March 6: Why I Believe In Love by Jennie Adams

"Our Friendship: A two way road to a perfect love."

I couldn't find an original source for this quote, but as I sat down at my desk to write about the reasons I believe in love, I glanced as I often do at my whiteboard, and the snapshots of my husband, my children, our grumpy cat ‘with attitude', my two best girl friends, the cards and notes from the special people in my life. And I realized one of the biggest reasons I believe in love is because of the special and wonderful ways it has found me in the friendships I share.

Here in Australia we call a certain kind of friendship ‘mate-ship'. That's the kind of loving relationship I have with my two best girl friends. They would tell me the worst, like if I had dropped food on myself while we were out or developed a chin hair or was being too horrible for words. And if I rang them and said "I'm feeling blue, let's drive to the town an hour away for some special chocolate" they'd be ready to go in a flash.

Friendship comes in all shapes and sizes. Sons, daughters, siblings, parents. All those relationships show love in one form or another. Whenever I talk to my Dad we end up laughing about one thing or another. I love his take on life. It makes me feel safe in all the best ways. He's one of the most grounded people I know. That's a great loving friendship. I hope for the same with my own children, and we don't mind having some fun together, sneaking off for a Chinese meal here, a movie there, or talking into the night about anything and everything.

I think romantic friendship is one of the most wonderful forms of love of all. We probably all have favorite quotes from romantic books and movies, or favorite expressions or scenes or moments. There's a scene in the movie ‘Say Anything' starring John Cusack and Ione Skye where she's trying to tell him all the reasons she doesn't want to get too involved, only wants to be friends, and he notices she's looking around for milk to put in her coffee and without saying a word, he gets it for her. He notices little things about her, thinks about her needs, and it's really sweet.

One of my favorite written stories of romantic friendship comes from the Anne of Green Gables series by LM Montgomery. I really enjoyed the development from antagonism to friendship to love between Anne and Gilbert. Anne was a firecracker and the calmer more reserved Gilbert made a great match for her. One day there was a cautious friendship, eventually a real one tested by time and circumstances, and finally that friendship turned to the love of a lifetime.

Friendship is a great foundation for romantic love. Add a good dose of emotional conflict, a hero wounded inside and out, and maybe a recalcitrant goat for a pet to the theme of friends to lovers, and you have the premise for a tears and laughter Harlequin Romance. At least, I hope you'll think so if you read Jack and Tiffany's story in ‘To Love and To Cherish'.

I love this quote:

Give her two red roses, each with a note. The first note says 'For the woman I love' and the second, 'For my best friend.'

Sometimes they are one and the same, don't you think?

Do you have a best friends story to share? Maybe about a ‘girlfriends' trip or silly moment? Or a friendship to romance story with your own significant other? I'd love to hear.

WIth best wishes to you and your cherished friends,

Jennie

Australian author Jennie Adams writes for Harlequin Romance. Jennie's latest book, ‘To Love and To Cherish' is a ‘friends to lovers' story. Visit Jennie at her profile page here at eHarlequin or at her website at http://www.jennieadams.net .

About Jennie Adams:

While Jennie shifted from at-home-mother to secretary, to piano teacher and numerous other jobs, the desire to write grew and grew until, when her children were in primary school and Jennie was working part-time as a Church secretary, she signed up for a correspondence writing course and began to write and submit her work.

Jennie's first sale was an article about alpacas, and she takes no responsibility for the fact that the publication closed down soon after her piece was printed. Jennie wrote her first romance novel soon after, and sold her first Harlequin Romance in 2004. She hopes to write many more Harlequin stories in the future.