My Best Friend's Sister

I should have dnfed this one. <br /><br />Not only he was a pretentious a*hole and she was the most accommodating person ever but you also could see the plot coming from ten miles away because you’ve probably read it a few hundred times already. <br /> <br />AAAAND there is no grovelling whatsoever ??‍♀️<br />

2.5 stars⭐️ <br /><br />if i was rating this on the romance alone, this would probably be a four star read. i loved Quinn and Maddy’s relationship in the beginning and all of the mutual pining.<br /><br />...but. and it’s a big ole <b>but</b> indeed. <br /><br />there were little niggles in the book. unnecessary ones. off comment lines would be said and i found them really pretentious, stereotyping and unnecessary. one being insulting and undermining vegetarians, and just women’s diets in general. Quinn mentions on a past date a girl was a vegetarian and called her pretentious, while Maddy isn’t a vegetarian which is way more attractive. <br /><br /><blockquote> <b> <i>”...but when a girl breaks the ice by telling you she doesn’t like meat in her mouth, it’s hard to stay open-minded about a second date.”</i> </b> </blockquote><br /><br />it was just strange. im not vegetarian but i don’t understand the whole caveman, carnivore types thinking a woman is ‘less’ bcos she doesn’t eat meat. it just wasn’t a necessary comment and low-key is a red flag for me when heroes in books comment on women’s eating habits. like the whole ‘wOw, sHe eAts iN fRonT oF mE. nOt liKe oThEr giRLs’?? my appetite and diet have nothing to do with you sir. i don’t need your approval of what to eat and what is <i>attractive</i> to <i>you</i>. so Quinn mentioning that made me... <b> <i>think things</i> </b>. <br /><br />the other unnecessary commentary that bothered me was the stereotyping of gay men. this book was published in May 2020, so how the author thought it was okay was beyond me. the first time i noticed it actually was quite early on when ‘gay’ was used as an insult. even the word’ ‘pansies’ was used which made me *shudder* like is this an early 2000s problematic rom com? <br /><br /><blockquote> <b> <i> “I can’t wait to find out which one of you pansies is the one that wears tighty whities,” she said, her eyes lingering on each of us.</i> </b> </blockquote><br /><br /><blockquote> <b> <i>Pete leaned to the right and looked towards the bottom of Quinn’s chair. “Those are some gay socks.”</i> </b> </blockquote><br /><br />...seriously? 2020? it should have been my first red flag but i dismissed it, foolishly thinking it was...idk, a mishap? but when the author later stereotypes gay men in a truly bizarre encounter, i felt my hackles rising and my love for the romance dwindling.<br /><br />Maddy wonders if Quinn is gay and in love with her older brother, James, bcos she is staying in what she thinks is James’ room while he’s away, but it was actually Quinn’s and he moved his things to make it look like it has been James’. he wanted to give Maddy the best room in their flat (which i thought was pretty cute). so when Quinn is drunk he stumbles into Maddy’s bed still thinking it’s his old room. but Maddy thinks Quinn is somehow pining after James and stumbling into James’ bed instead. this leads to a plethora of questions in Maddy’s head... and a lot of ridiculous stereotypes. <br /><br /><blockquote> <b> <i> His clothes supported the theory that he might be gay, as did his flawless head of thick black hair. </i> </b> </blockquote><br /><br /><blockquote> <b> <i>It wasn’t that I would love James any less if he were gay. Hell, I’d probably love him more if he’d listen to me rant about fashion and my relationship problems.</i> </b> </blockquote><br /><br /><blockquote> <b> <i> Except James had never done a single thing in his whole life to make me—or Maeve—think he was gay. He didn’t have any suspicious music fetishes, and I’d never caught him looking at anyone’s nails ever, including his own.</i> </b> </blockquote><br /><br />the whole debacle was truly odd and added nothing to the plot. it only made me less enthusiastic to read more bcos too many red flags were a’waving and a’blazing. the stereotyping made me shudder, and it just sounded so ignorant and dare i say air-headed? it just made me think Maddy was one of those popular girls in school who sees a gay man as an accessory and to have him as her gay best friend for the ✨aesthetic✨<br /><br />so then, i started to dislike Maddy. which was a shame bcos i initially really liked her. and i was a simp for Quinn, low-key. his inner monologue of him pining for Maddy was truly swoon worthy. so i was rooting for them hard. he said he wanted to steal her left dimple and keep it in his pocket with him everyday, like cmon! it was so cute!<br /><br />but then, around the 60% mark, even the romance couldn’t salvage my enjoyment that those previous problematic moments had snubbed out. Quinn became an undeniable dick all of a sudden and i couldn’t understand WHY. it truly baffled me. it came out of nowhere and he was truly cruel to Maddy. i mean, the guy said he didn’t like who he was when he was with her. that’s a fucking nasty blow.<br /><br />she even admitted he made her feel disposable and that was... ouch? she said she had no idea what she’d done to be cast aside and neither did i. his actions didn’t feel justified and instead felt like a plot device just to cause drama. it was just a little <i>too</i> far, in my opinion, to cause a schism between them. he literally could have said anything else but the things he did say :///<br /><br />in my opinion, i don’t think he grovelled hard enough. for any other romance, i probably would have been satisfied with the efforts he went to for Maddy. but like i said, some the things he said to her truly cut deep and weren’t just surface-level, frivolous insults. so his grovelling, to me, was no where near the calibre it should have been for what he said to her. so in the end i just lost interest and didn’t really give a fuck??‍♀️ his grand gesture kinda made me wanna gouge my eyes out with a spoon too. it made me cringe so hard my head spun. <br /><br />and GOD. when i thought things couldn’t get any worse or weirder... the author consciously wrote <b>this</b> fucking line and thought it was a good idea:<br /><br /><blockquote> <b> <i> "He's my brother, Quinn. I've been wearing towels in front of him for as long as I can remember."<br />He quirked a brow. "You trying to make me jealous?"<br />"Eww. No." I took a sip of my beer, catching a glimpse of the bracelet he gave me out of the corner of my eye. "And if I was, I wouldn't use my own brother as a pawn."</i> </b> </blockquote><br /><br />i– i don’t think i need to say anything. the passage is self-explanatory ://// <br /><br />and the book was far too long. it did not need to be fifty-seven chapters please. there were entire chapters entailing unnecessary shit that could have easily been cut out and shortened the book by a mile. <br /><br />so, ultimately, i have no desire to read the second book, even if it is a step-sibling romance and im a whore for them.

4.5 Stars<br><br>Maddy Mason, 25, just got offered an internship she’s dreamed about…except it’s unpaid. Her brother just offered up his apartment for her to live rent-free in while he’s out of town….except he lives with a buddy who Maddy thinks doesn’t like her. <br><br>Quinn Draper’s been enamored with his best friend’s sister since they were in college…except he’s a no-commitment guy who doesn’t want to get attached. But when living together brings the walls down, Quinn finds he’s faced with a version of himself he doesn’t recognize or know how to take. <br><blockquote> <b>“‘…I was an asshole who’d never even considered the idea of reforming, and you were a princess who couldn’t tell I was a prince.’<br>‘When did you go from being an asshole to a prince?’<br>‘The day I rearranged my kingdom for you.’”</b> </blockquote><br> <img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1576196739ra/28602087.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Told via Maddy and Quinn’s alternating first person POV, these two had good banter right from the start so it wasn’t hard to get sucked into their story. I liked that even though Maddy didn’t always know how to take Quinn, she was upbeat and held her own. I also liked that even though Maddy is the “little sister character,” she wasn’t shy or virginal. <br><br>And the poker scene was the best…a total hoot. I adored it. <br> <img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1576196739ra/28602088.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><blockquote> <b>“If I was ever going to see Maddy Mason’s tits, I wanted it to be because I unwrapped her slowly in a situation where she felt like she was winning the whole time.”</b> </blockquote><br>Quinn was a complicated guy, but likeable just the same and a well developed character. As the reader, we get insight into what’s made Quinn Quinn, and my heart broke just a bit for the guy who deep down craved so much more but was “trained” not to show emotions. <br><blockquote> <b>“‘…he pretends to be this heartless badass, but I think he’s more like a puppy that’s been kicked so hard it’s forgotten how to cuddle.’”</b> </blockquote><br>That’s not to say I didn’t think he acted like a dick at a certain point, but he knew how to grovel and man did he know how to woo. <br><blockquote> <b>“I was going to be the gentleman she deserved, even if a few baseball socks had to die for the cause.”</b> </blockquote><br>This is the second book I’ve read from the author where the hero pulls out some swoon-worthy stops, and that kind of thing always makes romance great. It’s what’s romance is all about. So points for that. <br><br> <img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1576196917ra/28602097.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>I’m going to *spoiler alert* this next section because it gets into the later part of the book, but I can’t not give it credit because it comes through when so many other romances with this premise fail in the 21st century.<br><input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="bae149db-8863-42d7-849d-4935306faeed" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="bae149db-8863-42d7-849d-4935306faeed"><br>When it comes to the best friend’s sister trope there’s a careful line to tread or the whole notion of the conflict can fall into a very sexist line of thinking. Not only that, but in my reading experience, the brother character tends to be a real obnoxious villain simply to make it more taboo. But that did NOT happen here. <br><br> <img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1576196917ra/28602098.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>So I’ve got to give the story so much praise for pulling this trope off with the maturity and respect. <br><blockquote><b>“‘Shame making my life awkward is how you’ve both found happiness, but I suppose I’ll get used to it.’”</b></blockquote> <br>The story felt so much more real by getting at the root of the dilemma, by having adult characters behave like adults, by making it about caring for the feelings and happiness of your little sister rather than about dictating her life. Not only were the confrontation scenes between Quinn and James and James and Maddie fun to read, but they made me crave a book for James so he could get his happiness too.<br>UPDATE: James is book #2 <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/50661486.Stepbrother_with_Benefits" title="Stepbrother with Benefits by Hazel Kelly" rel="noopener">Stepbrother with Benefits</a><br></label> <br><br>There are a lot of good messages in this story—from reaching for your professional goals to the importance of love and the people who matter most. On that note, I was prepared to cry over the letter, and while I did tear up, it was gold. <br><br>All in all, a low-angst, cute, feel-good romance, and it doesn’t skimp on the steam factor either.<br><br> <img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1576196739ra/28602089.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Safety Recap: <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="6b7ea56d-b79b-49fa-9457-1bf41bc53f67" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="6b7ea56d-b79b-49fa-9457-1bf41bc53f67">No cheating. No sex scenes w/OP. No real OW/OM drama. I wouldn’t say H was a manwhore but he was a no commitment guy; h is not a virgin. No rape or sexual abuse. HFN/HEA. </label><br><br><i>*I volunteered to review this ARC. All reviews written by Book-Bosomed Book Blog are honest opinions. In the interest of providing unbiased book reviews and to avoid misleading other readers, it is the blog’s policy not to withhold or delay any reviews no matter the star rating. To the best of my knowledge, this title was presented to the blog without any conditions or stipulations.</i></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]>

Overall this book I think was not really for me because there was TOO MUCH INFORMATION!!!!!!! And I really like these sorts of story in which H is h's brother best friend but in this book there were unnecessary plot twists and long chapters which shouldn't exist but were there so overall not the book for me but maybe for others.

I am just a HUGE fan of Hazel's writing!<br /><br />Yes, it's a trope we all now and most of us love (ME!!!), but I will never tire of reading each author's interpretation of it. But, being that Hazel is the author, I just knew it was going to me an awesome read!<br /><br />I REALLY liked Maddy. She was just flawed enough to be real and believable, relatable. It's funny, actually, because her initial "acquaintanceship" with Quinn was built on the misconception that he hated her. Let me tell you how delicious the tension was as I patiently waited for that premise to fly outta the window!<br /><br />Conversely, Quinn was more of the silent admirer from afar, keeping his feelings secret and torturing himself in the process. I absolutely adored how he thought of Maddy and the care he showed with her was just so...:::wistful sigh:::<br /><br />Yep, another great and VERY steamy contemporary romance by Hazel! Keep 'em comin'!<br /><br />(I was given this book in consideration of my honest thoughts)

Fans of New Adult romance novels of the type which have a primary focus on sex between twenty-something singletons in the city who consume multiple hits of hard liquor every day, overindulge in unhealthy, fattening food, rarely or never exercise, and yet somehow have gorgeous, fit, healthy bodies, will greatly enjoy this book. Those are standard fantasy features of many of the offerings in this contemporary, adult, romance subgenre, and this book fits very much within those reader-approved parameters. The writing itself in this novel is well done.

Well she's done it again! Another cracking book by Hazel Kelly! <br />Quinn is such a lovable arsehole you can't help but like him.<br />The storyline and the chemistry between the 2 got me totally lost in the moment and kept me up till the early hours reading.<br />Quinn is very closed off and keeps his feelings locked up due to his family life and tries to remain so untill his best friends sister Maddy moves in after being kicked out of her flat. Maddy has always thought Quinn hated her but he has secretly wanted her for a long time.<br />Loved the storyline, loved the characters, loved the writing so yeah basically I loved it ?<br />Can't wait for Maddy's siblings stories next.

As the title of the book suggests, My Best Friend’s Sister features Quinn Draper, a successful sports agent, who has been smitten with Madeline, his best friend James’ younger sister, for years. I like that they are in their late 20s and not in college, and how tongue tied this normally very confident man was whenever he was around the object of his affection, who naturally is off limits.<br /><br />If you read Hazel’s past books, love takes time and the slow burn will keep you engaged as the hero and heroine navigate their feelings and become friends first. When James heads off to London for a six-month business venture, a situation arises which forces her to take her brother’s place in his apartment, and how convenient that Quinn is his roommate. If only I could be so lucky! <br /><br />Quinn is a dream. He works hard, is so thoughtful and kind, but a bid lost since his mom died and his father was a bit standoffish. I truly believe that how you are raised affects your view on life, and poor Quinn was the one who always sabotaged relationships before he could get too close. He guarded his heart, but was so romantic when it came to our sweet heroine. I just adored all the thoughtful dates he planned. <br /><br />This book has great character development as Quinn and Madeline navigate their newfound status as lovers. I enjoyed all of the secondary characters as well and how honest they were when trying to help these two figure things out. I liked how dedicated she was to her career, how honest she was with him right from the start, and how they both supported each other and listened, truly caring about each other’s day. <br /><br />But things aren’t always smooth sailing, and that’s when Hazel does her best writing in my opinion. She writes about true emotion and conflict, and all the raw feelings that people really go through when just meeting, dating, breaking up, moving on, or committing to one another. I love that her characters are mature enough to admit when they were wrong, ask for forgiveness, and learn from their mistakes, and not just the couples...the parents, siblings, and friends, too. <br /><br />It really was beautiful to read some of these more emotional parts especially when Quinn was finally able talk to his dad who was also his boss, and let down his guard. My only wish is that his dad would have met Madeline, as he didn’t have any family other than Quinn. <br /><br />I loved the letter that Quinn’s mom left him before she passed which was only to be read when he finds the one; it was really moving and helped clarify his future goals.<br /><br />There were many special moments in My Brother’s Best Friend, including the last chapter which ended with a HEA. Looking forward to the next romance by Hazel Kelly and hoping that James gets his chance at happiness and that we can get more of Quinn and Madeline!

This is my first Hazel Kelly ARC, and I've finally finished reading. It was sitting in my Kindle for awhile because I had a bunch of ARC's that was time sensitive.<br /><br />I love discovering new authors. She reminds me of A.M Hargrove, Staci Hart and Lauren Blakely.<br /><br />Falling in love with your brother's best-friend/room-mate isn't something I haven't before, but it gave me thrills nonetheless. I'm a huge romantic sap so this right up my alley. You can't help who you fall in love with... whether it's the asshole next door, your sworn enemy or your best-friend's youngest sister. The heart wants what the heart wants.<br /><br />It's a feel-good story... it's an easy and light read, and there are parts that will pull on your heartstrings.<br /><br /><br /><br />

This was my first Hazel Kelly book and I don't know why I waited so long. Her writing takes you on the journey of the characters. Maddy and Quinn are adorable. When her and her roommate aren't seeing eye to eye, her brother offers his room while he is working in London for six months. Maddy believes her brother's best friend/roommate Quinn doesn't like her because he never says much to her. Surprise, surprise, once these two become roommates the sparks start flying. Their story is funny, full of love, with some surprises, giving me a few tears. These two stole my heart.