January 1, 2024
Jesse emerges from a car accident with a fractured leg and has to give up his firefighter job and rugby league, leaving him adrift and withdrawn. Worried about his best friend and ex-boyfriend, George decides it's time to meddle in Jesse's life and sets him up on a blind date with his university colleague Lulu. A cheating ex made her flee her job in England, and now she's working at her hometown university with her father, who helped her get the job. Facing resentment from her coworkers over this nepotism, Lulu is struggling to find her place. The date, regrettably, is awkward, and they don't plan on seeing each other again. But they both agree to join George's psychology study on adult friendships. Forced to spend time together, Jesse and Lulu find themselves truly becoming friends--and more. Barrett (The Romance Recipe) writes sensitively about the challenges Jesse and Lulu experience, along with wonderfully tender and sexy scenes. VERDICT This fantastic friends-to-lovers romance, featuring a bisexual protagonist and an academic setting, offers heat and tenderness as Jesse and Lulu find love and belonging.--Melissa DeWild
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