witchbuns

Sally Blakely, 2026. 4.5 Stars.

Very strong summer beach read, about two people who kept their relationship a secret from the friend group until the break up isolated everyone and turned them bitterly away from each other. I was hooked reading this because the slow burn between Sutton and Everett was very heart-melting as they swallow their pride and begin to trust each other. Sally Blakely really laid out swoony moments over the years to build up that longing.

Where I wanted to pause was the inevitable third act, with an impending explosion within the friend group and between her and Everett. With the flashbacks and the current timeline, we know that an incident five years ago blows them apart. Reading through the middle section, I didn’t want to feel that blow up, because I wanted them to keep reconciling and falling into one another, but the timeline kept progressing to build tension. Ultimately, I wanted to keep reading because the relationship between the friend group felt too shallow and tense, and I needed to see the other storyline reconciliation. Once actually seated into the third act of the novel, the payoff is really beautiful because Sutton has difficult conversations with all the people that she’s pushed away or pulled too close, and I was very impressed at the pacing in the last sections and where we end.

What I needed more was time with Gabe and more moments in the friend group to see why they were the lifeline for Sutton, worth hiding her feelings for Everett and valuing their opinions more than her needs. I felt the last pieces of the book nudged this forward, but I needed those scenes in the middle of the book.

Overall – Sally Blakely is definitely a recommended author, and for any Emily Henry fans, I think she’s a must-read. I can’t wait to read more from her and see her play with tropes and expand her portfolio. I think we need a new book focused on the chef in the mansion, or Davi fake dating.

My thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Sally Blakely and NetGalley for the ARC to review early.