moodreaderhan 's review for:

Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely

3.0

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Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press and Sally Blakely for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thoughts:

Friends to Lovers is one of my favorite tropes, so it was a no-brainer that I would want to pick this up, and while it may not have delivered in every aspect, I got exactly what I came for and I am not mad about it! 🙂

Ren and Joni. Joni and Ren. Tale as old as time with our two main characters, and I aww’d audibly at a few precious moments between them as our book navigated us through their love story. 

Ren and Joni truly do have tension and chemistry, and anyone could feel the yearning between this pair from a mile away coming off the page. I absolutely rooted for the both of them even through the clique and really trope-y scenes. However, I do wish there was more development between them in the present instead of just relying on the past to carry us in the story. I also really REALLY wished that we had more of a heart-soaring ending to them and with moments of more tenderness in an epilogue, but I still had heart eyes for this couple all throughout even with the dang ol’ miscommunication trope (*eye twitch*) lol.

Speaking of the past and the timeline, I believe the author did a great job in transitions. However, if I had one ask to make it easier to navigate as a reader, it would be to ask for the year marked on every chapter. The pace of our story bounced around a bit too much for my liking, but the structure of the story was well done! The 3rd act conflict was a touch too melodramatic, but the family drama wasn’t random and was built up and I appreciate that, so I wasn’t too thrown off when it came along.

Friends to Lovers was a cute, fun and trope-y read, and I would happily recommend it to anyone in the mood for a light romance that touches the heart.

Paperback/Hardcover/Audiobook/E-book:

 E-book

Pace:

 Fast to slow to fast to slow to fast again

Cover thoughts:

Cute! It is giving Emily-Henry-esque!

Quotes:  *SPOILER SECTION*

“I’ll never forget about you.”

“You clean up nice, Miller” “You don’t look so bad yourself, Webster.”

“Okay, now look at me like you love me,” “I do love you”

“Tell me life is miserable without me” “Life is miserable without you”

“Hi.” “Hi”

“Why is it this good?” “Because it’s us”

“Don’t. Please don’t leave.” “I’m not going anywhere”

“The amount of time I spend thinking about you like this is actually embarrassing. I have to actively put it out of my head more than I’d care to admit to you. I want this to such an uncool degree.”

“I didn’t dream I’d ever get this lucky”

“Careful” “What if I don’t want to be careful”

“I just couldn’t not kiss.”

“I think I’m always going to be waiting for just five minutes of you loving me like I love you.”

“You’re it for me”

“Honestly, I’m just so fucking tired of not being with you.” “I love you,” I tell him again. “And I’m so fucking tired of not being with you too.”

“I’ve decided on us a long time ago”

Triggers:

Blood, Injury, Job Loss, Toxic Relationships, Messy Family Dynamics, etc.