Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Canary Street Press for the free eARC and ALC of this book.

As a debut, Sally Blakely’s Friends to Lovers is beautifully executed. While there is some room for growth in the areas of character development and description (a lot of internal dialogue in this one), this is a strong and promising first novel!

The story blends the slow burn charm of People We Meet on Vacation with the emotional tension of Ex Vows, featuring a friends to lovers dynamic, a nearly ruined friendship, a wedding backdrop, and a thoughtful arc of personal growth. The dual timeline adds depth, following Joni and Ren’s relationship from its early days to the present. Their chemistry is natural and well-paced, and Joni’s personal journey navigating a career setback and complex family relationships adds emotional resonance.

At times I would have appreciated a dual POV to offer more insight into Ren’s perspective, Friends to Lovers delivers a sweet and satisfying romance, that makes it a perfect beach read.

I tandem read the audiobook with the physical and it was an enjoyable experience! Patti Murin did an excellent job and brought so much emotion to the story!