Belonging With Her Best Friend
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-06-21 18:21:37
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Kristin Canary
- ISBN：B09LY3KMXC
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
I love three things in this world more than life itself:
1。 My family and housemates （both current and former）
2。 Musicals
3。 My best friend， Eric Moody
The first two are no surprise to anyone who knows me。
The third is a secret I’ll carry to my grave。
Because even though Eric fits in well with my crazy family and he’s the outgoing complement to my quiet self， we want different things。
I want him。 He wants something I can never give。 And I refuse to sacrifice his happiness for my own。
Most of the time， I manage to keep my feelings for him under lock and key—but things change when Eric moves in with me temporarily。
Now， he’s here all the time。 And it’s harder and harder not to imagine what life together could be like … if only。
The final straw？ When he starts helping me prepare for my （forced） lead role in a local musical。
Because yeah。 You try holding back the tidal wave of feelings you’ve been keeping at bay when your sexy best friend offers to “practice kiss” you。
My fortitude is headed straight for the edge of a cliff—and the thrill of the impending fall has never felt so electrifying。
Or so terrifying。
Fans of Sarah Adams and Emma St。 Clair will love this closed-door， friends-to-lovers romantic comedy with lots of sizzle and spice， but no on-page explicit content。
1。 My family and housemates （both current and former）
2。 Musicals
3。 My best friend， Eric Moody
The first two are no surprise to anyone who knows me。
The third is a secret I’ll carry to my grave。
Because even though Eric fits in well with my crazy family and he’s the outgoing complement to my quiet self， we want different things。
I want him。 He wants something I can never give。 And I refuse to sacrifice his happiness for my own。
Most of the time， I manage to keep my feelings for him under lock and key—but things change when Eric moves in with me temporarily。
Now， he’s here all the time。 And it’s harder and harder not to imagine what life together could be like … if only。
The final straw？ When he starts helping me prepare for my （forced） lead role in a local musical。
Because yeah。 You try holding back the tidal wave of feelings you’ve been keeping at bay when your sexy best friend offers to “practice kiss” you。
My fortitude is headed straight for the edge of a cliff—and the thrill of the impending fall has never felt so electrifying。
Or so terrifying。
Fans of Sarah Adams and Emma St。 Clair will love this closed-door， friends-to-lovers romantic comedy with lots of sizzle and spice， but no on-page explicit content。
Reviews
Deanna
，
With Belonging With Her Best Friend， Kristin Canary knocks it out of the park again。 I have loved all of Kristin’s books in this series， and this is the best one yet。 Shelby and Eric are best friends who temporarily end up living together， but Shelby has always loved Eric。 Their chemistry builds throughout the book and they even practice kissing for Shelby’s musical。 I enjoyed seeing characters from the previous books， and I’m so glad in the end Shelby and Eric get their HEA。 Everyone who loves With Belonging With Her Best Friend， Kristin Canary knocks it out of the park again。 I have loved all of Kristin’s books in this series， and this is the best one yet。 Shelby and Eric are best friends who temporarily end up living together， but Shelby has always loved Eric。 Their chemistry builds throughout the book and they even practice kissing for Shelby’s musical。 I enjoyed seeing characters from the previous books， and I’m so glad in the end Shelby and Eric get their HEA。 Everyone who loves friends to lovers stories should definitely read this book。 。。。more
Miss Pippi the Librarian
，
Noooo， no， no， no， no， no！Don't pass up on Kristin Canary newest novel， Belonging with Her Best Friend。Shelby is working on saying no。"Still， I have a whole year to practice saying no。 No。 No。 No。 See？ I can do it。 I've got this。"Then it unexpectedly spins out of control！"'No， Sonia，' I whisper to her shadow。 'Not good。 Not good at all。'"Shelby （or Shelbs） is working on using her voice and being heard - on stage and off。 She's overcoming stage fright and fighting feels for her best friend Eric。 Noooo， no， no， no， no， no！Don't pass up on Kristin Canary newest novel， Belonging with Her Best Friend。Shelby is working on saying no。"Still， I have a whole year to practice saying no。 No。 No。 No。 See？ I can do it。 I've got this。"Then it unexpectedly spins out of control！"'No， Sonia，' I whisper to her shadow。 'Not good。 Not good at all。'"Shelby （or Shelbs） is working on using her voice and being heard - on stage and off。 She's overcoming stage fright and fighting feels for her best friend Eric。 I don't want to spoil any of the story but I want to hug this book。 I see you， Shelby。 I'll come over and watch musicals with you any day！Bookish highlights。。。- overcoming difficulties- musicals and Skittles- tight-knit friends group- EricReviewed from an eArc。 Thank you， Kristin！All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Tara （bookish_tmb）
，
LOVED！ This might be my favorite in the series so far。 If you enjoy a good best friends to lovers story， definitely give this one a read。 Eric and Shelby are amazing。 I also liked the nuggets of wisdom that Shelby’s friends and dad gave her。 There is a lot of character development from her， and I enjoyed seeing her confidence grow throughout the story。 Excited to read the last in the series！
Manee Contreras
，
I loved this book。 The depth of the topics in the life of Shelby。Her character development as well as Eric's！ It was amazing。 I loved the chemistry between them， you could feel the longing and wanting for each other。I loved how Eric knew Shelby so much。 He could sense the changes in her mood， when she was happy， sad， worried。I was so frustrated with their pace 😂 that always happens to me whenever I read a friends-to-lovers book。 But I do have to say that Kristin does such an amazing job here。 De I loved this book。 The depth of the topics in the life of Shelby。Her character development as well as Eric's！ It was amazing。 I loved the chemistry between them， you could feel the longing and wanting for each other。I loved how Eric knew Shelby so much。 He could sense the changes in her mood， when she was happy， sad， worried。I was so frustrated with their pace 😂 that always happens to me whenever I read a friends-to-lovers book。 But I do have to say that Kristin does such an amazing job here。 Despite the plot， their communication was on point🔥I loved that they were willing to put their fear behind。 As a quote on the book said: There's no courage without fear。 I loved it。Their kisses！ Man oh man， they were on fire🔥 you could read how passionate they were for each other and how they were wanting to do that。 They were so cute。 My favorite scenes involve:💃dancing🚙car wash🎥 movie nights💋the practice🏞️the trip💙the show🌌 stargazingI love this series， and the friendships👌🏻 so good。 I can't wait to read Alexis's book。 ⚠️TW: death of a loved one。🍁* I was kindly gifted an ARC from the author。 This doesn't influence in any form my review/opinion of the book* 。。。more
MK
，
I’ve enjoyed this whole series， but I especially enjoyed this book。 It was such a well done friends to lovers。 Yes， there was the “Are you blind？” and “say what you need to say！” thoughts going through my head。 （That’s the pep talk song my husband used before talking to me。 😂 ）。There was also so much more， which is what made me love this book。 Shelby in my opinion has legitimate reasons for shying away from Eric。 Eric is understandably hesitant to address things given his experience and situatio I’ve enjoyed this whole series， but I especially enjoyed this book。 It was such a well done friends to lovers。 Yes， there was the “Are you blind？” and “say what you need to say！” thoughts going through my head。 （That’s the pep talk song my husband used before talking to me。 😂 ）。There was also so much more， which is what made me love this book。 Shelby in my opinion has legitimate reasons for shying away from Eric。 Eric is understandably hesitant to address things given his experience and situation。 I think my favorite part of this book was Eric and Shelby。 Nothing they did， but who they were。 They were written to be loved。 This book took you through the emotions of the things they were facing！ Am I now attached to fictional characters？ Yes。 Yes I am。 。。。more
Arceli
，
This book just makes my heart melt。 Eric and Shelby are the cutest together。 They have so much chemistry together it is insane。 As characters Eric and Shelby do have some heavy backstories。 However， it doesn't take away from the sweet tone of the book。 Eric is literally the best friend that anyone would want。 He is extremely supportive and just selfless。 But， he is not a doormat。 And his patience with Shelby is sooo cute。 Shelby also is a sweety。 I loved her issues of fertility。 It really made i This book just makes my heart melt。 Eric and Shelby are the cutest together。 They have so much chemistry together it is insane。 As characters Eric and Shelby do have some heavy backstories。 However， it doesn't take away from the sweet tone of the book。 Eric is literally the best friend that anyone would want。 He is extremely supportive and just selfless。 But， he is not a doormat。 And his patience with Shelby is sooo cute。 Shelby also is a sweety。 I loved her issues of fertility。 It really made it relatable because so many people struggle with someone they are ashamed of。 Her insecurities were real， but she was stronger。 The romance OMG！ It is so cute。 I loved the sizzle in the pages。 The almost kisses are wonderful。 Also that practice kiss is hot。 I loved how the two just fell in love。 And， although there was some issues with communication I appreciated that they resolved it before formally solidifying their relationship。 The secondary characters are awesome。 I can't wait to read the next book in the series。 The romance is adorable。 Go check out this book。 。。。more
Chelsea
，
"All these years I thought it might be strange to kiss my best friend。But it's only strange if "strange" is a synonym for "perfect，" "amazing，" or "completely incandescent。"🥰This whole series has been so much fun， with such sweet characters， and this one was no exception！In this book you'll find:💕best-friends-to-lovers 💕a swoooony "practice kiss"💕forced proximity 💕weekend road trip💕found family💕a sweet & patient MMC！I loved Shelby and Eric and it was clear from the very beginning that they were "All these years I thought it might be strange to kiss my best friend。But it's only strange if "strange" is a synonym for "perfect，" "amazing，" or "completely incandescent。"🥰This whole series has been so much fun， with such sweet characters， and this one was no exception！In this book you'll find:💕best-friends-to-lovers 💕a swoooony "practice kiss"💕forced proximity 💕weekend road trip💕found family💕a sweet & patient MMC！I loved Shelby and Eric and it was clear from the very beginning that they were perfect for each other！I was so happy when they were both able to work through their pasts and be able to find their HEA！If you're a fan of friends-to-lovers， found family， musicals and swoony kisses， check out this book！ （Also the whole series is cute！ And I'm excited for the next book！！）。。。。CW: FMC makes a difficult choice concerning her future family based on DNA test resultsRomance: kisses only！ 。。。more
Sarah
，
I think “friends to more” might just be my favorite romance trope， and Kristin Canary does it exceptionally well in her latest romcom- Belonging with Her Best Friend。 Beyond the typical， “I’m afraid to risk our friendship” conflict that defines these kinds of books， Canary also writes in a stumbling block that is big and hard and real， and she handles it beautifully， probably because of her years of experience also writing women’s fiction as Lindsay Harrel。 And I for one love how she infuses the I think “friends to more” might just be my favorite romance trope， and Kristin Canary does it exceptionally well in her latest romcom- Belonging with Her Best Friend。 Beyond the typical， “I’m afraid to risk our friendship” conflict that defines these kinds of books， Canary also writes in a stumbling block that is big and hard and real， and she handles it beautifully， probably because of her years of experience also writing women’s fiction as Lindsay Harrel。 And I for one love how she infuses these sweet stories with tougher issues and life lessons， making me cry， then chasing the tears away with more laughter。 I definitely recommend this read， especially if you love musicals （which I don’t but I didn’t mind the references at all， so don’t let that stop you）。 Can’t wait for the next book in the series！ 。。。more
Mandy Boerma
，
I loved this book！！ Best friends to more。 Musicals。 An incredible cast of characters and humor—-all the feel goods needed for a perfect beach read this summer。
Catherine
，
Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC。 This book releases today 🥳🥳You know what I love most about the friends-to-lovers trope？ The angst， tension and longing， especially when the love is reciprocated。I loved this book from the onset。 I would've loved to have a dual POV so that I could know what Eric was thinking， but the air of mystery surrounding his thoughts was even better。Shelby was afraid of the spotlight， but coming out of her shell and realizing that her preconceived notions of pe Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC。 This book releases today 🥳🥳You know what I love most about the friends-to-lovers trope？ The angst， tension and longing， especially when the love is reciprocated。I loved this book from the onset。 I would've loved to have a dual POV so that I could know what Eric was thinking， but the air of mystery surrounding his thoughts was even better。Shelby was afraid of the spotlight， but coming out of her shell and realizing that her preconceived notions of perfection couldn't be further from reality was beautiful。Eric， charming irresistible mischievous Eric was just perfect。 Their chemistry was undeniable， their moments together just the right amount of sizzle。 Bring on the practice kisses yes 😋😍The sisterhood between Shelby and her four friends was beautiful。This is my first book from this author and I loved it！ I can't wait to read Alexis' story！ 。。。more
Jen （jensdreamylittlereads）
，
What a sweet friends to lovers story！ Friends to lovers is one of my favourite romance tropes。 I love watching two people move from friendship to something more and all the trials and tribulations along the way。 Belonging With Her Best Friend was a sweet yet emotionally engaging read。 And the plot is a delightful blend of emotion， attraction， unconditional friendship， true love， and a sliver of angst。Shelby and Eric have been best friends for 17 years。 Both considered their friendship too valuab What a sweet friends to lovers story！ Friends to lovers is one of my favourite romance tropes。 I love watching two people move from friendship to something more and all the trials and tribulations along the way。 Belonging With Her Best Friend was a sweet yet emotionally engaging read。 And the plot is a delightful blend of emotion， attraction， unconditional friendship， true love， and a sliver of angst。Shelby and Eric have been best friends for 17 years。 Both considered their friendship too valuable to even think about anything romantic—not that they weren’t extremely attracted to each other， they just pushed their feelings way， way back into their minds。 Shelby and Eric were both such endearing and fantastic characters and I loved their connection and chemistry。 I loved their relationship as both friends and as a couple。 The romance between them was incredibly sweet， and I loved how they made each other even better people than they already were。 This was such a delightful story and another winning story in this series。 Belonging With Her Best Friend is a charming， feel-good， tale that’s full of heart， humour， engaging characters， and touching moments。 All in all， a lovely and sweet escape。。。I loved it！ 。。。more
Kimberley Mcclintock
，
Belonging With Her Best Friend is the 4th book in Kristin Canary’s California Dreamin’ series and it may be my favourite so far。 I absolutely loved ths book。There were so many great moments。 I laughed， I swooned， I cried。 All within a matter of pages。 A whole gamut of emotions packed into one short book。 I loved that although this is a romcom， there were still serious moments。 Kristin did such a great job of handling a serious and hard topic， in a story like this。Shelby and Eric and such a sweet Belonging With Her Best Friend is the 4th book in Kristin Canary’s California Dreamin’ series and it may be my favourite so far。 I absolutely loved ths book。There were so many great moments。 I laughed， I swooned， I cried。 All within a matter of pages。 A whole gamut of emotions packed into one short book。 I loved that although this is a romcom， there were still serious moments。 Kristin did such a great job of handling a serious and hard topic， in a story like this。Shelby and Eric and such a sweet couple。 Friends-to-lovers is definitely one of my favourite tropes and I loved how it played out in this story。 And of course it does include some other great tropes like one-bed and forced proximity。It was also great to see a little more of the lives of the characters from Kristin’s previous books。 Belonging With Her Best Friend is a standalone story， in that you don’t need to read any of the other books to understand what is going on。 But there are spoilers in this book for the previous books， so I definitely recommend reading them in order。If you haven’t read the rest of the series you are missing out。 Grab these books today and you won’t be disappointed。 。。。more
Katie Meyer
，
Thank you Kristin for an ARC of this one！ It was so cute！！ Cheesy and predictable but I LOVED it！ Couldn’t put it down。 I loved all of the characters and the friends to lovers trope。 It was a perfect summer read！
Eliza Solares of Read That Romance
，
This book was so cute！ It was also emotional and theatrical （because she’s in a play。 I’m not that creative） and romantic。 I love friends to lovers and I really believed her reason for keeping him at arm’s length。 So many things keeping these two from acting on their feelings that just felt so authentic and difficult。 It was the epitome of friends to lovers in the best way。 Her difficulty in overcoming her stage fright and coming to terms with how her mother managed her own career was a real tea This book was so cute！ It was also emotional and theatrical （because she’s in a play。 I’m not that creative） and romantic。 I love friends to lovers and I really believed her reason for keeping him at arm’s length。 So many things keeping these two from acting on their feelings that just felt so authentic and difficult。 It was the epitome of friends to lovers in the best way。 Her difficulty in overcoming her stage fright and coming to terms with how her mother managed her own career was a real tear jerker and I loved how well he supported her through absolutely everything。 The mutual pining was amazing。 The almost kiss was electric。 The actual kiss was worth the wait。 I fell in love with Shelby and Eric and devoured this whole book。 If you like friends to lovers， overcoming past hurts， sweet romance， or theater， you’ll want to give this one a try。 I received an advance copy of this book。 I’ve left this review voluntarily。 。。。more
Meredith
，
I wanted to read a book where the characters are kind to one another and this one definitely delivered。 Eric and Shelby are so good together。 I do love getting to see people get their happily ever afters。 Even fictional ones。If you like best friends， theater backdrop， swoony kisses， small town festivals， family， character growth and slow burn， this one is for you。 I highly recommend it。- I just need a book where the characters are nice to each other。 Let's all cross our fingers that I found one I wanted to read a book where the characters are kind to one another and this one definitely delivered。 Eric and Shelby are so good together。 I do love getting to see people get their happily ever afters。 Even fictional ones。If you like best friends， theater backdrop， swoony kisses， small town festivals， family， character growth and slow burn， this one is for you。 I highly recommend it。- I just need a book where the characters are nice to each other。 Let's all cross our fingers that I found one - oh， poor Cinderella！- Shelby is a good person- the beach 😅- hmm， a little jealousy perhaps？- how they first met was so sweet。- the waltz- I need a confession。 Please- Evie knows what's up: communication- the tram！- this book made me cry。 Tears streaming down my face。 The scene in the cemetery was so sweet- I like when the epilogue is from the perspective of the maim character in the next book。 TW: it does deal with the death of a parent。 Hence I tears。 I cry in every one of those。Thank you @kristincanary for the ARC。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Natalia
，
I。 FREAKING。 LOVED。 IT！！From the beginning， I fell in love with the plot， and don't even let me start with the main characters （all of them， actually。） They are amazing！ It was so good it had me hooked and feeling tons of emotions！！And you give me musical theatre。。。 I'M SO IN！Also， as a person who works with kids， I totally relate to Shelby。 I related sooo much to her in so many ways！ It was so easy to empathise with her that some scenes even hurt a tiny bit。I could rumble on and on and on about I。 FREAKING。 LOVED。 IT！！From the beginning， I fell in love with the plot， and don't even let me start with the main characters （all of them， actually。） They are amazing！ It was so good it had me hooked and feeling tons of emotions！！And you give me musical theatre。。。 I'M SO IN！Also， as a person who works with kids， I totally relate to Shelby。 I related sooo much to her in so many ways！ It was so easy to empathise with her that some scenes even hurt a tiny bit。I could rumble on and on and on about why I loved this book but maybe I'll be giving too many details and tbh， you need to read it！You like rom-coms？ Having a good laugh？ Friends to lovers？ This is your book！ 。。。more
Sierra
，
Reader’s Notes:– this is part of a series， but can be read as a stand-alone– this is told from Shelby’s point of view– a character deals with having lost a parent– a character was adopted/fostered when they were younger and didn’t know their biological familyReview:This story has joined my favorites for best friends to more！ It was so sweet and fun and made me cry 🥰。 I loved Shelby and Eric together and how real they were with one another （except for the whole I love you in that way aspect until Reader’s Notes:– this is part of a series， but can be read as a stand-alone– this is told from Shelby’s point of view– a character deals with having lost a parent– a character was adopted/fostered when they were younger and didn’t know their biological familyReview:This story has joined my favorites for best friends to more！ It was so sweet and fun and made me cry 🥰。 I loved Shelby and Eric together and how real they were with one another （except for the whole I love you in that way aspect until the time actually came 😂）。 I loved seeing both of them with Shelby’s family and how tight-knit they were。 I also liked seeing Eric jealous during practices。 Other favorite scenes of mine include: singing in the shower， the breakfast offer， the playground， and all of Hallmark Beach。Shelby is in love with her best friend Eric， but she doesn’t want to ruin their friendship and doesn’t think he feels the same。 When his apartment floods， Eric comes to stay with Shelby。 It’s just what friends do。 But it gives Shelby a view of what could be and now she wants it even more than she did before。 Throw on top practicing her part for a play with Eric and Shelby is a goner。 Especially when he agrees to practice kiss with her for her role。 Could he maybe feel the same way she feels about him？ 。。。more
Hannah
，
This book was a sweet， swoony， fun read friends to lovers romance。 I loved both the protagonists Shelby and Eric， coming together for comfort and support through their own struggles。 This book gave me all the feels of a friends to lovers story and I loved how the author incorporated intimate scenes without make it to uncomfortable。 Having the setting take place in a small beach town gives me all the summer vibes。If you love - a beach town setting - musical theater - fun banter - forced proximity This book was a sweet， swoony， fun read friends to lovers romance。 I loved both the protagonists Shelby and Eric， coming together for comfort and support through their own struggles。 This book gave me all the feels of a friends to lovers story and I loved how the author incorporated intimate scenes without make it to uncomfortable。 Having the setting take place in a small beach town gives me all the summer vibes。If you love - a beach town setting - musical theater - fun banter - forced proximity - found family This book will release on June 20th！ Make sure you check it out！ 3。5/5*A special thank you to the author for free review copy of this book from the author。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Mandy
，
I'm a big fan of friends-to-more romance and this book hit the spot for me。 It was just the kind of read I was needing and I really enjoyed it。 I was glad to see that Shelby and Eric both had valid/believable reasons for not telling each other how they felt。 The way the romantic tension built up to that first kiss was wonderful and what a first kiss it was。 I loved the Hallmark beach town and the forced proximity it provided。A cute， clean romance， I recommend this novel。 I have enjoyed this seri I'm a big fan of friends-to-more romance and this book hit the spot for me。 It was just the kind of read I was needing and I really enjoyed it。 I was glad to see that Shelby and Eric both had valid/believable reasons for not telling each other how they felt。 The way the romantic tension built up to that first kiss was wonderful and what a first kiss it was。 I loved the Hallmark beach town and the forced proximity it provided。A cute， clean romance， I recommend this novel。 I have enjoyed this series and cannot wait for the next one。 Each can be read as a standalone， though it’s fun to see the friend connections and cameos。I received a complimentary copy from the author。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 4。5 stars。 。。。more
Emilee
，
Shelby and Eric have great chemistry！ I enjoyed the school play rehearsals。 The tension for this book is a unique and somewhat heavy topic for a romcom but it worked！ Fun updates all the characters in the California Dreaming series！
Laura Miller
，
I can’t even begin to describe how much I enjoyed Belonging with her Best Friend by Kristin Canary！ It was fun。 It was sweet。 It had me smiling and swooning each time I turned the page！Eric and Shelby have been best friends since they were 9。 As adults they are both teachers and still the best of friends。 Only Shelby feels more for him。 Does Eric feel the same way？This book took me through so many emotions。 I felt the hurt of their pasts that they are still working through。 I felt the closeness I can’t even begin to describe how much I enjoyed Belonging with her Best Friend by Kristin Canary！ It was fun。 It was sweet。 It had me smiling and swooning each time I turned the page！Eric and Shelby have been best friends since they were 9。 As adults they are both teachers and still the best of friends。 Only Shelby feels more for him。 Does Eric feel the same way？This book took me through so many emotions。 I felt the hurt of their pasts that they are still working through。 I felt the closeness of their friendship and the magic that happened as they realized their true feelings for each other。 Their bond was incredible。 True magic！ I’m still swooning over their “pretend kiss” when Shelby needed to rehearse for her play and their trip to Hallmark Beach。 There was also some great secondary characters my favorite being Burt who they met in Hallmark Beach。I was interested in reading this because a theatre musical was part of the story。 We are big theatre fans in my house but this book quickly became so much more than that for me as I got so involved in Shelby and Eric’s journey of learning they truly belonged to each other。This is a light read but does deal with some heavier topics like losing a mother， being an orphan， having children but in a light way with a lot of heart。 Content is clean with just a little spice as the couple does make out and talks about being hungry for more than eggs but nothing ever goes further than that。This book is the 4th book in Kristin Canary’s California Dreaming series but the first book I have read by the author It can definitely stand on its own but I for one can’t wait to go back and read her others as this has been a favorite for me。I received this book for free from the author。 Thank you Kristin Canary！ All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Michele
，
Shelby is such a kind and caring individual and is always putting other’s before herself and that’s one of the reasons she tells herself she can never be with Eric。 Shelby is carrying around a big secret and it directly affects what she believes Eric wants for his future。 When Shelby inadvertently becomes the lead teacher in the school’s musical， Eric finally has the courage to take the steps to test the water and have that all important conversation with Shelby。 Finally！！ Shelby and Eric get to Shelby is such a kind and caring individual and is always putting other’s before herself and that’s one of the reasons she tells herself she can never be with Eric。 Shelby is carrying around a big secret and it directly affects what she believes Eric wants for his future。 When Shelby inadvertently becomes the lead teacher in the school’s musical， Eric finally has the courage to take the steps to test the water and have that all important conversation with Shelby。 Finally！！ Shelby and Eric get together！！ It’s a spoiler but it’s not a spoiler cause if you’ve read the first three books （if you haven’t you need too） you know that Shelby and Eric are madly in love with each other but are stuck in the friend zone and now we finally know why！ There’s one more story in the California Dreamin’ series by @kristincanaryauthor and it’s Alexis story and you just know it’s gonna be full of fire and sass。 Can’t wait！ Thank you @kristincanaryauthor for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback。 。。。more
Saadia
，
TW: loss of parent， griefBelonging With Her Best Friend is the fourth book in the California Dreamin' series but can be read as a stand-alone。 I haven't read the other books in the series; however， I absolutely loved this one that is narrated solely from the female MC’s POV， because it reminded me why friends to lovers is my most favorite romance trope - the pining， the emotional intimacy， the sexual tension makes it such a fun read！ I appreciated that both protagonists， Shelby and Eric， had the TW: loss of parent， griefBelonging With Her Best Friend is the fourth book in the California Dreamin' series but can be read as a stand-alone。 I haven't read the other books in the series; however， I absolutely loved this one that is narrated solely from the female MC’s POV， because it reminded me why friends to lovers is my most favorite romance trope - the pining， the emotional intimacy， the sexual tension makes it such a fun read！ I appreciated that both protagonists， Shelby and Eric， had their own baggage that they were dealing with but it was also what brought them together。 I haven't read romance books with musical theater references or the themes of foster care/ adoption and the need to connect with your biological family， so that made this novel unique for me。 The author also incorporated the forced proximity trope by seamlessly creating a temporary roommate situation， which added to the sexual tension。 My favorite part was the "practice kissing" scene - oh my heart melted 🫠 while reading that scene。 In addition to the San Diego setting， which made it a winner in my books， there was also an adorable fictional small beach town， which played an important role in the plot development。 I also loved the group of close female friends that Shelby had。 Another trope that I really enjoy is the found family trope， which was also incorporated well into the story。 I have come to realize that writing a closed door romance is a skill in itself because as an author， the goal is to try to create emotional intimacy and sexual tension in such a way that even romance readers， who typically read a steamy romance， are so captivated that they don't miss the lack of steam。 In my opinion， Kristin Canary successfully managed to pull that off。 I also appreciated how the story ended - it didn't have a full resolution to the main conflict but still ended on a satisfying note because life is not perfect， it is a work in progress。 To sum it up， I highly recommend this novel if you enjoy the following tropes:- musical theater setting - beach town setting - friends to lovers- forced proximity - found family - strong female friendships - single POV - closed door romance （though I feel even steamy romance readers may enjoy it）This book will release on June 20th in ebook and paperback formats and will also be available on Kindle Unlimited。 Note: I received a free review copy of this book from the author。 I was not required to leave a positive review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Maleena
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I loveee me a good BFF trope and this one didn’t disappoint。 I loved Shelby and Eric’s chemistry and the fact they were both teachers。 I enjoyed the fact that both Shelby and Eric both tackled their own demons and the growth they developed throughout the book。 It definitely had some heavier topics for a RomCom but it was done in a light and tasteful way。 This is the 4th book in the California Dreaming series （but works as a stand alone！） and it won’t be my last。 Thank you， Kristin for the ARC！
LESLIE J
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Belonging With Her Best Friend is the 4th book in the California Dreamin' series and it is a sweet edition to the set。 The story revolves around Shelby and Eric， who have been best friends since grade school。 While they are both secretly in love with each other， neither is willing to say the actual words and take the next step， as it might ruin their "found family" situation。Shelby and Eric's story tackles quite a few heavy subject matters。 Thankfully we are blessed with humor and the potential Belonging With Her Best Friend is the 4th book in the California Dreamin' series and it is a sweet edition to the set。 The story revolves around Shelby and Eric， who have been best friends since grade school。 While they are both secretly in love with each other， neither is willing to say the actual words and take the next step， as it might ruin their "found family" situation。Shelby and Eric's story tackles quite a few heavy subject matters。 Thankfully we are blessed with humor and the potential of kissing （and then actual swoon worthy kissing） to help us through their story。As any great HEA， there is one point when things aren't looking good for our couple， but thankfully they are mature enough to actually talk things over。 I loved how things just happened to fall into place during their weekend away。 It makes me want to pack my bags and head to San Diego with my best friend （Mr。 J） All in all， this is a great addition to your beach bag this summer。 And do yourself a favor， read the previous books in the series， though it's not necessary。This is my 2nd favorite story in the series - Sorry Kristin :） - but I did appreciate the shout outs to the other series。Thank you to Kristin Canary for my advance copy of Belonging With Her Best Friend。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Shaylin Maxwell
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This book was so much fun to read！ I loved ALL of the characters- there really wasn’t a “bad guy” in the book which I liked。 The two main characters were so sweet together- made me wish I was a part of their group。 This book was clean， but it had just enough romance/sizzle to make me happy。 Their first kiss was amazing！I’ve read a couple of books in this series， but not all of them and I had no problem enjoying it so it can be read as a stand-alone。 Although it was fun to see characters from pre This book was so much fun to read！ I loved ALL of the characters- there really wasn’t a “bad guy” in the book which I liked。 The two main characters were so sweet together- made me wish I was a part of their group。 This book was clean， but it had just enough romance/sizzle to make me happy。 Their first kiss was amazing！I’ve read a couple of books in this series， but not all of them and I had no problem enjoying it so it can be read as a stand-alone。 Although it was fun to see characters from previous books make an appearance。 I can’t wait for the next book in the series！ 。。。more
Taylor
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This is a part of the Dreamin’ California Series， but can be read as a stand alone along with the other books in the series。 I loved this sweet romance！ Each book focuses on a member from the circle of friends。 This book is all about Shelby and her best friend Eric。 I loved the best friends to lovers trope along with the confidence Shelby gains throughout the book。 I did wish we got to see Shelby’s big moment on stage at the end instead of pieces of it。 I felt the story was so built up to that m This is a part of the Dreamin’ California Series， but can be read as a stand alone along with the other books in the series。 I loved this sweet romance！ Each book focuses on a member from the circle of friends。 This book is all about Shelby and her best friend Eric。 I loved the best friends to lovers trope along with the confidence Shelby gains throughout the book。 I did wish we got to see Shelby’s big moment on stage at the end instead of pieces of it。 I felt the story was so built up to that moment along with Shelby and Eric’s relationship， but we only see the one big build up。 Overall though， I enjoyed this sweet， clean romance and honestly wish it was longer！ 。。。more
Laramee
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A sweet friends to lovers romance！ I really enjoyed the depth of the characters in this story as well as the arcs！ It made them realistic while also a sweet story！ I can't wait to see what comes next in this series！ I received an ARC from the author and all opinions are my own。 A sweet friends to lovers romance！ I really enjoyed the depth of the characters in this story as well as the arcs！ It made them realistic while also a sweet story！ I can't wait to see what comes next in this series！ I received an ARC from the author and all opinions are my own。 。。。more
Hafsa
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Do you have a childhood friend？ M/F？ If you have one， you will cherish this story。 Its all about a gazillion years old friendship， with a romantic twist- secret pinning for the other friend。 It is a sweet light romcom where friendship is above all other relationships。 Kinda cute and a good alternative if you don't want to watch a chickflick。 What i wish it had: Story from both POVs， which would have made the story more interesting。All in all， a good time pass。 This books hits the market soon Do you have a childhood friend？ M/F？ If you have one， you will cherish this story。 Its all about a gazillion years old friendship， with a romantic twist- secret pinning for the other friend。 It is a sweet light romcom where friendship is above all other relationships。 Kinda cute and a good alternative if you don't want to watch a chickflick。 What i wish it had: Story from both POVs， which would have made the story more interesting。All in all， a good time pass。 This books hits the market soon。 Thank you kristine for the ARC。 I hope to read more of your books soon， Good luck！ 。。。more
Amanda
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