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Verdict: An emotional friends-to-lovers debut: Sam, who grew up in foster care, has quietly loved her best friend Brooke since college — and has helped raise Brooke’s son since her husband died. Readers praise the found-family warmth and Sam’s neurodivergent rep; many found the first half slow, repetitive and heavy on miscommunication.
Best for: Readers who love best-friends-to-lovers and chosen family with a young child at the centre.
Heat level: 🌶️🌶️
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.5/5 — a 3.95 Goodreads average across 188 ratings, 3.76 on StoryGraph from 44 reviews, and 4.6 stars across 99 Amazon ratings)
Tropes: Best friends to lovers, widowed mom, co-parenting, found family, neurodivergent lead, birth-family search.
Truly Wanted is J.J. Hale’s 2022 debut contemporary lesbian romance from Bold Strokes Books, book one of the Truly series. After a chaotic childhood in a long line of foster homes, Sam McKenna found her version of serenity in her friendship with Brooke Fields.
It holds a 3.95 average across 188 Goodreads ratings, with 70% of them four or five stars, 3.76 on StoryGraph from 44 reviews, and 4.6 stars across 99 Amazon ratings.
What Is Truly Wanted About?
When tragedy leaves Brooke a single mother, Sam is there, ignoring the crush she’s had since college. After her husband’s death, Brooke tries dating again, with disastrous results — and Sam is always there to pick her back up.
After a night of unexpected passion, Brooke wants more. Then a chance encounter leads them to Sam’s birth family, uncovering ghosts that threaten everything.
What Works in This Book
- Found family: Readers love the unconditional love both women have for little Finley.
- Neurodivergent rep: Sam’s ADHD and rejection sensitivity feel real to readers who share them.
- Emotion: Every StoryGraph reader who answered tagged it emotional.
- Second half: One reader says the second half won her over after a frustrating start.
Book Synopsis
A widowed mom, her best friend, and the line they finally cross.
Is some love worth risking a friendship?
My Review
There’s real heart in the way Sam has become part of Brooke’s family, and the story takes childhood trauma and neurodivergence seriously. The birth-family thread adds depth beyond the romance.
Critics found it slow to get going, with little dialogue, a lot of “what ifs”, and conflict that one honest conversation would solve. Some thought Sam and Brooke acted immaturely, and a couple of readers simply didn’t connect.
My honest note: Patience pays off in the second half.
| Element | In Truly Wanted |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Sam McKenna (web designer, former foster kid) & Brooke Fields (widowed mom) |
| Core tropes | Best friends to lovers, co-parenting, found family |
| Setting | Contemporary, home and family life |
| Heat level | 🌶️🌶️ |
| Length | 215 pages (Kindle edition) |
| Series | Truly #1 — followed by Truly Enough |
| Content notes | Death of a spouse, childhood trauma, foster care |
How Spicy Is Truly Wanted?
Moderate — the relationship turns physical early, but the focus is emotional.
Readers mention grief, foster-care trauma and ADHD.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want a heartfelt best-friends romance with a toddler. It is on our single mom lesbian romance list.
You may want to skip it if: miscommunication-driven drama frustrates you.
In short: Heartfelt, slow, sincere.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 30% five stars, 40% four, 25% three, 5% two and no one-star ratings. On StoryGraph, every reader who answered found the characters loveable.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): Found family first. Second, rep. Third, emotion. Fourth, the payoff.
What readers argue about and complain about: Pacing, above everything. Second, miscommunication. Third, immaturity.
The comparison worth making first: When You Least Expect It, a lighter friends-to-lovers single-mom romance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Truly Wanted a debut?
Yes. It is J.J. Hale’s debut novel, and one reviewer notes it won a Golden Crown Literary Society award for debut novel.
Is Sam neurodivergent?
Yes. Readers describe Sam as having ADHD and rejection sensitive dysphoria, and some found her struggles very relatable.
Is there a sequel?
Yes — Truly Enough is book two, with a different couple and the same friends-to-lovers trope.
Is it high drama?
Some readers think so: several found the first half slow and the conflict driven by miscommunication.
Is Truly Wanted on Kindle Unlimited?
Not when we checked; the Kindle edition was listed at $9.99.
If You Loved Truly Wanted, Read These Next
Continue with Truly Enough, or try Falling Hard. Browse our single mom list or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
Truly Wanted sets out to be a heartfelt friends-to-lovers story about family and belonging, and its emotion lands. What holds it back is a slow, repetitive first half. A promising debut. Check Truly Wanted on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Truly Wanted ranks as a fair single-mom pick — tender, slow.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ 3.95 average across 188 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 70% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 3.76 on StoryGraph from 44 reviews
- ✓ 4.6 stars across 99 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★☆☆ 3.4/5
- ✓ Best friends to lovers
- ✓ Slow to talk
- ✓ Chosen family
- ✓ Payoff
Characters ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ Sam
- ✓ Brooke
- ✓ Finley
- ✓ Immature for some
Writing ★★★☆☆ 3.1/5
- ✓ Debut
- ✓ Little dialogue
- ✓ Repetitive
- ✓ Readable
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ Grief
- ✓ Foster trauma
- ✓ RSD
- ✓ Belonging
Heat Level ★★★☆☆ 3/5
- ✓ Moderate
- ✓ Early intimacy
- ✓ Adult
- ✓ Emotional focus
Ending ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Family of three
- ✓ Hopeful
- ✓ Series continues
- ✓ Earned
Re-read Value ★★★☆☆ 3.2/5
- ✓ $9.99 Kindle price
- ✓ 215 pages
- ✓ Audiobook
- ✓ Not on Kindle Unlimited
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