'Ash' by Malinda Lo. This novel reimagines the Cinderella story in a lesbian context. The main character's relationship with another girl starts as a friendship and slowly blossoms into love. It has elements of fantasy and magic which make it really captivating.
'Delilah Green Doesn't Care' is a contemporary friends - to - lovers lesbian romance. It has a great storyline where the main character returns to her hometown and reconnects with an old acquaintance. Their relationship then evolves from friendship to a passionate romance.
'Fingersmith' by Sarah Waters is a classic. It's a complex and rich story that involves a relationship between two women that evolves from a more practical arrangement to deep love. It's set in Victorian England which adds an interesting historical backdrop to the love story.
One popular 'friends to lovers' romance novel is 'The Hating Game' by Sally Thorne. It's about two coworkers who start off bickering but gradually fall in love. Another is 'Fangirl' by Rainbow Rowell, which has elements of a friends - to - lovers story within the college setting. And 'When Dimple Met Rishi' by Sandhya Menon also features a relationship that develops from friendship.
One popular 'best friends to lovers' romance novel is 'The Hating Game' by Sally Thorne. It tells the story of two coworkers who start as rivals but are actually best friends in a way, and then their relationship turns into love. Another is 'Friend Zone' by Abby Jimenez, which beautifully portrays the journey from friendship to love.
A wonderful 'friends turned lovers' romance novel is 'Roomies' by Christina Lauren. It's about a girl who needs to get married quickly for visa reasons and her friend who offers to marry her. As they go through the process, their friendship transforms into love. 'The Kiss Quotient' by Helen Hoang also has some elements of this. The main character hires a male escort, who becomes her friend first and then they fall in love. Additionally, 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen can be considered in this category. Elizabeth and Darcy start off as not really liking each other but they have a sort of underlying connection due to their social circles, and over time their relationship changes from a rather antagonistic one to a loving one which started from a form of friendship.
They're appealing because there's already a strong foundation of trust. In a normal relationship, building trust can take time, but in friends - to - lovers stories, it's already there. For example, in 'The Hating Game', Lucy and Josh were friends (sort of) before falling in love, so they knew they could rely on each other.
One common trope is the 'realization moment'. It's when one of the friends suddenly sees the other in a new, romantic light. Maybe it's during a special event like a wedding or a trip. Another is the 'jealousy factor'. When one friend starts dating someone else, the other realizes their true feelings because of the jealousy they feel. And then there's the 'near - miss kiss'. They get close to kissing but are interrupted, which builds up the sexual tension.
There's also 'Blood and Roses'. It tells a story of a vampire who falls in love with a human woman. The writing is very descriptive, especially when it comes to the emotions of the characters. It has been praised for its unique take on the vampire - lesbian romance genre.
Well, 'Anne of Green Gables' has some undertones of this. Gilbert and Anne were childhood acquaintances and as they grew up, their relationship developed into a deep and abiding love. Also, 'Second Chance Summer' by Morgan Matson. It's about a girl who returns to her hometown and reconnects with a childhood friend, leading to a beautiful romantic story. And 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' trilogy by Jenny Han is also about a girl and her relationship with two brothers who were her childhood friends, which has a lot of sweet and angsty romantic moments.
One common theme is the deep - rooted familiarity. Since they've known each other for a long time, they have a shared history, like inside jokes and memories. Another is the growth and change. They often grow up and see each other in new lights. For example, a once - scrawny childhood friend might become very attractive as they get older. Also, there's usually some sort of conflict that comes from their long - standing relationship, like family expectations getting in the way of their new - found romantic feelings.
One characteristic is the slow - burn aspect. Since they start as friends, the transition to lovers often takes time, with small moments of realization and growing attraction. For example, in 'Love and Other Words', there are years of shared memories that gradually shift into romantic feelings. Another characteristic is the deep emotional connection. Because they were friends first, they already have a strong bond based on trust, understanding, and shared experiences, like in 'The Hating Game' where the characters know each other so well before love blooms. And often, there's a sense of familiarity and comfort that adds to the charm of the relationship.