Set against the romantic backdrop of Venice, Italy, Friends to Lovers serves up a spicy twist on the classic friends-to-more trope. The chemistry between the main characters definitely sizzled, and the setting added a gorgeous layer of charm and intrigue that made me want to book a gondola ride ASAP.

The spice level? 🔥🔥🔥 Definitely higher than expected—and added a fun kick to the story! But even with the heat, the pacing felt uneven, and the emotional development between the characters didn’t always hit as deeply as I wanted. The transitions between heartfelt and steamy sometimes felt rushed or disjointed.

Still, it’s a fun listen if you’re in the mood for a romantic escape filled with tension, heat, and Venetian vibes.

📍Setting: Venice, Italy
🔥 Spice Level: High
🎧 Format: Advanced Listening Copy (ALC)
💞 Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Travel Romance,

#FriendsToLovers #VeniceRomance #SpicyReads #PaulaOttoni #ALCReview #AudiobookLove #BookReview #RomanceReaders #BookishItaly #SlowBurnWithSpice

I typically enjoy romance + travel books, but this one didn't resonate with me how I'd hoped. I wasn't a huge fan of the FMC and her hopes of falling in love with her best friend, which set up the premise of the book. It just felt kind of weird to me. I had a difficult time getting into the book for this reason. The ending was sweet and brought my rating up slightly.

My Ratings:
🧍🏽‍♀️ 2.5/5 Characters
🌶️ 2/5 Spice
🎬 3.5/5 Ending
🧩 2/5 Plot
💫 2/5 Overall

Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁:

If you want a vacay to Venice with a fun romance this one’s for you! Seriously I have been and this book was so descriptive. I felt I was right back eating pasta, sipping wine, seeing the sights, embracing the culture and strolling along the canals. Come fall in love in Venice this summer with this duo. The audiobook paired with the ebook is the perfect immersive reading experience. The narration was great!

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:

Daisy is in Venice on a dream vacation to get inspiration to open her restaurant back home in LA. But the first day she’s there she gets dumped. So pivoting she gets the idea why not use this as a chance to fall in love with her best friend Jeremy who’s also traveling with her. Only problem is there is zero chemistry between them…

But the hot Italian concierge Lorenzo, at the hotel they are staying at has volunteered to be their “Fairy GodMother”. Meaning he will show them around Venice and sprinkle them with all the Italian magic allowing them to fall in love.

Only problem is Lorenzo is spending alot of time with Daisy and he is falling for her hard. If he’s able to pull off his mission he can prove to his boss he deserves to run the hotel. He already loss his dram once of becoming a violinist and he won’t let that happen again. So he can’t let his feelings for Daisy get in the way, plus she’s leaving at the end of the week.

𝙁𝙖𝙫 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚:

“You need to get lost to find yourself, right?”

𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅:

* Off Limits Romance
* Project “Fairy GodMother”
* Italian vs American
* He’s a Violinist Turned Hotel Concierge
* She’s a Chef in La
* He Gives Her “Love Lessons”
* Travel Romance Venice
* Learning to Live in the Now
* Dual POV w/ Spice

💕🇮🇹🍝🎻💕🇮🇹🍝🎻💕🇮🇹🍝🎻

Imagine traveling to Venice for a romantic work trip with your boyfriend, best friend, and his girlfriend. Only to be dumped the first day there. Not only are you dumped, so is your best friend. To make matters worse both of your ex’s leave with each other. One of them telling you that you and your best friend are perfect for each other.

That is exactly what happens to Daisy & Jeremy. They make a pact to give it one week to see how they feel about one another. Though neither seem romantically interested in each other. Enter Lorenzo, a concierge at their hotel, who decides to act as a tour guide showing them the most off the beaten path romantic spots. Thus a love triangle begins.

The narrators, Carly Robbin’s & Will Damron, did a great job. The speed was perfect between the Dual POV narration.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the advanced audio copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

DNF @20% . I really tried to get into this book. But I just couldn't keep going, I love the plot, and it started well . It just didn't keep me interested. I might try to read it,as opposed to audio.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this audiobook. I really loved the Italy setting, and enjoyed watching Daisy find inspiration for her new restaurant. This book is great if you like a VERY slow burn. While it was not my favorite, it was a nice audiobook to have on in the background. I would recommend to those who want a quick read/listen.

At the beginning of the book I was excited because the plot seemed new and interesting and I loved the idea of having Venice as a setting.

Unfortunately, I did not feel a connection between any of the characters. It didn’t seem realistic for the friends to try to fall in love with each other if neither of them were attracted to each other. I also felt that the new love was more instalove or lust and I didn’t understand why they even liked each other.

I kept reading because I was curious who was going to give up their past lives since they both didn’t want to move countries.

I like the narrators and felt they did a good job.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for providing a copy of this audiobook.

Lorenzo & Daisy. 3.5 ⭐️’s. This is a cute read but it was fairly predictable. I was excited to get into an Italian romance, but it felt a little rushed and while the tittle is the friends to lovers project, the project lasted about 2 seconds. Don’t get me wrong you know that you are not going to go into the project long, hence the hot concierge, but I thought we atleast would get some drama between the 3 or something. I am also not a huge romance comedy reader, which now that I think about it, not sure if it’s supposed to be. Either way, I gotta say it didn’t feel like one, so perhaps a good thing if it’s just the romance/ multicultural aspect you are looking for. As for anyone looking for a good rom-com, this may not be the book to look for as you will not be getting too many laughs. Lastly the spice… it was there & it wasn’t bad per se, but it wasn’t super memorable either.

Now the narrators I loved! Both Carly Robins and Will Damron really brought the story to life and kept me engaged in the story. In the end I thought it was a cute contemporary romance & an easy read, it kept the hopeless romantic in me interested & the end was actually good. Thanks to Harlequin audio & Paula Ottoni for giving me the chance to review prior to publication.

Let’s start with the drama that this book starts out with. Daisy was supposed to travel through Europe with her boyfriend, best friend Jeremy, and his girlfriend… until Jeremy’s girlfriend runs off with Daisy’s boyfriend!! Absolute chaos. So what do Daisy and Jeremy do? Naturally, they decide to take the trip together. Cue the friends-to-lovers setup, right? I mean, it’s literally in the title—we all thought we knew where this was going… Except—plot twist—it’s not Jeremy who gets Daisy’s heart racing.

Enter Lorenzo: the hot Italian bartender slash violin-playing tour guide (I KNOW). As Daisy soaks in the magic of Venice, she finds herself drawn to this charming, spontaneous stranger who challenges everything about her carefully planned life. Suddenly, it’s less about sticking to expectations and more about asking: what if the path I planned isn’t the one I want anymore?

Let me just say it: the title is a lie—a red herring! This is not a friends-to-lovers story. In fact, the so-called “friends” barely had romantic potential to begin with. What you do get is a whirlwind vacation romance set against the dreamy backdrop of Venice

The book leans hard into the “Let me teach you seduction” trope with all the flirty fun you'd expect from a summer romance, and that line—“When you love someone, their happiness is all that matters.”—hits you right in the feels.

While the title might mislead you, the love triangle tension, spontaneous adventure, and Venetian vibes make it a cute, escapist read perfect for a weekend getaway, or just pretending you're on one.

4.5 🌟
Spice: open door
Format: ALC (out 7/1)

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the alc in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, is the inst love a little over the top? Perhaps, but it's so stinking cute. I was on the fence at first when Daisy was trying to hard to force something with Jeremy. But thankfully they gathered early on that friends is all they could be. Lorenzo, gah adore him. He wears his heart on his sleeve and falls helplessly in love with Daisy. I liked how the ending played out. It was immediately picture perfect, but they found their way.

Daisy and Jeremy have been friends FOREVER. They've also just both been dumped while vacationing in one of the most romantic cities in the world: Venice. They've got a week to kill, so one drunken night they propose a "so crazy it just might work" plan: spend a romantic week together and see if they can go from friends, to lovers. Lorenzo overhears their plan, and decides to help by becoming their tour guide. After all, if he can pull this off, he just might get to take over the hotel he's been working in! The problem? Lorenzo finds HIMSELF falling for Daisy instead! Whoops!

I LOVED the Italian setting of this novel! It's perfect for a book lovers' staycation. There's chemistry aplenty, as well as some decent spice. The tour guide becoming the love interest was such a fun twist!

I had a difficult time getting past Will Damron's narration. I've enjoyed his work in other books, but I think this audiobook could have been MADE by a male narrator with a charming Italian accent, rather than Damron's almost robotic (in comparison) American accent. I honestly wish I'd read this physically, as opposed to listening to the story. I enjoyed Lorenzo and his compelling backstory, but wasn't terribly fond of Daisy or Jeremy. It improved somewhat as the story went on, though.

Trigger warnings: car accident/injury (before story begins, briefly referenced), death of a father (before story begins)

I'd like to thank Harlequin Audio and Netgalley for the ALC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The book is cute and very Summer vibe. I mean if you’d like to travel to Venice this Summer, this book will be the perfect companion for you! Daisy and Lorenzo are so cute together and their chemistry is on point!

If you’re looking for a cute, funny, lighthearted book to read this Summer, look no further.

Thank you Netgally and Afterglow Books for the eARC, I did enjoy the book!

The Friends-to-Lovers Project was a super cute story. Daisy goes to Venice with her boyfriend, best friend, and her best friend’s girlfriend. Then her boyfriend and the bff’s girlfriend dump them on the first day and Daisy and her boyfriend are left with each other in Venice. Daisy hatches a plan to go from friends to lovers with her best friend. He’s hesitant but goes along with it. They have assistance from the hotel concierge, Lorenzo, who shows them the sights and romantic spots. But the sparks flying are not between Daisy and her best friend. Lorenzo is bringing the sparks and romance and he and Daisy have to navigate their attraction to each other as the days count down to when Daisy leaves and both have to confront what they really want from their careers and life,
The book was written well and really brought Venice and its history to life. The spice level was good, there were a few occasions where it got really spicy but it was done well and spaced out well. I’d definitely recommend this book to any romance reader who likes a destination read.

A L C • R E V I E W 🎧
The Friends to Lovers Project by Paula Ottoni
Narrated by: Carly Robins; Will Damron

Publication date: June 30, 2025 ✨

This audiobook was the cutest funny romcom I’ve listened to in a while. It follows Daisy and Jeremy who are best friends and just like in real life, people are always saying “a guy and girl can’t be just friends”. So they come up with a plan that completely fails and it is hilarious. Let me just say Lorenzo the hotel concierge was my favorite character… he had a lot of passion for his dreams and what he wanted in life. It is dual POV so that was amazing.

Both Carly and Will did an amazing job! 💖

Thank you @netgalley and @harlequinbooks for sending me a ALC.

#audiobookreview #alcreview #audiobookstagram #audiobooksarebookstoo #bookreview #bookcommunity #bookosessed

I really wanted to love The Friends-to-Lovers Project. Set in Italy? Romance? Foodie? That's right up my alley. Unfortunately, this book went off the rails for me pretty early. The actual friends to lovers project doesn't even last a quarter of the book. There was definitely no chemistry between Daisy and Jeremy, but I also didn't feel like there was any chemistry between her and Lorenzo. Their relationship seemed forced and just stale. I wanted there to be sizzling chemistry and for me as a reader to completely understand why she would want to throw her whole life away to move across the world for him. And trust me, as someone who's been completely enraptured by Italy, I wouldn't need much convincing. In addition to that, I wanted Venice to jump off the page more than it did. For such a sparkling, magical city, it just didn't come to life in the writing. I was hoping for an easy 5 star home run on this one, and it just wasn't it. 3 1/2 *

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

When Daisy and her best friend Jeremy experience their respective significant others get together at the beginning of a trip to Venice, why not try something new? Daisy wants to take a chance and see if her very platonic friend could maybe become more. Lorenzo Fontana meanwhile, is hoping to promote at his hotel and catches a whiff of this “friends to lovers project”, vowing to help set up the most romantic dates possible for Daisy and Jeremy. However, Daisy begins to fall in love with more than just the Venetian view.

This book would be a super cute European holiday read! The main characters interests were definitely not similar to my own, so I personally did not feel super connected to either of them. However, the audiobook narration was wonderful with a male and female voice to differentiate between the chapter POVs!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC audioobook!

This book was so cute! Who doesn’t dream of going to Italy and meeting the perfect Italian man!? I loved the romance between Daisy and Lorenzo and how supportive they were of each other and their own dreams! This is the perfect book for the summer and the narrators were amazing!

I vacillated between a 2.5 and 3 stars for this one. There were parts I liked and parts I was meh about. Ultimately, I think I would give it a 2.75 so I rounded up.

The beginning of the book was cute, with an interesting plot and a fun and romantic setting. I loved the idea of trying to turn a friend into a lover, and realizing that chemistry can’t just be created just because you want it to. I also really enjoyed that it took place in Venice, which is a location I haven’t seen a lot of romance set in, but the history and activities made it a lot of fun to read.

Unfortunately, as the book went on I started to feel like it was dragging a bit. Partially I think that’s because the characters weren’t the most memorable and I didn’t connect with either of them. It is also very hard for me to get on board with an instalove romance, and although it can be done, this book didn’t quite succeed.

I did, however, appreciate that it kept me guessing who was going to give up their previous life since they were both very much tied to their respective counties. I also liked that despite the instalove, there was some practicality in how they got together that made it slightly more believable.

For the audiobook, the narrators were decent but I didn’t quite feel like they embodied the characters. Neither voice felt quite right, but the pacing was good and easy to follow along with.

This was a cute little story. I wish there was more character development in the beginning to understand the characters more. I enjoyed the idea of the bait and switch in the beginning.

The Friends-to-Lovers Project by Paula Ottoni with narration performed by Carly Robins and Will Damron. Daisy finds herself single in Venice with her best friend Jeremy, after they were both dumped by their significant others. Lorenzo is a hotel concierge and bartender, he dreams of becoming the manager of the hotel. They make a deal for Lorenzo to show Jeremy and Daisy all the romance of Venice with the hope of making them fall in love. Problem is they have no chemistry, whereas Lorenzo and Daisy have nothing but chemistry. I really wanted to love this book and there were certainly some dreamy romantic parts, but the story felt somewhat forced. There is a lot of information about Venice which I really loved, and the male narrator speaking these facts in his amazing voice, made it even better!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Audio, and the author for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.