Book Review: Better Off Friends

Title: Better Off Friends.
Author: Elizabeth Eulberg.
Series: No.
Pages: 288.
Source: Netgalley, for Review.
Publisher: Point.
Published Date: 2/25/14.
Links:
Goodreads.
Barnes and Noble.

Summary:

"For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can’t be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are super close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan’s friends. They are platonic and happy that way.

Eventually they realize they’re best friends — which wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t keep getting in each other’s way. Guys won’t ask Macallan out because they think she’s with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can’t help but wonder . . . are they more than friends or are they better off without making it even more complicated?

From romantic comedy superstar Elizabeth Eulberg comes a fresh, fun examination of a question for the ages: Can guys and girls ever really be just friends? Or are they always one fight away from not speaking again — and one kiss away from true love?"

My Thoughts:

*I would like to thank Point, as well as Netgalley, for allowing me to review Better Off Friends.*

When Macallan was called into the office the first day of school, she assumed that the councilor wanted to give her a "first day of school, sorry your mom died" speech. But to her surprise, she was asked to give a tour to the new guy, Levi, of the school and take him to his first class.

Levi was from California, had long blonde hair pulled back into a pony tail, wore a nice button up shirt, with cargo shorts and flip flops; sticking out like a sore thumb. Levi was hoping to go for the new/hot/mysterious guy, like he would always see girls in his old school swoon over, but he completely missed his target. Macallan didn't give him a second thought, quickly dragging him through the hallways and dumping him at his period class.

When Macallan saw him sitting by himself at lunch, she knew the right thing to do was ask him to sit with her, and her friends; so she did. But she had no idea, just how quickly the two would click, when Levi brought up a quote from one of her favorite British comedy shows.

Since that day at lunch the two were inseparable, they spent so much time together, talked about anything, and became the best of friends. But having a guy best friend wasn't easy. People always assumed that Levi and Macallan were together, or had something going on. When truly they didn't.

Both Levi and Macallan were dating and seeing other people, and stayed great friends, but neither could explain the weird feeling they would get when they saw the other one, with someone else...was it jealousy? Or was it just being a good friend and caring about that person?

The two won't find out until both of their hearts have been broken, and they only have each other to lean on.

Final Verdict:

Better Off Friends was the perfect book to pull me out of the winter hibernation reading I was doing these last few months, and into a more light, and fun spring/Valentines reading.

The story is told in two perspectives, both Macallan's and Levi's. I felt that there would have been no better way to tell the readers this story, giving the audiences both sides of the friendship/relationship. When it comes to romance, and tough situations, I enjoy seeing it from both perspectives, and knowing what each person is thinking.

I've read many books where a boy and a girl were "best friends" and started to fall in love. But what makes Better Off Friends different is that we get to witness this friendship develop, grow and change over the years. The struggle and hardships the friendship has gone through and overcome. We get to see, just how this boy and girl become so close. And only towards the end of the book do the two confess their feelings towards one another.

Better Off Friends is a story of true friendship, family and love. It was beautifully written, heartwarming, and swept me off my feet!