Member Reviews

Friends to Lovers is such a beautifully written, heartwarming debut. Joni and Ren’s story had me hooked—(it’s 3 a.m. as I write this 😅).

The writing was descriptive without being overdone, painting such vivid scenes that I could totally see this as a movie. The capture-the-flag game? Adorable. I legit want to play!

I wish it had been dual POV because I need to know what Ren was thinking, but even so, the romance was swoon-worthy, funny, and so full of heart. And the playlist at the end? Perfect touch.

This was such a fabulous debut. If you love warm, heartfelt romances with vivid imagery and lovable characters, you won’t want to miss this one. I’m already excited to see what Sally Blakely writes next!

Thank you so much for the ARC!

Was this review helpful?

This is such a cute story and a great introduction to Sally Blakely. I fell in love with both the main characters and their story. The setting, the story, it was all absolutely wonderful and I can’t wait to read the next book that Sally comes out with.

Was this review helpful?

Wow, I LOVED this book. I was invested in the characters and the relationship between Joni and Ren so quickly. I thought the time jumps were well done and easy to follow. I loved how the author used weddings as timestamps for the past and the connection to Stevie’s wedding in the present. I find the friends to lovers trope tricky - it can easily feel unnatural or cringey, but I didn’t feel that at all in this book. Joni and Ren’s connection was so natural; I felt like one of their family members being like “yeah duh of course you love each other you silly gooses!” Only two things I didn’t love: 1. The title. It’s just named after the trope, which feels a little weird and plain, but then again, this book is literally the definition of friends to lovers, so maybe it works? 2. I found some of the characters pretty one-dimensional (primarily Thad and the parents). It wasn’t crucial to the story, but I would have enjoyed more from Thad.
This was a 5-star read for me. A telltale sign is when I find myself thinking about the characters when I’m not reading and going back to reread parts after I finish the book. I loved it and will absolutely be getting this in print when it comes out.

Was this review helpful?

Oh my gosh, this is the friends to lovers book of my dreams. If you have a serious hangover from PWMOV, let me introduce you to your remedy. This book has the best of friends to lovers—the pining, the chemistry, the ‘right person wrong time’. I am a huge fan and can’t wait to see what comes next!

Was this review helpful?

I loved the story of best friends Joni and Ren as they navigate what went wrong in their friendship — the shifts between timelines provided a captivating way to continue seeing what happened. This was very reminiscent of Emily Henry's Happy Place and People We Meet on Vacation.

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

Was this review helpful?

grrrrrrr
this book changed me for the better and i don’t know what to do about it

it messed me up, ripped out my heart, left me aching on a hard concrete bench just because of how much of myself and what i want i saw reflected in Joni and Ren

there is no doubt in my mind that this absolutely is a five stars and that it needs to be read by all the hopeful dreamers out there who just want love to come in the form of the person who is all they’ve ever known

Was this review helpful?

Sally Blakely takes us through the story of best friends Joni and Ren, as they are forced to face the issue that ended their life-long friendship. This books is reminiscent of The Summer I Turned Pretty, and shifts between timelines in a way that wants you to keep on going to see exactly went wrong. For those who love Emily Henrys "Happy Place", I think you'd like this one too. I'm excited to read future works from this author!

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

Was this review helpful?

loved this romance of friends to lovers and what happened over the 5 years and going to weddings. Loved that things all came down to the week with family in the Portland area and figuring out their relationship. loved the family

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. 4.75 rounded up.

It's easy to make comparisons to Emily Henry's "Happy Place" or her earlier "People We Meet on Vacation", or even Christina Lauren's "Holidaze" without the supernatural Groundhog Day-esque repeating. But this was its own gem of a story. Total Man Falls First friends to lovers, as the title says!

Told in Joni's first-person POV we explore her lifelong (since age 3) friendship with Ren as they reconnect at her sister's wedding to his band mate (okay Ren runs A&R so not IN the band, but he discovered them for his label) at their shared family cabin on the Oregon coast.

Joni and Ren had a falling out and haven't spoken in 2.5 years after HIS sister's wedding. Before that, they spend 4 years attending family & friend weddings as each other's plus one. With Ren staying in their Portland hometown while Joni was at her dream job in NYC, the weddings are their only time to connect and renew their friendship in person.

I really enjoyed the strong friendship focus within this story. Ren makes Joni playlists, she encourages his career, their families are intertwined, and they have a lot of inside jokes and history. But reflecting on all their recent time together shows both cracks and greater potential within their relationship.

While the central friendship is the main focus, we get some side characters. I loved Joni's sister Stevie for her dry wit and general support. I am unfortunately Sasha with my planning, and though my mom isn't a therapist, I understood the relationship Joni has with her mom. Joni also deals with anxiety, sometimes manifesting as attacks, which has been hovering over most of her life.

There are some lightly spicy moments but they're on the level of the referenced books at the start of my review. Also, the author listed a playlist at the end and I felt VERY cool for already knowing half of the list.

Was this review helpful?

Yes! Summer beach read vibes galore. I loved the story's writing style, and I adore books with weddings! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I have a love/hate relationship with this title - on one hand it hooked me immediately because FTL is one of my fave tropes…but also spoils the plot on the cover??? I was invested with these characters, but the plot lost some steam for me around 75%. The climax just didn’t have the payoff I was hoping for. (Tho I did appreciate the focus on emotion over smut!) All that to say, I was in from the jump with the Emily Henry PWMOV vibes and I enjoyed Ren and Jodi’s story. I would definitely read more from Sally Blakey. I give this one 3.5 stars.

Was this review helpful?

Friends to Lovers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read this book if you like:
- Friends to lovers & 2nd chance romance
- Romcoms
- 30 y/o main characters
- Slow burn and a little spice
- Two close knit families with kids who grew up together
- Shared family vacation beach home
- Weddings
- Sobbing through the last 45 minutes of a book

I felt everything, every emotion, Sally Blakely, wanted us to feel through her words while I read this book. The happiness and the angst, the peace and the anger, giddiness and anxiousness, then the feeling of heartbreak and the feeling of falling in love over and over again… so many types of love - love between friends, love between siblings, love between a daughter and her mother and then the love of a soul mate. Throughout this book, weddings are a common setting and you get to experience not only the transformation of the main characters from friends to lovers, but also the love of their closest friends and family. This is an epic love story. Thank you, Net Galley, for the opportunity to read this ARC. I can’t wait for everyone to get a chance to read this book! @netgalley @sallyblakely #friendstolovers #netgalley #arc #bookreview #bookrecommendations

Was this review helpful?

Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely is an absolutely delightful read. As I journeyed through the pages, I found myself rooting for Emma and Jake, childhood friends whose bond deepens into something undeniably special. Blakely does an incredible job of illustrating their relationship's evolution, capturing the awkwardness and joy of transitioning from friendship to romance. What stood out for me were the authentic moments of realization and vulnerability between the characters, making their love story feel incredibly real and relatable.

I could genuinely feel the tension and anticipation build, and even though the plot follows a familiar trajectory, the charm and chemistry between Emma and Jake made every moment enjoyable. The book balances humour and heartfelt moments beautifully, and I appreciated how Blakely portrayed the challenges of redefining a long-standing friendship. Overall, the book left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling and a renewed belief in love's transformative power.

Was this review helpful?

This is such a cute story and what a great debut novel for Sally. I fell in love with both the main characters and their story. Also love how much the Oregon coast is mentioned as someone who grew up in Oregon and on the Oregon coast. I am excited to see where sally goes in her career and what other stories she comes up with!

Was this review helpful?

The title (a nod to a popular romance trope) and the cover of this book caught my eye and demanded my attention right away. Sally Blakely's "Friends to Lovers" centers around two characters, Ren and Joni, who have been good friends for decades. However, after one drunken night, lines are crossed and the relationship is taken to a new level. Neither of them know how to react and the relationship effectually fizzles out until they have no choice but to meet up. At Joni's sister's wedding, Joni and Ren come face to face for the first time in years and have to determine whether to walk away for good, or give their relationship one more shot.

I thought this was a cute book, but the storyline is a little un-original. I wish it had been less predictable. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

🔥 slow burn
🌶️ spicy meter: Mild (not too many spicy scenes but the ones there are don’t disappoint)
⏳smooth transitions between past to present timelines (I personally prefer linear timelines but I wouldn’t change a thing on this book)

It’s 👏🏼 All👏🏼 In 👏🏼 The 👏🏼 T-I-T-L-E👏🏼

FRIENDS TO LOVERS so you know from the start what you’re getting, you’re not going in blind! So if you know you don’t like friends-to-lovers tropes skip this one….

Not only was this a love story between Jodi and Ren and a friendship that has lasted a lifetime but also about their families beautiful friendship! I don’t know anyone that would buy a vacation home together so that they can vacation together but these families made it work! I love how much of their family story was incorporated into this book. I feel in love with all the brothers, sisters, their spouses and even both sets of parents.

I hope Blakely turns this book into a series(if she hasn’t already) and we get to hear their individual stories ❤️

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

PS: once you pick it up, you won’t want to put it down ;)

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for my ARC of Friends to Lovers.

Learning that this was a debut novel inspired me to round up to 4 stars! The storyline isn't anything new or original (friends falling for eachother) but the authors approach on this trope was refreshing. You also couldn't help but to love the MC's.

Was this review helpful?

omg!!!! i love this book!!! i love all of the tropes in this book soo much!!!! friends to lovers, dual timeline, faking still being friends!!!! ugh!!!! i thought that it was beautifully written, and i found myself rooting for joni and ren in every moment!!!! thank you so much to harlequin trade publishing, sally blakely and netgalley for the arc!

Was this review helpful?

FRIENDS TO LOVERS is the best friends-to-lovers romance I've ever read, so the title makes absolutely perfect sense. It is filled with so much emotional depth, raw feelings, delicious tension and real love that makes me want to cry and squeal at the same time. Joni and Ren have been inseparable and friends since they were little. When Joni moves across the country for a job, they make a promise to be each other plus ones for weddings to keep their friendship in tact - which worked until it didn't. It's been two and half years after last being in each others presence that resulted in a blowup big enough for them to not be in each other's lives since then.

With Joni's sister's wedding coming up, Joni and Ren are back under the same roof of their shared families' cabin where they avoid talking about their past until they no longer can't and their feelings that they can no longer ignore. But if they were to be in a relationship, what happens to their two close families if they split up? Joni will not let herself be responsible for that and not to mention, can't afford to lose her very best friend - her rock. As good it feels to be talking to one another again, they must also learn to rebuild their trust. But it's only a handful of days before the weekend is over and everyone goes back to their daily lives. Do they have enough time to repair their friendship and perhaps explore something more?

I found Joni to be very relatable and real, especially when it comes to fearing the bad so much that you lose out on seeing any of the good in your life. I appreciated the reminder that when it comes to people we love, we want to do the noble thing and put their best interest first, thinking we know what they want and need, when in actuality it's not up to us decide what will make someone else happy, but to them.

I love Joni and Ren and their story so, so much and feel so privileged and honored to have witnessed their love. (And when Ren grabbed Joni's wrist, I about died). I very much look forward to reading whatever the author decides to grant us with next!!!!

Many thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this second chance, friends to lovers book. I felt all the emotions=frustrations, sadness and happiness. I loved Joni and Ren's story and of course all the Swiftie references. A great read!!

Was this review helpful?