Somebody to Lean On by Jess Mastorakos was a story I didn’t even know I needed. I absolutely adored this Rom-Com journey! From page one to page done, I was hooked, and I hated having to put this book down. I’m not a big fan of the best friends-to-lovers trope. I find it annoying and highly unbelievable that supposed best friends can talk about anything and everything under the sun…except how they feel for one another. I also can’t get on board with the argument many characters in these types of stories make: we can’t be more than best friends because if we break up, I don’t want to lose my best friend. What a strange argument. Strange because it means the characters who feel this way assume their romantic relationship with their best friend is doomed to fail before it even begins. Who wants to read that kind of romance? Somebody to Lean On is a best friends-to-lovers story, BUT Jackson and Bailey talk A LOT and neither one of them feels a romantic relationship would be doomed before it even began. No, their issues are a lot more realistic and heartbreaking, and they added a lovely depth to this excellently written Rom-Com. I was cheering for Jackson and Bailey the whole time. I found both characters to be highly relatable and realistic, and they endeared themselves to me early in the story. If I could have hugged them, I would have! The chemistry between Jackson and Bailey is palpable from page one, and the romantic tension is perfectly crafted. The tension is what had me turning pages well past midnight. I just had to know what was going to happen with these characters. So, so good!

I am really, really loving the Love in Charlotte Oaks series. It is Rom-Com at its finest. This is one of those series where every book is a favorite. Somebody to Lean On is as superb as No Place Like Home, and I cannot recommend both books enough. If you love really good, highly engaging, well-written Rom-Coms with heart and depth, then you definitely need to get your hands on a copy of these books asap!