Lovely Blog Party || Top Ten Book Couples


As promised, the third and final installment of my LBP contributions: my top ten book couples!  

This list was fun and a bit challenging to compile -- at first because I honestly couldn't think of that many (apparently my favorite books don't necessarily include my favorite romances *shrugs*), and then because once I did start to think of them, they started pouring in!  So this list, like the movies/TV one, has changed around quite a bit, and even now I couldn't positively guarantee its accuracy.  But I feel like that really doesn't matter to anyone but me, so I shall shut up about it forthwith. ;)

Hope you enjoy the post!

#10. Neil & Christy
From: Christy {by Catherine Marshall}

I actually don't really like this picture, for some reason.

"Impetuously, I leaned forward and kissed Neil MacNeill gently on the cheek.  Before he could say anything, I had vaulted off Charlie's back and dashed into the mission house." {Ch. 41}

I like the "slow burn" of this relationship, so it was difficult to pinpoint a single passage (other than the very end).  It's more of a subtle build-up -- the small little hints here and there -- that makes this romance work.

#9. Kit & Nat // John & Mercy
From: The Witch of Blackbird Pond {by Elizabeth George Speare}

[I CAN'T FIND GOOD PICTURES I'M SORRY. *wails unnecessarily*]

"The man did not even hear her.  His eyes had gone straight to Mercy where she sat by the hearth, and her own eyes stared back, enormous in her white face.  Then with a hoarse, wordless sigh, John Holbrook stumbled across the room, and went down on his knees with his head in Mercy's lap." {Ch. 20}

(YES I'M USING TWO COUPLES AS ONE SSSSHHHH.)  Kit and Nat are just adorable and sassy and beautiful throughout the whole book, and the above quote made me feel all the fluttery feelings the first time I read it, because John and Mercy are such sweethearts. <3

I really need to reread this book.

#8. Jude & Jing-wei
From: The Hunting of the Last Dragon {by Sherryl Jordan}

This could be them, except I don't think the girl is the right ethnicity.

"Then, an hour before sundown, we spied the dragon -- a small spot in the northwest skies.  Without a word, Jing-wei and I both stood and went into the shrine.  I stood behind her, looking over her head, as we watched from the tiny window.  We did not speak, but we both knew that if the dragon came down first to the beach, as it had before, then these moments might be our last.  I put my arms about her, and she covered my hands with her own, and held tight." {Ch. 18}

I found this couple adorable.  They're very unique, which I liked, and I liked how their relationship developed from friendship to romance, and how one of them (naming no names *aHERM*) took a little while to realize it.  (Let's just say that that one part with the monk whose name I've forgotten was quite satisfying. ;))

#7. Rose & Mac
From: Rose in Bloom {by Louisa May Alcott}

Mac is on the left, leaning on the mantle.

"'Good-bye, Milton.'

'Good-bye, Sabrina.'" {Ch. 17}

I haven't read this one in a while, but I remember loving it. <3  Similar to Neil and Christy, though, it's difficult to pinpoint a single passage -- it's the way the relationship develops throughout the whole book!

#6. Percy & Marguerite
From: The Scarlet Pimpernel {by Emmuska Orczy}


"She looked round her eagerly at the tall cliffs, the lonely hut, the great stretch of rocky beach. Somewhere there, above or below here, behind a boulder or inside a crevice, but still hidden from her longing, feverish eyes, must be the owner of that voice, which once used to irritate her, but now would make her the happiest woman in Europe if only she could locate it.

'Percy! Percy!' she shrieked hysterically, tortured between doubt and hope. 'I am here! Come to me! Where are you? Percy! Percy! . . . '

'It's all very well calling me, m'dear!' said the same sleepy, drawly voice, 'but odd's life, I cannot come to you. Those . . . frog-eaters have trussed me like a goose on a spit, and I am weak as a mouse . . . I cannot get away.'" {Ch. 31}

(Okay, also, for the record, the entirety of Chapter 16 is like really really amazing?!  And I, for one, have no real issue with the way it ends, though I have Heard Complaints. ;-p)  This couple has Very Deep Things going on.  And it's Rather Good, old sport.  I mean, for real.  

Also, props for the fact that this couple is already married. *thumbs up*

#5. Bryce & Juli
From: Flipped {by Wendelin van Draanen}

I couldn't find any kind of fan art for the book itself, but the actors in the movie are basically
the characters in the book, so. 

"'Some of us get dipped in flat, some in satin, some in gloss . . . '  He turned to me. 'But every once in a while you find someone who's iridescent, and when you do, nothing will ever compare.'" {Ch. 7}

I kind of died.  

While reading this book, I mean.  I was having a serious feels overload from the sheer adorb.  

True, Bryce and Juli don't have the best relationship ever -- I mean, they're quite young, so that's a minor concern.  But . . . it's also really stinkin' cute.  It's worth noting -- as I think I read someone else mention -- that were the situations to be reversed and Bryce was Juli's character and Juli was Bryce's, Bryce would be a disturbingly stalker-ish figure.  And, yeah, they both say some silly/inappropriate things (mainly Bryce, I think), but I CAN'T HELP IT I LOVE THEM.  I mean, when Bryce does the thing.  (No, not the first thing, the second thing, at the very end.)  I nearly cried.  IT MADE ME SO HAPPY. 


#4. Ella & Char
From: Ella Enchanted {by Gail Carson Levine}


"I thought of a silly explanation for my presence upstairs.

'You've guessed why I shut myself up here,' I said.

'I have no idea.'  He opened a door.  Nothing worth examining.

'To avoid temptation.'

'What temptation?'  He grinned, anticipating a joke.  He was used to me.  I would have to labor to surprise him.

'Can't you guess?'

He shook his head.

'The temptation to slide down the stair rail, of course.'

He laughed, surprised after all.  'And why were you lying down?'

'I wasn't lying down.  I was sitting.'

'Pray tell why you were sitting.'

'To pretend I was sliding down the stair rail.'

He laughed again.  'You should have done it.  I would have caught you at the bottom.'" {Ch. 21}

(Sorry, that was a little long.  But wasn't it cute? ;-p)  Char and Ella are such a well-done reimagining of the Cinderella relationship.  I've liked most of the versions I've read/watched, but these two will probably always have a special place in my heart since the book was (and is) one of my favorites. <33

#3. Coral & Jace
From: the Heart of India trilogy {by Linda Chaikin}

This looks a little like them, but I don't think I'd cast those particular actors.

"'The waltz is so lovely, Captain. . . . Will you forget what I said in my letter?  I see now that I was wrong.  Can you forgive me?'

Was his grave expression a pretense?

'Well . . . '

'Oh, please!'

'I will give serious consideration to your request, say, during the next five waltzes?'" {Ch. 25 of Silk, the first book}

Have I squealed about this trilogy enough?  I rather doubt I have.  Guys, this is a fantastic Christian fiction trilogy that deserves to be better known.  It has its flaws, yes -- parts of it unavoidably fall into the cheesiness cliché -- but it's exemplary in its general avoidance of such pitfalls, in my opinion.  Like, the faith element is actually a thing.  AND GUYS THE ROMANCE IS VERY SQUEE-WORTHY.  It's been awhile since I've read the last book in the trilogy, but I seem to remember the first two being stronger.  Anyway, either way, YOU SHOULD READ IT.

#2. Shasta & Aravis
From: A Horse and His Boy {by C. S. Lewis}


"Shasta slipped his feet out of the stirrups, slid both his legs over on the left side, hesitated for one hideous hundredth of a second, and jumped.  It hurt horribly and nearly winded him; but before he knew how it hurt him he was staggering back to help Aravis.  He had never done anything like this in his life before and hardly knew why he was doing it now. {Ch. 10}

I LOVE THESE TWOOOOOOO. *happy sigh*  Both individually and as a couple.  I think they were one of the first couples that made me experience the joys of "shipping," though I didn't know what it was called back then, wee lamb that I was. 

Anyway, I thiiiiink this is my favorite Narnia book.  I can't be entirely sure, because The Magician's Nephew and Prince Caspian are both very far up the list, but I think this is my favorite.  So it's fitting that my favorite couple should be in this book, wouldn't you agree?  These two are preciousness personified, with all their bickering and distrust of each other at first.  And I didn't include the ending quote just in case some of you have been living under a rock and haven't read the books yet (YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF GO FIX IT IMMEDIATELY), but . . . those of you who've read it . . . the ending quote, am I right?! ;) ;) <3

#1. Eowyn & Faramir
From: The Lord of the Rings {by J. R. R. Tolkien}


There's really no question.  THIS couple is my favorite. <3

You can read their scene(s) -- which give me ALL THE FEELINGS -- in this post, if you wish.

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Thank you SO much for such a truly lovely blog party, Cordy! :)


Comments

  1. Mac and Rose!!! Love them. They don't get enough attention.
    Kit and Nat, Faramir and Eowyn, Shasta and Aravis, Ella and Char. So many good ones.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They're lovely! I just reread the book, and while I wasn't quite as enthralled as I was the first time I read them, I still love their relationship. <3

      Yes, yes, yes!! Thanks for commenting, Livia! :)

      Delete
  2. #4 - yep, cute couple, it's just sad that the movie isn't like the book at all but it was a good movie

    #2 - I like their relationship but they are young, honestly, I wouldn't mind reading more about them as adults

    'a horse and his boy' is my favorite narnia book too, sadly, this one will not be make into a movie like the others.

    I haven't read the other books so I can't judge but I'm going to put 'The Witch of Blackbird Pond' and 'The Hunting of the Last Dragon' on my reading list.

    have a lovely day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. #4, yeah, true. :-/ I love the book so much, but the movie does have nostalgia for me. :) And I think Char and Ella's relationship was cute in the movie, even though it was different from the book.

      #2, me neither! I want ALL the Shasta and Aravis things. :D Wouldn't it be adorable to hear about them growing up and realizing that they're starting to like each other "that way" as adolescents, for example?? ;) <3

      YAAASSS. I mean, I guess it's just as well, though -- I'd probably be SOOOO picky about how they adapt it, hee.

      Ooh, yay! Good choices! The Hunting of the Last Dragon took me a while to decide on, but those two characters are SO good.

      Thank you, you too! I appreciate the comments. <3

      Delete
  3. Mac and Rose, Ella and Char, and Rose and Mac are such great couples!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. THE ENDING QUOTE. OF "HORSE AND HIS BOY." YES.

    Gosh, I love that book <333 And, like you--Shasta and Aravis were one of my very first "ships," right up there with Laura and Almanzo in Little House. They're just so RIGHT for each other, can I get an amen??

    Really curious to read Heart of India, now. Because that is Very Adorable. *nods*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. YES EXACTLY. YOU UNDERSTAND. I CAN'T. Honestly, that book is one of my happy places. <3 (That is, Alex Jennings's audio book recording of it is one of my happy places. Feels like home, dontcha know. <3)

      WAAAWWW YES. Amen. ;)

      Eeeeekkk, you should!! For Christian fiction, I think it's Very Adorable Indeed. And very good overall. :) (But it's been a while since I read it.)

      Delete
  5. me encanta tu número 4, la 2 y la 1 los demás aún nos los he leído, pero se que los haré algún día :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hola! Muchas gracias por tu comentario. Lo siento si esto no es un gran español, estoy usando Google Translate. Tan contenta de haber leído algunos de los libros y están esperando para leer algunos de los otros! Además, miré su blog y se ve muy bien! Espero que estés teniendo un gran día. :)

      Delete
  6. There are only 3 here that I have read:

    The Scarlet Pimpernel - I actually JUST finished reading that for the first time!!! (Though I've grown up with the 1982 movie all my life.) IT WAS SO GOOD. And yes! They were such a good couple and THAT CHAPTER AND gahhhh...

    The Horse and His Boy - haha, yes they're a funny pair, them two. ;)

    The Lord of the Rings - Faramir and Eowyn forever and ever amen.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gabby, ISN'T THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL AMAZE. I need to reread it. Post-haste. (And I want to see the 1982 movie again!) I'M SO GLAD YOU AGREE. <33

      Haha, they're precious. :)

      YAS.

      Delete
  7. *screams* *screams louder* *takes a moment to breathe* *starts screaming again*

    OLIVIA. I have said it before, but now I am sure of it. We have some sort of brain connection. Example:
    The other day, I was sitting on the couch when my dad started to watch TV. He was watching this movie that was actually pretty interresting. I didn't get to see the ending, because I had to go, but I couldn't get that movie out of my head. So I look it up, it was called Flipped. I saw that it was based on a book, so I looked up the book: I HAD JUST READ A BOOK BY WENDELIN VAN DRAANEN THE DAY BEFORE. Then I come here.... and Bryce and Juli are in your favorites!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    (Oh, and Ella and Char make me happy. :D)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. *huge grinning* TWINSIEEEESSS *tackles you in a hug*

      YOU SHOULD BOTH READ AND WATCH "FLIPPED". Yes. Indeed you should. Oh, and what other van Draanen book had you just read??

      (Haha, same. :))

      Delete
  8. Neil is definitely better than David. I'm glad they end up together. <3 (I don't really like that picture, either. :P Is it from the book?)

    I need to read The Witch of Blackbird Pond, apparently.

    I've never heard of The Hunting of the Last Dragon! I'm intrigued! Do you think I'd like it?

    Still haven't read Rose in Bloom, either...

    YES! Percy and Marguerite! :)

    Haven't heard of Flipped, either...would I like it? ;)

    AWWWWWW. But now we come to Ella and Char and I sure know them. <3 They are the SWEETEST. Seriously. I can't wait to read that book again because it's beautiful and feelsy and funny every time.

    WHY ARE ALL OF THESE COUPLES FROM BOOKS I'VE NEVER READ?? Okay, I do vaguely remember you talking about the Heart of India trilogy before....I need to read it.

    Ahhhh, Shasta and Aravis are EPIC. And adorable. And wonderful. I too think The Horse and His Boy MAY be my favorite Narnia book. At least the 2nd favorite. <3

    Heeheehee. Why am I not surprised? ;) (BUT YES THEY ARE PRECIOUS.♥)

    This was such a fun post, Olivia!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep, I agree. (Well, I mean, that Neil is better for Christy -- not necessarily that he's better as a person. You know. ;-P) (Heehee, yeah, I don't know why I used it, really -- I don't know if it was supposed to be Neil and Christy originally, but on Pinterest it had that caption, or something like that, so . . . yeah. Heh.)

      YES YOU DO. I feel like you'd really like it. :)

      Okay, it was so interesting! It's . . . it's a little weird. And it was kind of a delayed reaction, but I realized how adorable the two main characters are. I feel like . . . you might like reading it, even if you don't really like it?? It's hard to explain. It's set in medieval times, and it's pretty "frank" about some things -- I mean, these two people are traveling together and they're both of a certain age, so the guy "notices" and "wonders" about some things, even though nothing inappropriate happens. But anyway, some of that "frankness" was a little bit weird to me at first, but I'd say it's definitely worth a read if only for how adorable those two are together. :) (Sorry. Long and convoluted answer. :-P)

      Aww! I recently re-read that one, actually (after posting this), and while I still loved the romance, I didn't love the book itself as much this time around. :-/

      THEY ARE WONDERFUL. <3

      Waaawww, it's so adorable. I don't know for sure! It's middle grade romance, so . . . I don't know! I seem to remember that there is some language that's way too strong for middle grade, but if there is, it's pretty brief. I guess it just depends on if the genre seems to interest you?? :)

      YES THEY'RE ADORABLE. <3 Same! It's been a little while, actually.

      YOU MUST READ THE HEART OF INDIA TRILOGY. I feel like you'd really like it. :)

      GAAAHHHHH I KNOW. *gurgles happily* Yes. <3 Which would be the first favorite, if not THAHB, for you? :)

      Hehehehe ;)

      Awww, thanks!! Thanks for such a fun comment. :)

      Delete
    2. You were SO right about The Witch of Blackbird Pond!!! ♥♥ Gahh. Still suffering from (good) feels. :)

      Okay, I getcha! That does sound super interesting so...I'll put it on the list. ;)

      As to Flipped...it doesn't intrigue me as much as "The Hunting of the Last Dragon" because usually I'm not into modern fiction that much...but I may still give it a try. Thanks for the info! :D

      I definitely have high hopes for the Heart of India after TWoBP. ;)

      Oooh, probably The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. BUT, I haven't finished my "series reread" yet though. So...we'll see. :)

      Delete
    3. I'M SO HAPPY YOU LOVED IT. <333 :D I still need to reread it . . .

      Yay!! :D

      Yeah, same here. Liked this one, though! But yeah, I mean, it's not one that I'd immediately think, "Oh my word, Natalie MUST read this!!!" But at the same time, it's very cute and sweet. :)

      ACCCKKKK YES. <333

      Cool! Ahhh, the series reread . . . yes, indeed. ;D

      Delete
  9. I liked everything about this post, Olivia! I mean you had pictures AND snippets!! What more could I ask for?! Nothing. I am perfectly content. :D

    That picture from the Scarlet Pimpernel. *sigh* THE Scarlet Pimpernel...*another sigh* Just perfection!

    I will always have a place in my heart of the (book) Ella and Char.

    FARAMIR AND EOWYN!! You have very good taste!! I've tried to create "top ten" lists and I fail except for knowing they are my top favorite couple. They will probably stay there for the rest of my life. (Not that I'm complaining. ;))

    Again, fantastic post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awwwww! Haha, thanks, Cordy! I love that. :D

      EXACTLY. <3

      Yesh. :)

      Aaaack, we have the same favorite couple?! Now, how did I not know that?! YAY US!! :D

      Awww, thank you!! :) <3

      Delete

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