Review: 5 out of 5 Stars
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 29, 2014
Valentina aka Tina Tomic is single and happy to be. That doesn't keep her from checking out the hot and brooding guy taking his cigarette breaks right in front of her boutique. In a failed attempt to anonymously make him smile, she finds out that the guy is none other than the owner of the nightclub in front of her business, and that he's even better looking close up.Nikolai aka Nik Leokov was never one for relationships and clingy girlfriends. One day he'll settle down and find the one, but now is definitely not the time. Or is it? Because something definitely draws him to the crazy goofball that is his little "business-neighbour". But Tina, in an attempt to not look pathetic and wide-eyed in front of sexy Nico, offers him friendship. Did he just get friend-zoned? And is it really what the two of them want?Friend-Zoned is written in a dual-POV which will make you instantly fall in love with both characters, which are absolutely charming. Tina is this laid back and loving person who has faith in everyone's good nature, doesn't like confrontation and would rather make peace and cupcakes than war. Niko comes across as an egoistical a... hole and manwh... to start with, but in fact he's just an alpha male who simply fell head over heels for Tina and cannot comprehend what's happening to him. Yet.The story revolves mainly around Tina and Nick's development (and how they make it out of the friend-zone) and around how some stories from their past come back to haunt them. The event which happen in the last part of the book are a bit dramatic and unexpected, but hey, it didn't spoil anything :)But other than that, I liked what we heard about the side characters: I definitely enjoyed the "Friends"-like atmosphere where a gang of 7 friends who hang out and stick together no matter what. And it will automatically make you want to know more about the rest of the crew: what exactly happened between Max and his ex? why is Ghost so moody all the time? what is Trick's story? Well, obviously, the Safira girls seem to all end up with one of the boys, but that's fine for me as long as their individual story remains as hilarious as Book #1Friend-Zoned felt a lot like R.L. Mathewson's Neighbour From Hell Series (especially the baking part) and it holds exactly the same humour. Hilarious and unexpectedly charming - that's how I can best describe Friend Zoned by Belle Aurora. It's definitely a huge dose of romantic chick-lit (with a bit of insta-love), and not necessarily the most truthful story, but truth is that it is a wonderful and swoonworthy read I highly recommend. And I will be checking out the sequels very soon