The Best Friend Bargain (Inked Love)

Crystal Kaswell wrote a sexy and fun story with “The Best Friend Bargain” and I couldn't put it down. The story flows smoothly and the romance feels real, and I love Ms. Kaswell storytelling which has me coming back for more. “The Best Friend Bargain is a sexy, hilarious story, with witty banter, fabulous characters, drama and romance. Crystal books are always fun to read, and incredibly hard to put down, so what are you waiting for, go grab your copy today and find out for yourself. You won’t be disappointed, I promise. Loved it and can’t wait to get my hands on the next book by this amazing author. Happy reading everyone!!

Another good book in the Inked universe. I was excited to see the story between Forrest and Skye since The Baby Bargain. It was everything you'd want in a friends to Lovers book and a fake relationship book (which is one of my fav plotlines). Forrest was moody and caring, while Skye was sassy but insecure, they had a fun relationship and great chemistry. Really enjoyed this.

I liked the story, enjoyed the plot and loved Forest and Skye together. The writing I wasn't dying about. I got confused with what people were saying to what they were thinking. The way people's nods or looks were described by either Skye or Forest. I was unsure if these were conversations happening in the background or what the person was thinking. Slow start but fast ending.

Forest and Skye have been best friends for a long time and both of them have a crush on the other person, but neither of them know. It isn't until Forest's ex (and Skye's cousin) calls to say she's getting married and wants to know if they'll come that Forest panics and tells his ex that him and Skye are now dating. Fake relationship trope is one of my favourites and this one was done really well. Everyone else could see how much they really liked each other and that both were living in denial. Skye is a curvy girl who is always comparing herself to the long line of skinny tall girls that Forest is either dating or screwing, so she isn't sure he'll ever like her enough because of her size. This was a really great book and promoted body confidence, dealt with heartbreak, meddlesome ex's and friendship.

Okay confession time - I read this book while I wasn't well. I didn't write a review as soon as I finished. And now I can't remember what I wanted to say about it. But I do remember this…. I read it in 24 hours and really really enjoyed this friend to lovers story. It has heaps of good stuff - plus size body positive FMC, tattooed MMC, amazingly funny support characters, fake dating with really great and funny banter. I am a little bit confused by the cover though because the FMC, Skye is described as a plus sized vintage goth princess with blunt short hair. The female drawing on the cover is definitely not that….. That doesn't take away from the story being good, but I do think it's odd. Anyway, that's just a side note. This was my first Crystal Kaswell and I will definitely be reading the rest of the series after meeting so many of the other books characters in the first story A lovely easy breezy book.

This was a good read I was hooked I hate that Mack messed with Skye and forest but I’m so glad that forest wised up to her tricks in the end they both deserved to be happy I love story’s about curvy women it warms my heart great writing

The heroine in this story has been in love with the hero for a very long time. For some reason the hero chooses to date her cousin first who then cheats on him leaving him heartbroken. The heroine is basically his second choice and the author never really deals with it or makes it seem otherwise. I just can't understand why he never noticed her and then all of a sudden he does. I wish I had never read it because its going to drive me crazy.

This is not the first Crystal Kassel book I have read but she is probably my favourite author of this trope. I like as she writes about people in their twenties, not just teens. Funny, with lots of pop culture references, and a plot that moves at a smooth pace.

In this Best Friends to Lovers story Forest & Skye make a deal to pretend to be a couple for the upcoming wedding of her cousin Mackenzie who’s also Forest’s ex. Being a real couple is something they’ve both secretly wanted but will they have the guts to really make that happen during their pretend relationship? There’s a continuous push-pull that goes on through their journey as both feel inadequate and unloveable, but will those insecurities keep them apart or can they find a way to move past it into the reality of what they really want. These characters can be frustrating & intense, but it makes the reader want to cheer for them to find love & happiness all the more. Skye is a plus size model/influencer with her blog and Forest thinks she’s beautiful and divine. It’s refreshing to have her body type in a current novel in such a positive way. Well done Crystal Kaswell with the inclusivity!!! A fun HEA read! And don’t forget the extended epilogue bonus scene.

SPOILER ALERT : Absolutely loved the plus size best friends to lovers between Sky & forest ! They’ve been friends for years and forest even dated sky’s cousin but she cheated on him and sky was always there so when sky asks forest to help her go as her date he got so excited and vise versa ! Would have loved a bit more information about the character but loved all the side character

I was in a slump for quite some time and came across this book by chance. As usual I got the book and the audiobook but let me tell you, I need to stop the audio because the book was that GOOD .. couldn’t put it down .. couldn’t stop fall in love. It was just so unexpected Hot and heart feeling. Can’t wait to start the next one and fall in love all over again. To the autor: you are amazing . Wow , just wow

The series of Inked Hearts was an absolute favorite of mine. So branching out to Inked Love, is exciting. I love these hot tattooed men located in my fabulous Southern California. These always touch on real issues with a perfect balance of perversion and things us Cali people love. Forest is dealing with something almost everyone has been through, getting your heartbroken and trusting yourself enough to move on and do it again. Skye is that friend-zoned girl in love with her best friend, while embracing her curves that are not always loved in Cali. The banter and care from their family and friends is a staple with these men and worth the whole book. Watching them embrace their friendship and it turn into more was great to read. I always wonder when an author claims the heroine is "curvy" are we talking Ashley Graham or Kate Upton? I think finding that perfect person for you shouldn't have a size. But I will say one thing about this book, those photo shoots were AMAZINGLY HOT!!!

Series: First book in a series of interconnected stand-alone books. Genre: Romance Tropes: Fake-dating, friends to lovers, next-door neighbours. POV: dual first person. Spice Rating: 2.5, a lot of talk about stuff, but not that much actual action. Forest (28 tattoo artist) and his best friend Skye (25/26 fashion influencer) strike a fake dating deal to make Forest’s cheating ex-girlfriend and Skye’s ex-cousin best friend jealous after she announces her upcoming wedding. Analysis Review: 3.9 stars Forest (MMC) has more character development than Skye (FMC), with the MMC’s character beginning as an extension of his break-up with his ex and ending more as his own person. The FMC, however, grows in terms of career but otherwise stays much the same. The conflict between the MMC and FMC is not miscommunication as much as it is a third-party building on the insecurities the two main characters already displayed. The plot runs like a lot of romance novels, but the writing style is short and sharp and focuses more on action than the main characters’ in-depth thoughts. The side characters had enough of their own plot I’m interested in the rest of the series, but not so much it takes away from the storyline of Forest and Skye. Escapism Review: 4 stars I always find romance novels easy to escape into, and this one was no different. I’ve read one of Crystal’s books before (the fourth book in this series), and I find the writing style different, but somewhat tedious, so it is a style I will read once and take a break from before coming back for more. Otherwise, the plot was easy to grasp, the characters and side characters were enjoyable and there was tangible conflict to latch onto, I found I didn’t have to try to get through the book, I just kept reading and didn’t stop until it was done. It’s something good to stop thinking to.