Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Canary Street Press for the ARC of Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Never heard of this author, and appears to be her debut book…expected less and got way more! The bright blue of the cover drew me in and made me think this would be an excellent summer read, but this was just a great feel good love story. If you’ve ever had a best male friend who maybe you also crushed on this book is so relatable. And Ren, he’s the kind of guy most women would want as a best friend and boyfriend. Joni just needs to figure it out and decide what she wants, friends or lovers? The best part of this book was how gracefully Sally Blakely would slip from past to present and back again. We learned snippets of what drew Ren and Joni together and then tore them apart, but it was done so smoothly. Haven’t read a book like this that didn’t feel rushed in a long time. Just loved it.

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁:

Loved this one! I’m a huge fan of the now and then timeline it’s so fun to see the MCs throughout the years and how their relationship evolves. So fun to see a book based in OR and feel the PNW vibes. This book has a strong family vibes and it felt like a summery hug with your bestie. Highly recommend adding to your beach stack!

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:

Joni and Ren have been inseparable since they were 3 years old, best friends for life. Then Joni takes her dream job in NYC and moves away from Portland and everything she knows. Thankfully friendship can stretch the miles and vowing to be each other’s wedding dates through the years. Joni and Ren stay connected.

Until one fateful wedding weekend when lines are crossed, and decades friendship left behind. Now 2.5 years later Joni has to face Ren again. It’s her sister’s wedding and avoiding home is no longer an option, so she’s heading home to OR to spend the week at the families beach house.

Joni would do anything for her sister so she will paste a smile on her face and fake her friendship status with Ren. But sunny skies, ocean waves and spending alot of time together will push Joni & Ren together again - maybe they can overcome the past and move out of the friend zone.

𝙁𝙖𝙫 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚:

“I think I’m always going to be waiting for just five minutes of you loving me like I love you.”

𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅:

* Childhood Besties to Lovers
* Dual Timelines
* Reunion & Second Chances
* Wedding Dates Thru the Years
* He Makes Her Playlists
* FMC Deals with Anxiety
* Forced Proximity
* Portland, OR & PNW Beach Vibes
* Single POV w/ Spice

🩵🎶🌲🎸🩵🎶🌲🎸🩵🎶🌲🎸🩵

Get ready for an emotional slow-burn beach read that will evoke every feeling imaginable: happiness, sadness, nostalgia, hope, uncertainty, and everything in between. I'm holding back on spoilers, but trust me, you'll feel all.

Joni and Ren have been best friends since they were toddlers. Throughout their lives, they made a pact: they'd always be each other's plus-one. Even as other significant others came and went, their unwavering support for each other remained constant. So, what catastrophic event two and a half years ago shattered their bond?

Now, after two and a half years of silence since that New Year's Eve, they're finally reunited for Joni's younger sister's (Stevie) wedding. Will they finally be able to talk through what happened, or will they keep avoiding the truth and maintain a safe, polite distance?

Communication is the essential, overarching theme of this novel.

The Book:

Joni and Ren are best friends - or were best friends, but they haven't talked to each other in 2 years ... unbeknownst to their families who are so close, they even share a cottage.
It's been 2 years since Joni has been to the cottage, but her sister's getting married there, so it's time to go back and face Ren.
Told between the present and past timelines, we see Joni and Ren reunited, as well as their friendship (which involved always being each other's dates to weddings) over the years and learn what happened that led to them not speaking for the last 2 years.

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this. It's funny, it's sweet, it feels like summer - Basically, everything I'm looking for in a summer romance and really gave me Carley Fortune (whom I adore) vibes!

I loved this romance so much! An excellent story! The character development, the pacing - all sooo good!!! 5/5!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Oh, how I enjoyed Joni and Ren. I love a good friends to lovers trope and this absolutely fit the bill. Taking place in Oregon made me enjoy it all the more. Joni and Ren have been best friends since they were three and their families co-own a beach house where they all gather. Joni gets her dream job in NYC and so she and Ren decide to be each other’s plus-one for all weddings they are invited to as a way to make sure that they still get to see one another. We learn that something happened at a wedding two and a half years earlier that has resulted in the breakdown of their friendship. We get snapshots of the weddings they attend together interspersed with the week of the wedding that they are forced to be at together. We eventually learn what happened as they start to let each other in again. Definitely an enjoyable read.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Canary Press for this E-ARC copy of this book!

"Friends to Lovers" by Sally Blakely presents a beautifully crafted exploration of the complexities that come with transitioning from friendship to romance. The story follows two best friends whose deep-rooted connection gradually shifts into something more tender and romantic, and Blakely does an excellent job of illustrating their evolving feelings. The chemistry between the characters is palpable, drawing readers into their journey as they navigate the intricacies of love and vulnerability.

Blakely's writing shines in its ability to capture the subtleties of emotion and the moments of hesitation that often accompany such transitions. While the initial engagement is strong, the pacing can occasionally lag, particularly in the middle sections where the slow burn feels a bit prolonged. This can create moments of frustration, especially when combined with the miscommunication that often arises between the main characters and their families, adding layers of conflict to their relationship.

The supporting characters add richness to the narrative, combining humor and depth that enhances the overall experience. Their interactions serve as both comic relief and valuable insight into the protagonists’ lives, making the journey feel more relatable.

Overall, "Friends to Lovers" is a sweet and heartwarming read, perfect for fans of the friends-to-lovers trope who appreciate the nuances of friendship and romance. With its engaging storyline and relatable themes, it offers a satisfying escape into the complexities of love. It came in at a solid 3.5 stars for me.

Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and I knew that's exactly what we were going to get with the title! I enjoyed reading about Joni and Ben's story and how they go from BFFs to in an actual relationship. I also love a good fake relationship and what better than with 2 people who are already friends! You knew that was going to end with them falling in love and I ate it up.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HarlequinAudio for an advance listening copy of #FriendsToLovers. Lifelong friends find love at a family gathering. 4 stars.

This has all the tropes! But it works. Joni and Ben were bffs who agreed to always be each other's plus one at weddings but then something happened (no spoilers) and they haven't spoken in three long years. This goes back and forth to tell their story even as, in the present, they must pretend to still be a couple (and share a room) at her sister's wedding. It's cute, it's got a bit of angst, and it's got weddings. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Good storytelling makes this a good read.

When done right a second chance romance is my most favorite trope and this one was done perfectly, I fell in love with Joni and Ren.

Joni and Ren have been friends since childhood and when Joni moves away for work they make a pact to be each others plus ones to all weddings for the next year. A line is crossed and their friendship is ruined and now Joni is back for her sisters wedding and is determined to make the week perfect even if she has to fake her friendship with Ren. I loved the back and forth with Ren and wondering if it would all work out for them in the end.

described as perfect for fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty and People We Meet on Vacation and I totally agree, loved it!

Thank you to @netgalley and @harlequintradepublishing for the ARC and my very first ALC of Friends to Lovers!

Last week was a lot—my first week back at work, Canada Day, and planning S’s first birthday party (seriously, how is she one already?!). So I was extra grateful to have the audiobook. I had a headphone in while juggling life and this book became my little escape.

And what a book. Cozy in the best way, with depth and feeling that caught me off guard—in a good way. Annabel Monaghan wasn’t wrong in the blurb. I totally had a book hangover after this one.

Here’s the synopsis:

Joni and Ren have been best friends since childhood, maintaining their bond through a yearly tradition of being each other’s plus-ones for wedding season—even after Joni moves across the country. But when their friendship is shattered by a crossed line, everything changes. Now, reunited at their families’ summer home for Joni’s sister’s wedding, Joni is determined to make the week perfect—even if it means pretending to be friends with Ren while avoiding the painful truth behind their fallout. As old memories resurface and lingering feelings grow harder to ignore, Joni must decide whether to let Ren go or fight for the love that might still be between them.

Friends to lovers isn’t usually my go-to trope (enemies to lovers has my whole heart), but this one is officially my second favourite. We’ve got:
✔️ Childhood best friends
✔️ Summer nostalgia
✔️ Dual timelines
✔️ Second chances
✔️ A slow-burn romance with actual emotional payoff

If you’re in the mood for something heartfelt, nostalgic, and romantic, this one’s for you. 4 stars from me.

A really fun read - was it earth shattering or ground breaking? No. But it was told with flashbacks which is always a fun twist to any book. An excellent debut for this author!

I really enjoyed this book. I'm a sucker for a second chance romance. There were some.parts that felt a bit disjointed, which can totally happen when you get a past/present type of read. But overall, I liked it!

Ren and Joni have been best friends forever! They are always each other’s plus ones and each other’s wedding dates. Now at Joni’s sister’s wedding, Ren and Joni have to pretend that they are closer than ever and sharing a room together without their families knowing they haven’t spoken to each other in about 3 years.

People are saying this is what happens when you put Happy Place and People You Meet on Vacation together and I agree! Since I love those two books, I enjoyed this a lot as well. A lot of going back and forth in the timeline but pretty easy to follow. This is a great summer romance read to enjoy by the pool or by the beach. ❤️

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin publishing for this ARC 🫶🏻

Best friends Joni and Ren have been inseparable since childhood. When Joni moves across the country for her job, the two decide to be each other’s plus-ones every year for wedding season, no matter what else is happening in their lives. It’s a tradition that works, until a line is crossed and the friendship they once thought was forever is ruined.

Now Joni is back at their families’ shared summer home for her sister’s wedding, and she’s determined to make the week perfect, even if it means faking a friendship with Ren and avoiding the truth of why they have to fake it in the first place. But as the week progresses, Joni begins to question what her life is without Ren in it. And when the wedding arrives, she’ll be forced to decide if loving Ren means letting him go, or if theirs is a love story worth fighting for.

I enjoyed Friends to Lovers. I liked both main characters as well as the supporting characters. I loved Joni's vulnerability and introspection. I did feel stressed reading this book- What happened between them that ended their friendship? Why haven't they spoken to try to resolve their estrangement? How could Joni not go to her sister's engagement party? When the reason for the lifelong separation was revealed, it was anticlimactic and frustrating. Despite this, I liked the story and thought the writing was well done.

Thank you so much Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded up. This was a sweet, friends to lovers romance. I enjoyed Ren and Joni's backstory with their families being tight and buying a beachhouse together. I was engaged right away but it dragged for me a bit in the middle. Almost too much of a slow burn for me and I wasn't a fan of all of the miscommunication between the FMC and MMC and their families. Overall, I breezed through it and will continue to read whatever Blakely puts out. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I am usually not a romance girly but this was a great read. This book makes me want to explore more romance. I am obsessed with this cover and I Connor wait to get a physical copy of the book

2.5 🌟 While there were certain aspects of this book that I really enjoyed (like the unique dual timeline and the music/playlist elements) this book mostly fell flat for me with the amount of miscommunication prevalent and the bland characters. I didn't feel a lot of chemistry and emotion reading this one, which caused the romance to feel forced & unbelievable as well as making me feel detached and bored. However, I'd be interested in reading the author's future books, because while I didn't enjoy this one too much, I think there is a lot of potential with her writing & storytelling abilities! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

I love a slow burn enemies to lovers story and while I found this to be enjoyable, I thought other books that have come out recently did this better.
The banter wasn't as great as it could have been and I found the book to be lagging in some parts.