Cover Image: The Friend Zone

The Friend Zone

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Member Reviews

The cover is definitely what drew me in first, and that promise of forbidden love sealed it. This is Logan's last and only chance, and if that means following coach's strict rules so be it. Unfortunately not breaking one of those rules becomes extremely hard when he meets Jess aka the coach's daughter.

They try to be just friends, Jess tutoring him math, and Logan even helps her get attention from another guy. Still the attraction is undeniable. It's a slow build up of constant flirting, sexual tension, that will drive you insane (in a good way).

While the attraction was pretty instant, it was nice to see them first be friends, and really get to know each other. This gives the story a more believable feel. To be fair there were no unexpected surprises, making this very much a comfort read. If friends to lovers trope is what you like, and a forbidden one at that, then The Friend Zone is right up your ally.

*I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

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Title: The Friend Zone
Series: n/a
Stand Alone Title:
Author: Sariah Wilson
Genre: Romance, New Adult
Blurb: From the bestselling author of the #Lovestruck novels comes a rousing romance about following your dreams, second chances, and playing the game of love.
Disgraced college quarterback Logan Hunt was on his way to NFL stardom when he messed up big-time. Now the Texas star player with a bad temper has a new option: Seattle’s EOL College—as in End of the Line, to his fellow misfit recruits. It’s Logan’s last chance. If he can follow the rules. No parties, no fighting, no swearing, and oh, no dating the coach’s daughter, Jess. Simple. Yeah, right. For Logan, there has never been a rule he’s more tempted to break.
The deal is “just friends.” The pretty, confident, and fiercely smart math whiz is fine with pizza, tutoring, and keeping Logan in line. But the closer Jess gets, the more receptive she is to his warm heart and spirit—not to mention his irresistible off-field passes. With defenses down, they’re both heading into the danger zone.
It’s more than thrilling. It’s love. It’s also a game changer that could sideline Logan’s NFL goals—and more important, a future with Jess. But dreams are worth fighting for, right?
Favorite quote(s): “When I’m dating a girl and I tell her she’s adorable, I’m not comparing her to a baby dog and/or a slow-moving animal. It means I want to adore her, worship her, in every way imaginable.”
“I told you so many times that there was no girl worth giving up my future for. No one who could make me walk away from football. I was wrong. There is someone. You.”
Thoughts: I just discovered Sariah Wilson this year, and I happen to love her books. They are like a breath of fresh area in the romance genre. This one wasn’t one of my favorites, however, part that lies in the fact that New Adult just isn’t one of my favorite genres. Typically I only get so far into it before the college kids who act more like immature thirteen year olds finally has me tossing it aside. I actually enjoyed this one though, just not quite as much as her other books. This surprised me since the book focuses heavily on the college life and our couple who falls in love in the midst of it. Logan is looking for redemption and this is his last shot to make football his career. No more second chances. Of course, that means we have the off-limit girl that just happens to be in the right place at the wrong time. What follows is a lot of difficult choices – or just the simplest ones, depending on your outlook. And sometimes you just need to shift your priorities.
This is a sweet romance that tugs at the heartstrings, and not one you want to miss.
Rating: B

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Sariah Wilson is one of my favorite authors. And while this one wasn’t a favorite of mine of her books, I still enjoyed it. I liked the characters (even side ones like Bash and Keilani) and the college setting was fun! The tension build was good, but I wish there had been more flirting/texts/etc when they were in the “friend zone” only period. And their inner dialogue seemed more than normal and it started to feel a bit redundant.

Sariah Wilson remains one of my favorite auto-buy authors and this was still way better than most clean romances out there! And I’m soooo hoping Keilani and Ford get a story!

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Loved Logan and Jess! One of my favorite reads this year. Perfect beach read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

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Could not wait to get my hands on this book. Sports romance, yes please sign me up! I could not get enough of Logan and Jess’s story. They have a friendship and rules to help keep them there. From their witty banter to their relationship you can’t help but hope they end up together. This was a fun fast paced read that I couldn’t put down. I loved every minute of this story.

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The Friend Zone is a cute college romance between two unlikely (but adorable) people who become best friends out of necessity and who fall irrevocably in love despite their insecurities, doubts and outside forces doing their best to keep them apart.

I wasn’t surprised by some of the cliché plot devices used (I did mention it was a college romance right?) but I still really enjoyed reading this one. It was sweet how Jess and Logan got to know each other, learned to trust each other and eventually, learned to trust themselves again too. Both have had some hard knocks in life but I liked that they both weren’t so jaded that they were still able to explore an innocent friendship without having to lash out or act cruel towards each other. Their relationship progressed throughout the story and although it has a bit of angst and drama thrown in, it wasn’t over the top or exaggerated.

This story took some twist and turns I wasn’t expecting and I loved that the author had characters that were honorable and had integrity. It was refreshing to see and made me love the characters all the more for it. I loved the friends to lovers trope here and this slow burn read simmered enticingly from beginning to end. Would highly recommend!

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I have to say that I absolutely loved Logan Hunt's character. He was a very complex character who was not at all what he seemed at first glance. As the author delved further into his character and his background, I couldn't help but think he was awesome.

I love books that leave me feeling inspired and wanting to do and be better. Logan's story left me feeling that way. I'm not going to give away anything about his story, just let you know I really liked him. Now, was he a perfect character? Nope, but he was trying and working hard and I really admired that.

Another character I admired...coach. Yep he was great. When I said coach just barely, it made me think of the old tv show, Coach. Lol! Haven't thought of Coach in forever. The coach in this story wanted his players to succeed. He set some hard rules for some players but helped them see he was trying to help them succeed, not only in football, but in all aspects of their lives. I really liked his rules and not bending on them even though he might want to for the players.

I also really liked another character in this book...Danielle. Hahaha! Ok, not really Danielle but I couldn't help mentioning her. Although, I had guessed her reasons behind the attitude she gave to Jess. And by the end of the book, I kinda liked her. I liked the comedic moments she and Jess brought throughout the book.

Absolutely loved Ben. Ha! Ok, that was totally tongue in cheek. Well, I loved Ben for the laughs he gave me...mainly the laughs he gave me through Logan. Bwahahahahahaha! I'm giggling thinking about it. Logan, you're funny and very punny! (Hey look I'm a poet!) Hee Hee! Ok, there's totally a double meaning behind me saying I'm a poet, and I only meant the first one when I wrote it, because you know, I rhymed funny and punny! But after I wrote, I'm a poet, I was totally giggling even louder because of something in the book. Those of you who have read it, you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Those of you who haven't read it yet, you will know...you will! *giggling continues*

I loved Jess too! I can't forget her character. Oh, I don't really know what to say about her. Not in a bad way, don't know. In the way that I don't want to spoil anything by talking about her. She's a complicated character like Logan. I loved their friendship and relationship. It was very complicated. But I loved watching them trying to keep in line with her dad's (yes her dad is the coach) rules. Yet, the more time they were together, they harder that was.

I really enjoyed this one, the characters and friendships and relationships were well written. One I think fans of Sariah Wilson will really enjoy.

Content: This book deals with an attempted date rape and the emotions from the attempted rape. It also has topics of death of parents, jail, and abuse. There is talk about alcohol and some very mild references to drugs. Some more passionate kissing. Some innuendos and references to the characters having past sexual relations but there is no sex in the book.

I received a copy from the publisher, Montlake Romance, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

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This is a new to me author, but I knew I would have to read this after viewing the blurb. I love me some forbidden friends to lovers tropes and this one was absolutely adorable. I couldn't put this book down. I will definitely be looking for some more stories from this author. This book made me swoon and tugged at my heartstrings. I absolutely loved it.

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So, this started out really good, it was a little bit different take on how a coach might act and the rules he might give, but that was pretty good and grabbed me right from the start. I like that Jess was quick to learn how much Ben really wasn't the right guy, but that she didn't want to ruin Logan's chances at getting where he needed and wanted to be with his life. Especially after she learned about his past and what he was really up against. I totally loved Logan's funny way of making fun of Ben. So many of those little quips had me laughing out loud. And the friendship between Logan and Jess was just perfect, I would love to find a guy to be friends with first, and then see where it went if there was the attraction the two of them had. The mean girl in the story had her own background story that helped to not hate her, mostly, although she still had issues. But you could see where they came from. I also liked the idea of the girls at the party that were there to watch for other girls and make sure they were safe or got help if needed right away. It's such a great idea I hope all colleges come up with something similar. I think this is going to be part of a series, in which case I'm rooting for Logan's roommate, Bash, to get the next book!

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"Trust me when I say we will never, ever date. Ever."

I can always count on Sariah Wilson to deliver a swoony romance with humor and this one didn't disappoint. This is Logan's last chance to play football and his new coach has sooo many rules. Break one? You're out! No second chances. Jess, the coach's daughter is so tempted and as his math tutor, they both agree to stay friends--just friends.

Jess hasn't ever been as tempted by a man as she is by Logan, but friends it is. She will not be the reason he's kicked out of school and the football program. But try as they might, the sparks ignite and threaten to rage like an out-of-control forest fire.

I don't think I've ever felt such an underlying passion, much like an impending volcanic eruption, with a "just friends" story. The chemistry is sizzling and had me yearning for that first kiss to happen already. But what I loved the most is that Logan and Jess build a strong and unbreakable friendship, as they strive to keep the rules. I loved the way they put each other first and tried to help each other accomplish their goals, and I especially loved the swoon. This one is definitely another winner!

And just for the record, these characters are the best and I'm hoping that Bash gets a story (hint, hint).

Content: mild+ romance (some innuendo, implied/attempted rape, kissing)

*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given without compensation.*

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The Friend Zone was incredibly sweet, Logan and Jess are great characters. A classic will they wont they love story, I would like to find out more about the other characters, they didn't seem to have too much detail or surrounding storylines.

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Although I usually do not enjoy new adult romance, I was able to thoroughly enjoy this book. Themes like redemption, honesty, and family dynamics are important components of the book and I think those are what made the book for me, versus the story between the protagonist. I mean, who doesn't love a comeback kid, A fantastic read by M.s Wilson!

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I never thought that Sariah Wilson would beat my favorite book she's ever written (#StarStruck) but this is so tied with it. I had to do a reread. If you love love love her this book won't disappoint one bit.

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I honestly didn't expect to like this book that much. It was very cliched by the sounds of it and most the time they aren't very well written. But this one really did surprise me. Not only was the writing well done, the characters were great. Logan has such strict rules, we know from the get go he is most likely going to break. Otherwise there would be no story, right? Though they do have non dates, which aren't technically breaking his rules, but you still get the vibe.

The only slightly negative thing I can say about this, is it was a bit predictable. That is most likely just me, I don't get surprise endings very often, so it probably isn't even a negative. Most the reviews I have seen haven't mentioned it. I really do hope we get to see more of the side characters in a later story. I always love the side character stories.

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This was a great read! I liked both main characters and read it almost straight through. Really enjoyed!

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I tried... I truly did but DNF at 52%

The first time I read it, I found myself skipping pages cause the storyline and the characters just didn't grab my attention. So I DNF-ed it at 34%.
After a few days, I thought perhaps I was being too harsh and perhaps I was had too much unrealistic expectations ...maybe?💁🏻‍♀️ Anyway, I decided to give it another go...yea... Shouldn't have bothered.
Apologies but I really did try. I hate DNF-ing a book but I just couldn't continue.

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There is a reason that Sariah Wilson is one of my favorite authors. Her writing is the best! She always has the perfect mix of romance and comedy. Sariah's latest book is yet another example of her awesome skills.

Because of certain team rules, football player Logan and the coach's daughter Jessica do their best to keep their relationship plutonic. The sexual tension between the two, however, can only be restrained for so long. This slow-burn romance makes you impatiently wait for that ticking time bomb to finally go off.

Humor is in this book in abundance. I found myself laughing and snickering frequently at the characters' internal and external dialogues. Sariah is the queen of snark. There are plenty of warm-fuzzy and emotional moments too that keep the book from being too silly.

A couple of side plots have me looking forward to the next book in the series. Will Bash find a girl? Will Keilani and Ford stop fighting long enough to admit their attraction to one another? Hopefully we'll find out soon!

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Having enjoyed past stories by this author I looked forward to reading this one. Even though it's NA and not even remotely as steamy as what I typically read, I really did enjoy this story. The connection between Logan and Jess was immediate and they both tried extremely hard not to break the "rules".

There were also a lot of witty, laugh out loud moments as Logan helps Jess win who she thinks is the man of her dreams. It was enjoyable watching Logan grow as a man throughout the story and put his past behind him. Great secondary characters such as Bash rounded this story out. Very enjoyable story!

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The Friend Zone is an adorable college romance featuring one reformed player who is at his last chance college and one football coach's daughter that has turned her life upside down after a trauma. I adored Logan and Jess! First, Jess is a math nerd. I love depictions of women in Science and Math. Logan is incredibly sweet. He isn't a jerk football player who is an ego manic.

This is a friends to lovers story too! Logan isn't allowed to date anyone and certainly not the coach's daughter, Jess. But he decides to be her friend and help her gain the attention of a guy she is crushing on. Logan has some hilarious nick names for Ben (the crush) and I was laughing out loud multiple times. Both Logan and Jess are attracted to each other, but they know that absolutely nothing can happen. Logan can't lose his (literal) last chance and Jess wouldn't put him in that position. The string of "non dates" that occur between Logan and Jess allow them to really learn about one another and build a great friendship. Logan is so funny with his quippy nicknames and funny one liners. Bash, his roommate is hilarious as well with his creative ways to swear without swearing (since cussing is against the team rules).

The Friend Zone had me laughing and swooning in equal measure and I fell in love with the characters! This isn't a typically college sports romance with a jerk jock and a nerd girl. Its not a fake romance trope. Wilson didn't go for any of the "obvious" tropes in The Friend Zone and the story is all the better for it. This was my first Sariah Wilson book but it will NOT be my last!

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Romace, clean; can't wait to read the other books in this series!! OH MY GOODNESS
Logan and Jess's story is told from alternating points of view. It was so fun to see both sides of the romance through their own eyes. There story is such a great read. S.W. has sass, snark, tender moments, honest hurts and hungers, the wanting and warring hearts down so well. It is just so easy to get swirled into her novels, and this is no exception.
Logan's desire to get away from his past, to be a different person than he was, and beat the history and place he came from that was full of neglect and hunger, to take this second chance and be a player with integrity and honor, keeping the commitments he made initially just to keep his nose clean and stay on the team, but later as a matter of character. His heart-wrenching story, his fight to stay on the right side of his promise, and then choosing his heart home as his priority in his life, it was just a wonderful, magical read (sorry... seeing the unicorns and stars and romantic music and flowers just writing about this one). I always say, I loved the most recent book I have read by S.W. best, but she always creates a masterful story that pulls at your heartstrings and makes you want more. She is the master of the Cinderella Story of many varieties of retelling and this is another good one.
Loved the few cameos from her previous novel of Evan Awesome Dawson (#Awestruck), and his role in this one. I knew when I read the blurb about the situation that this was the coach that was mentioned in that novel. I am a fan! Always a pleasure to be gifted a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley to read for her. My opinions are my own, but I do have some bias. Her works are the best fix!

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