If you’re a book girly like me, you’ve probably seen the name Haley Pham floating around your FYP or YouTube explore page for a while. Since 2022, she’s been sharing book content, producing everything from reviews to challenges, and, most recently, she’s been promoting her new book, Just Friends. For longtime viewers like me, this news was exciting and a little nerve-racking. I love watching Haley’s videos, but I couldn’t help feeling secondhand nerves about her releasing her first book so publicly. But, just like every other book, people have the right to their opinions, so here are a few of my thoughts on the new release!
Just Friends is a childhood friends-to-lovers/second-chance romance set in a fictional, idyllic town called Seabrook, California. The main character, Blair, has returned to Seabrook after hearing of the sudden decline and eventual loss of her great aunt, a woman who played a pivotal role in raising her. While at home, Blair runs into her high school best friend, turned ex-boyfriend, Declan, who is giving her nothing but a cold shoulder and a job at his coffee shop. Switching from the past and present, we learn how this relationship took such a drastic turn and follow Blair as she tries to navigate life after losing such an important woman in her life.
My Thoughts
After finishing this book, I felt a little underwhelmed. Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was pleasantly surprised by Pham’s writing, but I think there was so much untapped potential in the characters. And yes, the characters have backstories and have experienced grief and things that make life hard, but somehow, they were two-dimensional and just lacking, overall. It felt like Haley had such a deep understanding of the characters but didn’t translate it all the way onto the pages. Nothing stood out in the characters that I deeply resonated with or connected to, which made me feel from the book. In the past timeline, Blair and Declan’s transition from friends to lovers was almost instantaneous, and the foundation of their friendship felt underdeveloped, if not nonexistent. If we’re calling this a friends-to-lovers book, I would have loved to see more of the friends portion of their relationship rather than immediately jumping into interpreting mixed signals and flirty banter.
One thing I didn’t love about this book was how perfect and tied with a bow the resolution was. It solved every single one of Blair’s problems and added a cherry on top. This might sound a little insane, but I almost would have preferred it if Blair were still working through something internally, especially since this all takes place when she’s just 22 years old. I turn 21 in a few months, and while I would love for my life to fall into place as perfectly as Blair’s, I know it’s wildly unrealistic. I love a fairytale ending as much as the next girl, but frankly, this ending was so unsatisfying.
Throughout the whole book, Blair is working through her grief for her great aunt, but by the end, this element of the plot feels as though it has been brushed aside, with the primary focus becoming her relationship with Declan. There were times when I felt this subplot was trying to become a bigger part of the story, but it kept being overshadowed by the dual timelines and romance. There was so much potential here, but with all of the competing elements, none of them felt entirely fleshed out and fully executed.
For those of you wondering, I rated Just Friends three stars. I am a huge fan of Haley’s and believe she has so much potential as an author, but this was definitely her first book. If you watch a video of hers, it’s clear she is heavily inspired by Emily Henry and Mhari McFarlane, and it’s apparent in her writing. But I think this makes sense: these are authors she looks up to and aspires to be like, so of course she is going to take inspiration from them. However, she needs to find her own voice, which is something that can only be achieved through practice and experience, which is exactly what she’s doing.
So, no, this wasn’t my favorite read of the year, but I’m excited to see what Haley does in the future!