10 for 2010: Favorite Couples

I am a sucker for a good romance. Not a love triangle, mind you, but an honest to goodness believable romance. I was never a fan of the love at first sight thing, nor those romances where the two characters barely know each other and fall in love. I like my romances developed over time, and I like good friendships that serve as a foundation for those romances. Did that make sense?

So today’s 10 for 2010 are the couples that made my toes curl, made my heart beat faster and made me sigh with happiness as I closed the last page of their book (or the latest book, in case it was a series). Here are my Top 10 Couples for 2010.

1. Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth (Persuasion by Jane Austen) – Do I really even have to explain this? :P Austen really knows her couples and even if the language is old or there aren’t many breathtaking moments in her stories. There always seems to be an ultimate breathtaking moment in the story. I mean, how can Anne Elliot say no to a letter that tells her, “You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago.” It’s no wonder so many people love Austen.

2. Anna and Etienne (Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins) – Probably my favorite couple of the year. :) These two deserve all the recognition they get because their relationship is one of the most realistic relationships I have ever read about. I like their friendship, I like their witty banter and I like how imperfectly perfect their relationship was. I know the road to getting to the end for the two of them is difficult and often painful, but I wouldn’t mind going through that if it meant having my own Etienne. :)

3. Fire and Brigan (Fire by Kristin Cashore) – Fire and Brigan are like Anna and Etienne in a fantasy world, and then some. Fire was apprehensive of Brigan, and we had no idea what was going on in Brigan’s mind. And then the two started talking. And talking. There’s a certain sweetness in how their relationship developed that makes me smile.

4. Lissa and Kaz (It’s All About Us # 6: The Chic Shall Inherit the Earth by Shelley Adina) – This was one of the couples I squee’d over at the start of the year. I love Shelley’s series, and I love that she ended the series with a full circle, going back to Lissa and how different she is from the first book. And I love how she wrapped up Lissa’s love life here — Kaz is simply perfect for her. Remembering them still gives me the tingles. :) It’s you. It’s me. It’s us. *sigh*

5. Kate and Curran (Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews) – This couple is just…well, hot. The sexual tension between them was sizzling from the moment they met! I love how Curran cared for Kate even while they beat each other up. I love how Kate denied that she liked Curran for a long time until finally giving in and admitting to herself that she’s interested (hmm, reminds me of someone!). I love how the authors take their time in building their relationship. I cannot wait to see what happens next. :)

6. Ellie and Lucas (Fairy Tale Fail by Mina V. Esguerra) – What’s not to love about this relationship? I like how they started out as friends, and how Lucas wasn’t a rebound guy for Ellie. I like how uncomplicated things are for them. I love that they’re both okay with themselves before they got together, and this goes to show that you need to be your own person before being with someone else.

7. Elle and Heath (Love Starts with Elle by Rachel Hauck) – These are two truly broken people: one grieving for the loss of his wife, the other hurt from a broken engagement. I love how these two became a part of each other’s healing and eventually fall in love. These two people are the most prayerful couple I’ve read this year, and even if it’s fiction, their love story has a lot of lessons. :)

8. Ally and Jake (She’s So Dead to Us by Kieran Scott) – This couple is fun. Snarky, and fun and cute. I want them to be together, and it was really good that the author gave us a chance to see both sides of the story. Their love story is cute and fun, and I look forward to the next installment of this series.

9. Eddie and Jane (Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde) – They are the probably the oddest couple in my list, true to Jasper Fforde’s quirky style. They’re not particularly sweet, but I love their team-up and I love how their relationship developed. :) That final twist at the end of Shades of Grey was awesome, even if it seemed like the two are going to go against all odds. Too bad the next book won’t be out anytime soon.

10. Dash and Lily (Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan) – These two almost didn’t make the list only because it took me a while to finish it. But I’m glad I did. They’re not as hot as Anna and Etienne, and their relationship seems highly unbelievable, but they’re such a cute couple that I cannot not include them. There is something so sweet, so fresh, so…innocent about these two that made me love them. And their book has so many quotable quotes that I think I dog-eared so many of it (and incidentally, that’s how Dash’s mom does it too). Super cute. :)

Check out my other 10 for 2010 posts!
10 Favorite Male Characters
10 Favorite Female Characters

Oh, and you do know I’m giving away some of my favorite books in 2010 in my Anniversary Giveaway, right? See why Anna and Etienne are such a lovable couple in Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. Every comment you leave is one entry — the more comments you leave, the more entries you get! :) Click the image for the mechanics and the list of prizes!

16 Thoughts on “10 for 2010: Favorite Couples

  1. ‘It’s you. It’s me. It’s us.’

    IT MADE ME SQUEE.

    • Ah yes, it made me squee too. You have to read the entire series to see how their relationship developed, and it makes the ending so much more satisfying. :)

  2. That Captain Wentworth can absolutely write a letter!

    Ellie and Lucas are honored to be part of this list. :)

  3. Very good 1st choice:)Like I already said, love Persuasion and the couple. Need to reread this novel soon! Anna and the Frech Kiss is so much talked about, have to get my hands on this one soon. Everybody is in love with them…

  4. Yes to Kate and Curran, Fire and Brigan and Anna and Etienne. :) I also do a list of my favorite fictional couples but I do it on February when Valentine’s Day rolls around.

    • I’m planning a romance/chick lit series on February. :D And yes, Kate and Curran, who I wouldn’t have discovered if not for you. :)

  5. Here is my Favorite Couples for 2010:
    1. Katniss and Peeta (Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins)
    2. Katsa and Po (Graceling by Kristin Cashore)
    I love that these couples sort of achieve balance with the sensitive men curbing the strong will of the two women :p
    3. Jonathan and Arabella (Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell) – I love the I-will-come-back-for-you kind of romance although it made me quite sad :(
    4. Sabriel and Touchstone (Sabriel by Garth Nix) – I love that their romance and chemistry is quite subtle.

    Can’t wait to read Fire. I bet Fire and Brigan would be on my list of favorite couples next to Katsa and Po. :P

  6. I only have one favourite couple for this year.
    Peeta & Katniss ^_^

  7. Pingback: Tweets that mention 10 for 2010: Favorite Couples | One More Page: Lissa and Kaz (It's All About Us # 6: The Chic Shall Inherit the ... -- Topsy.com

  8. I’m glad you made a list for couples, because as much as you can have favourite male and female characters, they don’t always work together. A good pairing can make for a great book, so I’m looking forward to checking a few of these out.

  9. Can’t wait to read Graceling! Have heard only good comments about it.

  10. Lissa and Kaz thank you–and so do I! It was a thrill to see them on this list.

    Shelley

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