“I want you to be my best friend. Forever.”
A small town story with a second chance romance? Yes please! I instantly fell in love with Emerald Grove and would love to visit this small town.

Parker Pruitt has spent the past 10 years building her business and lifting her town through her renovations. Noel Carter has spent the past 10 years becoming Hollywoods “it” actor. Now Parker’s latest renovation project is bringing Noel back to his hometown where all their memories have coming back full force.

Parker and Noel haven’t spoken for a decade but the love they both have for each other has clearly never gone away. They were an adorable couple who wanted different things but knew that it couldn’t stop what they ultimately wanted.
“Tell me what you want.” “You. I want you.”

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥: “Look at how good we look together.”

Please let me start by saying that Teagan Hunters 'Carolina Comets' series is one of my all-time favourites and I've reread it so many times...and this is why it pains me to say what I'm about to say..

I think this was more a 'me' problem than the actual book. I really struggled to connect with the characters or get into the storyline. I am so obsessed with Teagan's hockey players that it seems I'm finding it rather hard to read anything new that she writes. So, like I said, this is more about me than the book, but unfortunately I just didn't love it as much as I'd hoped I would.

This was just okay, I’m neither here nor there with how I feel about this book. Honestly I was just bored throughout most of it.

The title and cover caught my interest and the storyline kept me there. “Best Friends for Never” is a romantic, heartfelt and sweet second chance small town romance that gave me all the feels.

After being gone for 10 years as a movie star, Noel Carter is back home in Emerald Grove, Washington, to visit his grandmother and be there for the groundbreaking of the theater that inspired him to be an actor that is being remodeled and will be named after him. And the person behind the project is the girl and best friend he left behind, Parker Pruitt. Parker was devastated when Noel left but has worked hard to open her renovation business and slowly renovate the small town she loves. Noel and Parker have been best friends since they were 8 but still have unresolved feelings and issues that need to work through.

This second chance romance had so much in it and I loved Noel and Parker’s story. You could tell from the beginning that there was still something there. Noel left to pursue his passion in acting and I loved that he was brave enough to do that. He’s caring, smart and loves his grandma, you can tell how close they are. Parker is also so brave in staying behind because she knew that she wouldn’t be happy in L.A. and wanted to stay in her hometown. She’s passionate, caring and has a genuine personality that you can’t help but love her too. They had great banter which had me smiling as they worked through their issues. I loved Noel’s nickname for Parker, it was so cute and really showed their history. One of my favorite parts is how they worked through as adults and really made sure that their relationship was solid. The last couple chapters and ending were so perfect for them.

Wow!!! Such a good experience
4.8/5
Such a good story!!!
I thoroughly enjoyed it and Add it to your tbr like ASAP
Soo good
Waiting for her other works!!!💕💕

Actual Rating 2.5 — I’m going to preface this by saying I typically love Teagan Hunters riding. Truly her hockey romances are great. But this just wasn’t it to me. The first few chapters had potential and were off to a good start character wise and laying the plot down. But as it went on I started to disconnect to them because of how they acted and what they did (and didn’t) say.

This was a friends to lovers, second chance romance where in high-school right before Noel left for Hollywood they had this reveal and after he left things didn’t go to plan and they haven’t talked in 10 years and he’s never visited the small town again. Well now Parker is renovating this old theatre and Noel has to come back for a ceremony and they reconnect. They only briefly discuss the past and eventually apologize for the part each of them played and how they were just kids and didn’t want to disappoint thr other but ended up hurting them in the processes.

What I didn’t like is as soon as they reconnected it felt very insta lovey (even though there was a last connection) and starting being sexual without them ever having a real conversation about what it meant. They didn’t resolve the past, they didn’t talk about what their “relationship”/current status, and they definitely didn’t talk about the future. This just showed me they didn’t mature at all in those 10 years because they acted the same way and never revealed their feeling towards each other until after Noel left and there was a whole coming together scene. Idk it just felt unsatisfying to me and I didn’t care for them much by the end.

It was okay enough that I read to the end to see how it came together but by that point I didn’t care too much about the logistics of how they’d make it work.

Just Teagan doing what she does best!

What’s better than a second chance/best friends to lovers story? Umm, maybe have Teagan write it? Because let me tell you, no one can do it better. The way she tells a story with honesty and heart is what keeps bringing me back over and over.

Noel and Parker have been best friends since they were kids, so it only makes sense that when they grow up their feelings grow up too. But at eighteen neither were ready for that, fast forward ten years and things look a little different.

Teagan has given us a heartfelt story that is going to make you smile, and probably blush, and I am here for it. I am a fan, and books like this are the reason why.

I love a second chance romance and this is a good one. Noel Carter left the girl in a small town in Washington state to make it big in LA, but even as his dreams came true, he never forgot Parker Pruitt. When an anonymous benefactor donates a considerable amount of money to refurbish the old theater in town on the condition that it is named after Noel Carter, guarantees that Noel will return to Emerald Grove. What follows is a fast paced, second chance at love, fun novel with just the right amount of heat! How can Noel and Parker make their relationship work when both live very different lives?

This was such an easy going read, which really wrapped you in a hug and warmed the soul. Ms. Hunter's style of writing always appeals to me and this was no exception. The main characters were fun and the secondary characters really rounded out the whole story beautifully. Thoroughly recommend this book.

Being a fan of Teagan Hunter's sports romance series, I knew I wanted to pick this one up.

This book has all the Hunter charm and steam! I really liked how well written this was and that it was fast paced. Very easy to read.

I really enjoyed the romance here. It's second chance between childhood best friends. Noel and Parker had an undeniable connection. I felt their chemistry and history. I thought their relationship was well written. I also liked the small town girl with the celebrity. I am a sucker for this trope. I mean who doesn't want to feel special? I think a would've liked a little more angst but that's just my love for angst haha. The steamy scenes are great and fitting to the characters.

A fun, swoon worthy small town, second chance, celebrity romance. Would recommend!

The story was going well with me in the first few chapters until it didn’t as I read along. The author’s writing style is good, but the story is ‘meh’ for me. I just find it ridiculous when two best friends who have feelings for each other waited for 10 years and not even one of them made a move.

A little bit of spoiler. So don’t continue reading if you don’t want to be spoiled a little bit.

I also find it crazy when they got reconnected then agreed to a sex without commitment thing. I would like to love this book because it has potential and friends to lovers is one of my fave tropes.

Thank you Netgalley, Montlake, and Teagan Hunter for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Get ready to be addicted to this book, the characters, and the storyline. It was DARLING! And so juicy and spicy. Just so good! Loved it!

I’ve always loved small town romances and this one did not disappoint. The chemistry between the two characters was electric! I’ll definitely be reading more by Teagan Hunter

there are no two things i love more than a small town second chance romance and a teagan hunter book. her books are so well written but easy to breeze through, theyre always entertaining and always hot 🤭

the only thing that i wouldve loved to see more of is angst!! its one of my fav parts of a second chance and this could’ve definitely used more. other than that another TH win 🩷

This second chance, best friends to lovers romance hit all the feels! Can I just say that Parker is a bad***! My goodness this woman had my heart. I love that she works towards her dreams and seriously has a heart of gold!!

Noel has a lot to make up for and though the phone works both ways, he’s the one who left!! I probably wouldn’t have called either!! I will say that Noel more than makes up for the mistakes of his path and they probably both needed this break to truly know what they have. They both needed to discover who they are and fight for their dreams.

I will say I was shocked that Noel almost repeated his mistake again but thankfully he was smarter than that…this book was such a fun and easy read. I enjoyed the characters and story from start to finish!

I enjoyed waking along side Parker and Noel as they rekindled their love for each other. Would have enjoyed hearing more about their past earlier on in the book and a little more communication between the two of them beyond the sex and I love you’s. Look forward to reading more from Teagan.

I loved this story! I enjoyed seeing how they went from best friends to not speaking to lovers. I also loved seeing the growth in their friendships and how everyone in their lives helped push them back together.

I’ve had both hit and miss experiences with this authors work and unfortunately I found this to be leaning more towards the miss side. I’ve read better and I’ve read worse. The writing was okay but I felt like the story was lacking. It seemed like the book dragged on when it really covered a tiny blip in time. I wish we got more backstory to Parker and Noel’s friendship and also wish there was a little more angst and groveling. They both seemingly caused each other heartbreak, went 10 years without speaking, and then immediately jumped into a relationship (more like jumped into bed) without really even talking through it. Both characters had faults but this moreso made me think Parker didn’t have a strong backbone.

I will always give this author a chance and sometimes that results in times like these! No harm no foul, we’ll try again next time. Thank you NetGalley, Montlake, and Teagan for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Second chance romance? Count me in!

Got my copy from NetGalley and I bulldozed through this book.

I enjoyed the interaction between Parker and Noel. This book had it's slow moments but it was good overall. I liked how it delved deeper into their past and how a lot of the characters matured in the story.

I’ve read a few Teagan Hunter books and this one is just as sweet and spicy.

Noel is a successful actor who’s made it big in Hollywood, but he’s been missing something throughout his success, his childhood best friend, and first love Parker.

When the theatre he grew up in gets a generous and annonymous donation for restoration - with one stipulation, that it’s named after Noel - Noel returns back to the town when he grew up and faces the community who picked up the pieces when he left 10 years ago and broke Parker’s heart.

But thankfully, Noel and Parker pick up where they left off, they spend time together, they re-learn each other and sparks fly.

The whole story was wholesome and heartwarming, there’s a sort-of-but-not-really third act break up - I’m not sure if you can call it that as they weren’t official - they knew Noel would be leaving but never made plans for what came once his six weeks in town ended - but when Parker realises she wants to be with him, simultaneously Noel realises he wants to be with her and they meet, in the middle of the night, in her living room as Noel returns from LA (thankfully, before Parker was about to leave for her flight to him!) they decided to be together and figure out a way to make it work.

Teagan’s writing is beautiful, you’re immediately immersed into the story and you build a strong bond with each character, I loved the side characters in the book, especially Nana (“is that you bub?”, Astrid, Parker’s Mum (“I’m so proud of you, son”) 🥲🥲, and Axel their childhood bully turned Parker’s best friend.

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

This was like a copy paste of the last Teagan Hunter book I read. I wanted to like it but it missed the mark.