There’s just something about friends turned lovers’ tales that tugs on my heartstrings like no other romance trope.
Maybe it’s the awkward moments when one of the characters starts to catch feelings or the denial period the characters go through while ignoring the fluttering of their hearts or their jealousy episodes.
It could also be the build-up before confessions are out in the open or, of course, the confessions themselves. There’s simply too much to love about these love stories!
Whether you’re hooked on Friends to Lovers books and trying to expand your reading list or thinking about exploring this romance trope, here’s a list of my top picks:
1. The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams
Is there a deadline for escaping the friend zone? That’s the question running daily inside Bree Camden’s head.
She’s helplessly and hopelessly in love with her longer best friend Nathan Donelson, who just happens to be a hot and loaded NFL player.
After a drunken incident, her secret is out and the world thinks the two of them belong together. The aftermath consists of a fake relationship and a LOT of funny, romantic, and existing moments.
2. Blindsided by Amy Daws
Freya Cook is a seamstress with a cheeky personality and a big heart to go with her plus-sized body. Maclay Logan is a loud, tattooed midfielder with a life revolving around football.
The pair’s friendship involves a ton of bickering. So what happens when an innocent game of Never Have I Ever has Mac spilling a juicy secret?
3. Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
The thing I adore most about Macy and Elliot’s love story in this book is how it challenges you to question the possibility of reviving feelings after so much time has passed.
Do feelings ever go away? Can true love overcome years of silence and pain? You’ll have to read to find out.
4. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Poppy and Alex are opposites yet synonyms. Their personalities are nothing alike but they’re somehow the best-est of friends.
They kept their friendship strong with their week-long vacation every summer for a decade. That is until they stopped talking two years ago after a trip that ruined all they’d built.
Told between the past and present, their story will put you on a roller coaster of emotions.
5. Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey
Can you accidentally fall in love? Fox Thornton will answer with a HECK YES!
He’s never been one for friendships with the opposite sex, but when he meets Hannah Bellinger who likes his personality and wants them to be friends, platonic buddies didn’t seem like such a bad thing after all.
Except when she asks him to help her woo a colleague on which she’s majorly crushing, feelings he didn’t know about start surfacing. Now he wants to be the one for her instead.
6. The Friend Zone by Kristen Callihan
A friendship with a lady is out of the question for Gray Grayson, only nights in bed work for him.
This rule changes when he gets to know Ivy, his agent’s daughter who’s living abroad. She agrees to lend him her car via text, and soon enough, they become the best of texting pals.
The drama and tension start cooking when Ivy comes home. You’ll love reading about them as much as they’re trying to fight their attraction.
7. My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren
Being one of the guys is what Millie Moris is most comfortable with when it comes to friendships. A work event is upon them, so she and her gang make a pact to find plus-ones through an online dating service.
The problem is, she and Reid Campbell secretly spend a night in bed and agree to keep things strictly platonic the following day.
So when her online profile “Catherine” connects with Reid and they get closer, it’s safe to say things get complicated.
8. Next To You by Hannah Bonam-Young
A friend can help you get through an identity crisis, but what if you’re not sure they’re only a friend?
That’s Lane’s pickle when she decides to transform a massive school bus into a home on wheels and her best friend Matt; a handsome mechanic. They agree on doing business and visiting the bedroom with no strings attached.
Yep, you’re in for one emotional ride.
9. When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting
Avery Spark has no time for relationships. Declan McCormick avoids them. Can you think of better friends and roommates?
When Avery has an accident and becomes in need of help, Declan feels responsible and decides to be her caretaker.
Sparks, jokes, attraction, and angst – this book has it all.
