so i’m conflicted.
i didn’t like how it rung so similar to people we meet on vacation, but judging by the reviews that’s a me thing.
the writing was subpar, nothing new or extraordinary. it wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t anything to leave a lasting impression on me.
i finished this 5 minutes ago and GENUINELY forgot every single detail…
so i’m sorry guys but i forgot to write notes as i was reading so this won’t be getting a full review 😭💔

A moving and emotionally rich summer romance that feels like a warm breeze and a long-overdue heart-to-heart

This stunning debut offers a slow-burning love story wrapped in nostalgia, longing, and second chances—all set against a dreamy summer backdrop on the Pacific Northwest coast. Told through a seamless dual-timeline structure, the novel follows Joni and Ren, childhood best friends turned platonic plus-ones, as they reunite after years of silence for one last wedding that may change everything. With each chapter, the story unfolds like a photo album—sun-drenched days, charged glances, and deeply buried feelings that slowly resurface. Their connection is undeniable, but timing, fear, and the ache of growing up have kept them apart.

What sets this book apart is its emotional depth—Joni’s inner journey of vulnerability and identity is handled with care and relatability, while Ren’s quiet devotion makes your heart ache in the best way. There’s a familiarity here for anyone who's ever loved a friend too quietly for too long. The author’s lyrical prose and thoughtful pacing make the “will-they-won’t-they” tension truly resonate. It’s romantic without being saccharine, tender without being overly sentimental, and satisfying without being predictable.

Perfect for fans of Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation and Annabel Monaghan’s Summer Romance, this story captures the bittersweet beauty of growing up alongside someone you love—and finally realizing they’ve always been more than just your plus-one.

A huge, heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for providing a digital reviewer copy of this touching and unforgettable romance—I genuinely enjoyed every second of it!

I love the dual timeline and a good friends-to-lovers story! My first Sally Blakely book and won't be my last!

This story is told in dual timelines and I was so eager to read about Ren and Joni’s friendship from the past. From the very beginning you’ll be wondering what happened to make them end their friendship. You honestly could guess and it would probably be right. I really loved this book and it felt like if My Best Friend’s Wedding and When Harry Met Sally had a baby. All the wedding events were so entertaining to win. Capture the flag was a fun touch. This one has a heavy focus on the character’s families as well.

The characters were fleshed out well, but I wish there was a little more depth to Joni. Overall, it was a great story and I was eager to learn how it ended.

Somehow this is as if happy place birthed a small book baby, the childhood friendship that had a slow crackling burn with a love story so engrained you can’t help but cheer!

Thank you netgalley for all the ARC dreams come true

This book was entertaining and I did really enjoy the characters' relationship, but there wasn't anything that really stuck out as special to me. The pace was a good middle ground between instalove and slowburn, but the spice was a bit lacking. It felt pretty closed-door, which is totally fine, if that's what you're looking for, but it definitely left me wanting a bit more. If you liked People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, you'll probably like this book as well.

I fell in love with this book almost immediately, and then more so with each page. To me, this is the perfect summer read: we’ve got a propulsive, unraveling plot
it’s light without being fluffy
features a great cast of likeable characters and fun locations
and of course, all the summer vibes.
It also reads like a film if any screenplay writers are looking for a rom-com to adapt…

Lifelong best friends (and once, each others forever plus ones) Ren and Joni haven’t spoken in two years, now they must return to their families shared summer house for a family wedding. Told through a dual-narrative, we see their relationship develop, cease, and spark once more. Bonus points for the strong sense of place and great locations!

Whilst the title is clearly the trope, it’s so much more than that, or it wouldn’t be so deeply satisfying when the inevitable happens. There’s a perfect balance of anticipation without frustration in the balance of flashbacks and present day progression. It was such a joy to have a much-anticipated book exceed expectations.

For those curious about the Emily Henry comparisons, I would say that this is the book I was hoping to read when I picked up ‘Happy Place’ tonally. Sally Blakey made my heart ache without breaking (EH definitely broke my heart in HP). The dual timeline and same trope is why it feels similar to ‘People We Meet on Vacation’/‘You and Me on Vacation’ but it’s not imitation, just a common similarity - and if you liked one you’ll probably like the other, I know I did.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Ren turns toward me for the final notes, soft smile never leaving his face, and my heart starts doing something that feels vaguely familiar, but new, like I’ve finally pulled it off its shelf and blown off the dust, cracked its spine again, and opened it up to my favorite page, the one I thought I had memorized, only to discover there are so many things I may have missed.”

The way that this is one of the best friends to lovers romances I’ve ever read…..
If you’re someone who has PWMOV & Happy Place at the top of your EmHen ranking (and if you do, I love you for that) then you NEED to read this one. At the risk of sounding dramatic… I think I love this one more than PWMOV. Or at least as much. I honestly don’t even want to tell you anything about this book except for it’s so freaking beautiful and emotional and you simply must read it. And then DM me and tell me all your thoughts!

Thank you so so much HTP HIVE for my eARC! I can’t wait to have this book in my hands!

I’m a big fan of every single trope in this book so I was very excited to check it out and I loved it! Joni and Ren were adorable and I enjoyed the dual timelines. The cover is so cute too!

a cute little friends to lovers summer romance, joni and ren were so cute!! i really did love the concept of them being each other’s plus ones to all the weddings they were going to, but honestly i could not connect with the characters that well. i wish we had dual pov so we could see more of ren’s thoughts and more of their relationship, and the timeline switches were a little confusing at times. also i was not a fan of the third act drama in this one especially with it happening at the wedding rehearsal and what joni’s sister did. overall though, this was an easy, sweet read <3

thank you to netgalley for the arc!!

I would love to read this but I read NetGalley books on my phone. The copied pages format makes this incredibly laborious. I contacted NetGalley’s hello center to see if there was a better format but have not heard back. If there is a better format, please send it to me and I will read the book quickly and post a review on goodreads.

Such a sweet romance! I can’t wait to get a physical copy!! I had so much fun reading this and I think it’s going to be an awesome summer read!

Friends to Lovers follows former best friends Joni and Ren, who fell apart after they were each other’s plus one’s at some weddings. They are reunited for Joni’s sister’s wedding, where they have to pretend that they have been close the whole time to avoid telling their friends and family the reason that they stopped talking. This was an enjoyable read, and I liked the romance a lot. I would have liked to find out the reason for the falling out earlier in the book to better understand the relationship between the main characters, but otherwise, this was an easy and fun book. It was my first book by this author, but I would definitely pick up another!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely was so sweet. Historically, I love the friends to lovers and second chance romance tropes. This book did not disappoint. Friends to Lovers had some of the best characters in a romance novel I have read in a long time. What a debut novel by Sally Blakely. I can't wait to read more from her in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Canary Street Press for the opportunity to review the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

For fans of:
Former friends to lovers
Second chance romance
Forced proximity
He falls first

Joni and Ren were best friends until they crossed the line that would take them out of the friend zone and caused their whole relationship to come crashing down. They were always each other’s plus one and now they just do it again at Joni’s sister’s wedding. On top of that, they have to act like nothing is wrong.

This was such a fun read. The tension between these two was just so so good. What a great debut!

The book was cute! It’s a slow burn, friends to lovers / second chance romance with a beach setting. The characters feel real, with just enough tension and longing to keep the story moving without ever feeling overdone. It’s a little emotional, and it makes you root for them to figure it out. The is jumping timelines that I wasn’t too sure about. I didn’t feel like they added anything to the story but overall cute read!

If you’re a sucker for a friends to lovers, slow burn with a dual timeline like me, this book is for you! I was hooked with these two from the very start. I loved the dynamic of the families too. Can’t wait to see what else she writes!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

First off, the title roped me in, because I am a sucker for a friends to lovers trope. However, the author went a lot deeper here. I LOVE the dual timelines and I love that the past was always centered around weddings. Ren and Joni are such a great MMC and FMC respectively.

The pacing is great and I love the supporting characters (especially Thad)! If you love a good rom-com, this one is a must-read! Be on the lookout when it drops in July!

If you’re looking for a light read with a slow burn, friends to lovers / second chance romance and beach setting, then I think you might enjoy Friends to Lovers!

Our story follows Joni and Ren — childhood friends attached at the hip until Joni’s dream job takes her from Portland to New York. Joni and Ren make a pact to always be each other’s plus ones for every wedding season, no matter what’s going on in their lives. It’s the perfect set up until one night they cross a line and their friendship is seemingly forever fractured.

Fast forward 2.5 years, Joni and Ren are brought together once again at their families’ shared beach house for her sister’s wedding. The problem? They’re estranged and their families have no idea about their falling out. Joni is determined to make it through the week with as few questions as possible. After all, how hard can it be to pretend to be friends with the person who once knew you better than anyone? What follows is a week of forced proximity, rife with stolen glances and unresolved feelings.

This was a sweet, light read! I enjoyed the cast of side characters (minus Joni’s mom) and the PNW beach setting. As someone who grew up with a lake home, games like capture the flag felt nostalgic.

Like many second chance romances, the story follows a dual timeline, where we get glimpses into their friendship, inside jokes and missed chances. I enjoyed these scenes, though some felt a bit rushed and left me wanting more depth and chemistry. And that was my sentiment across the board — I wanted more depth and chemistry! I also was a bit let down by the reason Joni and Ren didn’t speak for 2.5 years.

That said, I had a good time reading this and would definitely read more from Sally Blakely in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Canary Street Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5, contemporary romance)
Release date: July 22, 2025

Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

Sally Blakely’s Friends to Lovers is a cozy, slow-burn romance that leans into all the best parts of the trope. The story beautifully balances tension and longing, making the characters feel relatable and real. It’s heartwarming and emotional, filled with those small, meaningful moments that make you root for the pair to figure things out.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the romance and the authentic dynamic between the characters, the jumping timelines didn’t quite work for me. I found that they didn’t add much to the story and, at times, disrupted the flow. Despite this minor issue, the book remains a comforting and feel-good read—perfect when you’re in the mood for something warm and uplifting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.