A grumpy, rich recluse meets his match in this steamy Beauty and the Beast retelling—with a Succession twist. Fans of fairy tale adaptations, and readers of Julie Murphy and Falon Ballard, will adore Mae Bennett’s debut romance.
Bellamy Price has just been offered the job of a lifetime: lead contractor on the restoration of the mysterious and sprawling Killington Estate. If she meets the owner’s ridiculous timeline, she’ll finally make a name for herself in this male-dominated industry. But when she rolls up her sleeves, slips on her suspenders, and shows up at the crumbling mansion, Bellamy finds the estate very much occupied.
After a traumatic car accident that left his parents dead and himself injured, Oliver Killington, heir to the Killington empire, took up residence as the grumpy caretaker of his grandfather’s mansion. None too pleased by the presence of the hammer-wielding woman who’s moved into his house, Oliver tries to block her at every turn.
But when Bellamy discovers Oliver’s facing his own ultimatum from his grandfather, the two form a cautious truce, which leads to flying sparks that are definitely not from faulty wiring. As Bellamy restores the gleam to the Killington Estate, she’ll have to decide if the walls she’s built around herself are worth knocking down to make space for someone else.
Perfect for fans of Tessa Bailey, this clever, steamy debut novel will have readers rooting for this Beauty and her Beast until the very last page.
Genre: Romance
Bellamy Price has just been offered the job of a lifetime: lead contractor on the restoration of the mysterious and sprawling Killington Estate. If she meets the owner’s ridiculous timeline, she’ll finally make a name for herself in this male-dominated industry. But when she rolls up her sleeves, slips on her suspenders, and shows up at the crumbling mansion, Bellamy finds the estate very much occupied.
After a traumatic car accident that left his parents dead and himself injured, Oliver Killington, heir to the Killington empire, took up residence as the grumpy caretaker of his grandfather’s mansion. None too pleased by the presence of the hammer-wielding woman who’s moved into his house, Oliver tries to block her at every turn.
But when Bellamy discovers Oliver’s facing his own ultimatum from his grandfather, the two form a cautious truce, which leads to flying sparks that are definitely not from faulty wiring. As Bellamy restores the gleam to the Killington Estate, she’ll have to decide if the walls she’s built around herself are worth knocking down to make space for someone else.
Perfect for fans of Tessa Bailey, this clever, steamy debut novel will have readers rooting for this Beauty and her Beast until the very last page.
Genre: Romance
Praise for this book
"Barely Even Friends absolutely delights with a steamy debut that ramps up the tension right from the beginning . . . Bennett has taken a classic romance tale and made it her own." - Ruby Barrett
"Deliciously spicy, comforting and heartfelt, Barely Even Friends is the utterly charming Beauty and the Beast retelling I've been waiting for and now I'm a fan of Mae's for life!" - Nadia El-Fassi
"Bennett brings warmth, humor, and joy to this delightful romance. With a debut like this, she is one to watch in the future. I smiled so hard that by the end of the book my face hurt!!" - Elizabeth Everett
"A fun, sexy twist on a tale as old as time--filled with loveable, diverse characters and that delicious friction that only grumpy/sunshine can bring, this book is everything I could have ever wanted in a modern retelling." - Lana Ferguson
"The adult Beauty and the Beast retelling of my dreams! Fresh, creative, and sexy as hell, Mae Bennett spins a classic into a modern bookshelf staple." - Courtney Kae
"A delightful tribute to romance in so many ways: trope-filled and steamy, vulnerable and swoony. But most of all, it is fun, a Beauty & the Beast retelling that adds the kind of quirkiness to a classic tale that only a romance novel can." - Anita Kelly
"With a fresh spin on a tale as old as time, Barely Even Friends is the sexy, bantery contemporary retelling of my dreams. An incredible debut full of heat and heart and delicious enemies-to-lovers energy!" - Naina Kumar
"With big-hearted characters you can't help but root for, Bennett's debut is both modern and fresh yet still hits all the classic notes to perfection." - Amy Lea
"Steamy, cozy, and hopeful, this is the perfect modern Beauty and the Beast retelling I've been waiting for!" - Chloe Liese
"Barely Even Friends delivers the PROMISE OF THE PREMISE of a horny Beauty & the Beast retelling . . . There was such a beautiful theme of finding home not only in a place but with another person, and Mae Bennett made me fall for Oliver and Bellamy as they discovered that in each other." - Alicia Thompson
"A delightful modern spin on Beauty and the Beast in this steamy, funny, and completely enchanting debut." - Ava Wilder
"Deliciously spicy, comforting and heartfelt, Barely Even Friends is the utterly charming Beauty and the Beast retelling I've been waiting for and now I'm a fan of Mae's for life!" - Nadia El-Fassi
"Bennett brings warmth, humor, and joy to this delightful romance. With a debut like this, she is one to watch in the future. I smiled so hard that by the end of the book my face hurt!!" - Elizabeth Everett
"A fun, sexy twist on a tale as old as time--filled with loveable, diverse characters and that delicious friction that only grumpy/sunshine can bring, this book is everything I could have ever wanted in a modern retelling." - Lana Ferguson
"The adult Beauty and the Beast retelling of my dreams! Fresh, creative, and sexy as hell, Mae Bennett spins a classic into a modern bookshelf staple." - Courtney Kae
"A delightful tribute to romance in so many ways: trope-filled and steamy, vulnerable and swoony. But most of all, it is fun, a Beauty & the Beast retelling that adds the kind of quirkiness to a classic tale that only a romance novel can." - Anita Kelly
"With a fresh spin on a tale as old as time, Barely Even Friends is the sexy, bantery contemporary retelling of my dreams. An incredible debut full of heat and heart and delicious enemies-to-lovers energy!" - Naina Kumar
"With big-hearted characters you can't help but root for, Bennett's debut is both modern and fresh yet still hits all the classic notes to perfection." - Amy Lea
"Steamy, cozy, and hopeful, this is the perfect modern Beauty and the Beast retelling I've been waiting for!" - Chloe Liese
"Barely Even Friends delivers the PROMISE OF THE PREMISE of a horny Beauty & the Beast retelling . . . There was such a beautiful theme of finding home not only in a place but with another person, and Mae Bennett made me fall for Oliver and Bellamy as they discovered that in each other." - Alicia Thompson
"A delightful modern spin on Beauty and the Beast in this steamy, funny, and completely enchanting debut." - Ava Wilder
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