Just Friends

Rating:
Summary: Just Plain Fun
Review: 'JUST FRIENDS' is a timeless story about long time friends Freya and Jack who get more than they bargained for after Freya's lawyer boyfriend dumps her and she is forced to move in with Jack. The story moved at a slow paced in the beginning but once the bickering between Freya and Jack began so did the fun.

Freya and Jack have a hard time adjusting to life as roommates especially when Jack starts dating a much younger woman and Freya takes to answering personals ads but when Freya needs someone to accompany her to England and pose as her boyfriend for her "wicked" step-sisters wedding its Jack that she turns to. Once these two get to England things really begin to heat up and the story takes an unexpected twist that will have you scrambling to finish this book.

My only regret about 'JUST FRIENDS' is that the author did not, in my opinion, sufficiently develop the characters of Cat and Michael. I would have loved to see more interaction between those two but overall 'JUST FRIENDS' was a fun read and I would recommend it to anyone who likes romantic comedies. 5 Stars!

Rating:
Summary: Just about Perfect
Review: Freya and Jack have been friends for a long time. Sure they've had there ups and downs, like the time Jack had a crush on her, but they've made it through just fine.
Freya thought she was about to be proposed to, instead she was dumped. When she moves into Jack's place the drama starts to unfold.
Jack is a 30 something writer with one extremely well recieved book, that didn't get the buyers hopping. He is supported by his rich father and teaches classes at a local college. So what if Freya never returned his advances. He has a stream of girlfriends who all happen to be in his classes. They don't care that he can't write a decent sentence.
The book comes to it's climax when Jack and Freya go to England for her step-sisters wedding. The climax is heartbreaking and it forces the two to wonder if they could even remain friends.
I loved this book and almost everything about it. The only issue I have is the abrupt ending. However, it was definitely worth it to see Jack and Freya try to go from "just friends" to maybe something more.

Rating:
Summary: Just about Perfect
Review: Freya and Jack have been friends for a long time. Sure they've had there ups and downs, like the time Jack had a crush on her, but they've made it through just fine.
Freya thought she was about to be proposed to, instead she was dumped. When she moves into Jack's place the drama starts to unfold.
Jack is a 30 something writer with one extremely well recieved book, that didn't get the buyers hopping. He is supported by his rich father and teaches classes at a local college. So what if Freya never returned his advances. He has a stream of girlfriends who all happen to be in his classes. They don't care that he can't write a decent sentence.
The book comes to it's climax when Jack and Freya go to England for her step-sisters wedding. The climax is heartbreaking and it forces the two to wonder if they could even remain friends.
I loved this book and almost everything about it. The only issue I have is the abrupt ending. However, it was definitely worth it to see Jack and Freya try to go from "just friends" to maybe something more.

Rating:
Summary: So Charming
Review: I have been a big fan of chick lit since the Shopaholic series began. It's sort of my guilty pleasure. I also love pink dresses. So I am not ashamed to say that I purchased this book simply because of the pink dress on the cover.

Was I ever surprised! The book, while admittedly not containing the most complex plot, was definitely a step above chick lit. The characters were so well-developed, and I actually cared about them (as opposed to say, Cat's Meow, or even Diary of a Mad Bride, where the characters were amusing at best.)

Read it if you want a quick, highly entertaining story. PS- Jack is hot. I fell in love with him by the end.

Rating:
Summary: so-so
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It is well written and you learn a lot about what happens when people take others and situations for granted.

This is the story about Freya and what happens when her boyfriend "dumps" her on the night when she though she would be getting a ring. One thing leads to another and she ends up staying with her longtime friend Jack. (The writer)

The real issue is that Freya needs a date to her stepsisters (might I say wicked stepsister) wedding back in England. What happens when Jack decides to help her out and go as her date?

Also what happens when Freya starts to get annoyed with Jacks "teenyboppers from Planet Bubblegum" girlfriends?

Lets just say some of the misunderstandings are things that I have seen people do in real life and it is a GREAT story!

Rating:
Summary: Good but a different kind of fun.
Review: I was expecting a book that would be quintessential "chicklit." I didn't get that. I lked the book it was good, but it wasn't fun, it was a bit more dramatic and depressing but not that dismal. It was an unexpected surprise that wasn't unpleasant. It deserves four stars.

Rating:
Summary: Predictable
Review: If you like predicable books, then this one is for you. Not only is the setting highly unoriginal, but so are the cast of characters. There is Candence the young, blond girlfriend of Jack, the feminist best friend (Cat) who eventually falls in love after swearing off men, and Jack the long time male friend who is just a pal. The main character (Freya) is a thirty something British woman who eventually returns home to face her family. If you think this sounds familiar, it is. The book is quite descriptive, but almost to a fault. I found myself skimming and even skipping paragraphs. That being said, I did race through the end of the book as I was quite anxious to see how it all turned out....even though I already knew how it would end. If you haven't read any recent "romantic comedies" (think Ralph's Party, think Bridget Jones, think Watermelon) then this will seem new, and in that case, perhaps enjoyable.

Rating:
Summary: OK
Review: Robyn Sisman has a way for ending stories just when things start to get really romantic between the characters. I had a fun and interesting read, up until 'The End' which was the part i was dying to find out. I ended the book, with feeling dissatisfied. I wish she explained more on how the two main characters, Freya and Jack, confront each other on their true feelings for each other.
Still, i enjoyed reading the book. It's a fine book to read when you're stuck at home while it's raining outside. I loved the way she describes everything so vividly, making me feel as though i was part of the world 'they' lived in. Her way of writing made me feel that i was included in the plot, and at some point, i find myself murmuring 'Why the hell did you do that, jerk?!'or 'Come on, just DO IT!', as if i have a way to command these characters to do it MY way!
Although the fiery on-and-off attraction between Freya and Jack gets me motivated to flip the book till the end, i feel that the relationship between Michael, Freya's ex, and Cat, Freya's best friend, was even more interesting to read. They had more depth and passion in their relationship. It was much more complex and i certainly thought that, Robyn Sisman should just write a book about Michael and Cat.
Just Friends is the kind of book, that you just know how it's gonna end the minute you saw the cover, but you bought it anyway, because the cover was attractive and LOOKS FUN! But, if Robyn Sisman had wrote about Michael and Cat, yeah, it's gonna end ' happily ever after', but the journey would be filled with drama and so many emotions, like betrayal, guilt and desire.
For Just Friends, the journey was slow and sometimes, predictable, but i guess it's closer to real life, where romance is not really as exciting as you want it to be.
You'll meet characters that will disgust you, because they possess ill feelings that you don't want to be associated with , such as : jealousy and being materialistic. But, i agree that the main characters are not very lovable either, as the author reveals all of their strength and weaknesses, which is what makes them so real.
One Thing's For Sure : Guys and Girls Can't NEVER Be Just Friends. Why do you want to be his 'best friend' when you can be more than that?

Rating:
Summary: An Entertaining Tale
Review: This book is part of a category that I call "... literature" - books about single thirty-somethings in a big city trying to find love in all the wrong places. It's been done before, and there is nothing in this book that makes it any different from other ... literature.

The book centers around Freya, an English woman who is dumped by her boyfriend and moves in with her male best friend, Jack. The problem is, of course, they can't stand each other. I fail to see how they can be best friends if they can't stand each other, but whatever.

The chemistry between the two characters is lacking. They fight and make each other miserable - there is nothing in the prose, save the boring factual statements that plainly say so, to indicate that they're even friends! Supposedly he had tried to hook up with her once when he was drunk, and this makes her sour. But honestly, their interaction makes them seem more like strangers. A handful of flashbacks and explanations of their past doesn't make up for the poor style and plot.

Freya's breaking point comes when she is invited to her younger stepsister's gala-of-the-century wedding and has to bring Jack along, only for Jack to fool around with the bride-to-be. Freya gets mad because she had been having feelings for him. So she, of course, runs.

The ending, I must say, is cute, a semi-original ploy to get the two together. It was the only thing that saved this awful book.

I tried to like it. I really did, I gave it a chance. But I went through it waiting for that spark, for something to HAPPEN! I was disappointed. It was boring. Not funny. Not witty. Not action-packed. Not convincing. Just boring.

Rating:
Summary: Just Friends
Review: When I first picked up this book I wasn't sure whether I would be able to get through the entire thing without loosing interest. The synopsis wasn't entirely engaging, but I thought I would give it go.
Right away Sisman was able to capture my attention with, Freya the main character of the book. Her dynamic personality and realistic characterisics were believable and loveable. The author allowed me to be able to see into all of the characters heads arousing empathy within me for each of them. I recommend this novel.