♡ Thank you for the free ARC, The Hive | Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press and NetGalley. Thank you for the free audiobook, Harlequin Audio and NetGalley.

If you are looking for a breezy beach read with a satisfying childhood friends-to-lovers arc, this is a great pick. It is sweet, nostalgic, and full of those moments that make you root for the long game. The story leans into familiar tropes in a comforting way, with plenty of emotional payoff. The book has been compared to a couple of popular EmHen reads, so if you gravitate toward that kind of romantic storytelling, you will likely enjoy this one, too.

☊ Listening to this story via audiobook was lovely. Narrator Patti Murin did a wonderful job.

Friends to Lovers isn’t usually my favorite trope. I prefer enemies to lovers if I’m being honest. But this book actually made me enjoy the friends to lovers trope. It was so good. If you want a second chance romance with childhood friends then I recommend this. I enjoyed the dual timelines as well. The timeline in the past I thought was unique since it followed their times as being each others plus ones at weddings. I always love a romance that takes place around a wedding week/weekend.

Thank Netgalley for this ALC!!! I am usually a sucker for a great friends to lovers trope, unfortunately this one fell a little flat for me. I did enjoy the past and present timelines, that was very well done. I also really enjoyed Ren, I thought his character was great. Unfortunately, I think where it lost me was Joni’s character. She was possessive as well as naïve, and for them to be such close friend their lack of communication was hard to grasp. I did love the family dynamics, and the side characters were so well done! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves, friends to lovers, slow burn, and forced proximity.

𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚?

Sally Blakely captured the essence and heart of this trope with her debut! It has the warmth of friendship with the tug and tension of becoming lovers and the fear of losing a cherished friendship.

Joni and Ren have been best friends forever; in fact, their families are close, sharing summers along the sparkling PNW coast. But after college, Joni takes a job in New York, and although they promise always to be each other's plus one at weddings, things begin to shift between them.

This romance was like a breath of fresh air. The characters were not only kind, genuine, and funny, but also incredibly relatable. I adored Joni and Ren; they were an easy couple to root for. Yes, there was some miscommunication, but I felt it didn’t distract from the story.

Told from Joni’s POV and in bouncing timelines, we get glimpses of their early friendship, an understanding that something went wrong, and then we feel their angst of knowing they both want something so much more, and not necessarily in that order. But it all comes together seamlessly, keeping you engaged and eager for more. Along the way, there’s tons of fun with family vacations, wedding planning, beach parties, and even a game of capture the flag.

I can’t wait to see what this author writes next!

🎧 Patti Murin’s narration is bright and fresh; it was so easy to love these characters because of it. She does an excellent job with Joni and Ren, making it feel as if they are friends sharing their story with you.

Thank you @htpbooks and @harpercollins for the gifted ebook via #NetGalley. Thank you @harlequinaudio for the gifted audiobook via NetGalley.

I was not a fan of this story. It was a little too close to People We Meet on Vacation and I found myself comparing it to that story the whole time.

Joni and Ren are childhood besties who are still trying to find a way to keep their relationship alive while living on opposite coasts as adults. They decide to be each others plus ones for various weddings that they go to in order to catch up every year and take a trip together.

I feel like the story got dragged out longer than it needed to, especially knowing how it was going to end. Wanting to know what blow-up happened between Ren and Joni is what kept me listening to the story. I did not enjoy how ridiculous Joni acted when she and Ren both had significant others and she wanted to totally usurp all of his attention every second they were together at the wedding...including sleeping in the same bed...it was a weird flex. Sadly this one was a miss for me. I did enjoy the narration by Patty Murin.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for my audiobook of this story.

Thank you Harlequin Audio and Netgalley for an ALC of Friends to Lovers 🩵

This trope is becoming one of my favorites because the best foundation for love is always going to be friendship!

Joni and Ren have been friends since childhood and have been there for each other through every stage of life since. This book is filled with memories, laughter, longing and honest truths as they both try to figure out who they want to be how to make their way back to each other after they crossed a line 2 years ago.

I loved that it wasn’t just about them wanting each other. They also wanted to iron their lives out and make sure they weren’t making reckless decisions. Even though that cause them to be pulled away from each other at times, they always found their way back.

Happy pub day to Friends to Lovers by @sally.blakely! I’m so grateful to Harlequin Audio (@harlequinbooks) for an ALC of this one.

This dual timeline story is about life-long best friends Joni and Ren. Their families are so close, they even share a summer beach home. At some point, Joni and Ren agreed to always be each other’s plus ones for weddings. After college, Joni gets a job across the country and the two commit to keeping up the tradition so they can still see each other. This works until it doesn’t, and the chapters in the past reveal what caused the rift. In the present storyline, Joni’s sister is getting married and everyone’s gathered at the summer house. Except Joni and Ren haven’t seen each other or talked in two years and their families don’t know. Can they fix what went wrong between them in the short amount of time they have together?

I found this book absolutely delightful. I confess I’m a sucker for a good friends to lovers story, and this book highlighted all the reasons I love the trope. The shared history, the inside jokes, the banter you only get when you know someone really well, and the pining. On my god, the pining. I think the characters were really well fleshed out and I legitimately liked them both, as well as all the family side characters. I would love to sink into a family dynamic like this one. It would be remiss of me not to mention that the reason for the rift is annoying. I’m not sure there’s a way to keep two people apart so obviously meant to be together without the reason being annoying. But I didn’t care because by the time it was revealed, I was so invested in Joni and Ren that I let them off the hook. And I also really appreciated the way the characters handled things when everything came out.

Patti Muran narrates and she added so much sweetness and charm. I don’t know that she’s the right narrator for every book, but when she is right—like in this one—it’s perfection. I would highly recommend the audiobook.

This was an excellent book - very reminiscent of Emily Henry! I loved this narrator, the storyline, all of it. It has stuck with me well beyond finishing it. Highly recommend!

Living up to its title, Friends to Lovers is a classic take on the childhood friends to lovers trope. This book felt summery and nostalgic! The chemistry between Joni and Ren was obvious from the beginning, creating the best kind of tension. I enjoyed the past and present timelines, helping show how deep their love for each other has always been. I couldn’t help but root for Joni and Ren as they found their way back to each other! I also loved the coastal wedding setting and sibling side characters!

Like other books with the same trope, my biggest issue was the miscommunication. It did feel realistic given the circumstance, but I would’ve appreciated it more if the characters had finally talked to each other out of their own choosing, rather than being forced into it.

Friends to Lovers is a super sweet romance full of heart - I am excited to see what Sally Blakely writes next!

I went into this book never having heard of Sally Blakely before and I finished it knowing I am a fan. Her quirky characters, found and related family and second chances made this book such a fun read.

The ALC was narrated by Patti Muran. Patti brought an enjoyable energy to her narration and kept me engaged the whole time.

I feel like people who enjoy authors like Emily Henry would enjoy this book.

QUICK GLANCE-
My format: 🎧Audio (10 hours and 27 minutes) and📖ebook (352 pages)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ (open door Chapter 22)
Language: 🤐🤐 mild/moderate

MY THOUGHTS-
This one took a minute to settle into; those dual timelines had me flipping back and forth, trying to keep my footing. The present unfolds by day of the week, while the past is tracked in years, and with both centered around weddings... let’s just say I had to recalibrate more than once. But once I found my groove, I was hooked. The wedding festivities, the chaotic joy, the cast of fun side characters—all so vivid and charming. But the heartbeat of this story? Joni and Ren.

Once inseparable, now navigating a rhythm of hellos and goodbyes, their shared history pulses through every page. I was completely wrapped up in the mystery of their fallout and the electric tension anytime we dipped back into the past.

If you’re into the nostalgic ache of People We Meet on Vacation or the breezy heartache of Summer Romance, this one hits that sweet, bittersweet note. It’s about growing alongside someone you love... and realizing they were always more than just your plus-one 💘

READ IF YOU LIKE-
💍Weddings
🫶Friends to Lovers
🔁Second chances
🏠Forced Proximity
⏳Dual Timeline

Thank you @netgalley for the advanced copy! I received the e-book and audio version of this book. Patti Murin really helped bring Joni’s emotions to life. I believe the narration is a big reason I enjoyed this cute summer read!

This was a cute, friends to lovers and second chance romance. The writing did not blow me away, but I was swept up in the characters and their stories. Ren and Joni were childhood friends who are each other’s permanent plus ones to weddings and other events. They are both wonderful characters that obviously loved each other, but could not see it or act upon it all the time. There was a lot of emotion as their story progressed. There were points of the story where I wanted to yell at Joni sometimes for some decisions she made. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrators both did a great job. If you enjoy Emily Henry books, you will enjoy reading this one!

This book was fun to read and perfect for summer. It gave me the same vibes as People We Meet on Vacation which is one of my favorite books, so I ate this one up. Such a great rom com! The narrator was great for this audio as well! I can’t wait to read more from Sally.

Three guesses what this book is about??? Ok sure, the title doth giveth it away, BUT this book is far more than a mere title. If you’re looking for a funny, charming, slow burn romance with character growth, plenty of tropes, and the door 95% closed, then this book is for you.

Joni and Ren have been best friends for their entire lives. Their families have a beach house together, they went to school together, and nearly every integral memory contains the other person. There’s nothing that could ever break their bond - until something does. When their families gather together at the beach house for Joni’s sister’s wedding no one but the bride knows that the BFFs haven’t talked in over a year. As the estranged besties try to navigate their awkward reunion and play it normal for the weekend, the innate bond that always connected them proves to still exist. Can they find their way back to friendship, and possibly more?

While the transitions between present day and flashbacks got a little muddled for me, and the revelation of what happened between them was a very slow reveal, I really enjoyed this one. The narration was excellent and the chemistry was legit, I definitely recommend!

*I received a this audiobook arc complimentary. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

🩵Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 4/5
🩵Spice: 🌶️ 1/5
🩵Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 5/5
🩵Genre: Romance
🩵POV: First
🩵Theme: Friends to Lovers | Second Chance | Forced Proximity | Slow Burn
🩵Audiobook Narrator: Patti Murin
🩵Audiobook Length: 10 hours 26 minutes
🩵 Book Cover first thoughts: Cute beachy vibes cover

🩵 One Liner: heartfelt second-chance romance!

🩵 Story Review / Summary: Some of my favorite books are when there is either a dual POV or a dual timeline so that alone made this a great read for me. I thought this was beautifully written. I fell in love with Joni and Ren and I even liked the side characters, which sometimes I do not always! Joni kinda reminded me of Belly from TSITP because she is a little oblivious haha! I am excited to see what else comes from Sally Blakely! New fan definitely.

The audio was great, a bad audio can really hurt a book for me and I thought the narrator was perfect!

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Thank you to #NetGalley and Harlequin Audio ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of #FriendstoLovers by #SallyBlakely @sally.blakely
All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is July 22, 2025.
This review is being shared on NetGalley, Goodreads and Amazon (still pending).

This is definitely an Emily Henry style read. As i was reading it reminded me so much of her books and I am an Emily stan.

This had such emotional depth, and slow burn chemistry that I was not ready for when i started this book. The friends to lovers trope was so well written! The main characters were layered and lovable, but the rest of the characters were kinda irritating tho....

The only qualms i had with this book was that everyone and i mean EVERYONE sucked at communicating. There were so many secrets the whole damn book.

But overall I really enjoyed it, and would recommend it. This book is perfect for fans of People We Meet on Vacation or Happy Place.

Joni and Ren have always been best friends. They grew up in the same city and spent their summers at their families’ shared beach house. When Joni moved across the country for her dream job, they agreed that they would always be each other’s plus-ones. Now, Joni and Ren are reunited at the beach house for Joni’s sister’s wedding. They have not seen each other in more than two years since the last wedding they attended together did not go as planned.

I always love a good childhood friends-to-lovers book! Add in a second chance romance and a summer setting and I’m sold. Joni and Ren had such a sweet friendship with so much pining. The romance was so cute and I loved all the flashbacks to their wedding dates. This was such an adorable romance that would make a perfect beach read this summer!

What to expect:
🩵 Contemporary Romance
🩵 Childhood Best Friends
🩵 Second Chance
🩵 Only One Bed
🩵 Summer

Thank you to Sally Blakely, Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for providing this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

･ﾟ 𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 ·˚˖‧
𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝑪𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒏 𝑨𝒖𝒅𝒊𝒐, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝑨𝑹𝑪!

❝ I think about all the ways he’s sound-tracked my life, tried to tell me things I didn’t know to look for in his meticulous playlists.❞

╰𝚂𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚛 𝙵𝚛𝚎𝚎╮

✦ Pub Date: 22 Jul 2025
✦ Rating: 3/5
✦ Genre: Romance
✦ POV: 1st Single
✦ Spice: 1/5
✦ Age: 16+

࣪ ִֶָ 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘 ·˚˖

Childhood best friends. One summer wedding, and the feelings they never really left behind.

·˚˖ 𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 ˖˚·

Perfect for summer, cozy and light vibes, friendships, family, and issues that need to be worked through.
Thank you for the recommendation, Anna (@annareadit)!
But the book didn’t completely hook me — and that’s okay, it happens. I usually love this trope, and at first everything was going well, but the further I got, the more I started to lose interest...🫣

The writing is easy and flows quickly. There weren’t any intense emotional highs or lows, and even the second-chance aspect felt quite light.

I listened to the audiobook, and it added such a nice touch to the atmosphere. It was really pleasant to listen to.

·˚˖ 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 ˖˚·

▪︎ Joni — she didn’t annoy me, and at times I really understood her. The way she struggles to figure out what she wants, how she wants the best for everyone… but her silence makes it hard for others to truly see her.

▪︎ Ren — he’s such a comfort character, total green flag.
What I love about the friends-to-lovers trope is how well they know each other, and here we get to see their shared history, so it’s clear how much Ren truly cares about Joni.
I think it would’ve been even better if we had chapters from his POV too.

▪︎ Side characters — mostly friends and family, two families who found each other and became one big family, and I love that kind of dynamic.

࣪ ִֶָ ⊹ 𝙸𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 ·˚˖
↠Childhood bestfriends to lovers
↠Second chance
↠Forced proximity
↠Slow burn

I loved this story! The friends that are family aspect was one of my favorites. It gives late 90s early 00s chick flick in all the best ways. While I’ve been spoiled with duet narrations so much lately, it was hard only having one narrator but she did a great job grasping all the characters voices! I’ll leave you with, everyone needs a Wren in their life - all the green flags from this MMC!

This was a love for me and a total twist on "fake relationship" as a fake friendship after history.
Loved the writing and love Patti Murin - she's one of my favorite Narrators. However, the sound editing on this was rough- long spaces where I thought my phone had paused or was waiting for another chapter. At times it took away from the book.