Top Ten Favorite Romances

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/meme created by The Broke and the Bookish, where bloggers share their top ten answers every week.
This is my very first time participating in Top Ten Tuesday and I'm pretty excited about it! Since Valentine's Day is coming up (not that I really care about the holiday), I thought it would be fun to talk about favorite bookish romances. Of course once I actually tried to come up with a list - it turned out to be a lot harder than I expected. A lot of my faves are from books I've read in the last few years, so I made a point to throw in one oldie. It's funny because a lot of the couples I did like when I was in high school were older than me. And now that I'm older, a lot of my favorite couples are a lot younger than me. But that's a story for another day. 

Here's the list I came up with: 
1.  Jace and Clary from City of Bones - This was one of the first YA series that I read and I still have a soft spot for it. But I really do love them as a couple. His (arrogant) charm, her feisty personality and their intense dedication to each other in spite of the odds. I enjoy that sort of thing.

2.  Jase and Sam from My Life Next Door - First of all, I want to know if guys like Jase exist in real life. Two, their relationship was so refreshing. Mature and angst-free but passionate in a way that only first loves are.

3.  Will and Lou from Me Before You - I've been pretty vocal in my love of this book and now that everyone is talking about it, it's got me thinking about this couple all over again. (Not that I ever really forgot.)  They're unconventional but they have these subtle breathtaking moments that completely took me by surprise.

4.  Hazel and Augustus from The Fault In Our Stars - When I look back at this book, I remember how it made me laugh and cry and just how these two people managed to find love and joy despite their circumstances. It's a quirky romance but still gut-wrenching.

5.  Aria and Perry from Under the Never Sky - This book/series is a new favorite and yeah it's well-written, the world-building is awesome and it's the kind of book you can't put down once you start, etc etc. But seriously, Aria and Perry together = my favorite parts. I just love all their moments.

6.  Mac and Barrons from the Fever series - Their relationship isn't like the others on my list. It's volatile. They're both stubborn and distrustful but also intensely passionate. They're two people who would never be together under normal circumstances but once they meet, the chemistry is undeniable.

7.  Meghan and Ash from The Iron Fey - Between this relationship and the one I just mentioned, I have no desire to read about fairies anymore. Because these two got it SO right in my mind. There's definitely a Romeo and Juliet thing going on here but I was rooting for them (and swooning) from the moment they met.

8.  Anna and Etienne from Anna and the French Kiss - This is the kind of relationship where you get to see it develop every step of the way. No insta-love here (just immediate attraction). But there's a real friendship between them. Granted with lots of tension but that's what it makes fun (for us).

9.  Tiger Lily and Peter Pan from Tiger Lily - I wasn't sure if I would put this on my list because as much as I loved them together,  it was the end of their relationship that had the biggest impact on me.  There was a realness to their first love heartbreak that made my own heart ache along with them.

10.  Anne and Gilbert from Anne of Green Gables - Here's my oldie! Gilbert Blythe was my book boyfriend before that phrase even existed. He was so perfect to me when I read this series. He had me from the moment he called Anne "Carrots" and she broke her chalkboard over his head.

23 comments

  1. Okay, I HAVE to get my act together and read Me Before You -- I've heard too many good things not to!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! Let me know when you get around to it.. would love to hear your thoughts!

      Delete
  2. Oh I COMPLETELY forgot about My Life Next Door! I love that one so much!! Anna and the French Kiss is on my list too :) Great list!

    Here's my Top Ten!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow thanks for mentioning Gilbert Blythe, I think he was the first boy I loved in a book, too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! I'm actually surprised by how many people mentioned Anne and Gilbert! It makes me happy to see so many fans.

      Delete
  4. I almost put Anne & Gilbert on my list as well - man, do I love them - but they lost to Vicky Austin & Adam Eddington from Madeleine L'Engle's books for sheer impact on me. =p

    Great picks!

    Here's my TTT!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I already mentioned this on your blog but I love that mentioned Madeleine L'Engle. I almost put Meg and Calvin myself. I don't remember too much about the O'Keefe's (I read mostly about the Murrys). I think I want to revisit those books :)

      Delete
  5. love love your list! Jase and Sam *swoon* and YAY Some fellow Megan and Ash love! Thanks for sharing!

    here's my Top Ten Tuesday

    xo
    jaime @ Fic Fare

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay for Meghan and Ash fans! Not enough people have mentioned them today, in my humble opinion hehe.

      Delete
  6. Jace and Clary have that certain thing that makes me so happy, Jase and Sam have such an incredible first love story that it has quickly become one of my favorites ever and Anna and St. Clair are just THAT bookish couple. And you made me so excited to pick up the Iron Fey series. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jase/Sam and Anna/St. Clair are definitely popular on today's list. I think almost every one I've looked at has mentioned them.

      I hope you pick up the Iron Fey series soon and enjoy it!

      Delete
  7. I'm excited to read Me Before You! I'm slowly going up on the library holds list. I'd like to know if guys like Jase exist in real life too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm excited for you to read it too! Would love to hear your thoughts :)

      And seriously, I don't remember any guys being like that when I was 17. Or even NOW for that matter.

      Delete
  8. wow! another list with Anna and the French Kiss--- i must be really missing out! also, super excited-- just got me before you in the mail today!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You haven't read Anna and the French Kiss?! You really should! I actually resisted for a while because I judged the cover (bad, I know!) but I ended up loving it so much. Def check it out! And yay another person reading Me Before You!!

      Delete
  9. Great list! I've been seeing Anna and the French Kiss everywhere, but I have to agree. Anna and Etienne are AMAZING. :)
    New follower!

    Halee @ Confessions of a Book Addict

    My Top Ten

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've been seeing them everywhere too! But obviously I agree that they should be on most people's lists :) They really are a great couple!

      Delete
  10. OMYGOODNESS! I totally should have included Will & Lou. How could I leave them off my list?! Now I'm all sad again thinking about them :(

    And I almost added Aria & Perry, but ran out of space so they had to go. Have you read Through the Ever Night? It just gets better!

    Aww I love Anna and Etienne! I also really loved Lola and Cricket. Stephanie Perkins writes such awesome relationships! Can't wait for her next book :)

    ANNE AND GILBERT. Oh, yes. I'm pretty sure he was the first book boy I fell in love with. So glad you included them on your list, too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Will and Lou's story is still pretty fresh in mind. Plus with everyone talking about it, it's like a constant reminder haha.

      I have read Through the Ever Night! The series just gets better and better. I love Aria & Perry's relationship. And that there's no love triangle! (Thank goodness.)

      Delete
  11. Ooooh, I considered putting Me Before You on the list, because I love their vibe, but I decided I wanted to think about happy things. *wipes tear* That book is seriously amazing though.

    Anne and Gilbert are on my list too. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I had a similar thought. Like should I add only happily-ever-after type couples? But I loved Will and Lou so much.. I had to include them! :)

      Delete
  12. YAY FOR ANNE AND GILBERT! Honestly, I loved them even before I knew that there was such a thing as book boyfriends and book "ships". They're such an adorable couple. Just thinking about them makes me want to reread the series all over again.

    ReplyDelete

with love,

Rachel