This heartwarming and swoon-worthy second chance romance about childhood friends reconnecting as adults is the highly anticipated debut novel from BookTok icon Haley Pham.

Blair and Declan were inseparable growing up—best friends who knew each other better than anyone else. But when an impulsive kiss took them from friends to something more, everything changed. Just as quickly as their romance started, one moment shattered it all, leaving them with nothing but heartbreak and silence.

Now, four years later, Blair is back in their coastal hometown of Seabrook to support her mom and care for her great-aunt Lottie as her health declines. To make ends meet, Blair applies to work at a coffee shop—only to discover it’s managed by none other than Declan. The boy she loved. The boy she lost. The boy who still makes her heart race.

As Blair’s path keeps crossing with Declan’s, old wounds resurface, secrets are revealed, and sparks reignite. But could their future ever be free of their past?

Told in dual timelines that unravel the magic and pain of first love, Just Friends is a moving, romantic story about second chances, the weight of dreams, and finding your way back to the people who feel like home.

3.5 stars

I had never heard of this bookish content creator or watched any of her videos, so I went into this book with no preconceived opinions. I kept seeing a lot of hype surrounding it, though, so I decided to give it a try.

It definitely reads like a debut novel at times. There’s quite a bit of telling rather than showing, some sections are overly descriptive, and the writing can feel clunky here and there. Despite those issues, I still enjoyed the story. I was torn on my rating because I personally landed at 3.5 stars, but since Goodreads doesn’t allow half stars, I had to choose. In the end, I rounded up because by the final pages, I was grinning from ear-to-ear and my heart felt full.

This is such a sweet, charming romance with plenty of emotional depth. I also appreciated that there is virtually no language and no spice. The summery atmosphere makes it the perfect beach read, and at just over 350 pages, it’s a quick and easy book to get through.

What surprised me most was that this story felt like much more than a fluffy romcom. It explores grief after losing a loved one to cancer, mother-daughter relationships, and personal growth. Since Blaire is in her early twenties and still figuring out who she is and what she wants from life, the story also has a coming-of-age feel to it. I loved watching her grow throughout the novel. Character development is one of my favorite things in books, and Blaire’s journey was easily one of the strongest aspects of the story.

I also appreciated the messages about learning to trust yourself, taking risks in love, and allowing yourself to fully experience difficult emotions rather than avoiding them. Grief and loss are major themes throughout the book. At times, the story felt a little heavier than I expected from what I assumed would be a light summer romance, but that emotional weight gave both the characters and the story more depth. I could personally relate to Blaire’s experience of losing a family member to cancer, which made her journey feel especially authentic and impactful. Ultimately, this is a story about grief and how it affects both individuals and relationships.

As for the romance, it was incredibly cute and swoony. The relationship takes a while to develop, and it took me some time to become fully invested in both the characters and their connection, but I enjoyed getting to know them. I especially liked the friends-to-more and second-chance romance elements. The miscommunication trope, however, isn’t one of my favorites. It wasn’t handled poorly here, but I generally prefer romances without it.

I also found myself wishing this had been a dual POV story. I would have loved to spend time in Declan’s head and get to know him on a deeper level. The story alternates between past and present timelines to show the evolution of Blaire and Declan’s relationship, but having Declan’s perspective could have added another layer to the emotional impact. Since the flashbacks take place during their high school years, the book occasionally felt more like a young adult romance than a new adult one. There were also a few slower sections where I wished a bit more had happened to keep the momentum going.

I’ve seen other reviewers mention that Haley is a big fan of Emily Henry and drew inspiration from her books. Having read several Emily Henry novels myself, I can definitely see why people describe this as Emily Henry-esque, but closed-door and clean. One thing I particularly appreciated was that Pham focuses on healing, reconciliation, and emotional connection rather than physical attraction and unnecessary smut. The romance feels rooted in the characters’ emotional journeys, which makes it all the more meaningful.

If you enjoy friends-to-more romances, second-chance love stories, closed-door romance, and wholesome coming-of-age journeys, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this one. While there’s certainly room for the author to continue growing and refining her craft, I really appreciated what she was trying to accomplish with this debut novel. I would absolutely be interested in reading more from her in the future if she continues writing. Definitely recommend!