Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and The Hive for the ARC of this book! This was the perfect emotional romance and really gave me similar vibes to People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. If you liked that book, I think you will love this one!

Joni and Ren are best friends from childhood who are and have always been inseparable. Their families share a beach house and they spent their whole lives getting to know each other and forming a very strong bond. When Joni takes a job across the country, they agree to always be each other's plus ones for weddings. This works great until other relationships get involved and they drift apart due to distance. The book starts off with them at their family beach house preparing for a wedding after they haven't spoken for a number of years. Joni's life has recently had some major changes and she takes comfort in the familiarity that is her relationship with Ren. Despite their past, they find themselves in familiar patterns and realize that the love they have for each other is still very much there. This is the perfect friends to lovers and second chance romance. I also enjoyed how it shifts back and forth from past to present day. Check this one out, especially if you enjoy books by authors like Emily Henry, Annabel Monaghan, Abby Jimenez and similar!

Wow. This book took me by STORM. My favorite trope ever is friends to lovers, so obviously given the title, I knew what I was getting into. BUT DID I?!?! Joni & Ren’s tension sent me THROUGH THE ROOF.

The fact that they’ve basically known each other their entire life was the most beautiful, wholesome aspect to this all. Then the dance around of do I, don’t I feel a certain type of way !!!! At first I wanted to shake Joni, like DON’T YOU SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE. & I love when a story gets me to care in that way. I was so so unbelievably emotionally invested into these characters because Blakely did such a splendid job letting us get to know them on so many levels.

This book is refreshing, it’s adorable, it’s honestly everything to me. The SLOW. BURN. FRIED ME INTO A CRISPY CHICKEN TENDER (I love chicken tenders).

The friendship between these two characters was oh so beautiful. The plus-one wedding deal was beyond fun. I love weddings. I love how you got so many side characters within the family that really shone by themselves & as supporting roles to our main characters.

I will say, given the formatting issues (for which there are MANY) with the e-arc, that I had a hard time following the time-line at all times & would kind of just wing it going into some chapters. But I love the idea of the chapters starting with the names of the people getting married.

The exploration of friendship to more was raw & believable & I ATE IT UP AT EVERY TURN.

This was so well-written. I will be getting myself a physical copy on pub day!!!

6/5 stars. Loved it so much.

If you enjoyed “People We Meet on Vacation” by Emily Henry, this book is for you. Joni and Ren are best friends who never got the timing right. It’s a perfect second chance romance. Throughout the novel, we get to experience back and forth between their past and their present as they meet again after 2 and a half years.
The build up and pining between them over the first half of the book was written so well as the reader is watching them fall in love over little moments, glances, and touches.
Joni has a lot of character growth from her younger years with Ren to the present without him and how she needs him to be a part of her future.

Friends to Lovers was heart wrenching, sentimental, and sweet.

This was sadly a DNF for me. This was my first time reading this author, and perhaps her style isn’t for me. I found the story to be really boring and incomplete in areas that made it hard for me to keep my attention.

That being said, it may be for someone else. So I will rate it 3 stars.

I appreciate the opportunity.

I also want to point out, the format of the epub I was sent was very messy. Page numbers in the middle of pages, random watermarks, ect. I fully understand the desire to make an arc difficult to be pirated, but this was also hard for me to follow as an arc reader. This may be something to look into in order to provide a better experience while also protecting your asset.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book about best friends growing into lovers.
Joni and Ren have been the best of friends for as long as they can remember. All through elementary school, high school and college, they have been inseparable until Joni takes a job in New York and moves. Ren stays in Portland and they stay in contact and promise to always be each other's plus one to all the weddings they get invited to. Ren's sister Sasha's wedding changed everything and Joni runs off back to New York and the tension is high between Joni and Ren and their families as they have always done summer vacations together.
A quick and easy read with believable characters.

4.5 ⭐️ rounded down

Okay, Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely straight up wrecked me in the best way. I wasn’t ready for the emotional rollercoaster this book put me on—like, I thought I signed up for a cute little rom-com but instead got a full-blown feelings attack (no regrets though).

Joni and Ren? The definition of slow burn. The dual POVs really hit, especially with how much history and emotion was packed into every interaction. You can literally feel the tension between them—like, give these two a therapy session and a hug ASAP. The childhood-best-friends-to-almost-something-to-messy-ex-best-friends energy?? Peak angst. Peak yearning. I was eating it up.

Sally Blakely totally nailed the balance between romance and that heavy, emotional introspection. There’s something about stories set during weddings that just makes everything feel 100x more dramatic, and it worked so well here. The summer house vibes, the shared memories, the little callbacks to their past—ugh. My heart.

If I’m being picky, some parts dragged a bit in the middle, and I did want Ren’s side of things to go a little deeper sometimes. Like, I was dying to crawl inside his brain and shake him a little. But honestly? That’s my only real gripe.

This book gave me everything I want from a friends-to-lovers story: nostalgia, heartbreak, hope, and that warm, melty feeling when two people finally figure it out. If you’re a fan of Emily Henry or Carley Fortune, you’re gonna love this one.

Highly recommend—just maybe keep tissues nearby. And some snacks. You’re not putting this down once you start.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

I very much enjoyed this story - it was very lighthearted and easy to read. The idea of being one another's "plus one" actually reminded me of an old movie that I had seen. It was enjoyable to watch their relationship develop naturally over time allowing for them to grow up, experience other relationships but still end up with one another.

I absolutely loved the pacing of this book! The switch from past to present kept me in suspense and I could not put this down. The representation of anxiety felt so real that I couldn’t help but connect with Joni. The realness of loving your family but also feeling so distant and closed off hit home for me as well.

Wow🥹 I’m going to predict this right now - this book will blow up and become one of the sweetest rom com movies. Friends to Lovers is the definition of a feel good book. Sally Blakely, I cannot wait to read the next (and all future) books you write! Preordering this ASAP.

4.5 stars
I definitely felt the Emily Henry vibes! Happy place/people we meet on vacation mixed up together!

All the emotions were there. I loved the flashbacks and the little details of everything.

I devoured this book and enjoyed it so much!

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc!
I’ll definitely be purchasing a shelf trophy once it’s out!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Sally Blakely for this advanced reader’s copy of Friends to Lovers.

This book was everything!! It checked off all of the boxes for me and was so good that I’m preordering a physical copy! I absolutely loved this story and always enjoy a good friends to lovers and second chance romance. I fell in love with Ren and Joni and I think other readers will too, I know I’ll be thinking about them for days after this!

This story was beautiful and I loved the different timelines included and how you really became invested in and felt for the characters. This has to be hands down one of my favorite rom coms I’ve read, and I loved the way the story played out and how it was written. I could not put this book down and I did not want Ren and Joni’s story to end!

I am so excited to read more in the future from Sally Blakely, this book was a definite 5 star read!

Friends to Lovers is a romantic comedy that follows best friends Joni and Ren. Joni and Ren grew up together in Portland. When Joni moves to NYC to pursue her dream of working in stop-motion animation films, they decide to reunite, more or less, annually at friends' weddings. Blakely tells their story through phone calls and plus ones. In the present timeline, Joni and Ren are attending a family wedding after not speaking for over two years.

There is no shortage of books that deal with friends-to-lovers and feature flashback scenes from childhood. The setup of this book reminded me of Emily Henry's People We Meet on Vacation. Blakely executes well in this genre. It is well-paced, and Ren and Joni have genuine tension.

However, this book was not perfect. There is a lot of unnecessary miscommunication between the two leads, and this type of friendship is ultimately one that we often see in movies, but rarely in real life.

Yes I picked up this book knowing friends to lovers isn’t one of my favorite tropes and that it wasn’t a dual pov… AND I LOVED IT. 🥹😍 It’s been a hot minute since I read something with great dialogue and dynamic inner thoughts from characters. The Oregon coast setting and fun family/friend connections made it even better. Joni and Ren are one of my favorite couples so far this year. 🩷🩷

Oh my goodness all Emily Henry lovers NEED to read this one! Happy Place x People We Meet on Vacation vibes!!! Loved this book a lot as it features some amazing themes and tropes, including weddings, fake dates, epic banter, childhood friends to lovers, and forced proximity. The dual time line in this book was giving me all the feels of Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren, and the summer wedding vibes with the family were giving me The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther! A MUST read summer rom-com!!!

What a beautiful predictable ride. Loved this book and the cozy friends to lovers romance. Even though I was never nervous or really worried about how it would end, I enjoyed every minute. The characters were all lovable, I enjoyed the side characters’ development and storylines. The MC was a little clueless for me, with the job being too much of her life as well as her having feelings for the MMC. The writing style was easy to read and sounded naturally conversational. Enjoyed the place settings and descriptions.

A combination of some of my favorite romance books. Reminiscent of both People We Meet on Vacation and Happy Place. I loved the dual timeline and the beauty in their lifelong friendship. Add in the beachy wedding weekend shenanigans and this is the perfect book for summer.

Read if you like:
👧🏻Childhood friends to lovers
✈️Your long distance friendships
🤪Meddling family members
🛏️Forced proximity
1️⃣Single POV
🎶Music and/or movies
🚩Capture the flag

Joni and Ren have been attached at the hip since they were children. They have never been apart for long and do everything together. So when Joni accepts a job offer across the country, and they're afraid their relationship will suffer the distance, they devise a plan. They decide they'll be each other's plus-ones for any wedding they get invited to, no matter what. Their tradition works, until one time it doesn't. Now, Joni is back at the summer house her family shares with Ren's for her sister's wedding. She and Ren haven't spoken in over two years, but Joni is determined to fake it not to arouse any suspicions. But as the week goes on, Joni realizes she can't live a life without Ren and will do whatever it takes to get him back.

This one is for the People We Meet on Vacation girlies, but swap out trips for weddings, and I loved every second of it. Blakely's writing was so effortless and breezy. I loved Joni and Ren right from the start. They had the type of playful dynamic that I eat up. They had such a solid friendship, but you could tell there was an underlying tension between them, so I was waiting for it to come to a head. Because they were such good friends, it felt natural for their relationship to progress into something more. I liked how Blakely included snippets of the past weddings they attended, so we got to see the whole picture of where their relationship went wrong. It was predictable, but I didn't mind. This would make the perfect beach read, and I'm excited to read more from this author.

Friends to Lovers is a beautiful story of life long friends whose connection isn’t something all friends have. It’s a connection only two soul mates could share. When Joni moves across the country, their relationship and their connection is stretched. Their pact to be forever plus-ones to any wedding they’re invited to becomes blurred and stresses their relationship. After being apart for over two years, Joni’s sister is getting married at Joni and Ren’s shared family beach house. Their reunion is awkward, and the weeklong wedding prep is full of every kind of tension. It’s also full of some hilarious moments!

I very much loved this book! The connection between Joni and Ren jumps off the pages and into your heart. It’s so palpable and beautiful, but also heartbreaking. The back and forth of past and present gives such a great glimpse into why their relationship is broken, and left me wanting to keep reading.

My only cons for this book are the lack of details (moments when things are implied but not really said, and then later on referenced as being said) and the short ending. The ending wraps up the story, but we’re left with very little time of Joni and Ren together. Overall, it felt kind of unfinished—like a 3rd draft and not the final draft? Maybe that’s because it was an ARC?


I can’t wait for the book to come out, and for Sally Vlakely to write more!


Spice level—.5-1/5
Age rating—16+ —but really it’s a book about 30yo’s, so a younger person wouldn’t really get it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Canary Street Press for this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I really enjoyed Friends to Lovers—the characters felt real and easy to connect with. The emotional depth and chemistry kept me invested. My only struggle was the structure; the story jumps between present day and past events, usually for multiple chapters. Even with clear time markers, it was easy to lose track if it was past or present if you don’t finish all of the chapters of that time period during one reading session. Still, it’s a solid, heartfelt read.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion 🩷

I was excited to receive a complimentary copy of Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely from NetGalley. Opinions in this review are completely my own.

I really enjoyed seeing the relationship between Joni and Ren develop over the years. It gave me The Summer I Turned Pretty vibes with how the families spent time together at the summer house each year. It reminded me of summers I spent camping with the same families each year growing up, so I definitely had a sense of nostalgia. I was a bit frustrated with Joni and Ren for having lost contact; they had been friends for so long so I was mad they let that happen. But as the story unfolded you saw how that was possible, although I felt like Joni overreacted.

I'm a big fan of the friends to lovers trope as it tends to be on the messy side.