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Friends with Benefits by Lisa Swift

Friends with Benefits

ABOUT THE BOOK

Could Mr. Right-Now actually be Mr. Right?

Lexie Whittle thought she had life all sewn up, with a gorgeous husband, a beautiful home, and an utterly delightful teenage stepson. Until husband Daryl announced he was leaving to work overseas… and everything changed.

A year later, Daryl and Lexie’s marriage is practically over. Lexie is fighting to stay on top of the bills, juggling her job at the Blue Parrot 1940s cafe in Leyholme with being mum and dad to Connor in Daryl’s absence.

The only thing keeping her sane is the support she gets from Connor’s godfather: Theo Blake, Daryl’s former business partner. Theo might be a jack-the-lad, drifting from one woman to another, but Lexie knows she and Connor can always depend on him in times of need.

After one too many glasses of wine lead to them falling into bed together, Lexie and Theo begin a friends-with-benefits relationship. It starts as just sex, but it doesn’t take long for deeper feelings to develop.

But when Daryl returns, Lexie is faced with some difficult decisions. Will she be forced to choose between her love for Theo and the boy she sees as a son?

MY REVIEW

What are friends for? For Lexie and Theo it is the honesty, the trust, and the sex. After all, with Lexie’s dysfunctional family consisting of an absentee soon-to-be-ex-husband, a teenage stepson, and a quirky ex-mother-in-law once removed, why not be friends with benefits with her sexy hot best friend, business partner, and godfather to her stepson?

There are so many interesting characters in this story. Lexie is a strong and loving stepmom to sweet and geeky Connor who is dealing with his teenage sexuality. Their relationship is solid and close with Lexie raising him pretty much on her own while Connor’s dickhead father, Daryl, decides to move overseas for work. When Lexie and the amazingly gallant, supportive, and reformed playboy, Theo, decide to try a casual sex relationship with no strings, it pretty much is a bust because…duh, they are perfect for each other and the feelings thing is a no-brainer. Until the bastard husband, Daryl, decides to return making Lexie choose between Theo, the man she loves, and Connor, the boy she has raised for eight years. 

I was pleasantly surprised with this unusual and unpredictable rom-com that had some serious subject matter going on including teen sexuality, bullying, mental illness, and abandonment. There are both LOL moments and tearful moments in this story which is what makes it so good. Watching best friends who are so comfortable together fall in love is a satisfying and enjoyable experience that always gives this reader the feels. 

I can’t recommend this heartwarming book enough for those who adore flawed and genuine characters, including a teenage boy who will steal your heart, and those who enjoy a storyline that will renew their faith in true love.

Thank you to Ms. Swift for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lisa SwiftLisa Swift grew up in rural West Yorkshire in the UK, right in the heart of Brontë country… and she’s still there. After graduating from Durham University with a degree in English Literature, she dallied with living in cities including London, Nottingham and Cambridge, but eventually came back with her own romantic hero in tow to her beloved Dales, where she first started telling stories about heroines with flaws and the men who love them.

Lisa also writes romantic comedies under the pen name Mary Jayne Baker.

Follow Lisa on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

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