ARC Review: Gouda Friends by Cathy Yardley

Nerd Herd BFF's Tam and Josh, have always turned to each other for support, guidance and above all else, love. But a particularly rough patch sees Tam uprooting from her (admittedly disastrous) life and career in NYC to lick her wounds and start over in the safety net of Josh's heart (and home).

---

Tam and Josh are so fantastic. The banter. The chemistry. The hugs and snuggles. The cheese (literal). The cheese (puns). It had my heart full and smiling the entire read. I loved the way Tam is written, she feels so real and relatable. The struggle of losing yourself in other people and relationships will land with a lot of readers, including the heartbreaking struggle of just not knowing what your "bliss" may be. Including the shame of trying to quickly figure it out, without being a bother to anyone else.

I really enjoyed the Nerd Herd and the found family vibes. The way they adapted to (and welcomed) Tam’s return to SoCal (and the support she needed and got), really resonated. It’s sweet in the way a lot of friends to lover books are, and I absolutely loved the way Josh loves her. Without conditions. So fully.

Seeing them move from the best of friends, to - woah am I the only one feeling this attraction - to - well we need to sex this out of our system(s) is frankly DELICIOUS. The angst, tension and feelings we experience in the quiet spaces of the inner monologues of Tam and Josh, will connect with a lot of readers, and have you just rooting (the ever loving sh*t) for these two.

Be prepared to laugh, dreamily sigh, blush and cry. This one has it all.

(Also all the food in this book will make you ravenous. Best read with a charcuterie board within arms reach. 😍🧀)