NOT HERE TO STAY FRIENDS

Sloane McKinney finds herself unexpectedly filming a teen reality dating show, vying for the affection of a popular actor while questioning her changing feelings for her best friend, Liam Daniels.

It’s the summer before her senior year, and Sloane is leaving Knoxville, Tennessee, to spend the break with Liam and his TV producer father at their home in Los Angeles. Eager to fill an empty slot on his newest reality dating project, Liam’s father bribes Sloane with assistance getting into a screenwriting program if she participates—and makes it into the top four out of the 25 contestants. She agrees but finds herself confused about her feelings for Liam, who is on set as a production assistant, when she should be vying for the attention of handsome actor Aspen Woods, the star of Aspen Woods’s Future Leading Lady or AWFLL, as Liam likes to think of it. Each chapter alternates between Sloane’s and Liam’s first-person perspectives. The attraction between the two simmers in just the right way, and the scenes showing their genuine connection and interest in each other are highlights of the book. Some events are a bit hard to believe, but readers won’t get too hung up on these plot points. The star of this story is Sloane and Liam’s deep friendship and budding romance. Central characters are presumed White.

An absorbing, well-drawn read about a meaningful friendship and growing passion.