Thank you Netgalley for the chance to review! 4.5 / 5 stars.
I am lately really into Friends to Lovers and Second Chance Romance and I thought this really delivered on both. Told with some back-and-forth timelines we follow Joni as she navigates her sister's wedding at a beach house with her family and Ren, her long-time best friend. Only problem: they had a significant falling out two years ago and we find out, through the time jumps, what exactly set them on a collision course with heartbreak and awkwardness.
What I really enjoyed about this is just how real their transition from friends to lovers felt, how messy it was, how authentic it is when they try to figure out how to get together in the main timeline, and the intricacies of family that play through this. I also adored everything about Ren and the way he fell first. It was touching, and really counterbalanced Joni's messiness.
I also really enjoyed how this played into Portland and the music scene of the PNW: the setting served as its own character multiple times.
This is relatively tame spice, a great amount of sexual tension, beautiful chemistry, and really well delivered tropes.

This is very cute. It was very romcom for me. I like romcom it’s very lighthearted a good pallet cleanser book. Thank you for letting me read it.

Thank you to Harlequinn, Sally Blakely & Net Galley for my ARC! I cannot say enough good things about this book. I’m a sucker for reunited tropes, but this one had just the right amount of missed opportunities before the inevitable reunion at the end. Both of the main characters were lovable and you really rooted for them to end up together. This is the perfect beach read and I predict will be one of the “it” books this summer!

Love a good enemies to lovers and friends to lovers trope but I couldn’t get myself to connect with the characters in this one. Although I appreciated the arc to read this book I don’t think I will be recommending

So very clunky.

The line writing took me out of the story over and over again. I couldn’t give the characters a fair shot because there was no flow in the sentence structure. Thematically, I get the appeal but the execution lacked finesse.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good best friends to lovers book. This one was great!

Friends to lovers isn’t my favorite trope but I’m glad I gave this novel a try. It’s very well done and I really felt for both of the characters as they moved through the plot and toward each other slowly but surely. It felt very real.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for the early copy of Friends to Lovers! This heartfelt debut delivers all the emotional punches with tropes I can’t resist: childhood best friends, second chances, forced proximity, and plenty of yearning.

Joni and Ren’s story is beautifully layered, moving seamlessly between flashbacks of their shared history and their struggle to reconnect in the present. Their chemistry is undeniable, but what stands out most is the deep love and respect that underpins their relationship—even when they can’t get their timing right. The tension is real, the emotions are raw, and the payoff is worth every page. If you enjoy slow-burn romance with a side of beachside nostalgia, this book is a must-read!

I LOVE a friends to lovers story so this was a perfect fit for me. I was really rooting for Joni and Ren. Definitely not a new trope, but really well executed.
The dual storylines were laid out mildly confusing at some points so that took me out of it occasionally but not enough that it wasn’t still super enjoyable. Definitely great for fans of Emily Henry! Will 100% be recommending this to my patrons.

Friends to lovers is one of my favorite rom-com tropes, so between the title and the gorgeous cover, I was immediately drawn to this book. Unfortunately, there wasn't a ton of plot and the dialogue didn't hold my attention. This ended up being a DNF for me, but I'm hopeful the author's next book will be a better fit!

**spoiler alert** This review is based on an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review This review may contain spoilers.

4.5

This book is the perfect summer rom-com. I absolutely loved the story as a whole, but I especially enjoyed the way the author developed such a believable history between the main characters. The balance between the lifelong friendship and the currently troubled dynamic kept me turning the pages. Each flashback had me wondering what could have led the characters to where they were in the present.

The romantic chemistry between the leads was undeniable, and the way their past and present intertwined added so much emotional weight to their story. I also loved the setting of the story and found myself wanting to join these families at their beachside retreat.

The story was far more than just a romantic comedy. It had me laughing and crying as the characters navigated through deeper emotional themes that were reminiscent of an Abbey Jiminez novel. Blakely’s writing is witty and heartfelt, drawing readers in with clever dialogue and vividly painted scenes.

I am blown away to learn that this is Sally Blakely’s debut and will definitely be purchasing the stunning sprayed-edge edition of Friends to Lovers when it is released this summer.

I really liked this one! It took me a few chapters to get into the story, but once I did I was totally hooked. This is a friends-to-lovers (obvi), he-falls-first type situation told though two timelines. One is happening now after they haven't seen each other in 2.5 years and the other is past weddings they have attended together. I really liked Ren, he's the quiet, pensive type. I struggled to connect with Joni, she was just so stubborn and bottled up.

Good book. Would recommend. ;)

This was so cute and everything I hope for in a good romance! You see their relationship build and change overtime. It was a fun and easy read that I found hard to put down, but also dreaded finishing because I didn’t want it to end.

I was very excited to get to read this early through NetGalley.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7161120096

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakey is a beautifully written slow-burn romance that alternates between past and present, weaving the tender yet tumultuous journey of childhood friends turned lovers. Joni’s mysterious 2 ½-year absence adds heartbreak and intrigue, while the story’s subtle touches and unspoken emotions make every moment unforgettable.

Blakey excels at capturing the complexities of relationships, with relatable characters and simmering tension reminiscent of Mr. Darcy’s iconic hand grab. Perfect for fans of second-chance romance, this love story is both poignant and unforgettable.

I loved this book! The story was so fun to read and the plot was very well thought out! I would highly recommend this book!

Joni and Ren. Best friends since the age of 3. Each other’s Plus One. Until that distinct line is crossed. Back at their families’ shared beach house for Joni’s sister’s wedding, REN and Joni have a chance to fix what has kept them apart for two and a half years.

Oh. My. Gosh. I could not put this book down and did not want it to end. It was a wonderful start to a new year. Sally’s writing is so beautiful and evokes such emotion. I call it now, she will be the next Emily Henry. Add the incorporation of so much great music, I may have read my favorite book of the year.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a…friends to lovers romance, particularly fans of authors such as Emily Henry, Josie Silver, and Kate Clayborn who really know how to write emotions and leave you breathless.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This fun debut by Sally Blakely is a perfect beach read!

The story centers around a stop motion film creator named Joni and her best friend, an A & R rep named Ren. I think this is more of a second chance romance than just friends to lovers. There is miscommunication, fear of rejection, and flirting galore! So much to enjoy. RAJ forever, if you ask me. The story is engaging and entertaining; however, the mixed timelines messed with the continuity for me. Sometimes Joni's anxiety was difficult to ascertain her thoughts and made following her confusing. Overall, I will be recommending this to any friend of closed-door romance.

Thank you to Sally Blakely, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC! All opinions are my own.

If Happy Place, People we Meet on Vacation, and The Summer of Broken Rules had a baby!

Joni and Ren have been best friends literally their entire lives and when Joni leaves Oregon to pursue her dreams in NYC, they decide that they will still connect every summer to be each other’s plus ones at weddings they’re invited to. But something happens that alters their relationship and they don’t speak to each other for two and a half years. Their silence has been kept hidden from the rest of their families, but they are pushed together at their families’ joint lake house when Joni’s sister is getting married.

This story was cute and jumped between the last few summer weddings and the present tense! I am a sucker for when books are dual timeline and you have to read the whole story to find out why the characters had a falling out (very PWMOV and LAOW coded). I’m also such a sucker for slowwww friends to lovers storylines and this book completely delivered!

Big, big fan!

🏖️ childhood friends to strangers to lovers
🏖️ small, coastal town in Oregon
🏖️ wedding setting
🏖️ dual timeline

Very solid debut from this author. I’m not usually a fan of the friends to lovers trope but I feel like this one was done very well.

Ren and Joni have been friends since they were little. Their families are friends as well and they even share a beach house. After Joni moves to nyc, they make a pact to be each others plus ones to various weddings to keep their friendship alive. It’s pretty obvious what happens next.

Although the story is very predictable, the writing really kept me in it. I really felt all the yearning and pining. The dual timelines were fine for the first half but I wish the flashbacks would’ve ended sooner (or just less weddings, at least 2 of them seemed unnecessary). It became confusing especially since I didn’t read it in one setting. Also they were so cute together and I wish I could’ve gotten more happiness from them and a little less angst and tension.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trading for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very sweet romance novel, and I enjoyed reading it. Ren and Joni were both likable characters. The book drug a little towards the end, and I didn't love the side characters.