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These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things…In Romances.

- Updated // 41 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday, as  always, is hosted at my other blog — The Broke & the Bookish

This week’s topic: 10 things I like/dislike in romances in books

With Valentine’s Day coming up, what better time to talk about the things I love the MOST when it concerns romance in books. These things get me a-swoonin’ hardcore.

 

1. Banter: IS THERE NOTHING MORE DELIGHTFUL THAN SEXUAL TENSION LADEN BANTER?!? I love banter. It makes me giddy.The more banter the more I’ll be shipping it.

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2. Slow burn romance: You can take your instalove and give me slow burn romance ANY DAY. Omg the tension. The longing. The intensification of all those FEELS. The OMG-I-CAN’T-TAKE-IT-ANYMORE-PLEASE-JUMP-EACH-OTHERS-BONES feeling. I love a good whirlwind romance when done right but the slow burn always lights my heart on fire.

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3. The “I kind of hate you” turned “woah hey actually I WANT YOU”: Logan and Veronica anybody??? Also, I actually REALLY didn’t like Will when I first met him and now we are married all these years later so I have a soft spot. AND CAN WE JUST TALK ABOUT HOW I SWEAR IT IS EVEN BETTER WHEN THEY FINALLY GET TOGETHER?? SO MUCH PASSION.

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4. The boy/girl next door or the “have known each other since we were wee ones” thang: Particularly if they are friends! I think of Lola and Cricket from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins or Corey/Topanga from Boy Meets World. I love all that history they have. I think the reason I love this one so much is because throughout middle school and high school I had this weird “was never a romance but we always liked each other just not at the same time” thing with the boy across the street. It was kind of adorable when I think about all the flirting and hanging out that went on being neighbors/good friends but all that tension! We DID go to a homecoming dance together but that’s the furthest it went.

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5. Opposites attract (also opposite side of the tracks): If there was ONE way to categorize mine and Will’s relationship is this. We are the most opposites ever and it just WORKS somehow. I love seeing it in books whether it is because she’s the prom queen and he’s the nerd or the live on different sides of the tracks…I’m all over it. I love watching people get past what they think makes them so different.

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BONUS: OTPs that have to go through hell and back to finally be together!!! Because sometimes IT IS THAT HARD.

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BRB I CANNOT CONTAIN ALL MY LoVE feeeeeeels.

So tell me…what are some things you LOVE in your romances?

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About Jamie

Jamie is a 32 year old married lady (with a new baby!!) who is in denial that she's actually that old to be a married lady and a mom. When she's not reading you can find her doing Pilates followed by eating ice cream, belting out Hamilton (loud and offkey) and having adventures with her husband, daughter and rescue dog.

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Comments

  2. Carrie-Anne says

    I also love the childhood sweethearts motif. It was very disappointing for me to grow up and realize many people don’t have that kind of childhood romance which grows into real couplehood and automatic marriage by the college years. I’d seen it in so many books and TV shows, it seemed unfair to find out it’s often just a fantasy.

    Reply

  5. Chelsea Smith says

    Jamie! This post is amazing. I LOVE (LoVe ;)) all of the gifs you used in this post– they are all of my favorite couples. I also completely agree with you on everything you said. Thank you so much for being so amazing. I am so grateful for your blog!

    Reply

  7. Trina says

    Great list! I actually remembered TTT this week and tried to do it but I just couldn’t word myself well! I would have also had the slow burn and the opposites attract on my list. One thing I can’t stand is when the first time 2 characters even hold hands the next thing you know they are in bed. That gives me nothing to look forward to! Anticipating them getting together is so much more fulfilling! And I love seeing opposites overcome the things that would keep them apart. Really, I agree with every point on your list. <3 <3

    Reply

  9. Mel@thedailyprophecy says

    I LOVE BANTER. I don’t like a lot of focus on the romance and I’d rather have an interesting plot, but when the MC and love-interest hate each other and they go back and forth *swoon* Together with slow-burn romance, I’m all for it!

    Reply

  11. laetitia says

    OMG! Have you read the new Veronica Mars books rob Thomas wrote since the movie? (2 of them already) they are so good! Love a slow burn romance btw 🙂

    Reply

  21. Elizabeth says

    Oh, a Heath Ledger gif? Jamie, you are making me sad-swoon right there! I also love good banter in my romances… humor is one thing that has kept my relationship with my husband going and we’ve been together almost 10 years. Crazy!

    Reply

  22. Rebecca @ The Library Canary says

    I love banter and that slow-burn relationship. When you’re sitting there screaming for them to just kiss already and they don’t, but when they finally do it is AMAZING!! I also love a lot of sexual tension in a relationship. It makes it that much better when they finally give into it.

    The opposites attract one is good too. My husband and I are completely opposite and it just makes our relationship work so well. Great list!!

    Reply

  23. Morgan @ Gone with the Words says

    10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU. I love it so much!!!! The banter is perfection in that movie, and I love it in my books too! I neeeed it and yes, it makes me ship the ship harder. Snarky, flirty, tension-laden banter. Give me.

    “The OMG-I-CAN’T-TAKE-IT-ANYMORE-PLEASE-JUMP-EACH-OTHERS-BONES feeling.” This exactly. Slow burn romances are the best!!! I love watching them develop and smiling more and more as it happens.

    Omg I remember reading your Will story, which I think is the funniest thing ever. Total YA novel haha! Hate to love is fantastic, mainly because it leads to…. BANTERRRR. 😀

    The boy next door always appealed to me because I wanted that haha. But there’s something so adorable about it, it’s hard to resist!

    Reply

  28. S.Huston says

    Oh. My. Gosh! Veronica and Logan?! Corey and Topanga?! I can’t. So. Many. Feeels. Also, spot on post. I’m really loving seeing everyone’s opinion on this topic!

    Reply

  30. Jade @ Bedtime Bookworm says

    Is that 10 Things I Hate About You?? (RIP Heath you sexy beast!) I love slow-burning romances and have-known-each-other-all-their-lives romances too! And the opposites attract one is really good too – my fiancé and I are actually TOTAL opposites as well and we often joke about it (I think he is coming to terms with my new blogging hobby hehe).

    Reply

  37. Alexa S. says

    I love, love, love the stuff you mentioned you love in your fictional romances, Jamie! I definitely agree with every single one. My favorite that you’ve mentioned is slow burn – I love watching the tension build and build and build until the two parties in question can no longer resist. It’s LOVELY.

    Reply

  38. Stephanie Allen says

    I LOVE BANTER. SO MUCH. Partly because I love books that make me chuckle out loud, and partly because my favorite people IRL are the ones who can keep up with my banter. (I have actually not called guys back due to lack of banter skillz, true story. I’ve accepted that I’m probably going to be alone forever. Because Heath Ledger’s character in 10 Things I Hate About You has ruined men for me. Sigh.)

    Reply

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