Once there were two people, Jack and Jill, who were running partners. They would meet every morning at the park. As they ran side by side, they started sharing their dreams and fears. One day, after a particularly beautiful sunrise run, Jack looked at Jill and suddenly realized he had fallen in love with her. He took her hand and told her how he felt. Jill felt the same way, and from that day on, their running sessions also became dates.
One great 'best friends turned lovers' novel is 'The Hating Game' by Sally Thorne. It's a really fun read with two coworkers who start as rivals but were actually friends in a way before, and then their relationship evolves into love. Another is 'Fangirl' by Rainbow Rowell. The main character has a best friend, and their relationship gradually shifts towards a more romantic one. It also deals with themes of growing up and finding your place in the world.
There's 'Outlander' by Diana Gabaldon. Claire and Jamie start off on a rather difficult footing. Claire is a time - traveler from the 20th century and Jamie is a Scottish Highlander in the 18th century. Their different backgrounds and initial misunderstandings create a sense of enmity, but soon enough, a passionate love story unfolds.
One great example is Ross and Rachel from 'Friends'. They were friends for a long time, sharing all kinds of experiences. There were ups and downs in their relationship as they transitioned from friends to lovers. Another is Lily and Marshall from the same show. They were friends since college and gradually realized their love for each other. Their story is filled with cute moments and mutual understanding.
A wonderful 'friends turned lovers' romance novel is 'Roomies' by Christina Lauren. It's about a girl who needs to get married quickly for visa reasons and her friend who offers to marry her. As they go through the process, their friendship transforms into love. 'The Kiss Quotient' by Helen Hoang also has some elements of this. The main character hires a male escort, who becomes her friend first and then they fall in love. Additionally, 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen can be considered in this category. Elizabeth and Darcy start off as not really liking each other but they have a sort of underlying connection due to their social circles, and over time their relationship changes from a rather antagonistic one to a loving one which started from a form of friendship.
One such story is Harry and Sally from the movie 'When Harry Met Sally'. They were friends for years, constantly bickering but also sharing a deep connection. Eventually, they realized their feelings had changed into love. Another is Chandler and Monica from 'Friends'. They had been friends in the group for a long time before their relationship evolved into a romantic one.
One common theme is the power of forgiveness. Since they start as enemies, they have to forgive past wrongs or misunderstandings. For example, in 'Pride and Prejudice', Elizabeth has to forgive Darcy for his initial prideful behavior. Another theme is self - discovery. Through their relationship with their former enemy, the characters often learn more about themselves. Also, the theme of overcoming differences is crucial. They usually come from different backgrounds or have different beliefs, like in 'Outlander' where Claire is from the 20th century and Jamie from the 18th century, and they have to bridge those gaps to fall in love.
The ability to let go of the past romantically is important. If they keep dwelling on the romantic aspect of their past relationship, it will be hard to be just friends. Accepting that the romantic chapter is closed and focusing on building a new platonic relationship is necessary. Also, having a common goal or interest can help. Maybe they both care about a certain charity or they have the same group of friends, which gives them a reason to interact in a friendly way.
A prevalent theme is the breaking down of barriers. These could be social, cultural or just personal barriers. In 'Wuthering Heights', Heathcliff and Catherine face social class differences and family feuds as barriers. Another theme is the idea of transformation. The characters usually transform from being bitter enemies to loving partners. In 'You've Got Mail', Kathleen and Joe transform from rivals to lovers as they get to know each other better.
One common theme is the slow - burn. Since they start as friends, the transition to lovers doesn't happen overnight. There's often a lot of hesitation and 'will they or won't they' moments. Another theme is the discovery of new aspects of the friend. When the relationship shifts, they start to see each other in a different light, like noticing physical or emotional qualities they overlooked before. And there's also the theme of the fear of ruining the friendship. They worry that if the romantic relationship doesn't work out, they'll lose the precious friendship they had.