This is a captivating romance that shows the beautiful story of Ren and Joni. I never would have guessed that this was Sally Blakely’s debut novel because this book was written so beautifully. You can feel friendship, the slow burn, the pure love these characters have for each other. You can feel the love that these characters share with their family. Their friendship/romance is probably one of the most beautiful things I have ever read. I giggled, I smiled , I laughed. If I could rate it higher than 5 stars I would. Once again thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this e-Arc.

This story was absolutely adorable and *spoiler* there was no third act break up which I LOVED, this was very realistic and mature in how the conflict between the FMC and MMC was handled. It was also super fun reading a sports romance not involving the athletes! I’m not old by any means but I’ve been out of college for a few years so it was a bit more relatable reading about people around my age (not that a story has to be relatable but it is refreshing).

Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakey

Joni and Ren are childhood best friends. When Joni moves across the country for her job, they both decide to be each other’s dates every year for weddings. But when a line gets crossed, things change between them.

There families have no idea they aren’t friends anymore so they decide to pretend to be friends. What could possible go wrong? I instantly liked Joni and Ren. All I wanted was for things to work out for them.

I’ve been getting more into romance books and this one was perfect! I loved the story. It just felt so real and relatable. I felt like my heart was going to explode. This is something I can see myself reading again, especially in the summer!

If you love a cute story and reunion romances, this book is for you. I can’t recommend this book enough.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Sally for the E-ARC!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication: July 22 2025

#NetGalley #FriendstoLovers

Everything you want in a romcom! I absolutely loved the chemistry between not just the main characters but the families involved. There was a great balance of serious and funny. This was so well written that you simply can't put it down.

3.5 🌟

The title kind of spoils it, but this is a cute friends to lovers romance. I don’t read much of this trope, so this was new and fun for me. The writing style was descriptive and steady - I found some parts to come across as quite lyrical even. I did like the back and forth timeline swaps that were going on. It was exciting to get a few more puzzle pieces fit in the whole picture and start to figure out what the deal with the drama was. I will say, it might have been helpful for the chapter starts to indicate the year every start, not just some. There were a couple instances where I was confused if we were in past or present.

I loved Joni and Ren’s friendship. I WISH I had a best friend that I could be that comfortable and that carefree around. Joni’s anxiety and overthinking got a little annoying, and her naivety for their relationship had me rolling my eyes. I loved all the other characters though, such great individual personalities. Stevie reminds me of my own little sister ❤

The whole story was just interesting enough to have me wanting to know what happened, but when the reason for their friendship/relationship “break-up” finally came to light, I was pretty disappointed. I just thought it was going to be way more intense. I was trying to find a reason to root for Joni in this, to think “hey, maybe Ren isn’t perfect.” But no, she’s a wiener and Ren is, in fact, perfect. Happy for the ending though.

I could not put this book down. I chose it due to the cute cover, but the first few pages I was hooked. I enjoy the way the story is told, stating the problem at the beginning and the story unfolds with flashbacks explaining how the main problem occurred. I also enjoyed that it was only one narrator, I have a hard time with books that switch between two narrators.

I was surprised that I couldn’t find any other books by Sally Blakely as she seems like she would have a similar resume to Emily Henry or K.L. Walther. Sally is an author to watch. I can’t wait to see what other works she has for us.

Such a cute story about friendship and love. When two best friends realize their feelings towards each other, it leads to periods of silence until they’re all brought together for a wedding. The characters are well developed, good story line, and I’m hoping for a sequel to see what happens next. Thanks NetGalley for an ARC.

3.75/5 - This book was cute! The pacing was a bit slower than I expected. I love a good friends to lovers trope, and this did provide that. Overall, I thought it was good.

I know I’m forgetting something about this book that I didn’t like and I was thinking about which is why I hadn’t written this review until now but I honestly can’t remember what that is so I’m taking it as a sign that it was that big of a thing.

I really did enjoy this book. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite troupes and it’s so comforting if done well. Thankfully this one was done well.

I liked how the flashbacks were handled they didn’t interrupt the story or make it feel disconnected. It actually made it better because it allowed readers to build suspense wondering what happened between the two friends while also seeing how good of friends they were and all their cute moments together over the years. This allowed for character and relationship development that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise and without it it would have seemed like really fast. But it wasn’t and this allowed us to root for the characters both in the past and present.

I liked Joni and I loved Ren. But I especially loved their relationship. They were meant for each other and so good for each other. I loved seeing them grow back into being friends and then again into being more and was rooting for them the whole time.

All their side characters were also likable and enjoyable to read about although the moms did get on my nerves. I liked the capture the flag scene also that was pretty light and funny and cute.

It’s overall a quick fun cute read that you’ll enjoy especially if you like the friends to lovers+second chance tropes.


*Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the chance to ARC read this book. This review is my opinion and was my decision to write*

What a fantastic story! Friends to Lovers is everything that the title would imply, it details the journey of a pair of friends, Joni and Ren, who grow up together and gradually come to realize they wish they were something more. While the start is a little slow, the pining towards the end makes up for it and I devoured the second half of this book! Friends to lovers has always been one of my favorite tropes and it is certainly very well done, I would definitely recommend!

24 hours. That's the amount of time it took me to read this book. And it only took that long because I had to sleep.
My favorite line? "What did we do?" "We were together, Joni."
Friends to Lovers is exactly what it sound like and so much more. This novel follows the peaks and pitfalls of a lifelong friendship between Ren and Joni. Blakely explores the feelings behind protecting the one we love most whether it be from us or the world. For fans of Emily Henry, I can't wait for this book to come out!

I wanted to love this book. Friends to lovers is my favorite trope but sadly this wasn’t a favorite. Despite trying to 40% I just couldn’t get into the relationship, characters or story. Too often it felt disjointed and difficult to follow.

Friends to Lovers is a delightful story that will completely consume you. It's funny, sweet, swoony, and emotional. Friends to lovers is my favorite genre and Sally Blakely, a new-to-me author really nailed it. Told from the female POV, the story flips from current to past and back again throughout. Blakely does a great job providing backstory for the characters which makes you feel like you are right in the thick of the story with them.

I adored Ren and Joni. Childhood best friends, they share a special bond and were inseparable for most of their lives until Joni moved across the country. They made a pact to be each other's plus one at weddings and many of the flashbacks center on their weekend wedding visits. Joni is an artist living in NYC while Ren works in the music industry in the Pacific Northwest. Joni is beautiful, hard-working, determined, and independent. Ren is gorgeous, charismatic, and has swoon for days. Together these two are unstoppable. But there is a darker side to their relationship that nobody knows and that caused them to stop talking for two years. When they have to share a room at their families' joint vacation home, they must face their past, head-on. The story is an emotional rollercoaster that takes you on a full journey. Despite the highs and lows, Ren and Joni find the happily ever after that they are both looking for.

Blakely does a wonderful job of making you feel every emotion that Ren and Joni feel. I found myself fully engrossed in every aspect of this story from start to finish. Blakely's writing is flawless and on point. I am looking forward to checking out more of her books! 5 stars

I fantastic love story that rivals an Emily Henry book! Easy, natural prose and deliciously messy characters. What more could you ask for? I’ll read anything this author writes from here!

LOVE LOVE LOVE. Read this one in one sitting - easy to read writing and the cutest story. A truly perfect summer read!

4.5⭐️ Joni and Ren have been best friends since childhood. When Joni moves cross country, the two make a pact to be each others plus one to every wedding they are invited to. But when lines become blurred and their friendship takes a hit, it will take a summer reunion for her sister’s wedding to finally force them to confront what went wrong.

The People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry is one of my absolute favorite books so when I started this one, it was practically love at first read. While I was a little nervous that it might be a little too close to the plot line of PWMOV, it shaped shifted into something more unique as the story continued.

Friends to lovers and second chance romance may just be my favorite trope combo period. The angst, the nostalgia, the inner turmoil and the intense chemistry all help to amp up the stakes. As soon as we meet Joni and Ren, and get a hint of what went wrong, it’s hard not to be all in. You could feel the tension between them jump off the page, as they mourned the loss of what had been between them while trying to celebrate. Add in the wonderful found family/family reunion vibes and this book is just what I hoped for - angsty, swoony, fun, and full of heart.

I cannot believe this is Sally Blakely’s debut. I am already so excited for book number two.

Read if you like:
▪️friends to lovers
▪️second chance romance
▪️forced proximity
▪️one bed
▪️summer vacations
▪️wedding hijinks
▪️People We Meet on Vacation

Pub: July 22, 2025

Thank you Canary Street Press and HTP Books for the advanced copy.

Oh my gosh this story!!!!! Adored every second of it! The writing style was amazing, I loved that there is different timelines throughout so you really get a feel for all the emotions, the characters A++ Ren is a dream, also obsessed with the fact it’s based off of where I live so I think I fell in love even more.

Thank you Sally Blakely, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

I was immediately hooked into this book from the first page. Joni and Ren were two characters that I fell in love with as their story unraveled. I enjoyed the story unfolding and their character development individually and also learning what their friendship was and how it developed.

I knew at about 32% through the book that I needed to get through and learn their entire story in one sitting. So I did just that, bid my sleep farewell for the evening and soaked in every word. It did not disappoint at all. I don't find myself becoming attached to characters the way I did with Joni and Ren very often. Sally Blakely did an incredible job of making their story related, their character incredibly realistic, and also added in the right amount of dreamy longing that makes a great romantic story. I never felt the story was far-fetched.

When we meet Joni and Ren, they are smack dab in the middle of being estranged best friends. We are not privy to what exactly created this rift, but instantly feel the tension that the characters feel once back in each others orbits. As the story progesses, we learn about Joni and her own personal struggles with anxiety, her intense dedication to her job, and the struggle that this all brings her, whether she is actively aware of it or not. Ren seems to be living his life the way he wanted, working a job that he loves and was made for, and we get hints as to where he is once he and Joni reconnect. One thing becomes very clear, these two were inseparable since they were in diapers and something went sideways to make that change. The ride that we get taken on is one of understanding and heartbreak in the lows, but also immense joy in the highs.

With their entire families together at their joint summer house, these two need to put on quite a show to avoid turning heads and raising suspicions that they have not spoken in 2.5 years. This becomes a story of how time can feel like an eternity, and never enough in the different moments of our lives.

Overall, I think this one is going right to my list of favorites, and the characters at the top of the list of my favorite leads. My first 5-star read of 2025, and I cannot wait for more people to dive into it and follow Joni and Ren's story.

I received an ARC a few weeks ago from NetGalley for Friends to Lovers, and I’m so upset with myself for not beginning this sooner.

While I have read books like this before, the common trope in no way cheapened the story or the connection between the two main characters, Joni and Ren. They are childhood friends to lovers that join each other as plus ones for all the weddings they are invited to.

We follow them through past and future, leading up to why they haven’t talked to each other for two and a half years. Now, this is the only reason I knocked off one star, and that is because while it is not miscommunication, things could have been different if they had just talked. But, I can see why they didn’t.

Their connection and familiarity was palpable and I was thoroughly invested in their relationship.

Highly recommend!!

It's more women's fiction than romance, but I adore those. I wish more authors would write books like this. A movie with a similar premise is Plus One. So, for anyone looking to scratch that itch after reading this book.