Between Friends and Lovers by Shirlene Obuobi

Between Friends and Lovers was one of my favorite romances I’ve ever read. It was sweet, and sad, and ultimately hopeful, but most of all, it felt real. Most of the romances I read, while enjoyable, exist in this fairy-tale space. No matter what happens, no matter the ups and downs, I’m guaranteed a happy ending. And that’s a great thing! It’s one of the hallmarks of the genre–a romance can’t be a romance without a happily ever after.

However, sometimes the happily ever afters feel too certain. Sometimes the twists and turns don’t excite me because it’s predictable–I know the ending. Honestly, this book came at the perfect time for me. Romance is my favorite genre, but I had read so many books with basically the same plot, and I was getting bored. Between Friends and Lovers captivated me, kept me turning pages, and was never stale. I was invested in the characters and their relationship, and their happily ever after actually felt uncertain at times. This book reinvigorated my love for romance and reminded me of how beautiful truly well-written romance can be.

Between Friends and Lovers is a dual POV book following Josephine and Malcom. Josephine is a doctor and an influencer, while Malcom is an author. They meet at a party after Jospehine has a falling out with her best friend and long time unrequited love, Ezra. While she’s trying to escape him, she runs into Malcom. The two barely talk, but it’s enough to pique both of their interests. Later, when Jospehine decides she’s had enough of sitting around, pining and waiting for Ezra, she picks Malcom as a no strings attached, one night stand rebound. However, when she asks him, he declines. Malcolm has just recovered from a long and painful divorce, and he isn’t interested in anything casual. He tells Josephine he really likes her, and would like to date her, but he won’t just be a rebound. Josephine agrees, and their relationship begins to blossom.

Josephine is torn between Ezra, who she’s loved for so long but has never really appreciated her, and Malcom, who seems so perfect, but who she has a hard time fully trusting. Malcolm is willing to wait for her to figure out her feelings, but they both know he won’t wait forever. Will they end up with their happily ever after, or will the world around them get in their way?

Between Friends and Lovers handles real world problems, issues with trust and love and believing someone will be there for you consistently, not just when it’s convenient for them. It treats love as something that’s scary, something that’s work, something that’s a choice. I’m so glad I picked it up.

Thanks for reading with me,

Katie