The cover got me! Such a fun cute beach read that I wish I could’ve saved for a vacation. I flew thru it and just envisioned myself on vacation with them.

This is was a really cute and fun read. Blakely did a great job. Her writing made it so easy to fall in love with the story and root for the MCs.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Sally Blakely for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars!

This book follows Ren and Joni who have been best friends basically since they were born. Their families are close, so close that they actually own a vacation home together. Joni has been avoiding the vacation home (and family) for a couple of years. Throughout the book, it's hinted that her distance has something to do with her relationship with Ren and how they aren't as close as they used to be.

Several years ago, after college, Joni got her dream job on the east coast. So, she had to leave the comfort of her family and her BFF (Ren) in Portland to pursue her career (get it girl!). She and Ren agree to be each other's plus one at all weddings and the story is told through flashbacks of Joni and Ren's friendship as they go to different weddings, intermingled with present day preparations for Joni's sister's wedding. The flashback wedding moment when Joni realizes that she's in love with Ren. Is. Everything!

This book was excellent! It was beautifully written, the characters were well developed and you couldn't help but fall in love with Joni, Ren and their families. I love a second chance lovers to friends romance and this delivered on all fronts.

4 ⭐️
⭐️ Friends to lovers (obvi)
⭐️ It’s always been you
⭐️ Forced proximity

EmHen girlies listen up 📣 this book was made for you.
I would def consider this the love child of People We Met on Vacation & Happy Place, this was so sweet.

Joni & Ren are childhood through teenage through college and into adulthood best friends. They make a pact that they are always going to be each other’s plus ones at weddings, no matter what. Something happens and for some time, Joni & Ren don’t talk and are not friends. This story is about them coming together for a family wedding after not speaking for 2 and a half years and includes flash backs of them at their previous weddings as plus ones, leading up to this event that broke them apart.

I thought this was so cute, fun, flirty and will be perfect for summer time romance season.

Why is this 4 ⭐️ instead of 5? I felt like there were some parts where our characters could have had better communication and miscommunication/lack of communication is my literal Achilles heel. I will say, this was not as bad of an offender when it comes to miscommunication. And sometimes, the jump between past and present was a little confusing but otherwise, this book was SO good and I def recommend.

The title says it all! This book was so beautifully written. The emotions! The love! The heartbreak! Of course Ren and Joni were going to end up together, but the story along the way made my heart ache to get to that point! A truly lovely book.

Friends to lovers has my heart. If you need a comfy cozy read- this is for you! I absolutely adored every second of this.

This is a book that knows exactly what it is and I think it would be a good beach read. The main premise of the story was great. I enjoyed the overall writing style and the timeline jumps. I liked that with each timeline jump we were given an in-depth glance into Joni and Ren's history. I wish the timeline had been a little bit more clear at the beginning of each chapter because there were a few times when I got confused as to when certain things were taking place.

I definitely felt like I could feel every single emotion that the main characters were going through and it made me care about them more. I was rooting for Ren and Joni the whole time, mainly for Joni to just open her eyes and have some character growth. My main issue with the story was the "big bad thing" (that always happens in second chance romances) wasn't all that big and it wasn't all that bad. I would say the scene that takes place right before we are shown what the "big bad thing" is was arguably worse.

I didn't love Joni as a protagonist, but I could see how someone else might be able to identify with her. I just could not get behind the way she handled most of the "tough" situations.

Overall, I think it was a good story that was well executed. If you like friends-to-lovers and second chance romances then you will definitley enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Canary Street Press for this eARC!

A friends to lovers, second chance romance, with forced proximity. I’m here for it. I loved this debut novel by Sally Blakely. It was so cute & wholesome. It goes to show that some of the best relationships come from being with your best friend.
I was very frustrated by Joni’s decision to end the relationship without consulting Ren and then them not speaking for 2.5 years. 😭 but they found eachother in the end.
Thank you NetGallery & Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC.

So cute and cozy. I love the friends to lovers and the second chance tropes. Left me wanting more and I felt so connected with the characters. Was such a good read.

This was simply amazing. The title really gives what the story is, a friends to lovers but also a second chance. I loved the dual timelines, it gives us a different view to their story. It was a fun read to get into, it reminded me of the summer I turned pretty.

A wonderful debut novel by Sally Blakely. Really I would give this 5+. 💜 I love the friends to lovers trope, and really that’s no surprise as that is the story of my husband and I.

Joni and I could be the same person. The anxiety, the fear of taking up space, the overthinking and understating. That’s me to my core, but then most particularly when she shares a line about putting everything into her work because it was something she could control. It was like a whole ton of realization hit me because I do that very same thing and push everyone around me away as well. And then just like Joni, when things at work go south, I suddenly lose my sense of direction. There’s also the fear of taking the leap until x,y,z is perfect. Wanting the grand gesture but also not believing you are worthy of it. Beautifully written.

Ren is another wonderful character. Both wanting to be something, but having had his heart broken becomes unsure. His love felt realistic, he knew what he wanted but didn’t waste his life pinning. He actively worked on himself. Such a breath of fresh air in romance novels where the male isn’t some sort of perfect being.

The other characters, Sasha, Stevie, Leo, and Thad especially, all had great character development in my opinion. They each played a role to the story and had depth with detracting. I honestly could go for more novels about them and their stories.

Even the places and traditions felt real. The diner, the sticker, beach walks, Mexican restaurants, and the house came alive.

And let’s not forget the 🌶️. It was perfect. Somehow even the smallest touch, you could feel that feeling that comes when it is the right person!

Oh my goodness this book was so amazing and so perfect!!! It had the summer vibes all around (it definitely made me miss summer vacation) and if you're a fan of Emily Henry, I think you would love this book. This was a second chance romance and it was definitely very well written! Joni and Ren were such amazing main characters and I loved reading their love story! Thank you so much Netgalley and Publisher for the ARC!

"Friends to Lovers" by Sally Blakely is destined to be one of this summer’s standout romance titles. This delightful read is both fun and captivating, offering more than the typical romance with its perfect blend of humor and heartfelt moments. Emily Henry fans need to add this to their TBR.
Thank you to NetGallery and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely: Ren and Joni are longtime best friends who have vowed to be each other’s plus-ones to weddings even as life and careers have separated them. But will their history bring them together or tear them apart this summer?

I really like the intro. It just grabbed my attention and made me want to keep reading instantly. This book has a dual timeline which kept me guessing throughout the book. I wanted to know what happened in their past and also in the present. Often times in dual timeline books, one of the timelines is better than the other, making the lesser timeline a chore to get through. That was not the case here, both were riveting and kept me hooked.

I love Ren and Joni’s friendship and history. It makes their romance that much more satisfying and amazing to watch unfold. I also love Ren and Joni in general, as their own individual people. The capture the flag/tree scene had me kicking my feet and swooning. I absolutely loved it, it was my favorite of the entire book. Just incredible and perfect and just wow.

I can’t remember the last time I almost cried over a book, let alone actually cried. And while I didn’t cry, I almost did, which is a feat for me. The ending had me gasping and on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen. I love that this has a playlist!!! It was very much needed due to the importance of music and playlists in the book.

Overall, I loved this book so much. It had me feeling all the feels and I couldn’t stop reading it.

Joni and Ren are best friends and when she moves across the country, they promise to be each others plus ones for every wedding. This goes great for a few years, using these weddings to catch up and enjoy each other’s company. Until one wedding where they test out being more than friends, which backfires and ruins their friendship. Now, it’s Joni’s sister’s wedding at the beach house their families share and they have to pretend that they not only haven’t talked to each other in 2.5 years, but also that they are still the childhood best friends they have always been.

Thoughts
More than the friends to lovers trope that the title suggests, but they were never were enemies. I enjoyed the banter and the interactions between all characters that have known each other for years. Even the side characters are easy to love. Really enjoyed this cute and easy read.

I loved this book! I wish there was slightly more to the fallout that turned this into a second chance but overall, I was fully hooked

Add “Friends To Lovers” to your rom-com TBRs! It’s very much People We Meet on Vacation with a Summer I Turned Pretty backdrop, and it fit in perfectly with my recent binge of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez books.

I finished the book in one (snowy) night and was charmed by the story of two childhood best friends having to navigate their feelings while at the vacation home their families share. For fans of Poppy and Alex, this one’s for you.

Thank you to Sally Blakely, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Net Galley for the advanced reader’s copy — can’t wait for this one to hit the shelves on July 22, 2025!

First of all, love the best friend to lover trope. Their misunderstanding was a long drawn one, but the underlying reason was that they really love each other.

Ren and Joni has been BFF forever, their families are BFFs, their moms are BFFs. I love how both families' kids treat each other almost like siblings. They really get each other's quarks, personalities, and characters. What they all did not know was what happened to Ren & Joni, actually they both tried really hard to cover it up. Since majority of their events takes place over wedding events, the family only see snippets of it. When there's lots happening on the back end.

Lots of love, lots of hurt feelings. I will say, the whole format is very close to Christina Lauren's Love & Other Words, the whole flashback to certain events where something happen, and back to present. I feel like certain weddings could've focused more on Ren & Joni's development than the peripheral characters that weren't helping the story to move forward. Whereas Joni's sisters, not just Stevie, you have to include Sasha too - it would've been better to see more of them being there, their interaction with Joni, that can help drive the point or explain why Joni blew up the way she did.

I liked this book, and it's a fun beach read. The angst is just enough, the love is just enough, I do feel the time jump sometimes stayed too long in the past, and wanted to know how they solve their present. More on the feeling side. But over all, a good fun read.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing & NetGalley for the ARC.

Friends to Lovers is a slow-burn, coming of age romance set in the Pacific Northwest. Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advance reader’s copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
This book reminded me a lot of The Summer I Turned Pretty, except the characters narrated the story from an adult perspective instead of a teen. The main characters are childhood friends who have supported each other, and have developed romantic feelings for each other, but have never fully transitioned to something more. The author mixes present-day events with chapters describing the main characters’ past experiences together. Joni is the narrator, and she has a lot of angst and sadness. She and Ren have a shared history, including a beach house where both of their families vacationed every summer. They all reunite at the beach house for Joni’s sister’s wedding. There are many activities and no shortage of drama during the wedding week. Ren and Joni stay together on the screened porch, and Joni recalls all of the other times spent with Ren, most at weddings in the last ten years. Joni is also struggling with some mental health issues, and recently losing her job. While the main characters have a rich and string friendship, I found their relationships with family members to be negative and generally depressing. I particularly disliked how Joni’s family “outed” her job loss and relationship with Ren in public. Ren and Joni end up with their happy ever after, and Joni finds some peace and resolution in her life as the book concludes. I enjoyed this book, but felt that Joni’s sadness, and dysfunctional relationship with her family really overshadowed my like of the book. I recommend this book, especially for those who loved The Summer I Turned Pretty.

This gave me Emily Henry feels! The Friends to Lovers (literally) was great. The two MCs really cared for one another, were forgiving, and wanted what was best. I wish we had more time for the two to be in a relationship within the book. As for the past and present, I liked that there was mystery around why this was also a second chance. It gives you a glimpse into how these two have grown throughout the years. I also enjoyed having the family dynamic in the book. I will read another Sally Blakely book! Thank you for the e-arc!