Reading Friends to Lovers Romances for a Week

[@Scara433]

Basically I feel like half these friends to lovers romance are literally just regular romances. Two people meet and fall in love they just don’t fall in love at sight

[@MoinJoey]

For anyone who loved People We Meet on Vacation, I highly recommend Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh. It's a Christmas rom com, but could probably be read anytime, in fact I already want to reread it. It's also told I between flashbacks and "now" parts and they meet once a year for a plane ride home.

[@moodyfloral6234]

I loved Holiday Romance as well! Perfect rec for fans of PWMOV

[@oksnariel]

my favorite trope is “secret romance”, like they have to hide their relationship and have little sneaky moments. I love that shit edit: but no cheating! that’s icky lol

[@justmaddiereading]

I was pretty ehhh on friends to lovers until i read "People We Meet on Vacation" and "Love and Other Words" by Christina Lauren. I think a lot of my buy-in on F2L depends on how predictable the progression is, but those two impressed me.

[@hannahckirk]

My favorite second chance romance I read recently was “Do I Know You?” by Emily Wibberly & her husband (who co-wrote the roughest draft as well). I feel like I haven’t heard anyone talking about it, but it was really enjoyable to me. It is about a husband and wife who have grown apart, and when the husbands mother sends them on a romantic getaway for their 5 year anniversary they are at a loss for how to even speak to eachother anymore. A singles mixer is going on at the same time they arrive, and after a mixup with booking leaves them in separate hotel rooms, a well meaning guest introduces the couple to eachother as strangers. They quickly discover they can finally talk to eachother again as strangers, and agree to act like they just met for the rest of the week to reignite their spark. I loved this book because it really emphasized the couple learning to communicate again, and I think it showed a realistic view of how long term relationships can be at moments. Occasionally you get out of sync & have to work to re-find that groove. I felt like it was a different take on second chance romance because they never technically broke up. They just hit a rough patch, which is relatable to a lot of people in long term relationships. I also felt like this had some nice subplot themes as well, like the characters had room to grow throughout the book. Also, it’s dual POV which I love. I wouldn’t say it was anything earth shattering for me necessarily overall, but it was really solid and really enjoyable!

[@ravenhairedreader]

friends to lovers is my fave trope in contemporary romance, when it’s done well it’s such perfection 🙌🏼 also adding PWMOV to my may tbr now lol i’m due for a reread

[@viviandiaz6040]

One of my favorite second chance romance is Ghosted by J.M. Darhower 33:39 ❤❤❤

[@jessicar2609]

Ghosted is SO good

[@dianabanana7394]

My fave second chance romance is Seven Days in June (Tia Williams). Also loved: Kiss Her Once for Me (Alison Cochrun), The Fixer Upper (Lauren Forsythe), and The Bromance Book Club (Lyssa Kay Adams). And you're so right about friends-to-lovers! It's superior.

[@jessicar2609]

The bromance bookclub is such a good series!

[@mariboechat11]

yess, friends to lovers is a superior trope, but it is really hard to pull off, I completely agree with you.

[@sophiavazquez7052]

Ugh yes! 🤩 People we meet on vacation is my fave emily henry book. I’m inspired to reread it

[@abookishmess]

Random Suggestions for those who are into anime or wanting to get into to it these are some that follow this trope - Tomo Chan is a Girl - Snow White with the Red Hair

[@kaisummer]

Friends to lovers is my fave trope!! Everything about People we meet on vacation is is perfect I adore that book

[@kaisummer]

My fave second chance romance is definitely love and other words

[@TeamVeen]

Please do a friends to lovers recommendation video! I feel jipped that most of these didn't really fit the trope. Not your fault, but one of my favorite tropes too so I would love some good recs.

[@1410mony]

Second chance romance: forget me not by about tayler,love and other words by Christina Lauren

[@60sbaby70sgirl]

Oh my gosh! I love Wait for It! I'm so sorry you thought it was boring. I think it was the second book I read by her and it is still in my top 3 of her books.

[@Iamcloveryes]

Some trope ideas!!! -Fake Marriage -Contract Marriage -Arranged/forced Marriage -Good boy, bad girl -Strangers -> friends -> lovers -> strangers -> lovers again -One sided

[@libby10318]

I love friends to lovers, probably my favorite romance trope these days.

[@olivialong6763]

How did K.A. Tucker “Say you still love me” not make this ??? It’s SO GOOD !! You must try it !

[@ilrayali6121]

One friends to lovers book I read recently and loved was The Cheat Sheet. I definitely recommend it

[@general_mills]

To be fair! I loved Wait for It by MZ but I also would never rec it as a friends to lovers 😂 I agree that this term is used so loosely (similar to enemies-to-lovers when at most it’s a slight dislike that lasts 3 chaps) and to me a real friends to lovers means that the friendship has existed for at least a little while before entering lovers territory. Still love this series and excited for the second chance romances!! 🥰

[@elizabethc1832]

Please do unrequited love! It’s one of my favorite tropes but I feel like I have read every book on the market for this trope

[@madisondoerr3453]

The Sizzle Paradox is a great friends to lovers

[@carleelambros5367]

Anxious, uptight hero… read Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez! Finished it last night and Jacob is *chef’s kiss*.

[@LilliumTO]

Wishing you all the best Chan 💕

[@gadow01]

Second-chance romance is my favorite! I am so looking forward to that video! I would suggest Love and other words or Final offer

[@malyourgal7540]

I can't even count how many books I've read because of you. Keep up the awesome content! 💓💓💓

[@jaimecardona92]

Good luck with your photography!

[@thelazystitcher]

Friends to lovers of my favorite trope, but it’s so hard to get right.

[@erinzummo]

I think part of the reason this was so low is since you love the trope you also have higher expectations and what you want it to be. Fake dating is my superior trope and I sometimes look back at reviews and think I was a little harsh on books just because I know how fantastic fake dating can be when done right. It is sad that you personal favorite was the lowest though.

[@andreasoto4663]

i don’t think people know what friends to lovers really is because there’s been so many times that i look for recs online and it’s not at all what i’m looking for. the net that’s being thrown around this category of romance is too wide

[@Diana-gf1cm]

If you ever want to do this trope again, I recommend Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams, Nick and Noel’s Christmas Playlist by Codi Hall, Gouda Friends by Cathy Yardley, and Would You Rather by Allison Ashley! All of these have besties that have been friends for a while before the book begins and feature A LOT OF PINING!

[@Dcong16]

Literally just read crazy stupid bromance last weekend and loved it!!

[@brooke4556]

The Summer We Fell by our girl Elizabeth O’Roark!!! So angsty.

[@artemis969]

the thing i have with mz is that i CANNOT reread her books bc i get bored the second time for some reason like i know where the story is going so i just want to get there

[@brittbrooks8284]

“Fighting for Us” By Claire Kingsley. It’s the second book in a series, but the first one is more like a prequel to this. I didn’t read it, and still enjoyed the whole series. 🖤

[@irachelleval]

POWERLESS! that book and People we meet on vacation are my fave friends to lovers!

[@leneighbosdet8365]

I second the recommendation for Abby Jimenez’s new one: yours truly. I think you will love it.

[@nillabee]

Love Wagers is FMC from Mr# brother Jack! So kinda sorta sequel?

[@faithreadsromance]

I reccomend bloody heart by sophie lark as a second chance romance!

[@natasham6835]

Just came across your channel and I’m so excited! You are just adorable ❤

[@ainsleemcnamara7514]

I'm definitely one of those Getaway Girl stans, so I was excited to see you pick it up, even if it didn't end up being a favourite for you. I'm excited for your second chance romance video, since that's probably one of my least favourite tropes, but maybe you'll find something that'll change my mind!

[@ash-vj5vn]

Pls do love and other words for second chance romance!!!

[@jillian.jm09]

Friends to lovers is one of the best tropes!!

[@sotiria_lazaridou]

ahhh my favorite romance trope!!💜

[@Diana-gf1cm]

For an amazing second chance romance, I definitely recommend The Co-op by Tarah DeWitt! It was one of my favorite reads of last year and if you liked Funny Feelings, you’d love this book too!

[@laurabarkema9105]

Man, it sucks that a number of these didn't end up actually being friends to lovers - such a bummer I'm sure as you were reading them. If you ever need any recs from this trope (It has and always will be my favorite), I have an entire shelf on goodreads dedicated to it with a good number of titles - most from the last 15 yearsish!

[@rebeccaf303]

for second chance romance, read finn rhodes forever by stephanie archer! it's so sweet and funny and hot, it's the fourth book in the series but you really don't need to read them to get the story (i didn't).

[@-rianna]

I just started wait for it as well and couldn’t figure out if I was slacking on the reading because I’ve been in such a reading slump for the past 2 weeks or because the book is a bit of a snoozefest lol. I fcking love Mariana zapata but this is the first time I haven’t zoomed through her book like I always do and now I’m wondering if I should finish it at all :/ might fuck around and just stick to rereading all the trusted smut until I regain my attention span lol

[@firewhiskeyreader8257]

My favorite second chance romance is Hate to Want You by Alisha Rai. It's so angst filled and the mental health rep is really lovely. Also, it's very sexy (imo).

[@NoeliaCardarelli]

Maybe read From the embers by Aly Martinez, the characters know each other from before not exactly friends but in the same friend group and after tragedy happens they rely on each other and start seeing the other differently and become friends, then later on they discover they have feelings for each other and decide to give the relationship a go. More drama ensues but they find a way to be there for each other... I mean for a IG reel recommendation is not half bad

[@eni2209]

Oh my, you're hurting my feelings with this review of Wait For It because it is one of my favourites... but to each their own I guess. ❤

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

One of my favourite tropes 🎉

[@mm5xo]

seeing wait for it was surprising lol

[@dawnaiello]

I didn't really love Wait for Me either and I've LOVED Wall of Winnipeg and Kulti and From Lukov. But Wait for Me just didn't hit the same.

[@michelacarletti3671]

I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the new Emily Henry, cause I’m hating it 😂 I liked PWMOV though!

[@GugaJMW]

I feel like if 'Blindsided' were as you described it, with the hero pining for the heroine from the start, his proposition to have practice sex would be SO SO SO creepy. The only way it is not creepy is if it is proposed with no other ulterior motive Also, have you read any Meg Cabot? I always consider her books the perfect depiction of friends to lovers (lets be honest, she writes the same love story in all her books)

[@LifeasMonae]

I’m holding my breath on your opinions of wait for it because it’s literally my favorite zapata book 😥

[@LifeasMonae]

I knew to be nervous 😂😂 I love that book but I don’t think I would have recommended it to you, it’s so slow

[@booklover466]

Queen move is so good ❤

[@LimitlessMegan]

I feel like you almost need to do this trope again because the problem with the ratings isn't the trope but the books.

[@liezllovesbooks]

i liked powerless it's a I love friends to lovers,

[@catheryndallenbach3432]

I'm surprised that Love light Farms was not on this list. They were friends for 10 years. It is a cute story.

[@chandlerainsley]

i only do 1 reread in these videos!

[@catheryndallenbach3432]

@@chandlerainsley oh yeah! I forgot that you read it already. Either way, your videos are amazing!

[@mackenziefitzmaurice8434]

The Lucky Heart by Devney Perry is a good second chance romance 😊

[@venuso6260]

If you're looking for a sweet, (best)friends to lovers romance, I'd totally recommend A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan!! The characters are fleshed out and you can't help but love them all. It's got such a nice sense of community as the female lead opens up her very own salad shop which was extremely enjoyable to watch her succeed in. The book ends in a satisfying way and leaves you feeling warmhearted!! It seems like it has a lot of what you're looking for in this trope. It's definitely slow burn and it's closed door but it really is so nice imo! You get to see the leads meet for the first time and it takes place over many months in a way that worked really well. It's also dual pov!!!! Both characters are dealing with their own things so it makes for a very well-rounded story. Technically it's the third in a series but I haven't read the rest and was fine so it can for sure be read as a standalone. But anyways yeah, I think it would fulfill that part you felt was missing in a lot of these books where there isn't enough focus on showing them as being actual friends. I think this book does that super well!!

[@venuso6260]

I will say, now looking back at reviews, it seems like many people hadn't enjoyed the story as much as I did. Generally these people had issues with the amount of slow burn, it being closed door, or feeling like it was just little uninteresting/boring. I didn't have these issues but everyone has their own personal preferences of course! Also, without giving actual spoilers, the other thing that annoyed many people was how the female lead didn't want to accept help and the male lead had the tendency to try and fix things. This was also slightly annoying for me but it made sense for the characters and didn't totally tarnish the book for me.

[@anoushkaps2164]

oooh second chance. i think happy place by emily henry is second chance isn't it? excited to see ur thoughts on it either way!!

[@leena1842]

I love your videos so much!!

[@gloriaaaaa]

This was such a great video! One of my favourite of yours, I think. I really loved how you rated the different aspects about the book: both the overall and how they executed the friends-to-lovers.

[@kkkkk4542]

Random, but what’s that brush you use for bronzer? It looks so nice and fluffy!

[@Georgiajafa]

I’ve not read any of these 😮 I’ve been meaning to read PWMOV but after hating Beach Read and giving it 2 stars I’ve been put off 😅

[@kelly_kpb]

For Friends to Lovers I would have chosen a different Zapata book. Wait For It was okay, but I wouldn't reread it. Hands Down is absolutely friends to lovers, and has the Zack from Wall of Winnipeg as the male lead. Childhood friends who reconnect as adults, etc. But while I used to read every one of her books and think it was a sure bet, there have been a few that I just can't finish fast enough (something in me just won't let me DNF it.) All Rhodes Lead Here I thought was *horrible*.

[@annah5838]

Slow burn for next video idea??

[@gloriaaaaa]

How about only reading sapphic books for a week? 💓

[@LoQualityReads]

I’m not a huge fan of second chance romance but The Co-op by Tarah Dewitt was a 5 star read for me.

[@bookishbowen]

I read both twice shy and people we meet on vacation and I do like both of the guys and I wish they were dual POV because both of the FMCs I absolutely cannot stand. I hated being in their heads and both of the guys deserved better.

[@hazelmorera5946]

This is the superior trope for me too so I was so happy to see you do a video about it in this series! I tried to read the Amy Dawes book at one point and just didn’t vibe with it so I ended up DNFing, but People We Meet On Vacation omg 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 definitely agree with you on it, it’s one of the best I’ve read with this trope! God tier for sure lol I’m really loving this series and can’t wait to watch the next one!

[@kiranjotekaur598]

Shy anxious hero read yours truly by Abby Jimenez

[@Angela.Simmons]

Ahh you’ve gotta read A Guide to Being Just Friends! It was SO cute! ❤

[@venuso6260]

omg yes!! such a cute slow burn

[@savagejazz4958]

I hated people we meet on vacation i struggled to read this book i wanted to dnf this book soooo bad n once i finished it unhauled it n never looked back 😂😂😂 felt the realtionship was forced.

[@ashleyp6591]

Wait for It was the book that made me realize I’m completely over MZs writing. I thought I’d was pretty bad and highlighted all of the little things in her writing that slightly bugged me in her other books, but didn’t have a good plot for me to be able to look past them.

[@thisisabookchannel]

Wait For Me was my favorite MZ book until I tried to reread it and was too bored to get through it again

[@ninjaturtles12121]

my absolute least fav trope but I always watch all your content ha!!

[@dawnbishop5803]

I thought you said you would never do a skillshare collaboration.

[@komaedacoffee4298]

Yaay ❤️❤️❤️

[@chocolateoreo6489]

❤❤❤

[@ninjaturtles12121]

sucks you had to dnf queen move but you have to protect yourself n not read triggering material. hopefully you will pick up the first 2 books in the series-the kingmaker series as it's my absolute fav from KR I hope you didn't get to the spoilers for those 2 books in queen move lol.

[@MoJordanReads]

Have you read The Four Leaf by Lee Jacquot? She has great friends to lovers in her holinights series (minus book 1) and develops that friendship so well which is extra impressive for a novella imo

[@quitabanana3684]

I think this is the lowest rated video because you do love the trope so much so I’m sure your standards are high, which is great! That makes me trust any recs you have for this trope even more.

[@95bpa]

I respectfully disagree people we meet on vacation is Emily’s least best work 😥

[@ijuliaaaaa]

you should try An Optimist's Guide to Heartbreak & A Pesimist's Guide to Love, it's a duet by Jennifer Hartmann and it's absolutely amazing. You've got Lucy whoas a child, moves in next door to Cal and Emma and becomes best friends with them. As teens something bad happens and Cal's mom moves them away, so they lose contact. Nearly a decade later and Lucy decides to look for Cal and tries really hard to rebuild their friendship which isn't that easy because Cal completely changed and is now the grumpiest motherfucker ever. It was so delightful! There are some heavier topics like death, substance abuse and mental health issues but Jennifer's writing is just so realistic

[@AelinGalathynius96]

Am i the only one who hate one night stand? 🫤😵‍💫

[@chandlerainsley]

i'm usually not a big fan

[@rachelrlh03]

I’ve been binging all your old videos lately! 🤍 Have you read Coach by Devney Perry yet? On ku, super delicious college football romance! 🥵

[@chandlerainsley]

it'll be featured in a video coming up soon