Someone Like You by Sandy Barker

Title: Someone Like You (Ever After Agency #4)

Author: Sandy Barker

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★★★★★

Source: Rachel’s Random Resources/Netgalley

Blurb: What do you do when you realise you’ve fallen for your best friend, but he sees you as the sister he never had? And to make things worse, you’re stuck in the middle of a matchmaking scheme to find him someone else!

Best friends Gaby and Raff are inseparable and know each other inside out. But with Raff’s string of disastrous relationships and his newfound fame as Britain’s Best Baker, it’s time to enlist the Ever After Agency to help him find true love.

At first, Gaby is all in – Raff is a catch, after all. But as she secretly helps to find his perfect match, she’s hit with unexpected pangs of jealousy. And before she can act on her feelings, Raff falls for one of his dates.

Can Gaby keep her emotions in check, or will she risk ruining their friendship to find out if Raff feels the same way?

Review: The first three stories in the Ever After Agency series are delightful, cosy hugs-in-books, and Someone Like You is no exception! The ultimate of friends-to-lovers, the story is told from the POV of matchmaker Poppy, but follows Gaby as she tries to set her best friend Rafe up with the perfect woman… only to realise her feelings for him to beyond friendship.

Gaby had her heart broken years ago and finds friendships far easier to navigate than romances. She very much buys into the “once bitten, twice shy” trope. After her moment of truth, she hesitates about telling Raff – after all, he is her best friend. What if he doesn’t feel the same way? What if she ruins their friendship?

Raff has just won Britain’s Best Baker. He falls in love easily, but his relationships never last. He has a habit of calling his girlfriends pet names and the first indication that he might feel more for Gaby is that he calls her “Gabs”.

Everyone around Gaby and Raff can see how perfect they are for each other. This is where a lot of the comedy comes from, but it’s always gentle and never pokes fun at the couple. There are nudges in the right direction but it still takes a while for them to admit the truth.

To be warned that Someone Like You is a slooow burn. I absolutely love this trope, but if you’re wanting insta-love and mad passion then this isn’t the story for you. If you like a slow burn, you’ll be in your element.

It’s also perfect for lovers of Christmas romances. Set between London and Seattle, it’s full of seasonal cheer, with found families, cosy settings and feel-good vibes. For me, this was a perfect Christmassy read and I await Ms Barker’s next instalment!