A simply masterful blend of friends-to-lovers + fake dating, I devoured LIKE LOVERS DO in one fell swoop, both breaking a terrible slump and making me smile so hard. I don't typically enjoy friends-to-lovers, it is a trope I personally struggle with, but this take made me a believer!

I absolutely adored how Nicole is so driven and hyper-focused on her career, but also has her team of friends she always makes time for, and a mom who she both loves and adores, in her corner. She's a doctor, but she isn't wealthy (yet). She has to manage her budget and her time.

Ben is a total babe and he's always been attracted to Nicole but absolutely has not acted on it since she one, is tenant/roommate and two, has become his best friend and hasn't ever give him the indication she might also be into him. Until she is. The way consent/power is handled in this story is both sexy and powerful, showing again Livesay's writing prowess.

And oh, please take me to Martha's Vineyard for a vacation, and boot the awful Karen character out of the house please. She was awful, but it was a good see how Ben, a white man, is not immediately aware of the microaggressions his ex-fiancee is using to hurt Nicole (a Black woman), but believes her pain and figures out where the harm is coming from and confronts it head on.

ALSO wow, the sexual tension and that hammock scene! Who knew! Livesay knew!

Highly recommend.

*I received an ARC from the publisher and also purchased a print copy from Fountain Bookstore.

Dr. Nicole Allen

Benjamin Reed Van Mont