SUMMARY
I can’t borrow him.
He’s not a sweater or a skirt.
He’s not even her favorite dress—the lucky one she wears on first dates. The one she probably wore on her first date with him.
In my defense, I didn’t know who he was. To me, he was a cool, calm, confident stranger. He was perfection for the entire hour and a half train ride while the concrete jungle turned into a rolling green landscape.
To an outsider, we probably appeared more friends than hopeful lovers. But my blush came quickly, and his dimples indented with every smile. We definitely shared a spark of what could be.
Too bad I didn’t know who he was before I fell for him, because he can’t be mine.
Image and summary from Goodreads.
REVIEW
After reading a few Piper Rayne books recently, I found myself wanting more of her writing, so I decided to pick up My Bestie’s Ex through Kindle Unlimited. I’ve really come to enjoy how easy her books are to read and they’re the kind of romances I can happily fly through over a couple of evenings.
Overall, I had a good time with this one, but it didn’t quite become a standout read for me.
One thing Piper Rayne consistently does well is creating characters that are easy to like and that was definitely the case here. I really enjoyed both Blanca and Ethan. They had a natural chemistry together and I liked how comfortable they felt around one another. Their conversations flowed well and I found myself rooting for them to figure things out.
The premise immediately caught my attention too. I always enjoy romances that involve a little bit of drama or complicated relationships, so the idea of falling for your best friend’s ex sounded like it would create plenty of tension. I went into this expecting a romance that would really make me question whether they should or shouldn’t be together.
But honestly… it never really felt forbidden.
I kept waiting for that big emotional conflict that would make me understand why this relationship was such a huge deal, but I never fully bought into it. Ethan and Sierra had already broken up and from my perspective, it was pretty clear that their relationship simply hadn’t worked. Because of that, I found myself thinking that Sierra just needed to accept it and move on. It was difficult for me to fully invest in the “forbidden” aspect of the romance when I didn’t feel like either Blanca or Ethan had really done anything wrong.
That also meant some of the conflict didn’t have quite the emotional impact I think it was supposed to. Instead of feeling tense, I was mostly thinking, “Surely everyone can just have an honest conversation and sort this out?”
I also found parts of the book a little slower than I expected. There were sections where not a lot seemed to happen and I caught myself wanting the story to move forward a little faster. It wasn’t enough to stop me reading in fact, I still finished it fairly quickly but there were definitely moments where my attention drifted.
Even with those criticisms, I still enjoyed the overall reading experience. Piper Rayne has a writing style that’s incredibly easy to fall into, and that’s one of the reasons I keep coming back to her books. They have a nice balance of humour, romance and heart and they’re perfect when I’m looking for something entertaining that doesn’t require too much emotional investment.
Overall, My Bestie’s Ex was an enjoyable romance with two characters I genuinely liked spending time with. While the story didn’t completely deliver on the “forbidden romance” angle for me, I still had fun watching Blanca and Ethan’s relationship develop and was happy to spend a few evenings with them.
This was a solid 3 star read for me. It wasn’t my favourite Piper Rayne book so far, but it definitely hasn’t put me off reading more from her. If anything, it’s made me even more curious to continue exploring her backlist, because I really do enjoy her writing style.
-Rachelle
I’m on Instagram at @rachellesbookshelf
