We’re so pleased to have author Quinn Anderson joining us today on the tour for her new novel, The Long Way Around. Quinn is here to chat about the significance of friendship in the friends-to-lovers trope, and there’s a giveaway too, so be sure to check out all the details below.

Welcome, Quinn!

Sam and Wesley: When “I don’t want to ruin our friendship” isn’t a cop-out

There’s a line we’ve all heard in friends-to-lovers stories. “I don’t want to ruin our friendship.” It’s as old as the trope itself and still makes it into many forms of media. Why? Well, probably because it’s so understandable. In real life, this is sometimes someone’s actual reason for not falling in love with a friend. If things are fine the way they are, why ruin a good thing? Why fix what’s not broken?

I usually do my best to stay away from clichés, but in this instance, I saw an opportunity to highlight one that was relatable, no matter how trite it might be. In most friends-to-lovers tales that I’ve seen, “I don’t want to ruin our friendship” is a temporary roadblock. A flimsy excuse, even, to drag out the romantic tension for one more episode, or one more chapter, until the two friends inevitably give in to their desire anyway.

When I was planning out The Long Way Around, I thought to myself, what if I took this phrase and shined some light on how legitimate it really is? What if the potential ruination of the friendship had serious consequences? Consequences no one would take lightly, even if true love were on the line? Can I take this trope and make it so that people who are rooting for the couple will think twice about wanting them to end up together?

That was the goal I set for myself while writing this book, and there were times when it seemed insurmountable. I wasn’t just writing a romance anymore. I had to create a friendship too, one that happened largely off-screen and yet was so well-laid and so believable, it had merit all on its own. And I had to do that while simultaneously creating enough cracks in that friendship that the romance could start poking up through it like dandelions.

I won’t give anything away, obviously, but there are a lot of relationships in this book. Sam’s relationship with his sister. Wesley’s with his parents. Sam and Wesley’s love story, of course, and of course their friendship. They’re all given time to develop, and they’re all different by the end of the book. Whether or not those relationships survive to the end is the question. If you want to find out, grab a copy and let me know what you think!

About the Book

Sam Cooper is the definition of an introvert: shy, bookish, and the sort to think a wild Friday night involves ordering takeout. He enjoys his quiet life, but after a bad breakup, he’s been yearning for a change of scenery. Luckily, his best friend and former college roommate has the solution.

Wesley Reed—a jokester and expert Sam-handler—proposes an epic road trip to a wedding across the country. They’re both between jobs and boyfriends. Why not hit the open road and make some memories?

Stuck in close quarters for the first time since their dorm days, they’re both surprised at the heat that springs up between them. As best friends, they’ve shared so much over the years, so why does sharing a hotel room—and occasionally a bed—make them want more? Chemistry this smoldering is hard to ignore, but there are road blocks to their romance. Wesley’s keeping a secret, and Sam can’t rely on Wesley to drag him out of his comfort zone forever. If they’re not careful, their relationship may take the ultimate wrong turn.

The Long Way Around Is Available Now from Amazon & Other Online eTailers

About the Author

Quinn Anderson is an alumna of the University of Dublin in Ireland and has a master’s degree in psychology. She wrote her dissertation on sexuality in popular literature and continues to explore evolving themes in erotica in her professional life.

A nerd extraordinaire, she was raised on an unhealthy diet of video games, anime, pop culture, and comics from infancy. Her girlfriend swears her sense of humor is just one big Joss Whedon reference. She stays true to her nerd roots in writing and in life, and frequently draws inspiration from her many fandoms, which include Yuri on Ice, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Buffy, and more. Growing up, while most of her friends were fighting evil by moonlight, Anderson was kamehameha-ing her way through all the shounen anime she could get her hands on. You will often find her interacting with fellow fans online and offline via conventions and Tumblr, and she is happy to talk about anything from nerd life to writing tips. She has attended conventions on three separate continents and now considers herself a career geek. She advises anyone who attends pop culture events in the UK to watch out for Weeping Angels, as they are everywhere. If you’re at an event, and you see a 6’2” redhead wandering around with a vague look on her face, that’s probably her.

Her favorite authors include J.K. Rowling, Gail Carson Levine, Libba Bray, and Tamora Pierce. When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling, cooking, spending too much time on the internet, playing fetch with her cat, screwing the rules, watching Markiplier play games she’s too scared to play herself, and catching ’em all.

Connect with Quinn: Facebook || Tumblr

The Giveaway

To celebrate the release of The Long Way Around, Quinn is giving away a $10 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on August 11, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!