Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of Friends to Lovers in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I really liked the storyline woven through this novel. There’s nothing more adorable than childhood best friends falling in love with each other over the years and all of the ways they come back to each other. The only downside here is that at times, the book seemed to move so incredibly slow (especially when we went back in time to previous weddings that Ren and Joni had attended together). I was hoping this one would be a little more fast paced, but I enjoy the story all the same. Anyone with a set of eyes can see Joni and Ren were meant for each other. It was only shocking to see how long it took them to figure it out. There were so many moments where I just wanted Joni to grow a backbone and yell from the rooftops how she was feeling. She was so crippled by her thoughts in so many moments that it became frustrating to witness, and especially detrimental to her and Ren’s relationship.

I did enjoy that the author really put the focus on Ren and Joni’s emotional relationship and not so much their physical connection. What makes this book special is the way the author creates a sense of longing and connection between her characters that’s palpable. There really doesn’t need to be a physical aspect here to make the relationship special. A solid start to my August reads and I will certainly look for more from Sally Blakely!

I love a good best childhood friends to lovers book. As I was reading this one, however, I kept thinking like I have read this before. I know other reviewers have mentioned two specific books, but I also kept getting Summer I Turned Pretty vibes too.
Joni and Ren are childhood best friends; their families share a summer beach house. A huge family reunion is happening because Joni's little sister is getting married at the house. No one knows that the once unseparable Joni and Ren haven't spoken in over 2 years. Things get awkward. Secrets are revealed and truths are told. Their relationship as friends is super sweet and I could understand why moving beyond that is scary. Could it work out?
Honestly, I love the idea of two families sharing a summer house together. A place to watch their families come together and grow in size and older in years together. I think their moms have more of a story to tell. I want more of that!

this was so cute! i love the literary fiction vibe and the callbacks to the earlier relationship. perfect for summer vibes and summer i turned pretty fans !

This was super cute! It very much gave People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry with a little bit of The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce and I love both of those books so I enjoyed this as well. I do wish there had been a little more yearning but overall fun easy read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sally Blakely, and the publisher for this ARC.

“I thought I'd do anything to be with you, and I'm sure I'll hate myself for saying this, but I don't know if I can be with you and be worried that every time things get complicated, you might leave again.” 🥹

This felt like an Emily Henry summer read in all the best ways heartfelt, a little messy, and full of tension you can’t help but root for. Joni and Ren were childhood best friends who haven’t spoken in years, but when Joni’s sister is getting married, she needs a date and Ren shows up. Fake dating kicks off, old feelings resurface and suddenly they’re stuck under the same roof for a whole week pretending they’re fine when they’re very much not. I loved the mix of fake dating, forced proximity, and that whole “we’ve known each other forever but can’t admit how we feel” dynamic.

The dual timeline was done so well everything flowed perfectly without any confusion. Watching past and present slowly come together made their story hit even harder. Joni and Ren’s relationship felt so real, full of messy emotions and missed chances, and by the end, I was soft about everything they’d been through. Just a genuinely warm and well written love story

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

Uhhmmmmm guys, was this a People we meet on vacation dupe???? I'm not trying to be crass, but what was this?? I liked the writing and the author herself (I DO NOT WANT TO BE MEAN TO THE AUTHOR, GUYS I'M SO SORRY IF IT FEELS THAT WAY, NO HATE, NO HATE, NO HATE)
would I recommend this? not really.
Would I read it again?? Again, not really.
BUT I do understand how it's likeable! As of right now, it's not my cup of tea.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tropes: Childhood friends to lovers, second chance romance, alternating timelines
Spice: 🌶️ (A few spicy scenes that weren't that explicit.)



This book had all my favorite tropes, and I love how obsessed Ren was with Joni! I was rooting for Joni and Ren the entire time! Their love story will definitely remain one of my favorites! I loved the flashbacks and being able to see Joni and Ren's friendship and relationship develop through the years. I loved the dynamics of their friendship and relationship as well. This book really hooks you into the story too. It had just enough angst to pull at your heart, but it course there is a happily ever after! It was fun to get the back stories of some of the couples in Joni and Ren's families too. This book was beautifully written and such a great read!

It’s a cute story! Nothing groundbreaking, but a fun, light read for when the mood strikes. It’s a good one for the beach or otherwise summery setting before getting back to the regular routine.

A light, cute and sweet, slow-burn friends to lovers story full of fun tales from the past and inside jokes. Overall adorable.

This cozy, romantic book is a slow burn, with flashbacks interrupting the present day timeline every so often to give the reader more information as to how our two main characters got to where they are today, The age old and yet no less romantic story of two best friends whose parents have been close for most of their lives, Joni and Ren are the perfect example of awkward ex-friends whose terrible communication skills have led them to a silent stand off when on vacation with their families. The reader gets to tag along as we explore their past and how it led to the present, while also rooting for these two to just kiss already.

If Every Summer After and The Summer I Turned Pretty had a baby, this would be it.
While I enjoyed the book, I felt like it didn't fully capture my attention. It didn't reel me in or make me want to continue reading. I didn't feel invested or connected to the characters

I love love love a good friends to lovers romance, but unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me. It gave me Emily Henry Vibes, but..not really.

If Happy Place and The People We Meet On Vacation had a baby, it would be this book, albeit a slightly paler less vibrant baby, but it's very reminiscent of these two for me.

I adore the 'friends to lovers' storyline, so it was a must-read for me when I saw this debut novel. You can feel there is a rift between Joni and Ren right from the start. It's so obvious (and a little painful) that they love each other as shown through the peeks at their history in the past timeline.

The end gave me heart flutters, which made the book for me. I do wish there was a bit more depth, especially as related to their falling out. It's perfectly fun if you are looking for a light, beachy read.

A very light and fun summer read perfect for fans of Emily Henry! This gave me a mix of People We Meet on Vacation and The Summer I Turned Pretty vibes (except no love triangle and with adult characters and problems). I really liked both of our main characters - Joni and Ren. Their friendship and love for each other felt very authentic and I also really enjoyed their relationship with their other family members/friends.

This book also follows a unique concept in that it’s told over the course of different weddings the characters attend over the years. I thought it was fun to see their relationship evolve over time compared to current day. One thing that bothered me is I felt like we didn’t really see any yearning or banter - it was very obvious that Ren had feelings for Joni the entire time but she kept things very platonic. I wish we had seen more of Ren reaching out and making moves giving the reader a drive to want them to be together, I personally felt a bit indifferent about whether I wanted them to stay friends or be a couple because their relationship never really felt romantic to me it felt platonic the entire time.

My other issue with this book is the huge miscommunication trope - this is a bit spoilery so I won’t say much but I hate it when there’s miscommunication in books that then leads to massive fallouts … it was so unnecessary for them to not have spoken to or seen each other for almost 3 years and all of their problems could have been resolved by a simple adult conversation.

Overall I would still recommend this book especially to anyone looking for a cute, fun, lighthearted summer read that loves the “friends to lovers” trope!!

As the title suggests, Friends to Lovers is about two people, Joni and Ren, who have been best friends their whole lives. The story is told from Joni’s perspective and alternates between the week leading up to her sister’s wedding and the weddings that she and Ren have attended together throughout the years.

At the start of the book, Joni has just been laid off from her dream job and hasn’t spoken to Ren since they had a falling out two and a half years ago. They haven’t told their families about what happened and agree to pretend that they are still friends, which is especially difficult because their parents and siblings are super close. They are all staying at the beach house that their families own as they prepare for the wedding.

I’ve see a lot of comparisons to Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation and I can definitely see the parallels. Besides the shared friends-to-lovers trope, they are structured with a present day timeline, where their relationship is strained, and flashbacks to their past adventures. However, I really enjoyed Friends to Lovers as its own unique story, It’s a slow burn, full of inside jokes, playlists, and years of yearning. I liked the characters and writing style and am looking forward to reading future books by the author!

There’s just something magical about watching two best friends fall in love and this story captured that perfectly. The chemistry, the shared history, the stolen glances… it all built up into a romance that felt both inevitable and electric.

The emotional depth made it more than just a love story, it was about trust, timing, and taking risks with the person who knows you best. I laughed, I swooned, and yes, I may have cried a little.

Friends to lovers by Sally Blakely was a five star read for me. I absolutely loved it and didn’t get bored.

Thank you to Netgalley, and the publisher, for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I liked this book. A lot. The story of Joni & Ren felt realistic, and something that could happen within any friendship.

Parts of the book seemed to drag on, and left me less interested, but overall a solid read.

I just finished Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely and here are my musings.

Best friends Joni and Ren have been friends since they were kids and even with a whole country between them, they make time for each other by being each other plus ones for weddings. It worked until that friendship line was crossed.. When her sister's wedding has her back at the summer home the 2 families share, she knows she has to fake a friendship with Ren but can they both get past the heartache to move forward?

This one was a slowwwww burrnnnnnnn. I have to be in the right mindset to tackle books like this and I was lucky to be in the mood for it because the whole story took its sweet time unravelling into the main point. Anyone who reads my reviews knows I hate miscommunication in tropes and this one was no exception because it really did drag out but the last part of the book when it is all cleared up. That’s the money baby. The emotion and depth made it all worth the wait but it was a close DNF. I am so glad I kept going because that was the past end of a book I have read in a very long time.

I can see why Emily Henry fans seemed to favor this book but I didn’t really see much of a comparison. The writing was solid and I did love the self discovery journey that Joni was on and honestly, that was the only thing that kept me invested until the last part.

I felt Ren was a solid MMC and I would have loved more of him.


Overall I am really glad I finished it and if you love

Childhood friends to lovers
Slow Burn
Miscommunication
Second chances
Forced Proximity…

This would be a win for you.

4 stars

Thank you to @netgalley and @harlequinnbooks for my gifted copy.

This book was so much fun and the perfect summer read! For fans of Emily Henry, this was like People We Meet on Vacation meets a little bit of Happy Place, and honestly had me kicking my feet and experiencing all of the characters emotions right along with them. All of the tropes in this, including the dual timeline, were executed perfectly and I was eating up every second of the childhood friends to maybe more to strangers to lovers thing that was happening here.
Honestly, my only complaint was how long they went without speaking to each other (and I am talking several years here) over something relatively mild. It just seems like if you were best friends for your whole entire lives you would be able to work things out a lot easier than they did, but I understand we had to create some angst somewhere. Overall, a great time!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Sally Blakely for this ARC!