Between Friends & Lovers

A Novel

By: Shirlene Obuobi

Narrated by: JD Jackson, Mela Lee

""Between Friends & Lovers was an absolute joy to read, with messy, realistic, and deeply lovable characters... Obuobi’s perfect balance of humor and wisdom made this one a true standout.” — Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author

An influencer, an actor, and a writer navigate the messy ins and outs of friendship and romance in a world where social media demands perfection—or at least the appearance of it—in this swoon-worthy love story for readers of Kennedy Ryan and Carley Fortune.

To her thousands of Instagram followers, Josephine Boateng is the brilliant, dazzling self-love expert, Dr. Jojo. But off-camera, Jo’s grappling with the intense pressures of her career and her love life is nonexistent thanks to an unrequited crush on her best friend, rom-com heartthrob Ezra Adelman.

Then Ezra shows up to his thirtieth birthday party with her childhood bully on his arm—and Jo realizes it’s finally time to take her own advice. Enter Malcom Waters, the world’s newest literary darling. An introvert by nature, he would rather be home than trying to impress execs and celebs at a swanky Hollywood party. Until he bumps into Jo, and the two of them quickly realize their chemistry is too good to ignore.

But for all three, the line between private and public is as blurred as the one between friendship and love—especially when Ezra decides he might want something more with Jo. The question is, can any of them risk defining those lines to create something real?

©2024 Shirlene Obuobi (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK!

ughhh! This was such swoon worthy and wholesome love story. Beautifully written. This author has gained a new fan!

The introduction of this book is the purest description of what it feels like to be a black woman in “Today’s America”…

From the very beginning I really enjoyed this book. It gives a great adaptation of what is a constant in a black woman’s world. What she sees; what other people don’t; how we interpret all of it…expected to be there for everyone else when NObody is ever there for us. It’s exhausting to say the least…but it’s a daily struggle. No matter what the profession; you’re always the strong one; the person trying to prove themselves at home & in other settings (work; public…social media!).

Great read; awesome relatable story!

Amazing!!!

Just one of the best I’ve heard in a long time! Just so well written and well told. So realistic. Bravo!!

Cute story

I disliked the male narrator. He sounded forced and stilted. Female narrator was good. The backstory of the characters wasn’t too traumatic, as it can be for some stories.

Heartwarming

I am a sucker for love triangle and I was all getting ready for one though there really hasn’t been one however I did like like the plot until the last 20 minutes - it kinda dragged on. And the narration for mal and Joe were strangely breathy. But I enjoyed the book and romance. I did want a little more spicy stuff

Romances Aren’t My Usual Thing, But This Was A Good Intro

I haven’t read many romance novels but I loved Dr. Obuobi’s first novel, On Rotation, so I knew I had to check this one out. I was drawn in almost immediately to Jo and Mal, and I found myself rooting for them immediately. As the love triangle took shape, though, the growth of each character created such depth.

Her character development extends to side characters, too. Everyone felt real and full. Obuobi, like one of my other favorite fiction authors who is also a physician, Abraham Varghese, knows how to use medicine to move the story forward while remaining accessible to any reader.

The audiobook was so compelling. I HAD to keep listening! Mela Lee embodies Jo perfectly, and JD Jackson illustrates Mal’s perspective and you feel like you can see the action.

If you’re looking for a great read or if you’re someone like me looking to get into their first romance novel, look no further. Between Friends & Lovers is highly recommended!

A quality read is what I most enjoyed!

The book was very well written!!! The writing talent equivalent of the two seasoned authors referenced in this book, Dickey and Butler. I swooned over the detailed descriptions of the characters especially Malcolm, I’m a fan!!! Ms Obuabi, please keep writing and sharing your gift with the rest of us!!!

GOOD!

I loved the character growth of each character and topic selection of depression, anxiety and abandonment
Mal was the perfect book boyfriend (10/10)
Not much of love triangle story, I didn’t like the fact she was in love with Ezra and he gave her absolutely nothing during the book.
Like the reconciliation between Jo and her mom.

Job well done, a beautifully written story

BRAVA!

Shirlene Obuobi is an excellent writer, and a phenomenal storyteller! This is the second book if hers that I’ve read, and I like it even more than the first one! Look forward to more in the future!

Loved these characters!

The writing, the plot, the characters and narrators were all sublime! This is my type of romance!