Lynn
Written on Feb 27, 2016
Valerie Barkin is a Flautist with Philadelphia Philharmonic Orchestra. Alec Rogers is the front man for the rock band Chronic Disharmony. They've been friends since their time at Kenmore High, keeping in touch via email, phone and FaceTime. A ten-year high school reunion brings them face to face again for a weekend that will change their lives!
Al and Val, as they were referred to at Kenmore, were always together. To outsiders they look like a misfit pair, but their mutual love of music and time spent in the school band firmly cemented their friendship. After graduation, Alec wanted Val to go with him to New York to start a new life, but she said no! Remarkably, they remained friends.
Fast-forward ten years to Al and Val's school reunion. They haven't seen each other in person since that fateful day. They meet up at the airport and make their way to their weekend venue together…late because Alec is rather tardy! On arrival, the pair is coaxed into joining the shenanigans... a drunken game of Seven Minutes in Heaven which stirs up so much lust and long-buried emotions in our protagonists!
My thoughts. Some of the sexy dialogue is a little strange( Alec has an interesting turn of phrase) and the supporting characters are a school reunion cliché...the class bully, the control freak, the popular kids etc… The plot is formulaic. Alec Rogers is supposed to be a rock god, but his appearance at his class reunion is surprisingly understated especially when his face adorns the cover of the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine. I expected more fawning from his former female classmates, rather than their presumptive opinion that Al and Val were a couple. Yet, I kept turning the pages and enjoyed Best Friends With Benefits as a quick, light-hearted read because sometimes tried and tested is just what you need. I believe there is a book to suit any mood, so if you are looking for something fun and frivolous, Best Friends With Benefits is well worth a try.
3.5 stars
***arc generously received courtesy of Entangled Publishing via NetGalley***