Friends to Lovers is a classic romance trope for a reason. So often we miss what has been right in front of us all along. Sally Blakely weaves a captivating story, combining present day events with glimpses of the past to show us the hows and whys of Ren and Joni. This story feels like coming home, and I’m here for it.

Publication Date: July 22, 2025

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How beautiful!!! I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Joni and Ren evolving from best friends to lovers. Their plan to always be each other's plus one to a wedding was a creative way to keep them intertwined. All of the surprise points in the story landed well and were perfectly timed. Some of them sucker punched me in the chest like the family’s moment of honesty. I like that everything in the book felt realistic, like even Ren’s charger dying at the end. I will say that I felt like I waited too long for something climactic, but every part of me enjoyed waiting and reading. The writing took me through every second of Joni’s headspace and it didn’t disappoint. Lovely, lovely story. Well done Sally Blakely!

Joni y Ren han sido amigos desde los tres años. Sus familias son cercanas, siempre han estado en la vida del otro, pero todo cambia cuando ambos deben comenzar a trabajar y, pronto, se encuentran en diferentes estados. Durante ese tiempo de separación, Joni se da cuenta de que sus sentimientos por él no son solo amistosos, lo que la lleva a hacer algo de lo que se arrepentirá durante los siguientes dos años y medio, evitando a Ren. Sin embargo, cuando la hermana de Joni se va a casar, deberá enfrentarse a las consecuencias de sus actos.

Estuvo entretenido, pero siento que faltó más. Tal vez incluir puntos de vista de Ren habría permitido mostrar mejor su supuesto amor, ya que todo se presenta desde la perspectiva de Joni, lo que deja algunas dudas sobre las acciones de él o su falta de ellas.




Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a friends to lovers trope, as said by the title. It was fine, ok, average.

It follows the typical story of friends who do something together and then end up regretting it and then not being friends anymore. Then there is the reunion where they meet and hash things out. I've read this same story type many a time and it wasn't exciting for me. I knew exactly where the story was going at all times and exactly what was going to happen. Nothing was new or fresh. Just the same old story with different characters.

This last thing might be a me thing but the breaking out of the chapters or better yet the timelines could have been done better. The first time it switched over I was confused because I didn't know they had changed. Hopefully all that gets sorted out in the final copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

If "Happy Place" and "People We Meet on Vacation" had a baby, it would be this book. So freaking adorable!! I adored this from start to finish. It was so romantic and nostalgic. I am obsessed with it and I will read anything this writer writes.

Thank you for the ARC! Overall this was a cute book but it frequently left me feeling frustrated at the main characters. I typically love the friends to lovers trope but I was not a fan of the miscommunication trope. I was so annoyed when I found out the reason behind all the drama that was built up the entire book was just a silly miscommunication and inability to communicate. I was often confused by the timeline and what time period we were in as some flashbacks went on for several chapters so it was hard to keep track. In the end, it was a good reminder to me that relationships are what matter most in life and to not let our jobs define us.

This was a really cute romance with a friends to lovers trope that gave me Emily Henry vibes! Definitely a perfect book to add to your summer reading list. Honestly my biggest critique of the book is that I would have liked it to have a little more interesting of a title rather than the title being the same as the trope the book was based off of. There were also a few times I found myself frustrated with the main character, Joni and her lack of communication with both Ren and her family.

Joni and Ren's parents were friends and they grew up together. When Joni moved away to the East Coast they made a pact to be each other's plus ones at weddings to keep in touch. Unknown to the rest of their families, they haven't spoken in the last two and a half years, but are reunited for the weekend of Joni's sister Stevie's wedding at their family's shared beach house. Their story is told in two alternating timelines which I really enjoyed. Wanting to know what unfolded to cause such close friends to stop talking to each other for so long definitely helped keep me engaged!

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

I thought this was a super cute read and should definitely be a beach read! This felt like an Emily Henry book in the best way (Happy Place + PWMOV). I'm usually not a fan of dual timelines but Blakely did a great job where I didn't feel lost or frustrated. The dynamic between Joni and Ren is so sweet and I was rooting for them from the very beginning. 

Read if you like:
- Dual timeline
- Friends to lovers
- Forced proximity 
-Second chance

This was a cute little romance. I wouldn't say it was incredibly special, but it was a fun, easy read. If you are looking for a palate cleaner, this will do well!

Fine! It was solidly a sweet romcom. I'd say nothing special and a little clunky, but overall I enjoyed. It doesn't stand out against the vast catalog of romcom novels out there but it was a quick and easy read, no regrets.

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!