Easy, bingeable read💕

4⭐️

Friends to Lovers was such a fun, easy read! I really enjoyed the story and how it hit all the right tropes: friends to lovers, second chance romance, and a dual timeline that keeps you hooked without confusing your brain. I especially loved that the main characters were childhood friends with a shared past. It was sweet, nostalgic, and satisfying.

The writing style really worked for me: smooth, engaging, and easy to follow, with well-placed flashbacks that added just the right emotional depth.

Definitely recommend if you like your romance sweet, a little messy, and deeply nostalgic.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this eARC!

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Sally Blakely, and Netgalley for the #gifted copy of this book.

Rating: 4.5/5⭐️

"It doesn't matter what we did...We were together, Joni."

Summary: Joni and Ren have been best friends since they were 3 years old. But when Joni moves across the country for a dream job, they devise a way to stay in each other's lives: They will always be each other's plus-ones to weddings, no matter what life brings. This plan works well until they cross a line and their friendship falls apart. For 2.5 years, they don't speak to each other, until they are forced to be in the same place for Joni's sister's wedding. As they help prepare for the wedding, Joni starts to realize she needs Ren in her life, but should she stay or go?

"Just you,' he says. 'Only ever you."

My Thoughts: This definitely became one of my favorite books this summer!! I'm not generally a fan of friends-to-lovers stories, but this one was done in such a unique way that I fell in love quickly. I enjoyed the flashbacks through the lens of the weddings they attended together. These flashbacks helped to piece together their history and where it all went wrong. Though I guessed as to what went wrong, it wasn't exactly how I thought it would go.

The way Joni and Ren slowly worked through their hurt and restarted their friendship was beautiful to watch unfold. I will admit that there were times I was yelling at the two of them to lay aside their past and hurts so that they could finally sort through their feelings for one another ... but honestly, by the end, it was all worth the frustration. The ending had me jumping for joy and swooning for these two all over again.

Read if you love:
💕Childhood Best Friends to Lovers
🫶Reunions & Second Chances
❤️‍🔥Forced Proximity
🔥Binge-able Read
😎Summer Vibes

I'm not typically drawn to friends-to-lovers stories, and while Friends to Lovers didn’t fully win me over, it had its strengths. The writing is warm and reflective, and the emotional undercurrents feel genuine. That said, the pacing dragged at times, and the story didn’t always land with the impact I hoped for. Overall, a quiet, decent read—just not especially memorable!

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc!

Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely was an amazing story!
The character development was extremely satisfying and the story so vivid, she truly did an incredible job at bringing her characters to life. They just jump off the pages.
They are truly memorable characters with an unforgettable story.
The writing is phenomenal and engaging.
I literally can’t wait for her next book!

Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely is a dream of a romcom. I genuinely loved the concept of this book when I applied for the ARC and it did not disappoint. Friends to Lovers focuses on our two main characters, Joni and Ren, childhood best friends who are always each others plus ones to events but never actually real dates. Something happened that made broke their friendship up, and fast forward to the week of her sister’s wedding, and she won’t let anything or anyone get in the way of her sister’s perfect week, even Ren. I loved how their love and care for each other just slowly unravelled and came to the surface. I felt engaged and I was really rooting for them to work out in the end. The pacing was great, and the writing style really flowed for me, I absolutely devoured this book! If you love childhood friends to lovers, second chance, and plus one tradition vibes, this romance is definitely for you! Thank you Sally Blakely, Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If there’s one thing consistent about me, it’s that I am a SUCKER for a friends to lovers story. So when I saw the opportunity to read an ARC of a book literally titled “Friends to Lovers,” I had to take it.

I loved this so much! Joni and Ren have my heart, and there is something so wholesome and endearing about a childhood best friends x family friends to lovers story that really gets my tear ducts working in the best way.

This goes up there on my list of top Friends to Lovers stories. If you liked People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry or Every Summer After by Carley Fortune, this book will be right up your alley.

Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely is the sweet story of childhood besties Ren and Joni who were always each other’s wedding dates. However, after a falling out, they haven’t spoken in ten months, but when they’re back at their families’ shared summer house for Joni’s sister’s wedding, they fake their friendship so their families won’t suspect a thing. The more time they spend together, the more they miss their shared bond. Will they fight for each other or move on?

I loved this book! I really liked how the chapters showing the past and present were woven together. Would definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for access to an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Well colour me pleasantly surprised. I loved this, and once I got about 25% through, couldn’t put it down. It gave me the feel goods and the butterflies. I’ve seen the comparison to People We Meet On Vacation - but I have to say, this book is everything I had hope PWMOV would be.

While the main character, Joni, did drive me a little batty near the end, she came to the decision the reader needs to relatively quickly. And Ren… he’s a perfect male lead. If you’re a lover of a “friends to lovers” and “he falls first” trope - this is the one.

📖 Best friends and childhood friends Joni and Ren make a pact to be each others plus ones at weddings, and this pact keeps them in touch through long distance, other relationships and career focused years. Until a line is crossed, and they are reunited after 2.5 years of no contact at one last wedding.

🔎 ARC Review

Friends to Lovers

@sally.blakely
@readmirabooks
@netgalley

Publication Date: July 22nd, 2025

My Rating:
🌟 4/5

👀Read if you like
Childhood Friends to Lovers
Second Chance
Forced Proximity

Best friends Joni and Ren have been inseparable since childhood. So when Joni moves across the country for her job, the two devise a creative way to stay in touch: they’ll be each other’s plus-ones every year for wedding season, no matter what else is happening in their lives.

It’s a tradition that works, until a line is crossed and the friendship they once thought was forever is ruined.

Now Joni is back at their families’ shared summer home for her sister’s wedding, and she’s determined to make the week perfect, even if it means faking a friendship with Ren—and avoiding the truth of why they have to fake it in the first place. How hard can it be to pretend to be friends with the person who once knew you best?

But as sunny beach days together turn into starry nights, Joni begins to question what her life is without Ren in it. And when the wedding arrives, bringing past heartaches to the surface, she’ll be forced to decide if loving Ren means letting him go, or if theirs is a love story worth fighting for.


🔎 My review
If you love Friends to Lovers then this is the book for you! Joni and Ren have been best friends since childhood and were inseparable until they went months without speaking! It truly is magical to see two people who know each other so well give up the last pieces of themselves and realize they are only complete as a whole!

Thank you @sally.blakely
@readmirabooks @netgalley for the ARC!

#books #bookreviews #bookworm #bookstagram #bookobsessed #secondchanceromance #friendstolovers #forcedproximity #NetGalley #FriendsToLovers

Friends to Lovers had nearly every single thing I love in a romcom all in one book.
•Friends to Lovers (obviously)
•Second Chance Romance
•Forced Proximity
•He Falls First
•Yearning (so much yearning 😍)

Perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Katherine Center, or Annabel Monaghan

Ren and Joni. Joni and Ren. It’s always been the two of them versus the world. Even when Joni moves from Portland to NYC, their bond stays strong with a pact to be each other’s wedding dates, ensuring their get time together despite the distance. Then New Year’s Even happens and everything changes.

Now two and a half years later, Ren and Joni haven’t spoken or seen each other since that night. And their families don’t know. The story unfolds across dual timelines, blending emotional flashbacks with the present as Ren and Joni reunite at a family vacation home for Joni’s sister’s wedding.

There is such emotion in the way the story unfolds. The author masterfully captured the tension, the heartbreak, and those pivotal relationship moments that make you hold your breath.

Ren? Top-tier book boyfriend status secured. May this love find me. 💕 His devotion and love for Joni was so steadfast and genuine.

As their lives span years in these pages, Joni’s growth and emotional arc shine through in such a beautiful way.

I absolutely loved reading this and can’t wait to grab a physical copy for my shelves once it’s released!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 ⭐️

from the moment i read the title— i knew this book was going to be for me!!! the friends to lovers trope is everything to me, but paired with a little second chance? it’s unmatched!! there’s nothing better!
i love that we got a past and present timeline so we can really feel and understand all the history between joni and ren. i loved everything about their romance— from the easy banter and playfulness in the past chapters to all the juicy tension and yearning in the present chapters. i loved the summer lake house setting and family dynamics— this book truly just has everything i love in a romance book!
there were some moments i found a little boring or slow but overall, such a sweet, fun summer read! it’s a must read for lovers of emhen!



thank you so much to HTP and Canary Street Press for this eArc in exchange for my honest thoughts :)

Felt like your average run of the mill friends to lovers book lol it was predictable but cute at the same time. I wish I had more to say but it did also take me a long time to get thru it but sometimes that speaks more about me as a reader than anything

Friends to Lovers is one of my absolute favorite tropes, and Joni and Ren's best friends to lovers journey was so well written. Joni and Ren grew up together, and they have always been each other's best friend. When Joni moves across the country for work, they make a deal to stay in each other's lives. They will be each other's plus one for weddings. The story is told through flashbacks over the past few years to show the weddings that they attended and ultimately what went wrong in their friendship.

After being inseparable for most of their lives, they haven't spoken in two and a half years. They reunite at the wedding of Joni's sister, and Joni and Ren have to face their feelings and past hurts to decide if they want to be in each other's lives again.

Having flashbacks allowed for the reader to get such deep insight into how things have changed for Joni over the past few years. I enjoyed seeing how much they cared for each other, and their story resolved in such a meaningful way.

This story was well-written, and I would definitely recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Childhood Best friends to lovers?! Yes please! Joni and Ren have been best friends since childhood. She moves to Oregon and they agree to meet every summer to be plus ones at friends weddings. The chemistry these two had truly gives you all the feels. The dual timeline was written well; I absolutely loved how everything aligned! This is such a great summer read and I highly recommend you check pick this one up!💙

If you’re looking for a romance with :
☀️Fake Dating
💙Childhood Friends to Lovers
☀️Forced Proximity
💙Reunion Romance
☀️ Immaculate Summer Vibes
Definitely add this one to your list!✨

After their last encounter ended in heartbreak, former best friends, Ren and Joni come face to face again after 2.5 years spent apart for a wedding. As Joni reflects back on their time spent as each others plus ones to past weddings, she begins to question if the decision she made to walk away from Ren was the right one after all.

I typically love second chance romances but ones that occur due to miscommunication like this one are just not my favorite. I also am not keen on when the FMC leads the MMC on for what feels like on eternity. It just felt like a case of "she can live without him until he is unavailable and then, all of a sudden she can’t live without him.”

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Harlequin Audio for the ARC and ALC.

In this summery rom com, estranged best friends Joni and Ren are forced to reconnect after two and a half years of silence. Joni’s sister is marrying Ren’s friend, and they are forced to stay together and pretend things are normal for the sake of their families. Through a dual timeline, the reader learns why the two stopped being friends two and a half years earlier, and in the present, the former friends work to reconnect.

This was a very sweet debut read in the vein of Emily Henry’s Happy Place or Carley Fortune’s Every Summer After. Readers who enjoy second chance, it’s always been you, friends to lovers summer romance stories will love this one as well. The characters share a charming, wholesome friendship and are both relatable and likable. The story is deliciously slow burning and filled with nostalgia. Although not surprising, the miscommunication was prominent in the book, and made me so sad for the characters that they could have had so much time together (even just as friends) with a simple conversation. Even with the miscommunication, I still very much enjoyed the book and look forward to the author’s next release.

Thank you to Sally Blakely and Harlequin Trade Publications and The Hive for the arc and opportunity to be an early reviewer.

Ren and Joni are so sweet, both then and now, and it was a joy to watch their relationship evolve over the years (except not so joyful for the past couple fraught years). I really enjoyed the dual timeline of weddings leading up to now, and this current wedding weekend of Joni’s sister.

I love the heartfelt moments, the families of each of our main characters, and the nostalgia and flashbacks interlaced throughout.

☀️Childhood best friends
☀️ Friends to lovers
☀️ Dual timelines
☀️ Forced proximity
☀️ Second chance
☀️ Slow burn
☀️ Some spice

Such an AMAZING debut from Sally Blakely, and I can’t wait to read what she writes next.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you HTP The Hive, HTP Books, and Canary Street Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This one was a slow burn that really grew on me. The trope is exactly what the title describes and, initially, I thought I was going to be frustrated by how obvious the mutual feelings were (a struggle I sometimes have with friends to lover stories), but Blakely ultimately drew me into the story. The cast of characters was also quite lovely, making for a good supporting story and context for the relationship. Overall, a lovely romcom and summer read. If you are waiting to watch The Summer I Turned Pretty until the whole season is out, this will also fill a similar niche. 

Publishing tomorrow 7/22! Thanks to Netgalley and Canary Street Press for the eARC!

Sally Blakely's debut, Friends to Lovers, is simply stunning and captured my heart from the very beginning. This book masterfully tackles some of my favorite tropes, friends to lovers (obviously) and second chance romance. There's also a little forced proximity and only one bed in there as well and I simply could not stop reading this book once I started. Sally's debut is a must-read for readers who have enjoyed The Ex-Vows by Jessica Joyce and People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. And Sally, you're officially an auto-buy author for me!

Joni and Ren have been best friends since childhood. Their families are essentially extensions of one another and they share a beach house in the Pacific Northwest where each summer they spend a week together. Joni gets her dream job in New York, tearing apart the once inseparable friendship she has with Ren. Determined to still be friends, they devise a plan to be each other's plus ones to weddings because they're at that age where someone is always getting married. It works well, until one night they cross the line from friends to something more, leaving Joni to make a decision that alters the course of both of their lives for the next two years.

There's something special about the friends to lovers trope that's just magical and Sally definitely captures that magic here with Joni and Ren. When two people are friends first, it makes the bond between them all that more special and more emotionally developed when they decide to become more than friends. However, going from friends to lovers can be risky but I'd take that risk each time if there was a guarantee it would end up like it did for Joni and Ren. This book is the slowest of slow burns, but so worth it. The flashbacks, which were effortlessly weaved into the present-day storyline, really allowed me to see how Joni and Ren came to be important to each other. Sally wrecked me about 75% in and I was just balling because Joni and Ren are the epitome of true love.

Thank you to Harlequin and Canary Street Press for the e-ARC!

This book had an interesting way of telling the story. There were flashbacks, forced proximity, and the classic pining and miscommunication. I found the characters interesting, and they overall seemed like good people. I think there was also some good personal growth for some of the characters, and the relationships the families had with each other added that extra layer. Overall, a fun, lighthearted book.