Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Canary Street Press for the ARC of Friends to Lovers!
This is my first Sally Blakely novel and it won’t be my last.
This book was what I expected for the genre, and it had many of my favourite tropes: friends to lovers (obviously), forced proximity, and a summer house (I'm thinking fans of Carley Fortune).
It has good romance vibes overall, and if you enjoy the typical romance genre tropes, then you will appreciate most parts of this novel.
I loved how Ren and Joni were just each other’s best person. However, I felt like the lead-up to the ‘lovers’ portion needed more tension/explanation, as in the whole first part of the book, Joni seems to somehow not get that Ren is interested in her. Since it is just her POV, the reader could wonder if it is just platonic (I didn’t sense the chemistry either initially) but knowing the book’s title…it was coming.
The last 10/15% is a rollercoaster where all the action happens. I wonder if this novel is still going through some editing for the plot pacing? It just felt rushed and as somewhat irritating to learn it could have all been simply avoided.
3.5 Stars
I think this was a solid great debut and I will be reading Sally Blakely novels in the future.

ARC REVIEW:

2.75 rounded up; I feel like this had a lot of potential and maybe I am being picky about the friends to lovers trope but it felt very watered down and the issue exaggerated to more than was necessary for a 2.5 year gap between talking. Overall I really enjoyed Ren’s character but it felt like I was thrown into a story and a lot of information was just all over the place and I didn’t love the Joni.

The cutest summer read! For fans of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez I would definitely take this book out once the beach to soak up the sun. I love for friends to lovers! Loved forced proximity! This book was great.

This gave me all the summer feels for SURE. It gave me the summer i turned pretty vibes but with older people which i love. I’d rather read about people not 18 LOL - i didn’t feel like there was a lot of back and fourth with the MMC & FMC. They just needed to communicate yano????

Anyways, 3.5 stars ⭐️

I thought this book was very charming. At first it did sort of read as it lacked charisma but it picked up pretty fast. The book gave off a beautiful combination between people we meet on vacation and summer of broken rules. I love a good storyline where families get together and you are always prepared for someone to be harboring some secrets that are doomed to be coming out at just the wrong (or right!) time.

I truly loved Joni's POV and that we got to really see what was going on inside her head. I related to her on so many points throughout the book and I believe that anyone who loves a good book about falling in love, will love her character.

I thought this book was excellent! Well written, quick, and easy to read. I loved the love between the main characters and I love a he falls first and falls harder trope.

When I was just getting ready to start this, the reviews that said “if People We Meet On Vacation and Happy Place had a baby, it’d be this book” repeated over and over in my mind. That totally sucked me in, and I hoped that Ren and Joni’s story would keep me there.

Sadly, it fell kind of flat for me. The timelines were pretty confusing, and I wish it flowed better. I found myself rereading a few pages. Also, Joni and her tendency to self-sabotage was just a little annoying to me, and while I loved Ren, I almost wished he was shown as anything but perfect. The friends to lovers trope will continue to be my absolute favorite though.

I loved Sally Blakely’s writing style and would definitely read another of her books!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy <3

Loved this book! A story of friends to lovers it reminded me of “The People You Meet on Vacation” by Emily Henry. The friendship, the will they won’t they, the places they visit, everything was so dreamy and romantic!

Sooo cute. I found myself turning the pages and just really loving the whole plot. Kind of hoping this is going to continue. I absolutely loved all the tropes. I literally did get a big-time book hangover. So yes, more please!

Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely brings readers into a sun-soaked world of weddings, beach houses, and lifelong bonds. The premise of childhood friends exploring deeper feelings had great potential, and I appreciated the emotional weight behind that kind of shift in a relationship.

Joni and Ren’s dynamic is central to the story, and while their connection didn’t always resonate with me—Joni’s attachment to Ren sometimes felt more intense than endearing—I could see how their long history added layers to their interactions. I did find myself wishing for more space for their romance to grow without quite so much focus on extended family dynamics, which occasionally overshadowed the main storyline.

The dual timeline approach—moving between past and present—was an interesting idea, though I found it a bit hard to follow at times due to the way it was marked. A clearer structure might have helped me stay more immersed in their journey.

Despite some pacing issues and moments where the momentum slowed, I remained curious about what had caused their falling out. The ingredients for a heartfelt and nostalgic friends-to-lovers romance were certainly there, even if it didn’t fully come together for me in the end.

Thank you to Sally Blakely, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Canary Street Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely devoured this book cover to cover. I HAD to know what happened. This is a true friends to lovers with PINING! Top notch banter, such chemistry and tension, lovable characters that sometimes you just want to reach into the pages and grab them by the shoulders and shake them! This would be the RomCom Movie of the year if it ever made it to the big screen. LOVED IT

If you know anything about me, know i love friends to lovers books and when I saw the title I felt it was meant to be. And it was. My first book by this author and it was a serious win

I thought this book was a great read! The story was lovely and really heartwarming. The characters' love story was sweet, and I especially enjoyed how in-depth their relationship was developed.

One thing I wish had been handled differently was the backstory behind their emotional distance. It was revealed too late in the book for my liking. As a reader, it felt a bit frustrating not fully understanding the context until near the end. That said, it’s definitely a personal preference.

The writing itself was great. It was digestible, engaging, and easy to fall into. I genuinely enjoyed getting to know the characters. Overall, a truly enjoyable book!

Prepare yourself for a book hangover with this one! This is a charming story about two childhood friends who fall in love and. you will find yourself thinking about these characters long after you put it down. Highly recommend!

**May contain spoilers**
Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for an eArc of this book. All opinions are my own.

Joni and Ren grew up together. They’ve been best friends forever and even went to college together. When Joni receives a job offer across the country, they agree to always have each other as their plus one at weddings. It’s an agreement that works for both of them until the line between friends and more than friends is crossed and now their friendship is ruined. The story starts with Joni arriving at the beach house their families shared growing up for Joni’s sister’s wedding and we proceed through the story of their current situation and flashbacks to previous weddings they attended. Sprinkled throughout is memories of growing up together and different experiences they each had.

This book was ADORABLE. I enjoyed *almost* every moment of it. Blakely’s writing was easy to read and the story was easy to follow. I loved watching Ren and Joni interact. It was obvious their story was going to be Friends to Lovers *ahem*, but it was enjoyable and not boring. What made it a 3 star instead of a 4 or 5 is it's a Miscommunication Trope and I just HATE miscommunication in romance stories. SO MUCH. Of course this is usually the foundation of the plot for these types of stories. I did enjoy the resolution (because that’s where the COMMUNICATION comes in). Overall, it was a good time throughout most of the book and I would read another book by this author in the future.

"Friends to Lovers" surprised me by being more than just a typical romantic comedy. Instead of a straightforward love story, it dives deeply into personal growth and self-exploration, with a touch of romance woven throughout.

I rated it four stars primarily because I wished there had been more focus on the love story between Joni and Ren, which only truly unfolds in the final chapters. While the narrative had potential, I found the writing to be somewhat amateurish, making it difficult for me to connect with the protagonist. Additionally, while I was initially drawn in by the family dynamics, they ultimately felt overbearing and annoying by the end of the book.

Overall, "Friends to Lovers" offers an interesting perspective on relationships, but it left me wanting more in both the romance and writing quality.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing and the author for this ARC. The book is on sale on July 22, 2025. Get it at your local bookseller.

Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely

4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This will absolutely be one of the cutest books you read all summer!! And it’s a debut novel?? I was drawn to this one for the cover and the description—two childhood best friends (Joni and Ren) that vow to be each other’s plus ones to keep their now long distance friendship alive. They have a falling out once they cross delicate boundaries in their friendship. As they approach Roni’s sister’s wedding, Ren and Joni will be reunited under their family’s shared summer house where they’ll pretend as if they’re still best friends. All of this forced proximity makes them wonder why they had a falling out in the first place and if they really want to continue living without one another…

Blakely’s writing was super easy that paired with perfectly long chapters. I really enjoyed the dual POV also as I felt it gave a lot of insight into the pair and their history. It was reminiscent of Emily Henry’s writing, especially in the sense of faking relationship for the sake of the group (Happy Place) and promises to meet up at least annually (People We Meet on Vacation). I thought she had her own artistic flare and executed the tropes very well.

I’ll definitely be recommended this one to people-perfect summer read! Thank you so much to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for the ARC🩵

Thank you NetGalley and Canary Street Press for this ARC!

Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely is a cute, contemporary romance about Ren and Joni, two childhood best friends who had a big falling out. Years later, they’re brought back together for Joni’s sister’s wedding and end up having to share a room in their families’ jointly owned beach house. The story moves between the past and present, showing us what led to their falling out and all the feelings they’ve been holding back since.

This book includes a lot of fun tropes like second chance romance, forced proximity, one bed and childhood friends to lovers, which kept things interesting and sweet. It reminded me a bit of something Emily Henry fans would enjoy.

That said, there were a few things that didn’t quite work for me. The switching between timelines, especially early on, was a little confusing while I was still getting to know the characters. It wasn’t always clear if we were in the past or present, which made it a bit hard to follow. I also felt like there were too many names being thrown around without much development, like Gemi, for example. It was hard to remember who everyone was since they didn’t feel fleshed out beyond Ren and Joni.

Overall, though, I thought it was a sweet and lighthearted read. If you like contemporary romance with classic tropes and a second-chance vibe, it’s definitely worth picking up!

Women's fiction and romance together. I love those. I wish more authors would write books like this.

Imagine if People We Meet on Vacation and Plus One (the movie) had a love child

I truly enjoyed their chemistry and growth.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade for the ARC. All opinions are my own

Joni and Ren are childhood best friends who used to be inseparable. That is until one night, they cross the line of friendship and everything changes. Years later they are forced to pretend everything is the same while Joni’s sister gets married. The forced proximity puts them in situations that remind them of the past and their chemistry that still exists in the present.
Ren and Joni were so sweet. You could feel the tension and the unease between them, and you could feel the hope simmering under the surface. I loved their relationship and Ren’s devotion. So swoony. This book will be an awesome summer/beach read.
Thank you for the opportunity to review this title!