Review: Fantastic book! You can't help but fall head over heels!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 13, 2013
This is a wonderful love story about learning to trust again, being anxious about putting your heart on the line again, and learning to love again, but most of all this story is about second chances.  When the world has stripped you of everything you love and hold dear, so much so that running is the only option you have, the only way to save your sanity. Can you reach out and grab at a second chance? Is the possible pain that will drive you to insanity worth it?It's been two years since Tina moved to New York, and things are finally starting to look up. Tina owns and manages her boutique Safira, and she gets to work with her two friends Mimi and Lola ordering and selling clothes. And next week her most BFF in the whole world is moving from Cali and going to move in w/ Tina! Yep, things are definitely lookin' up! Tina is the type of main character that you cheer for through the entire book, you curse the bastards that cross her, Swoon with her at the men she swoons at, and you cry with her while she cries or feels heart broken. I love Tina! She is a selfless, kind hearted, and strong character. She is always positive and always sees the good in people. However, Tina has been dealt the worse hand a young mother and daughter can be dealt. She lost her mom and daughter in a terrible accident a few years ago. And while she is finally able to smile, she will never be able to give her heart away again. She is pretty sure she lost it the day her daughter Mia died, so she doesn't even own it to give it away.The man she spies in front of her boutique three times a day for his smoke break is someone she has been watching on the sly, besides the fact that he is fine as hell, he makes her sad. His face is always so serious, and she has never seen him smile, not once, and it bugs her. What has made a guy that is attractive as he is, never smile? After a few weeks of asking her self this she looks up and there he is, scowl still on his face, That's it! She makes a quick (and not well thought out) decision. A small gift, and a little note, he'll never know who its from, and really, if a wax candy smile doesn't get a smile out of him, what will?Nikolai has been running his business, a night club called "The White Rabbit" for years. All he needs is his brother and his boys, they have had his back since childhood. He also doesn't mind a weekly tangle between the sheets, of course. But the girls all know, no kissing, no relationship, no drama, he don't need no $h!t. In and out ladies, that's how it's always been and how it will always be. After his smoke break one day some little teenage guy shows up with a gift from an anonymous person. Who the hell sends someone wax candy lips? He reads the card, flips it over. Huh, the note is on the back of a business card from the boutique across the street. This is interesting. His brother Max comes back after following Nik's orders and drags, literally, drags this little slip of a woman into his office. She is completely flustered and utterly embarrassed, and she should be, she sent a grown ass man and not so anonymously, wax candy lips! Who does that? As soon as she speaks, he sees it: "Oh great, she is the goofiest thing I have ever seen, and she's a good girl, Oh hell NO! Is she trying to make a pass at me? With candy lips? Is she serious?" She is stuttering and has broke out in hives. Nuh huh, No way, this girl is too sweet, and Nik doesn't do sweet. Period.Ohhhh, now Tina understands: "Oh my God he thinks I'm hitting on him. Oh no sexy, you may be hot as the sun, but I'm not lookin for love." She has to set this guy straight and quick, she is not in the market for anything but a friend, so she asks "Lets grab lunch sometime, be friends? Everyone needs a friend."Nik cannot believe this chick! Did she just friend zone him? Oh hell no, he doesn't need anymore friends, and he damn sure doesn't need any "girl" friends. Time to cut this girl off, now. Ok so why is his mouth saying yes? And why does she keep coming around? He has been friend zoned, so why is this quirky, sweet, sexy little thing starting to get under his skin? Why can't he stop himself from being pulled in?Nikolai, well, he is gorgeous, yummy, umm, hmm, hawt! 6 foot 3, and when we first meet him Tina catches sight of tattoo ink snaking from under his Armani shirt collar up the back of his neck. Ummm, Nik honey, you had me at 6'3, tall, dark, and moody. But I was sold, I mean I SCREAMED SOLD! At black tribal ink snaking up the back of your neck you sexy bad boy ;  ) Ladies I mean Whoa! Nik is fierce, he is suave, he is effin' sexy as hell! And when the sexual tension between Nik and Tina turn from mild to hot, they pretty much skip over hot and fly into MOTHER EFFIN' Sheesus, SERIOUSLY HAWT DAMN HOT! Nik I love you, swoon........This is an awesome book about two groups of friends that come together because of the paths taken in life by Nik and Tina. Every character in this book is an individually strong character and their personalities leap off the pages. I am so excited to read the rest of the groups stories! Belle Aurora does a fantastic job with this book by setting the stage for more books to come, and make the reader anticipate the books to come. I, as a reader, felt like I was apart of this group of friends, like I was in their circle. Me and Nat, we're tight, Mimi, love her, ohh and Trick, I so love Trick, however Max. I fell hard for Max, very early into this book. I loved all of these characters. They are funny, loyal, and they each stand out and you remember them.In Friend Zoned, Tina and Nik come together in an unsuspected way. There are so many life decisions and paths changed that lead these two together, and because of this you can't help but want them to find their happy ever after. But Nik is set in his ways, and he wants, but knows he isn't ready for "the one" yet. And Tina has already had a lost her "one". Can they let go and just follow their heart? Is there such thing as second chances and happy ever after? And how do you give a broken heart to someone who deserves so much more?Friend Zoned by Belle Aurora has 5+ golden Kimmi stars!!!!!I loved it from the beginning to the end, I fell into this book, soaked it all up, and Belle Aurora very easily makes the reader believe they are one of the characters. This book was just WAY to easy to fall in love with!