When I started reading Just Friends, I knew that I’d never read a book by Saxon James before. But as I continued to read, something about the writing seemed very familiar (I’m not sure that’s ever happened to me before). I was really loving this book but I continued to be a little puzzled by my feeling. Then I found out that Saxon James also writes YA books under the pen name S.M. James and a light bulb went off! 😊

Back in February I read my first two S.M. James books and I loved them. I was happy to have that puzzle solved and also very happy to find out that I loved this book as much as I loved the S.M. James ones. Just Friends is a New Adult book, rather than a YA one, so it’s a bit spicier but I like books of all flavors and heat levels.

The story engaged me right from the start. Friends-to-lovers is probably my favorite romance trope, with second chance stories coming in at a close second. Just Friends hit on both tropes although the second chance wasn’t exactly a second chance at romance. There was no prior romance, just an unrequited love that one of the MCs had for the other. I also love out-for-you books and this one is really great.

This story has all kinds of good feels going on. The writing was smooth and the pace was great. As I read the book, I felt everything as deeply as the characters did. Roo has returned to the U.S. from Australia to finally tell Tanner how he feels about him so he can have closure and leave again. Tanner is overjoyed to have his Roo back with him. He’s never felt anything unusual about their close relationship even while others have tried to make something of it.

This is a romance so it’s no spoiler that they will end up together but the journey that Saxon James takes them on is one that I won’t forget for a while. I loved everything about this book and look forward to reading more in this series.

Reviews for Saxon James

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“Tell me something I don’t know about you,” Roo blurts out.My eyebrows jump up. “Ah, like what?”“I don’t know. That’s the point of the question.”

Huh, I guess it is. I frown at the ripples in the water as I try to think of something—anything—Roo might not know about me. “I …” What? Where the hell was I going with that? “I don’t think there’s anything you don’t know.”

“Nothing?”

“Not off the top of my head. What about you?”

He bites his freckled lip as he thinks. “I’m sure there’s probably a lot. Out of curiosity, is there anything I could tell you that would make you hate me?”

I scoff. “Never.”

“What about if I hurt animals for fun?”

The hypothetical takes me a second. “Yeah, okay, that would be a deal breaker.”

“Or if I was an arsonist?”

I shake my head. “But you’re not those things.”

“I’m not. But like you said, things are different. Maybe there are things about me you wouldn’t like.”

And out of all the hypotheticals in the world, those are a steaming pile of stupid. “Nah, because no matter how much you’ve changed, you’re still a good person. So I don’t think anything would make me walk away.”

His expression is full of skepticism. “Remember you said that.”

“Should I be worried?”

“I don’t think so.” But he doesn’t look happy.

And Roo being unhappy is unacceptable. Deciding the conversation is over, I grab the hand resting on my shoulder and tug him until he’s behind me, before grabbing his other hand and locking his arms around my neck.

“Tanner, what are you—”

Holding his wrists with one hand, I dive, submerging us again, but this time I don’t let him go. If swimming gets him out of breath, then I’ll make things easy for him, because that’s what I do.

We spend another hour there, Roo holding on as I swim up and down the pool. We toss remember whens back and forth, and his voice in my ear reminds me of old times. Of falling asleep listening to his fierce rants about the world. Or his jokes. Or his plans for the future.