Friends to Lovers, the debut by Sally Blakely started a bot slow for me, but quickly caught my heart with main characters Joni and Red. They were childhood best friends, and somewhere in their teens or early 20s they made a pact to become each others plus one during wedding season's, platonically of course. As with many childhood friendships, things happen, and the friendship fades, but Joni and Red decide to reunite for one last wedding, even though it has been years since they have spoken.

The story turned out to be much more than the Rom-Com I was expecting it to be. This story had so much emotional depth. Joni's feelings for Ren will feel familiar to many readers, loving someone more than you realize. Their connection to each other remains strong even after not speaking for many years.

The setting is beautifully detailed through Blakely's writing. She places you right in the middle of a Pacific Northwest summer. Its dreamy.

Friends to Lovers is the perfect summer romance, it is sweet and heartfelt, but not to sugary. There is just the proper amount of tension between Joni and Ren, just enough to having you wondering what they will be doing next. There is a bit of heart tugging or heart break, from Joni realizing she actually loves Ren. There is also so much more in this book, but I don't want to give any more than I already have.

Beautifully written by the author and narrated by Patti Murin, Friends to Lovers was exactly the type of book I was looking for.

Thank you to Harlequin Audio for the advance listen.

Friends to Lovers has a Pub Date of July 22, 2025

Super cute. Like I’m watching a rom-com the whole time. Reminds me how much I enjoy reading friends to lovers trope. I love the narrator, Patti Murin, as well. I think it’s my fourth book read by her. Definitely a warm and fuzzy book that would make you feel good after a long day. I’ll definitely check out more Sally Blakely in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the audio ARC.

3.5 stars for me! Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Sally Blakely’s Friends to Lovers is a heartfelt, charming summer romance that hits all the right notes for a vacation read. Told through alternating timelines, the story balances nostalgia and emotional growth, making the slow burn between the main characters both believable and satisfying.

The characters are easy to root for—relatable, flawed, and genuinely likeable. I especially appreciated how the story portrayed Joni’s struggles with anxiety. While she did come off as a bit whiny at times, her inner spirals felt real and familiar. As someone who also deals with anxiety, I found that aspect of her character relatable and sensitively written.

I listened to the audiobook version and thought the narrator did a fantastic job bringing the story to life. The dialogue, chemistry, and emotional beats were all well-paced, and the voice work helped make the transitions between past and present feel seamless.

This would absolutely make a cute romantic movie—think beachy setting, emotional depth, and just the right amount of tension. If you're looking for a cozy, feel-good romance to escape with this summer, Friends to Lovers should be on your list.

This was such a good story! Just like it says, this is a classic childhood friends to lovers story. A second chance romance. Full of angst and flirting…so much obsessing!! I loved it.

We get the full scope of Ren and Joni’s relationship through flashbacks from present day. They bring us in to see how it began and how it all fell apart, and what happens when it all comes back 2.5 years later. It was honestly heartbreaking seeing it all fall apart in the past. But I really love how much depth that brought into the story telling.

Ren and Joni grew up best friends. Tied together with their families being best friends and owning a shared beach house. Their families are such a big part of their story. Overbearing mothers, meddling sisters and brothers and friends all mixed up together. All of them watching and waiting to see what’ll happen with these two.

This story also explore self worth tied with careers. How to handle expectations and having a life. Enjoying that life outside of work, knowing work isn’t the end all be all. It doesn’t have to consume everything.

This is the perfect beach read for the summer. Captured that vacation feeling so nostalgically. And it was so swoony!!! Would highly recommend.

🌊 ARC Review
Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🗓️ July 22, 2025
Format: 🎧

This book felt like a summer sunset—warm, wistful, and full of hope. Friends to Lovers is a breathtaking debut filled with aching glances, unspoken feelings, and all the magic that comes with falling for someone who’s always been there.

Joni and Ren have been inseparable since they were toddlers, but years of distance turned them into comfortable plus-ones—always together, but never together. Until one final wedding brings them face to face with everything they’ve been avoiding.

Told in a flawless dual-timeline format, we’re swept between sun-drenched childhood memories and the emotional present, where buried feelings finally rise to the top.

Sally Blakely’s writing is gorgeous and immersive. You feel the salt in the air, the ache of longing, the pulse of nostalgia. Joni’s emotional growth and Ren’s unwavering devotion had me absolutely hooked.

This one belongs on your summer TBR ASAP.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the advanced listeners copy. This heartfelt romance stole my heart.

✨ Tropes:
• Best friends to lovers (of course)
• He falls first 💘
• Second chance romance
• Forced proximity
• Dual timelines
• Big emotional climax at a group event

I love Patti Murin narrated books! I know when she’s reading it’s gonna be a great one and this one met that mark! The production is great in this audiobook. The store is a cute second change, obviously friends to lovers story. Fun read!
Side note - Ren is right: Mr. Brightside IS America’s song.

In this story, Joni and Liam were brought together as toddlers when their families became best friends and bought a vacation cabin together to share. The two grew up together and became best friends. Throughout the story, you see how Joni and Liam’s love story evolved from friendship to being more than friends over their lifetime.

Friends to Lovers had me engaged from the start. The characters were likable and I enjoyed how the story went back and forth between past events and back to the present to let the story unfold.

The only part I did not enjoy was the reason given for their breakup about 80% into the story. It seemed like the FMC made a decision for the two of them which made them miserable without each other for several years. Their suffering could have been avoided with simple communication. However, I am glad the story ended happily!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the friends-to-lovers trope in their romance novels!

3.75 Stars

Childhood friends to lovers, long distance friendship, enter conflict, estrangement and then forced proximity... it's a set up for some fireworks, no? Joni and Ren made a pact when Joni decided to move across the country for her job that they would be each other's plus one for weddings going forward. A tradition they kept until one fateful summer when they crossed a line that broke their friendship. Fast forward two and a half years and they are forced to reconnect for Joni's sister's wedding and act as if there is nothing wrong -- they've been pretending for the entire separation anyway, what's another week? The old sparks fly and it's not so easy to forget.

I've read other reviewers perspectives and this book has been compared a lot to Emily Henry's People We Meet on Vacation... but I've never read it, so... who knows? What I will say is that this story does jump around in time a bit and following the timeline was a bit confusing when listening to the audio. I just ran with it and hoped I was keeping all of the weddings straight, but even if I was off, I got the point and knew what was going on in their relationship based on how the author described the scenes. It was a pretty easy listen, it took me a few hours and I read it in one sitting, I wasn't bored, but I also wasn't overly impressed. It was good, something I would borrow from the library.

My thanks to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the ALC, all opinions are my own.

🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
📆 Pub Date Jul 22nd 2025
♥️ Summer love
♥️ Childhood friends to lovers
♥️ Slow Burn
I was so obsessed with this book that l immediately requested the Audible version when I saw it available on Netgalley! Patti Murin, one of my favorite narrators, truly brought the story to life. Having already read the book, experiencing the characters' emotions through her narration was incredibly special. I highly recommend either version— it's that good

(3.5⭐️ rounded up to 4⭐️) I’ll start by saying that friends-to-lovers, is my favorite trope. So it was a no-brainer that I’d want to pick this book up. That said, big thank-you’s to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for approving me for an ALC.

So many reviewers compare this read to People We Meet on Vacation, and I can definitely see the similarities. I didn’t mind though, as I loved that book as well. In similar fashion, there’s also a miscommunication trope, and that is one trope that I really am not fond of. I also don’t particularly like when one MC makes decisions for the other based off assumptions, and unfortunately, that was also an issue with this read. However, I really enjoyed when they finally just sat down and talked about the issues and their feelings, even if they were kind of forced to do so. If you’re “best friends” like they always said they were, they should always have the hard conversations. We got there in this read…it just took a while to get there.

I will say that, given the fact that this story was told in dual timeline, the audio would’ve been better served by dual narration. Having just the one female narrator with little to no inflection as to which character’s perspective was currently being presented, made several parts of the story feel very jumbled up. I think if I were to ever revisit this book, I’d have to do so as an immersive read, or as strictly a physical read.

In the end, I enjoyed the story and I’d recommend it particularly to people that are fans of this trope.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance audio copy of this sweet book that’s releasing soon! When I read the description of this book, it called to me…despite not typically being a fan of 2nd chance romance and dual timelines. I’m so glad that I took a chance on this because Ren and Joni’s love story had me hooked and I just loved seeing how it all unfolded. I loved the PNW beach house setting and the friends/family group. I listened to this in one day!

I read the book as an arc and now have listened to the audiobook as an arc! The story remains absolutely wonderful. Patti Murin is a good narrator, through her interpretation of Ren’s voice left a little to be desired. There was also a few long breaks in between some sentences that were odd to me. The audiobook needs a little fine-tuning before it’s ready, in my opinion.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Audio, and Sally Blakely for the chance to read and listen to Friends to Lovers early! I was gifted both the eARC and ALC, which made for the perfect immersive reading experience, and honestly, I didn’t want to put it down.

This was such a heartfelt, nostalgic friends-to-lovers romance. I loved Joni and Ren’s connection. Deep, complicated, and full of that "what if" tension that keeps you turning pages. Their wedding-season tradition was such a sweet setup, and watching it unravel and rebuild had me fully invested. The beachy, summer setting gave it all the cozy, romantic vibes, and the emotional depth really hit home.

Patti Murin’s narration was spot-on. She captured Joni’s heart and humor so well that it made the story even more relatable and real.

There were a couple of slower moments, but overall, this was a beautiful debut full of love, growth, and second chances. If you enjoy stories about rekindled connections, messy feelings, and the kind of love that feels like home, this one is definitely worth a read.

A lovely reminder that sometimes, love has been right there all along. 💛

This is a fun slow burn, friends to lovers summer romance for readers who loved books like People We Meet on Vacation and Every Summer After. I really liked the character of Ren, but felt like Josie came off as immature. These two needed to have some serious conversations much earlier in life, so if the lack or communication/miscommunication trope isn’t for you, that’s something to be aware of before picking this one up.

As a side note, I had no clue the narrator, Patti Murin from Broadway recorded audiobooks! That was a fun discovery and she’s a great narrator!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for an early copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁:

Loved this one! I’m a huge fan of the now and then timeline it’s so fun to see the MCs throughout the years and how their relationship evolves. So fun to see a book based in OR and feel the PNW vibes. This book has a strong family vibes and it felt like a summery hug with your bestie. Highly recommend adding to your beach stack!

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:

Joni and Ren have been inseparable since they were 3 years old, best friends for life. Then Joni takes her dream job in NYC and moves away from Portland and everything she knows. Thankfully friendship can stretch the miles and vowing to be each other’s wedding dates through the years. Joni and Ren stay connected.

Until one fateful wedding weekend when lines are crossed, and decades friendship left behind. Now 2.5 years later Joni has to face Ren again. It’s her sister’s wedding and avoiding home is no longer an option, so she’s heading home to OR to spend the week at the families beach house.

Joni would do anything for her sister so she will paste a smile on her face and fake her friendship status with Ren. But sunny skies, ocean waves and spending alot of time together will push Joni & Ren together again - maybe they can overcome the past and move out of the friend zone.

𝙁𝙖𝙫 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚:

“I think I’m always going to be waiting for just five minutes of you loving me like I love you.”

𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅:

* Childhood Besties to Lovers
* Dual Timelines
* Reunion & Second Chances
* Wedding Dates Thru the Years
* He Makes Her Playlists
* FMC Deals with Anxiety
* Forced Proximity
* Portland, OR & PNW Beach Vibes
* Single POV w/ Spice

🩵🎶🌲🎸🩵🎶🌲🎸🩵🎶🌲🎸🩵

Get ready for an emotional slow-burn beach read that will evoke every feeling imaginable: happiness, sadness, nostalgia, hope, uncertainty, and everything in between. I'm holding back on spoilers, but trust me, you'll feel it all.

Joni and Ren have been best friends since they were toddlers. Throughout their lives, they made a pact: they'd always be each other's plus-one. Even as other significant others came and went, their unwavering support for each other remained constant. So, what catastrophic event two and a half years ago shattered their bond?

Now, after two and a half years of silence since that New Year's Eve, they're finally reunited for Joni's younger sister's (Stevie) wedding. Will they finally be able to talk through what happened, or will they keep avoiding the truth and maintain a safe, polite distance?

Communication is the essential, overarching theme of this novel.

The narrator was simply fantastic! She perfectly captured every character, and I even found myself getting exasperated with the moms, thanks to her performance. Her voice was so captivating and a joy to listen to. In fact, I found myself wondering which experience I preferred more: the audiobook or the written novel. The answer? It was a tie!

Narrator: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Story 4/5

3.5 ⭐️

Listen, I hate the miscommunication trope with a passion, but really wanted to give this a try anyway. Overall, I enjoyed Ren and Joni’s story—Ren is an absolute dreamboat, but their relationship just didn’t quite hit for me.

A lot of reviews say that this one felt like People We Meet on Vacation and I totally agree, but make it weddings instead of vacations. Also, I’m not mad about it. I loved PWMOV and will gladly read more.

Joni and Ren are childhood best friends. When Joni moves across the country, they keep their friendship alive by being each other’s +1 at weddings. It works… until it doesn’t. People catch feelings, a line is crossed, and now they’re barely speaking. When Joni comes home for her sister’s wedding, she and Ren are forced to fake friendship which brings a lot of feelings rushing back. It's told in a dual timeline, which I'm a huge fan of.

The reason I didn't give this more stars was the whole “we can’t be together because it might ruin everything” trope drove me a little nuts, and the lack of communication had me wanting to shake them both. But I loved the setting, the warmth of the side characters, and the overall vibe. It’s got that nostalgic, returning home type thing just works for a summer read.

It was heartfelt, a little messy, and I enjoyed the journey. 3.5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Friends To Lovers by Sally Blakely

A BIG thank you to #NetGalley , #HarlequinAudio and the author for allowing me to listen to this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

About the book: Joni and Ren have been best friends since they were 3 years old. They have been totally inseparable. Then one day Joni learns she will have to move across the country for her job. Both are devastated they will be so far from one another but they devise a creative plan that will help ensure they will stay in each other’s lives. They will be each others plus ones to weddings during wedding season, no matter what is going on in the others lives.
This tradition seems to work out very well, until one day when a line is crosses and their friend ship is ruined forever.
Now Joni is back home at her family’s summer home to celebrate her sisters wedding, and Ren will be there. She’s determined to make the best of the weekend, even if that means faking a friendship with Ren, and avoiding the truth of why they need to fake it. It shouldn’t be too hard to fake it with the person that once knew you better than anyone. But as she and Ren spend more days together, Joni begins to wonder about life without Ren. As the wedding arrives, and brings past heartaches with it, Joni must decide if she needs to let Ren go or if their relationship is worth fighting for.

What I thought: This story is told by going back and forth between the past and present. You know that something happened in Joni and Ren’s past that ruined their relationship but you learn about what that was the further you read/listen to the story. I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a really sweet story. It mainly kept me pretty invested the entire time. I liked the characters. The only thing I really don’t like is the title of the book, because it’s literally the trope! The title gives the book away. Lol! Other than that it was a cute read and perfect for the summer! All in all I’m giving this 4 out of 5 stars!

Patti Murin does a great job narrating this book! Sheridan really helps to bring the characters to life!

This book will release Jul 21, 2025!

FRIENDS TO LOVERS

Romance — 3.5 ⭐️

Joni and Ren have been best friends since childhood, but after a falling out, they’re brought back together at a family wedding, where pretending to be friends makes it harder to ignore what really happened—and what they still feel.

A charming summer romance filled with all the nostalgia and second chances that make the friends-to-lovers trope so irresistible. Fans of Happy Place and People We Meet on Vacation will enjoy the nostalgia and summer setting.

My only frustration was the usual friends-to-lovers issue—too much missed communication! Still, it’s a warm, heartfelt read ideal for sunny summer days.

Thank you @harpercollins for the #gifted book and @netgalley for the #gifted audiobook! Out 7/22