This was a sweet story. I liked the switching timeline, and the past catching up with the present. I wish there was a little more action-it seemed to drag a bit in the middle. But overall, very cute!

Sally Blakely’s Friends to Lovers delivers a sweet and familiar romance, focusing on the slow-burn journey from platonic friendship to heartfelt love. The connection between the main characters feels genuine, with moments of tenderness and humor that will resonate with fans of the trope.

However, the story struggles with pacing, taking too long to build momentum, and some of the emotional beats feel underdeveloped. While the friendship dynamic is charming, the transition to romance lacks the spark and tension needed to make the payoff truly satisfying.

This was a super sweet book about childhood best friends who have both been pining for one another for years, but unbeknownst to the other . It was a little slow for me to get into, and I would've loved to read more about Ren and Joni being happy together towards the end. I don't always love a miscommunication type trope where if the main characters would just talk to each other instead of some major assumptions, they could get out of their own way and be happy. Ren and Joni's relationship ultimately did come back around and I enjoyed them finally getting to the lover stage! A good, light read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC!

I’m a sucker for a friends to lover romance, and this book is it! I enjoyed this read so much and I devoured it! Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book!

<i><b>” I thought I knew how our story would go, two parallel lines stretching into forever. But in retrospect, our lives were never destined to take that shape.</b></i>

OMFG I loved this so heckin’ much! <i> SO MUCH. </i>

At every point I was rooting for them and their relationship. I do wish we’d gotten a <i>tad</i> more of them happily together. But as a self proclaimed Ren and Jodi addict, I gladly took every morsel I was given. I’m not sure if Sally Blakely plans to do this as a series but I would also <b><i>reeeeeeeally</i></b> love to read any of the siblings’ love stories. All I’m saying.

The past and present timelines progress in such a smooth way and had me constantly ready for what was coming in both timelines. This aspect reminded me of Seven Days in June by Tia Williams and what can I say, I loved it there too. The pacing was great in giving me exactly what was needed drama and context-wise to keep me both interested and eager to see what would come next.

<b>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review! </b>

4.5 stars and my favorite romance I’ve read this year. This book has everything (except good communication between the MMc and FMC, but they get there by the end). I laughed, I cried, I fell in love with Ren…it was such a good book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. A sweet story about love, friendship, and family. I particularly enjoy the friends to lover trope, probably because I married the man who at one time was my best friend. This is very well done, and captures the feeling of falling in love with your best friend quite well.

This book was so lovely.

A story of two friends who’ve known each other since they were 3. These two were a part of each other’s lives for every single important moment and end up catching feelings and not knowing how to cope with the immensity of it all (families share a beach house, where they spend every summer in, moms and dads are best friends, etc etc- I get it!). Ren lives in Portland, OR and Joni in NYC. A recipe for disaster.

I loved their banter and how sweet the MMC was throughout the whole story. A must read for SURE. Thank you NetGalley for this incredible ARC 🤍

4.75 ⭐️ (only because Joni sucked for a second)
.5 🌶️

So sweet! Joni and Ren had been best friends for decades—facilitated by the fact their families are close and share a summer home—until a fall out 2.5 years ago. Joni’s sister is getting married and that means Joni and Ren have to face each other (and share a space) as they prepare for the wedding…

I loved this. Ren is a darling and said such amazing things to Joni. While I'm not a big fan of flashbacks/going back and forth in time, the transitions made sense for the plot and added tension and a high stakes feel. Joni didn’t make a lot of great decisions throughout the story but I was still rooting for her (to come to her senses!). Overall, a delightful read, especially for fans of friends-to-lovers and forced proximity tropes. I look forward to reading whatever is next from this author.

Thank you very much to Harlequin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

4 ⭐️

This book hit just right and I ate it up in almost one sitting.

I did start to get annoyed with these 2 not opening up to each other. I get that it was a huge part of the story but if I were a friend, I would have shoved them into a room with each other.

I was in Ren's emotions the whole time. He's a total softy and loves with his whole heart. I loved his character and felt for him. He was honest with his emotions which was refreshing even though it took him a while to fully express them.

Joni has a lifetime of waiting to make up to Ren. I thought Joni was a but wild at times. She also needs to make up missing time with her friends and family. She got in her feels a lot and had a hard time coming out of them.

I think the going back in time was a good way to tell the story. I did get a little confused as sometimes it felt like a complete thought would trail off before we got to the ending.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the copy**

This was cute cute cute!!!! I loveeeee the friends to strangers to lovers. It has the nostalgia of being in your twenties and figuring life out. Very realistic while also lots of cute fluff!

First off thank you to Canary Street Press & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Friends to Lovers tells the tale of Ren & Joni - it was a cute story, but certainly not a new story.

Life long friends hook up after a wedding, which leads to the end of their friendship, but now there's a new wedding for them to reunite and talk after 2.5 years of silence.

Definitely not a new trope, but Ren is pretty likeable. Not a huge fan of the my life is in shambles, and I refuse to share any of that information with my family trope affecting the FMC, Joni - but the side characters are enjoyable enough.

Some places where it can get confusing and the time jumps are at times hard to follow, but worth a rainy Sunday read.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade for this arc.

If you like a friends to lovers to ex friends to friends to lovers story then this is the book for you.

I really enjoyed this book, the back and forth style of narration kept things interesting. You got to see Joni and Ren interact and then go back to unlock why they acted a certain way around each other. The conflict was realistic enough, sometimes your anxiety keeps you from what you want in really big ways. And the resolution felt fitting, not an overwhelmingly easy happily ever after, but a more down to earth happy ending for them.

Altogether it is a fun, easy read. I would definitely pick up another book from this author.

**Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for this e-ARC!**

This book was a solid three-star read for me. I enjoyed the main characters, the dual timeline, and the representation of anxiety. It reminded me a lot of Emily Henry's People We Meet On Vacation and Christina Lauren's Love & Other Words. That being said, parts of the story fell short for me, especially the fact that we didn't get Ren's POV, which I would have loved to see. I also agree with other reviewers, in that it didn't feel like much of a *romance* novel to me. I think as a general fiction, FTL would exceed significantly.

FANTASTIC debut! Trope is in the title, and was done right. Dual timelines walk thru the story of Joni and Ren, best friends who grew up together and were each other ride or die. Story starts in present day where both families are congregating in Oregon at their shared beach house for Joni sister’s wedding. Joni is going thru some big life changes, including an estrangement from Ren, which they are hiding from the families. The story follows the awkwardness of present day, with the build up to the fall out in years prior. The story is barely open door (you know what’s happening but minimal details and coverage) and easy to pass over. This would be good for fans of Emily Henry and Christina Lauren. Definitely pick this one up

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

Wow, Sally Blakely, wow. This book devoured my. It reached out and grabbed me by my shirt and didn’t let go until I had finished the whole thing. This abandon burn book where the will they won’t they is out of control. I love the two timelines and how the interaction I want more books in this “world” for sure. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley.

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of Friends to Lovers! I’ve always believed that a strong friendship provides the perfect foundation for a deeply emotional romance, even though the enemies-to-lovers trope seems to dominate these days. A big thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC!

I couldn’t put this down. The story was captivating and the romance between Ren and Joni felt realistic. Ren deserves a special mention—he’s one of the best MMC I’ve encountered this year. He has just the right balance of depth and complexity.

The plot centers around childhood friends Joni and Ren (side note: I adore these names), who live on opposite sides of the country—Joni in New York and Ren in Portland. They have this tradition of meeting up as each other’s plus-ones for weddings. But then something happens that puts an end to their relationship. The story begins with them reuniting at another wedding, and through time jumps, we gradually learn what led to the rift between them.

While I loved the premise, I’m not usually a fan of stories that jump back and forth in time. I found myself rushing through the flashback chapters to fully enjoy the present-day storyline, which I connected with more.

Overall, this book was a fantastic discovery for me, and I’m so glad I picked it up. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this author!

This is the book that every girl dreams of! It was just so darling from start to finish. I absolutely adored the main characters and their sweet story of love. Phenomenal book. It'd be a fun book club one!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of "Friends to Lovers" by Sally Blakely. This story is a heartwarming and enchanting romance that packs an emotional punch straight to the heart. The story revolves around two best friends who have shared everything except the most important truth — their love for each other. Blakely’s writing shines with humor, emotional depth, and genuine chemistry between the protagonists. The slow-burn romance is perfectly paced, making every small moment between the characters that left sparks flying.. If you enjoy a sweet, well-written friends-to-lovers romance with Joni and Ren as relatable characters and a well deserved happily-ever-after, this book is a must-read. An excellent debut novel, can't wait for the next one. Highly recommend for anyone who loves stories about love blooming from friendship!

THis was a cute book. It was a typical romance book. It definitely gives hope to all that are in the friend zone.