Friends Like Them (Redemption Ridge Book 4) by Aimee Nicole Walker

Friends Like Them is a low angst love story between two best friends who finally get what they've always wanted: Each other.

From the blurb:

Owen Doyle’s rough beginnings taught him not to form attachments, yet he’s drawn to Tyler Booth like a magnet. Their relationship has blossomed from strangers to the best friends, with each twist in the journey weaving their connection tighter. But Owen has a six-year secret that’s become unbearably painful to keep. As the seams of his resistance fray, Owen will lean into a new mentoring opportunity to keep from ruining the best thing in his life.  

Tyler will never regret going to jail and getting sober because meeting Owen saved his life and taught him how to trust again. Their inseparable bond has earned much teasing over the years, but Tyler doesn’t recognize himself without Owen. When he senses a yawning chasm between them, he’ll turn to mutual friends for help. Their well-meaning advice opens Tyler’s eyes to unexplored possibilities and will snap missing puzzle pieces into place.

Some hopes are too big to stifle, and some truths are too big to ignore. A photo booth, smoking-hot kisses, and honest revelations will take Owen and Tyler’s intimacy to a whole new level. But before they can achieve their happily ever after, they must unload the baggage from their pasts. Will the road to discovery guide them to the necessary healing, or are the guys destined for the highway to heartache?

Friends Like Them is book four in the Redemption Ridge series. Though each story features a different couple, reading the series in order is essential. Friends Like Them contains mature themes and is intended for adults.

Jacqueleen the Reading Queen's Review:

"𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍?"

Finally getting to read best friends Tyler and Owen's story made my heart incredibly happy. It's been obvious for a few books now that these two were absolutely meant to be. I mean they've been practically attached at the hip since they met, which includes their time served in jail. Where one goes the other follows and all that.

Owen, being a gay man in love with his best friend, has pretty much come to terms with his feelings being unrequited. He's happy to have Tyler in his life any way he can get him. However, that doesn't mean he hasn't held onto that tiny sliver of hope in his heart. The little bit that wishes for Tyler to see what they could be if only he opened himself to the possibility.

"𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎."

You would think after after all the years spent by his best friends side that Tyler may have had an inkling of his true feelings hidden beneath the surface. You would be thinking wrong. However, it didn't take much more than a frank discussion with people he trusted for Tyler to get hit with his feelings like a jab to the solar plexus. I honestly think that due to his strict upbringing it just never entered Tyler's mind that his intense feelings for Owen could mean something more than friendship. But let me tell you that did not last long once he finally opened his eyes to everything he could be with his ride or die.

"𝙼𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸'𝚖 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊 𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝙴𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚑 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞, 𝚜𝚘 𝚐𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚞𝚙 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚊𝚞𝚕."

The two men did have some past struggles that needed to be dealt with before they could have their HEA, but never once did either of them believe that the other wasn't it for them. I loved how fiercely they both held onto their love for one another. Knowing they had their forever person in their corner helped immensely when their minds would try to convince them that happily ever afters didn't happen for people like them. And of course it also helped they had their ranch family to lean on for support if they ever needed it.

I've really enjoyed the Redemption Ridge series and am sad to hear that the next book is going to be the last. As excited as I am for Rueben to finally bag his hunky sheriff, I can't help but wonder about Keegan. After everything he's been through, that sweetheart deserves an HEA of his own.

SNiK's Review:

Fourth in series (Redemption Ridge), really best if read in order. Best friends to lovers. Hurt/comfort. Dual POV. Tyler has an epiphany, he doesn’t just love his best friend, he’s in love with him, and he doesn’t want to wait one minute more to show him. Owen has been in love with Tyler almost since the first minute they met, but for six years he has held onto his hope, loving Tyler is what he wants to do forever. Once their feelings are shared Owen and Tyler are a hundred percent committed to each other and their lives further entwine as they go from friends and coworkers to lovers. I enjoyed that there is a slow build to their intimacy, that Owen and Tyler know each other so deeply, and that the friendship and caring easily becomes romantic for them. As always there are supportive secondary characters in this series, and some super steamy times between Owen and Tyler. I appreciated this swoony story that was low angst, showed the characters maturing and growing together, and that their trust and reliance on each other definitely could be seen as growing into a forever kind of love.

Friends Like Them is currently available as an e-book and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription