[ARC Review] Barely Even Friends by Mae Bennett

PUBLISHER'S SYNOPSIS: Bellamy Price has just been offered the job of a lifetime: lead contractor on the restoration of the mysterious and sprawling Killington Estate. If she meets the owner’s ridiculous timeline, she’ll finally make a name for herself in this male-dominated industry. But when she rolls up her sleeves, slips on her suspenders, and shows up at the crumbling mansion, Bellamy finds the estate very much occupied. 

After a traumatic car accident that left his parents dead and himself injured, Oliver Killington, heir to the Killington empire, took up residence as the grumpy caretaker of his grandfather’s mansion. None too pleased by the presence of the hammer-wielding woman who’s moved into his house, Oliver tries to block her at every turn.

But when Bellamy discovers Oliver’s facing his own ultimatum from his grandfather, the two form a cautious truce, which leads to flying sparks that are definitely not from faulty wiring. As Bellamy restores the gleam to the Killington Estate, she’ll have to decide if the walls she’s built around herself are worth knocking down to make space for someone else.  

MY THOUGHTS: I will never not read a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and Barely Even Friends will forever have my heart as one of my favorites. Mae Bennett gave us a grumpy recluse, a strong leading lady out to prove herself, lots of spice, a supporting cast of characters who could all stand on their own, and an AI system that puts Cogsworth and Lumiere to shame. 

I fall hard for a good grumpy/sunshine dynamic, and Oliver and Bellamy had that in spades. As soon as they both started butting heads over mansion renovations, I knew I was going to enjoy the ride this book took me on. One of my favorite parts of this story was how multi-faceted every single character was on the page. Bellamy had a full range of emotion, from determined to despondent and everything in between. I've watched enough home renovation shows to know that redoing an entire mansion in just a few months is a next-to-impossible task, but Bellamy worked her magic and Bennett conveyed all the hardship and stress and success so well on the page. 

I loved that both main characters were out to prove themselves. Bellamy set out to prove that she was just as competent as her father when it came to renovations, while Oliver had to prove to himself that he was worthy of choosing his own path, rather than the life his grandfather wanted for him. Both characters had quite the job to do, and while one path was more physical and the other mental/emotional, I loved how well Oliver and Bellamy were able to help and support each other as they grew closer together. Barely Even Friends just had a perfect blend of grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, and housemates to lovers. 

Bennett wove in plenty of Beauty and the Beast references and similarities, but still made this romance wholly her own. Fans of the fairy tale will love the little nods to Belle and the Beast, but romance readers in general can easily enjoy Bellamy and Oliver's journey as they renovate the mansion and their relationship statuses. 

If you're looking for a Beauty and the Beast retelling that brings all the magic of falling in love and gives plenty of steam, look no further than Barely Even Friends. 

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Release date: 6/4/24

Format: eARC

eARC provided via: NetGalley