Very "People We Meet on Vacation"-esque, a nice easy but cute read to help me out of a slump! I did have a bit of a hard time with character names, as both families had 5+ members, plus spouses; I was able to grasp most of it eventually, but I did find myself having to pause reading sometimes to remember who was who.

This was a fun friends to lovers read! I’ve always loved this trope and I think it was executed really well here. From the very first page, I was invested in the relationship between Joni and Ren!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!

First of all, I think this is more like “FORMER friends to lovers” because they’re not friends at the beginning and it’s kind of sad and awkward because Joni’s life is going to shit.

Second of all, it took way too long for me to get invested in this, like halfway through. Joni is super anxious about literally everything (inexplicably to a point) and Ren is…there. It got better as it went on but it just wasn’t the best representation of anxiety I’ve seen in a book.

Ugh not a miscommunication trope! But really it’s lack of communication? Idc this is my least favorite thing in a book and I didn’t love that the lack of communication was the reason for their falling out. Through most of it I was wondering how they’re going to end up together if they’re not really talking

I really wanted to love this book but I felt like I was dropped into a story with no backstory or just a reason to care about these characters (because flashbacks of them attending weddings together are sprinkled through and tbh I was enjoying the rest of the book more and thinking “just got to get through another wedding” each time they popped up).

Thank you NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for sending me an ARC of this amazing book in exchange for an honest review. 💕

This book can be stated as a blend of Emily Henry's "People We Meet on Vacation," and Christina Lauren's "The Paradise Problem." Tropes: miscommunication, friends vs lovers, second chance romance, "insta-lust" vibes at times.

It was a cute read/listen, cliché romance in a way, but that's exactly what I wanted/expected going into it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC! Childhood sweethearts Joni and Ren reunite for a wedding but can they convince their families they haven’t fallen out and not spoken for years? The story was very People We Meet On Vacation related and I did like the interweaving of the present day and flashbacks, but I had a hard time caring about their will they/wont they.

⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️

This was... Fine. The main characters were fine. The plot was fine. I didn't ever feel that emotionally invested in the book, though, and the side characters were all the worst. You're telling me her mom is a therapist and she acts like *that*?! Ugh. I keep seeing people compare this to a mix of People We Meet on Vacation and Happy Place, which I agree with. This also happen to be my two least favorite Emily Henry books so maybe this type of story just isn't for me.

I really enjoyed this second-chance romance. Joni and Ren grew up together on the West Coast and remained close through college—but after graduation, Joni moves to the East Coast for work, while Ren stays behind. Over the years, they spend time together as each other’s plus-ones at weddings, until a major falling-out occurs.

The story unfolds in the days leading up to Joni’s sister’s wedding on the Oregon coast, interwoven with flashbacks to the other weddings Joni and Ren attended together. Watching their history come together piece by piece made the reading experience feel like solving a puzzle in the best way. (If you find non-linear narratives tricky, sketching out a timeline could help.)

This story is full of yearning and tension, and I loved every bit of it. The music references throughout were a fun addition. I flew through this and didn’t find it too long at all—it was just right.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

The writing style, the author's voice, pretty much everything about the way she puts words on the page is beautiful. Truly exquisite. I was drawn into the story from the opening lines. Portland is also a place that means a lot to me, and the Oregon Coast is one of my favorite places to vacation. So the fact that the story centers around a family coming back to the same beach and the same house year after year is so relatable.
The notion that best friends would make a pact to be each other's plus one is super cute as well. I love a story with a pact, and I'm a huge fan of the friends to lovers trope. Having said that, I didn't really understand what Joni's issues were or why she freaked out over their friendship transforming into something romantic. In my opinion, she came across as incredibly selfish. Don't get me wrong, I was locked in. I enjoyed the book and for the most part, I couldn't put it down. But there's a line late in the book where Ren tells Joni he's waiting for just five minutes where she loves him the way he loves her. In my opinion, that's a stumbling block in terms of plot and structure. Most of the conflict could've been resolved if she hadn't lied or run away from a meaningful conversation.

Again, the novel is beautifully written. Excellent setup...just the heroine is a challenge to root for.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Sensitive reader alert: open door romance and some profanity.

Oh, what a delight this book was! I was expecting something a little more shallow and with less heart, but Joni and Ren's story was lovely, and the complex family relationships added a lot more than your typical friends-to-lovers romance. I'll admit I had a little trouble remembering which character was which at times, but I really enjoyed hearing about both families and all their extended relationships. The main characters felt like fully fleshed-out human beings with likable personalities, and I enjoyed getting to know about their taste in music, the stop-motion animation field, and the pull of the Oregon coast.

Many thanks to Canary Street Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC and provide an honest review!

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

Overall, I really liked the storyline woven through this novel. There’s nothing more adorable than childhood best friends falling in love with each other over the years and all of the ways they come back to each other. The only downside here is that at times, the book seemed to move so incredibly slow (especially when we went back in time to previous weddings that Ren and Joni had attended together). I was hoping this one would be a little more fast paced, but I enjoy the story all the same. Anyone with a set of eyes can see Joni and Ren were meant for each other. It was only shocking to see how long it took them to figure it out. There were so many moments where I just wanted Joni to grow a backbone and yell from the rooftops how she was feeling. She was so crippled by her thoughts in so many moments that it became frustrating to witness, and especially detrimental to her and Ren’s relationship.

I did enjoy that the author really put the focus on Ren and Joni’s emotional relationship and not so much their physical connection. What makes this book special is the way the author creates a sense of longing and connection between her characters that’s palpable. There really doesn’t need to be a physical aspect here to make the relationship special. A solid start to my August reads and I will certainly look for more from Sally Blakely!

I love a good best childhood friends to lovers book. As I was reading this one, however, I kept thinking like I have read this before. I know other reviewers have mentioned two specific books, but I also kept getting Summer I Turned Pretty vibes too.
Joni and Ren are childhood best friends; their families share a summer beach house. A huge family reunion is happening because Joni's little sister is getting married at the house. No one knows that the once unseparable Joni and Ren haven't spoken in over 2 years. Things get awkward. Secrets are revealed and truths are told. Their relationship as friends is super sweet and I could understand why moving beyond that is scary. Could it work out?
Honestly, I love the idea of two families sharing a summer house together. A place to watch their families come together and grow in size and older in years together. I think their moms have more of a story to tell. I want more of that!

this was so cute! i love the literary fiction vibe and the callbacks to the earlier relationship. perfect for summer vibes and summer i turned pretty fans !

This was super cute! It very much gave People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry with a little bit of The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce and I love both of those books so I enjoyed this as well. I do wish there had been a little more yearning but overall fun easy read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sally Blakely, and the publisher for this ARC.

“I thought I'd do anything to be with you, and I'm sure I'll hate myself for saying this, but I don't know if I can be with you and be worried that every time things get complicated, you might leave again.” 🥹

This felt like an Emily Henry summer read in all the best ways heartfelt, a little messy, and full of tension you can’t help but root for. Joni and Ren were childhood best friends who haven’t spoken in years, but when Joni’s sister is getting married, she needs a date and Ren shows up. Fake dating kicks off, old feelings resurface and suddenly they’re stuck under the same roof for a whole week pretending they’re fine when they’re very much not. I loved the mix of fake dating, forced proximity, and that whole “we’ve known each other forever but can’t admit how we feel” dynamic.

The dual timeline was done so well everything flowed perfectly without any confusion. Watching past and present slowly come together made their story hit even harder. Joni and Ren’s relationship felt so real, full of messy emotions and missed chances, and by the end, I was soft about everything they’d been through. Just a genuinely warm and well written love story

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

Uhhmmmmm guys, was this a People we meet on vacation dupe???? I'm not trying to be crass, but what was this?? I liked the writing and the author herself (I DO NOT WANT TO BE MEAN TO THE AUTHOR, GUYS I'M SO SORRY IF IT FEELS THAT WAY, NO HATE, NO HATE, NO HATE)
would I recommend this? not really.
Would I read it again?? Again, not really.
BUT I do understand how it's likeable! As of right now, it's not my cup of tea.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tropes: Childhood friends to lovers, second chance romance, alternating timelines
Spice: 🌶️ (A few spicy scenes that weren't that explicit.)



This book had all my favorite tropes, and I love how obsessed Ren was with Joni! I was rooting for Joni and Ren the entire time! Their love story will definitely remain one of my favorites! I loved the flashbacks and being able to see Joni and Ren's friendship and relationship develop through the years. I loved the dynamics of their friendship and relationship as well. This book really hooks you into the story too. It had just enough angst to pull at your heart, but it course there is a happily ever after! It was fun to get the back stories of some of the couples in Joni and Ren's families too. This book was beautifully written and such a great read!

It’s a cute story! Nothing groundbreaking, but a fun, light read for when the mood strikes. It’s a good one for the beach or otherwise summery setting before getting back to the regular routine.

A light, cute and sweet, slow-burn friends to lovers story full of fun tales from the past and inside jokes. Overall adorable.

This cozy, romantic book is a slow burn, with flashbacks interrupting the present day timeline every so often to give the reader more information as to how our two main characters got to where they are today, The age old and yet no less romantic story of two best friends whose parents have been close for most of their lives, Joni and Ren are the perfect example of awkward ex-friends whose terrible communication skills have led them to a silent stand off when on vacation with their families. The reader gets to tag along as we explore their past and how it led to the present, while also rooting for these two to just kiss already.

If Every Summer After and The Summer I Turned Pretty had a baby, this would be it.
While I enjoyed the book, I felt like it didn't fully capture my attention. It didn't reel me in or make me want to continue reading. I didn't feel invested or connected to the characters