Tropetastic Presents Friends to Lovers
As we approach the end of 2021, I would be remiss if I did not add to tropetastic with another just-about-perfect-trope. What trope you ask? Well it’s absolutely friends to lovers. What classifies a F2L romance novel, is that our mains are friends (with differing levels of closeness) at the beginning of the story.
I’ve read a few friends to lovers this year and lemme tell you that not all are created equal. But there is something so deeply satisfying of seeing two dipsh*ts be so gone for each other that they can’t figure out how to cope with their feelings. These books are excellent for fans of slow burn, high angst and insane chemistry, between our mains. Although I am a sucker for a dual POV, often times friends to lovers is kinda just *chef’s kiss* when we only hear from one.
Ready to get into the recommendations? Here are some friends to lovers books to get you started.
The Friend Zone by Kristen Callihan
Ivy and Gray become fast friends when her dad (and Gray’s sport agent) lets Gray borrow her Mini Cooper while she’s out of the country. Their texts start out with high banter and slowly morph into daily chats and calls. When Ivy returns home from abroad who else would be waiting for her to arrive than her pal Gray. Oh, did I tell you neither of these smoke shows knows what the other looks like?
In only the way Kristen Callihan does, these two really are friends that bungle their way through all types of feelings to each other. Ivy and Gray are some of the best F2L out there. Check trigger warnings as this one deals with loss of a child (miscarriage).
Irresistibly Yours by Lauren Layne
This was a pick-up after seeing a fellow twitter user ranting about her love for “lincondaisys” (a ship name from later in this series). Irresistibly Yours is the first in the five book Oxford series, and follows sports journalist and report Cole as he competes for editor position against scrappy tomboy Penelope. This is a delightful friends to lovers, that I could not stop smiling over while reading. I will say prepare to suspend your disbelief HR folks as these magazine employees are having a lot of office “rendezvous”, that are kind of just expected 🤷♀️. It’s fun, get into it.
Earn Your Extra Credit by Meghan Quinn (free on KU)
Meghan is a pretty great author. I’ve read an obscene number of the books in her backlist and this one is classic MQ. We have two friends (both high school teachers) attending a wedding in Hawaii of mutual colleagues. There Stella runs into her divorced dad with her high-school bully and quickly concocts a lie, she’s also dating. Brock Romero is not loving the idea of having to play travel BF to Stella, who coincidentally he’s been in love with for a while. She of course is completely oblivious which makes forcing these two together all the more perfect.
I wont spoil it, but this one covers a lot of ground including some healing and growth for both of our mains. Oh and the wedding party pearl g-strings? Break out the fans, because it’s about to get hot as hell up in here.
To Love Jason Thorn by Ella Maise (free on KU)
TLJT includes many tropes (forced proximity, etc.) one of which is absolutely friends to lovers. Here we have movie superstar Jason Thorn and his childhood best friend’s little sister Olive. Olive has been crushing on Jason since basically forever, and has gone on to write a best selling romance novel that (you guessed it) Jason is being cast for. Doing her best to get over her crush, Olive is resolved to work along side Jason until that pesky crush comes flying back.
Of course, his PR team sees a golden opportunity here and will a marriage of convenience save the day, and give this new film the buzz it needs?
Jock Row by Sarah Ney (free on KU)
Rowdy and Scarlett are insanely cute. Like almost from page 1 these two kids just snuggle their way into your heart and refuse to leave. I had no idea what to expect with this new adult college sports romance. But the genuine love, caring and tenderness between Rowdy and Scarlett is really REALLY stinking great.
Watching these two become front-porch-pals™, then legit friends then lovers is the warm gooey sh*t I live for when reading romance. PLUS, there is no 80% breakup. So, what are you waiting for?