Tuesday, February 12, 2019

12 Fictional Romances Designed to Make You Go "Awww"

I love a good romance in just about any medium (novels, TV shows, musicals, movies, etc.), but I tend to be very picky about the ones I enjoy at a surface level and the ones I love. My OTPs, the ones I read copious amounts of fan-fiction about and shriek about on Twitter and Goodreads, are those truly special romances. Let's take a look at some of my favorites this Valentine's Day season.

(***Minor spoilers ahead if you haven't read some of these books/watched these shows***)

1. The Doctor/Rose


Anyone who's been following my blog for a while knows how deep my love goes for this ship. The second season of the "New Who" series may have corny special effects and some level of cheesy plotlines, but the Doctor and Rose were the heart of the story. There's a reason why Whovians are willing to look past said corny special effects and cheesy plotlines; because those two characters were perfect (both on their own and for each other).

2. Cress/Thorne


Cress is adorable, awkward, and shy and Thorne is the king of pickup lines and arrogance that somehow comes off as endearing. I don't know why I love these kinds of pairings as much as I do, but they work. I shipped this coupling more than any other in the Lunar Chronicles.

3. Monty/Percy


Here's another case of endearing arrogance, against all odds. Monty and Percy were great as a friendship, too, which is a key factor for well-written romances. They had undeniable chemistry throughout the entire story. And there aren't many people who would put up with Monty's questionable antics, so for that reason alone, Percy was perfect for him.


4. Cath/Levi


As far as fluffy college romances go, I'm not sure anything can top Fangirl. An introverted fan-fiction author and an extroverted barista is a match made in heaven. Levi could supply Cath with coffee and Cath read Levi stories. It's a win-win.

5. Lilac/Tarver


Gotta love the enemies-to-lovers trope. This book (and pairing) isn't talked about nearly enough and I don't understand why, because it was so good. Poor, underrated treasures. This was one of the first sci-fi books that kept my attention the whole way through. Two sworn enemies trapped on a deserted planet? You can imagine how great the tension was.

6. Simon/Blue


Your heart has to be made of stone to not find this pairing pretty dang adorable. I have ridiculous text exchanges with my friends all the time, so I can totally relate to their e-mails where they bond over things such as Oreos and Harry Potter. Their story is one of my favorite rom-coms.


7. Jesper/Wylan


Here's another instance of the shy cinnamon roll and the blustering charmer falling for each other and it being absolutely perfect. Really, all of the ships in this series were great in different ways, but these two stole my heart.


8. Beck/August


Logic pretty much dictates that this withdrawn, somewhat prickly, horribly abused boy would never go for a girl made of sunshine and cake and pure energy, because she is just so much to take, but this friendship/relationship defies logic. And they're adorable. I love Beck's sass and August's passion for just about everything.


9. Castle/Beckett


This whole television series was built upon murder, meta humor, and a will-they-won't-they romance. It hit just about every trope in the book and I'm trash for it all. I had such an obsession with this show, mostly because of Castle and Beckett's relationship. Castle does his best to annoy her, Beckett rolls her eyes a lot, they solve a lot of murders, and everyone in the show ships them. It's fantastic.

10. Jane/Michael


I know people have a lot of strong feelings about the love triangle in this show, but I always came back to this coupling. It has way less drama and way more fun. Michael's more of a boy-next-door type of guy. He's funny, dorky, and makes Jane take herself less seriously. It's so sweet.

11. Jake/Amy


Yet another pairing that really shouldn't work, but somehow does. Jake is an absolute dork, kind of a slob, and takes nothing seriously. Amy's uptight, orderly, and takes everything seriously. But if you put the two of them together, you get the perfect blend of each. One of my favorite parts of their evolving relationship was watching Amy get Jake hooked on Harry Potter. So funny.


12. Jess/Nick


These two are kind of a mess, but it's an adorable mess. Above all else, they're really good friends who have a ton of goofy fun together. They find all of the other's quirks absolutely endearing when not everyone would, which shows how well they're made for each other.

What are your favorite fictional pairings? Leave a comment!

8 comments:

Boquinha said...

These are great! I'd add Niles/Daphne, because I love that pairing and the tension that led to it. And it makes me smile to see Castle and Brooklyn-99 because I know how much you love them.

My favorite line from this post: "It hit just about every trope in the book and I'm trash for it all."

Dr. Mark said...

Love the list! And this is a list where I actually know a few of these! I'm with Mommy on Niles/Daphne--they did a GREAT job in that series keeping the tension going long enough to keep it interesting and without losing steam elsewhere in the show.

Jake and Amy are great, too. The completely opposite personalities coupled with the witty/clever writing make it fun to watch.

Marie @ Drizzle and hurricane Books said...

This is such a good list! I really like Cress and Thorne as well, they're my favorites and Simon and Blue make my heart meeeeeeelt, I love them <3

Unknown said...

One of the best will-they, won't -they couples ever....David Addison and Madelyne Hayes on Moonlighting (aka Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepard). They kept the series going on just the chemistry.

Harry Burns and Sally Albright - When Harry Met Sally (also the introduction of Harry Connick, Jr.s music on this soundtrack was pivotal in my life)

Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy - Pride and Prejudice

Diana Bishop and Matthew de Clairmont - A Discovery of Witches

Boquinha said...

Ooooh yes to Harry and Sally (and Harry Connick, Jr)!!

The Magic Violinist said...

@Boquinha

Niles/Daphne is a great slow burn! LOL, I was in a good zone when I wrote that.

@Dr. Mark

That's true, you'd be familiar with a lot of them! Opposite personalities don't always work for me, but when it's done well, it's a lot of fun. You get tons of snark that way.

@Marie

Ahhh, those two ships are just so darn adorable. <3

@Unknown

I haven't watched that show before, but it's definitely a challenge to keep viewers interested in a relationship for that long. They must have done an excellent job! Those are all great additions, thank you!

CG @ Paper Fury said...

*dies a little of happiness* I think I can like tick off a bucket-list now for seeing my book on someone's list!!! I'm just !! flail!! Ahem ok ok also I LOVE your ship list and Simon/Blue definitely are the cutest ever. Also Monty/Percy?! Like the fact that Percy didn't just shove Monty into the ocean and leave him there just speaks so much to Percy's long suffering. He is a gift to this world and no one deserves him. Except...well MONTY DOES THO. I love them together. And Jesper/Wylan!! Actually all the ships in SoC 😂 and all the ships in The Raven Cycle. I pretend to be coldhearted but pfft apparently I have a ton of soft squishy ships.😂

The Magic Violinist said...

@Cait

LOL, you're welcome! The book and characters are just so list-able! Percy really is a saint. xD He had so many opportunities to do more than just sigh in exasperation at Monty, but his patience won out. SoC has ALL the best ships!