Thank you to #NetGalley and #HarlequinAudio for an advance listening copy of #TheFriendsToLoversProject. Best friends tour Venice while trying to see if they can become romantic partners. 4 stars.

If you’re looking for a fun, romantic getaway book this is the one. The Friends to Lovers Project, by Paula Ottoni.

It’s the story of two best friends that decide they want to fall in love, and the poor dude trying to make it happen.

There’s a lot of self discovery mixed in with the romance of Venice.

Also, I love Carly Robbins and her narration is second to none!

Thanks to Paula Ottoni and Netgalley for this ALC

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

🌶️ 🌶️

Narrated in duet by Carly Robins and Will Damron

Got in to this book thinking it was going to be a friend's to lover situation just to be hit by Lorenzo's hotness and Will Damon's voice really did it for me.

But the main love interest for me in this book was Venezia, I fell in love with the city and that's all Paula's way to describe and set the scenario for this love story, but I feel that the narration really brought me there.

And now I want to move no Venezia and fall in love with a casanova/violinist.

This book had such a unique premise that if felt very fresh and new while also still following an expected arc for a romance. I loved the characters and setting in Italy. I loved that both characters were able to find and overcome so many personal challenges. If you want to read a cozy romance with a new premise then this is for you.
The narrators did a wonderful job brining the characters and story to life. They made everything interesting and their voice acting was great.

Daisy and Jeremy are both dumped by their partners while they were all vacationing in Venice together. The break-up note stated they should be together since they love each other so much.... However, Daisy and Jeremy are just friends, but after that note they try to be a couple for their one week in Venice.

In enters Lorenzo the concierge who wants to plan their days so they can fall in love with each other. And while he is originally doing this because he wants to prove he loved the hotel and will be able to take over. He can't help his feelings for Daisy.

I received an advance review copy audio version. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio, for the opportunity to listen to this book. Carly Robins and Will Damron did an amazing job narrating this audiobook

It's a little difficult to review this because I requested this on NetGalley based on the narrators, cute cover and title. But this book doesn't really hit on my tropes. For one, this is a drama and I was expecting a rom com. There also isn't a friends to lovers plot. And, unfortunately, there's instalove here which I can never wrap my mind around.

That being said, the novel is a pretty fast read/listen and if someone wants Venice, Casanova, violins and all the melodrama and romance that comes with that, then this story will delight them.

Also, you get Carly Robbins and Will Damron! Will is always solid and I can wax poetic on Carly's glorious narration for paragraphs and paragraphs.

Thank you to NetGlalley and the publisher for the ALC.

I originally was interested in this book based on the blurb. It sounded like a fun and light friends to lovers romance based on the title but it ended up being more than that! I enjoyed the narration on this and the dual pov but I think probably my favorite thing was actually learning so much about Venice through the hot tour guide.


Thank you to both Harlequin and NetGalley for an opportunity to listen to this ALC early in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC

This was a fun, cute read and the narration was perfect for the characters. The title is a little misleading as the friends to lovers goes off the rails fairly quickly, and becomes something very different. Finding yourself again, and that person who challenges you to be your best self, unexpected as they may be. I ended up really loving this book, Carly Robins and Will Damron did an excellent job portraying their characters fears, grief, hopes, dreams and ultimately love.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the audio ARC!

3 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

🎧 AUDIOBOOK review 🎧

The audio was good! I love Carly Robbins so anything she narrates is good! It flowers nicely and both the male and female narrators did a great job.

The story was super cute! A sweet summer romance. When the friends to lovers projects fails Daisy finds her true love!

The Friends-to-Lovers Project is a fun, flirty escape that feels like a mini-vacation to Italy. Daisy and her best friend Jeremy arrive in Italy on a group trip with their significant others—only for the vacation to take a dramatic turn when their partners leave them for each other.

Newly single and stuck in romantic Italy, Daisy and Jeremy decide to see if their longtime friendship could turn into something more. Helping them along is Lorenzo, the devastatingly charming hotel concierge, who takes it upon himself to play matchmaker. But as the three explore Italy, it becomes clear that the real sparks are between Daisy and Lorenzo—not Daisy and Jeremy.

Full of tension, passion, and a touch of spice, this vacation romance is a delightful, emotional ride. Narrators Carly Robins and Will Damron do a fantastic job bringing the characters to life. Thank you to NetGalley, Paula Ottoni, and Harlequin Audio for the ALC—I thoroughly enjoyed every moment!

This story had a cute premise and a few genuinely heartwarming scenes. The transition from friendship to romance had its relatable moments, and there was some nice chemistry between the main characters.

That said, the pacing was uneven. Some parts felt drawn out while others moved too quickly, especially key emotional beats that could have added more depth. The dialogue was predictable at times, and a few side characters didn’t get the development they deserved.

Overall, it’s an easy, feel-good read with some charm, but it didn’t completely pull me in. Enjoyable enough, just not especially memorable.

I don't understand the title. She does enter a friends to lovers attempt but it lasts all of seven seconds before she moves on to someone she actually might like.

The book was not horrible but there were a few times I just wasn't feeling it and struggled to pay attention. I'm sure it's just me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Audio, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this story. Carly Robbins (CJ Bloom) and Will Damron are a couple of my favorites, and they did a great job.

This made me feel like I was on an Italian vacation! The FMC has a plan and she will do whatever she can to achieve her goals. Things go off track when she meets the seductive concierge at her Venetian hotel. Will she stick to her original path or choose love?

Honestly, this was cute. I didn't do anything crazy memorable, but I thought it was a fun summer listen. The title is a bit misleading since it doesn't revolve entirely around the friends-to-lovers aspect, but once I get past that, it was a quick listen. I loved Daisy and Lorenzo's chemistry, and I almost wish that was a bigger focus in this, rather than being diluted by this project they're working on/towards. But overall, if you're looking for a fun and almost mindless palate cleanser, I recommend it!

🎧 / 3.5⭐️

Thank you to Harlequin Audio via NetGalley for this Audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest opinions!

Thanks to Harlequin and Nergalley for this advanced copy of The Friends to Lovers Project

Overall: 3 out of 5 stars

It was okay, not super memorable. I’m mostly just confused by the title choice since it wasn’t really about her and her friend, and doesn’t really focus on their “project” anyways.

Daisy is fresh out of a relationship and given up on all “typical” timelines of marriage, kids, life goals after the break up. She’s traveling to Venice for restaurant inspiration and to restart the next chapter in her life.

She was planning to travel with her best friend, Jeremy, and his girlfriend until that crashes and burns when his girlfriend goes off with Daisy’s ex !!! Like WHAT!!! So what do they decide to do? Take the trip together ! I smell friends to lovers (obviously from the title, we knew this was the trope)…

Sounds easy enough, right? Wrong- because enter super hot tour guide, Lorenzo. Enter love triangle trope. Daisy finds herself also drawn towards Lorenzo, but would this mean she can give up on the expected timeline to keep her life on her planned track with Jeremy?

Cute romance, quick read. Narration was great !

Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 7/1/25.

I feel like I just took a trip to Venice after reading this book! The description of Venice was done so so well. It was a cute, easy read, but also a little bit boring. It was pretty predictable. Overall, I’m glad it ended the way it did!

I really loved the female narrators voice throughout. I think she did a great job. The males voice was a little eh but I loved the dual narration.

Thank you NetGalley, Paula Ottoni and Harlequin Audio for the ARC of this audio book!

I feel like I just went on a vacation to Italy thanks to this book! I loved all of the different restaurants and sites that they visited. The food sounded delicious, and it made me crave Italian food. This was such a unique twist to the friends to lovers trope.

Two best friends Daisy and Jeremy decide to see if there is something more between them despite everything telling them there isn't. They've been best friends for so long now and have such great chemistry. Why shouldn't they give things a shot? They decide to get a tour guide named Lorenzo to show them all of the romantic places in Italy. Lorenzo may be taking his role a little too seriously and gets a bit closer than he should to Daisy. Lorenzo is such a Casanova.

The cover for this book is so beautiful! I love colors and the beautiful sunset in the background. The relationship between Luigi and Lorenzo is so wholesome. I'm so happy that Luigi was able to find such a kind father figure despite his rough past. I also really enjoy seeing how passionate Lorenzo is about playing the violin, and I enjoyed watching him find his love for the violin again after taking a long break. The narrators did a phenomenal job, and I felt the story and characters' emotions effortlessly. Thank you to Netgalley, Harlequin Audio, and Paula Ottoni for an ARC of this audiobook. This review is my own honest opinion.

B O O K 🇮🇹 R E V I E W
TITLE: The Friends to Lovers Project
AUTHOR: Paula Ottoni
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SPICE: 🌶️🌶️
KU: 🚫
RELEASE DATE: July 1st
NARRATOR: Carly Robins; Will Damron

Daisy goes to Italy for the trip of a lifetime with her boyfriend and another friend couple… and immediately finds herself single and stuck on vacation with the male friend, as their partners ran off together, forever. That leaves Daisy to set up the friends to lovers project with her long time friend, Jeremy, since they are in such a romantic setting of Venice, Italy. Will they fall in love? Or will Daisy find someone else, like the tour guide helping with this project.

I enjoyed both narrators in this duet narration! My only complaint is super minor - the pause time between chapters is a bit long, I kept checking my phone to make sure it hadn’t stopped playing.

Thanks to #NetGalley & harlequin audio

The Friends-to-Lovers Project is a perfectly fine book, but I never felt much heart in the story. It starts with two best friends being dumped, so they decide to give their own romance a try. The plan isn’t terribly successful, but another romance is sparked along the way. The Venice setting adds something to the picture here, but it’s a book I’ll forget quickly.