The Friendship Study

by Ruby Barrett Narrated by André Santana, Meg Sylvan

Overview

"Barrett writes with tremendous care for anyone who has ever felt lonely."*-Rosie Danan, author of*The Roommate

Jesse Logan doesn't want a fresh start. He wants his old life back-before an injury made his career as a firefighter impossible, before his grandfather's Alzheimer's got so bad he doesn't recognize Jesse anymore.*When a friend tells him about a paid psychological study, Jesse sees it as a chance to get back to the man he was while making a little extra cash.

All Lulu Banks is asking for is a fresh start. Back home after a devastating breakup, she's struggling to find her place. She's always been a lot-too loud, too eager, too obvious about her feelings. The friendship study seems like a great idea...until she's paired with Jesse Logan, who recently ghosted her after a blind date that led to a steamy make-out session.

Now that old familiar tension is back. Despite the program's strict “no romance” rule, Jesse and Lulu are quick to find a work-around that allows them to explore their tenuous connection. And soon they're on their way to total self-improvement...

As long as they don't get caught.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

“Sexy, smart, and sizzling with romantic tension, The Friendship Study is a delight. Jesse and Lulu have my whole heart." —Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn't Care and Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail

"Reading a Ruby Barrett book is always like spending time with the dearest friend... I was so invested in Jesse and Lulu's journeys both together and as individuals." - Alicia Thompson, bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers


"Soft, sensual, and refreshingly bittersweet...This is the rare book that can both singe off your eyebrows and soothe a jagged piece of your soul." —Rosie Danan, author of The Roommate

“Barrett (The Romance Recipe) writes sensitively about the challenges Jesse and Lulu experience, along with wonderfully tender and sexy scenes… This fantastic friends-to-lovers romance, featuring a bisexual protagonist and an academic setting, offers heat and tenderness as Jesse and Lulu find love and belonging.” —Library Journal

Library Journal

01/01/2024

Jesse emerges from a car accident with a fractured leg and has to give up his firefighter job and rugby league, leaving him adrift and withdrawn. Worried about his best friend and ex-boyfriend, George decides it's time to meddle in Jesse's life and sets him up on a blind date with his university colleague Lulu. A cheating ex made her flee her job in England, and now she's working at her hometown university with her father, who helped her get the job. Facing resentment from her coworkers over this nepotism, Lulu is struggling to find her place. The date, regrettably, is awkward, and they don't plan on seeing each other again. But they both agree to join George's psychology study on adult friendships. Forced to spend time together, Jesse and Lulu find themselves truly becoming friends—and more. Barrett (The Romance Recipe) writes sensitively about the challenges Jesse and Lulu experience, along with wonderfully tender and sexy scenes. VERDICT This fantastic friends-to-lovers romance, featuring a bisexual protagonist and an academic setting, offers heat and tenderness as Jesse and Lulu find love and belonging.—Melissa DeWild

MARCH 2024 - AudioFile

André Santana and Meg Sylvan narrate this friends-to-lovers romance with compassion and full-throated emotion. Jesse was a firefighter, but now that a car crash has left him with an injury, he's uncertain about his future. Santana's thoughtful narration provides insight into Jesse's anxiety, quiet nature, and warmth. Lulu, a history professor, is living with her parents after a disastrous breakup. Sylvan's voice radiates Lulu's infectious enthusiasm and self-doubt. When the two characters enroll in a psychological study on making friends as adults, they quickly grow close and test the physical and emotional boundaries required of the study's subjects. Santana and Sylvan's narrations highlight the rich emotionality of the story as Lulu and Jesse find their way forward in this steamy romance. E.E.C. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940160619224
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/13/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged

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