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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Top Ten Romances In Books



 For more info on Top Ten Tuesday & the future schedule go here!
There are a few ways you could have interpreted today's topic -- romantic couples, the swooniest most romantic books, or your favorite romance novels!

Just One Day (Just One Day, #1)Jana's Pick: Just One Day by Gayle Forman

OH MY. This book is super romantic and amazing, plus it took place during the best possible day ever. And Allyson and Willem... holy moly. I was swooning all over the place. And it's in Paris! You could not ask for a better love story.







Daisy's Picks: I can't choose, I need categories:

The Swoony YA Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: absolutely LOVED IT! So much tension and a romance actually based on more than just one quick glance! Also, it's set in Paris, can you really think of anything more romantic than falling in love with a boy in a boarding school in PARIS??

The Classic Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: it really doesn't get any better than the story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Seriously. I swoon EVERY TIME at Mr. Darcy's declaration of love towards the end. And I picture Matthew Macfadyen for obvious reasons.

The Sexy Historical Romance Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean: because Callie and Gabriel will forever be my favourite Sarah MacLean couple. They just have this amazing spark and the romance is filled with TENSION and *fans herself*

Jamie's Pick:

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith (Hadley and Oliver): It's really just a SPARK of a romance in this one but it's so wonderful and sweet and such a whirlwind of a day. I used to always have this fantasy, before I was a married spud, about meeting someone (read: very cute & smart guy with exceptional taste in music and movies and books) on a train or plane and falling in love so this book totally was my thang!

Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty (Jessica Darling & Marcus Flutie): I love this series and I loved the growth of them through high school and college and beyond! You want to strangle them sometimes but this series is just great!

Kimberly's  Pick:


River of Time Series- (Gabi and Marcello)- This is a time travel series, involving a modern girl and the typical hot medieval guy. Normally, that would not be appealing to me. WAY too stereotypical. And yet... I absolutely adore these two. Their relationship isn't perfect, it's realistic (well, if you don't count the time traveling stuff.).. every element of their relationship makes it believable. They are a wonderful match for each other, it's practically impossible anyone else being more perfect for them. It's not just fluff, both characters are strong and don't let being in love render them stupid and useless.

20 Boy Summer
(Anna and Matt) - They were best friends, grew up together and knew just about everything about each other. They happened to be two best friends that fall in love. It's also a tragic story, but I still love what they had. I've always been a sucker for the types of romances that come from the best friends falling in love. Somehow it's more romantic than a whirlwind romance. (Always trying to find more stories like that, any suggestions?)



Tahleen's Pick:

Since Daisy picked mine (both her YA and her classic pick), I'll just have to figure something else out! I am a big fan of Jill Mansell's romantic comedies, not only because they usually have crazy situations that are deliciously twisted around themselves, but because they star likable people who are British (since they all take place in Britain). I think the best word might be "madcap" for her stuff, but my favorite book of hers so far is Take a Chance on Me, followed closely by Staying at Daisy's. If you're looking for a great romantic comedy look no further.


What are your favorite romances in books?? Agree with ours?



55 comments:

  1. Anna and the French Kiss made my list too and this just reminds me I need to get to Statistical Probability and 20 Boy Summer still

    marissa
    http://raegunwear.blogspot.com

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    1. Yes you do need to read 20 Boy Summer! I really loved it.

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  2. Elizabeth and Darcy made mine too. And Jill Mansell is one of my favourite writers. Her characters are definitely always likeable. I hadn't though of interpreting this as anything other than couples haha.

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    1. I love Jill Mansell's books! And you're right: the characters are always likeable :) They're such feel-good reads :)

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  3. Elizabeth and Darcy are just classic--can't go wrong. Also love Hadley and Oliver!

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    1. Elizabeth and Darcy are timeless, I can reread Pride and Prejudice over and over again and never get tired of it :)
      And I really need to read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight!

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  4. I keep seeing Statistical Probability popping up in top ten lists. Someday, I will check this out.
    I actually wasn't a fan of 20 Boy Summer, although I love Ockler's other books - I wanted Matt to be more open about their relationship.
    And Anna and Etienne are ADORABLE.

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    1. I can agree with you there. I wish that he had just told everyone, would have made things a LOT easier...

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  5. Great list! Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy is definitely making a lot of lists this week (including mine, lol) *thumbs up* I've also been meaning to check out the River of Time series, heard lots of good things about it =)

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    1. I really loved the series! Make sure to check it out, hope you love it!

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  6. Lol Tahleen ;) And I totally considered adding Jill Mansell cause I LOVE her books! She's an auto-buy author for me :)
    And I really need to read all the other books mentioned, I pretty much own all of them, so...

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    1. Yeah, I was like, geez Daisy take all my choices! ;)

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  7. So glad you enjoyed the River of Time series Kimberly!!

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  8. I loved Just One Day! Anna & The French Kiss, too. I was trying not to let myself be completely swayed by books I'd read most recently, but these two were definitely on my mind. Great topic!

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  9. Oh shoot. I linked twice by accident. Anyway, I am a brand new blogger and I'm just joining in on Top Ten Tuesday, but I also had Pride and Prejudice, as well as The Stat Prob of Love at First Sight. I approached it more from the couple point of view than romance novels, but it was easier for me to come up with a list that way.

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  10. First time to join! Hmmm... I really did list 10 fave books.... Lol

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  11. AWESOME picks!! I cannot WAIT to read Just One Day, it's the next thing I'm picking up.

    And I LOVE Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight!!

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  12. Daisy - I loved "Nine Rules" by Sarah MacLean, but I still have yet to read the others! Kimberly - And that time travel series looks good...adding to my Amazon wish list!
    And nothing from Julia, the romance queen?:) Well, I already know your love of the Bridgertons!

    I just read "Never Seduce a Scot" by Maya Banks, and Graeme and Emeline have become a favourite couple of mine. Highly recommend, and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

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  13. I'm loving contemporary romances right now, your picks have given me so many ideas and so many I have to read that nexts. It's a problem.

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  14. I have both Anna and the French Kiss and Pride and Prejudice on my list too! I love those books.
    I really want to read Just One Day, it sounds very good. I hope I get to read it soon.

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  15. Jessica and Marcus made my list too! I haven't read Just One Day yet, but I am dying to. I can't believe I left Adam and Mia off my list though!

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  16. I'll have to look some of these up - my romance reading is woefully sparse and they sound great!

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  17. I have quite a few of these on my list! I didn't think to include the Waterfall series, but OMG LOVE that series. It's swoontastic.

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  18. My answers is in Swedish but can be traslated : http://www.bokalskarinnan.org/2013/02/top-ten-tuesday.html

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  19. Great picks! Gotta love the classics! My TTT is at LKHill and Musings on Fantasia. Happy Tuesday! ;D

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  20. YES!!! Allyson + Willem, Anna + St. Clair, Hadley + Oliver = all on my list too! :) Great choices, ladies! This was a really fun one!!

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  21. I focused on couples, but if I had just focused on romance/love stories, The Statistical Probability totally would have been on my list! Great picks, ladies!

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  22. I KNEW Jamie would also pick Jessica Darling and Marcus Flutie! :) Thought of her when I added them to my own list. Happy early Valentine's Day!

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  23. I love these picks! Lots almost made my own list: Anna & Etienne, Allyson & Willem, Gabi & Marcello, Callie & Gabriel, Hadley & Oliver! SO MANY! LOL And now I must read the others to experience those. :D

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  24. Great choices! Who doesn't love Anna & Etienne and Lord Marcello and Gabi. Those are true loves that we can only dream off.

    Great topic today!!!

    Yara

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  25. Marcus and Jessica are totally on my list. Can you say major, major swoon?

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  26. Anna and the French Kiss and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight made my list too :D great picks and a really great topic this week! :)

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  27. I really must read Anna and the French Kiss this year. I don't think I've heard one negative thing about it.

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  28. Aw, I neglected 20 Boy Summer but that's a great romance and read. I definitely agree on Anna and the French Kiss--so does everyone else apparently!

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  29. Some really great choices :). this one was difficult!

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  30. I've seen Anna and the French Kiss and Gale Forman on so many lists, I'll definitely have to get round to reading them.

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  31. Anna and the French Kiss is one of my next books TBR - just downloaded it the other week! So excited! And, now I have to check out the other books - I love romance! Sighhhhhhh. :) Great picks!

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  32. Great picks - I have a few of them on my TTT as well! Swoon...

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  33. Wonderful lists. I am really going to have to read Anna and the French Kiss!

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  34. I picked a lot of YA dystopia/fantasy couples because...yes. Although, I realize that my list is surprisingly heteronormative. Sigh. I did a Top Ten Tuesday post at my blog and included links to discussions about sex in YA, writing references for body language, female characters, and kissing ;)

    Thanks! I had fun going through my memory of books and picking out which couples stood out to me. :)
    --Katie

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  35. This was a hard one to narrow down to ten. But I did it. Thanks for the topic guys!!

    Sara @ Just Another Story

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  36. statistical probability was super cute. i was on a plane recently and was hoping for a similar romance. alas, it did not happen.

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  37. Great picks! Anna and the French Kiss and Pride and Prejudice made my list! :D

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  38. I forgot about Anna and Matt in Twenty Boy Summer, but I agree, I loved that one! I love that it made such an impression, too, even though it didn't actual get that much page time.

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  39. Everyone has been talking about Anna and the French Kiss and the Jessica Darling series... I need to get on it and read those!

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  40. I adore Jill Mansell! Great call on including one of hers :-)

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  41. I have a Jill Mansell waiting in my TBR pile. You've got me all excited now; I love madcap romances!

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  42. Jane Austen is always a winner for me and I love Stephanie Perkins, although I didn't add her to my list. There were too many others.
    Some great sounding books!
    Tammy @ http://bosbooknook.blogspot.com

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  43. 2 Jane Austen couples made my list. I keep hearing about One Day I think it will be in my TBR soon.

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  44. This list is fabulous! I am printing out these recommendations now :) I love reading books about a couple that I am rooting for throughout and really want them to end up together. Nothing makes things more interesting than a forbidden love :) I recently read a book with the "forbidden love" theme called Shanghai Love by author Layne Wong(http://laynewong.com/). It is an unlikely love story between a Chinese herbalist and a Jewish refugee looking for safety from Nazi Germany. The herbalist, Peilin, was betrothed to a man who was killed before their wedding but tradition and honor forced the marriage along anyways. She is sent to Shanghai to manage his family's herbal shop. Shanghai is also Henri's destination as he has graduated from medical school as Hitler is rising to power. He flees to Shanghai where he’s befriended by Ping, Peilin's brother.Through her kindness, Henri becomes fascinated with Chinese herbs as well as the exotic culture surrounding him. The historical aspect of the book is fascinating as well as the characters and their difficult pasts. Peilin is such a strong, inspiring lead character you really want her to be happy! A novel needs to have characters that you care about and this one accomplishes that with ease :) Hope you give it a read!

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