Top Five Favorite Friendships by @KaraONealAuthor #RomanceGems

While I write romance novels, I find that I love good friendships as much as I adore true love. When the hero and heroine are best friends, that's even better.

There's something about the care, humor and truth in a solid, lasting friendship. They are hard to come by and hard to discern. What makes a good friend?

You think you know, then drama ensues, and you discover you were wrong. The playground and sleepovers can teach you so much. And...so can books.

So, here are my top five friendships.

1. Anne and Marilla from Anne of Green Gables -- There's nothing like a hopeful-eyed child and a stern, older woman trying to live together. These two grabbed my heart from the beginning of the story and did NOT let go. This is an honest relationship that developed beautifully through the series.

2. Captain Woodrow Call and "Gus" McCrae from Lonesome Dove -- Talk about oil and water. One guy is so serious and the other is such an annoying prankster that you wonder how they managed to stick together. Well, they are both highly stubborn, so that probably helped. And I think they were too cranky to find the time to befriend anyone else.

3. Jo March and Beth March from Little Women -- One is adventurous and seems to know how best to live life, while the other is shy and lets the world pass her by. These two taught each other so much and it was done without arguing and without belittling the other's choice. I read this book when I was very young. I think I was seven. Beth and Jo taught me a lot.

4. William Marshal and Isabelle de Clare from The Scarlet Lion -- William and Isabelle are real people. They were married and lived during the time of Richard the Lionheart and his brother, Prince John. These two were a force. They were both fighters -- one on the battlefield and one in the grandest castle in Ireland. They shared everything. When he died, supposedly his last words were, "My bon ami." He said this to Isabelle, which translated means, essentially, "My beautiful friend." I adored their relationship.

5. Anne and Gilbert of Anne of Green Gables -- There is no better story, in my opinion, of friends who become lovers. Of course, Gilbert was always in love. Was Anne always in love? I think so, but she was so gosh-darn stubborn. Their friendship was honest, true, competitive, feisty and so very caring. They are the perfect examples of how a man and woman in love are each other's best friend. Truly beautiful.

I have others, of course, but these are the pinnacle for me.

My fifth book, The Soldier's Love, releases on October 7th. Frank and Jane are the main characters, and they are best friends. They also love each other, but her dreams and his stubborn pride pull them apart. When they find each other again, it is not easy. They fight more than I would have liked them to, but Frank turned out to be really, really stubborn. I didn't see that coming. But he comes by it honestly, because in my fourth book, The Miller Brides, we learn how hard-nosed his mother was.

Of course, Jane and Frank find their way back to each other but it's not without its trials. I loved returning them to what they had always hoped to be. I'm definitely a "happily-ever-after" girl.

I would love to hear your favorite friendships! Please share in the comments!

And be sure to pick up my next book, The Soldier's Love, which is available for pre-order!

The Soldier's Love

When Jane Lonnigan refused to marry him, Frank Dawson got the hell out of Pike’s Run and joined the army. As he took risk after risk, hoping someone would put him out of his misery, he consequently rose in ranks. Now he’s a First Lieutenant stationed at Fort Robertson, a crack shot, and the main communicator to the Chipsa tribe.

Frank broke Jane's heart when he refused to wait for her to complete her education. Still, as she embarked on her journey to becoming a teacher, she couldn't stop loving him. Her first teaching post is for the children of Riley Creek, the town Fort Robertson protects.

When Frank realizes Jane has become a fixture of the settlement he is a part of, he sets out to guard himself from being twice a fool. But as life swirls around them, Frank can't help but return to her again and again.

A mistake causes Frank to hurt Jane and make her believe all hope is lost. She runs home, needing the welcoming arms of her family. When Frank learns what he's done, he realizes he's been a fool. He races after her, intent on winning her back. Can he mend her heart and have her as his wife? Or has he ruined everything?

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