ARC Review: The Friendship Fling by Georgia Stone

I received this book for free from Goodreads Giveaway, the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Friendship Fling by Georgia Stone
Published by Harper Perennial on February 3, 2024
Genres: Adult Contemporary Romance
Pages: 384
Source: Goodreads Giveaway, the publisher
Format: ARC
Goodreads
Buy on Amazon, Buy on Barnes & Noble, Buy on Audible
My Rating:

Blurb:

In this delightfully charming and heartfelt debut love story, two lonely and wildly different strangers embark on a short-term friendship over one London summer—only to discover they may be something more by the time the season ends.

No one would ever call Ava Monroe a people person, which isn’t ideal for a barista in a busy London coffee shop. She’s sarcastic, blunt, and cynical, and her relationships are strictly no strings attached. With her best friend Josie soon leaving for a year, Ava knows she’ll be all alone unless she shakes up her routine. But she can’t risk bringing chance back into her carefully controlled life.

Then insufferably cheerful, country-hopping, undeniably gorgeous Finn O’Callaghan rolls into her coffee shop with a horrifying proposal —a strictly friends-only summer fling. Finn needs a local to help him complete his London bucket list, and Ava needs to reassure Josie she won’t be on her own. And it’s only for a few months.

To Ava’s surprise, their mismatched friendship of convenience becomes oddly tolerable, and as they work their way through Finn’s list and around the sun-drenched city, from rooftops and floating bars to nights at the museum, their adventures—and Finn’s company—start to feel . . . nice. Incredibly, terrifyingly, dangerously nice.

Still, rules are rules—Ava has good reasons for them—and as the days get shorter, Finn’s departure gets closer. Because that’s the thing about it always ends. Right?

My Review

I think I was in a bit of a reading slump when I first picked this up, so while it took me a minute to get into, once I had some time to sit and read, it was definitely making me laugh out loud at times. Once I got into it I was hooked thought. I loved the banter between Ava and Finn. I love the reverse grumpy-sunshine type of trope, where the man is the sunshine. Maybe because at times I am definitely the grumpy person? I don’t know. But Finn was adorable. Both of them had their attachment and commitment issues, both family related really as opposed to too much relationship causes.

Finn gives away more about his family dynamics early on in the story and it is easy to see why he does things the way he does. Ava’s reasons get shared a little later, but oh once they do, I was definitely in tears at those points of the book. Finn’s friends are fun, the add to the parts of the story that they are in, although I feel like the story gives us more time with Ava and her friends and family. But we do get parts of the story from both of their POVs.

Finn’s bucket list was a blast and I love the way he would add things as he heard about them. I definitely loved the whole spend the night in the natural history museum activity they did. I keep hearing about those and wish I lived in Chicago or New York so I could go do one of those! Ava’s outlook on working at the coffee shop was hilarious, and there was one thought she had that resonated so much with me. Because when I worked at the bookstore, and even occasionally as a librarian, when people come interrupt me doing one part of my job, I’ll get irritated, but then I have to remind myself it is actually all part of my job.

“How dare they, a customer, approach me, an employee, requesting the service I am paid to provide?”

I had a lot of giggles with this one, like I said, the banter was perfection.

“You know, dicks are objectively kind of hideous, but yours could be a lot worse.”

“I’m really gonna miss that way with words.”

I’ve also learned about a lot of places that maybe I’ll go to London to visit some day! I mean I have a sister living in Scotland, I should be able to do that too! I think this is a first book for this author, but I hope I get the chance to read more!

Related Posts