Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Allison Ashley
Publisher: MIRA
Release Date: August 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

All of the fun, none of the heartache…as long as they stick to the agreement.

The proposition is simple: if ER nurse Claire Harper and her roommate, firefighter Graham Scott, are still single by the time they’re forty, they’ll take the proverbial plunge together…as friends with benefits. Maybe it’s the wine, but in the moment, Claire figures the pact is a safe-enough deal, considering she hasn’t had much luck in love and he’s in no rush to settle down. Like, at all. Besides, there’s no way she could ever really fall for Graham and his thrill-seeking ways. Not after what happened to her father…

Just as things begin to heat up way before the proposed deadline, Graham’s injured in a serious rock-climbing accident—and he needs Claire’s help to heal. She’ll do whatever it takes to nurse him back to health…even if it means moving into Graham’s bed and putting up with his little dog who hates her. But with this no-strings arrangement taking a complicated turn, keeping “for now” from turning into “forever” isn’t as easy as they’d planned.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC.

GRAHAM.

I am a PUDDLE after sweet Graham took over my heart. I binged this book because I was wrapped up in the undeniable chemistry between Graham and Claire and I needed to get to every soft and fiery moment between them. The banter was stellar and I loved them. I loved them so much.

Friends with benefits is a tough sale for me, But I will say I liked the way Ashley went about it. I didn’t feel like the physical aspects were pushed just to add heat. There were true relationship building moments that got me on board with the dynamic and I JUST ADORED THEM. I loved seeing Graham open up to his vulnerable side and seeing Claire getting the things she deserved and working through what happened in her past.

I loved the medical jargon and adventure aspects. I liked the subtle side characters and their roles. And even getting to see Mia and Noah!! This book was a delight. I love the way Allison Ashley weaves a romance and two books in and I’m an official fan girl. She also writes fantastic heat (a little reminiscent of Sarah Adams) where the heat is building and fades out. My favorite level of steam.

Read it y’all!

Overall audience notes:

• Contemporary Romance
• Language: light frequency but strong
• Romance: multiple vague fade to black
• Violence: moderate
• Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a father, airplane crash (recounted), trauma, medical discussions, rock climbing accident

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