Somehow I have found myself reading authors from Europe (American southerner, here), and I am enjoying each one!

Holly finds herself NOT getting the job of her dreams, but rather being shipped north to Scotland for a yearlong veterinary placement in the Highlands. There she is met with whipping seas, timid secretaries, grumpy bosses and dashingly charming nurses. She and her new comrades find solace in their search, or in her case a defiant non-search, of available men in the quaint area.

This tale is full of friendship, self-discovery, stormy, rainy weather, paddle boarding, hairy coos, and those famous words: Let's just be friends. An LGBTQ inclusive novel, I found Katy's debut to be charming, plot-driven with appropriate character depth and development. There was plenty of comedic relief, only a little family drama, and nicely-paced omniscient POVs. I would recommend this for anyone who wants some depth to their romances, without the explicit spicy scenes. Well done, Ms. Turner!

Thank you Joffe Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC. This review is solely mine :)

Let’s Just Be Friends was a nice read, one to be experienced while it’s raining outside, curled up with a hot chocolate. I liked Holly’s story and really loved Wolfie!

Cute book! Characters are a little slow to develop but overall this book is a good one if you are looking for a quick, easy read!

I am always appreciative when I get a book from NetGalley for an honest review. I'm also a fan of a slow burn, but this one just takes too long. I read a lot of books, hundreds a year, and this one just didn't do it for me. Is it the worst I've read this year, no, but it is very, very far from the best. Sorry to say I probably won't look for more books from this author.

When veterinarian Holly's career plans are scuppered, she's force to accept a 12-month job in Eastercraig, a seaside village in the Scottish Highlands.

Resigned to making the most it, she befriends her colleagues, assistant Chloe and vet nurse Paolo.
After a chaotic childhood, Holly is determined to focus on creating a stable life for herself, and eschew relationships until she'd hit her career goals. That's tested when a stranger, Greg, lets himself into her rental home thinking it's vacant and Holly can't stop thinking about him afterwards.

Meanwhile shy Chloe has a long-standing crush on Greg's brusque brother Angus and Paolo, whose heart was broken by Holly's landlord Fabien, is struggling to meet men with a small population.

Let's Just Be Friends is a gentle, low drama, story of friendship and learning to adapt when your plans change on you. I do think that the synopsis needs a bit of a re-write as it's not just Holly's story, chapters switch between Chloe and Paolo.

I really liked the characters. I felt like I'd happily go to the pub with Holly, Chloe and Paolo. I like that Holly was supported and welcomed by both of them. However the characterisation of Holly's boss Hugh didn't fit the way his character arc was resolved at the end. He wasn't grumpy and missing his wife, his behaviour was downright abusive. He undermined her every step of the way and raged at everyone. How can it be explained that he was angry he'd found a talented vet?

This book was just an easy read and I loved descriptions of village and seaside life. However I did find that by the end, there were still a few loose ends that weren't quite resolved satisfactorily for me.

While I wouldn't want to live there in winter, I would happily pack my bags for a few months to live in Eastercraig as written by Katy Turner.

Thanks to Joffe Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. This was an enjoyable read in a beautiful setting. While predictable, I liked the characters and was engaged in the story.

I really enjoyed this read. I liked the diversity. I loved how the stories of everyone and their love lives were highlighted.

There's nothing particularly terrible about this book, but it was just a "meh" read for me.

Three friends, Holly, Paolo, and Chloe all work together in the Scottish Highlands at a vet practice. Holly is the MC (though the narrative switches randomly, and without any real purpose, between the three friends), and it's essentially a city girl ends up in a small town and finds sweet love story. It's a little shallow and forthright, without any real depth or complication. (Also tossed in are romantic subplots and other things that really just overcomplicated things, and made it so that the main storyline didn't get the development it deserved.) The three friends are written a little immature and annoying, and there's a lot of telling without showing.

Overall, I would say it's a cute story in a nice setting, but definitely has some problems.

Katy Turner's first published novel follows Holly, a young vet, determined to make her career a priority who unexpectedly finds herself in the small Scottish town of Eastercraig. Insert a grumpy boss, coworkers who become friends, and an unexpected intruder and you've got the perfect ingredients for a fun, romantic read!

The small town setting was beautifully portrayed, making me want to pack my bags and take a trip to Scotland. Katy captured the essence of Eastercraig through her characters and the community events that make you wish you were right there with the characters. I adored the supporting roles in this story - the bond between Chloe, Paolo and Holly was one of the best parts of the story for me.

The only part of the book that left a little to be desired for me was how the story flowed between a lot of characters stream of consciousness without warning. I love getting different points of view of the story, but did find it a bit hard to keep up with the switching and would have to reread certain sections again to make sure I had the right person's POV.

If you love your Scottish/rural escapism with some really adorable animals in and some strong tension romances then this is a perfectly cosy book to enjoy for a few hours. A slow burner to start, but halfway in I felt so invested in the community, the characters and loved the brooding tension of the romance plotlines.

For a book with so many character plot lines I felt like none fully resolved by the end. I liked the multi-POV but there wasn't enough clarity between switching POV. Instead of a chapter header with a name it seemed the POVs changed by paragraph. Turner did a good job showcasing the Scottish Highlands. The main characters barely shared any page time together, instead relegated to gossip circles between the three friends. This had potential but just didn't go anywhere.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cute, sweet, light, and a total palate cleanser. The characters are genuine and kind and their friendships are wholesome and lovely. They’re also flawed and complex and I love when even the side characters are multifaceted!

I genuinely enjoyed this one, and also I want to move there and live in a little house near the coast and rolling hills of fluffy cows. 10/10 take me to there.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is sloooow. It ended up being an assignment to finish to write a review than a book i was engrossed in.

I was a little let down by the backstory. The way they played it up in the beginning, it should have been something more important than being passed over for a promotion. Story is pretty slow to start - I'm 27% through and the guy has only appeared once and she's only just now getting to any actual events in the story.

Now 45% through and he's only appeared one more time. Still flip-flopping awkwardly between story lines and starting to head toward snoozefest.

Never really got better from there, sadly. Pretty much a plod the whole time, then abrupt drama and quick end.

I do like that the POV narration also shows side characters' thoughts; it makes the story not so self-centered on just the main character. Though some of the transitions are a little awkward.

This book was delightful! I loved the setting and really liked the main character, Holly. The side characters, Chloe and Paolo were well developed which is the sign of a great rom com to me. I can't wait to read what Katy Turner writes next!

I would like to say a big thank you to the publisher for providing me with the eARC of this book prior to release.

Let's Just Be Friends is a perfect spring or summer read for all those people who love animals, rural villages and a small romance. The book is set in a small village Eastercraig where the main character Holly begins working as a vet in the clinic. The circumstances of her work there are not easy, she is taken away from the big city and has to learn how to fit in. I smiled throughout most of the book and really enjoyed the little details such as Sporran the seal - they make the book very unique.

One thing I struggled with while reading this book were the unfamiliar words, after discovering the glossary, the read became easier. So be sure to check it out before you start reading and throughout the read.

I loved this book for a variety of reasons:

1. The book was set in Scotland, near the sea - it was lovely seeing a different culture and experiencing the village life with Holly.

2. I am a lover of cows, especially coos - they were a big part of the book, but any amount of coo is a good amount of coo.

3. I read this book a few days before a cancer research race for life 10km run - the running event in the book inspired me to do my best and enjoy the run. I was thinking about the book while running, trying my best to stay motivated and happy while running for a wonderful cause.

This book has inspired me to carry on running, I may not be ready for a half-marathon just yet, but I know that I could do it if I put the effort in.

I will be recommending this book to everyone this year and definitely purchasing it as gifts for all those romance loving friends. - Maybe I can persuade my friends to move to a rural village by the sea, in some of the most beautiful parts of Scotland? I'm sure this book could help with some persuasion.

The book follows the story of 3 people, Holly, Chloe and Paolo and their way through life basically.

The plot was not really a plot to be honest, it took me 19 days to read this book because it just didn’t really pulled me in. Holly’s personality was a bit annoying, she kept saying that she wants to focus on herself and she doesn’t want to be like her mother and that money and career comes first but there wasn’t a lot of info about this, about her saving up or going above and beyond to earn a lot or to be the best vet that she can be. I mean, the intentions and the actions were mostly told but not described, not gone through.
Chloe was a nice character, a bit too childish for an adult, and Paolo, I feel like his character was just there to fill up some pages.
I got quite disappointed that the only story that had an ending was Holly’s. Chloe’s interaction with Angus was not written, just told as a “oh that happened “, and Paolo’s part was just not written at all.
I read worse but I would not reread it.
I did enjoy the fact that the story happened in Scotland, which I love, and the way it was written, I felt like I was hearing the Scottish accent, that was spot on.

I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was enjoyable, and I liked the friendship the three coworkers had.
Relationship wise, it was sort of uneventful. But maybe that wasn’t the main purpose of the author.
An easy, pleasant read.

For the most part this book was very enjoyable, For being the first book this author has published. It really is a good read. while the three main friends can come across as being silly/childish. that did not stop me form very much enjoying this book. the plot was a little predictable.

I got this book from Netgalley in return for my honest opinion.

What a great laugh out loud quirky love story. Holly is not into change but change will find her and her life will never be the same. As far as romance goes, Holly has no plans for that. She is a veterinarian and finds herself moving to a small town called Eastercraig to let’s just say escape her problems. There she meets some new friends and has a late night visit from Greg who had no idea she was living there. The novel is actually about three relationships and all of them are cute and relatable in their own way. Paolo, the only queer in whole area, or so he thinks, takes the story up a notch because of his outwardly extroverted personality. And finally we have Chloe. She has a need to tell someone that she is not just someone who works at the vet but how can she get him to really notice her? This one is definitely a humorous story about finding love when you least expect it. While not the genre I typically read, I would love to read more from this author. She has found her niche when it comes to creating characters and showing their flaws as well as how adaptive they are with changes.


5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author/publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.