I've finally read Gray's book! I read this entire series out of order and it was chaotic and amazing lol.

In the best way possible, I did not see this trajectory for Gray. He was a solid friend to Drew in The Hook Up, and I knew he was ultimately a good person but I wasn't expecting him to transition from "single and ready to mingle!" to "maybe I'm done mingling" so easily. This was a wonderful friends-to-lovers romance and I believed in their HEA. Heavy content warnings so if you need them, please skip to the bottom of my thought dump below.

I want to explain why I love sports, rock star and celebrity romances. I love them because I want to examine our cultural relationship to celebrity. Often in these types of romances, a very narrow view of masculinity is imposed upon the MMC, and is enforced by the public. I think romance novels help characters confront these stereotypes they may have accepted in their past but no longer want to be ruled by. Not all romances examine these issues and that's totally fine but I want to know the thought processes of people who find love with non-celebrity folks. I feel that Kristen Callihan excels at this examination. Often, her heroes have had fame or status thrust upon them and are at a point in their lives where the characters want more for themselves. What is it like to be considered public property and have the expectation that because something is free for your taking you should not turn it down? Be it sex, drugs or money - who could ever turn these things down if there were an endless supply? For me, as a reader, I want to know why these things no longer give pleasure to the hero or how does the hero really feel about themselves in regard to the excesses they are expected to indulge?

Possible spoilers for some examples:

For instance, there is a scene in The Hook Up (book one of this series) where Drew remembers staying in a hotel and a woman is sent to his room by an agent interested in signing him. This isn't exactly a fond memory, and he mentions how it was the first time he felt breasts that were enhanced. This wasn't a commentary on plastic surgery (bc there is nothing wrong with choosing to have plastic surgery) or sex work (bc sex work is work) but on a teenager being offered something society tells him he deserves even though he never asked for it and may not even want it.

Another scene, from Fall (book three in the Idol series), Jax has learned he contracted an STI orally. He is remembering who he may have contracted the STI from and how, at the time, he was having intercourse with the person but began to have intrusive thoughts that made it impossible for him to continue so he ended up performing oral on this person. Again, this wasn't a commentary on people who have STI's in fact the author does an amazing job explaining that STI's can happen to anyone, makes clear no one "deserves" an STI, everyone deserves compassionate care and there should be no stigma. Rather, the MMC was doing something he thought he is supposed to be doing because it's offered and expected, and because, as a celebrity, his body is not really his own.


In celebrity, thinness is currency, especially in white, hetero, cis couples. Simply existing in a larger or fat body can cause thin folks to meltdown. Kristen Callihan's works focus on MMCs being in the famous/privileged position and often conventionally attractive whereas the FMCs are either far outside that world or adjacent (famous parents but not famous themselves) and usually described as having bodies that are average. The FMCs are interesting, complicated and well-written characters. It is important to have average and plus-sized folks loved and thrive in romance. Sadly, I think sometimes that comes at a cost - if the FMC is average and other women in the orbit of the MMC are stunning - some authors make the choice to find ways to put down conventionally attractive people and that doesn't work for me. I find Kristen writes about the complexity of being the object of desire for a famous MMC while also being average or larger-bodied better than most. Her FMCs have insecurities, as all people do, but they often check their behavior when an insecurity manifests in jealousy. It's a good reminder to examine our own thoughts!

Anyway, I love sports/musician/celebrity romances for complicated reasons!

CW's: unplanned pregnancy, miscarriage, death of parent, cancer, body shaming ( )

Kristen Callihan is a must read author for me. I do not even read the book description before I purchase because I am so certain I will love anything she writes. Her stories are great but her characters are what really draw me in. The are totally realistic and also completely swoon worthy. I know when I read one of her books I will become totally obsessed with it. ( )

DNF @ 67%.



Luego de más de un mes tratando de terminar esto, infructuosamente —y aburrirme casi hasta la muerte en el intento—, ha llegado el momento de decir adiós. No importa cuanto lo intentara, nunca logré interesarme por los personajes ni por su historia. El romance no fluyó, la química entre ambos nunca existió, haciendo que inclusive las escenas sexys sean aburridas. Y seamos sinceros, sino puedes disfrutar ni siquiera las escenas más steamy, ¿de que sirve leer un NA?

“You are the happiness I never realized I needed.”

I’m so glad I gave this one a chance since I didn’t really like the first book. This one, though, was great! Right from the start I was hooked with the text conversations that were going on. Those were definitely fun to read about—I had a huge grin on my face while reading their witty banter. The chemistry between Gray and Ivy is palpable as soon as they meet. You would think that since they haven’t met face to face things would be awkward. Well, let me put your worries aside and let you know that these two characters have a very strong bond as soon as they meet for the first time. Their friendship is what any girl would look like to have with a guy. The reason being that Gray is always there for Ivy, even when she is sick. He was always there during her time of need, helping her with everything and anything. Ivy is a stubborn woman so Gray had his hands full but he didn’t care. He just loved being there for her and loved her company.

I’ve just officially met Ivy Mackenzie, and I realize I’ve missed her for what seems like years.

Gray has been a player for a long time. Apparently, it had been for so long that it started to bother Ivy a lot because Gray couldn’t see himself as a one woman kind of guy… That is, until he met Ivy. On this book, you get to see the vulnerable side of Gray that we hadn’t seen before and it will make you fall for him, if you haven’t already. I mean, the guy cooks! Anyways, I believe that Gray made Ivy a better person and made her realize what she really wanted out of life. He showed her the way to self-discovery and Ivy learned to own it.

Make me stop, Ivy. Be the one who makes it all stop.

The plot was interesting and kept me going until the very end. The Friend Zone focuses on friendship, family and the past—one that Gray isn’t ready to deal with yet. Sometimes people forget, me included, that these stories have these powerful messages or just powerful stories that one doesn’t forget easily. While a story can be fun, like this one, it will also have real life feelings and real life situations that will have it’s readers seeing themselves in these characters. These characters were real and got to be fully developed, in my opinion.

The romance was spectacular. It wasn’t insta-love! You hear that, guys? It wasn’t insta-love!! Let’s celebrate! *throws confetti* Anyway, there was an attraction that was built quickly but it was instantaneous. The romance was built very slowly and developed at a very realistic pace that readers will enjoy. When everything clicks into place, you will be so far gone into it [the romance] that will swoon at every detail.

“I’m crazy about you, Ivy. You have to know that. I’m so lost in you, I don’t ever want to find my way back.”

There were so many funny, laugh-out-loud moments in this story. There are comments that the characters make that will have you bursting with laughter. There’s a specific story that is told that will have you full on laughing, rolling on the floor, too. In case you’re interested, it is the Cheerio story! I honestly couldn’t stop laughing. This book put me in such a good mood while reading. If you are looking for a very funny and romantic story, then you have to read The Friend Zone!

“Seriously, Iv… You could climb him like Everest, make base camp at his cock, and tackle the rest in the morning.” ( )