Cole and Laila Are Just Friends by Bethany Turner

About the Book

Title: Cole and Laila Are Just Friends
Author: Bethany Turner
Genre: Clean & Wholesome Romantic Comedy
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: June 4, 2024

Cole and Laila have been inseparable since they could crawl. And they’ve never thought about each other that way. Except for when they have. Rarely. Once in a while, sure. But seriously . . . hardly ever.

Cole Kimball and Laila Olivet have been best friends their entire lives. Cole is the only person (apart from blood relatives) who’s seen Laila in her oversized, pink, plastic, Sophia Loren glasses. Laila is always the first person to taste test any new dish Cole creates in his family’s restaurant . . . even though she has the refined palate of a kindergartener. Most importantly, Cole and Laila are always talking. About everything.

When Cole discovers a betrayal from his recently deceased grandfather that shatters his world, staying in Adelaide Springs, Colorado, is suddenly unfathomable. But Laila loves her life in their small mountain town and can’t imagine ever living anywhere else. She loves serving customers who tip her with a dozen fresh eggs. She loves living within walking distance of all her favorite people. And she’s very much not okay with the idea of not being able to walk to her very favorite person.

Still, when Cole toys with moving across the country to New York City, she decides to support her best friend–even as she secretly hopes she can convince him to stay home. And not just for his killer chocolate chip pancakes. Because she loves him. As a friend. Just as a friend. Right?

They make a deal: Laila won’t beg him to stay, and Cole won’t try to convince her to come with him. They have one week in New York before their lives change forever, and all they have to do is enjoy their time together and pretend none of this is happening. But it’s tough to ignore the very inconvenient feelings blooming out of nowhere. In both of them. And these potentially friendship-destroying feelings, once out in the open, have absolutely no take-backs.

If When Harry Met Sally had a quippy literary love child with Gilmore Girls’ Luke and Lorelai, you’d get Cole and Laila. Just . . . don’t tell them that.

Author’s Note: Cole and Laila are best friends who slow-burn (like, for nearly forty years, so…SLOW) toward love and yet never see it coming in this low-spice/clean, laugh-out-loud friends-to-lovers rom-com. All it takes is the threat of being separated, a trip to NYC, one night in one bed, a fake blind date for the ages, and a little dancing on a penthouse rooftop for the slow-burn to finally, finally ignite.

Grab your copy here!

About the Author

Bethany Turner has been writing since the second grade, when she won her first writing award for explaining why, if she could have lunch with any person throughout history, she would choose John Stamos. She stands by this decision. Bethany now writes pop culture–infused rom-coms for a new generation of readers who crave fiction that tackles the thorny issues of life with humor and insight. She lives in Southwest Colorado with her husband, whom she met in the nineties in a chat room called Disco Inferno. As sketchy as it sounds, it worked out pretty well in this case, and they are the proud parents of two grown sons. Connect with Bethany at seebethanywrite.com or across social media @seebethanywrite, where she clings to the eternal dream that John Stamos will someday send her a friend request.

My Review

Cole and Laila Are Just Friends
by Bethany Turner
Rating: 4.5/5

There’s something so comforting in picking up a book by Bethany Turner. She has a God-given ability to weave together a story that is both heartfelt, humorous and oh so timely. As someone who is about to turn 40 years old I loved her focus on older adults falling in love. The book is a huge love letter to NYC and all of the great rom-coms that have gone before it. I thoroughly enjoyed every Easter egg that I recognized but I’m sure I didn’t understand all of them despite my vast rom-com repertoire. LOL. The characters are so endearing and as a reader you expect a happy ending but you have no idea how it’s going to come about. If you’re like me, you will theorize how they can end up together but somehow, I did not guess the ending and I thoroughly enjoyed uncovering what was happening next. These book is easily one of my top three favorites from the author! I also believe the experience was enhanced by listening to the audiobook that was brilliantly performed.

Highly recommend this book (and audiobook) that brings friends-to-lovers in a clean, rom-com tribute that will having you laughing and crying and everything in-between! As I read I kept thinking of a quote I’d heard before and I really can’t place: “Love is friendship set on fire”.