Author: Elizabeth Eulberg
Age: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Released: February 25, 2014
Click here to read summary
Yes, hi, my name is JB and I have a new OTP, thank you very much.
So here’s the story behind how I became aquainted with Levi and Macallan. (You can skip this part if you want and scroll down for just the review. You’ll only hurt my feelings a little bit.)
Before Jules and I went to the North Texas Teen Book Festival, we both read lots of books by authors who were attending the festival. So I read books by Leigh Bardugo and A.G. Howard and Sarah Mlynowski while Jules read all these books. One of those books was Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg.
So Jules gets in my car (30 minutes late, mind you) and at some point once we were finally in an awake state of being (we had to meet at like, 5 so we could drive to Dallas and get to the festival on time), we began discussing the books we had read in preparation for the festival. And the reason Jules had shown up late that morning was because she overslept because she had stayed up all night reading Better Off Friends. She went on and on and on about it and how adorable it was and it was a clean read and I totally needed to read it.
Fast forward to the festival and Elizabeth Eulberg is in the first panel I go to. Now, at the time, I didn’t realize she was the author behind this fantastic book that Jules had been going on and on about. What I did know was that she was hilarious and I wanted to be her best friend. So I text Jules and told her she had to go to a panel that Elizabeth was in. And she did, and also decided that we should make Elizabeth our new bestie.
During the book signings, we pranced ourselves to our new BFF’s table (even though she was unaware of the fact that she was our new BFF—minor issue) and introduced ourselves even though we didn’t have any of her books. She gave us stickers and signed our bags and fangirled over Ally Carter with us. It wasn’t until after we had left her table that we put two and two together—this lady we’d fallen in love with was the author behind THE book. So we found her again and Jules told her how much she loved THE book while I stood there having no idea what was going on.
A week or so after the festival, I downloaded the ebook from my library and read it super fast. I was in love. So in love that I reread the book the next day. As far as I know, I have never done that before. A reread a week later? Yeah, I did that with The Selection. But the next day? That, my friends, is true love.
If you read my entire saga above, bless you. Now on to the actual review.
THE ACTUAL REVIEW
I’m a sucker for an adorable romance. We all know this already, but still.
Better Off Friends tells the story of how Levi and Macallan became best friends. And they’re the most adorable best friends ever. (Okay, second most adorable best friends ever, second only to us and our new BFF.) Their bantering is too cute and they are both obsessed with the British TV show Buggy and Floyd (I was so sad to find out it’s not a real show), and everyone thinks they’d make an adorable couple. But, hey, they’re just friends.
I really think Macallan and Levi could be tossed into any situation and I’d read about it. Washing the car? Picking up stuff at Wal-Mart? I don’t care what they’re doing. They’re such a fun pair, and I love to read their dialog. Their banter makes the book.
The book takes place over several years, starting with the first time they met in 7th grade and telling the stories of their hardships and new experiences over the next few years. It’s fun to watch how their relationship grows and changes over time as they make new friends and drift away from old ones.
One of my favorite parts of the book is the interstitials. (I only know that word because it was on Elizabeth’s blog.) Between every chapter (which alternates POV between Macallan and Levi) is some banter as they reminisce on their relationship. (For an example of this, read the first page here.)
It’s adorable to see them looking back on old memories. Jules says she pictures them as old grandparents telling their grandkids the story of how they met.
If you’ve read any of my reviews for romance books, you know my big problem with them: the L word. And… this story has it. And… I’m okay with it. WHAT? I know, right? I think the reason it doesn’t bother me is because the story is told over a long period of time, and the reader can really see their love unfold, whether the two realize it or not. Now if their entire relationship were to take place over like, 2 weeks and then they were all I LOVE YOU, then I’d have a problem with it. But these two truly know each other and, I believe, truly love each other. (This is probably one of the few times I’m not going to hate on the use of the L word in a romance book, which is a big deal.)
Basically, you need to read this book. Especially if you love romances with fun characters and banter. Like, seriously. Go read this now. Five out of five stars!
Language: 2 I think there was one or two curse words. (For some reason, I didn’t take notes when I read this book, so I don’t have it marked!)
Sexual: 2 Some kissing, a few innuendos
Violence: 2 *minor spoiler alert* She punches a guy because he makes fun of her mentally retarded uncle. (In my opinion, the guy totally deserved it.)
>>>If you like fun couples with fantastic banter, you might also like
Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins
The Distance Between Us by Kasie West (read our review)
>>>Other books by this author
Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality
*Our reviews do contain affiliate links, meaning we could make a very small commission should you buy something using one of those links.
The Girls in Plaid Skirts 