You think the title gives away everything. This is a heartwarming tail and I could not set it down. Both characters are lovable and you’re rooting for them the whole time it’s Sweet. It’s easy and spoiler alert…I think we know how it ends

Let's start by saying that I don't usually enjoy the friends-to-lovers trope, but this book executed it wonderfully. I’ve given it so many compliments on TikTok!

Here’s what I liked:

😍 Well-written sex scenes; they were vanilla but still impactful.
😍 The reason why the two characters stopped talking made perfect sense.
😍 I loved that the female main character had anxiety, as it provided insight into her thought process.
😍 The side characters were lovable. Although they had limited screen time, the author managed to add depth to each of them.

As for what I didn’t like?

🥲 I can’t think of anything!

ARC Review
Joni and Ren are ex best friends that had a falling out 2 and a half years ago. They are being forced to see each other again for Joni’s sister wedding. Although she is nervous to see Ren, she is also dealing with turmoil in her work life. Follow along as these two attempt to coexist for a week for Joni’s sister. Also, while hiding their falling out from their family.

I absolutely adored this book and read it so fast. The story of their friendship is shown throughout the book as they switch from present day to the past. This helps articulate their friendship as best friends and the bond that they had. I fell in love with these two and the side characters as well. I think Ren is my favorite. Everyone needs a best friend like him! I’m a sucker for any friends to lovers book and this did not disappoint. There was so much angst, tension, longing and many other emotions that kept me reading.

I did not know what to expect fully from this story, but it hooked me from the beginning. I did not want to put this book down! This is Sally Blakelys first book, and I think you should check it out. It was definitely an amazing read. Friends to Lovers comes out July 22nd! 🩵

Sally Blakely has written quite the page turner! You will absolutely FALL IN LOVE with Joni and Ren. Blakely’s writing draws you in from the start. I could not put this book down and I cannot wait to read more from this author! Friends to Lovers is the perfect summer read for fans of Carley Fortune and Emily Henry!

I seriously ADORE this book and the characters!!!! The setting was so cute and it is the perfect beach read for this summer. I got an ARC from NetGalley and read it in a day and a half. I was so shocked to learn this is a debut book as it is such an easy 5/5 for me, I'll be reading anything else she puts out!!

Summary:
Lifetime friends Joni and Ren swear to always be each other's plus ones after moving to opposite sides of the country. This story jumps between past and present showing their development of friendship and relationship. Will they be able to keep their friendship after so much has happened or are they destined to never be friends again?

Thank you, NetGalley and the Canary Street Press for the eARC!

If you love friends-to-lovers and second-chance romance, Friends to Lovers delivers all the nostalgia, longing, and slow-burn angst that make those tropes so irresistible. This heartfelt debut by Sally Blakley is a mix of tension-filled reunions, bittersweet flashbacks, and family drama wrapped in a swoony summer wedding setting.

Joni and Ren have been best friends since childhood. When Joni moves across the country, they promise to always be each other’s plus-one for weddings, keeping their bond alive despite the distance. But something happened to break that promise—something that shattered their friendship completely. Now, Joni is back home for her sister’s wedding, and avoiding Ren is impossible. Forced together under the watchful eyes of their intertwined families, they must pretend nothing has changed… even though everything has.

The chemistry between Joni and Ren is palpable. Their history, their inside jokes, the way they instinctively understand each other—it’s all there, layered beneath years of suppressed feelings and unspoken words. Blakley does a fantastic job of weaving past and present, slowly unraveling what went wrong and making readers ache for their reconciliation. Ren is the ultimate soft-hearted, devoted love interest, and watching him quietly pine for Joni while she wrestles with her feelings makes the emotional payoff that much sweeter.

Beyond the romance, this book also shines in its portrayal of family and friendships. The lake house setting, the wedding chaos, and the warmth of a found family dynamic give the story depth and charm. The only thing I wished for was more time with Joni and Ren after they finally worked things out—after all that build-up, I wanted a few more chapters of happiness!

For a debut, Friends to Lovers is an absolute win. It’s swoony, emotional, and packed with all the tension and tenderness that make friends-to-lovers one of the best romance tropes out there. Fans of Emily Henry and Annabel Monaghan will adore this one.

4.5/5

I loved this! This was such a sweet friends-to-lovers second-chance romance. It gave me People We Meet on Vacation vibes, but without being too close to the same plot line.

I really enjoyed the diverging story lines of the past to present. I was dying to know what happened to make them not talk for 2.5 years. The anticipation really kept me hooked slowly seeing what happened in the past leading up to the big moment while also seeing the angst of how it affected them in the present. The tension of them trying to act normal in front of their family members was so good. The yearning was so clear and I loved it.

I loved Ren and Joni’s friendship and how it grew into more. It was so sweet that they agreed to be each other’s permanent wedding dates to help them make sure they were able to see each other once they weren’t living in the same town anymore. It was clear how important their friendship was and how strong their feelings were even if it took awhile for Joni to realize.

My only complaint is I would have loved to have a little more time of getting to see them actually together as a couple. I will definitely be reading more from this author!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Canary Street Press & Netgalley for the ARC!!!

I absolutely loved this one!!! I'm a second chance lover through & through, and loved the way that Sally Blakely handled this friends to strangers to lovers, reunion style romance!!!

I really enjoyed both Joni and Ren's characters. Being inside Joni's head, we get to see and experience more of her growth throughout the story. I found her to be super relatable and genuine! I think a lot of readers will be able to relate or understand the way she handled a lot of situations in this book. Her fears and insecurities, her overall anxiety over change or being the burden for someone else.

Joni & Ren's love story is written in a dual timeline format, allowing us to see how deep their love goes. Throughout it all, it is extremely evident how much these two love, care for, and need each other. Their bond runs deep and is filled with so much history, tension, and chemistry. I loved the "now & then" chapters and seeing the contrast between their past and their present. In its entirety, it's a classic case of right person, wrong time. I loved them so much and loved getting to see them work through everything!!!

If you loved People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry, this is it's sister and she is wonderful, beautiful, and such a great time!!! Highly recommend!

Turns and twists will have you in a love hate relationship with the main character. Sometimes it just takes some time to figure out what you want and need in your life to be happy.

The “People We Meet on Vacation” and “Happy Place” baby I didn’t know I needed! This was such a sweet story of Joni and Ren who are the ultimate friends to lovers story (hence the title of the book).

If you loved “People We Meet on Vacation” and “Happy Place,” I think you’ll love this one too. Such a cute story with some fun side characters too.

This was an ARC read. Thank you to NetGalley, Sally Blakely, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read this early! This was a cute romance story about two people who literally grew up together and then became something more. I enjoyed this book and it was a nice lighthearted easy read. I needed something fun to read as we move in to the spring and this "hit the spot." If you enjoyed The Summer I Turned Pretty, you will love this one!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC.
Overall just a mid book for me. I enjoyed it, but I won’t keep thinking about it.

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I rate it 4 stars. I had been reading some heavy books and needed something light. This fit the bill. I wanted to know the ending and finished it in a couple of days. Joni and Ren are children of lifelong friends and have grown up together. There was a situation that happened that drew them apart for a couple of years, but neither wanted to say anything to their families so they get paired up for a wedding. You can imagine where it goes from there. This is a cute story and perfect to throw in the beach bag or any time you need something light.

This was absolutely fantastic!! It's as if Love, Rosie and Happy Place had a baby which are two of my favorite media pieces! The writing was absolutely fantatsic and I will definitely be reading more from this author. I have been screaming about this on my bookstagram since I started it. This would be the perfect beach read and I really enjoyed how we saw the flashbacks from the characters and the different pov's. They have a story that is relatable to so many and it just felt like a warm hug. I was completely immersed in this story! LOVED IT SM

It's cute but super predictable. I like the tropes in it but was hoping for an edge, or a twist in them. Not for me. Writing is good, pacing is good.

Cute, Sweet. Predictable. I felt it went on a bit long for what it was, but overall an entertaining read.

Reading Friends to Lovers brought back a nostalgic time when all of my friends were getting married! I remember always feeling like love truly was in the air! It’s no wonder that in this story best friends who agree to be each other’s plus ones feel drawn to each other!

I enjoyed the will they won’t they for the majority of the book. I was frustrated with Joni as I always am when a character is causing herself so much pain. Ren was wonderful, and the best best friend!

I enjoyed this read the whole way through! I got caught up in the thrill of a family wedding, best friend tension, and just all around fun characters! A lot of the setting is in Oregon where I live so I trip appreciated that aspect! I recommend reading, definitely a fun beach read!

We ended up getting the sister's apology but I stand by my opinion that mom also owed Joni an apology for the debacle

Cute; Blakely did well at really conveying the friendship and how Ren and Joni were each other's person. The tidal wave of feeling like you'd lost your best friend/were losing your best friend was shown very well and conveyed how much it hurt.

That said, the last 15% was wild. It felt like the issue and the resolution were rushed and chaotic in the not-so-great way. I did have an arc copy and there were a couple of errors here and there, but I have no doubt those will be resolved by the time the book fully comes out.

thank you Netgalley and Sally Blakely for the arc!

As soon as I saw this book was recommended for fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty, I knew I had to pick it up!

While Friends to Lovers isn’t usually my go-to trope—I tend to gravitate toward Enemies to Lovers with all the tension and angst—I actually really enjoyed how it played out here. The transition from friendship to romance felt natural and well-developed, making me root for the characters every step of the way.

Sally Blakely’s writing style is effortlessly engaging—smooth, immersive, and honestly, dare I say, immaculate? She masterfully balances the tropes, storyline, and pacing, creating a book that’s easy to get lost in. From the emotional depth to the well-executed romance, everything just clicked.

If you're a fan of heartfelt, well-paced love stories, this one is definitely worth a read!

A fun romance with lots of pining moments between best friends. Ren and Joni have had years together, but for a variety of reasons are not together-together. And, trust me, the vibes are very much there. Friends to Lovers takes you on a time-jumping journey through their near-misses and not-so-near-misses. I really enjoyed the chapters where their tension builds and they can't hide from their feelings, they had gobs of chemistry and I couldn't get enough of it. I did find a few of the time jumps jarring as they extend for 1-3 chapters, but that may be just been the ARC-formatting more than the story itself.

Perfect for fans of Best Friends to Lovers trope!

Specials thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for this ARC.