Ok this is what I want for a rom-com! 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. The book goes back and forth between present day life where they are at their families joint beach house to celebrate Joni's sisters wedding to their old life as best friends.

I honestly was loving the banter, the back and forth timelines, and the side characters were really strong and added to the character development of Ren and Joni! So many rom-coms love to over do the dialogue and you're like "this is witty but nobody talks like this" This was definitely clever well-done dialogue that was realistic at the same time. 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 it's mostly a dumb reason (as to be expected because is anything really that realistic in rom-coms), it wasn't a miscommunication trope and so for that reason I still liked the book!

Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! I absolutely loved this story. Usually, I'm not a fan of the miscommunication trope, but here it just worked. Joni and Ren were so genuinely wholesome and relatable, and the book's handling of anxiety was spot-on. The way their relationship unfolded felt natural and authentic. This is a perfect, lighthearted romance, and I'd wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet, feel-good read!

If you’re a fan of second chance romance or the friends-to-lovers trope, Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely should absolutely be on your radar. It’s giving People We Meet on Vacation vibes in the best way—emotionally rich, a little angsty, and full of heart.

This was such a strong debut. I absolutely adored Ren—he’s tender, loyal, and so in love with Joni it practically leaps off the page. His quiet devotion totally melted me. And Joni was a fantastic protagonist. Even though it takes her a while to work through her own emotions (understandable, honestly), her love for Ren is always there, simmering beneath the surface. Watching the two of them navigate their history and find their way back to each other was so satisfying.

Sally Blakely nailed it with this one, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Sally Blakely for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOW!

What a debut novel. I really always tell myself that I'm not a friends to lovers person but actually I think I am. The pining, a lil miscommunication and the want for each character to not lose their best friend? Yes yes and yes.

My only critique was the length of the pining and not communicating. I felt the build-up but I wish it would've been like over a lil less time.

Ren is a silly little sweetie. He should've made his move way sooner but his profession of love was truly sweet.

Can't recommend this one enough! I started it at 9:30 pm and couldn't sleep until it was done at 2 AM.

This book had me hooked from the start! Friends to Lovers delivered exactly what I hoped for—sweet moments, undeniable chemistry, and just the right amount of angst to keep me invested. The dynamic between the main characters felt so natural, and I loved how their friendship evolved into something deeper. The banter? Chef’s kiss. There were a few moments where I wanted to shake the characters and tell them to just communicate, but honestly, that’s what made the slow burn so satisfying. The writing was engaging, and the romance felt real—filled with little stolen glances, inside jokes, and the kind of longing that makes you root for them.

If you love a heartfelt friends-to-lovers story with humor, depth, and swoon-worthy moments, this one is definitely worth picking up! 💙

I am a sucker for a friends to lovers book and this one is aptly named. I liked both of the main characters, Joni and Ren, and I liked learning more about each of them but I wish their relationship would have been a bit more established in the beginning of the book. Because they part ways so early on in the book I found it hard to form a connection to them as a couple later on. I think the story was well done and I appreciated the flashback chapters but I would have liked this more if it spent more time in the present.

Overall this was enjoyable and will be a great beach read for summertime!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.25/5

I just finished this book & I LOVED it! I couldn’t put it down and I was still left wanting more by the end.

This is the story of Joni and her childhood best-friend, Ren’s decades-long friendship that is told between flashbacks of the past and the present day.
Creating a tradition of being each other’s “plus-ones” to weddings, is a way to keep Joni & Ren connected after she leaves Portland to follow her dream job in NYC.
As the story progresses, it becomes clear that maybe the friendship between Joni & Ren isn’t as platonic as we originally thought .
Blakely uses a narrative that is simultaneously nostalgic, melancholic, and heartwarming to reveal the cracks in their relationship & the secrets they’ve both kept hidden for years.
It’s a heart wrenching exploration into the complexities of friendship and love (especially long distance), missed opportunities, stolen glances and how sometimes we need to stop worrying so much about what could go wrong & maybe just consider everything that coils go right.

“…his voice filling in spots in my body I hadn’t realized were empty.”

Longing. Pining. Yearning. Uff. This book pulled me right in and didn’t let me go. Joni and Ren’s story reminded me, like other reviewers, of People We Meet on Vacation, Happy Place, and The Summer I Turned Pretty…but they made their own mark. I’m sure this will be a reread for me and a story I go back to.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

I loved the story of Joni and Ren. Thery were best friends from the start. I was always rooting for them throughout the story, but as we know it can go both ways. The storyline kept me interested and sitting on edge waiting to find out the rest of their story and what happened. Fans of Emily Henry will love this story.

Thank you net galley, Sally Blakely, and Canary Street Press for an e-arc of this book.

This was a sweet book and had some similarities with to The People We Meet on Vacation and some slight similarities to The Summer Will Be Different ( instead of trips to PEI, it’s wedding dates over the years ). This book did take me some time to really invest but I’m glad I stuck with it as Joni and Ren have a beautiful story of friendship and love. The family and friends of the two in this book really add to the dynamic!

I liked this book. it showed the realness of relationships and how messy some of them can be and the stress of different dynamics. it was just a little hard to follow with the flashbacks and then back to the present but was enjoyable.

I am a sucker for a friends to lovers story. So no surprise that this was a 5⭐️ for me because I just eat them up. They give me all the feels and this was no exception! I loved Ren and Joni’s story. This has a people we meet on vacation and the summer we turned pretty vibes with the two family’s vacation home (minus that awful love triangle).

I thought the timing of the past and the present timeline was really well paced and placed at the right moments. The family dynamics were fun and appropriately dramatic. I only wish there was a bit more accountability on Joni’s moms part, but she did mention about their relationship changing towards the end so I guess that was something.

I do wish we would’ve gotten a bit more at the end. And I honestly wouldn’t hate the idea of having other books based on other members of the family, they really were great.

Super cute second chance romance! I really enjoyed the characters and the dual timelines. Very good!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I sincerely enjoyed this book. I love the different glimpses into the characters lives through the current timeline and past events (weddings) they’ve attended together. The characters are generally likable and respond and grow in ways that make sense.

A true friends to lovers and it was an amazing ride! I loved seeing them realize that they were more than just friends and how it blossomed from there

This book had me feeling everything! Ren and Joni aren't just your typical best friends.. they have been friends for almost their entire lives. Joni is struggling to find a work life balance after moving to a big city and left her friend back home only to realize they are madly in love with eachother.
I was smiling, I was laughing, then I was crying my eyes out before being so dang happy again.
I loved this book and its one of those I could see myself reading over and over and over!

3.75 stars. Friends to Lovers was an easy read. I loved being able to experience Joni and Ren’s relationship at various stages and anxiously waiting for their reconnection. Relationships are complicated and I feel like Sally did a great job exploring those complexities. I do not typically read friends-to-lovers tropes, but I found myself invested in Joni and Ren’s relationship and their foundation of friendship.

Everyone knows Ren and Joni are meant to be, so why are they the last to know? In this aptly titled romance, two best friends have one last summer wedding to fall in love.

I thought this was a cute read! It’s lighthearted and simple, leaning heavily into the friends-to-lovers angle (obviously!). It will definitely make for a good beach read, but I the story just feels so familiar. It’s formulaic, but it’s a tried and true formula so I can’t fault the author for following it. I just wish there was something that could help distinguish it from any other beach read romance. But I did thoroughly enjoy it and found myself endeared to Ren and Joni! What can I say? I *love* love— no matter how predictable or familiar it is.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for this ARC! Expected publication date is July 22.

There are a lot of formatting issues to overlook, but the storyline is still immersive. Ren is a swoon-worthy anchor. Joni is a hot mess and could be incredibly frustrating, but at the same time she’s a relatable female character figuring herself out in her 20’s. She bravely leaves her beloved Portland home to chase her dream job in NYC, only to find herself at a crossroads, re-examining relationships, career, & “home.” I was rooting for her & for her+Ren the whole time. Looking forward to Pub Day & re-reading this on a beach day. Fantastic debut!

Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC!

This was such a sweet story with some of my favorite tropes - friends to lovers (obviously) with a slow burn, second chance, flashback chapters, forced proximity and HE FELL FIRST. Joni and Ren’s friendship was so believable and I loved their plus one tradition. The premise for how they found their way back to each other was pitch perfect and they had some great supporting characters (I loved Stevie in particular). This will make a great beach read! Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC.