Romance in all its forms and genres tends to have recurring themes: Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, reforming the rake, etc. But one theme that I fully admit to loving is “Friends Turn to Lovers”. I suppose I like it for many reasons. One is that before we were married, my husband was my very best friend in the whole world and one little note admitting my feelings (we were in high school remember) changed the entire course of my life.

Aside from my own personal experience with the “friends turn to lovers” theme, I think I also like it because I enjoy stories where the characters have a history. I think it’s a little more realistic that two people could fall in love over a short period of time if they start out already acquainted with each other. I also think a couple with a good base of friendship has a much better chance of really living “happily ever after”.

But as much as I like these stories, I have never actually written one. Oh, I’ve written characters with history. Tristan and Meredith knew each other in From London With Love and Victoria and Justin were married with a very tumultuous past in Lessons From A Courtesan. In my Jess Michaels books, Ethan and Miranda were neighbors in Everything Forbidden. But I’ve never written true friends who come to realize that they feel something much deeper for each other.

Until now. You see, in my novella, “By Valentine’s Day” in the collection A Red Hot Valentine’s Day (available now from Avon Red) I finally got to explore that theme. My heroine, Charlotte Rosemont Kendrick and my hero, Colin Winchester have known each other since they were children. They played together, took sides with each other against her brother (the hero’s best friend) in games and generally created havoc all over the countryside.

Of course, like me, Charlotte eventually fell head over heels in love with her friend, only to be turned aside when she admitted her feelings. She married someone else and they remained friendly. But Colin has regretted his choice ever since and now a perfectly timed storm (and the fact that Charlotte is now a widow) has trapped them together. And what does Colin do?

Well, what any respectable erotic romance hero would do in his position. He ruthlessly seduces her, hoping that her body will open a gateway to the heart he once broke. Because Colin wants Charlotte and he wants her both body and soul.

The result is a story I’m enormously excited about. I hope it will be a Valentine’s Day treat for anyone who picks it up.

So, do you like friends turned to lovers? Do you have any favorite stories with that theme?