“Oh my god. Who is that?”
I get asked this question a lot.
“Oh him?” I reply. “That’s just Ian.”
Just Ian is the biggest understatement of the century. Just the Mona Lisa. Just the Taj Mahal. Just Ian, with his boring ol’ washboard abs and dime-a-dozen dimpled smile.
Just Ian is…just my best friend.
We’re extremely close, stuck so deep inside a Jim-and-Pam-style friendzone everyone at work assumes we’re a couple—that is until one day, word spreads through the teacher’s lounge that he’s single. Fair game. Suddenly, it’s open season on Ian.
He should be reveling in all the newfound attention, but to our mutual surprise, the only attention he seems to want is mine.
He’s turning our formerly innocent nightly chats into X-rated phone calls. Our playful banter sports a new, dangerous edge.
I want to assume he’s playing a prank on me, just pushing my buttons like always—but when Ian lifts me onto the desk in my classroom and slides his hands up my skirt, he doesn’t leave a lot of room for confusion.
I’m a little scared of things going south, of losing my best friend because I can’t keep my hands to myself. So, I’m just going to back away and not return this earth-shattering kiss—oh who am I kidding?!
Goodbye Ian, ol’ buddy, ol’ pal!
Helloooo mister not so nice guy.
I knew I could always count on R.S. Grey to brighten my day with her fun stories! NOT SO NICE GUY had me laughing, blushing and swooning the whole way through just like I expected. I’m usually not an easy judge when it comes to friends-to-lovers romances but this one, man, this one is pretty much everything I love in a nutshell.
You know how in most friends-to-lovers stories the couple involved is always hesitant to take the step because they’re afraid of losing the friendship? Ian, our not so nice guy, is having NONE of that. He always liked Sam, his best friend, and he is more than ready to take the step. Sam has feelings for Ian too but she is a bit—just a tiny bit—afraid of losing his friendship if things go south. Luckily, Ian will do anything to convince her they are perfect for each other. Which means you get a refreshing and not-that-slow romance story where the main characters will not drive you crazy and is full of hilarity, banter and steamy moments.
The only reason I’m not giving this one a five out of five rating is because it wasn’t very exciting. Sure, it was never boring and it had plenty of fun and romantic moments but I was waiting for crap to hit the fan at one point or for something to happen and I got… nothing. It was just a drama-free romance without ups and downs and I missed a bit more complexity or seriousness.
As always, I’m blown away by R.S. Grey’s talent to turn a very cliché trope into something refreshing and beyond hilarious. She is definitely a go-to when I need a story that can cheer me up as soon as I start reading it. If you have a couple of hours to spare and you need a quick pick-me-up then I suggest you give this book a try. It’ll have you grinning from ear to ear.
R.S. Grey is the USA Today bestselling author of thirteen novels, including THE FOXE & THE HOUND. She lives in Texas with her husband and two dogs, and can be found reading, binge-watching reality TV, or practicing yoga!
