Never Fall for Your Brother's Best Friend

A Sweet Small Town, Friends to Lovers Romantic Comedy (Sweet Spring Kisses)

By: Abby Greyson

Narrated by: Lexi Balter, Zach Young

Length: 3 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

This is a kisses only, sweet romance.

My brother’s best friend shattered my heart when he left to chase a dream of shoulder pads and glory. Now he’s back, but even worse, so is my crush.

I’m not in love with Mason Sanderson anymore, so I keep telling myself.

It doesn’t matter that he’s the face of every hero in any romance novel I’ve ever read.

My new next-door neighbor is not the man of my dreams.

The flutters and butterflies when I see him around don’t mean anything.

As his best friend’s little sister, I’m the perfect choice when he needs a date for his former team’s fundraising event.

No drama, no expectations–off limits.

Then his ex shows up.

I’ve waited a lifetime for him to ask me out, but it’s not real. I’m in the friend zone.

Anyone know how to keep a heart intact when heartbreak is inevitable?

This standalone is a part of the Sweet Spring Kisses Series and is a clean, kisses only, brother’s best friend, close proximity, friends to lovers, opposites attract, slow burn, and happily ever after. Let yourself get swept up with Mason and Emily as they realize that they have always been each other’s true love. I hope you fall in love with the two of them and are left wanting more!

©2024 Abby Greyson (P)2024 Abby Greyson/JennaLee Gallicchio

sweet and clean

This was a sweet romance. I'm not normally one for clean, closed door (i like the spice) but this was pretty good. The narration was well done.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Excellent

I had the opportunity to read this book before. I love narrators, so sweet to tell this beautiful story. My favorite!

Happily, Ever After

The story is very well written and flows great with the dual narration (always my fav). The story was so good you don't even miss the spice.
brothers' best friend, boy next door, small town sweet no spice.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

My crush on my brother's best friend

This is a clean romance between Emily and Mason, who is her brother's best friend. The characters are well written, and I was cheering for them to get together. Emily has been in love with Mason most of her life, but he never noticed her. Now he asks her to be his date to a charity event and suddenly his eyes are opened to seeing her in a whole new way. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good romance story.

I received a free copy of this book via Book Sprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Sweet Read

This is a sweet and beautifully written story. Love the characters and the storyline is fantastic. I couldn't help but aww at the ending. I do recommend reading it and look forward to reading more from Abby Greyson.

Great listen.

I really got hooked right from the start. I love the characters, and the storyline was so good. Y'all have got to get this one. So good. Enjoy.

Sweet Small Town Romance

This is the first book in the Sweet Spring Kisses Series, a small town romance. Mason and Emily's story is sweet, fun, and engaging. I liked the slow burn romance, and the banter. This is a sweet brother's best friend romance. Lexi Balter and Zach Young's duet narration is great. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Cute Small Town Story

Cute story about Mason and Emily. I enjoyed getting to know both of the main characters and the small town. Mason is a retired pro-football player who is now a firefighter in his small, hometown with his best friend. Mason has an event coming up that he needs a date to and his BFF suggests he ask his sister, Emily. Emily has a long standing crush on Mason, so she is thrilled that he asked her, until she realizes he asked because she won't think he wants more than a friendship date. Their relationship grows throughout the book, and they have the HEA they both deserve.

The audio wasn't very long, a little under 4 hours. I enjoyed the female narrator, not as much the male voice.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Very Trope-y Genre Romance, But Still Enjoyable

Even though this is a very trope-y contemporary romance, I still enjoyed the story, particularly the setting, secondary characters, and the heroine. The author puts the main trope right there in the book title. The heroine is a super sweet young lady who cares about all those in her close circle and her small town. Her little bookshop sounds adorable, and I wish I could visit it! She's got a hold-no-prisoners best friend, always good in a romance, who gets a little prickly with just about everybody, even the heroine at times! (And it looks like she will be the heroine in the next book of the series.) The title is perhaps a little inaccurate, as the heroine has had a thing for her brother's best friend since they were in high school, which was some time ago. He's only just returning to their hometown. He left to pursue a pro football career but is returning after being injured, his pro career now in the past. He did well enough that money isn't a concern; he is a first responder who does so because it gives him purpose, even if he doesn't need the money (and actually donates it to charity). The book centers around a big multi-day, multi-venue gala that was initially going to take place in New York, but the hero, at the suggestion of the heroine, brings it to their small town instead, boosting the local economy and doing something different from the standard fundraising affair.

As always in a “brother's best friend” trope romance, one main stumbling block for the hero is getting past what he thinks will be resistance from the brother/friend. Does he want to risk his longtime friendship with his friend to pursue the woman of his dreams? Is it truly a risk? (Just talk to the guy; don't continue to beat yourself up over a possible non-issue!) The hero runs hot and cold toward the heroine for the entire book, certainly giving the heroine mixed signals about what he's thinking, feeling, and actually desires. He was so wishy-washy (perhaps too much?) that I could certainly empathize with the heroine’s frustrations. And as often happens in romance, the hero is just plain stupid about his ex!

So, yes, even from this brief review, you can tell this is full of all kinds of genre romance tropes and other well-worn romance pathways. But I so liked the heroine (and the pampering and girly stuff the hero helped her indulge in!) and the small town that I enjoyed listening to this book.

finding their HEA

I LOVE it when a book is read from the POV of both main characters. The reading is seamless so you almost feel like you are watching a movie versus listening to a book. Emily’s character comes to life as you hear her thoughts and feelings about Mason. Mason can be a bit thick headed in his thought process, making some questionable choices on his quest to win Emily.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.