Like many readers,one of my favorite types of stories are those of friends turning to lovers. While passionate burning love scenarios are fun and fulfill many fantasies, friends to lovers’ stories are based more in reality, eliminating the burden of disbelief. Plus you know that the heroine and hero know each other well, warts and all. However, friends to lovers stories are not easy to pull off, since the author has to illustrate friendship and caring but also create sexual tension and awareness inside that long term friendship. That is not a problem for Ms. Braun with her heartwarming Mr. Right There All Along.

Chloe McDaniel has many reasons to recall her high school years with abhorrence, especially after the way Natasha Bradford, Faith Ellerman, and Tamara Kingsley treated her. After getting her invitation to her ten year reunion late, she knows they still are looking to stick the knife in her back. There is no way she is going to let these bitches have another go at her especially since she feels like a failure. She is twenty eight years old, unmarried, and stuck in a part time job going nowhere. Her best friend since third grade, Simon Ford, believes that she needs to exorcise her old demons and let go of the warped view she has of herself.

After reappraising her position, Chloe comes up with every wallflower’s revenge plot. She is going to show them how extraordinary she is now. Of course that means a complete makeover. And she needs to find an Adonis to escort her even if she has to pay someone. Since she has already seen a impressive specimen at Simon’s place of business, she begs Simon to introduce her. As Chloe embarks on her improvement plan Simon becomes more and more frustrated. Why doesn’t Chloe believe him when he tells her that she is perfect as she is? She is “lovely, bright, and creative” but every time he tries to tell her so, she discounts his compliments. He is her friend, so of course he is going to say these things.

Simon Ford wasn’t popular in high school either. He was a total geek and enjoyed the debate team, chess club, and computer club, but he has long left those years behind. He is now owns his own business and is comfortable in his skin except for finding true love. But he has got reason to disbelieve in the existence of that particular fairytale after his parents divorced, and then his father annihilated six more marriages. Several girlfriends have expressed the opinion that he feels more than friendship for Chloe. And maybe he does, but he doesn’t want to risk jeopardizing their status quo. She means too much to him. Although Chloe’s request that he hook her up with the player from his office has him seeing green. Soon the feelings that Chloe and Simon have been hiding for ages become harder and harder to suppress. Can they gather the courage to move forward?

Except for a slight fear around chapter two that the author wasn’t going to be able to pull off the needed sexual awareness, I found this book delightful. I completely empathize with the heroine’s situation. In fact who hasn’t thought that new clothes, a brighter smile or a better figure are the ways to more confidence and better self-esteem. The author did an excellent job of illustrating each of the character’s blind spots and the other’s acceptance of this imperfection. Simon realizes that Chloe has yet to realize how wonderful she is, but he recognizes that this is something that he can’t change. Chloe understands completely Simon’s jaded view of marriage and offers an alternate interpretation.

I read late into the night, ending the book with a smile on my face. Nothing is more touching than when the two people get it right and Ms. Braun did an great job of illustrating how right Chloe and Simon are for each other.