Not Here to Make Friends: A sizzling frenemies-to-lovers rom-com

Written by Jodi McAlister

Narrated by Matty Morris and Aileen Huynh

She’s the reality TV villain everyone will love to hate. He’s the producer tasked with making it happen. What could go wrong? A hilarious, heartfelt rom-com for fans of The Unhoneymooners.

‘A full-on villain romance, with all the lying, scheming and blazingly tumultuous sex you could hope for.’ New York Times

Reality TV producer Murray O’Connell is the showrunner for reality dating show Marry Me, Juliet, and that means he’s the boss: he controls the cast, the crew and the story. Until Lily Fireball turns up.

Lily is everything viewers love to watch: she’s feisty, dramatic, and never backs down from a fight. Her villain narrative should be easy to pull off, but Murray keeps getting in her way. Because before she was Lily Fireball, she was Lily Ong – Murray's best friend, and he's determined to stop her blowing up her life on television.

As the season unfolds, Lily and Murray go head to head. Lily just wants to have some fun with her role, and Murray just wants to film the show he planned. Why won't she listen to him? And why can't Murray focus on the job, instead of the woman he thought was just a friend?

‘The best friends to lovers book I've read in a long while, maybe ever … A perfect finale to the bingeworthy Marry Me, Juliet series.’ Karina May, author of Duck à l'Orange for Breakfast and Never Ever Forever

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia
• Release date: Jan 2, 2024
• ISBN: 9781761109362

Jodi McAlister

Jodi McAlister, PhD, is an author and academic from Kiama, Australia. Her academic work focuses on the history of love, sex, women and girls, popular culture, and fiction. It means that reading romance novels and watching The Bachelor is technically work for her. She is currently a aenior lecturer in writing, literature, and culture at Deakin University in Melbourne. For more, visit JodiMcAlister.com.au.