A review by fischers_reads
Almost Him by S.M. Shade

medium-paced

5.0

This book had a chokehold on me until the very end. I would give it a million stars if I could. It was like watching a movie unfold in my head. Friends to Lovers done right 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 there is nothing worse than hearing that they were friends from childhood and not getting to experience it. Alden and Oliver are twins and live by Ella. They were super close and then something happens in the boys family and they both started to change. Alden changed the most and became a “bad boy” and of course Ella started liking him as more than a friend. Their friendship was so special. Ella made choices that pissed me off. Normally it’s the MMC who makes me mad but shockingly enough it was the FMC first. I really loved Ella and Tori’s relationship. They had me giggling so much. I felt completely sucked into this universe and loved every minute of it. Even the messy parts. When Ella and Alder would have a disagreement they would eventually make up and pretty much go back to being best friends again. Oliver and Alder’s relationship got more and more strained and I had a feeling I knew why and I was right. Things happen and hearts break and mine broke right along with theirs. I wasn’t sure why this book needed to be made into a duet until it all became clear. The drama is strong with this one! You’ll want to continue right onto the next one so be prepared. That ending… WTF!

In Real Time SPOILERS/PREDICTIONS :

During most of this book I was convinced Oliver was in love with Ella and was pissed off his brother got him. I’m 55% in and I have a feeling Alden dies and she ends up falling for Oliver. Considering there is so much left in this book and a whole other book. I’m not ready 😭

At Ella and Alden’s wedding when he mentioned his brother got a car and they wanted to go joy ride in it I was TERRIFIED! I’ve just been waiting for something bad to happen. Buuuuut it wasn’t a car accident like I thought it was a robbery at The Stop Along and BOTH were shot 😭

When they announce that Alden died upon arrival to the hospital my freaking heart hurt so much. But then I started wondering if who she thinks is Oliver is actually Alden 🤔 but then I figured I was way wrong. I was.

Okay so we knew Oliver loved Ella from the time they were kids. He asked her out back when they were teens and she said no because she was in love with Alder. I had no idea Oliver felt so strongly about his love for Ella that he allegedly hired those people to rob the store and kill Alden. Like what??? The fact that Ella finds this out after having sex with Oliver is absolutely wild. Oliver deserved Ella calling him Alden while she came.