Romances That Ask The Question: Friend or Lover?

Sebastian’s written the ultimate queer friends-to-lovers hurt/comfort historical romance. Will Sedgwick knows his best friend, Martin Easterbrook, is in trouble when he doesn’t reply to his latest letter. It takes months, but when Will discovers Martin in an attic on death’s door, his every worry is confirmed. The only thing that will save his life is medicine and country air, so Will absconds from London with his friend. Living in the countryside together, Will and Martin begin to build a romance and a partnership that ultimately improves both their lives.

A puzzle-obsessed live streamer and a pop-culture media guru’s online friendship develops into in-person chemistry when the two pair up to build a romance anime-themed escape room. Regina Hobbs runs the media enterprise, Girls with Glasses, and deals with her insomnia by listening to her favorite streamer and online friend, Gustave Nguyen. When Gus is tapped to create an escape room based on a romance anime, there’s only one nerd to turn to. Reggie agrees, on the stipulation that he lend his voice as a sleep aid in exchange, and their romance develops from there.

When two best friends enter a marriage of convenience for health insurance, they both get more than they bargained for. Donovan knows his friendship with Eric will never be anything romantic given their incompatible sexualities, but Eric will always be his number one person in life. So, when Eric is injured, and Donovan learns he doesn’t have insurance, of course he offers his hand in marriage. Eric knows marriage and cohabitation with Donovan will temporarily solve a lot of his financial difficulties, so he agrees. But when Eric starts to fall for his husband romantically, all plans for an easy divorce go out the window. Now, Eric and Donovan will have to explore their new relationship.

Neelo expects to inherit their mother’s throne alone when she passes, but they never expected she would arrange their marriage to their best friend, Talhan, before she goes. Talin is an incredible, attractive, and generous fae warrior, and Neelo doesn’t want to trap him in wedlock. Talhan would love to be trapped by a brilliant scholarly ruler like Neelo; he just needs to convince them first. Wooing Neelo may be possible as the two grow closer while investigating a magical group…As long as it doesn’t destroy their kingdom before they have a chance to rule it together.

When a DC-area theater offers Derek a chance to direct the Vietnamese Cinderella rock musical of his dreams, he knows he has to get his college best friend on board. Zoe Tran is an accomplished demisexual plus-sized lingerie designer. She left her theatrical costume designer ambitions behind her in college, but when Derek appears asking her to design his show with an all-Asian cast and team, she can’t say no. With any luck, Derek will be able to accomplish his dreams, secure his friendship with Zoe, and explore the possibility of their romantic relationship, too.

It’s the Gilded Age, and Knickerbocker Harrison Archer’s back in New York to marry an heiress who can save his bankrupt, estranged family from ruin. Of course, Harrison goes to the best friend he wishes to marry for matchmaking help. He might be able to woo Maddie away from her engagement to a duke in the process. Maddie dedicated her life to tennis when her best friend left for Paris. Now that he’s back, she doesn’t quite know what to do with him. Especially as a newfound passion between them surfaces, threatening to ruin the life Maddie’s built in Harrison’s absence.

Best friends, music producer Cyn Tha Starr and strip club dancer Juleesa “Jucee” Jones, may love to flirt, but they have never crossed the line and hooked up. That is, until one night their easy friendship morphs into something decidedly non-platonic. Jucee has enough on her hands raising her son and working at the club without adding a potentially messy relationship with her best friend to the list. Cyn is focused on launching her music career, and she cannot risk losing Jucee’s friendship or inspiration. Now, Cyn and Jucee will need to go all in on love if they want to save their relationship.

Who wouldn’t fall for their hot best bro on a monster hunt? Certainly not Juniper O’Reilly and Mo Elmthorn, two best friends who’ve built a home, a farm, and a life together. They are mostly perfectly happy staying in their cottage without questing further afield. But when a bar fight goes wrong, Juniper is forced to volunteer for a monster hunt, and his competent, outdoorsy companion, Mo, agrees to go with him. Juniper and Mo’s quest forces them to confront some uncomfortable truths: the monster they’re hunting is a scared little girl, the questing heroes are not as good as they should be, and they have been in love with each other for years.

Making her debut into society is Beth’s only way to save her family from financial ruin, but she’s delighted to find a new best friend like Gwen. Already four seasons in, Gwen’s charm and flair brighten Beth’s world. It would be even better if she didn’t have to marry. So, when Gwen and Beth realize their single parents could marry and solve Beth’s problem, they begin to Parent Trap them. Over the course of their matchmaking hijinks, they start to realize they not only want to be friends but lovers, too, in this sapphic Victorian romance.

As a newly divorced forty-something bisexual man, Griff is excited and intimidated to try dating again. Luckily, he has the divorced men’s club to lead him on his dating journey, as well as his longtime best friend, Heath. But when Griff and Heath wake up in bed together after going out on the town, their platonic relationship shifts with their newfound attraction. At first, they agree to temporarily hook up, but with a relationship like theirs, playing at friends with benefits won’t last long. Heath and Griff are it for each other, even if it will take them some time to figure it out.

As a star chef, Evie is close to having everything she’s ever wanted when she falls during an industry party and forgets everything. With no one else to turn to, Evie’s assistant contacts her estranged family friends. Zach is one of the few faces Evie remembers, and hopefully, returning to the luxury dude ranch she grew up on will help her regain more of her memories. The last time Zach saw Evie, his love confession scared his best friend away for good. Zach won’t miss his second chance at the love of a lifetime, even if Evie can’t quite remember it.

Jackson and Sadia were best friends long before she was his brother’s wife and widow…Before he had to leave town to avoid charges for a crime he didn’t commit. He still loves her ten years later, but he knows she is off limits. When Jackson returns and offers to help her keep her café afloat in the wake of her husband’s death, Sadia can’t say no, and she can’t avoid the feelings she has for him. As Jackson and Sadia’s friendship develops into a hot romantic relationship, the two decide to risk it all for a love impossible to deny.

After the local paper publishes an incorrect obituary, two estranged high school best friends reunite. Molly and Karl stopped speaking after a misunderstanding broke their long-distance friendship. Molly made a life for herself as an audiobook narrator and got married and divorced in California, while Karl became a baker in his hometown. When Molly reads Karl’s obituary, she goes back to the town they met in, only to find him alive. Karl knows this is his only chance to convince Molly to date him, and maybe even stay by his side for good this time.