I am very big on being able to see any kind of relationship develop ON PAGE.
I thought I disliked the friends to lovers trope as a whole, but as I come to understand my reading taste more I realized I only like this trope if it’s done a certain way.
Friends to lovers ONLY works for me if I see on page FRIENDSHIP development just as much as relationship development.
I don’t want a friends to lovers trope where it’s just told to the reader that these people have been friends for X amount of time and then the romance takes off from that point forward.
I absolutely need to SEE friendship development first and foremost before any kind of romantic relationship development ensues. I need it to be SHOWN to me.
Wether that be getting to know the characters before the friendship starts and watching the characters meet, and seeing their friendship grow overtime, or we meet the characters fairly early on in their friendship so we still have lots of time to spend with them while they’re friends before anything romantic gets introduced.
Once the romantic relationship starts developing I would prefer for it to be slowburn. I like to be able to spend lots of time with the characters and really get to fall in love with their dynamic.
I don’t usually like when a lot of kissing or sexual activity happens before it really gets to that emotional intimacy level. even if the characters aren’t together yet.
(For example, I recently read Happy Place by Emily Henry and I absolutely LOVED it. it’s an all time favorite now. that one had flashbacks to when our main couple first met each other and we got that friendship foundation throughout the story and watched them fall in love)
any recommendations?
by CharmingAd7576