At first, I enjoyed this book — but the more I read, the more my interest faded.

Lorenzo initially stood out as a likeable character. His eagerness to help was sweet, even though I understood his motives. But, much like the story itself, my appreciation for him wore off the deeper I got into the book. The book quickly devolved into something purely lust-driven.

The constant switch between portraying love and lust was frustrating. They're not interchangeable. You can experience both at once, but they’re distinct feelings — and the book didn’t treat them that way.

The relationship felt rushed and unconvincing. I just didn’t believe in their connection.

As for Daisy and Jeremy, I was left wondering why anyone thought they should be in love. There’s barely a friendship between them — no real communication, and nothing in their interactions supported the idea that they had a deeper bond.

And, there's no love triangle, and this definitely isn't a slow burn.

Thank you Netgalley and the author for the ARC 🔆📸🎭

The friends to lovers troupe that didn’t quite make it.

This was such a fab idea for a book and going into it I was super excited! I love a best friend turned lover type of romance and had high hope that this would give me all the feels. Unfortunately, for me it didn’t really make sense and didn’t hit how I thought it would.

It was nice book and the romantic setting of Venice instantly struck my mind with visions of the book playing out in my mind.

Daisy finds herself single on a trip that was meant to be full of romance and magic, alongside her best friend Jeremy. Daisy strikes up an idea that they should have a go at progressing their friendship into something else and what better location than Venice.

For me it was really clear from the get go that there was no spark between Daisy and Jeremy and therefore I struggled to get on board with this idea of a genuine connection. I found Daisy to be super annoying and felt the pace of the book was too fast. Things went from 0-100 really quick and whilst sometimes I think that’s a good thing. It didn’t work for me this time.

It became more of a holiday romance book for me, and when Lorenzo is introduced I felt like Jeremy became a side character.

It was a cute idea and there were some sweet moments with Daisy and Lorenzo, it was an easy, short read.

The Friends -To Lovers Project
Pub Date: June 19
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Romance, gondolas, and a dash of chaos? Yes, please.

Daisy thought she had it all planned—open a cozy little restaurant, marry her long-term boyfriend, pop out a couple of kids, and live happily ever after. She’s practical, responsible, and totally not into surprises.
But when her boyfriend dumps her on day one of their dreamy Venice getaway? Her whole world crashes harder than a gondola in a thunderstorm. Enter Jeremy—her bestie and fellow dumpee. Cue the lightbulb moment: Why not fall in love with each other in the city of love? They’ve got the perfect friends-to-lovers setup… until he shows up.
Lorenzo. Italian. Violinist. Concierge. Walking temptation.
What was supposed to be a healing trip turns into a steamy, soul-searching whirlwind as Daisy gets caught between a perfectly safe love story—and the dangerously delicious unknown.
This one’s a heartfelt, flirty ride through the canals of Venice, where every corner holds a surprise and love might just be waiting in the most unexpected place.
Will Daisy follow the plan… or her heart?

Your ultimate 🌞summer🌞 romance ❤️ has arrived—and trust me, you’re going to be obsessed.🤤
I’m a total sucker for anything set in Italy (and yes, Italian men too… ciao Lorenzo), and this book DELIVERED. Lorenzo is pure temptation—charming, dreamy, and just the right amount of trouble. Watching him and Daisy collide? Chef’s kiss. They’re total opposites, yet somehow, they just click.😌
The multiple POVs made the story flow like a gondola down the Grand Canal—smooth, immersive, and oh-so-addictive.😍😍😍
If I had to nitpick, the chapters were a bit long for my taste, which is why I shaved off one star. But otherwise? Perfection.😚
Get ready to fall hard, laugh, swoon, and maybe book a flight to Venice.🍝🇮🇹🍕

Thanks to netgalley abd and the publisher for granting me an ARC of #TheFriendsToLoversProject in exchange for my honest review.


Xoxo, your romance-obsessed book BFF

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC,

This was super fun to read love triangle, enemies to lovers, I read this on one sitting if your looking for a fun summer read then I highly recommend this standalone

With racing hearts, longing glances and gondola rides, Daisy begins questioning her plans and even her future. …

oh this was such a smart and cute read. i loved the added elements that the author put into this book to create just more things to love about it. it wasnt overly done on any of these parts through so just seamlessly gave us more of a book and plot to love.
i have to admit, i was thinking as i began to read more and love the characters more, just where it was going. as in would i the romantic reader get the ending i was secretly yearning for. like, how could Paula make this happen? i shouldnt have worried. but that is how much she had me invested. and i love it when us as readers get a bit of angst when we deffo fall for a pair and root for them. but there is enough in between that makes us work and wait for it.
the book gave us Daisy and it gave us Jeremy... to start with. they have both been down in love and down in sorts. so what could be better than to have a trip to the place of love. yup enter a destination of Venice. daisy wants inspiration to help her make her and her dads dreams come true.
Jeremy is all in with this. i mean why not. why not make a best friend to lover trope come true all of their own. so off they go. easy. right?
ha, come on readers. i think not. because enter Lorenzo their tour guide who happens to get a little more involved that he should.
great book. as gorgeous as the cover.

My review is tainted by this book being not what I expected. The title of the book and the blurb made me think this was a friends to lovers romance, which is my favourite trope, but this book is in fact the opposite. I don’t want to get too specific as there would be spoilers, but I will say the timeline for the story is too unrealistic which makes it unbelievable. Also there were quite graphic sex scenes but the way they were written felt gratuitous rather than emotional, and so didn’t fit the supposed story development. The things I did enjoy though were the descriptions of Venice as they felt very authentic, and added another layer to the story

Thank you to NetGalley & Afterglow Books for letting me review this ARC.

The Friends to Lovers Project was such a sweet and charming read. I loved the Venice setting, it added such a dreamy vibe to the story. Daisy’s plan to turn her friendship with Jeremy into something more was cute in theory, but watching her unexpected connection with Lorenzo unfold kept me hooked.

The friends-to-lovers angle had a fun twist with the love triangle, and the characters felt really genuine. It’s a light, romantic escape with just the right amount of heart and tension. Definitely recommend if you enjoy slow-burn romances in beautiful places!

The Friends-to-Lovers Project is scheduled for release on July 1, 2025. Be sure to add it to your reading list for a captivating romantic escape.

As soon as I read the blurb for The Friends-to-Lovers Project, I just knew I had to request it even though I hadn’t read anything by this author before but I love books about chefs and Italy. I’ve only been to Venice once before on a day trip from Lake Garda many years ago but the author did such a gorgeous job of describing the hidden parts of the city that I felt like I was experiencing it alongside Daisy. It definitely made me want to book a trip to go back.

I wasn’t sure why Daisy thought it would be possible that she and Jeremy could fall in love when it’s obvious that there aren’t any romantic feelings between them but I can understand that with lots of things in her life in flux (her Dad has passed away, she’s been dumped by her boyfriend and her brother is moving to Hawaii), she might be attracted to the stability of her best friend.

I like that Lorenzo had his own story rather than just being Daisy’s could-it-be-more holiday fling. He’s torn between wanting to take over from his surrogate father, Luigi in managing the Hotel Marchesi and rekindling his love of the violin, which was taken from him when he was involved in an accident. Unlike with Jeremy, there’s chemistry between Daisy and Lorenzo from the very beginning but with Daisy planning to reopen her late father’s restaurant in Los Angeles and Lorenzo so firmly rooted in Italy, they both have a lot to figure out before they can get their HEA.

The premise felt slightly ridiculous (and the idea of potentially running a lifelong friendship felt really silly to me), but this ended up being sweet and heartfelt and a good beach read.

This book is incredibly romantic and just so beautiful. A really easy to read book that will have a huge smile on your face whilst reading. Perfect characters. The best storyline. Fantastic.

First of all the cover was exquisite. It drew me in immediately. I loved the gorgeous scenic descriptions and it was so fun watching our MC in the quest for her heart to her good friend Jeremy or possibly an unexplored interest in the most romantic of settings. I enjoyed and reveled in every moment. Beautiful book!