Not Here to Make Friends, Jodi McAlister
Not Here to Make Friends, Jodi McAlister
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.49

Not Here to Make Friends
A sizzling frenemies-to-lovers rom-com

Author: Jodi McAlister

Narrator: Matty Morris, Aileen Huynh

Unabridged: 9 hr 35 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/02/2024

Synopsis

She’s the reality TV villain everyone will love to hate. He’s the producer tasked with making it happen. What could go wrong? A hilarious, heartfelt rom-com for fans of The Unhoneymooners.

‘A full-on villain romance, with all the lying, scheming and blazingly tumultuous sex you could hope for.’ New York Times

Reality TV producer Murray O’Connell is the showrunner for reality dating show Marry Me, Juliet, and that means he’s the boss: he controls the cast, the crew and the story. Until Lily Fireball turns up.

Lily is everything viewers love to watch: she’s feisty, dramatic, and never backs down from a fight. Her villain narrative should be easy to pull off, but Murray keeps getting in her way. Because before she was Lily Fireball, she was Lily Ong – Murray's best friend, and he's determined to stop her blowing up her life on television.

As the season unfolds, Lily and Murray go head to head. Lily just wants to have some fun with her role, and Murray just wants to film the show he planned. Why won't she listen to him? And why can't Murray focus on the job, instead of the woman he thought was just a friend?

‘The best friends to lovers book I've read in a long while, maybe ever … A perfect finale to the bingeworthy Marry Me, Juliet series.’ Karina May, author of Duck à l'Orange for Breakfast and Never Ever Forever

About Jodi McAlister

Jodi McAlister, PhD, is an author and academic from Kiama, Australia. She is the author of An Academic Affair and the Marry Me Juliet trilogy. She is currently a senior lecturer in writing, literature, and culture at Deakin University in Melbourne and is the president of the International Association for the Study of Popular Romance. For more, visit JodiMcAlister.com.au or find her on Instagram @JodiMcAlister.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Suz

I couldn’t finish it. I very rarely do this. I thought the author definitely knows how to write, I was just not a fan of the zillion character names, the constant talk of the ‘unreal’ ‘reality’ tv concept, and the fact they loved each other but both married others. I couldn’t sit on a book I didn’t......more

Goodreads review by Jack

This series is an incredible accomplishment, deconstructing love stories at the same time as it embraces and celebrates them. Jodi McAlister has ruined this setting for all future writers—no-one will ever capture the goofy, over-the-top world of reality dating shows so authentically, and Not Here To......more

Goodreads review by Shannon

This was a fun, drama filled, dual POV, friends to lovers romance set in the reality dating tv show world similar to The Bachelor that sees two former besties who have unknowingly been pining for one another for YEARS finding their way back to each other as one produces the show and the other is one......more

Quotes

‘A full-on villain romance, with all the lying, scheming and blazingly tumultuous sex you could hope for.’

'If you've devoured the first two books of the bingeworthy Marry Me, Juliet series then you will love this last installment focusing on Lily and Murray - two perfectly imperfect characters and the tension that sizzles when they are together. This is a great friends to lovers read for all rom-com (and reality TV) lovers!'

'Not Here To Make Friends is a prose ceremony – at which I was glad to accept every page. A superb third episode in a journey with drama more vivid and romance more compelling than anything you’ll see on TV.'

‘Not Here To Make Friends is a second chance romance between two formidably matched evil masterminds, a clash of fierce intellects that results in fierce tension and fierce love. The chemistry is sizzling, the banter is blazing and even if you think you know where this story's going, the climax is combustible. But lest you think this romance is all head and no heart, it's undershot with themes of loyalty, friendship and grief.’

‘Not Here to Make Friends is wonderfully funny, deeply moving, and whip-smart. Lily and Murray’s sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes hilarious love story is so irresistible it will have you turning the page faster than a reality TV romance breaks up in real life. Rich with diversity and characters you genuinely care about, Not Here to Make Friends is a satisfying, pitch-perfect cherry on top of a perfect series.’

‘The best friends to lovers book I've read in a long while, maybe ever. Lily Fireball and Murray's complex dynamic is so addictive. The book doesn't shy away from serious issues either and effortlessly explores racial inequality via a fun plot. A perfect finale to the bingeworthy Marry Me, Juliet series. This one is my favourite of all three books. Swoon-worthy, clever and a must-read. I can't wait to see what McAlister writes next!’

‘I'd been waiting impatiently for the third installment in this series, and it was even more amazing than I'd hoped. Ruthless schemers! Romantic pairings who are equal parts soulmates and partners in crime! Lily and Murray's story was utterly perfect for me, specifically, and I suspect plenty of readers will agree. Smart, scorching and emotionally resonant, this was hands-down my favourite romance of the year.’

'This book proves, in case you weren’t already convinced, that McAlister is a storytelling genius ... My heart exploded with joy reading this ... This was a perfect finale to a brilliant series.'

‘For those who like The Bachelor, but are bothered by its lack of diversity and vanilla flavour, this book will deliver a far more entertaining and enlightening ride than the real thing.’

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