Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend, an all-new quirky and witty laugh out loud romance from New York Times bestselling author Penny Reid, is now live!
Winnifred Gobaldi and Byron Visser are not best friends.
Yes, they’ve known each other for years, but they’re not even friendly. Winnie considers them more like casual, distant acquaintances who find each other barely tolerable, especially when he's being condescending (which is all the time).
The truth is, they have nothing in common. She’s a public school science teacher with stars in her eyes, and he’s a pretentious, joyless double PhD turned world-famous bestselling fiction author. She loves sharing her passion for promulgating women in STEM careers and building community via social media, and he eschews all socialization, virtual or otherwise. She’s looking for a side hustle to help pay down a mountain of student debt, and his financial portfolio is the stuff of fiduciary wet dreams. So why are they faking a #bestfriend relationship for millions of online spectators?
When a simple case of tit-for-tat trends between nonfriends leads to a wholly unexpected kind of pretend, nothing is simple. Sometimes, it takes a public audience to reveal the truth of private feelings, and rarely—very rarely—you should believe what you see online.
Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend is a full-length, complete standalone, adult contemporary romantic comedy.
To celebrate the release of Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend, Penny has an incredible GIVEAWAY!
Enter now for a chance to win a bundle of incredible signed books >>> https://bit.ly/3kcOUqP
Excerpt
“This is the video from yesterday.” My stomach did a weird thing at the sight of him, and the sight of me crawling on all fours toward him, and what came after. I blinked away from the replay, before the part where I’d forgotten we were being filmed. “Why would I be mad at you about this? I knew you were filming.”
“Look harder.”
My forehead wrinkled, giving my attention back to her phone. I didn’t know what she wanted me to see, but now the video was repeating and—
“OH MY GOD!” I grabbed the phone. “This—this is—”
“Shh! Yes.” Now Amelia looked around, presumably to make certain none of the Seattleites surrounding us felt a disturbance in the politeness force. “Yes. I recorded it live. I’m so, so, so sorry.”
I leaned forward. “So that means it’s been—”
“Posted since last night. That’s right.” She covered her face again, groaning. “I’m so sorry.”
My eyes caught on the number of views, and I stood from the table, my chair scraping noisily on the linoleum. “ONE MILLION VIEWS?”
“Sorry!” she whispered loudly to someone at a nearby table. “We’ll just—we’re leaving.” Amelia grabbed my laptop and notebook and tilted her head toward the exit. “Time to go, and it was one point three the last time I checked. Now get your bag.”
Numbly, I lowered her phone and grabbed for my backpack and coat, fumbling with the strap. My fingers didn’t seem to work. She walked around the table and placed a hand on my back, helping to usher me out of the quiet area and waiting until we were standing in the hall to say, “I’m so sorry. It was an accident.”
“I can’t . . .” I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t think, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t speak. One point three million views. What must Byron think? “Oh crap,” I whispered, my gaze swinging around the interior of the library, unable to settle. “What about Byron? Does he know? How is he going to feel about this?”
“I don’t know if he knows. I’ve been trying to call him all morning. He won’t pick up his phone, and I’m frankly a little scared to leave a voice mail. Since he’s not on social media, he might not know.” Stuffing my laptop and notebook into my backpack, Amelia put the strap on my shoulder and took her cell phone from where I still gripped it.
I immediately covered my face like I could hide from this. My cheeks were hot. As much time as I’d spent this morning coming to terms with Jeff’s decisions last night, I’d spent ZERO seconds thinking about my ridiculous reaction to Byron’s performance. I wouldn’t allow myself to think about it. What was the point? He’d been pretending, acting, playing a part, and—as per usual—I’d left the interaction feeling like a fool.
“We have to delete it,” I rasped, my mouth dry, my brain on fire. “Before he sees it and finds out, we have to delete it.”
“No! No. Don’t do that.” She pressed the phone to her chest.
“What? Why not?”
“Think for a second.” She pushed me toward the elevator. “If you delete it, it might become a whole thing. He’s a famous guy who millions of people are starving to know more about. He has no social media and suddenly he’s on TikTok with you? And this isn’t like your lab video from Friday, this is you two together, acting like you’re close friends crushing on each other. We need to call him—together—and tell him. But first we need him to answer his damn phone.” Amelia nodded at her own assertion while stabbing the elevator call button with her index finger.
“Call him? You want to call him together?” Oh God. I didn’t want to call him. I never wanted to talk to him again. “You don’t think he’ll want us to take it down ASAP? Like you said, millions of people want to know about him. Don’t you think he’ll view this as an invasion of privacy?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?” I flinched back. “I think you mean, most certainly yes.”
“No.” She pulled me by the arm into the elevator and pressed all the right buttons. “We should call him, leave a voice mail together where we tell him exactly what happened, and ask what he wants to do about it. If you take it down, it might create more difficulty for him than if you left it up and let it run its course.”
I covered my face again, leaning against the wall for support. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“Hey, on the bright side, you have over ten thousand new followers. That’s . . . something.”
I groaned. I would’ve given up every single one of my new followers if it would’ve somehow undone the posting of that video. What a nightmare.
Meet Penny Reid
Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she writes kissing books. Penny is an obsessive knitter and manages the #OwnVoices-focused mentorship incubator / publishing imprint, Smartypants Romance. She lives in Seattle Washington with her husband, three kids, and dog named Hazel.
Penny Reid continues to capture my heart with her charming, witty, and heartfelt writing in Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend. I cried and swooned over Winnie and Byron's relationship because it was simply perfect even though there were a few frustrations along the way. They were not 'perfect' people and had their own shortcomings—however, they felt real and true. Not only was Winnie such a relatable character because of her reluctance in burdening others and insecurities about love but even Byron left a deep impression on me because of his honesty, passion, and devotion for his one and only. I was incredibly invested in their friendship and subsequent relationship because it felt so natural for them to be more. Winnie was such a sunshine character who never wanted to burden others with her problems, always at the expense of herself. She was stubborn, independent, and deeply cared for other people. Byron, on the other hand, was broody, solemn, and quiet. He hated interacting with others and preferred to be left alone most of the time. Byron's decision to help Winnie will finally open the doors to their future together and the realization that they were always meant for each other.
"You are the sweetest torture I've ever known. And you… will never feel one tenth for me what I feel for you. And that, also, is perfect."
This truly was a best friends to lovers and opposites attract book because Winnie and Byron had been tip-toeing around each other for years until they were forced to interact with each other. My favorite part about this book would have to be the slow-burn and developing relationship between Winnie and Byron. They went from being acquaintances to friends and eventually lovers. Even though they frustrated me at times because of their misunderstandings, especially since Winnie didn't think she was capable of being loved, Byron was always willing to devote himself to her. There were many poignant moments in this book, one in which left me with tears in my eyes because Byron was trying so hard to improve himself for Winnie but she was still afraid to fall for him. The honesty and open communication between these two was so refreshing and sweet. I loved how they acknowledged their own mistakes and were willing to improve for the better because a strong relationship is all about give and take. What I also loved about this book was how surprisingly spicy it was. I was shocked by Byron's all-consuming desire and love for Winnie. It took them forever to take it to the next stage but every instance between them burned up the pages because of their intense chemistry.
"This was what desire felt like—the pain, longing, frustration, the torture. I used to hate this feeling, but now I loved it, I wanted it, just as I loved and wanted him."
In the end, I loved this book and the message it left behind for readers—love was about being patient and accepting; it was about loving yourself and depending on others; and ultimately, it was about being not afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and into the unknown. Byron and Willie's relationship was everything I wanted and it has been such an unforgettable experience. Fans of Penny Reid will adore this book with its charming and funny characters. I even loved the side characters, especially Amelia who was Winnie's best friend and Byron's oldest friend. If you love the slow-burn romance, best friends to lovers, unrequited love, and opposites attract tropes, then there is no denying that this book would be for you because I can't highly recommend this book enough.
*This ARC was generously provided by the author and publisher for an honest review*
Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend, an all-new enemies to lovers romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Penny Reid, is now live!
Winnifred Gobaldi and Byron Visser are not best friends.
Yes, they’ve known each other for years, but they’re not even friendly. Winnie considers them more like casual, distant acquaintances who find each other barely tolerable, especially when he's being condescending (which is all the time).
The truth is, they have nothing in common. She’s a public school science teacher with stars in her eyes, and he’s a pretentious, joyless double PhD turned world-famous bestselling fiction author. She loves sharing her passion for promulgating women in STEM careers and building community via social media, and he eschews all socialization, virtual or otherwise. She’s looking for a side hustle to help pay down a mountain of student debt, and his financial portfolio is the stuff of fiduciary wet dreams. So why are they faking a #bestfriend relationship for millions of online spectators?
When a simple case of tit-for-tat trends between nonfriends leads to a wholly unexpected kind of pretend, nothing is simple. Sometimes, it takes a public audience to reveal the truth of private feelings, and rarely—very rarely—you should believe what you see online.
Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend is a full-length, complete standalone, adult contemporary romantic comedy.
Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she writes kissing books. Penny is an obsessive knitter and manages the #OwnVoices-focused mentorship incubator / publishing imprint, Smartypants Romance. She lives in Seattle Washington with her husband, three kids, and dog named Hazel.
I've narrowed down my favorite romance books that I've read and were released this year. These are in no particular order and I will provide a quick review for each book.
Homecoming King by Penny Reid:
Penny Reid's latest book will have you laughing and swooning your heart out. Since I'm a sucker for the arranged marriage and fake dating trope, Rex and Abby's romance was everything I wanted and more: charming, witty, romantic, slightly angsty, and surprisingly spicy. I was incredibly invested in their reunion and relationship because Abby had been in love with Rex since elementary school and he never noticed her. So many years have gone by since then and while Rex was playing matchmaker to his friends, he was getting left behind. This encounter with Abby will finally open his eyes and make him realize that what he always wanted was right in front of him all along.
Dark Reign by Amelia Wilde:
Amelia Wilde captivated me with her writing style, world building, steamy romance, and interesting characters in Dark Reign. I was completed invested in Emerson LeBlanc and Daphne Morelli's twisted relationship. The slow burn and unfolding romance between Emerson and Daphne had me on the edge of my seat because he was exhibiting some extremely obsessive, possessive, and stalker-like behavior. Strangely, most of Emerson's internal dialogue felt romantic because of how much power Daphne had over him. There is no denying that Daphne and Emerson's chemistry was dark, palpable, sensual, and erotic. The tension was thick with every encounter because Emerson was slowly unraveling and losing control over his feelings for Daphne at every turn.
Red Sin by Aleatha Romig:
Aleatha Romig has outdone herself with the captivating and sensual romance between Donovan and Julia in Red Sin. I was enthralled by their all-consuming lust and intense chemistry and relationship from start to finish. This is Aleatha’s best work to date in my opinion—and she has had many. Both Julia and Van were fantastic characters in their own right and they complimented each other spectacularly. Since their very first meeting, it almost felt like fate was pushing these two together when they least expected it. This chance encounter, also known as red sin, would ultimately change their lives and bring buried secrets to the forefront.
Indigo Ridge by Devney Perry:
From the exceptional romance to the suspenseful and action-packed revelation behind the deaths in Quincy, Devney Perry has crafted a wonderful tale of new beginnings while letting go of the past and moving towards the future. Griffin Eden and Winslow Covington's attraction burned up the pages and their chemistry had me smiling the entire time. It was a slow burn romance that progressively became more over the course of the story. Even though Griffin and Winn's romance was the heart of this book, I was also completely immersed and invested in the murder mystery plot as well. It was interesting, had me on the edge of my seat, and heartbreaking. There were so many things I loved about this book: The small town vibe, close-knit families, gossiping, and especially the romance. However, Griffin and Winn's developing relationship was my most favorite part of all.
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey:
Get ready to laugh and swoon because Piper and Brendan's romance will have you craving for more! These two were so incredibly adorable and sexy together. Brendan has a bit of dirty mouth on him but this is to be expected since it's Tessa Bailey after all. Fans of the opposite attract romance will absolutely love this book because Piper and Brendan come from two completely different worlds and yet they fit each other perfectly. I love how this flamboyant and confident woman gets nervous when she's with Brendan. From the amazing chemistry to the charming little town and residents that Piper and Hannah are forced to get to know, this book has it all—steamy, emotional, and heart.
These Thorn Kisses by Saffron A. Kent:
This book was my favorite because Conrad and Bronwyn were both brimming with tension and chemistry. Bronwyn was a bright spark of sunshine in Conrad's dark and broken world. I loved how their forbidden relationship was so passionate but precious and romantic at the same time. Bronwyn may be shy and a good girl but she was willing to do anything for Conrad… emotionally and intimately. I highly recommend this book to those who love the age-gap and forbidden romance trope with a dirty talking hero who is extremely possessive of his shy and sweet heroine.
