Thank you to #netgalley for letting me read and review this book before the publication date.
This book is a real good Summer read if you like to read -easier- books over the summer. A good hearted romance.
I shouldn't read 2 contemporary romances at the same time, I got a bit confused with the characters as the stories as a little similar.
Nonetheless I loved this book and I recommend to all you romance readers out there.
#netgalley #romancebooks #bookloversofinstagram #bookreviewer #summerbookreads #romancebook #newauthors #salleyblakely #bookfriends

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Canary Street Press for the ARC. I had a bit of higher hopes for this book. I think the concept was great but I think the writing fell a little short. In my opinion there could have been a deeper dive into the two main characters especially with them having been “best friends” for years. I expected more to their characters.

This book was summery, nostalgic, and full of chemistry—I was rooting for Joni and Ren the whole way through. I loved the coastal wedding setting, the sibling dynamics, and the slow-burn romance that gave me major Emily Henry vibes (Happy Place, anyone?). My biggest hiccup? The miscommunication trope dragged a little, and the flashbacks sometimes felt too long—I wanted more present-day Joni and Ren! Still, it’s a gentle, easy-to-devour friends-to-lovers story with just a pinch of spice, perfect for summer reading or listening (the audiobook narrated by Patti Murin is fantastic).

This book first caught my eye because of the title. As a huge fan of the friends-to-lovers trope, I didn't think twice and immediately signed up for the advanced copy. It was summer-y and delivered on the trope of the title.

The two main characters are childhood friends and the emotions that come with that translated very well into the writing. I think what this was missing for me was identity (like what makes Ren and Joni special vs. other book couples) and that could be just based on the fact that I read a lot of these tropes (because I gravitate towards these books often). A lot of books use the childhood friends trope to help build the story, but this one felt like it was the entire story and it just wanted to constantly remind me of that fact vs. how the characters progressed. The writing style was great and the author did an amazing job with the set up (so scenic and fun!), but I didn't feel like I got anything new from this title and everything felt a little predictable.

Also, I wanted to add that no one owns book tropes just like how I think it is justified that people read this feeling the vibes of People We Meet on Vacation and Happy Place by Emily Henry, but it is unfair to discount a title just because it was similar. Some of these reviews are pretty skewed and I just wanted to add that this book will stand on it's own for most readers because they aren't blasting rom com like me on a weekly basis.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for a complimentary advance copy in exchange for my review!

I was really excited to receive an arc of Friends to Lovers. The premise is something that sounded really appealing to me, and I tend to be a very big fan of friends to lovers. Plus, I saw that it was compared to People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. A book that I really loved. However, I’m not entirely sure that this book is for me. I ended up ending it at about 30%. While the formatting of the story and the writing was quite good, I just didn’t feel very connected to the characters. There were times I was having fun and enjoying the romance, I just didn’t feel compelled to pick it back up. I could see other people absolutely loving this one, it just wasn’t doing it for me personally.

This is a fun book that is dual perspective and focuses on friends to lovers, and a slow burn trope. I really liked the summer setting and the characters within this book. I highly recommend one go into this fairly blind as I did, and also know that if you enjoy The Summer I Turned Pretty you should really like this one!

I always love a good friends to lovers story and add a wedding, count me in. Ren and Joni are childhood best friends and things changed when Joni moved to NYC for a job. They agreed to be each other's plus 1 for any weddings.

The story is told in Joni's POV and the timeline of the week of Joni's sister's wedding and everyone is staying at the family's beach house. It is looks back at weddings that they attended.

I enjoyed the focus on Joni's journey with her questioning her life and how to move forward and the complexity of how close Ren and Joni's family was.

The story is bit of slow burn and parts of the story dragged. I did struggle with the timeline and at parts wasn't sure if it was current or past. I did enjoy Patti Murin's narration but do wished it was a dual POV.

Thank you @canarystpress, Harlequin Audio for a copy of the debut novel.

I love debuts and love the romance trope “friends to lovers” so it was a no brainer I requested this one.
I was craving a good romance after a couple thrillers but never really got vested in REN & Joni. I struggle with miscommunication or lack there of and maybe that was the issue.

I did however thing some parts were funny. Loved the flashbacks and the “plus one” for weddings. It was clear that there was love always there, just felt a little stalled at times.

That said, it was still cute. Not one I’ll remember in a year but a good beach book or book cleanser 💕 and we will know we need books like this

If you like Emily Henry reads like Happy Place or People We Meet on Vacation, then you'd likely enjoy this one as well. Release date: 07/22/2025
As the title explains, this is a classic story about friends to lovers - we meet childhood friends Ren and Joni - when Joni moves across the country for a job, they agree to be each other's plus ones for any weddings no matter what... enter feelings and everything changes.
Though this felt like the story has been done before, it still was enjoyable as a whole. It was gentle and easy to read/listen to. A little bit of spice, but not too much... just a pinch. Single narration/POV
I'd give this a 3.5⭐ - rounded up
2🌶️
Thanks to Netgalley, and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press in exchange for my honest review!

4-4.5

What a great debut novel by Salley Blakely. Friends to Lovers sucked me right in. This is a definite summer, beach read for the year!

Joni and Ren have been best friends since they were children leaving their high score RAJ on arcade games. The Oregon beach house setting is perfect. Once they grow up and life brings them to different sides of the states, the two decide to see each other as their plus one at weddings. This plan works great for them, meeting up throughout the year, dancing to their favorite songs and spending time together, until it doesn't.

The two don't see each other for two and a half years until they are back in the beach house for Joni's sisters wedding. Can they mend their friendship. I liked the format of the different weddings weaved into the current time. I wondered for almost the entire book what happened that made the two of them not speak for that long. Once together again, the pull between the two was instant. Is their friendship, or more, something they can get back.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for an ARC of Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and @CanaryStreetPress for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Friends to Lovers was such a sweet, emotionally satisfying read. If you like childhood, best friends to lovers stories with lots of slow-burn tension, this is the book for you.

Joni and Ren have been inseparable for most of their lives, always showing up as each other’s plus-ones for weddings even after Joni moved across the country. But after something happens that messes with their friendship, they’re forced to fake being fine during one final wedding week. Obviously, feelings resurface, things get complicated, and it’s all very swoony and bittersweet.

I really liked the dual POV. It helped show how much these two care about each other but just can’t seem to say the right thing at the right time. There’s a lot of yearning, a little angst, and some lovely moments by the beach that felt like a rom-com with real emotional depth.

The plot was a little predictable at times, which is why it’s 4 stars for me instead of 5, but honestly, that didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed it. Sometimes you want the familiar beats especially when they’re done well.

Definitely recommend if you're in the mood for a heartfelt romance about timing, forgiveness, and figuring out what real love looks like.

4.25 Stars!

#NetGalley, #FriendstoLovers, #SallyBlakely, #RomCom, #BeachRead

Friends-to-lovers isn’t my favourite trope, but throw in some real conflict, a bit of angst, a dual timeline, and a second chance scenario? Gimme!

One thing to note: the timeline shifts were a little confusing at first. The present timeline is labeled by the day of the week, and the past by how many years ago. But since both timelines revolve around weddings, it was sometimes hard to tell which one I was in—especially when stepping away from the story and coming back. But I eventually got it.

I loved all the wedding festivities and the fun cast of characters! And most importantly, I deeply felt the history between Joni and Ren. Once inseparable, life has forced them into a bittersweet routine of hellos and goodbyes. I was completely pulled in by the mystery of what exactly destroyed their friendship. And I loved the fiery tension between them every time the past was revisited. Whew!

I will say, the reason behind their falling out was kind of frustrating. But I expected that going in, and it didn’t ruin my enjoyment in the slightest. I appreciate that the story was more about uncovering what happened and working through it, rather than creating a new conflict. It reminded me of People We Meet on Vacation in that way! For someone who’s incredibly picky with friends-to-lovers, this was a solid summery choice. I liked it a lot.

Friends to Lovers
I finished this book in two nights. The characters were adorable, the situations they found themselves in were endearing, and the slow burn was just right! My full video review will be on my socials.

Rundown:
✨️childhood friends
✨️he falls first
✨️each other's wedding dates
✨️long distance
✨️families share a beach house

Synopsis ✒️
Joni and Ren have been best friends since they were children. When Joni moves to New York for her job, they agree to keep in touch and to keep being each other's dates for weddings. This arrangement works until a line is crossed, and then they go from friends to not speaking at all. They won't have a choice, though, as they are both invited to Joni's sister's wedding. Seeing each other after two and a half years has some serious bumps that they try to navigate.

Thoughts 💭
Joni and Ren have the cutest friendship/relationship. They have a long history, and their families share a beach house together. This was light although predictable, which is everything you need in a summer beach read. A bit of the plot does hinge on miscommunication/lack of communication, which I do find frustrating, but I was still able to enjoy the story. It seemed like everyone knew that Joni and Ren would end up together except for Joni, and no one helped her connect the dots. I hope my family would speak up sooner than hers did. This was a simple, sweet beach read.

I knew I was going to love this book by the 20% mark. Best friends to lovers is my absolute favorite trope and this one was done perfectly! I love that they were basically already part of each other’s families. I thought the reason they became estranged was because of a more serious event. I am glad that wasn’t the case. I can’t say enough good things about this book. I think everyone should read it. I will absolutely read more from this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Best friends Joni and Ren have been inseparable since childhood. So when Joni moves across the country for her job, the two devise a creative way to stay in they’ll be each other’s plus-ones every year for wedding season, no matter what else is happening in their lives.

This premise drew me in but the style of my ARC copy was at times confusing to follow. I couldn't really keep track of the back and forth in timelines even though the flashback year was in the chapter title. I just struggled to connect, sorry I have to put it down.

A promising premise, I may try again at a later date but the expectations of an Emily Henry book left me wanting more from the characters.

I really liked this one! It’s funny because friends to lovers is one of my least favorite tropes in romance books basically because of everything that happened in this book. I loved the setting and I loved Ren and Joni and their families. This just really worked for me.

📚ARC REVIEW 📚

Friends to Lovers⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Joni and Ren are childhood best friends. They grew up spending the summers at the lake together with their families. When Joni moves across the country, the two agree to always be each other’s plus one for weddings. For years they meet at different locations, celebrating the weddings together, then sending each other off until next time. That is until at one event, things get a little complicated.
Haven’t seen each other in 2 years, they are forced to spend time together at the lake house when Joni’s sister is getting married. Now they must fake their friendship for their families who have no idea about what happened between them. Will they become friends again, or maybe even more?



If you like People We Meet on Vacation, Happy Place, The Summer of Broken Rules, or Summer Romance, then this is for you!! This is told in a dual timeline through the point of view of Joni. We get to see how their childhood friendship evolved into more with this slow-burn, friends to lovers, forced proximity trope. I loved getting to see their world together but also separately as they find themselves. You can’t help but like both of the main characters and root for them. What a fun summer read!


This book will publish on July 22, 2025. Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Harlequin Audio for my advanced readers copy and audiobook. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

A sweet, if not unique summer romance.

Joni and Ren, who promised to always be each other’s plus one, have a falling out, ending their relationship. Years later, the two return to the beach house shared by their families and must face the wreckage of the choices they’ve made.

It’s engaging, with two likable main characters. It blends romantic elements with moments of finding yourself as an adult types of revelations. The weddings were fun!

However, the family drama felt overdone. These are adults; let them be adults. Lots of characters three into the mix initially made settling in difficult.

Great for fans of friends to lovers, second chance, and forced proximity. It’s a light read, perfect for the beach.

I was sucked in to this book right from the first page. Honestly, it felt so fast paced and kept me hooked the entire time I was reading it.. I enjoyed how we got snippets of flashbacks to piece the story together. Reminded me of People We Meet on Vacation with how the story was narrated. It was a fun addition to my summer reads.