Published: August 1, 2017 (First Edition) Amazon | Goodreads | Twitter
Synopsis: Jenny meets Chance for the very first time when she is assigned as his partner in their Junior Oral Communications class. But after they rescue a doomed assignment with one clever lie, the whole school is suddenly convinced that Little-Miss-Really-Likes-Having-A’s and the most scandalous heartbreaker in school have been best friends forever. It’s amazing how quickly a lie can grow—especially when you really, really want it to be the truth.
With Jenny, Chance can live the normal life he’s always kind of wanted. And with Chance, Jenny can have the exciting teen experiences that TV shows and movies have always promised. Through it all, they hold on to the fact that they are “just friends.” But that might be the biggest lie of all.
I won this book from the author during a giveaway on Twitter last year. It was one of my TBR books, and my local Barnes & Noble doesn’t carry it (they don’t carry most Swoon books, for some reason), so I was very excited not only to receive it but to receive it directly from the author. It took me a while to start it (because life) but once I sat down and committed to it, I finished in about two hours.
Just Friends is the feel-good, contemporary rom-com of my dreams. It is lighthearted, fun, and funny. So funny. Tiffany included a lot of pop culture references, which I adore and appreciate. It made you feel like you were part of the story, one of the gang. There were moments where I pulled a Captain America and was like:
Tiffany accurately depicted the high school experience. (Mine, anyway.) High school is hell. (Tbh, high school is probably worse than hell.) But, there are the parts of school that almost make it worth enduring (aside from education, of course), like spending time with your best friends.
Speaking of friendship, Kelsey and Jen are literal friendship goals. They understand each other, they love each other, and they accept each other for who they are. It’s what all friendships should be. There’s a particular scene where the girls have a heart-to-heart, and Jen tells Kelsey she keeps things from her so she’s not a burden or annoyance, and Kelsey’s response was so damn perfect it made me cry.
“Wessler, your friends are the people you’re supposed to burden with that stuff. That’s why you have friends, so you don’t have to go through anything alone.”
Kelsey speaking to Jen, Just Friends by Tiffany Pitcock
Right in the flipping feels, man. T^T
As for Chance, he, too, is an amazing friend to Jen, despite (or maybe because of?) their pretend friendship. Thanks to alternating POV chapters (which I don’t normally like but I absolutely loved in Just Friends) we get a better idea of what’s going on in his life and who he is, making him more relatable and, well, swoon-worthy.
The plot was interesting, the pacing was good, and each of the various plot points was neatly wrapped up, meaning I didn’t have to squint at the book wondering what the hell just happened. lmao (Thank you, Tiffany!)
I wholeheartedly and unreservedly recommend Just Friends to others. So, what are you waiting for? It’s the perfect Christmas gift! Buy it now! (But not for me because I already own it. lol XD)
Rating: 4.5 lucky stars
