Joni and Ren have been best friends for their whole lives, until 2 years ago, a falling out changed their friendship forever. Now back at the vacation house where they spent most of their summers, the two are forced to pretend to be friends again to keep the peace for Joni's sister's wedding.

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This was such a fun read. I really enjoyed Joni and Ren's characters and seeing them rebuild their friendship (and build it into even more). The cast of supporting characters was really fun, and I loved all of the excitement with the wedding parties and activities. I loved the dual timeline aspect of this book, and seeing how their past played out along with the present.

This book reminded me of Funny Story and The Summer I Turned Pretty. I love lakehouse romances, and this one is a perfect summer read!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book!

This was a cute book! Joni and Ren’s story is friends to lovers/second chance romance. I enjoyed the flashbacks to all the different weddings they attended together and thought Ren was a very likeable MMC.

However, I struggled to connect with them as a couple. The chemistry and angst and tension didn’t totally convince me. Still cute, but it was just missing something for me.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book!

Friends-to-lovers mixed with second-chance romance is one of my favorite trope combos — and Friends to Lovers delivers it beautifully. Joni and Ren have been best friends since childhood. Even after Joni moves across the country, they make a pact to be each other’s "permanent plus one" for weddings. However, when blurred lines and hurt feelings create a rift, it takes a summer reunion for her sister’s wedding to finally force them to confront everything they left unsaid.

From the start, the chemistry and tension between Joni and Ren jump off the page. The dual timeline format — switching between their carefree past and their complicated present — deepens the emotional impact. It’s a classic case of the right person, wrong time, and watching them work through their hurt and history is deeply satisfying.

I especially loved being inside Joni’s head. Her fears about change and being a burden felt so relatable, and Ren’s steady, heartbreaking love made me want to shake her (in the best way). Their bond, full of nostalgia, tension, and unspoken feelings, made it impossible to put this book down.

Full of family chaos, angst, laughter, and heart, Friends to Lovers is everything I want in a second-chance, friends-to-lovers story. Sally Blakely captured it perfectly — and I absolutely loved it.

Thank you #NetGalley for eARC.

Ok, this was GOOD. I fell in love with this debut novel from Sally Blakely.

Joni and Ren are best friends, and each other's wedding dates for life...or so they thought. As we follow them during a summer at the beach to celebrate a family wedding, we get glimpses of the years prior as their relationships ebbs and flows.

I loved the writing and the character development in this story. I felt like I knew Joni and Ren by the time I got to the final page. As the title boldly touts, this is indeed a friends to lovers summer romance.

4 stars -- make sure this is in your beach bag this summer!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC! This title will be out July 22, 2025.

Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely is the literary equivalent of screaming “just kiss already” at two characters while eating an entire bag of chips out of pure emotional distress. Joni and Ren have been best friends since forever, the kind of inseparable where you’d think someone would’ve caught feelings way back at the middle school dance but no, they had to be mature and respectful and complicated about it. Every year they’re each other’s plus-ones to weddings, which sounds adorable until you remember that nothing says “I’m fine” like slow dancing with your secret soulmate while pretending you don’t want to marry them yourself.

Then one summer, one crossed line, and poof, the friendship implodes harder than a bad soufflé. Now Joni is back home for her sister’s wedding, trying to fake-friendly her way through the most romantic week of the year with a guy who once knew her better than she knew herself. Zero pressure, definitely not emotionally risky at all. What follows is a slow burn so intense you could roast s’mores over it. Beach days, late nights, old inside jokes turning into sideways glances and painful silences. It’s messy, it’s gorgeous, and it will make you want to text your best friend something confusing at 2 AM.

Sally Blakely’s dual-narrative style flips between the past and the present so seamlessly that you’re basically time-traveling through heartbreak, hope, and a whole lot of sexual tension. By the time the wedding hits, you’re half-sobbing, half-shoving them together in your mind like some sort of rogue romance god. This book left me with that dumb giddy feeling like I had just fallen in love myself, except without the inconvenience of real-life awkwardness.

First I would like to extend a big thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, NetGalley and the author for the advanced copy of this book.

I am typically more of an “Enemies to Lovers” fan- but a “Friends to Lovers” trope (when done right), can be fantastic. As described, this one did feel very Happy Place meets People We Meet on Vacation and although the overall story was sweet, with many cute moments, it unfortunately fell a bit short for me.

I struggled to connect with the characters or feel invested in their story. The MMC was sweet and likable, which is more than I can say about the FMC, but I felt as though their relationship lacked background or buildup. I never felt as though I understood their chemistry or strong friendship. It also had slow pacing. There seemed to be a lot of conversation going around in circles that didn’t add to the plot, to the point I found myself skimming at times. What kept me interested was finding out what this big secret was, which felt anticlimactic. Given the age of the characters, the reasons behind the mess felt quite immature as a simple conversation could have eliminated everything. And as far as the FMCs family- the blowout scene at the end was strange and dysfunctional.

Aside from the slow pacing, the writing style was clear and I had no trouble visualizing each scene. The author did a good job placing you in the moment. I could picture the beach, playing capture the flag, and many of the other cute scenes. Overall, it was a cute story with a lot of potential and I would read another book by this author in the future.

Friends to Lovers delivered an emotional, slow-burn romance that beautifully captured the complicated evolution from best friends to something more. Joni and Ren’s bond was touching and believable, built on years of history, shared traditions, and unspoken feelings that simmered beneath the surface.
Blakely did a wonderful job weaving together the past and present, allowing readers to understand the depth of what was lost—and what could still be salvaged. The wedding-week setting at the families’ shared summer home added a cozy yet bittersweet atmosphere, perfectly complementing the story’s emotional tension.
While the pacing dragged slightly in a few places and a couple of misunderstandings felt a bit drawn out, the payoff was worth it. The chemistry between Joni and Ren was undeniable, and their journey from heartbreak to healing was moving and satisfying.
Friends to Lovers was a sweet, emotional read about growing pains, forgiveness, and choosing love even when it's messy. A perfect pick for fans of second-chance romance and heartfelt contemporary fiction!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Overall, a cute friend to lovers' story. I struggled with the first part of the book, and didn't really feel invested in their story, but it began to pick up around 30% into it. After that point the reading went fairly quickly. I enjoyed the history between Joni and Ren and their shared memories, but I did struggle with the writing style (the reason behind only 3 stars). I think most who enjoy this type of romance will enjoy it.

Thank you to Salley Blakely, Canary Street Press, and Netgalley for the eARC of this book!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

Friends to lovers lives up to its title! It’s a cute, slow burn book with a happy ending! It would be a great book for a beach read, and as someone who lived in the PNW, I love the location.

I will say the slow burn did read too slowly at times, I had a hard time getting through it at points because it was development not progression. The author did well with character development, explaining family dynamics, and making it relatable and lovable.

Overall, a cute book!

I devoured this book in one day, I couldn’t put it down! This book follows Ren and Joni, two best friends who have been inseparable since childhood……..until they cross a line and go two and a half years without speaking. When a family wedding brings everyone back together at the beach house they spent every summer at, the sparks fly and so do the secrets!

You follow the journey between past and present, taking you on an absolute roller coaster ride of emotions. I felt like I was living in the moment with the characters throughout each time in their lives. This was everything I needed in a friend’s to lovers romance, and I absolutely adored the characters. Ren and his love for Joni is perfection!

✔︎ yearning
✘ this would have been so much creepier without mutual yearning. which is how it usually goes.
✘ communication? never heard of her.

many thanks to harlequin trade publishing, canary street press, and netgalley for the advance reader copy.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I really wanted to read this book but ultimately the copy provided was oriented horribly and it was so hard to read.

Things I liked:
I like the idea of two people becoming friends before they become lovers because I believe that that’s the best relationship, to be friends with the person you’re in love with. Joni and Ren, were a cute couple and seemed to really care about each other and want what’s best for the other.

Things I didn’t like:
The story was a Slow Burn but I kind of felt it was a little too slow, then again, I don’t think I’m a fan of Slow Burn. It was also a little too much push and pull, and what I mean :by that somebody would be one person pushing the other person away, usually Joni pushing Ren away.

I also don’t like when an author turns a romance into a mystery, and the reader has to figure out what happened between the couple even though deep down they’re pretty sure they know what happened. Joni was constantly pusing Ren away, thinking worst case scenarios.

Things that drove me bonkers:
Joni’s mom and sister. Her mom was all over her all the time acting like she was five. “Joni talk to me, tell me what’s wrong!’ Stevie was the worst sister. I have three sisters

This book had a slow start for me, but around the 40% mark it sucked me in, and I absolutely devoured the rest of it! I also liked how a few of the side characters really stood out and made the story even more rich. Strong finish to the story. Really liked this one!

This book is truly a combination of people we meet on vacation, happy place and summer of broken rules!! It was so good and really tugged at my heartstrings . Joni and Ren have been best friends since they were 3 but they've never crossed that line until they eventually did and everything comes crashing down. The book alternates between the past and present and it was done so smoothly that I couldn't put the book down. The entire book is so beautifully written and descriptive that I felt like I was right there at the summer beach house with the characters. It's the perfect summer read. Such a great read!!

Thank you so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

I enjoyed Friends to Lovers so much! It had serious Happy Place (Emily Henry) and In A Holidaze (Christina Lauren) vibes and I just love imagining the chaotic yet wonderful family beach house dynamics. Once again, I really liked the way it was structured to have the past and present timelines steadily move towards each other. It was such an enticing way to keep me guessing. The way Sally Blake describes finding a forever love tugged at my heart and I definitely cried more than once by the end. A very cute read!

The way the author weaves family dynamics into a long time coming relationship was great. Seeing how the family history keeps these characters trying to push away from each other to preserve those dynamics only to fine they were being rooted for all along!

Such an adorable romance read! This would make for a perfect beach read since it’s easy to read and super fun!

Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

SYNOPSIS: Best friends Joni and Ren have been inseparable since childhood. Their families even share a summer house… So when Joni moves to NYC from Portland, they make a pact to be each other’s plus ones every year for wedding season, no matter what else is happening in their lives.

REVIEW: This book was everything I had hoped it would be!! I purposefully drew out the process of reading it because I truly did not want it to end! Think People We Meet on Vacation remixed with Happy Place … so EmHen fans will adore this (literal) best friends to lovers, second chance romance, forced proximity, it’s always been you, rom-com.

The dual timeline gives the reader a glimpse into the ebb and flow of Joni and Ren’s friendship and the little moments together that really just tug at your heartstrings. I enjoyed all parts of this book, but I have to say my favorite parts were Joni and Ren coming back together during Stevie and Leo’s wedding weekend… the stolen moments that are relatable and make you both laugh and cry.

I can’t wait to see what Sally Blakely has in store next! What an incredible and well-written debut!! 5/5!!!!!!