Top Ten Tuesday (63)

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Romances

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It’s awesome. Every Tuesday, the lovely folks over at The Broke and the Bookish post a top ten list topic so that book lovers like you and me can pour over our shelves and make our own lists. You can check out all the other Top Ten Tuesday‘s on their site!

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MY GOODNESS, this is hard. So many swoons, so little time! I do love a good romance, friends, but a good romance can come in any number of packages: it can be sweet, it can be panty-melting, it can be slow-burning, or it can be doomed from the start. I love them all. Narrowing this down to 10 is going to be difficult, but I shall endeavor as always!

Elinor Dashwood and Edward Ferrars from SENSE AND SENSIBILITY by Jane Austen

These two might be my very favorite Austen couple. You know why? Because they are so perfectly suited to each other’s awkwardness and sweetness and quiet spirits. I have a very big soft spot for those Dashwoods because Elinor reminds me of me and Marianne reminds me of my sister. But I love how Elinor and Edward dance around each other with their propriety and trying to do the right thing at their own expense. Makes my heart twisty. Also, Hugh Grant as Edward in the movie version is SO sweet puppy adorable!

Katsa and Po from GRACELING by Kristin Cashore

I just recently reread GRACELING, and I was struck anew by the modern feel to Katsa and Po’s romance. I swear, they could be flannel-loving hipsters living in Park Slope. In fact, that’s sometimes how I imagine them when I transplant them to the real modern world. I love how they have this deep connection but don’t feel driven to put a label on it. It just IS, and they’ll let each other go off and be independent when they need to be. So awesome.

Puck Connolly and Sean Kendrick from THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater

I feel like if I encountered Puck and Sean in any environment OTHER than THE SCORPIO RACES, I might not love them as much. There’s something about the two of them, in their place and time, that makes all of it seem woven together and perfect. I LOVE that they are very much two separate people who come together at their own pace. I found their romance very slow and satisfying, because I don’t think I can imagine either of them with other people. Meant to be, these two.

Day and June from LEGEND/PRODIGY by Marie Lu

Life is putting these two kids through the ringer, friends. I’m a big fan of their opposite side of the tracks romance because I love how they are so different but also willing to work at their differences. They have to trust each other so much because lives literally depend on it. I totally believe in them.

Anna and Etienne from ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins

SIGH. This one I love because it’s so REAL. Friends who totally click and have feelings for each other but other things in their lives that make things complicated. I LOVE that their romance is rooted in their friendship. I love being able to see relationships begin that way because it’s the best foundation. I’ll always love these two.

Amy and Roger from AMY AND ROGER’S EPIC DETOUR by Morgan Matson

OF COURSE I have to have the road trip romance on here! Falling in love with someone on a road trip is a pretty great metaphor, I think. Going on a journey discovering new places while going on a personal journey discovering feelings for new people. Big fan of these two and how they can spend all that time together and use it to build something wonderful rather than get irritated and annoyed with each other. Seriously. Spending that much time together EVERY DAY for a week or more without bickering at least once a day is impressive and a good sign.

Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

DUH. Best friends who become MORE are the best, and these two are the BEST of the best. Nothing quite like a childhood love to always keep you young at heart, and Ron and Hermione…it was so incredible to watch them grow up and into their feelings for one another. I shipped them harder than just about any other couple I’ve ever shipped. BECAUSE THEY’RE BASICALLY PERFECT.

Allyson and Willem from JUST ONE DAY by Gayle Forman

It’s time to get swept off your feet, friends! The whirlwind: GET CAUGHT UP IN IT. Because that’s what these two have. Maybe with a little more depth than other whirlwinds, but still. Their connection is evident from the beginning, and there’s something really special about meeting someone who allows you to be totally new parts of yourself because they have no expectations. There’s SO MUCH romance in getting caught up like Allyson and Willem do.

Belly and Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher (heyoo!) from the Summer series by Jenny Han

Let’s talk about the emo romance, shall we? Because these three haz it. There is so much bittersweet angstiness surrounding these three kids: the girl has been in love with the one brother forever, but he is too scared/noble/masochistic to do anything about the fact that he loves her too, so in the meantime she gets with the OTHER one because, hey, he’s pretty awesome himself and she’s maybe got feelings for him too and EVERYTHING IS SO CONFUSING. But swooooooony.

John After and Meg from GOING TOO FAR by Jennifer Echols

Whew! Excuse me while I go fan myself, friends. These two have that kind of romance that is mostly…maybe not romance. No, that’s not fair. They have feelings. It’s just that their heart-feelings are often blinded by the feelings that only happen in your pants, especially on Meg’s part. But this is a smokin’ romance, friends, and I can certainly get behind the sexytimes, as we all know.

Tiger Lily and Peter Pan from TIGER LILY by Jodi Lynn Anderson

WAHHH THE HEARTBREAKERS. These two. I don’t know how much I can talk about these two, who found each other, then ruined it, and never found each other again. Peter and Tiger Lily have the romance that dies a really upsetting death, especially when you come to understand that their feelings stayed with them as time passes. It’s so bittersweet. When I’m feeling like making myself incredibly bummed, these are the kind of relationships I think about. The ones that stay with you. The ones who got away. The first loves that weren’t meant to last. GAH! NO MORE! I CAN’T!