Let’s Talk Romance Tropes ~ Friends to Lovers
Tropes are the building blocks of stories and characters. In Science Fiction, some tropes are The Quest and The Chosen One. In mystery there are Amateur Detective and Police Procedurals. And, in romance, there are many. Many! Let’s talk about one of my favourites: Friends to Lovers!
The Friends to Lovers Trope
The friends to lovers trope is popular in many sub-genres of romance. It’s popular in other genres too. Think of your favorite books, movies, and TV series. In many of them, two (or more) of the characters start off as friends. Sometimes it’s immediately obvious to the reader/viewer that these 2 characters belong together as a couple. Sometimes, it’s a slow-burn build, maybe over many seasons/books.
Why do I love Friends to Lovers?
Friends to lovers always makes me happy. There are lots of warm, fuzzy vibes with the friends to lovers trope. I’m BIG on trust in relationships and when the person is your friend first, you know you can trust them.
When the friends start looking at each other with a fresh point of view, the chemistry starts to zip. Will they voice their feelings? Is it too big of a risk? Could they lose their friend if things go wrong? But what if things go right? And then they go very right!
Yes, please!
Which Jemi books have Friends to Lovers?
Quite a few!
In the Bloo Moose series: Reaching For Risks, Reaching For Everything, Reaching For Christmas Reaching For Home, Reaching For More. The friend vibe is big in the town of Bloo Moose! Quinn and Darby have know each other for years, since’s Quinn’s family bought a summer home on the bluff. But something went wrong, and Quinn doesn’t have a clue.
Kami and Rayce were friends first when Kami helped his sister in high school. They became a whole lot more but then…choices were made. Choices that Rayce regrets. Lil and Max have been friends as long as either can remember. When Lil got her first camera, she started to see Max in a whole new way!
Back in Hollywood, Nia and Jaz knew each other through their jobs. Nia helped Jaz out of a tough situation but they haven’t seen each other since. Until Nia moves to Bloo Moose. And finally, Vi and Luca. Luca moved to Bloo Moose in high school. He and Vi became friends but nothing more. Not that they both haven’t thought about it. A lot. Add in a match-making mom and things start to sparkle!
In Small Town Heroes: Built Of Secrets, Built Of Flames, Built Of Second Chances, Built Of Illusions, Built Of Steel. Almost all of them!
Sam and Tansy spent their teen years in the same foster home. Tansy’s crush may or may not have been obvious to all. Mitch and Bella lived in the same small town and worked at the fire station which had a strict no-fraternization clause.
Tessa and Flynn were high school friends and edging closer to more when disaster struck and changed everything. Josie volunteers her time as a police sketch artist and has become friends with profiler Nico. Lia and Joe meet during tense circumstances and meet again months later. Their friendship heats up quickly!
But in No Fail Heroes, most of the couples meet for the first time in the books. The exception is No Going Back where Branna and Sean have known each other for a long time! So many friends – so much watching it bloom into more!
Do you like the Friends to Lovers trope? What’s your favorite movie or TV series that showcases it?
