Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely is a sweet, slow-burn romance that leans into all the best parts of the trope. The characters feel real, with just enough tension and longing to keep the story moving without ever feeling overdone. It’s cozy, a little emotional, and full of those small moments that make you root for them to figure it out. Perfect if you’re in the mood for something comforting and heartwarming.

2.5⭐️🌶

This sounded like the perfect summer read! I do love a good friend to lovers romance. This definitely reminded me of the People We Meet on Vacation in some ways.

Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it. I wish we would have gotten more back story on their friendship. There is a dual timeline. It starts 7 years before and counts down to the present. But I didn't feel an emotional connection (other than what the author tells us) between the two MCs. There were some moments of tension, but it passed so quickly. A lot of the story surrounded the family rather than Joni and Ren. I love found family, but I didn't feel invested in any of them as characters, and it just furthered the disconnect I experienced reading this book.

The main character experiences anxiety, but there's not enough to really understand her or why she makes the choices she makes. I think this would have been a great opportunity for dual POV because maybe there could have been more character depth and development for these characters, and I would have enjoyed it a bit more.

friends to lovers
forced proximity
second chance romance
miscommunication
dual timeline
single POV

thank you, Netgalley, for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

I'm not one to pick up a romance from a debut author unless it comes with a recommendation from a trusted source, but when I saw this being described as perfect for fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty and People We Meet on Vacation, I had to give it a try. And not only did it not disappoint, but I absolutely adored it.

Two childhood best friends, Joni and Ren, are all grown up and they devise a plan to continue to see each other now that they live on opposite sides of the country: be each other’s plus-ones every year for wedding season. A fun premise and a perfect set up for a friends to lovers troupe (my second favorite troupe after grumpy/sunshine).

I loved the summer backdrop of the sister's wedding on the Pacific Northwest, dual timeline spanning 6 years and present day, and the complicated family dynamics surrounding the MCs' relationship gave the story more depth.

It's a perfect beach read filled with witty banter, increasing tension, and heart clenching moments.

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

⭐⭐⭐✨ The title doesn't leave much to the imagination here. Overall I really enjoyed reading this one, but I wouldn't stay it stands out in any way compared to the other friends to lovers books I've read. I also got pretty confused with the timeline, and the third act drama wasn't very exciting. TLDR: Glad I read it, not memorable. Thanks NetGally for the ARC.

This dual-timeline second-chance romance follows lifelong friends Joni and Ren through college into the adult world. Joni's adrift and in a shame spiral after losing her dream job. And now, during a week with both their families at the beach house they share, she has to come face to face with the wreckage she made of her friendship-turned-situationship with Ren after two and a half years of not speaking.

This is a well-written book with nicely building tension between our main characters plus a well-developed supporting cast. It's definitely worth picking up. This probably would have been a 5-star read for me if the mood had been lighter, but this was a melancholy read. Grief hovers over the plot-- at moving from the play land of college to the burdens of adulthood; at friendships changed and strained by distance and life; at navigating and perhaps disappointing family expectations; and at choices made out of fear. And there's really no witty banter or sardonic observations from our main characters or their supporting cast to lighten the weight of that grief. This one's great for the readers that love a heavily introspective FMC.

Ren and Joni have been best friends for as long as they can remember. Their families even vacation at a shared beach house in the PNW each year and they've grown up together. After college, a dream job takes Joni to NYC, but she and Ren make a pact: they'll be each other's plus one to every wedding they attend. But as jobs, time differences, stress, and significant others come into the picture, their friendship feels the strain. Now, Joni's sister Stevie is getting married, and the two friends (after a major falling out) are forced to put up a front for the sake of the family. But being back at the beach house and having the time to actually relax and reconnect brings back all kinds of feelings. Are they only meant to be friends, or does loving each other mean letting go?

Hello perfect summer read! I loved this one and was so impressed by the setting, the dual timeline, and especially the view into Joni's life - she struggled with needing to prove herself, with the anxiety of always being "fine," and I found her thoughts to be insightful. Ren was sweet and caring and so clearly over the moon for Joni. The tension that grew with each wedding date in the past was palpable. It was very much a "everyone knows you're in love except for you" situation. I also loved that both families were so close and did life together. We definitely have friends who we feel this way about and it's a pretty special thing! Just enough spice in this one, and a nostalgic feeling of being home where you belong.

I absolutely loved this! I picked it up right after reading Emily Henry and Carley Fortune, and it fit right in. The dual timelines worked beautifully, gradually revealing what happened between the Joni and Ren while building anticipation. Watching their story unfold through a series of weddings was such a fun and creative backdrop. The tension between them was perfectly balanced from start to finish, and I was completely invested in what would become of their friendship (and maybe more).

This was a cute story, but I really struggled to pay attention and get into the story. The jumping timelines does not work effectively, and I don’t feel like they added anything to the story.

We wait for almost the entire book to find out what went wrong between them, and maybe it was written that way so we’d have a 3rd act breakup, but I feel like it would have been a much more interesting and engaging read had we read in chronological order rather than dual timeline.

I felt like this was a rip off of the Spanish love deception, and that book was worlds better. If you’re really bored, have nothing good left on your TBR, and are looking for something to read, I’d recommend this book. But otherwise, skip this one and read something else.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a charming and satisfying friends-to-lovers romance that delivered all the cozy feels. The chemistry between the main characters was believable and built up naturally, making their transition from best friends to something more feel genuine and earned.

Sally Blakely does a great job capturing the emotional tension and unspoken moments that often define long-standing friendships. The dialogue felt real, the pacing was steady, and there were just enough obstacles to keep things interesting without overcomplicating the story.

A few scenes were a bit predictable, and I would’ve loved a deeper dive into some of the supporting characters, but overall, it was a delightful read that left me smiling.

If you enjoy slow-burn romance with heart, humor, and relatable characters, this one definitely hits the mark.

Honestly, I'm upset I didn't love this book as much as I wanted to. Maybe because it felt too similar to other friends to lovers books that are some of my all time favorite books. On its own, it is a serviceable book that is very readable. I couldn't put it down because, despite the author not providing the best character descriptions, I really cared about the main couple. That's a feat in its own, which is why I genuinely liked this book. However, I can't exactly judge a book wholly on its own without thinking of the obvious inspirations it drew upon. It felt too much like it was trying to be a different book that already exists, rather than a brand new story woven by the author.

Overall, I think this book had a lot of potential to be great and I enjoyed it, but I wish it felt like it was telling its own story. Instead, it felt like it was a collage of multiple romance books that came before it.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a really sweet story about lifelong friends who find their way back to each other. Great for those who enjoy friendship to lovers, second chance, and forced proximity tropes. Their friendship was so sweet and I was really rooting for them. There is just something about two people who know each other so deeply and loving all the parts of the other that really hits me.

4.25⭐️ This was mentioned as Happy Place crossed with People We Meet On Vacation which is a little unfair for a debut novel as these are some really big shoes to fill. I think it might have been why it took me a minute to warm up to Joni & Ren.

Joni has a lot of anxiety, is prone to self sabotage and is very bad at communicating. Ren is hopelessly in love with Joni that is plain to see but is equally bad at communicating.

The book is set in Joni’s POV, alternates between past and present and gives us a look into their friendship over the years. Their families have been intertwined forever, sharing a beach house and these two have always had a special bond until they didn’t.

There were times when I wanted to scream at them to just talk, but mostly I just wanted to gently coax them towards one another since they so obviously belonged together.

“I feel like everything might have led us to this moment. Like it was always supposed to happen. Like our friendship was one long precursor to this. Like ours is a love story.“

Thank you to NetGalley, HTP Books and the author Sally Blakely for the advanced reading copy. All my opinions are my own.

This was fine but wasn't anything particularly special to me. The title is a good sign as to what you are in for, best friends who are in love. This is told from multiple timelines and I really like that.

Second chance romance done well! I liked how we were given the past and present storylines which gave us more back story on both characters (Ren and Joni). I liked how they were each others plus ones at previous weddings and how they meet up again after falling out at Joni’s sisters wedding. A bit of a full circle moment. Because of their history, the tension and chemistry is easily felt throughout the story. I’m not the biggest fan of miscommunication tropes so I feel like most of their problems could have been solved by simply having a conversation. I do wish we would have gotten a little more of them together as a couple after they worked out their problems in the end. Over all an entertaining read!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I really enjoyed the characters Ren and Joni and their story from best friends to lovers. The characters were sweet and funny and I loved their families adding more humor to it all. This story goes between the present and past of their story and how they ended up to where they are now. Definitely recommend as a nice summer read.

Solid summer romance for 2025. Classic friends falling in love troupe with good dialogue and banter. Kept waiting for something bigger with the time jumping back and forth but it was authentic and real. Loved the family dynamic and all the big moments taking place at weddings!

This book melted my heart. I found myself falling in love with the characters (each of them, not just Joni & Ren) and their stories. Throughout the book I laughed, cried, and fell in love with their love story. While the book was predictable in the sense that you know how it will end, I truly enjoyed the journey of getting there. I found myself wishing I had grown up with a week-long vacation each summer with friends who became family. Overall, I 100% adored this book! I am new to this author but will absolutely be finding more of hers to read!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC.

Joni and Ren have been best friends forever. When Joni moves across the country for work, they decide to be each others plus ones to weddings to make sure they see each other each year. All goes to plan until they start to catch romantic feelings which leads to an epic fallout. Told in alternating storylines, fall in love aside Joni and Ren as they navigate their relationship.

Add this swoonworthy friends to lovers romance to your summer reading list ASAP! A fun, quick read that had me ready to book a one way ticket to Oregon’s coast!

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

A tender exploration of friendship, timing, and the quiet ache of almost-love, Friends to Lovers follows Joni and Ren—childhood best friends turned chosen family—who make a pact in college to always be each other’s “plus one” as they navigate the growing list of weddings in their lives. But as the years unfold, the boundaries of their friendship blur, and 2.5 years before the present timeline, a long-simmering attraction finally ignites—only for Joni to disappear from Ren’s life without explanation.

Now, reeling from a career setback in New York, Joni returns to Oregon for her sister’s wedding—an event that just so happens to entwine her once again with Ren. Despite years of silence, their families remain blissfully unaware of the rift, believing the two are as close as ever. Over the course of a week steeped in nostalgia, tension, and unresolved feelings, Joni and Ren must confront not only their shared past, but the possibilities that still linger between them.

Told in dual timelines spanning six years and the present day, this is a beautifully written friends-to-lovers story brimming with heart, vulnerability, and second chances. With rich emotional depth and undeniable charm, Friends to Lovers is a poignant reminder that sometimes the love of your life has been standing beside you all along. A perfect pick for summer, this novel is destined to be a standout among this season’s must-read romances.

Review for Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely

Friends to Lovers is a cozy, emotionally rich romance that delivers exactly what the title promises—and more. Sally Blakely beautifully captures the delicate transition from friendship to something deeper, showing how love can bloom slowly, steadily, and with breathtaking tenderness.

The main characters are impossible not to root for. Their shared history adds weight to every moment, making each lingering glance and hesitant confession all the more powerful. Blakely writes with warmth and insight, exploring themes of timing, trust, and the courage it takes to risk a good friendship for a shot at forever.

This book is perfect for readers who love slow burns, realistic emotional arcs, and stories that feel like a warm hug. A lovely reminder that sometimes, the best love stories are the ones right in front of us all along.