The Friend Zone Experiment is a story about family and love. About realizing we can try so hard for approval, for love, and still fall short. And then what do we do? Keep reading this book review of The Friend Zone Experiment for my full thoughts.
Summary
But Renee is lonely. Estranged from her family in Singapore, she practically lives at the office, and now she’s just been dumped by her supposed boyfriend. Who she never saw anyway, so why is she ruining her Instagram-ready makeup by crying?
Before she can curl up on the couch with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, Renee’s father calls. He’s retiring, and, thanks to the screw-ups of her wastrel brothers, he is considering her as the next CEO of the family Chahaya Group, one of the largest conglomerates in Southeast Asia. That stamp of her father’s approval would mean everything to Renee, but can she cooperate with the brothers who drove her out of Singapore?
But fate isn’t done with her. That same night, Renee bumps into her first love, Yap Ket Siong, who broke her heart during university. They spend a wonderful night together, but Ket Siong is pursuing a dangerous vengeance for his family. In the light of day is there any hope for the two of them?
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
I instantly liked Renee. I loved her business savvy, how she has built up her brand, and her cleverness. And while this is definitely a second chance romance, I was drawn to Renee’s struggles with her family. How we can be so desperate for someone to change, to see us, accept us. And how when a chance is dangled before our eyes, we can jump on it. Convince ourselves it will change. But how we have to ask ourselves about whether or not people have it in them to change. Sometimes the answer is we don’t know. Or not yet.
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The Friend Zone is steeped in the past. At the beginning, these jumps were a bit confusing since we didn’t know Renee or Ket Siong enough. But once we got a better sense, I appreciated that they allowed us to see the differences. The ways their first attempt, those first feelings, crumbled. All the ways that things can go wrong, the misconceptions, and the lost chances. While I felt the ending tied up a bit too quickly considering the intrigue, The Friend Zone Experiment is a solid romance read.
It’s about creating our own path. About choosing the ways we want to act, who we want to become, what our own future could be. Find The Friend Zone Experiment on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.