Friend Zone

Friend Zone Series, Book 1

By: Nicole Blanchard

Narrated by: Allie Martina, Gideon Frost

Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

From New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Nicole Blanchard comes a new-adult, friends-to-lovers, close-proximity romance!

Best friends + close quarters = huge trouble

Charlie

It started with a kiss. One that never should have happened. Liam was only doing what best friends do—standing up for me. It didn’t mean anything.

Right?

Sure, it made the fact I had to move in with him for a few months a bit complicated, but we’ve been firmly in the mutual friend zone for years. He’s the one who christened me "Charlie" after all. He only saw me as one of the guys.

Crossing the line is off limits.

Liam

We’re just friends.

Maybe if I said it enough, I’d stop picturing her naked.

Who was I kidding? With her living at my place, I couldn’t seem to stop picturing her naked.

All I had to do was keep my hands to myself for a few months.

No fantasizing bout her. No touching her.

And no more kissing her.

I was f--king screwed.

Friend Zone is book one in the Friend Zone series. Each book features a different couple and may be enjoyed as a stand-alone.

©2018 Nicole Blanchard (P)2023 Nicole Blanchard

I LOVE Liam! “I’ll give you what ever you want!!”❤️

Liam is completely swoon worthy!! As a college man, he is sweet, scorching hot and completely in tune with Charlie. Gideon’s voice added the perfect level of youthfulness and sexiness to draw the listener into the character and ache for more. Despite neither of the couple realizing the deep connection and love between each other, they were always there to take care of each other. Charlie knows exactly where she wants to go in her career but she is exceptional at sabotaging her long term love life. Allie excelled in her ability to portray all of Charlie’s many complex emotions, like they were actually happening to me.

Heartwarming and Sizzling Romance!

What a delightful friends-to-lovers romance. Liam and Charlie have been best friends since they were children. Liam's family took care of Charlie after she lost her parents. They are so close in almost every way. They didn't see how much they were meant for each other, until they share an impulsive, hot kiss. Now Liam will do whatever it takes to convince Charlie to take a chance on them. They are both at a huge crossroads in their lives. They need each other more than ever with big changes happening both personally and professionally. Their story is a rollercoaster that brings fun, heartache, hard choices and love. I really cared for both Charlie and Liam. They were both kind, thoughtful and hard working. They had fun together, supported each other, and had explosive chemistry. I was a bit frustrated when they had a hard time communicating, despite being so close, but I still found myself cheering for their HEA.
I really enjoyed Allie Martina, and Gideon Frost's narration. They balanced each characters strengths and vulnerabilities beautifully. They easily made me feel all the heartbreak, struggle, hope and joy that both Charlie and Liam felt. This is my first listen to Martina and Frost, and I definitely look forward to listening to them again. I really enjoyed this emotional, sweet & sexy romance.

Charlie and Liam

I liked listening to this book, made all the more enjoyable by the excellent narration of Allie Martina and Gideon Frost they really brought the characters to life. The story is about Charlotte aka Charlie and Liam who have been friends since their childhoods, they are both now in college and still friends. But when Charlie broke up with her boyfriend who then retaliated by flooding her apartment Liam did something which would upset the status quo.

Liam invited Charlie to move in with him while her apartment is being repaired. For years Liam has watched from the sidelines as Charlie ended every relationship before it could become serious, he's attracted to her but has never told her not realising that she's equally attracted to him. Charlie didn't tell him as she assumed she’d been friend zoned because Liam didn’t do relationships. But sharing a living space has gotten to him and a month after she moved him he kissed her and she kisses him back so they decide to see where things go as a couple.

Liam has applied to an out-of-state college whilst Charlie plans on staying in FL. When Charlie finds out that Liam has been accepted on the day after she turned down a volunteer position because she didn’t want to leave him they argue and Charlie Leaves.

So he too leaves and goes to his parent's house where his relationship with his father makes things difficult. A few weeks later his grandma dies and he decides to take attend a college in FL to be closer to Charlie and his home.

Overall the story was good but Charlie and Liam need to learn to talk about their feelings and be honest with each other

Wonderful Story & Listen🎧 Delightfully Heartfelt!

I enjoyed this wonderful ‘friends to lovers’ romance novel, the story swept me in right from the start, grabbing my attention and captivating it the entire time. The characters are realistic, easy to relate to and connect with, they are easy to care about and like too. Liam and Charlie became each other’s best friend when they were young and their friendship has lasted thru the years. Liam has watched Charlie date different men and as soon as it becomes too serious or the guy wants to take the relationship to the next level, she ends the relationship. And that is what she planned on doing with her latest boyfriend, Andrew, except it doesn’t go exactly like that. Charlie always does her breakups in the bar where Liam works, so if she needs rescue or support, he is there for her. Liam is used to her doing this, but it is different this time, hearing another guy is going to propose to her stirs up feeling in him and even more so when he sees how upset she is. So he takes the rest of his shift off and plans to take her back home to his family’s home. Charlie realizes her feelings for Liam had morphed into something else too, but both have plans, he is going to vet school and she has plans of her own that will take her out of the country for months. I loved the layers to the story and how it all played out, the writing and plotting are fantastic and so is the world building and character growth and development. There is never a dull moment in this book and it has the perfect balance of drama, heartfelt emotions and steamy romance. Nicole Blanchard, thank you for another fabulous story and emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧And for the fantastic narration, Nicole Blanchard chose the perfect cast to bring her characters and story to life. Allie Martina and Gideon Frost are wonderfully talented narrators and versatile voice artists. They did an amazing job portraying these characters, giving each a voice that fit that character’s persona and was believable in every role they played. Allie Martina nailed it as Charlie, grasping all sides of her personality, and Gideon Frost did the same for Liam. Both were fabulous performing the roles of all the secondary characters, too. They set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the character’s emotions and had you feeling every single one. These entertaining storytellers are a pleasure to listen to and their narration enhances an already fabulous story to another level. Thank you for another wonderful listen.

Sweet, fun and filled with deep emotion

I thought this friends to lovers romance was quite moving. Sweet, fun and filled with lots of deep emotions, Liam and Charlie's romance quickly captured my interest and kept it easily. I thought these two were truly meant to be and i found myself almost instantly emotionally invested in them, their relationship and avidly rooting for their HEA every step of the way. The narrator's performances were very well done, and I thought their voices fit the characters.

Great read

I really enjoyed this story! It was a fun read with good characters. It flowed well and I liked the progression from friend to more. Liam and Charlie have been best friends since they were little. Liam's family is pretty much Charlie's family. They have never really see each other as anything more than that until Liam reacts differently to the possible proposal from Charlie's almost ex. He then kisses her and it changes everything for the both of them. Neither are sure what to do or how to handle it so they decide to play it off some and go back to being friends. Only it's not that easy. Once that door was cracked they couldn't quite go back though it takes them a little bit of time to make that move. I enjoyed watching them come to that point and then the way they transitioned into being more. There years of friendship really made that work. The sex is explicit and blended into the story. It fits the characters and what's going on around them. I really enjoyed this story.
The narrators did a pretty good job with the story.

Young love and best friends

Liam has been Charlie’s best friend for 10 years. He was the person she always turned to for anything, especially when she was ready to dump her current boyfriend. This time though, Liam takes them from friends to another level when she and her current beau, Andrew split and there is no looking back. They just aren’t sure how to move forward.
If you are looking for young love, best friends always there for you and college scenes with some family dynamics tossed in, this book is for you.
I received an audio arc from the author with fantastic narrators, Allie Matina and Gideon Frost . The review is my own.

Humorous, heartwrenching story!!

Friend Zone, an Audiobook by Nicole Blanchard is the first in the new Friend Zone series. It is the touching story of Liam and Charlotte (Charlie). They’ve been friends for a long time, and that’s all it’s ever been. Now, she needs a place to stay and he has space!!

These two spend so much time denying everything….it’s a bit of a riot to read through it!!! There were times I bust out laughing and other times that I was absolutely devasted. One mishap after another…conflicted feelings…denial, denial, denial. Quite the fun read!!

This Audiobook was narrated by Allie Martina and Gideon Frost, who never failed to entertain with their humorous, wonderful performances! I especially liked Frost’s performances of the older ladies! He had me rolling on the floor…thoroughly fabulous performances all around!

I am volunteering to leave a review for an Advance Reader Copy of this Audiobook.

Friend Zone!

This is the first stand alone read in the "Friend Zone" series. I was addicted the minute the story started. I thought the narrators did a fantastic job bringing the characters and story to life. The story is about Liam and Charlie. They have been best friends forever and then one kiss changes everything. Charlie's life was upended when her mother left and she was left to care for her dying father. Liam, her best friend has been the one stable constant in her life. They have never thought of crossing the friend zone until she breaks up with her latest boyfriend and it gets nasty. I loved to see these two characters grow and mature. They have tragic moments and a bump or two but always come out stronger. I love the characters and how they found forever.

Best Friends

This was a fun & emotional story. It was a fast paced quick listen. Charlie & Liam’s chemistry is great.