A book series by British writer Rosie Rushton. It focuses on a group of teenagers (three girls and two boys) and their friendship. Like most of Rosie Rushton books, there's a lot of focus on their parents.
The series comprises of:
- Best Friends Together
- Best Friends Getting Sorted
- Best Friends in Love
These books provide examples of:
- All Love Is Unrequited: Especially in the second book. Sinéad loves Nick, who loves Chloe, who loves Jack, a Jerkass who doesn't care about her.
- Alone Among the Couples: Chloe ends up alone in the last book, while Jasmin/Sanjay and Nick/Sinéad are couples.
- Beta Couple: Jasmin and Sanjay are a stable couple in the second and third books, in contrast to the Chloe/Nick/Sinéad Love Triangle.
- Betty and Veronica: Cute and approachable Sinéad (Betty) and unattainable, gorgeous, and popular Chloe (Veronica) to Nick's Archie.
- Bollywood Nerd: Sanjay is a shy computer geek with No Social Skills. His mother is Indian.
- Character Development:
- Sinéad in the first book is insecure, naive, petty, and resentful, until she befriends Chloe towards the end of the book. In the following books, she's fun, witty, wise, and a very helpful friend.
- Nick starts off as a moody Stepford Smiler who is reluctant to open up, due to his family problems. Thanks to his new friends and his love for football, he becomes a more sincere and approachable Lovable Jock, though he still has his angsty moments.
- Sanjay starts off as an insecure, friendless loner. He eventually makes new friends, starts dating Jasmin, and learns to stand up for himself.
- Cool Big Bro: Sanjay has a little sister who has Down syndrome. He is very kind to her.
- Cool Kid-and-Loser Friendship: Popular girl Chloe and insecure Sinéad become friends at the end of the first book.
- Dating What Daddy Hates: Or mummy. Jasmine's mum doesn't want to her to date Sanjay because he's not black like her.
- Domestic Abuse: Chloe's father beats up Chloe's mother. Despite his attempts to be a good father or husband, he can't grow out of his violent tendencies, not even after his wife forgives him (for a while).
- Expy: Sanjay is a slightly older version of Sandeep from the Leehampton Series. Both smart and unpopular Indian kids with similar names. The difference is that Sanjay is one of the main characters, instead of being just a younger sibling.
- Extreme Doormat: Suzy, Chloe's mum, is a victim of home violence. While Chloe hates her father for that, Suzy is far more willing to forgive her husband. She finally decides to leave him in the last book.
- First Girl Wins: Subverted. Chloe is the first girl who meets New Transfer Student Nick and they get a lot of Ship Tease. However in the third book, Nick gets over his love for her and ends up with Sinéad.
- The Friends Who Never Hang: Even if the two guys (Nick and Sanjay) become best friends in the first book, they never interact in the second and third books except in the group scenes.
- Horrible Judge of Character:
- Chloe, when it comes to Jack, her unfaithful, jerkass boyfriend who lies to her and cheats on her with many different girls. She's less naïve when it comes to her father.
- Sinéad, in the first book. Bianca and Abby just want to use her for her money, but Sinéad believes they are great friends (until she learns the truth thanks to the Bathroom Stall of Overheard Insults). She also thinks Chloe is an Alpha Bitch, when she's actually nice and very willing to be Sinéad's friend.
- Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: All of the books are titled "Best Friends Something".
- Lovable Alpha Bitch: Downplayed with Chloe, who is pretty, rich, and popular, but has no bitchy or snobby traits, she's just an angsty Stepford Smiler because of her terrible home life. Played straight in the third book, when she's a bit more selfish and arrogant, but still ultimately a good person.
- New Transfer Student: Nick is the new student in the first book.
- Rags to Riches: Sinéad, after her mother received 500,000 pounds from her uncle. Her family becomes rich enough to move to the same building where TV celebrities live, including Chloe's family.
- Riches to Rags: Nick's backstory. His father died and left many debts.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Shy computer nerd Sanjay (Sensitive) and athletic football player Nick (Manly).
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Chloe in the third book is much more selfish and conceited, often looking down on Sinéad in her narration. She also wants to date Nick just because a girl like her deserves a boyfriend, even if she knows Sinéad is genuinely in love with him.
- Unrequited Love Switcheroo: In the second book, Nick is madly in love with Chloe, who ignores him. In the third book, Chloe wants to date Nick but he only likes Sinéad.
