⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Friends With Benefits by Laura Carter is a fun, steamy, and heartfelt rom-com that brings the classic friends-to-lovers trope to life in a charming way. Jake and Jess, the main characters, have an undeniable chemistry from the start, and their easy going "just-sex" arrangement adds plenty of spice to the story. But as their feelings grow deeper, the emotional stakes rise, making this more than just a light hearted fling.

The dynamic between the high-flying American investor and his sexy British flatmate is playful yet relatable. The banter is sharp, and the way they navigate their evolving feelings adds a layer of emotional depth that fans of contemporary romance will appreciate. Their trip to New York is a key turning point, and the tension between past heartbreak and future possibilities is well-explored.

While the plot follows familiar rom-com beats, Carter's writing is engaging, and the story never drags. It’s perfect for readers who love friends-to-lovers stories with a fake-dating twist, a dash of humour, and plenty of sizzling chemistry. If you're a fan of steamy romances with a good balance of heart, Friends With Benefits is definitely worth a read!

My only "gripe" is that some of the conflicts felt a little predictable, but the overall journey was still very satisfying.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ - A classic 'will they, wont they' story which was perfect reading for a long flight home.

I didn't realise this was the third book in a series. It works well standalone. The characters are likeable, I enjoyed the mix of British characters and American, and I was hoping it would turn out happily.

This would make a good Hallmark movie!

Thank you to @netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to review.

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I didn’t realise it was part of a series, but it didn’t really affect it, I still enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Friends With Benefits by Laura Carter was great. The characters are well-developed and the plot is engaging. An awesome read. I highly recommend!

**Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the e-ARC. All opinions expressed are voluntary and my own.**

Thank you for my earc of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t get on with this book,, particularly the characters, so I DNF

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
This was a wonderful book and I'll be purchasing it for the library!

This was a fun friends-to-lovers fake dating romance. When Jake has to return to New York from London, his flat mate and friend with benefit Jess agrees to go with him. When Jake realizes he has to face his former flame who left him for his best friend, Jess agrees to be his fake girlfriend. It quickly turns to something real and emotions fly as they all try to figure out what they really want. It was an entertaining read.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Jake Harrington's time in London has been great, as has his no string attached relationship with roommate and friend, Jess. So when he has to go back to New York and asks if Jess will go with him, it's great for him that she agrees. He has to see his ex, and Jess being there as a buffer will definitely help. Jess's feelings for Jake are complicated. Sleeping with him when they are drunk is one thing, but pretending to be his girlfriend in New York is definitely something else.

I'm not sure what to rate this book. It's definitely somewhere between a 2 and 3 star read, so I'll err on the side of caution and go for 3 stars. Jake was a chauvinistic pig for the first part of the book, and I couldn't see what Jess saw in him, not ever as a friend. He thought of women as temporary, there for his pleasure and not much more. When he realised that his feelings for Jess were greater than anything he had ever felt for his ex, and understood that he loved her, he did change his ways a little, and because of that, this book wasn't a total disaster. Even so, I don't think I'll want to read this book again in the future, it made me too angry.

This book didn’t do it for me. I realized after the fact that it was #3 in a series. They stand alone so I didn’t feel as though I was missing anything.

I get that the author was trying to make the characters relatable, but some of the comments were a little off putting to me.

Love me a good HEA, but all the issues in this book felt very forced and it didn’t flow as well as I would’ve liked.

Not bad, just not my favorite!

I didn’t realize this was #3 in the Brits in Manhattan series, so with that being said you can read it as a standalone. I think overall it was a cute Hallmark like book. You read this book to feel good and predict what’s going to happen, but you don’t read it in hopes to be mind blown or teary eyed. This book is good for what it is!

I enjoyed the writing style of this feelgood romcom which made it such an enjoyable read. You can't miss the chemistry between these two best friends and their friends certainly can't either. However, this is more than a 'will they, won't they?' or friends to lovers story. As you get to know them both, you realise that there are issues in the past which have affected their attitudes to relationships. Jess, in particular, has many deep seated fears about letting anyone get close.

As characters, Jake and Jess are like opposite sides of a coin. Jake is a risk taker, with huge attachments to his close family and friends. Jess is the sort to run away from getting too close and protects herself by building a framework of rules around herself and how she will act. Yet you also glimpse her quirky, individualism and her enjoyment of friendships when it is on her terms.

The story is well paced and with plenty of laugh out loud moments provided by the gang of friends who welcome Jake and Jess to New York. You are always rooting for them, that they will sort through their relationship and the tomantic parts when they come are reminiscent of many a good film.

In short: a romcom which fizzes with love and romanc

This was the first Laura Carter book that I have read and I loved it. such a beautiful writing style and i loved the story too.

Hero 3/5 | Heroine 3/5 | Plot (Point, Originality) 2/5 | Writing Style 2/5 | Steam 3/5 | Romance 3/5 | Angst-Suspense 2/5 | Darkness 0/5 | Humor 2/5 | Secondary Characters 3/5 | Drama-Conflict 2/5 | Mystery 0/5 | Twists 2/5 | Pace Steady | Action 0/5

Who doesnt love a FWB story thats laced with drama and humour, what a wonderful, fun story. I enjoyed it very much, Easy to follow and a light hearted read.

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

The story of Jake and Jess. Roommates and more, but will they have a future together? Both of them have issues they need to sort out before the can move on together. A great read.

Friends with Benefits, by Laura Carter, is the story of Jake and Jess, who are roommates and friends with benefits. Jake is still hung up on an old best friend, Emily, who he will have to see when he visits his family in the Hamptons. He doesn’t know if he can face Emily alone. Jess is happy to go along to be a buffer for Jake, and get away from rainy England for a sunny vacation. Jake is forced to face the past that he’s run away from. While on vacation, Jake and Jess are beginning to have feelings more than simple lust or friendship. Will they be able to gamble on their friendship to find something better?

This is an easy and light read. This book could be read in an afternoon at the beach, beside a pool, on an airplane, or during a rainy day. It’s a story that’s been told before, and it’s nothing revolutionary. However, it is an entertaining and lighthearted read when you just want something to make you feel good.

There is one problem with this book. It’s the main character, Jake. He is a raging misogynist. The women he comes across are either “tramps” who desperately want to sleep with him, or they’re his best friend. There is absolutely no in between. He’s very protective of his best friend, Emily. Until he gets feelings for her and it doesn’t go his way. Then he picks up and moves to an entirely different country. Where he makes an other woman best friend that he starts sleeping with. Women only exist for this man to sleep with because he’s good looking and wealthy. I cannot believe that a woman wrote this. Or I can because this male character is extremely one sided.

On the other hand, the woman main character, Jess, is extremely well written. She is a developed character with complicated emotions. She has past family trauma that she has to work through in the book. She has character development throughout the story. The prose that is used to write her is at times very beautiful. Her history is interesting, and the way that she sees the world is interesting. This book would have been much better if we only got Jess’s point of view. Her character is the only thing that kept me reading and interested in this story.

Overall, I think this is a great read if you are looking for something that you don’t have to think too much about. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to read a book that will just make them warm and fuzzy. It’s a cute romance that has a happy ending.

I did receive an advanced copy of this book from the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely captivating! This book had me hooked from the very first page. The characters were so well-developed. 5 stars all the way!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I read this book as a standalone , not having read the previous books and really enjoyed it . Jess and Jake’s story, as room mates with benefits. As their relationship develops a trip to New York means they have to confront newly developed feelings.
A funny, emotional read which I would recommend
Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Laura Carter for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review