This friends-to-lovers tale is the second in a series, but can be read as a standalone. 
 Ava has been in love with Sam since childhood, since she discovered him lonely and thin, hiding near her backyard and she and her brother Ford brought him home. Sam became a regular fixture in Ava's life, long before she knew of his absent mother and abusive father, and his eventual (pseudo) adoption by her parents. 
 Sam has been Ava's protector since childhood, and his best friend, too. He's never had any serious relationships with women, well, excepting the close comfort of his extreme friendship with Ava. They hang out a lot, and even when he chases a random hook-up, it's Ava's cozy couch on which he reclines, watching movies in her apartment directly above his own. 
 Sam accompanies Ava to a work function as her "boyfriend" in order to keep an unwanted suitor at bay, but everything short-circuits when their charade goes too far. A kiss, then a grope, then a mad dash back to her place for the one thing they'd denied for two decades--physicality. 
 Ava knows she loves Sam, and she's too weak to resist the opportunity to have one night with him. Trouble is, one night isn't enough--for either of them. Sam wants more of the intimacy he'd never felt with his random hook-ups, and Ava struggles with her desire for Sam, and more than the physical release he can give her. Plus, each of them know they need to keep this FWB-thing secret from their close cadre of friends... 
 Still, they connect again and again, and it's Ava who finally calls it quits. She's too overwhelmed loving completely a man who doesn't quite love her THAT way. She makes the decision to put serious space between them, hoping that distance = separation, but she's miserable, and Sam's a mess. Expect unannounced reunions, unwelcome career moves, angry sex, epic declarations, heartbreak, puppies, and an HEA that wet my eyes and spilled a few tears. For real. 
 The sexytimes are delicious, and Ava and Sam felt so real in their world. I liked their friends and family, and can see this is a series I'd continue reading. The book is self-contained, no cliffhangers just a story I breezed through so quickly I was surprised, and a little deflated, when the end came...I wanted more time with these new imaginary friends! Looks like there will be another book in the series, though I expect it will be the story of another couple. Still, I'm sure Ava and Sam will have cameos. Yay!