since they met in 4th grade in their small town of Silver Lake.
Brody never told Kate about his love for her and Kate was oblivious to her best friend's pining. Years passed but they kept in touch, Brody seeing all the adventures Kate went on through her IG, since she's a traveling writer (& yes our sweet MC kept and saved ALL her written work like a freakin' amazing book boyfriend SHOULD!!!!) and Kate knowing that Brody was still in their small home town. Kate's desire to travel all over the world (nomad style) brew from her fear of settling down, a complete opposite to Brody whose ready for marriage, kids, and the white picket fence. A situation arises in where Kate has to go back to her small town and face Brody once again after losing contact with him for a couple of years, but seeing him this time her feelings towards him have her confused and maybe thinking settling down is what she's looking for as well.

Now, as to reason why I'm only giving it 3.5 stars. I think it's a sweet romance, I love the trope and I genuinely loved how Kate started to see that Brody is the one for her. I understand angst (the tug and pull needed between both MC's) but I just felt bad for Brody to see how much he cared and Kate just lead him on since she has no clue what she really wants. Like I said, it's a cute, light, read (no spice) but it wasn't for me.

I was sent this copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was exactly what I thought it would be! Fun, sweet, happy and generally lighthearted. It's exactly the sort of thing you'd read if you needed a pick me up, or on a lazy Sunday. The characters were well done, the writing was excellent and I can't say I had anything to complain about.

I really loved reading this and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by Jenny Proctor.

Thank you to the publisher for kindly providing me with an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Okay so this book is like most friends-to-lovers books to me, extremely infuriating. The pining and the "I don't want to ruin the friendship" drove me crazy, but enough about me complaining.

The story follows Brody and Kate. Brody has been in love with Kate since high school, the lost touch for a while and now Kate come back into his life. this book is definitely a rom-com with a lot of tiny moments that make you see their friendship in the past and how much both of them do care for each other.

You get to see how they both start to fall in love with the new people that they are post high school. Even though the book had me so frustrated in so many parts, I did enjoy it a lot. Highly recommend if Friend-to-lovers is your favorite trope. It's dual POV.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to Four Petal Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was a joy and a breath or fresh air. Super light and fluffy and a nice easy read.

I loved the way the relationships in this bloom moulded together and the couple twists and turns along the way certainly made things interesting!

I great book to get anyone out of a reading slump! 3 stars is not a critique… the book was under 300 pages so it didn’t feel long enough to have the depth for anymore than 3 stars.

(Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an arc copy of this title in exchange for an honest review).

How to Kiss Your Best Friend follows Brody who has been in love with his best friend for nineteen years. But whilst Brody is perfectly content living in their small home town nearby his family and their farm, Kate has spent the past few years travelling the world unaware of her best friends feelings for her. After a few years of drifting apart, Kate comes back to town and sparks fly. But will Kate feel the same about Brody or will they forever only be friends...

I really enjoyed this book! Brody is such a well-rounded and memorable character. I love his family dynamic and how he knew exactly what he wanted in life. I like that we got to read from both characters points of view. I understood the struggle Kate was facing in this choice between staying in a small town vs being out in the big wide world.

However... I would have loved the story to have been 100 pages longer. As much as I love the friends to lovers trope especially when they've known each other for years, naturally there will be a lot of telling and not showing but I feel like the actual relationship progresses quite quickly, grand declarations are made and then it ends and I would have liked to have more time with the characters to see real progression in all aspects in the story.

Nevertheless, for 288 pages I think this was a light-hearted, quick, clean romance between friends that was wholesome and easy to read. Would recommend.

This is my first book from this author and I will definitely looking forward to reading more. I’m in love with this idyllic small town and tight knit family. I love a good slow burn. And I loved the way the author created a story for Kate that involved pain and some baggage (her relationship with her parents) but in a way that’s not really triggering.

I also loved the dialog and found so many clever and funny moments to enjoy.

One thing that bothered me is that there are some abrupt and unsatisfying time jumps, particularly in the beginning of the book. Like Kate and Kristyn head to find Brody on the Appalachian Trail. And boom they’re just there, no packing or hiking or anything. It’s the same with Kristyn’s departure. And while it’s clear that she is planning to go back home it’s just and abrupt jump forward with no goodbye.

Speaking of Kristyn, I didn’t love her as a character. It’s clear she’s just here to provide a natural way to deliver exposition early in the story. And she only pops up when Kate needs her. I would have liked the friendship to have a little more dimension to it.

But overall it was a fun lighthearted read that I’d definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review

"She is all I have ever wanted. And not a day goes by that I forget it."

WOW. WOW WOW WOW. First of all, 'tis the damn season by Taylor Swift was my first favourite off folklore. The first time I listened to it, I thought about how much I would ADORE reading something similar in an novel.
And, yes, How To Kiss Your Best Friend delivered. Sweet, fluffy and emotional just at the right parts it was exactly what I expected to be, in the best way possible.

There were a very small amount of sentences that felt a little forced and unnecessary. And some lines that felt like they were just repeating things already shown through character actions. At times I almost felt like the author was feeding me information to further the plot on a silver spoon. But this was maybe only once or twice, and so insignificant I almost didn't notice. And maybe this is a fault of my own, but I hate the world "chuckle" and maybe Brody was doing a little too much of it.

The characters made my stomach flutter, and I adored the nuance of Brody & Kate's relationship. Felt so real, but also so perfect. Each action they took had motives that completely made sense (which is often a complaint of mine in a lot of books), and at the end it all came together perfectly while simultaneously building that will they, won't they? tension.

Also can I mentions? DUAL POV??????!!! Thank you. So. Much. The contemporary romances I often read rarely feature the male love interest's POV, and reading Brody's perspective was so refreshing. He is the obsessed boy trope personified, but not in an overly cliché way either. One of my favourite tropes for a reason.

All the side characters caught my eye too, and I am definitely interested in reading the rest of the Hawthorne Brothers Series! So excited to see what else this series has in store for me.


An ARC was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I read the synopsis for this book, I KNEW I had to read it. I started this book last night, and then I somehow ended up staying up til 1:30am finishing it early this morning. This was a closed door romance, but it still had plenty of steam! I loved it. I immediately felt the spark between Brody and Kate, and I fell in love with this family and small town. As soon as I realized how many family members there are I thought about all the future books. I am so excited to read about Perry next! This was my first book by this author and definitely not my last!!

Also this is my 100th Netgalley review!!

Brody has been in love with Kate for years, but he's never admitted it to anyone - least of all to her. Kate left Silver Creek to escape a difficult family situation, but she's never forgotten Brody, her best friend. But seeing him for the first time in four years when she comes back to help clear out her grandmother's house does strange things to her heart - even makes her realise that perhaps she wants more than just 'best friends' with him. But she's only in Silver Creek for the summer. Will either of them be willing to take the chance of destroying their friendship to try 'more'? And even if they do, can their differences be resolved?

I'm not sure I've ever read about white-water kayaking before, so that was definitely an interesting and different part of the story. But there's more to the story than just someone going out and trying to kill themselves in a river in the name of sport - it's about having the strength to dig deep and first recognise one's problems, then address them. With its mix of humorous scenes/dialogue and serious parts, this could be classified as either a light book that sometimes digs a bit deeper or a deeper book with light moments. I did wonder why Kate insisted on considering Brody so completely stuck in Silver Creek when he'd clearly shown he did visit other places, but other than that, I enjoyed watching the two gradually work - together and separately - to overcome the things that separated them. I particularly appreciated the way she saw one specific problem in his life, realised that she could do something to help, and stepped in to do so (avoiding spoilers here...). All in all, an enjoyable read with a satisfying ending.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

How to Kiss Your Best Friend is a General Fiction/Romance that had me not only missing my roots of working and maintaining a farm, but also falling in love with two characters that aren't even real.

First, the cover artwork is right on trend with what is popular at the moment. The illustration showcases our two main characters. After reading the book, I'm not quite sure how this matches the theme or overall plot, but I do like the cover overall.

We meet Kate (a great name!), a globetrotting travel writer who recently gets a phone call that her deceased grandmother's house needs to be cleaned, organized, decluttered and prepped in ready for selling. As she flies back to her tiny hometown, she knows who she wants to see first: Brody. Her best friend from childhood that she over last few years has ghosted as she avoided her mother, felt guilty about not attending her grandmother's funeral, and has overall just wanting to escape the small town that was just a bit too small for her. Or was is it everything she needs and she's completely unaware?

Brody however loves living small. He's purchased his own home, he works as a chemistry teacher, as well as a whitewater kayaking instructor and he's close to his large family that owns a local farm that is popular and growing with events and weddings. To say he's intangled with his feelings of Kate is an understatement and hearing that she's coming back into town is going to rattle some bones and some may not be only his.

Told from both POVs of Brody and Kate, I really enjoyed the story and watching each of them grow as characters. Hearing about both of this passions, as well as being able to believe their relationship was friends turned into romance was very easy and enjoyable to read.

5 Stars. Would recommend and I'll be checking out more of Proctor's book line up as I read there may be another book that showcases the relationship between one of Brody's siblings and her spouse. I also enjoyed seeing kayaking within a book as I haven't seen that sport or specialty yet. I do think it had a few funny moments throughout it's pages, but I wouldn't necessarily call it a "comedy" as per it's cover. It was a quick read for me as well!

Now, I'm off to learn more about how to do a "wet exit" and also maybe read a travel article/blog or two!

Thanks to the publisher, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, the author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy to read and review. Review will also be posted to my blog (www.kagoodsell.com/book-reviews), GoodReads, TikTok (@unearthingeco), as well as NetGalley reviews.