Review: "Just Three Words" by Melissa Brayden (Soho Loft #2)

Note: This ARC was provided by Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

She looked over at the empty spot in the bed next to her, the one that mirrored the emptiness in her life. An emptiness she’d been quite comfortable with until now.

  She’d never wanted to give herself over to someone that way.

  And now she knew why.

  Because the last thing she wanted was to feel all this.

Samantha Ennis has always been a whiz when it comes to numbers, making her the obvious choice to be the accountant in the advertising and public relations firm that she co-owns with her three best friends. When it comes to love, however, she appears to be having trouble formulating a true love connection with the men or women she's with. The public betrayal and end of her most recent relationship has dealt a blow to Sam's self-confidence and now her roommate has announced she's decided to move out.

Hunter Blair has always had a reputation as a flirt and someone who easily attracts the attention of the people around her. She loves working with her three best friends and being able to get her creative juice flowing with each project they get. When her best friend Sam Ennis appears to be in need of a new roommate and Hunter and her dog Elvis just happen to be ready to move out of their apartment, Hunter decides to come up with a solution that works for all of them, much to everyone's satisfaction.

Living together under one roof may require a few adjustments to be made, but both Sam and Hunter are enjoying the new arrangements. In the process, they get to know one another even better, sharing things about themselves the other never knew. When Hunter confesses that she had a year-long crush on Sam when they were in college, Sam is stunned. That one little confession leads both of them to start seeing each other in a new light, but are either of them willing to risk their friendship for much more?

Just Three Words is the second book in the Soho Loft series by one of my favorite authors, Melissa Brayden. I've read every book she's ever written and I have yet to be disappointed by anything Melissa Brayden churns out. The series is about four best friends who own a boutique advertising and the stories of how love finds each one of them. For this second installment, we have Sam and Hunter, with Sam being an expert number cruncher and Hunter a creative genius when it comes to visuals and imagery.

Friends to lovers stories are a favorite of mine because it's always interesting to see how the main characters try to navigate their way while deciding if they should cross the line between friendship and love, though it sometimes starts off as being between friendship and lust. In the case of Sam and Hunter, not only are they best friends but they work together and if any sort of romantic or sexual relationship between them fails, their professional relationship will, no doubt, be affected by the break-up.

I liked both Sam and Hunter because they were two distinct personalities but they shared such an affection and respect for one another. The hesitation to pursue something more beyond friendship was perfectly understandable but when they did finally get together as a couple, there was this sweetness mixed in with the sexual chemistry that was sigh-worthy and in a totally good way! I can sum up my reading experience with Just Three Words in exactly the same number of words: I. LOVED. IT! Five-plus stars! ♥

Release Date: 20 April 2015

Date Read: 16 April 2015

Learn more about Melissa Brayden here.

Pre-order Just Three Words on Amazon | B&N | Kobo.

Check out my review on the first book in the Soho Loft series:
Kiss the Girl - 4.5 stars