Summary
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea to fall for your best friend.”
No one told me that junior year is when everything would get complicated. At the heart of the complexities? My best friend, Aaron freaking Cooper—more specifically, my relationship with him. Whether I should have a relationship with him that’s more than friendship. Whether I already do.
Everyone else in our lives seems to think there’s something between Aaron and me—that we’re denying it and lying to ourselves—even my boyfriend and his girlfriend.
No matter what we tell them or our friends, it doesn’t change what they see.
But as the lines start to blur between friendship and more, I find myself thinking that everyone else might be right.
Then again, maybe it doesn’t matter. Because I’m not sure it’s a good idea to fall for your best friend. But I’m not sure it’s a choice, either. Which leaves me wondering if Aaron and I have ever been just friends, or if we’ve always been something more. And if we are, is it finally time to risk everything and do something about it?
I have no idea.
And that’s the problem.
Friends Like This is the beginning of a mature YA/new adult drama series featuring teens in realistic and complicated situations. Recommended for readers aged 16+
I met Aaron almost four years ago when we were five years old. Since then, he’s been my best friend and my person. I don’t know exactly how to explain what that means, but my mom says it’s someone who gets you in a different way than everyone else. Someone you can talk to or go to about anything. All my friends are always there for me, but Aaron is always the one I run to first. So, I guess he’s my person.
Review
Family is the people who choose each other. And we always choose each other.
Do you believe in soulmates? I do. Soulmates, whether platonic or romantic, are drawn together. No matter what happens, if it’s meant to be, they will always show up when they need to be there.
I always love reading about friendships and found family, especially if written well. In the case of Friends Like This, I was more invested in the platonic relationships than the romantic ones. THE FRIENDSHIP. Family is not always blood. Rae and her friends have known each other forever and live close to one another. They love each other and will be there for one another no matter what. Every time there were friendship scenes, I always wanted more. I’m uncertain whether or not I like Rae. But regardless, I can still relate to her, and understand some of the things she did, just not all of them.
Aaron and Rae are each other’s person. They understand one another on a deeper level. They don’t have to be together romantically because they will always be there for each other no matter what and be in each other’s lives. That’s the thing with childhood friends to lovers. The main characters have been friends for so long that they fall for each other somewhere along the way. But, they are too afraid to act on it when they realize it. They don’t want to ruin their friendship because being in each other’s lives is more important than being together romantically. It’s not all friendships, but it happens. Friends Like This follows this storyline, but Bethany adds different aspects that make it unique and not boring, which made me want to keep reading.
YA, books set in high school are hits are misses for me. However, Friends Like This was a hit. I enjoyed reading it and can’t wait to read more from Bethany Monaco Smith.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.25)
