Today's Top Ten Tuesday over at That Artsy Reader Girl is a "love freebie," so I made up a couple of related prompts that I hope you will find amusing! Whether you celebrate Valentine's Day or not, I'm wishing everyone some love and lightness right now. It seems like it would be silly, but leaning into romance these past couple years has actually helped me focus on what's important--love, community, and lifting up those around us so that we can be stronger together and literally create a better, kinder world.
1. Zoya/Nikolai from the Grishaverse novels by Leigh Bardugo--These two are so hard-earned. Both characters have been through so much individually and together, and you see how they complement each other both as people and as rulers. Plus, my heart just aches for both of them.
2. Kaz/Inez from the Grishaverse novels by Leigh Bardugo--If you think you're seeing a trend, you are absolutely right. Again, two characters who have been through so much individually and together, and there are some very tangible barriers to their relationship, but I am rooting for them.
3. Jesper/Wylan from the Grishaverse novels by Leigh Bardugo--Bardugo again--this time, two characters who have been through a lot but also are just fun together. They need each other but they can hold each other more lightly because they don't have the fate of the world on their backs and can just enjoy each other and heal at their own pace.
4. Maggie/Aiden from Role Playing by Cathy Yardley--I don't know what it is, but of all the romance novels I've read the last couple years, I keep coming back to this one. I think I've read it at least twice, maybe three times. Maybe it's that the characters both have very relatable journeys to me and how they relate to each other, meeting and playing games online, makes a lot of sense to me. To me, the second chance romance aspect I think also just makes me so glad they found each other.
5. Charlie/Nick from the Heartstopper graphic novels and TV show--There is no couple more adorable than Nick and Charlie. I saw the Netflix show first, but then I went back and read all the graphic novels. Some panels are literally screen-by-screen the same although there are some differences. The way Charlie falls head-over-heels and Nick does the same without even realizing he's bi yet is so cute, and how they relate to and support each other makes me root for them.
Book Boyfriends I Would Steal
1. Peeta Mellark--Obviously, Peeta on so many levels is the ultimate book boyfriend. I want a man who will bake for me and make me the face of a revolution.
2. Prince Lysander from Destined for the Fae King by Megan Van Dyke--I'm glad I read this book first because the other two fae kings in this series (and I love the series) are kind of stereotypical arrogant jerk types to start with, but Prince Lysander is a bookish intellectual softie who is also madly in love with the protag, and I'm here for it.
5. Nina from the Grishaverse novels--Okay, I could ship Nina and Hanne---or I could steal Nina for myself. I love her guts, her strength, her adaptability--she has a lot of traits that I wish I had but don't, but I still feel like we would get along really well.
6. Greg from Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer--A gentle red-headed giant basically drops out of the sky and falls in love with you? Sign me up.
7. Ethan from Kissing Kosher by Jean Meltzer--Also a soft traumatized baking nerd, which is apparently how I like them.
Comments
I remember loving Peeta too!
Veros @ Dark Shelf of Wonders