I loved this! If you insist on 'shipping' books, I'd say its a cross between Happy Place and Love and Other Words (plus little bit of Hating Game) - both of which I loved. Present day conflict supported by flashbacks to see how things went awry. I have decided that a truly perfect male romantic lead is one who quietly supports the MC, while waiting for her to realize what she's missing. I also love the tropes of long term friendships, that figure thru some complications and personal growth to find each other. This one did all this really well, plus slow burn, great family/friends supporting cast (except maybe the mom characters), and a fun wedding theme (past and present). Honestly, the worst thing about this book is the title. It very obviously should have been some variation of "Plus One". But no matter, I hope this book does really well when it comes out. 💕

thank you to netgalley and canary street press for the ARC!!! :) all opinions in this review are my own:

oh. my. god. this book was adorable. i have butterflies in my stomach and this warm feeling in my chest. joni and ren are the epitome of friends to lovers (hence the title). i love the dual-perspective; it was heartwarming to see both of them grow from their mistakes and rekindle their connection two and a half years later. i really felt like i was watching two people fall in love… or i guess realize that they’ve loved each other all along.

thank you, sally blakely, for not putting some stupid, unecessary conflict in the final act. my only critique is i would’ve loved to read more of their story after he shows up at her doorstep. the epilogue doesn’t fully do it justice.

overall, i highly recommend this book! 4.5/5

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5

I have to agree with another reviewer that the title kind of gives the story away, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does set expectations early on. That being said, I do enjoy the “friends to lovers” trope, and I did like the story overall.

However, I found that the book felt a bit too long and drawn out. The eARC didn’t show page numbers - only the “Loc ####” so I could be wrong here on physical length and maybe it was just that I had to read this over several days and didn’t get to binge it in 24 hours like I have the opportunity to do with other books. I enjoy flashbacks and alternating timelines, but after a certain point, the tension became overwhelming. I was desperate to know what happened between Joni and REN, what led to their “breakup,” and when it was finally revealed 86% into the book, I felt underwhelmed by the reason.

The biggest frustration for me was the miscommunication (or lack thereof) between the characters. They’re in their 30s in the present timeline, yet they still couldn’t communicate effectively until forced to by Joni’s mom and sister at the rehearsal dinner. Speaking of that, I didn’t think it was appropriate for the sister and mom to blurt out Joni’s secret in front of everyone, and there was no real apology from the mom, which left a bad taste.

Overall, I did enjoy the book, but the lack of communication really took me out of the experience at times. If you’re a fan of friends-to-lovers stories, it’s still a worthwhile read and I look forward to reading more books by Sally Blakely.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a combination of people we meet on vacation, happy place and summer of broken rules!! It was so good and really tugged at my heartstrings 🥹 I just love when everyone gets together for a big event in a book and there's always a few people harbouring secrets and everything comes out at the worst possible moment 🤭

Joni and Ren have been best friends since they were 3 but they've never crossed that line until they eventually did and everything comes crashing down. The book alternates between the past and present and it was done so smoothly that I couldn't put the book down. The entire book is so beautifully written and descriptive that I felt like I was right there at the summer beach house with the characters. It's the perfect summer read.

The tension between the main characters? WHEW, incredible. I was giggling and kicking my feet multiple times 🤭 I was rooting so hard for them, so my only complaint is that I wish we got to see a little more of their happy ever after.

Tropes:
☀️best friends to lovers (duh)
☀️he falls first
☀️second chance
☀️forced proximity

I absolutely loved this book and did not want it to end. I was so thankful to be able to get an ARC for my honest review and I am so glad that I got to read this early.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and The Hive for the ARC of this book! This was the perfect emotional romance and really gave me similar vibes to People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. If you liked that book, I think you will love this one!

Joni and Ren are best friends from childhood who are and have always been inseparable. Their families share a beach house and they spent their whole lives getting to know each other and forming a very strong bond. When Joni takes a job across the country, they agree to always be each other's plus ones for weddings. This works great until other relationships get involved and they drift apart due to distance. The book starts off with them at their family beach house preparing for a wedding after they haven't spoken for a number of years. Joni's life has recently had some major changes and she takes comfort in the familiarity that is her relationship with Ren. Despite their past, they find themselves in familiar patterns and realize that the love they have for each other is still very much there. This is the perfect friends to lovers and second chance romance. I also enjoyed how it shifts back and forth from past to present day. Check this one out, especially if you enjoy books by authors like Emily Henry, Annabel Monaghan, Abby Jimenez and similar!

Wow. This book took me by STORM. My favorite trope ever is friends to lovers, so obviously given the title, I knew what I was getting into. BUT DID I?!?! Joni & Ren’s tension sent me THROUGH THE ROOF.

The fact that they’ve basically known each other their entire life was the most beautiful, wholesome aspect to this all. Then the dance around of do I, don’t I feel a certain type of way !!!! At first I wanted to shake Joni, like DON’T YOU SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE. & I love when a story gets me to care in that way. I was so so unbelievably emotionally invested into these characters because Blakely did such a splendid job letting us get to know them on so many levels.

This book is refreshing, it’s adorable, it’s honestly everything to me. The SLOW. BURN. FRIED ME INTO A CRISPY CHICKEN TENDER (I love chicken tenders).

The friendship between these two characters was oh so beautiful. The plus-one wedding deal was beyond fun. I love weddings. I love how you got so many side characters within the family that really shone by themselves & as supporting roles to our main characters.

I will say, given the formatting issues (for which there are MANY) with the e-arc, that I had a hard time following the time-line at all times & would kind of just wing it going into some chapters. But I love the idea of the chapters starting with the names of the people getting married.

The exploration of friendship to more was raw & believable & I ATE IT UP AT EVERY TURN.

This was so well-written. I will be getting myself a physical copy on pub day!!!

6/5 stars. Loved it so much.

If you enjoyed “People We Meet on Vacation” by Emily Henry, this book is for you. Joni and Ren are best friends who never got the timing right. It’s a perfect second chance romance. Throughout the novel, we get to experience back and forth between their past and their present as they meet again after 2 and a half years.
The build up and pining between them over the first half of the book was written so well as the reader is watching them fall in love over little moments, glances, and touches.
Joni has a lot of character growth from her younger years with Ren to the present without him and how she needs him to be a part of her future.

Friends to Lovers was heart wrenching, sentimental, and sweet.

This was sadly a DNF for me. This was my first time reading this author, and perhaps her style isn’t for me. I found the story to be really boring and incomplete in areas that made it hard for me to keep my attention.

That being said, it may be for someone else. So I will rate it 3 stars.

I appreciate the opportunity.

I also want to point out, the format of the epub I was sent was very messy. Page numbers in the middle of pages, random watermarks, ect. I fully understand the desire to make an arc difficult to be pirated, but this was also hard for me to follow as an arc reader. This may be something to look into in order to provide a better experience while also protecting your asset.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book about best friends growing into lovers.
Joni and Ren have been the best of friends for as long as they can remember. All through elementary school, high school and college, they have been inseparable until Joni takes a job in New York and moves. Ren stays in Portland and they stay in contact and promise to always be each other's plus one to all the weddings they get invited to. Ren's sister Sasha's wedding changed everything and Joni runs off back to New York and the tension is high between Joni and Ren and their families as they have always done summer vacations together.
A quick and easy read with believable characters.

4.5 ⭐️ rounded down

Okay, Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely straight up wrecked me in the best way. I wasn’t ready for the emotional rollercoaster this book put me on—like, I thought I signed up for a cute little rom-com but instead got a full-blown feelings attack (no regrets though).

Joni and Ren? The definition of slow burn. The dual POVs really hit, especially with how much history and emotion was packed into every interaction. You can literally feel the tension between them—like, give these two a therapy session and a hug ASAP. The childhood-best-friends-to-almost-something-to-messy-ex-best-friends energy?? Peak angst. Peak yearning. I was eating it up.

Sally Blakely totally nailed the balance between romance and that heavy, emotional introspection. There’s something about stories set during weddings that just makes everything feel 100x more dramatic, and it worked so well here. The summer house vibes, the shared memories, the little callbacks to their past—ugh. My heart.

If I’m being picky, some parts dragged a bit in the middle, and I did want Ren’s side of things to go a little deeper sometimes. Like, I was dying to crawl inside his brain and shake him a little. But honestly? That’s my only real gripe.

This book gave me everything I want from a friends-to-lovers story: nostalgia, heartbreak, hope, and that warm, melty feeling when two people finally figure it out. If you’re a fan of Emily Henry or Carley Fortune, you’re gonna love this one.

Highly recommend—just maybe keep tissues nearby. And some snacks. You’re not putting this down once you start.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

I very much enjoyed this story - it was very lighthearted and easy to read. The idea of being one another's "plus one" actually reminded me of an old movie that I had seen. It was enjoyable to watch their relationship develop naturally over time allowing for them to grow up, experience other relationships but still end up with one another.

I absolutely loved the pacing of this book! The switch from past to present kept me in suspense and I could not put this down. The representation of anxiety felt so real that I couldn’t help but connect with Joni. The realness of loving your family but also feeling so distant and closed off hit home for me as well.

Wow🥹 I’m going to predict this right now - this book will blow up and become one of the sweetest rom com movies. Friends to Lovers is the definition of a feel good book. Sally Blakely, I cannot wait to read the next (and all future) books you write! Preordering this ASAP.

4.5 stars
I definitely felt the Emily Henry vibes! Happy place/people we meet on vacation mixed up together!

All the emotions were there. I loved the flashbacks and the little details of everything.

I devoured this book and enjoyed it so much!

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc!
I’ll definitely be purchasing a shelf trophy once it’s out!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Sally Blakely for this advanced reader’s copy of Friends to Lovers.

This book was everything!! It checked off all of the boxes for me and was so good that I’m preordering a physical copy! I absolutely loved this story and always enjoy a good friends to lovers and second chance romance. I fell in love with Ren and Joni and I think other readers will too, I know I’ll be thinking about them for days after this!

This story was beautiful and I loved the different timelines included and how you really became invested in and felt for the characters. This has to be hands down one of my favorite rom coms I’ve read, and I loved the way the story played out and how it was written. I could not put this book down and I did not want Ren and Joni’s story to end!

I am so excited to read more in the future from Sally Blakely, this book was a definite 5 star read!

Friends to Lovers is a romantic comedy that follows best friends Joni and Ren. Joni and Ren grew up together in Portland. When Joni moves to NYC to pursue her dream of working in stop-motion animation films, they decide to reunite, more or less, annually at friends' weddings. Blakely tells their story through phone calls and plus ones. In the present timeline, Joni and Ren are attending a family wedding after not speaking for over two years.

There is no shortage of books that deal with friends-to-lovers and feature flashback scenes from childhood. The setup of this book reminded me of Emily Henry's People We Meet on Vacation. Blakely executes well in this genre. It is well-paced, and Ren and Joni have genuine tension.

However, this book was not perfect. There is a lot of unnecessary miscommunication between the two leads, and this type of friendship is ultimately one that we often see in movies, but rarely in real life.

Yes I picked up this book knowing friends to lovers isn’t one of my favorite tropes and that it wasn’t a dual pov… AND I LOVED IT. 🥹😍 It’s been a hot minute since I read something with great dialogue and dynamic inner thoughts from characters. The Oregon coast setting and fun family/friend connections made it even better. Joni and Ren are one of my favorite couples so far this year. 🩷🩷

Oh my goodness all Emily Henry lovers NEED to read this one! Happy Place x People We Meet on Vacation vibes!!! Loved this book a lot as it features some amazing themes and tropes, including weddings, fake dates, epic banter, childhood friends to lovers, and forced proximity. The dual time line in this book was giving me all the feels of Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren, and the summer wedding vibes with the family were giving me The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther! A MUST read summer rom-com!!!

What a beautiful predictable ride. Loved this book and the cozy friends to lovers romance. Even though I was never nervous or really worried about how it would end, I enjoyed every minute. The characters were all lovable, I enjoyed the side characters’ development and storylines. The MC was a little clueless for me, with the job being too much of her life as well as her having feelings for the MMC. The writing style was easy to read and sounded naturally conversational. Enjoyed the place settings and descriptions.