Thank you netgalley, canary st press and Sally Blakey for an ARC of this book!

This was a super fun, romcom type read. As the title says, friends to lovers, second chance romance , forced proximity.

The story bounces between present day; two childhood best friends no longer but we don’t know why; to years ago when they made an agreement to always be each others wedding dates to stay in contact.

My rating was based off this being very predictable and the friends almost being too perfect during the flashbacks. However it’s still a cozy, feel good read and if these are your favorite tropes you will love it!

This is the perfect friends to lovers book. It was everything I wanted and more. Not realizing that they love each other, they were constantly doubtful, careful, and hesitant. Full of yearning which I think could have been even more emphasized. I can't help but enjoy the pain of "we can stay friends if that's what you want, I'll take whatever you give me" because I know it's not true.

Ren is seriously THE best friend you have that turns into your lover. I was jealous about all of the different, scenario/emotion specific playlists that he created for Joni. When he said he savored any moments of love that Joni gave him, that melted my heart.

On top of the romance, I greatly appreciate character growth and Joni definitely had hers. She went from putting all eggs in one basket to realizing that she had something outside of that too. That she could let it go and start new. Even though she was forced into the situation, and she did take a long time to get to the conclusion, I'm glad she was able to remove herself from what was making her unhappy.

This is a well written book. There are moments when it feels like women's fiction than romance which could be good or bad depending on the reader. All of the emotions explored and what Joni went through felt real, not for the sake of romance. This will definitely be the book of this summer and I can't wait for its release.

Obsessed with Ren and Joni! Sally does a lovely job of integrating romcom vibes with deeper personal conflicts of anxiety, fear, and heartache. Ren and Joni have such a sweet and caring relationship, even when they “weren’t friends”. I appreciated reading a story with main characters nearer to my own age, adding an extra layer of relatability.
Friends to Lovers gave me the same bubbly feelings I got when reading books like The Summer I Turned Pretty series and Happy Place.
As a bonus, love that Sally curated a soundtrack for this story.

Thank you to Sally Blakely, Harlequin Trade Publishing ,and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this debut novel!

First and foremost, I’d like to thank NetGalley for providing a complimentary ARC. This was a heartwarming story about family, love, and friendship. A trope that has been used numerous times, yet only a few authors have perfected it and Sally Blakely is now among them. With 'Friends to Lovers' being her debut work, I'm pleased to report that I greatly enjoyed it. One of the drawbacks of relationships is communication, and I like how it was handled amongst the main characters in this book. Ren, I believe, will also capture the hearts of many readers. His maturity was acknowledged.

Now, I must note that the book may need some extra editing, particularly in the beginning chapters before release day. Aside from that, Sally did just enough to make this a charming story. I also appreciate her crafting a romance with mild spice.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Note: I wrote a review for this book on my Goodreads and Instagram account.

I love the friends to lovers trope and I loved this book! I couldn’t put this book down, it really kept me captivated. Ren and Joni are such an adorable couple. Each character was so lovely and it made the book so enjoyable. I highly highly recommend this book!!

Thank you Netgalley for the arc of this book, I really appreciate it!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶🌶
One word - adorable. 💖

Sally Blakely's debut novel Friends to Lovers was written using dual narration (past & present timelines) and single POV, which, for me, is unique and quite refreshing. It made the story come alive chapter by chapter.

I felt so many emotions while reading this book. I laughed, I teared up, and I even clapped for joy.

Ren and Joni are literally a couple's goals.
Childhood best friends, falling for each other over the years. Not really admitting to themselves, let alone each other, how they truly felt/feel about one another.
Listening to the story of how they both grew as individuals and, as a couple, was an enjoyable experience. I do wish I had more time with them. I also wouldn't mind getting to read about their siblings' love stories. 😉

There were so many awesome songs mentioned throughout this story, and I loved the summer vibes rolling off the pages.

I highlighted so many quotes and passages to look back on, and I am excited to get a physical copy to annotate.

If you enjoy Emily Henry or romance novels in general, you will love Friends to Lovers. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this amazing eARC of Friends to Lovers in return for my honest review.

This is the type of book that you look for when you think "modern romance." It hit all of the checks for what I would expect in a modern romance and then added in some excellent dialogue, incredible emotion, and great character development.

The story follows Ren and Joni: life-long best friends who everyone assumed would get together and yet were simply... just friends. They make a pact to always be each other's plus-ones at weddings and the story switches from present where Joni's little sister is getting married and she's estranged from Ren (who is also there since he's a family friend) to the past where we follow the pair at multiple weddings. We see them through breakups, moves across the country, jobs, and their ever-growing attachment. But one fateful night (on the day of Ren's sister's wedding), everything changes and the two are thrust apart.

You'll love this book if you enjoy:
- friends (the best of friends!) to estranged to lovers (obviously... it's the title of the book)
- sloooooooooooow burn (but oh so satisfying later)
- second chance romance
- he falls first
- one bed (sorta - it's complicated)

Honestly, this book was everything and i loved every minute of it.

Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin, and the author for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't even know where to start... I absolutely loved this book. From the very beginning I was hooked and could not put it down. The female main character was going through a really hard time but was not annoying about it, she felt like a real person going through a real thing in an appropriate and realistic way. The male main character was everything. He was kind, thoughtful, attentive, and everything else you would want in a male main character. The conflict that lead to their separation made sense even though it could have been handled with a bit of communication. Lack of communication generally bothers me in a romance book, but I felt like it made sense for the reason of the conflict in this book. I loved the authors writing and could not recommend this book more. I will absolutely be purchasing a physical copy when this book hits the shelves! I can not wait to rave to my friends about this wonderful book.

Ok this is what I want to read in a rom-com! It was well written, charming, and captivating! I was immediately drawn in and hooked. I just couldn't put it down.

It was described as if you liked the summer i turned pretty then you would like this story . This reminded me of an Emily Henry book as well.

Ren and Joni have been best friends since they were three years old. They are now nearing thirty years old and something happened 2.5 years ago, that put their friendship on hold. It explores the lifelong friendship blossoming into heartfelt love.

The book is set at their families joint beach house to celebrate Joni's sisters wedding with flashbacks. The back and forth through timelines was well done and not confusing.

I honestly was loving the banter, the flashbacks were informative, and there was strong character development. So many rom-coms love to over do the dialogue and thought its witty does anyone really speak like this real life ALL THE TIME? The dialogue was realistic and clever... definitely well-done.

You are rooting so hard for them to end up together because their friendship is so strong throughout the book. The whole book leads up to why they aren't friends anymore and while the reason for a fall out usually isn't a drastic one as we usually find dumb reasons like miscommunication or just really out of pocket dumb stuff.

Overall this is an enjoyable read. I recommend it top lovers of rom-coms, friends to lovers, YEARNING, second chances, forced proximity, tension, banter, past present time jumps... it really is enjoyable.

Thank you to Sally Blakely and Harlequin Trade Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book early on NetGalley.

A sweet novel with all of the feels. I read this as a palate cleanser after a string of really dark themed books. This was exactly what I needed. It felt real and relatable, I loved the families of the two main characters and wanted to be invited to the wedding that gathered them together. A perfect blend of what happened, will they or won't they and why.

Save this one for a vacation or a beach read, it will be a treat to enjoy.

I loved this book. Friends to Enemies to Lovers. The story has a lot of twists and turns throughout their friendship and their lives not only feel relatable but I felt like I was friends with Ren and Joni along their journey together.

Sally Blakely writes so beautifully that I felt all the emotions reading this book. The tension was chef's kiss and I swear I felt Ren and Joni's heartbreak so deeply in my chest.

I love love loved Friends to Lovers! You'll fall in love hard with MMC Ren and FMC Joni, their storyline was enthralling and I was cheering for them from the very first page. Their family dynamics were also very relatable. This isn't my typical go-to genre, but this was such an engaging read from start to finish, I highly recommend it!

Thank you, NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Canary Street Press for the ARC!

An absolute gem of a read! Consider me a Sally Blakely fan!!! Blakely’s style is warm, engaging, and beautifully captures the complexities of friendship, as well as the vulnerability that comes with falling in love with someone you’ve known for years.

Joni and Ren were childhood best friends who made a pact to always stay in each other's lives through all the ups and downs of adulting—by being each other’s wedding dates. But after a line is crossed, they aren’t even sure how to be friends anymore. The emotional rollercoaster of navigating new romantic territory that follows is so well done, and I couldn’t put it down!

I’m always a fan of dual narrators, and Blakely nails it here. The alternating perspectives between Joni and Ren really allowed me to connect with both characters on a deeper level and made their journey from friends to strangers (if you could ever be strangers again!) to lovers even more impactful.

Friends to Lovers is a sweet and memorable romance that reminds readers that love doesn’t always come from the place you expect. It's a perfect read for those who are looking for a story filled with warmth, humor, and the kind of love that blooms unexpectedly.

The history between Joni and Ren makes every moment they share feel so much more meaningful, and their journey was a beautiful, heartfelt experience from start to finish.

I can’t wait to see what Sally Blakely writes next!

Thank you so much Sally Blakely, NetGalley, and publisher for the arc!

This book was a fun, easy read. Joni and Ren are so cute together. Being one another's plus one kept them coming together when they (best friends) were living so far apart. I enjoyed the time jumps from past to present. I also like the story being told from Joni's point of view. The music being intertwined was also a fun part. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC for my honest opinion.

This book was incredible! From start to finish, I was completely hooked. The writing was beautiful, the characters felt real and well-developed, and the story kept me engaged the entire time.

This book has been such a quick and easy read. I love how the author describes the settings and the emotions that are taking place. They are so vivid and relatable. This is a dual timeline novel, but it is written effortlessly so that the timelines do not get confusing. However this timeline keeps you guessing and intrigued about what happened and is happening. It was hard to stop reading at times. The friendship between the FMC and the MMC was so beautiful and it was cute that they promised to be each others plus ones since the FMC had to move away. I love me a forced proximity trope. I laughed various times throughout the book as they try to fake their feelings around their family during her sister's wedding. Their love is undeniable and the tension can be felt as soon as they see each other again. The friends to lovers trope is not my favorite because it sometimes frustrates me. We all believe they will end up together at the end, and there are so many instances where the reader is like, "Do it already". However, due to all of the events that happened, that never crossed my mind. The ending and the epilogue was so cute!

Wow! What a stunning debut novel!

Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely is perfect for anyone who loved Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation or Carley Fortune’s Every Summer After.

Joni and Ren are best friends, and when Joni plans to move across the country, they make a pact. They will always be plus ones to weddings to ensure they still see each other.

Told in past and present timelines, we slowly unravel the reason Joni and Ren have been estranged for two years, after one wedding night gone wrong.

I devoured this. Also Ren’s *forearms!!* iykyk

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for this ARC! I was provided this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"I’m just someone who’s been in love with my best friend since forever and can’t get over it.”

Ren and Joni have been thick as thieves since toddlerhood. Their friendship is one that comes once in a lifetime, but life moves fast, and careers pull them in opposite directions. They vow to always be each other's plus ones as their friend group marries off. When a line gets crossed, everything goes sideways. What could bring them back together after years apart? Is their friendship worth saving? Is there something more to their soul tie?

With some of my favorite romance tropes like forced proximity, friends to lovers, and reunions, this book takes the reader on a whirlwind romance. Friends to Lovers is a single POV with dual narratives, jumping between the past and the present. The tension that Blakely infuses into the book is palpable. This is the kind of romance book that scratches at your soul.

The novel sucked me in right away. Excellent pacing that keeps reader engaged. The setting is beautifully detailed, the main characters are well developed and show great growth through the story. I was aching for both of them and rejoicing with them throughout my reading. I loved the quirky side characters, and the volley between past and present is a fun way to expose the true love story of Ren and Joni. There were a few parts that I had to reread, as the back and forth did get muddled. I'd love to see clearer transitions in the timelines through chapter headers. That is truly my only critique for this novel. I found myself looking for any free minute to pick the book up.

Overall, Friends to Lovers is an incredible debut book for Sally Blakely. I will definitely be purchasing a hard copy when it releases. I'm excited to see more from this author!

This was such a fun read. I love the friends to lovers trope. I loved experiencing their friendship and history The playlist on top of it made me feel all the feels. Definitely will be tuning in for any other books by this author.