Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - The Friendship Study

Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Friendship Study by Ruby Barrett

8 reviews

dyamonddd's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted reflective

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

poetic cinema. thats all.

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elliott_the_clementine's review

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emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I may be the target audience for this book (lonely bi city girl who takes care of folks with advanced dementia) and therefore extremely biased, but I found The Friendship Study to be like drinking a warm cup of hot chocolate on a winters day.

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mlglenn's review against another edition

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5.0

This book was such a joy to listen to!! I absolutely loved the friendship turned relationship of Lulu and Jesse - their struggles of making friends as a millennial adult were so real they almost hurt. I also loved themes of searching for belonging and success as an adult, and learning to love and appreciate yourself for all that you are. I saw myself so much in Lulu (a history girly! Phillies obsessed! And so much more), and saw parts of myself in Jesse, and I just loved watching their HEA. Would recommend!

POV: dual first person

You can expect: former firefighter MMC, history professor FMC, blind date, forced proximity, opposites attract, forbidden relationship, FWB, cat dad, he falls first.

Rep: bisexual MCs, gay supporting character, chronic pain from injury, neurodivergence (undiagnosed ADHD), anxiety

Spice: 3.5/5

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hanreadsbookself's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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mklein319's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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jennireadsmaybe's review

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

Thank you to Carina Adores and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts <3

Holy crap!!! The yearning in this one. The Friendship Study reminds me of why I love friends-to-lovers so much. These characters come to know each other so deeply that it's impossible for me to not want them together. Their chemistry was just off the charts electric!!! It also doesn't fall into the trap that penetrative sex is the end all be all in a relationship (freaking hot!!!!).

Ruby Barrett treads into some often forgotten about territory in the premise of The Friendship Study. Why is it so hard to make friends as an adult? Is loneliness all that we're meant for if we struggle to make friends? Is it too late to discover who we are again? I felt so seen in various aspects of this book.

The bisexual rep in this was amazing!! MF romances often feature a bisexual heroine, but TFS features a bisexual hero!!!! I loved it so so much. Jesse also lives with chronic pain and uses a mobility aid from a previous injury. You could see the care that Ruby Barrett put into the representation. Although it's not confirmed on page during the story, Barrett mentions in the author's note that Lulu will be diagnosed with ADHD as an adult.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a queer romance or a friends-to-lovers romance. It was stunning!!!

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patelyne's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The story of Jesse and Lulu, two lonely people who were brought together by George - mutual friend (and in Jesse’s case, ex boyfriend) - who convinces them to join his Phd study about the difficulties millennials have making new friends.

One of the main rules of this study in building friendships is that romance (or hookup with) with any of the other participants while it’s going.

I’m sure you can guess where this is heading?

They are going to strain the boundaries of those rules 🔥

You ever get that fear, when a book opens in a way you love So Much that you’re terrified the rest of it won’t live up? Can’t possibly?

I got that fear in the very first chapter.

Fortunately, I should *not* have worried, because I loved this book the whole way through.

There is so much to love.

First off, it’s a hot af romance - Refreshing plot line where it’s not an awakening thing *and* not just a throw away sentence about a label but is relevant to their characters.

The tension as they’re trying to go as far as possible without technically breaking the rules of the study? Nice. And when they blow past that line? Even better.

The relatability of how hard making new friends as an adult is, especially without ‘work friends’ to fall back on. And the character growth of Jesse, Lulu and all the other study participants.

That, even though Lulu was betrayed by the two people she should have been able to trust most, she hadn’t turned so bitter she rejected the idea of new connections. She’s was just having trouble making them.

Jesse taking back the parts of his life he’d given up on post accident, and finding a new path. And even though it was hard because he didn’t remember him any more, that he’s still unfailingly loyal to the grandfather who raised him.

I appreciated how the things they were dealing with didn’t have easy fixes, it’s not all about getting back something lost but sometimes it’s making something new that will fit better.

I was all sorts of emotional by the end. Messy messy feelings (ugh, lol)

I would happily read so many more books like this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the arc!

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annie_the_lesbrarian's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What did I like about this book? Uhhh everything?? Both characters have lost their trust. Jesse gets in an accident and can’t be a firefighter — needs to find his purpose. Lulu’s best friend and boyfriend betray her and she has to flee to the only job in her field she can get, the history contract professorship where her dad works. But not trusting in people, your body, your path will lead to… it’s hard to make friendships! So they both sign up to be in the university friendship study! (After a date gone wrong between them, how will that go…?)

It’s steamy steamy steamy!! 🥵 and also queer M/F romance and authentic bi and neurodivergent experiences! Love it!!!

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