Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Romances
A meme from the Broke and the Bookish.
Today’s topic: Top Ten Favorite Romances
1. Alanna & George (Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce) – The romance actually begins in Alanna: The First Adventure but when the two really finally click is later in the series. This is my all time favorite romance, partially because it was one of the first to really get my heart rate going, but also because the trip is authentic. Alanna does not fall for George on sight. She has other relationships, but there is never a point where she turns into a whiny teenage girl stuck in a love triangle. There is sometimes tension between the men in her life but it’s much more real then a simple triangle. I didn’t really cheer for George from the beginning, my feelings very much followed Alanna’s, but in the end you watch her go to George with relief. Their romance doesn’t end in this quartet. Their love story continues throughout the novels of Tortall, only Beka Cooper doesn’t show them because she is George’s ancestor. Aly of Pirate’s Swoop is their daughter. These two are the core of the Tortall universe. George is a thief, but he is also a great man. He helps Alanna no matter what even when she says she doesn’t love him. I could probably post pages worth about them, so moving on!
2. Rae & Con (Sunshine by Robin McKinley) – This is a bit of an untraditional romance. Rae is mortal, Con is a vampire. They have a relationship based on a mission. There shouldn’t be any interest. Rae has Mel, but there is something between them that is rare and exhilarating. Yet there is also something to her healthy relationship with Mel. In the end you don’t know exactly, but it reminds me of another of McKinley’s relationships. Aerin from The Hero and the Crown… this one was of those that I was older before I really understood all of the romance, Aerin has Tor and Luthe, mortal and immortal who both love her and she loves them both but the relationships are entirely different. I think I love a romance that doesn’t fit in the box.
3. Fire & Brigan (Fire by Kristin Cashore) – When reading the book I compared them to Elizabeth and Darcy. There is a certain resistance in both of them. Fire doesn’t feel like she deserves to be loved. It makes her a very sympathetic character. Brigan is such a tough guy. Most amazing to me was Cashore’s ability to make you want to fight for it before they even are really acknowledging their feelings. This is one of the rare stories that afterwards I wanted to squee and read it all over again because I loved this romance so much.
4. Beauty & Beast (Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley) – I could easily put all of McKinley’s books on here. I love the story of beauty and the beast and here you have all of the good. There is a degree of bitter sweet as well. It is a fairytale, but without a too happy ending.
5. Celia & Marco (The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern) – While I love the magic of this book, there are those who actually consider the genre of this actually romance. Personally I disagree, while it is a truly great love story that is partially true because the novel does not get overly hung up on the love story. This is a love against the odds and breaking the rules.
6. Harry & Corlath (The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley) – This romance has a very unlikely beginning. There is a semi kidnapping, a large age difference, but it lays the grounds for a fascinating relationship. They have a trust that is built under truly extraordinary circumstances. Like many of the couples I love, they are both strong people.
7. Katsa & Po (Graceling by Kristin Cashore) – I’m beginning to notice a trend, once again you have a couple that begins at odds with each other but that relationship buds into a beautiful romance. Though what truly makes these two memorable is what happens late in their story. They have to face such hard times. Both of them, not just Katsa, grow incredibly in their journey and in the end they still have a long way to go but we are rooting for them both.
8. Ella & Char (Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine) – So many times Cinderella never really works because we can’t believe she would fall for the prince so quickly. Here the relationship has much more to go on. We want Ella to be happy so badly and we see that potential in Char but there are so many obstacles. In the end of course it works out but not because Char saves her.
9. Sidna & Kiernan (The False Princess by Eilis O’Neal) – A man who doesn’t care about your social standing, but more importantly a man that was your friend. It is a fairly normal setup for a romance, but it is often neglected in fantasy. They have some very rocky times but in the end the strong foundation of their friendship carries them through.
10. Daine & Numair (The Realms of the Gods by Tamora Pierce) – I can’t resist another Tamora Pierce. Another trend through several of these is older men, what can I say? Fiction shaped my life? In the beginning Daine is so unsure of her self. Numair is her teacher but as she grows, something grows between them.
Yes, this is super delayed. I was sick and indecisive. If it makes you feel better putting it off gave me homework and school nightmares.
