Just Friends By Haley Pham

Before I start with my review, I want to share the journey of me getting this book(if you don't wish to read it , that is completely okay, you can skip ahead to the review). So, a few years back, I came across Haley Pham on my for you page for her bookish content; I liked her vibe, so I started following her on Instagram and YouTube and used to watch her content regularly. Then I came across her husband, Ryan Trahan, and I saw that they got married, had a whole cute proposal and stuff. I liked them so much that I went to great lengths trying to find their wedding videos which got deleted. In July 2024, she announced the book and I have been following her on that journey since then. Last year Haley and Ryan went on the 50 states in 50 days challenge and I watched it every day. I added the book to my Goodreads TBR list on 12th September 2025. I started my booktagram account in late October, and if you told me then that 6 months later from adding the book in my TBR I would have the book IN MY HANDS, that too as MY FIRST EVER PUBLISHER bookmail, I would have laughed at you. But a dream I had never dared to see came true this year, and I will forever cherish it very close to my heart.

Now enough with the story let's get onto with the review!!

I was NOT expecting that emotional rollercoaster. I really , truly thought it's going to be a cutesy rom-com but boy was I wrong. Friends to lovers is one of my top favorite tropes and this book explored that wonderfully.

The connection that Blair and Declan shared was truly magical, having someone who knows you inside and out and chooses to love you is the best thing someone can ever ask for. The fact they were already in love long before they could even know what it was, too scared to confess because they didn't want to ruin their friendship was so cute.

The story being set in a seaside town brought that peaceful, serene vibes.

Lottie's role added such depth and meaning to this book. As I say, I love dual timelines because it creates layers to the story and the story doesn't feel monotonous. The contrast of what they were before vs what they are now was really beautifully depicted.

All that misunderstanding, the distance, accident, loss but still finding their way back to each other truly showed the real strength of love.

Overall, this was a well-written debut novel, truly worth the wait of 6 months. Highly recommend if you're in the mood for a deep,meaningful second-chance romance. 🫶🩷