Book Review: Just Friends by Haley Pham

“What is love if not the desire to be there during someone’s lowest moments?”

Haley Pham, Just Friends

Review:

As there has been a lot of talk about this book, I went into the story already knowing the beginning, middle, and end. I’m a casual fan of Haley Pham’s, so I don’t feel like I have a particularly strong bias one way or the other. Even before the reviews started dropping, I didn’t expect to love this book as my reading tastes don’t align with Haley’s most of the time, but I did want to support her, especially knowing that this book wouldn’t have any spice.

Blair returns home to the small town of Seabrook to help care for her Great-Aunt Lottie. Being home is difficult, not only having to come to terms with her second mother’s rapid decline, but also the memories of her ex-best friend/ex-boyfriend, Declan. 

Upon Aunt Lottie’s insistence, Blair tries to continue with her own life as best as possible, seeking work at a local coffee shop until she leaves for NYC to start the new career she’s put on hold. She quickly comes to realize that the coffee shop is managed by Declan. Not wanting to let the past influence her future, she goes through with the job interview, trying to ignore the fact that she likes the idea of seeing him every day.

I don’t think this is necessarily a bad book, but it desperately needed more editing and it absolutely wasn’t ready to be published. There are plot holes, many repetitions, a lack of character building, and of course, the infamous lines using words that don’t quite fit in the context in which they were used. I found Blair to be insufferably selfish. While I can sympathize with the feelings of grief she experiences, the way she treated other people was frustrating, especially the way she internalized their interactions with her. Editing could have helped her maintain some of these traits without being an overall unlikable narrator. 

Her relationship with Declan was fine, though not memorable and not without its issues. Declan is so distant throughout most of the book that there is no opportunity for chemistry. Even though the characters are in their 20s during the present timeline, they still feel juvenile and like they’re in high school. The flashbacks likely add to this feeling. I’m also sick to death of miscommunication in romance books. It wasn’t even the main miscommunication that was so frustrating, but the third-act conflict. 

The strongest part of this novel was Aunt Lottie. The moments I thoroughly enjoyed revolved around her and Blair’s relationship (and Blair’s mother, too). I found their family dynamic and the emotions/situations around it to be well done, and I wish there had been more of it (or at least fleshed out) as this is what added true depth to the story. 

I would love to see this book get a second edition at some point where the glaring issues are addressed and polished. I see potential. I also think this book would be better marketed to teens where so much of Blair and Declan’s relationship is shown through the high school flashbacks. As an adult past this stage of life, I was bored. But I would absolutely give this to younger family members even in its current state. And even though I didn’t love the book, I truly appreciate a mainstream romance book that doesn’t have any spice. Frankly, comparing this to other clean romances I’ve read, this was one of the better ones.

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• Aunt Lottie’s storyline was handled well.
• No spice.

What I didn’t like:

• Needed editing.
• Lack of chemistry between the characters.
• A few unnecessary scenes that felt like filler.

Afterthoughts:

I feel bad for all of the backlash Haley Pham has been getting because I feel like the publisher did her a disservice by letting the book be published in this state. It could be a good book, but it feels rushed and unpolished.

Where to buy the book: