What are some popular 'the friend zone romance novels'?

A prevalent theme is the power of friendship as a foundation for love. In many 'friend zone romance novels', the strong friendship between the characters is what eventually makes their romantic relationship so special. For instance, in 'Anna and the French Kiss', Anna and Étienne's friendship grew into something more. Another theme is the fear of ruining the friendship. Characters are often hesitant to take the relationship to the next level because they don't want to lose the friendship they already have.

Sure. 'Anna and the French Kiss' by Stephanie Perkins is a good one. The protagonist, Anna, befriends a guy in Paris and they are in the friend zone for a while before their relationship turns romantic. It has a great setting and charming characters. Also, 'Attachments' by Rainbow Rowell is about a guy who reads the emails of two female coworkers. One of the women is in a friendship with a man that slowly develops into more. It's a really sweet story.

One of the worst friend zone stories I've heard was about a guy who had been friends with a girl since childhood. He was secretly in love with her all along. He would do everything for her, from helping with her schoolwork to being there when she had a bad day. But when he finally gathered the courage to tell her how he felt, she just said she saw him as a brother. It was really tough for him as he had invested so much time and emotion into the relationship, only to be stuck in the friend zone.

Another great example is 'The Summer I Turned Pretty'. Belly has grown up with two brothers who are her childhood friends. As she gets older, her feelings for one of them turn into a deep, complex love that unfolds during their summers together at the beach house. It's a story full of first love, family, and growing up.

One 'friend zone horror story' could be when a person is constantly there for their friend, doing all kinds of favors and being super supportive. But when they finally confess their romantic feelings, the friend completely shuts them down and then starts avoiding them as if they were a stranger. It's like all that friendship was just a pretense.

There was this situation where a girl was in the friend zone with a guy she really liked. She would often do nice things for him like cook meals and help with his work. But when she hinted at more than friendship, he got really angry and accused her of trying to ruin their friendship, and then started distancing himself from her.

One friend zone story is about Tom and Lily. They were really good friends. Tom had feelings for Lily but she only saw him as a friend. Tom tried to be more than friends by taking her on special dates, but Lily still didn't change her view. Eventually, Tom accepted it and they remained good friends.

One ultimate friend zone story is when a guy, Tom, was always there for his female friend, Lily. He'd bring her flowers, take her to movies, and listen to her problems. But when he finally confessed his love, Lily said she only saw him as a friend. Another story could be about a girl, Amy, who was best friends with a guy, Jack. Jack treated her like a princess, but she introduced him to her girlfriends because she didn't have romantic feelings for him.

Typically, they start with the two characters being friends. There's often a moment where one character realizes they have deeper feelings for the other. Then there's a period of confusion as the other character may not feel the same way immediately, like in 'The Hating Game' where they were friends but also rivals at work, and then the feelings gradually change.

Some old best friend romance novels worth mentioning are 'Jane Eyre'. Jane and Rochester's relationship has a progression from a rather strange acquaintance to a deep and passionate love. 'The Scarlet Letter' also has elements where Hester and Dimmesdale have a connection that could be related to an old acquaintance turned complex relationship. 'Great Expectations' features Pip and Estella, whose relationship has a long - standing and evolving nature that can be compared to an old best friend - like romance.