Book Couples Challenge day 12 and it’s another of my favorite tropes in romance today!

I have read many, many books with this trope. Sometimes it’s about recent friends suddenly falling in love but my favorite will always be childhood friends becoming lovers. I have read tons of books around this trope and they rarely disappointed. Here is only a SMALL part of the books I loved 😀

Addicted? Who me? Noooo LOL

One of the first books I’ve read with this trope is a famous one:

Amber and Liam in The Boy Who Sneaks in My Bedroom Window by Kirsty Moseley (I know the title is a mouthful!)

 

Synopsis

Amber Walker and her older brother, Jake, have an abusive father. One night her brother’s best friend, Liam, sees her crying and climbs through her bedroom window to comfort her. That one action sparks a love/hate relationship that spans over the next eight years. Liam is now a confident, flirty player who has never had a girlfriend before. Amber is still emotionally scarred from the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father. Together they make an unlikely pair. Their relationship has always been a rocky one, but what happens when Amber starts to view her brother’s best friend a little differently? And how will her brother, who has always been a little overprotective, react when he finds out that the pair are growing closer? Find out in The Boy Who Sneaks In My Bedroom Window.

 

Favorite quote:

“She was the only thing I needed. If everything else went away tomorrow, the big house, all the cars, the money, I wouldn’t care. As long as I still got to hold her every night, I would still be the luckiest guy in the world.”
― Kirsty Moseley, The Boy Who Sneaks in My Bedroom Window
 
 
 
 
 
Sky and Dean in Hopeless by Coleen Hoover
 
Synopsis:

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

 
Favorite quote:
 
“Sky, I’m not kissing you tonight but believe me when I tell you, I’ve never wanted to kiss a girl more. So stop thinking I’m not attracted to you because you have no idea just how much I am. You can hold my hand, you can run your fingers through my hair, you can straddle me while I feed you spaghetti, but you are not getting kissed tonight. And probably not tomorrow, either. I need this. I need to know for sure that you’re feeling every single thing that I’m feeling the moment my lips touch yours. Because I want your first kiss to be the best first kiss in the history of first kisses.”
― Colleen Hoover, Hopeless
 
 
 
 
 
Aimee and Kes in The Traveling Man by Jane Harvey-Berrick
 
Excerpt of what I wrote about this story:
 
“This book is simply gorgeous and reminded me of these other stories I loved like “The Sweetgum Tree”, “The Mason List” and “Running Barefoot”. All are wonderful stories with writing so good you taste and feel what the characters experience.
I love when authors have that magic wand and make me feel every sensory experience the characters live. I love when they can make us see the world through children’s eyes, with all the wonder, magic, awe and expectations. That’s what this book did or me.
It’s a story of childhood friends becoming lovers. Aimee and Kestrel love was beautiful. It was complicated but so worth it.
It made me think about prejudice and misconception. I must admit I’ll never see the carnies the same way. Aimee was a lovely character, she was courageous and dared fight for her dream. She never shared her parent’s beliefs of “trailer trash”, “thieves”… she saw the magic of the fair, the kinship and “her” Kestrel.
Kestrel was complicated, proud, savage like a wild animal, never to be contained. He loved fiercely but could not say it. His pride and resentment made him make some bad moves but Aimee set him straight, telling him he did wrong. She would help him, admire him and cover for his “flaw” all along, patiently and lovingly.They are worlds apart but together, they make sense. Together, they are beautiful.

“

 
Favorite quote:
 
“Do you know what I dream about? My dream would be to die looking at the lights on the Ferris wheel. When I get old, when my body has given up, that’s what I want to see. And in that dream, you’re standing next to me.”
― Jane Harvey-Berrick, The Traveling Man
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tyler and Dean in Deviant by Jaimie Roberts
 
 
I loved how Dean was protective of Tyler when she was young! And how twisted their story became later. Mysterious, sexy and heartbreaking story!
 
Here is a very short excerpt of what I wrote about their relationship:
 
“Through Tyler’s memories, we see Dean, two years older being her friend and protector. He waited for Tyler to turn sixteen before their first kiss. He knew he would have a hard time stopping at kissing and wanted to do things properly.
But they did not get the chance to go further as Dean had to disappear with the promise to come back for her. He never did.”
 
Favorite quote:
 
I’d always be watching her. And she knew now that she belonged to me. Every breath she took, every step she made, every smile she faked, I’d always be there, watching her, waiting for her.”
― Jaimie Roberts, Deviant
 
 
 
 
 
Julian and Elisa in The Wright Brother from Marie Hall
 
 
I loved this story even better as the hero was “different”. It was super cute and emotional!
 
 
Excerpt of what I wrote about this story:
 
“Julian is strong and fragile in his unwavering love for Elisa. He is hot but he also is the “handicapped” kid. He touched me deeply as I have a soft spot for flawed heroes.
What I did love was his determination to have a normal life. He never let his difference get in his way. He had a goal in life and worked hard to attain it.Elisa is fierce when it comes to Julian. She hates when other kids mock him. She is brave and would risk her life to protect Julian. But she also is frightened by her feelings and does not want to face them at first. She runs, turns her back on him.

I like when characters are in shades of grey and come with flaws, like everybody does.”

 
 
Favorite quote:
 
“You’re imprinted all over me. I see my life and you’re always there. When you were born, when you moved away, and my world became nothing but shades of gray. Then you came back, and I didn’t understand then like I do now why I suddenly came back to life. The first night we kissed, the first night we made love.”
― Marie Hall, The Wright Brother
 
 
 
 
 
Kyland and Tenleigh in Kyland by Mia Sheridan
 
 
This is my second favorite of Mia Sheridan, just after Archer’s Voice so far.
 
 
Here is an excerpt of what I wrote about their relationship with quotes intertwined:
 

“Kyland was so many things: deeply lonely, kind, beautiful and always selfless. He did not think he was worth much and wanted Tenleigh to have so much more than he could give her. Tenleigh had to open his eyes and push him many times. He was so worthy and did not even know it. ” It’s okay to want something for yourself sometimes. It’s okay to want me.

 

”You make the darkness go away. You bring me some kind of peace. I don’t know what to do with it. “
“Take it Ky. You deserve some peace. Let me give it to you.”
“And what do I give to you , sweet Tenleigh?” He whispered sounding broken. “What can I possibly give to you?”
I thought about it for a second. “You help me believe”. “In what?”. “In goodness, in strength”.

 

So Kyland did not want to hurt Tenleigh but she was strong and would prefer hurt than feel nothing at all.

”I think that when enough time has passed, when you’ve survived that which you didn’t imagine you could, there’s dignity in that. Something you can own. A pride in knowing the pain made you stronger. The pain made you fight to succeed. Someday, when I’m living my dreams, I’m going to think of all the things that broke my heart and I’m going to be thankful for them.”

 

And suffer, they both will. What Kyland did was so foolish and yet so admirable, I did not know if I wanted to slap him or hug him. But what he did, he did it for Tenleigh: “Because I wanted more for you”.

 
 
 
 
 

Alex and Jess in The Mason List by S.D. Hendrickson

 
 
First you have to know that this book was 2015 Goodreads Choice Award Semi-Finalist: Best Debut Author for The Mason List !
I really fell in love with this book that was recommended by a very dear Goodreads friend.
 
Here is a very small excerpt of what I wrote about their story:
 

“It would be too simplistic to reduce it to a childhood sweethearts love story. This is so much more. This book is poignant, enthralling, beautiful and thrilling. This is your ticket for a sleepless night. And the day after you’ll feel drunk and high on emotions (you’ll also have eyes like dead fish from the crying but it’s so worth it!).

It took me by surprise and I fell in love with Alex and Jess love story. I was overwhelmed by so many feelings, a kaleidoscope of emotions.

(…)
So now I’m awestruck. And I know this is one of these stories that will linger in my mind for a long time. I’ll recall all these words and sentences with great fondness with the same feeling I would have for an old friend.
 
 
My favorite quote:
 
” Sometimes we don’t have concrete facts and answers. Sometimes all we have is faith and hope and you just have to trust it.”
 
 
 
 
And today my winners are…
 
 
Mallory and Ryder in The Problem With Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout
 
 
 
I’ve recently read this book and it will have a place on my best 2017 books.
 
Here is a small excerpt of what I wrote about them with quote included:
 
Ryder…Ryder will make you melt on the spot and swoon. I love protective heroes and Ryder was like a day trip in Heaven. He was so sweet with his Mouse, so patient, so supportive. I can’t find a bad word to say about him. I wish my daughter to find her Ryder.
When you’ll read about how he protected and cared for Mallory when they were young you’ll fall for him too.He would always read her The Velveteen Rabbit when she was sad of frightened. Time and again the same story even if it made her cry. Because the rabbit was Mallory… but it was Ryder too.

“It was sad.” “The rabbit becomes real in the end. I don’t know how many times I explained that to you”. “But he was old and shabby and …All the rabbit wanted… was to be real and loved.”

Goodreads -> https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26721568-the-problem-with-forever

 

Amazon -> http://amzn.to/2hohKUW

 

Have you read these books? Who is your favorite “friends to lovers” couple?

 

Thanks for reading!

 
 
 
 
 

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6 Comments

    1. Hi Rebecca they are totally different genres indeed! I loved Deviant it’s my favorite by Jaimie so far 😉

      Reply

    1. Oh Trisy it’s a “classic” 🙂 I mean so many of my friends on GR have read it! I loved this story it had a “little something something” that hooked me up right from the start!

      Reply