There’s a reason relationship experts will tell you to marry your best friend. When a pair of close friends move toward becoming a couple, you know that their attraction is rooted in a deep sense of care. No insta-love to be found here! Read on for some of our favorite examples of friends who realize that there might be another, more romantic element to their connection.

16 Friends to Lovers Romances That Will Make Your Heart Swoon

1. The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch

Sky is determined to ask his crush, Ali Rashid, to prom, even though he’s not sure whether Ali is into guys. Might as well shoot his shot, right? But when Sky’s plans get leaked to the school in a cyberbullying attack, he and his friends (and Ali!) band together to show the bullies that homophobia has no place in their small town. Ali is interested in someone else, but one of Sky’s friends might be interested in him. It’s delightful to pick up on the clues even while Sky remains completely clueless.

2. What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter

Halle dreams of becoming a YA book publicist, so she creates an online persona, Kels, who pairs books with cupcakes decorated to match their covers. Years of hard work have led to a sizable social media following and a few great internet friends. Halle finds online friendship to be easier, because Kels is cool and funny and has the power of the backspace key to make sure she says the right thing. She’s miles away from Halle’s social awkwardness IRL. Her best online friend is Nash, a boy for whom she might have more than friendly feelings. So when she moves to a new town and randomly runs into Nash (!!!), she finds herself in a love triangle with only two people. Halle likes Nash, but Nash likes Kels, who is secretly Halle. Hilarity—and more sweetness than a cupcake!—ensue.

3. When We Were Infinite by Kelly Loy Gilbert

The best thing in Beth’s life is her tight-knit group of friends: Sunny, Brandon, Grace, and Jason. The only secret Beth has never told them is that she is desperately in love with Jason. He’s super smart, a dazzling violinist, and well-liked. But everything gets more complicated when she witnesses an act of domestic violence against him, and she realizes that he’s been suffering in ways he’s never shared with anyone. Beth has to figure out the best way to be there for him, even as she’s haunted by her own family struggles and her fears about the future. Beth, Jason, and the others are all such fully-realized characters, and while this potential romance is infused with lots of sadness, their strong friendship will keep you hopeful.

4. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Ari meets Dante at an El Paso pool in the summer of 1987. Dante offers to teach Ari how to swim, which leads to an instant friendship for this unlikely pair. Both feel like outsiders for different reasons, but one unspoken factor in their easy connection is their shared grappling with their sexuality. A slow burn that advances in long conversations and deep introspection will keep the pages turning as you cheer for the two of them to find themselves . . . and maybe find romance with each other. If you’re moved by author Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s poetic, spare prose in this multi-award-winning masterpiece, keep an eye out for the sequel, Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World—coming October 2021!

5. Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett

Zorie and Lennon were childhood best friends, and the other kids in school always joked that they were secretly dating. Which didn’t stop them from secretly dating in what they called the Great Experiment. But the Great Experiment ended with tears at homecoming, and since then, Zorie hasn’t wanted anything to do with him. She describes his all-black macabre aesthetic as “if an evil anime character sprang to life.” He’s the last person she would want to get lost in the woods with. Unluckily for her, she’s going to have to problem solve her way back to civilization with him, all while struggling to ignore their chemistry, which is just as strong as ever. For all my fellow fans of friends-to-enemies-to-lovers, this one’s for you.

6. The Lucky List by Rachael Lippincott

Emily and Blake were childhood buddies who got into such hijinks as lighting sparklers inside and leaving scorch marks on the living room floor. But Blake moved to Hawaii in second grade, and they don’t see each other again until Blake moves back to town and crashes community bingo night. She also crashes Emily’s brain, because she is distressingly gorgeous. Emily is trying to repair her floundering relationship with her ex-boyfriend, the guy who earned her late mother’s stamp of approval, but she just clicks with Blake in a way she and her ex never did. As she and Blake embark on a summer of adventure, she might just find the courage to tell Blake how she really feels.

7. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

If you like friends-to-lovers but miss the drama of forbidden romance, might I interest you in Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn? They grew up together and helped each other survive trauma, and their deep bond led them to choosing each other as parabatai. But when they start developing romantic feelings for each other, they are devastated to learn that a romance between two bonded parabatai is not only a taboo but actively dangerous. Can they settle for staying the fiercest of friends? Or will they risk everything to be together?

8. Keep My Heart in San Francisco by Amelia Diane Coombs

Caroline “Chuck” Wilson’s family has owned their bowling alley for generations, but they haven’t been making ends meet for a while. Along with the financial stress, Chuck is suffering from a best friend breakup with Beckett, a guy with perfect hair, chill vibes, and charm for days. The two of them had been best friends since third grade, but Becket told a secret that wasn’t his to tell and Chuck doesn’t trust him anymore. Now she’s trying her hardest to forget about her secret crush. But when Beckett comes to her with a plot to save her family’s bowling alley she finds it impossible to refuse. And the more time they spend together, the more she wonders whether he might earn her trust back after all. Another great showing for friends-to-enemies-to-lovers!

9. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

Peter was Lara Jean’s first crush and first kiss, but this all happened years ago when they were just kids. She dealt with it like she dealt with every other unattainable crush: she wrote him a love letter, never sent it, and got over him. But when Lara Jean’s forgotten love letters get sent to all of her old crushes without her permission, Peter agrees to a fake dating arrangement until the awkwardness blows over. But the years haven’t diminished their natural chemistry at all, and Lara Jean soon finds herself falling for him all over again—which is decidedly against the rules of the fake dating contract. Stick around for the sequel, P.S. I Still Love You, in which yet another childhood friend comes back into Lara Jean’s life.

10. Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett

Who says you can’t have friends-to-lovers and the brooding bad boy love interest in one story? Not Jenn Bennett, that’s for sure! When Josie and her mom move back to the town she grew up in, Josie barely recognizes her childhood best friend. Now he wears all black, rides a motorcycle, and has a smoky voice and a breathtaking smile that make Josie reconsider everything she thought she knew about him. But he’s unwelcoming to her until, out of nowhere, he covers for her after a poorly executed act of revenge lands Josie in trouble. Maybe this rebel boy has a secret heart of gold? But for now, as his fellow bookshop employee says about him, “he just reads and sulks.” Honestly? Been there.

11. When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey

When Alexis accidentally kills her prom date with witchcraft gone wrong, her coven has her back through the horrific aftermath. But it is with fellow witch Roya that Alexis is able to be most vulnerable and finds the deepest comfort. Alexis and Roya embody that tender, unsure period when you’re having new feelings about your friend, but you aren’t sure whether they’re returned. Every little gesture becomes the source of immense secret joy and also something you can never think about because they’re your friend and you don’t want to make it weird.

12. She’s the Worst by Lauren Spieller

April has been friends with Nate since they were kids and her family moved in next door. Nate is always coming into the kitchen through the back door, and April feels totally comfortable around him. Sure, it’s weird how much Nate complains that the guy she’s talking to is such a bro, but she doesn’t think much of it. But when her tense relationship with her strait-laced older sister ratchets up, the bro can’t be there for her like Nate can. Maybe the guy she’s looking for has been here the whole time.

13. Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

Bailey is a self-proclaimed evader. She’ll do anything to avoid confrontation and awkward situations, and she prefers to scope out a situation before throwing herself into it. So when she moves across to the country to the same California town as Alex, the guy she’s been messaging on an app for film buffs, she fantasizes about finding him in real life and wonders whether he would measure up to her expectations. But when she starts falling for charming surfer guy Porter, she can’t decide where her heart truly lies: in her steady but distanced friendship with Alex, or her in-person complicated friendship with Porter?

14. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Belly lives for the summers she spends at the beach house. The only thing better than the ocean is staying next door to Conrad and Jeremiah, two brothers who have been her friends since birth. She’s had feelings for brooding Conrad for as long as she can remember, but he’s never returned her affections. But this summer, they’re all a year older and their relationships feel different. Even easygoing Jeremiah is catching her eye in a way he hasn’t before. Full of transportive descriptions of a beach getaway and young love, this is the perfect breezy summer read.

15. Slayer by Kiersten White

Nina and Leo had an amazing Buffyverse meet-cute: when they were kids, he saved her from a murderous vampire. She couldn’t help but fall in love with him. But now she hasn’t seen him in three years, isn’t sure he’s alive, and their last interaction involved someone reading her secret love poems to him. She can’t think about it without feeling mortified. So when Leo unexpectedly comes back into her life, she hopes he’s forgotten all about that. And there’s no way him swearing an oath to protect her as her Watcher will reawaken anything in either of them . . . right?

16. Wings of Ebony by J. Elle

Full disclosure: Wings of Ebony has two potential love interests, and we’ll see how things shake out when the story continues in the second book. But one of them is Julius, Rue’s first and ex-boyfriend, a guy from her neighborhood, now a friend and ally in saving Rue from wicked magic-wielders. If Julius comes through as Rue’s endgame in this series, the author will have pulled off the elusive combination of friends-to-lovers with a second chance romance twist. All friends-to-lovers fans, this is your call to declare yourselves #TeamJulius.

Looking for more? Check out these epic enemies to lovers romances!

When a story takes place over the course of 24 hours (or fewer!), you know that every single moment is going to be important. Even though quarantine means more of us than ever are relating to Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day, we don’t mind these one-day books repeating in our hearts forever.

Books That Take Place Over 24 Hours

1. We Are the Wildcats by Siobhan Vivian

The Wildcats hockey team has a tradition. Every year, on the night before their first big game, they host an epic sleepover, sneak out after dark, and get up to good-natured mischief that strengthens their bonds as a team. But this year’s night of shenanigans is different. Several players are coming to separate realizations that their charismatic coach might not be treating them fairly, and when the events of the night reveal their shared simmering distrust, they have until morning to do something about it—as a team.

2. Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Rowan and Neil have spent their entire high school careers competing against each other. So when Neil beats her out for valedictorian, Rowan has one last chance to go out on a win. A ruthless, all-night scavenger hunt around Seattle will crown one senior class victor, and Rowan is determined that it will be her. Due to unforeseen and highly regrettable circumstances, Rowan soon agrees to team up with Neil until they’re the last players left. But the more time they spend together, the more Rowan realizes that the two of them have a lot in common. Maybe Neil could be more than a rival after all.

3. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Forget 24 hours—this novel in verse takes place during a 60-second elevator ride. Will gets on the elevator at the seventh floor with a gun tucked into his waistband. When he gets to the bottom, he plans to shoot the guy who murdered his brother. But at each stop, someone connected to his brother gets on and tells Will a piece of a bigger story. The cycle of revenge will be doomed to repeat again, over and over, unless Will changes his plans before he reaches the ground floor.

4. This Lie Will Kill You by Chelsea Pitcher

Five teens are summoned to a spooky old mansion. The lure? A cash prize for participating in an innocent game. The truth? Revenge. Someone is very angry about the part they all played in the death of a classmate last summer, and they mean to scare out the confessions they so desperately need to hear. But as the terror escalates, the five teens fight to live through the night—even as they start to doubt each other.

5. A Complicated Love Story Set in Space by Shaun David Hutchinson

Okay, this one is cheating. It takes place over the course of many days. HOWEVER. There is a collection of chapters in the middle of the book in which Noa, our protagonist trapped on a space station with no idea how he got there—gets stuck in a time loop. He must replay over and over the day a sweet boy plans a surprise picnic date for him. The first time this happened, he panicked and bailed. But the time loop gives him the chance to replay those 24 hours over and over and see what happens if he makes another choice.

Looking for more? Check out these standalone novels you can read in one sitting!

If you’ve read Neal Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe series, you know that it is truly unforgettable. In the future he’s imagined, all diseases can be cured, all injuries can be healed, and even old age can be reversed. Death is no longer inevitable, but must be inflicted by Scythes to keep the population under control. These books combine so many fascinating genres (speculative fiction, dystopian, horror, political thriller, high-stakes action/adventure), and they leave you desperate for more. Here are some places to start!

Series to Read if You Love Neal Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe

1. The Skinjacker trilogy by Neal Shusterman

Before Neal Shusterman wrote Arc of the Scythe, he gave us the Skinjacker trilogy, and it won’t surprise you to know that it also has a lot to do with death. In the Skinjacker trilogy, kids who die linger in Everlost, a limbo made up of all of the things and places that no longer exist in the living world. It’s a magical, dangerous place where bands of lost kids run wild. If you were intrigued by Neal Shusterman’s speculative takes on life and death in Arc of a Scythe, you’ll love to see the beginnings of those ideas here.

2. The Program series by Suzanne Young

In Arc of a Scythe, no amount of self-inflicted harm can kill a person. In fact, “splatting” is a fun hobby for thrill seekers. But in The Program series, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the dystopian solutions are potentially even more threatening to humanity as we know it. If discussions about how we process life and death appeal to you, The Program should be your next read.

3. The Diabolic trilogy by S. J. Kincaid

The Scythedom was always ruled by twisty politics, and it reminds us of the brutal court politics in The Diabolic Trilogy. This series follows Nemesis, a bodyguard created to protect the daughter of a galactic senator, as she takes the place of her charge in a court filled with schemers and liars, trying desperately to keep her identity a secret. It’s Red Queen meets The Hunger Games in a fast-paced series you won’t be able to put down.

4. Girls with Sharp Sticks series by Suzanne Young

Arc of a Scythe is all about imagining what it would be like to live under totally outlandish social rules that begin to feel normal. In the Girls with Sharp Sticks trilogy, Westworld meets The Handmaid’s Tale when the girls at a boarding school begin to realize that there is more to their strict environment than meets the eye. And once the dark secrets are revealed, the girls must learn to fight back. Read the first two books now to get ready for the finale, GIRLS WITH REBEL SOULS, in March 2021!

5. Liars series by Jack Heath

If Arc of a Scythe’s high-stakes action scenes thrilled you, the Liars series will be the perfect next step. When Jarli builds an app that listens in on your conversations and tells you when someone is lying, he becomes an overnight sensation. But fame can be dangerous, especially when you’re in the business of exposing deep, dark secrets.

6. The Mara Dyer trilogy by Michelle Hodkin

Since Arc of a Scythe is all about life and death, it has an inherent spookiness to it. If that was your favorite part, you should check out the Mara Dyer series, which amps up the eerie and also the romance. Mara can’t remember the night her friends died. All she knows is that the abandoned asylum collapsed and she was the only survivor. But now she’s seeing things that can’t possibly be real, and a boy at school seems to know more about her past than she does.

7. This Mortal Coil series by Emily Suvada

Speculative fiction can get too real sometimes—or just real enough. Cat is a gifted gene-hacker, and when her brilliant geneticist father is kidnapped, it is up to her to hack the vaccine he was working on, end a terrible plague, and save humanity. But everyone around her has an agenda, and Cat will have to decide whom to trust when even her own integrity is suspect. This near-future world that has been twisted by one small change will appeal to readers who love the speculative elements of Arc of a Scythe with plenty of action on the side.

8. Rot & Ruin series by Jonathan Maberry

The Rot & Ruin series is another great pick for anyone who appreciated the speculative/horror/adventure combination from Arc of a Scythe. Benny trains as a zombie killer with his big brother, and killing the undead may—somehow—lead to discovering what it means to be human.

Looking for more? Check out these completed YA series that you can start right now!

Still looking for that perfect LGBTQIA+ book to read next? We’ll we’re here to help! Take our quiz and find out what book you should dive into (or add to your TBR)!

I can’t resist a personality test. Zodiac, Myers-Briggs, Hogwarts house—I’ve thought about them way too much, and I have long answers about where I fit in each one and why. But one test stands out from the others: the Enneagram. There are a few reasons for this.

1. Yes, you can take a test, but ultimately you choose which type best describes you.
2. It’s expansive! There are nine types, three subtypes for each, and two possible wings for each.
3. It can be genuinely helpful in understanding where other people are coming from.

Hey, I’m a Six. I find good systems to be very comforting.

If you know your Enneagram type, read on to find a book rec perfectly tailored to you! If you’re still mystified by all these numbers, these books will help you find your best fit.

What Books Your Enneagram Type is Telling You to Read Next

To figure out your Enneagram type you can find more info here or click here to take the test.

1. Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

Type 1: The Reformer

Ones are total perfectionists with a strong sense of right and wrong. But they can be rigid in their views, and their drive for perfection can overwhelm them.

Stella from Five Feet Apart craves control. Her cystic fibrosis means that there’s a huge part of her life that she can’t control at all, but she’s determined to try anyway. She meticulously organizes her pills and follows the doctors’ instructions to the letter. Will, the handsome CF patient down the hall, doesn’t have this same drive, and Stella can’t stand the fact that he isn’t taking care of himself as well as he should. She intervenes, and their connection is more than she bargained for.

2. The Boy and Girl Who Broke the World by Amy Reed

Type 2: The Helper

Twos are generous, compassionate souls who feel driven to take care of everyone around them, but when they go too far, they can forget to take care of themselves or start to feel that they are owed for their kindness.

Billy Sloat in The Boy and Girl Who Broke the World is an incredibly sensitive, caring person who feels the need to look after all of the dysfunctional people in his life, because they sure aren’t going to do it for themselves. He rubs the feet of his neglectful aunt, brings endless supplies to his rock star uncle hiding out in the attic, and pulls off a life-changing anonymous act of kindness for his new—and only—friend. As much as we love Billy’s sweetness, we cheer for those moments when he draws boundaries with people who would take advantage of him.

3. The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Type 3: The Achiever

Threes are high-achievers with tons of ambition, and their charisma means that they have no shortage of friends and admirers. But they can get too caught up in their work and their image and forget to take time to smell the roses.

Andie from The Unexpected Everything is the daughter of a politician, so her whole life has been lived in the spotlight. Over the summer, she’s planning to attend a prestigious youth program at Johns Hopkins University, because she already knows she wants to be pre-med in college. Although she has had a string of short-term boyfriends, she’s reserving her heart for someone with equally high ambitions. But when her summer plans fall through, Andie is suddenly staring down a lot of quality time with her dad and a gig as a dog-walker. It’s quite the challenge for a Three, but it might be exactly what Andie needs to find balance.

4. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Type 4: The Individualist

Fours are sensitive, expressive, and creative, and they perceive themselves to be different from most people. While this means that they are very in touch with their own emotions, however dark, it also means that they have to avoid becoming self-absorbed and/or developing a victim mindset.

Jace Wayland from Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunters series thinks of himself as the best Shadowhunter who ever lived, yet also experiences a profound self-doubt. Dramatic and passionate, he’s a soul in constant torment, and this is the epitome of the Four profile.

5. SLAY by Brittney Morris

Type 5: The Investigator

Fives are insightful, curious, and highly capable. As collectors of knowledge, they often have one or more areas of deep expertise. Their ideas can be bold, visionary, and even revolutionary. Others might perceive them as a little eccentric, and they run the risk of detaching from reality and retreating to their fascinating inner worlds.

Kiera from SLAY is intensely passionate and knowledgeable about Black culture. She designs an immersive video game world that is Black Panther meets World of Warcraft, in which Black gamers can have meaningful interactions with each other. Even more impressive, Kiera runs the game out of her bedroom in her spare time. Externalizing her detailed inner world and sharing it with others who validate her vision from afar is very rewarding for a Five.

6. Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Type 6: The Loyalist

Sixes are loyal to people, communities, and ideas that give their lives structure and purpose. That purpose can be traditional, revolutionary, or somewhere in between. They crave security and support, and they are great at bringing people together. While their tendency to question everything allows them to spot problems before they arise, they can also spin an issue around in their minds until it leads to insecurity and undue suspicion.

Citra from the Arc of a Scythe trilogy get wrapped up in an extreme social structure when she is recruited to become a scythe. In a world without natural death, it will be her responsibility to kill a certain number of people each year. When the system makes sense to her, Citra follows it. But when a cadre of sinister scythes rise to power, Citra is quick to speak out against them and gather a force to oppose them.

7. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

Type 7: The Enthusiast

Sevens are spontaneous, fun-loving, optimistic, and always enthusiastic about something new. They are a joy to be around, and they attract plenty of admirers. But they can overextend themselves and become scattered if they don’t remember to take a moment every now and then to sit still, which does not come naturally to a playful and impulsive Seven.

Peter Kavinsky from the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy is always confident, a big jokester, and likes to do fun things at the spur of a moment. He’s open-minded and likes to try new things—even movies that Lara Jean picks that he wouldn’t have considered himself.

8. The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed

Type 8: The Challenger

Eights are assertive, confident, and protective of those they care about. They carry themselves with strength and authority, and they make natural and decisive leaders. In times of stress, they can struggle with anger issues, and they hate feeling disempowered.

Rosa from The Nowhere Girls papers the walls of her bedroom with posters of snarling, swaggering punk women whom she idolizes. She dreams of moving out of her small town and fronting a punk band of her own. But when her classmate is sexually assaulted, then shamed into moving away, Rosa is enraged by the injustice. She teams up with two similarly fed up classmates to change their school’s toxic culture.

9. Save the Date by Morgan Matson

Type 9: The Peacemaker

Nines are peaceful, accepting, and easygoing. They often find themselves playing the diplomat, helping to find common ground and avoid confrontations. However, their deep-seated discomfort with conflict leads them to numb themselves to negative feelings, and if held in too long, they can burst out all at once.

Charlie from Save the Date is preparing to be a bridesmaid in her sister’s wedding. She’s gotten into a prestigious college program, but instead she thinks she might enroll in the local college where her dad teaches. The wedding means that all of her siblings will reunite for the first time in a while, and her heart fills with joy at the thought of them spending time together. When the family receives news of a last-minute change of plans, Charlie doesn’t freak out. She just grabs another donut and assures everyone that it’ll be fine.

Looking for more? Check out what books you should read based on your Myers-Briggs personality type!

Classics are great, but each time an author comes out with a clever retelling that’s set in a new world or in modern day I have to read it. So if you are a fan of the classics with a clever YA twist then take this quiz to find out which retelling you should read next!

Looking for more? Check out these YA books with unique legends!