I have with my today Debut Author of one of the CUTEST best friend romances that I've ever read this year, Emily Martin with The Year We Fell Apart. Emily is talking about her Top Best Friend Romances in YA, and is hosting a super awesome giveaway, so check it out.
One of my absolute favorite tropes to read (and
write!) is best friends to romance. I love when characters have history, and to
see how that affects their relationship when they start to feel something more
for each other. So today I’ve put together my Top Five Best Friend Romances:
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
We can all agree that Stephanie Perkins is a queen when it comes to writing a delicious romance, yes? Honestly, I would put all three of her YA romances on this list if it didn’t feel a bit like cheating. Since I can only choose one couple, I’m going with Anna and Etienne. They are new friends at the beginning of the story, and their bond is built up in such a realistic way. The push and pull of their relationship and the obstacles they face are also very believable. I swooned over the French setting and shipped Anna and Etienne from the very beginning.
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
We can all agree that Stephanie Perkins is a queen when it comes to writing a delicious romance, yes? Honestly, I would put all three of her YA romances on this list if it didn’t feel a bit like cheating. Since I can only choose one couple, I’m going with Anna and Etienne. They are new friends at the beginning of the story, and their bond is built up in such a realistic way. The push and pull of their relationship and the obstacles they face are also very believable. I swooned over the French setting and shipped Anna and Etienne from the very beginning.
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
This one is a given on my list, because Jonah Griggs will always be my Number One book boyfriend. Jellicoe Road uses my favorite twist on this trope: enemies to friends to lovers. Taylor and Jonah are complex characters with a messy history, which makes their feelings for each other that much more complicated. It takes time for them to sort out their emotions—talk about a slow burn!—but their romance is definitely worth the wait.
Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour
Ahhh Emi and Ava. These characters are so beautifully drawn and wonderfully flawed. Each is passionate in her own right, and they become friends based on a common goal when Emi finds a mysterious letter that leads her to Ava. They support each other throughout their journey, falling in love despite each having their own reservations when it comes to relationships. This is one of my absolute favorite LGBTQ YA romances.
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Proof that books really are the way to a boy’s heart? I like to think so. This book deftly deals with the angst around the first year of college, and the struggles of meeting new people when you’ve lost your sense of community. Cath and Levi build a solid foundation as friends, and experience their fair share of doubts and mixed signals before they’re able to move to the next level. Full of tension (and a lovely dose of the awkwardness that comes with new feelings) that hurts so good!
Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
What I love about Mercedes and Zach is that their relationship turns the idea of friendship to romance on its head. They start out with a connection more physical than emotional, but through all of Mercedes’ struggles, she learns which friends she can truly lean on. Mercedes is far from perfect and has a lot of her own issues to sort out before she is ready for a romantic relationship. But for me, experiencing that journey along with her is just as important and entertaining as the end result.
BONUS PICK: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
So…this one is a little mean, because it doesn’t come out until next year…but I’m including it as a bonus title because I can’t help myself. I’ve been fortunate enough to read an early draft of this book and TRUST: you want to put this one on your TBR list. Like, yesterday. Monty and Percy are lifelong friends who are on a Grand Tour of 18th Century Europe before they have to settle down and be adults. This book is filled with adventure, gut-twisty romance, and a voice that will knock your socks off. Grabbiest of hands for this historical LGBTQ adventure.
Thanks so much for having me!
Emily Martin grew up in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan. She attended graduate school in North Carolina, where she fell in love with sweet potato pancakes, deep fried pickles, and the boy who later became her husband. Emily now lives and writes in Boston, Massachusetts. The Year We Fell Apart is her first novel. You can find Emily online at EmilyMartinWrites.com.
Blurb Description: Few things come as naturally to Harper as epic mistakes. In the past year she was kicked off the swim team, earned a reputation as Carson High’s easiest hook-up, and officially became the black sheep of her family. But her worst mistake was destroying her relationship with her best friend, Declan.
Now, after two semesters of silence, Declan is home from boarding school for the summer. Everything about him is different—he’s taller, stronger…more handsome. Harper has changed, too, especially in the wake of her mom’s cancer diagnosis.
While Declan wants nothing to do with Harper, he’s still Declan, her Declan, and the only person she wants to talk to about what’s really going on. But he’s also the one person she’s lost the right to seek comfort from.
As their mutual friends and shared histories draw them together again, Harper and Declan must decide which parts of their past are still salvageable, and which parts they’ll have to let go of once and for all.
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