Sally Blakely’s *Friends to Lovers* is a sweet summer read that mixes the fun of a romance with the feelings that come from keeping a secret for too long. It follows Joni and Ren, two best friends who end up trying to navigate their feelings when they get together as each other’s plus-ones for weddings every year. It's a cute way for them to stay connected, but things get tricky when old feelings start popping up.

Blakely really captures the emotional ups and downs of their relationship against a beautiful beach setting, especially when Joni comes back for her sister’s wedding and has to face some unresolved issues. The story shifts between their viewpoints, letting us see their insecurities and deep feelings, especially Ren’s quiet romantic side and Joni’s struggle to figure out what she wants.

If you’re into second-chance romances or the whole best-friends-to-lovers vibe, this one’s a treat.

Verdict:
✨ *Friends to Lovers* is a charming and feel-good read that explores love and longing, making it perfect for fans of Emily Henry or Carley Fortune.

This was so lovely and really did love up to the Emily Henry and The Summer I Turned Pretty comps listed in the blurb. I love both of those things, so I had high expectations but am also predisposed to liking this kind of story, and it delivered! It was very much like People We Meet on Vacation which is maybe my favorite Emily Henry, but with a broader cast of characters. I would say my only complaint would be that I would have liked a bit more heft to the first couple of days of the wedding week, building up a little bit more tension there before the capture the flag moment. But overall this is excellently balanced, and developed very well.

I adored every moment of this story. This story was perfect and had me emotional at multiple points.
This is a perfect summer read

This was such a delight to read! Perfect book for summer evening or relaxing day at the beach. Filled with lots of sweetness and a little bit of spice.

True to its name, friends to lovers is about about that sweet trope of two people falling in and out of love each while also navigating being best friends since childhood.

Set on the Oregon coast, spanning years of friendship where they are each others plus ones at various weddings this is a quintessential summer romance that will have you smiling and kicking your feet. I also loved how the author incorporated playlists and mixed tapes into the story and then had a playlist at the end for the book- such a cute touch! 🎧 

If you loved Every Summer After or Beach Read, this will be right up your alley!

🥰 Friends to Lovers
2️⃣ Second chance
👩‍❤️‍👨 Forced proximity (faking everything's okay!)
🌊 Coastal summer vibes
🫶🏻 Nostalgia
👰‍♀️ Weddings!
💕 It's always been you

Sally Blakey is so incredibly talented and I am in awe of this book! Her writing is some that I hope I can continue to read. I just know this will be a hit in my store and so many others!! I am so grateful to have gotten to read this book early and I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did.

Immediately reading the title you can feel the weight of the journey you are about to go on. The ups and downs these friends might encounter. Will becoming lovers ruin the many years of friendship? Even though the title obviously describes the contents of the book, the adventure and journey to getting there is still up in the air and the tension between Joni and Ren is real. Where the novel is set in the present day, it has a late 90’s early 2000’s romantic vibe. The point of view is consistently Joni, but we travel in time with Joni and Ren as they agree to be each other's “plus-one” to all the weddings they are invited to. They won’t let the physical distance between them cause a relational distance.

Sally Blakely really hit it out of the park with Joni and Ren as her debut novel characters. Joni is a ball of anxiety a lot of the time, consistently talks to a therapist (not her mother), and loves her sister. She is passionate about her career and has a hard time balancing life outside of it. Ren is perfectly sentimental. He loves music, is always sharing playlists for specific life events with Joni and would do anything for her. The two grew up together. Their families are close friends, so since the age of 3 Joni and Ren have been best friends. Each summer includes a family trip to the shared vacation house by the ocean where the two families spend time fulfilling traditions and making new memories together.

You will thoroughly enjoy this book if you too fell in love with your best friend, enjoy a vacation/beach style vibe, or just love a good romance. Music is a creative theme throughout the novel and Blakely includes the Friends to Lovers Playlist at the end of the book, which is so fun.

A Note to Readers: It should be obvious, but Friends to Lovers does contain a high level of spice. The sexual content is very descriptive as you might expect, so if that does not appeal to you, this book may not be a good fit.

thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. all opinions are my own.

4.0⭐️

i had really set and clear expectations for this book once i read the title and the summary and i’m pleased to say it met them all.

i started chapter one intrigued, loving the beach house feeling and that didn’t change for a second. this is one of the fortes of this book. i truly was there, in that house, with all of them. i liked the present time so much that i got so frustrated every time we went back to the weddings. i sort of wanted to skim through some of it but i’m glad i didn’t!! they provided great inside into the characters that i wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.

however it took me such a long time to get from 30% to 50%. i don’t mind a character driven plot but i felt how slow it was and i was getting a little desperate. on the other hand i think that was a good thing (?), like i just wanted to know what was happening between them. the tension was so so good so i just hoped the other 50% would move quicker so that i could actually power through.

the issue between them was believable and understandable. i loved the self reflection, and also the resolve. the characters felt mature in the way they dealt with stuff.

sometimes however things would happen and it wouldn’t be clear at all. i had to read and reread several paragraphs because the dialogue and the internal monologues were not making any sense to the actions taking by the characters. this when i thought this most be a debut and it turns out it is!! so i’m very happy to keep this author in my sight.

Great Rom Com book w very likeable lead characters. Their quirky personalities and cute interactions were believable and relatable. The supporting cast of family and the venue of the family wedding was a perfect mix that led to a great story. The authors words flowed well on the page and you quickly became invested in their relationship. Minimal spice but honestly didn’t affect the overall greatness of the story. From page one you’re waiting for them to get together. Really enjoyed the book

What a cute summer Rom-Com from debut author, Sally Blakely!

Joni and Ren have been best friends since childhood and are now nearing thirty. Their mothers are best friends and their families co-own a beach house. They have shared some of the best memories in this beach house. In college, Jodi and Ren make a plus one pact for future weddings. Something happens 2.5 years ago that puts their friendship on hold. The story is told in flashbacks from previous weddings they've attended and present day with the families back together at the beach house for Jodi's sister's wedding. This story was well written and kept me reading from page one to find out what caused the break in their friendship. I loved all of the characters! 4.5 stars

Anyone who knows me knows this is my favorite trope…probably because my husband is my best friend and we met when I was 16 so I relate a lot to the friends-to-lovers experience. Needless to say, the title captured me instantly, despite it being the least creative title ever lol. But it fits the book perfectly. I knew exactly what to expect, which was good. Sure…it may have been fun to title it something based on their shared love of music playlists, or possibly their plus-one agreement…but to fully sum up Ren and Joni and their life-long relationship, there really is no better book title.

Before I get into my full review, a quick shoutout to NetGalley, Sally, and Canary Street Press for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you! All opinions are mine.

I adored “Friends to Lovers” in every way!!! The reviews comparing it to Emily Henry novels are correct. Emily is one of my favorite authors because she writes DEEP characters and realistic plots, and Sally Blakely has nailed this same balance in her debut. The depth of relationship she creates between not only the FMC and MMC, but between them and all the secondary characters/their family is superb. Every character in this book is unique, likable, and unforgettable. The dialogue was meaningful and witty, but not over-the-top (where you feel like it’s not how people really talk). I read some lower-star reviews complaining that there wasn’t enough to the plot…and I completely disagree. One of the things I loved about this novel was how real the plot and timeline (both the past and present timelines) felt to me. In life, not every moment is grand, exotic, or action-packed. Instead, life-long family connections, work/jobs, and shared events like weddings propel this story forward, and it made me buy-in to it. I felt like I knew Ren and Joni and was watching their life unfold, learning more about them along the way.

There were a few huge, monumental moments Sally wrote about in the book, and I SO appreciated her skill in writing about them in a way that wasn’t over-descriptive or exaggerated, but instead made you feel like you were actually experiencing it with them. She left the perfect gaps for your imagination to fill in the blanks, but gave enough detail to Joni’s thoughts that you could FEEL what she was going through, instead of just seeing what was occurring, if that makes sense. I really related to Joni, because I felt like I was truly in her head, feeling all the feels right with her. 🤍

The relationship from friends to lovers between Ren and Joni was so organic and their connection made my heart do flip-flops the entire time. It made perfect sense to me how having families that were close friends allowed them to become best friends while young, then more as they aged. The way they behaved with one another made total sense to me. Their shared history and inside jokes made moments when they realized their feelings for each other so sweet and intimate. I felt privileged to get to read their story.

This is a book I would read again and again. I fell in love with Ren and Joni, and can’t wait to see what Sally writes next!!!

You’ll like this book if you are a fan of:
- Friends to Lovers trope 🤍
- Emily Henry and similar authors 👧🏼
- Lake house vibes ⛵️
- Interwoven family connections 🏡
- Dual narrative (single POV but different times in her life) ⏰

Highly recommended!!
Thank you again, to NetGalley, Sally Blakely, and the publisher for letting me read and review this ARC

Sally Blakely’s Friends to Lovers is such a charming read that will appeal to anyone who appreciates romance and richly crafted characters. It provides a touching examination of love in its various manifestations and the bravery needed for personal development. Whether you’re a die-hard romantic like me or simply searching for an engaging love story, this book will resonate with you, trust me.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

4.25 stars! This was a fabulous debut that truly lives up to its name—friends-to-lovers at its finest. The dynamic between Joni and Ren felt so lived-in, the way they'd known and loved each other for years and just understood each other on an entirely different level, the way the chemistry between them was so clear, yet they were understandably afraid of throwing caution to the wind and potentially ruining the bond they'd built. I also loved the dual timelines and how they were always each other's plus-ones at weddings! All of these choices added a nice nostalgic feel to the story, and lended even more depth to Joni and Ren's relationship. Joni in particular was a super well-developed character, and I liked how while Ren and her family were so encouraging and supportive of her, she was ultimately the one who took control of her own life and made the right choices for herself to truly thrive—she was in charge of her own growth. Sally Blakely also did a great job of depicting her struggles with anxiety and the uncertainly she was coping with.

There were a couple of things I didn't love as much, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book! I kind of felt like the side characters were a little underdeveloped. Which isn't necessarily a huge deal because this is Joni and Ren's story, of course, but the family dynamics added such an interesting layer to everything, and I felt like those characters could have been fleshed out a little more. I also thought the pacing was slightly off in some aspects? Most of the story was a pretty slow burn, which made sense, but the ending felt a little bit rushed, and I wished it had been drawn out a bit. Still, I would recommend FRIENDS TO LOVERS overall! I definitely agree with the comparisons others have drawn to Emily Henry's books (especially PWMOV and Happy Place!) and The Summer I Turned Pretty book/TV series, so if you're a fan, absolutely add this one to your TBR! I'm excited to see what Sally Blakely writes next. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Canary Street Press for the ARC.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book was just okay for me—not a favorite, but not terrible either.

I’m starting to realize I might not be a huge fan of the friends-to-lovers trope, or maybe I just get easily frustrated when things aren’t straightforward. I especially struggle when that deep-rooted friendship—clearly something more—ends up hurting or threatening someone else in the process. That dynamic always bugs me.

I really did love the slow build and the tension between Ren and Joni. Their connection was so obvious and full of longing, it practically leapt off the page. But man, it was also so frustrating watching them hold back for years and not do anything about it. It’s hard to root for a love story when other hearts are getting hurt along the way.

I found it hard to empathize with Joni during certain parts of the novel. I chalked it up to her being younger, and by the end of the book, she did seem to move past her fears and concerns but I didn’t feel like it was super clear why it took her so long, other than it was just the “wrong time.” That lack of clarity made her arc feel a bit underdeveloped for me.

I did really enjoy the dual timeline and seeing their wedding-date arrangement unfold over the years. That part gave the story a nostalgic, emotional depth, especially as it built up to the fallout that estranged them for so long. I really enjoyed how it coincided with their reconciliation in the present time of the novel.

Overall the writing was well done and I did enjoy the final ending. But I found myself irritated just enough throughout the story that it dulled some of the emotional payoff at the end. I’d still recommend it to people who do love the childhood friends to lovers trope.

I’ll be posting my full review on my social media account @perusetheshelves on Instagram and Tik Tok one week prior to publishing date.

Thank you again!

This was a sweet story, told in flashbacks and the present timeline, about two best friends who fell in love with each other (and never told each other). the main character Joni, who just lost her job before a family wedding and has to face her ex best friend. It was a sweet story, but the flashbacks got a little confusing and I wasn’t sure what point in time it was.

I would like to extend my gratitude to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy (ARC) of Friends to Lovers in exchange for my honest review.

Although I am grateful for the opportunity to engage with this text, I must acknowledge that it did not fully meet my expectations. The writing style, while competent, did not resonate with me as I had anticipated, and I found that the thematic tropes employed in the narrative overshadowed the development of the plot. I experienced difficulty in forming a connection with the characters, as their internal conflicts appeared underdeveloped and lacked complexity.

While I typically appreciate narrative techniques such as time jumps and gradual character development, the dialogue and banter in this instance fell short of my personal preferences. Additionally, I found the protagonist, Joni, to be somewhat one-dimensional, with much of her internal focus being directed toward her relationship with Ren and her past, rather than a more nuanced exploration of her character.

In conclusion, while the book presents potential, it did not resonate with me in the manner I had hoped, as the combination of writing style, character depth, and thematic execution left me somewhat disengaged.

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me either. The blurb for the book made it sound so so cute, who doesn’t love a second chance romance, or a best friends to lovers trope? I do, but I think this just wasn’t the one for me. Maybe someday I will give it another chance!

Amazing friendship and love story that we all wish to gain in this story. Loved the focus of the imperfect anxious main character - the humanness and normalcy of it.

Cute story, but I wish there had been more dialog. Book reminds me of You and Me on Vacation, so of you liked that book you will probably enjoy this one as well.

This slow burn' friends to lovers romance was a fast, laugh out loud read. The character development for Joni and Ren was solid and there is a great cast of supporting characters to provide growth and movement in the plot. The book is well edited and I could not find any errors.

It's exciting to read a debut novel from a new Author. I'll definitely be looking forward to reading anything new Sally writes.
I will update this review with a link to the Instagram post once that is live.