Review: Anything for You

Anything for You
Sarah Mayberry
Contemporary Romance
Harlequin/September 2006
Library book

From the author's website ~

Since when was his best friend this hot? The world according to Sam Kirk has just turned upside down. His best friend and business partner, Delaney Michaels, has returned from vacation a new woman... a gorgeous, hot new woman.

Suddenly Sam is thinking entirely inappropriate thoughts about his buddy. Worse, with Delaney's changed look, she's abandoning their friendship in pursuit of the picket-fence dream. It's a nightmare come true.

Then one night finds them tangling in the sheets. It should feel wrong, wrong, wrong... instead, it feels very right. And now Sam knows exactly what he'd do to keep his best friend: absolutely anything.

I love a friends to lovers trope and when Sarah Mayberry does it, I can't resist! Anything for You was a sweet story about what happens when one friends decides they want more out of the friendship then what the other is willing to give. Sam and Delaney are the best of friends but Delaney needs more. Mayberry really did a great job on bringing both of these characters alive and getting their feelings across. Lots of different emotions within this story. Many ups and downs for both characters.

Change is scary and it's even scarier when the change you're undertaking is venturing into the unknown. That's what Delaney does when she decides to make some huge changes in her life. She's leaving her job, her home and even gets a complete makeover. Sam, on the other hand, isn't a fan of change. He's thrown for a loop when Delaney announces that she's leaving the company they built together. He tries to change her mind with logic, persuasion and even begging.

I felt for both of these characters. Sam was so clueless at times and I wanted to just whisper in his ear "she loves you, you idiot". But that's not possible so I had to rough it out with him. Seriously, he loved her so much but he couldn't see that love beyond the friendship type of love he had for Delaney. Sam's life gets turned upside down when Delaney, his best friend and business partner comes back from vacation and tells him she's leaving the business. I felt so bad for Sam. He didn't see this coming and has no idea how to respond. He feels like Delaney is rejecting him and Sam isn't used to rejection. And coming out of the blue the way it did, you couldn't help but feel sorry for Sam.

Delaney doesn't make the decisions lightly. She's known for years how she feels about Sam but never thought he could or would reciprocate those feelings. You could call Sam a ladies man. He's good looking and enjoys the company of women, just not for any great length of time. That's another reason Delaney couldn't see her and Sam in any kind of permanent, intimate relationship. Sam doesn't do permanent. It's killing Delaney to leave Sam but she doesn't feel like she has a choice. She's watched Sam and his various women and it hurts her seeing him with those women, wishing he felt an attraction to her.

While Delaney is busy making changes and silently wishing things could be different, Sam is still trying to figure out why things have to change. He thinks she can stay with the company and still find a guy to marry, have kids with etc. Along with Delaney's changes comes Sam's change in perspective. He starts seeing Delaney as more than just his best bud. He starts seeing her as the attractive, sexy woman she is. Bamm! He's shocked! He's not suppose to think of Delaney like that. LOL

So, you gotta know Delaney and Sam are going to give in to their old/new attraction to each other. But after the sex it's back to moving on. Ugh! Why can't they see that they belong together? Then it would make for a short story. So instead they are both in denial. Denial of the potential future they could have together. There were times when it was just heartbreaking, seeing them hurting and neither of them knowing what to do. There's this one scene where Delaney has to interview her replacement. Of course the women is perfect. Delaney is sitting there, trying to be polite and professional while inside it's killing her to imagine this woman taking her place.

Sam and Delaney made a great couple. They had that strong friendship to build on. It just took some major changes to make them realize what they had and what they could have. The one problem I did have was with Delaney. It bothered me that she didn't tell Sam how she felt about him. Instead she proceeded to cut him out of her life. I thought that was cruel and after all those years of friendship, he didn't deserve that. She did have opportunities to tell him but choose to keep quiet about her feelings even when it was hurting Sam. Otherwise, I found it to be a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Rating: B+