If you like 'friends to lovers' books, then Shirley Jump's "Simply the Best" should be on your must-read list. She's penned a tale of two best friends who are real people with real problems yet come to learn that the one they have always relied on turns out to be the one that will always be there.

Alexandra is tired of playing at relationships. She's 27 and it's time for her to grow up and be an adult. That means no more flings, she's looking for the real thing. But before she can look to the future, she'll have to come to terms with her past. The mother who bore her too young, the sister who died, and her fears of abandonment. Lucky for her, she's got her best friend Mack who's always been there for her.

Mack's best friend has always been Alex. He's been her protector, her listener, and her hero. She's stuck with him through good and bad and he can't imagine his life without her even though his disastrous and short-lived marriage made him realize the 'white picket fence' was not for him. So why is it that lately he's been having these 'feelings' for Alex? Hot, sweaty, lustful feelings? But also warm, sweet, and tender feelings? He knows she wants marriage, but since that's something he can't do, would it be better to try and quash these feelings?

I loved every minute of this book (and the cover ain't too bad either)! It's got sweetness and heat and trauma and healing. The characters will stay in your head and your heart after you finish their story. I can almost see them now--three kids playing in the backyard with two grandparents and one great-gran watching over them while Alex and Mack fight over the grill utensils. See? They're people I want to know and spend time with and I can't think of a better compliment for a writer's story. ( )