Sunkissed by My Best Friend

A Short and Sweet Romance

De: Tia Marlee

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

Sometimes, the best love story is the one that’s been right in front of you all along.

This book features characters you meet in The Coffee Loft season one novel Bean Wishing for a Latte Love.

She’s always been there for him, but he’s been too afraid to take the leap. Now, after years of friendship, Reid wants more.

Briella has always loved Reid, but she's carefully hidden her feelings from him. As best friends for eight years, they've shared everything except the truth about how they really feel. After a surprise invitation to a Valentine’s Gala and an unexpected trip to Hawaii, the line between friendship and something more begins to blur.

Reid has always been in love with Briella, but he’s never had the courage to confess. He’s waited for the perfect moment, but as their tropical vacation unfolds, it’s clear there’s no more time to waste. He wants to show her that he’s not just her best friend—he’s the man who’s loved her all along.

Will Briella take a chance on the one man who’s always had her heart, or will she let the fear of ruining their friendship hold her back?

♥♥♥♥♥

Sunkissed by My Best Friend is a sweet friends-to-more romance that will leave you swooning. It’s a standalone short story in the Coffee Loft world with a guaranteed happily-ever-after. Previously published as part of the Splash of Romance, Banter and Blushes anthology.

Book Review: Sunkissed by My Best Friend by Tia Marlee

First of all… I went into Sunkissed by My Best Friend thinking I was getting soft, beachy, best-friends-to-lovers vibes. Cute tension. Maybe some longing glances under a sunset. Harmless pining.

Instead???

I felt like I was third-wheeling a fever dream.

Tia Marlee really said, “You know what would make this tender childhood-friends romance better? Emotional chaos and sunstroke-level tension.” And she COMMITTED.

The chemistry between the main characters is so intense it’s almost uncomfortable — like when two people are obviously in love but refuse to admit it, so they just vibrate in each other’s presence. Every touch lingers too long. Every argument feels like it’s one wrong word away from a breakdown or a kiss. I genuinely didn’t know which direction it would go half the time.

And the beach setting? It should feel warm and nostalgic, but instead it feels… claustrophobic. Like the sun is watching. Like something is about to go wrong. I don’t know how she did that, but it made everything feel slightly unhinged in the best way.

Also, the emotional whiplash???
One minute I’m smiling at a sweet childhood memory.
The next I’m staring at the page like:
“Why does this feel like the calm before a psychological spiral?”

There’s this undercurrent of obsession that sneaks up on you. It’s subtle at first — protective best friend vibes. But then it tilts. Just slightly. Enough to make you side-eye certain dialogue. Enough to make you question if this is healthy or if we’re witnessing the beginning of something messy.

And honestly? I kind of loved being uncomfortable.

It’s not a fluffy romance. It’s sticky. It’s tense. It feels like summer nights where the air is too thick and your thoughts are too loud. The writing pulls you in gently and then refuses to let you breathe.

Final thoughts:
⭐ Emotionally intimate
⭐ Slightly feral energy
⭐ Sunshine aesthetic with shadow undertones
⭐ Made me question my own best friendships (in a dramatic way)

If you like friends-to-lovers but with an edge — like if the sunburn comes with emotional damage — this one will absolutely weird you out in the most compelling way.

Would I recommend it?
Yes… but I’d also hand it to you slowly and say, “Just… text me when you finish chapter six.”