I don’t know about you, but my favorite romance trope has always been friends-to-lovers—even before I lived it out myself. There’s something so pure and heartwarming about two friends gently crossing the lines into romantic territory. The tension, the slow burn, the emotional connection…it’s all part of this endearing yet alluring trope.
Looking for your next romance read? Here are three books for readers who love the friends-to-lovers trope.
1. Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley
Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley isn’t another happy-go-lucky, friends-to-lovers romance novel. It’s both heavy and achingly human, touching on themes like grief, loss, miscommunication, isolation, and a shared love for books.
If you’re seeking a friends-to-lovers trope with more depth than your average romcom, this is the story for you. It will break your heart into a million pieces, but it will also heal you in ways you didn’t think possible.
Added bonus? Much of the story takes place in a cozy, family-owned bookstore.
Synopsis: “Years ago, Rachel had a crush on Henry Jones. The day before she moved away, she tucked a love letter into his favorite book in his family’s bookshop. She waited. But Henry never came.
Now Rachel has returned to the city—and to the bookshop—to work alongside the boy she’d rather not see, if at all possible, for the rest of her life. But Rachel needs the distraction, and the escape. Her brother drowned months ago, and she can’t feel anything anymore. She can’t see her future.
Henry’s future isn’t looking too promising, either. His girlfriend dumped him. The bookstore is slipping away. And his family is breaking apart.
As Henry and Rachel work side by side—surrounded by books, watching love stories unfold, exchanging letters between the pages—they find hope in each other. Because life may be uncontrollable, even unbearable sometimes. But it’s possible that words, and love, and second chances are enough.”
2. How to Hide in Plain Sight by Emma Noyes
I found How to Hide in Plain Sight by Emma Noyes on TikTok, as my FYP is geared toward both books and mental health. As an avid reader who also suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), I knew I had to purchase this novel immediately after reading its synopsis—and I am so glad I did.
Not only is it an incredible friends-to-lovers story, but it’s also one of the most accurate depictions of OCD I’ve ever read. Many reviewers stated that the novel was too heavy for them, that they couldn’t connect with the main character (Eliot Beck)’s thought processes. Some even pointed out her lack of growth, which I believe was purposeful on the author’s part. As someone with OCD, I found Eliot to be one of the most relatable characters I’ve followed in a long while.
Not to mention, the gut-wrenching plot made the friends-to-lovers trope even more meaningful, reminding readers about the power of deep friendship, empathy, and unconditional love.
Synopsis: “On the day she arrives in Canada for her older brother’s wedding, Eliot Beck hasn’t seen her family in three years. Eliot adores her big, wacky, dysfunctional collection of siblings and in-laws, but there’s a reason she fled to Manhattan and buried herself in her work—and she’s not ready to share it with anyone. Not when speaking it aloud could send her back into the never-ending cycle of the obsessive-compulsive disorder that consumed her for years.
Eliot thinks she’s prepared to survive the four-day-long wedding extravaganza—until she sees her best friend, Manuel, waiting for her at the marina and looking as handsome as ever. He was the person who, when they met as children, felt like finding the missing half of her soul. The person she tried so hard not to fall in love with… but did anyway.
Manuel’s presence at the wedding threatens to undo the walls Eliot has built around herself. The fortress that keeps her okay. If she isn’t careful, by the end of this wedding, the whole castle might come crumbling down.”
3. Josh + Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
If you want a more lighthearted read than the other two options on this list (my bad, I’m a bit of a sappy reader), Josh + Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren is the perfect pick for you. This book will have you laughing out loud and kicking your feet in glee. It’s an adorably quirky, silly, and playful story you won’t want to put down.
Synopsis: “Just friends. Just friends. JUST FRIENDS. If they repeat it enough, maybe it’ll be true . . .
Hazel knows she’s a lot to take – and frankly, most men aren’t up to the challenge. If her army of pets and taste for the absurd don’t send them running, her lack of filter and tendency to say exactly the wrong thing will. Their loss. Not everyone can handle a Hazel.
Josh has known Hazel since college. From the first night they met – when she gracelessly threw up on his shoes – to when she sent him an unintelligible email while in a post-surgical haze, Josh has always thought of Hazel more as a spectacle than a peer. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air.
Not that Josh and Hazel date. At least, not each other. Because setting each other up on progressively terrible double blind dates means there’s nothing between them . . . right?”
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