I wasn't able to finish this one, it was very poorly written and the main character was completely unlikable.

This was a great read! I haven't read her other books or the book before this one but I heard each one could be read as a stand alone. Overall I really liked this book and how real it felt especially the humor/ banter in it along with the chemistry throughout the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to review this book. In all honesty, I couldn’t finish this book as I genuinely despised the main character (Jake) and his point of view was really uncomfortable to read. Not my piece of cake unfortunately.

dnf @ 32%

I'm sorry, but what is this? I had to double-check that the book wasn't written by a man, because it's unbelievable that a woman would actually write such a repulsive character on purpose in a novel. Their thoughts are a show of machism, misogyny and fatphobia from the first chapter, I kept reading because I thought he would change, but I don't think Jake will get out of this place. What a nightmare. A romance book like this in 2003 would already be shameful, but in 2023?

This was a very short read, but nonetheless amazing still.

In Friends With Benefits we follow Jess and Jake in their friendship to relationship shift. I think their past trauma is beautifully shown and could not resonate more. The way I could feel the words when Jake confessed to Jess, it was amazing.
Except for Emily, I think Jake forgave her and Brandon too quickly, however until the second half of the book I was convinced Emily was strictly his ex, like besties to lovers thing, but they were friends, and later friends with benefits I guess.

Definitely giving this read 5 stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

thank you to netgalley and boldwood books for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.


going in to this book i was excited because the friends with benefits trope is a fun one but unfortunately there were a few elements about this book that were not to my liking.

first and foremost i found the writing a tad bit childish and i’m not sure if that’s because majority of the book was written in the male perspective but i found jake to be a really annoying mmc. i also didn’t like the push and pull between him and emily, none of it felt genuine especially considering their circumstances. jess, however, was a sweetheart. i liked that she portrayed the more quirky girl aesthetic without it being too cringe or offputting but i definitely felt that her character was just a bit too emotionally mature to be matched with a character like jake.

overall i think the two main characters had good chemistry but i struggled to root for them because of my dislike for the mmc.

This short story was decent and has the makings to be really good if it was just flushed out a little more. It lacked for me back story on Jakes part whereas Jess we got a lot of flashback moments and not as many in current time. I think if it was more balanced for the two of them the book overall would have made better sense to me as a reader cause I would have had a better understanding of the characters. I sounded more interesting from the description then it actually was to me, but I'm a big mood reader and I just don't think this was fitting my mood at all.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advance copy to read.

Sadly I didn't enjoy this book. I didn't connect with the character Jake and found his point of view on women annoying.

It was a fast read but not for me.

These are the two most annoying characters I've ever read.

Jake is smug and pathetic. Of course, he would be from Staten Island.
Jess is also pathetic and needs a backbone.

Never again.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I will begin by saying that this book had bar none, the most emotional scene I've ever read in a book. If you don't at least tear up, I'd suspect you weren't human. This is a dual POV, told from FMC Jess and MMC Jake's perspectives. Jake is now London based, but grew up in NY and Jess is now his roommate of three years after spending most of her life as a nomad with her Aunt and Uncle after the deaths of both of her parents. Those deaths haunt Jess so much, and I could relate to her sadness after losing my Mother this past April. Jake was all about friends and family, and losing those bonds would kill Jess emotionally, which is why she tried so hard to stay away. It's a story of profound loss, finding yourself, letting go and just trying to find happiness. I'd recommend to anyone looking for a quick, only slightly emotionally devastating, romance.

Ooof this was a no for me. I just could not get into Jake from the very beginning. He was super unlikeable which made getting past it impossible. I really hate giving out one star reviews but I think this one was justified.

Friends With Benefits by Laura Carter explores the intricate dynamics between Jake Harrington and Jess Walters, two individuals scarred by past betrayals and hesitant to commit to love. Set against the backdrop of a 'friends with benefits' arrangement, the story takes an unexpected turn when a trip to the Hamptons forces Jake to confront his past, bringing Emily, his ex-friend, back into his life. Laura Carter's narrative skillfully delves into the emotional baggage carried by both protagonists, making their journey towards love and healing compelling. While the dialogue may be slow-paced, and the characters initially less relatable, the story's increased steam factor adds depth and intensity to this installment in the Brits in Manhattan series, making it a worthwhile read for fans of contemporary romance.

I read it in one day and I asked myself several times if maybe I had read it so quickly and I missed understanding something, but with a closer review I ended up getting one star.
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I just didn't like Jake, the main character and I speak only for myself but I don't think that romance readers or fans of the friends to lovers trope can feel happy reading Jake, the worst thing is that the entire book is from his point of view , and I didn't like reading what he thought about women in general, much less about his friend with benefits who he falls in love with.
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I had to check the book was not written from a man's perspective.
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The main character Jake has been living in London for a few years and has a group of friends, and has an open(?) friends with benefits relationship with Jess. When he has to return home to the United States and it is inevitable that he will meet someone from his past, he asks Jess to accompany him to be a filter and help him get through the inevitable confrontation with his childhood friend Emily. Emily was his best friend, his neighbor for many years, and who also broke his heart (?)
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During the trip he leans on Jess and shares his family and friends, exploring his feelings for her and their relantionship
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I would have liked to say that I enjoyed it but I don't like heroes or main characters constructed like Jake and I didn't find the other characters and their stories attractive either.
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I’m no use to leave two stars, but I really didn't like it.
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Thanks to Laura Carter and Boldwood Books for give a copy of this book in exchange for my honesta and voluntary opinion

I cannot warm to Jake at all. I usually love an arrogant hero but he is coming across as cocky, over arrogant.... I csnt put my finger on it. He kind of creeps me out.

The writing doesn't seem too bad, mainly its the characters that have put me off. Although conversations don't seem to flow naturally which is a bit of a reading peeve of mine.

Oof, Jake is not the one. I got the ick right from the get go and he never really redeemed himself in my eyes. I didn't get his humor, I didn't like his attitude, etc. Yuck. I actually had to double check that this book wasn't written by a man. I did finish this book but it was not for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Huh, this book could be better.

There is 80% of Jake pov and only 20% for Jess which would be fine if it was in present. I think 2 or 3 chapters are present, the rest is the past.

Jake isn’t the hero you want. He calls women milf and loose etc, practically disrespects a lot. Also whenever he judges Jess outfits the number is less than it should be. Like he is teasing because he likes her. Well, that ain’t right. He is also hurt by his ex best friend sleeping with Emily, but he never really had that omg I have to be with her feeling. Sure, cool. That is also a plot of this, him tryin to see if he wants her or something.

Just to add, this is closed door romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Thanks to NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review.

This would be better without Jake’s POV…or Jake at all. He was immature, rude, fatphobic and sexist. I had a really hard time getting into the story and nothing made me want to root for Jess and Jake as a couple.

This book was not for me.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳, 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘦-𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺.
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"Feel this. This is real, Jess. You feel my heart beating? It's beating for you."
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Jess and Jake's story was a ride for me. I started the book hating Jake. I hated the way he acted and the way he thought and spoke, and he sort of grew on me. I love Jess, but I do hate that her fear of love held her back until the end of the book, and I feel like there was more Jake than there was Jess, which normally I love male pov, but I could have done with a bit more Jess. I will also admit that one of the reasons I struggled to breeze through this book was the way Jake was immaturely written and his grudge against his friends for getting together, even though he really had no feelings for Emily besides not wanting to lose her once he left school. There were also aspects of the story, mainly from Jess's point of view, that felt out of place and as if they belonged in different parts of the story, such as Jess being sick and Jake taking care of her and realizing how much she loves him. The ending, though, was absolutely lovely and honestly brought the rating up for me as I swooned over Jake's proposal.

While not a favorite for me, I do think anyone who loves friends-to-lovers' relationships will absolutely love Jess and Jake, and I definitely recommend this book to those types of readers.

Hit all the feels and had me laughing out loud… Will propel you to your happy place. A must read!… Feel-good romance…

A high-flying investor, his sexy British flatmate, and a vacation that will change everything...

This was a quick and easy read about roommates/best friends who are both scared to commit to any serious relationships. It's a little fluffy and the writing was just okay. Jake comes off a little arrogant and Jess's fears seemed a little irrational to me. But Jake is definitely a cinnamon roll and only wants to protect Jess.

This is a closed door romance with no spicy scenes.