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rlbooks8's review
4.0
3.5 stars rounded up
Lots of steaminess in this read, but balanced with a sweet romance that packed a nice punch of emotion. I liked that Holly (h) and Dean (H) had somewhat of a familiar history with each other since they met when Holly was 14 and he was her brother's best friend (no romantic feelings on his end until they meet later). It gave the fast development of their interest as adults a foundation that still allowed for growth and development as they learned who they were in a context of being a bit older and also as a couple. Written in first person, dual POV. No ow/om drama and neither were virgins (there are some references to each of their past sexual histories and open discussion, but H had been celibate for a bit before starting something with h).
They choose to pursue their chemistry because of the sparks and as a dare to see if something could last longer between them then Dean's typical hook-up only situations. There is some sneaking around a bit too since Dean's reputation isn't the best. Given how horny they were for each other, I was surprised at how supportive and sweet they were together too. Both nudged the other to pursue their dreams which was esp lovely since each was a little lost. Mental health representation was handled nicely I thought with Dean having a bit of a tragic past and being the type to shut down. I loved that therapy was presented so positively.
The ending is HFN with a very short jump ahead and them continuing to be together. It made sense that there wasn't a further out epilogue for this one and the next book is Holly's brother's so guaranteed basically for these two to be side characters in that book. I liked this, but I didn't love it, the author's writing style doesn't quite work for me despite me enjoying her characters and premises. I'm glad though that I picked it up because it suited my mood perfectly so thank you to my friends who read and reviewed it so highly.
Lots of steaminess in this read, but balanced with a sweet romance that packed a nice punch of emotion. I liked that Holly (h) and Dean (H) had somewhat of a familiar history with each other since they met when Holly was 14 and he was her brother's best friend (no romantic feelings on his end until they meet later). It gave the fast development of their interest as adults a foundation that still allowed for growth and development as they learned who they were in a context of being a bit older and also as a couple. Written in first person, dual POV. No ow/om drama and neither were virgins (there are some references to each of their past sexual histories and open discussion, but H had been celibate for a bit before starting something with h).
They choose to pursue their chemistry because of the sparks and as a dare to see if something could last longer between them then Dean's typical hook-up only situations. There is some sneaking around a bit too since Dean's reputation isn't the best. Given how horny they were for each other, I was surprised at how supportive and sweet they were together too. Both nudged the other to pursue their dreams which was esp lovely since each was a little lost. Mental health representation was handled nicely I thought with Dean having a bit of a tragic past and being the type to shut down. I loved that therapy was presented so positively.
The ending is HFN with a very short jump ahead and them continuing to be together. It made sense that there wasn't a further out epilogue for this one and the next book is Holly's brother's so guaranteed basically for these two to be side characters in that book. I liked this, but I didn't love it, the author's writing style doesn't quite work for me despite me enjoying her characters and premises. I'm glad though that I picked it up because it suited my mood perfectly so thank you to my friends who read and reviewed it so highly.
chesnut's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
fmcfranny's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this a lot. Dean was a troubled character and Holly was a breath of fresh air, exactly what he needed. Someone to not let him go, to believe in him, to accept him, and help push him to be who he wants to be instead of what everyone thinks he should be. I was impressed with the great combo of sexy and sweet.
mefromson's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this. So many tropes twisted together to create a great good girl/bad boy romance. I loved how much the author dug into each character's issues, and not just the primary couple, either. Her brother and his life seemed perfect to begin with and slowly changed to something more complex and harder, and that crossed with the relationship between his sister and his best friend made for an explosive reveal scene. This was awesome, I highly recommend it to everyone!
beckyrendon's review against another edition
4.0
Hello handsome...
Big brother's best friend...
Town bad boy...
Gives zero facks and does his thing...
Ridiculously handsome...
Former Marine...
Yeah it paints a picture and Julie Kriss is the artist. One gorgeous and loving bad boyfriend for the win...or did he!?!
A bet neither wants to go wrong and emotions neither wants to spill makes How to Date Your Brother's Best Friend (formerly Bad Boyfriend) a little tense, a lot hot, and just the thing you need to read.
Big brother's best friend...
Town bad boy...
Gives zero facks and does his thing...
Ridiculously handsome...
Former Marine...
Yeah it paints a picture and Julie Kriss is the artist. One gorgeous and loving bad boyfriend for the win...or did he!?!
A bet neither wants to go wrong and emotions neither wants to spill makes How to Date Your Brother's Best Friend (formerly Bad Boyfriend) a little tense, a lot hot, and just the thing you need to read.
girlwithhearteyes's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars
Good girl / bad boy pairing + brother’s best friend trope + he thinks he’s only good for one night stands, she’s always had a crush and bets that she can date him for 4 weeks.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. The connection felt mostly physical to start off with, but their relationship ended up being really sweet and supportive. I also enjoyed the “I’m gonna date the hell out of you” energy that Holly and Dean both gave off (in slightly different ways).
Good girl / bad boy pairing + brother’s best friend trope + he thinks he’s only good for one night stands, she’s always had a crush and bets that she can date him for 4 weeks.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. The connection felt mostly physical to start off with, but their relationship ended up being really sweet and supportive. I also enjoyed the “I’m gonna date the hell out of you” energy that Holly and Dean both gave off (in slightly different ways).
syndi3's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
How to Date Your Brother's Best Friend is not exactly what I expected. It was immature and very NA romance type of story.
There is no real drama/ plot on the story. Although the beginning of the book is very promising. I want more drama. More plot. More twist. More chemistry.
Overall, the beginning is a very promising. The rest is just so so.
There is no real drama/ plot on the story. Although the beginning of the book is very promising. I want more drama. More plot. More twist. More chemistry.
Overall, the beginning is a very promising. The rest is just so so.
alishacostanzo's review against another edition
4.0
Fast read.
I read this is two days. The chemistry between Holly and Dean was fantastic. The beginning was a bit info dumpy, and few places were repetitive, but the story was worth it.
3.5 stars
I read this is two days. The chemistry between Holly and Dean was fantastic. The beginning was a bit info dumpy, and few places were repetitive, but the story was worth it.
3.5 stars