Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week there is a new topic for bloggers to choose and list their top ten. This week’s theme is a love freebie, so I picked My Favourite Romance Tropes and My Top Ten Bookish OTPs that Fall Under Them.
Normally when it comes to Top Ten Tuesday’s Love Freebies I feature my bookish OTPs, or my favourite quotes from my favourite OTPs, but after a couple of years of that I’m trying something new for 2018. It’s well known that I’m too weak to walk by fairytale retellings or magical realism stories, but there are also plenty of relationships tropes I just can’t resist when I see them featured in the book I’m reading.
Partners in Crime
Darrow and Mustang
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Darrow and Mustang were one of my favourite OTPs from 2017. While some people struggle to keep up with Darrow and the way his mind works Mustang seems to know his plans better than him. The relationship they have is an equal one; Mustang doesn’t need Darrow to save her and Darrow knows Mustang can and will stand on her own two feet without him.
Kaz Brekker and Inej Ghafa
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Really this could apply to any of the Six of Crows couples, but in my mind it applies to Kaz and Inej more than any other. Kaz is always going to be the puppet master, holding all the strings and making the plans, and Inej is always going to be his wraith in the dark gathering secrets. The two would be able to work well on their own but together they’re unstoppable.
Soulmates/Resurrection
I do love the idea of couples fated to be together, but I think it’s very easy for this to turn into insta-love which is one of the romance tropes I hate with a passion.
Maya and Amar
The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi
There are a few mixed reviews for this book, and I know for some people Maya and Amar’s relationship was more on the insta-love side of the spectrum, but I loved their relationship. Maya knows Amar is keeping secrets but at the same time he opens up his whole world for her.
Karou and Akiva
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
The relationship between Karou and Akiva could fit into so many different tropes; partners in crime, soulmates, and enemies to lovers. Their background was full of heartache and betrayal as well as the love, and there was a lot for the two to overcome before the end of the series.
Friends to Lovers
Monty and Percy
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
When it comes to bookish OTPs I discovered in 2017 I think Monty and Percy are the best. I loved their story as they tried to make their way across Europe and as Monty struggled to hide his feelings. There was nothing more frustrating than Monty putting his foot in his mouth and ruining their moments together but nothing better when he and Percy finally admitted their feelings.
Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase
Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
The relationship between Percy and Annabeth grew over the first five books until the very end of The Last Olympian when they finally kissed for the first time. They’re number one on my list of bookish OTPs simply because we saw their relationship grow and develop from the very beginning; from the moment they met as 12 year olds, to the end of the battle for Olympus and beyond.
Enemies to Lovers
Simon Snow and Baz Grimm-Pitch
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
I loved the back-and-forth between Simon and Baz in Carry On; the constant sarcastic sniping at one another, and the mistrust because of their backgrounds that had to be put to one side as they work to uncover the truth of Baz’s mother’s death. Baz and Simon are the very definition of opposites attract, but I loved their story and their relationship so much.
Paige and Warden
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
Thinking about it more I can’t say for certain that Paige and Warden classify as part of the Enemies to Lovers trope given that, while Paige hates Warden in the first book, Warden isn’t 100% against Paige at the beginning. Still as a clairvoyant and a Rephaite their relationship is forbidden, even though they’re on the same side it’s still not safe for them to admit their feelings for one another.
Love Triangle
Again love triangles are not always a romance trope I enjoy reading. I hate it when a love triangle has been added simply to increase the tension in a story and keep the reader hooked, it feels cheap to me, but there are a few love triangles I love that have been really well written.
Tessa, Will and Jem
The Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare
When it comes down to it this is my favourite love triangle and the best one I’ve ever read. What makes it stand out for me is that Will and Jem weren’t in competition with one another; as much as Will loves Tessa he loves Jem just as much, and it’s the same for Jem which makes all the difference.
Caden, Dylan and Juliet
The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich
I wasn’t a massive fan of this book, it had a lot of potential but so much of the character development was rushed. Still I love the concept, and Cale Dietrich’s idea of turning the love triangle trope on its head is something I loved so I’d enjoy seeing it in more books.
So what do you think? Did you take part in this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, if so let me know what you picked for this week’s themed free-for-all, or romance tropes you can’t resist reading and what tropes your ultimate OTPs fall under.
This was such a cool way of interpreting the meme. I absolutely love the partners in crime- and Mustang and Darrow are perfect for this! And yes to Kaz and Inej too! I do love soulmates and resurrection- it’s so perfect in Daughter of Smoke and Bone as well. Friends to lovers is one of my favourite tropes too- so I’m looking forward to gentleman’s guide even more. And I love enemies to lovers- and simon and baz are *amazing*!! I normally don’t like love triangles either- but it definitely works in Infernal devices. Awesome list!!
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Thanks so much, I’m really glad you enjoyed my post and my take on the theme as well! Yeah couples that work well together are a weakness of mine, and Darrow and Mustang and Kaz and Inej are two perfect examples in my mind! 🙂
It can turn into insta-love sometimes but obviously not when Laini Taylor is writing it, and oh I’m sure you’ll love The Gentleman’s Guide too. It’s an incredible book and Monty and Percy are a brilliant OTP as well. 😀
I feel like for me TID is the only series where it works, but I guess there’s an exception to every rule right? Thanks so much. 🙂 ❤️
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You’re welcome! Ah yes me too!! 😀
Yeah that’s true, but I didn’t see it that way with Taylor. And great! 😀
Ah I definitely agree with you there!
You’re welcome! 😀 ❤
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I feel like Laini Taylor could write a love triangle and I’d love it (and usually I can’t stand that trope!) 😀
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hahaha yes! (although I’d prefer she didn’t 😉 I don’t like that trope either 😉 )
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Ha, well yeah same here but if she did I’d still read it! 😀
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Maya and Amar 😍😍😍 I personally loved The Star-Touched Queen so much and especially adored how the romance! I love how their dynamic unfloded and would have loved to have even more books with them 🙂 I’m also very excited for the romance in A Crown of Wishes, hopefully I’ll like it as well 🙂
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Oh same here, it was such a beautiful book. The romance, the characters, the story, the world, everything was wonderfully written and yeah it was one of my favourites of the year I read it (2016 I think).
I really hope you love A Crown of Wishes too Caro. I actually loved it even more than The Star-Touched Queen so I’m sure you’ll love it too. 😀
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Yes to all of this, it became one of my favorites as well 😍😍😍
Oooh then hopefully I’ll love it too 😍
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Every time i read one of your TTT I feel like we’re Book Twins! LOL! “Mustang doesn’t need Darrow to save her and Darrow knows Mustang can and will stand on her own two feet without him.” YASSSS! This is exactly why I love them so much & why I’m rooting for them at the moment to well you know 😉 Kaz & Inej = GIVE ME MORE! haha! I really need to read The Star Touched Queen *gently kicks herself* smh.Will, Tessa, and James will forever be the only triangle i mentally accept lol. Such great answers Beth! ❤ ❤ ❤
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Ha, we do have a lot of books in common, and I’ve discovered a lot I’ve loved thanks to your reviews as well Lilly! 😀 Yes I LOVE Mustang and Darrow together so much, I feel like there’s nothing they can’t do when they work as a team but I love them as individual characters just as much.
I hope we get to see Kaz and Inej again in one of Leigh Bardugo’s books. I’d definitely recommend The Star-Touched Queen Lilly, and yes that’s the only love triangle I like too. 🙂
Thanks Lilly! 😀 ❤
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This comment made me so happy ☺️💕 I agree with everything you said & double the hopes for Kaz & Inej cause theirs is a unfinished story 💜💜💜
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I have a feeling at some point there’ll be a Nina book because of the way her story ended. So hopefully if there is we’ll get more of Kaz, Inej, Jesper and Wylan too! 😀 ❤
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Oh that’s something I can also hope for 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼
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Oh this is such a lovely post, Beth 🙂 I agree that there is a fine line between fated romances and insta-love, sometimes it’s hard to make a difference between the two. I’m really curious about The Star Touched Queen and hope to be able to read this book soon, you’re making me more curious about it now with that romance 🙂
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Thanks so much Marie. 🙂 ❤️ Yeah definitely a fine line, and sometimes a couple that may be insta-love for me will not be for someone else so it’s kind of a little bit of personal preference (not sure if that’s the right word) as well. I really do hope you enjoy The Star-Touched Queen, either way it’s a beautiful story so even if you think it is a little too insta-love hopefully you’ll fall in love with the story/world anyways! 🙂
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Great list, I love the love triangle between Will, Jem and Tessa it’s one of the few done well and I love Monty and Percy 😀
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Thanks so much, and yeah normally I hate love triangles but there is an exception to every rule and that exception for me is Will, Jem and Tessa! 🙂
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Your welcome 😀
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I love Kaz and Inej so much! And Percy and Annabeth, oh my god! I also have so many of the books referenced here in my TBR… Ahh! Great list!
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Percy and Annabeth are one of my ultimate OTPs, and Kaz and Inej has such an incredible relationship in Six of Crows. I loved them so much!
Ah I’d definitely recommend the rest of these books Andrea, hopefully you’ll love the stories and couples as much as I did! 😀
Thanks. 🙂 ❤️
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Alright, I hope I’ll be able to get to them soon!! 💕
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I’m not into romance and I was dreading my inbox ending up full of Valentine’s Day posts (I’m ace/aro, I already feel like an alien today), but I actually really enjoyed this post. I like a lot of the same pairings as you, apparently. Haven’t read all of these books, but of those I have, I mostly agree with your assessment 🙂
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Honestly I’m not into romance that much either (not really a fan of Valentine’s Day at all I just let it pass like any other day) but I can’t really resist when it comes to bookish couples. 🙂 Like most things in my life books are the exception.
I’m glad you enjoyed my post, and definitely glad you agree about most of these couples too. If you pick up any of the books you haven’t read I really hope you enjoy them as well. 😀
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I really like the way you split that into different categories!! And the couples you chose were totally top notch!
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Thanks so much Kat, and yeah pretty much all the couples on this list are favourite OTPs of mine (though some more favourite than others!) 😀
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I thought Daughter of Smoke and Bone was lovely. I have The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue in my TBR pile, I really should try to bump it up.
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Daughter of Smoke and Bone is one of my ultimate all time favourites, and The Gentleman’s Guide is a brilliant book as well. I’d highly recommend it and I’m sure you’ll love it! 😀
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Hey, I’m Vinjii on Twitter. Found your blog thanks to Daniela 🙂 I love the Enemies to Lover trope. Will check out the books you recommended.
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Hi Vinjii. 🙂 Oh I’m glad you discovered my blog then, and thanks for checking out my posts as well. Enemies to lovers is probably my favourite trope of all, and I hope you find some books on here you’ll enjoy as well! 😀
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Kaz and Inej!!!! It was such a complex relationship that was so, so brilliantly introduced in Six of Crows. I was amazed by how it was written into the story and brought to life without starting from scratch. Absolutely beautiful!
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Yes I loved how their characters developed, and how their relationship developed off the back of that as well. I think it’s incredible how we got such an amazing couple over just two books, there have been some characters from series much longer I don’t ship nearly as much as I do Kaz and Inej. 😀
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Kaz and Inej were 100% my OTP of 2017. They truly are the epitome of partners in crime, and they complement and support each other in a way that’s really unique and lovely.
Have you read the companion to The Star-Touched Queen? I liked STQ a lot, but I LOVED A Crown of Wishes. It’s got a great enemies/rivals to lovers arc!
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Oh same here (but 2016 for me because that’s when I read Crooked Kingdom!). They worked really well together and I loved how much they understood one another as well. That’s what made them so good at what they did I think.
Yep I read A Crown of Wishes the second I got my hands on it and I agree definitely better than TSTQ (though TSTQ was an amazing book as well!) 😀
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Hello Beth ❤
I really can't resist the Enemies to Lovers trope haha, and so Simon and Baz are one of my favourite couples! The Gentleman's Guide is a book I've been meaning to read for a while now – it sounds like a fun story 🙂
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Hi Sophie. 🙂 Yeah the enemies to lovers trope is definitely a favourite of mine. I feel like I have to read any book with that trope in it! 😀
Simon and Baz are probably one of my ultimate OTPs (I loved Carry On so much) and definitely pick up The Gentleman’s Guide as soon as you have a chance, it’s a brilliant book. 😀
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Haha yes! I would absolutely read any book with the enemies to lovers trope as well 🙂 I think I will have to bump up The Gentleman’s Guide on my list haha 🙂
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Yay! I just saw the cover for the companion novel to The Gentleman’s Guide, and it’s made me want to re-read it again! 😀
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I didn’t realize there was a sequel! Very cool 🙂
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Yeah, the blurb released for it sounds incredible! 😀
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awww I love romance tropes! I feel like you that they can all have their place in a book when written and developed well. ❤
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Same here. As much as there are some tropes I can’t stand there are more out there I love, but you’re right they need to be well written and developed for me to love them. 🙂
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I adore partners-in-crime! I think it’s so amazing to see characters’ bonds grow stronger with everything they do. But also: PERCABETH!
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Oh definitely, I love seeing two characters whose personalities compliment one another and who work so well together like Kaz and Inej and Darrow and Mustang.
Yep, Percabeth are one of my ultimate OTPs! 😀
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Friends to lovers is my favourite romance trope and Percy and Annabeth are one of my favourite couples! I’m still not totally sure about Paige and Warden, the fact that she’s nineteen and he’s hundreds of years old bothers me. I’m also not keen on the soulmates trope because I don’t believe in them.
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/13/top-ten-tuesday-146/
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Yeah when it comes to the friends to lovers trope I knew I just had to include Percy and Annabeth, they’re pretty much my ultimate OTP! 🙂 Oh that’s a shame, both about Paige and Warden and the soulmates trope, but I guess we can’t all enjoy the same things when it comes to books can we? I’m sure there are plenty of other tropes you enjoy much more as well. 😀
Thanks for the link, I’ll definitely check out your TTT post. 🙂
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They’re mine as well! No we can’t, and I think that’s the best thing about reading. No problem 🙂
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i love friends to lovers and enemies to lovers so much! and i absolutely adore gentleman’s guide 😍
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They’re probably my favourite tropes of the lot, and yeah The Gentleman’s Guide was actually one of my favourite reads last year. I had to include it in my list this week for that reason alone! 😀
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A great list.. .and a lot of new to me authors. Thanks! My Top 10 is here: https://jhthomas.blogspot.com/2018/02/top-ten-tuesday-favorite-love-scenes.html
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Thanks so much, and I hope you enjoy these authors if you do decide to check out their work.
Thanks for the link as well, I’ll definitely check out your TTT post. 🙂
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