Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and whether you celebrate it or not, I think we can agree that we all need a little bit of romance in our life once in a while. And if real life doesn’t deliver, at least we have books to give us what we need. We’ve made a list of a few of our favorite love stories (in no particular order), be they from contemporary novels, fantasy series, or historical fiction. These stories have moved us, made our hearts burst, and shown us the many twists and turns love can take. Believe us, we went through all of it again while making this list. The feels, my friends, the feels! Do you agree with our picks?
Kestrel & Arin, The Winner’s Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski
She turned to look at him, and he was already looking at her. “I’m going to miss you when I wake up,” she whispered, because she realized that she must have fallen asleep under the sun. Arin was too real for her imagination. He was a dream.
“Don’t wake up,” he said.
Cath & Levi, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
“That’s stupid,“ she said. "I saw you this morning.”
"It’s not the time,” Levi said, and she could hear that he was smiling.“It’s the distance.”
Feyre & Rhysand, A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas
“I am broken and healing, but every piece of my heart belong to you.”
Penryn & Raffe, Penryn & the End of Days by Susan Ee
“She missed you,” I say in a whisper. Did she?” His voice is a soft caress. His gaze into my eyes is so intense that I swear he sees straight into my soul. Yes.” Warmth flushes my cheeks. I… “She thought about you all the time.”
Will & Tessa, The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
“I thought perhaps that when you told me you did not love me that my own feelings would fall away and atrophy, but they have not. They have grown every day. I love you now more desperately, this moment, than I have ever loved you before, and in an hour I will love you more than that.”
Shazi & Khalid, The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
“What are you doing to me, you plague of a girl?” he whispered.
“If I’m a plague, then you should keep your distance, unless you plan on being destroyed.” The weapons still in her grasp, she shoved against his chest.
“No.” His hands dropped to her waist. “Destroy me.”
Cinder & Kai, The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
She hesitated before asking, “Do you ever think about the future?”
His expression turned wary. “Of course I do.”
“And … does it include me?”
His gaze softened in a way that made her pulse skip. Releasing the overhead pipe, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “That depends on whether I’m thinking about the good future or the bad one.”
Cinder shut her eyes and tucked her head under his chin. “As long as one of them does.”
Marguerite & Paul, Firebird by Claudia Grey
I meant it when I said I didn’t believe in love at first sight. It takes time to really, truly fall for someone. Yet I believe in a moment. A moment when you glimpse the truth within someone, and they glimpse the truth within you. In that moment, you don’t belong to yourself any longer, not completely. Part of you belongs to him; part of him belongs to you. After that, you can’t take it back, no matter how much you want to, no matter how hard you try.
Lizzy & Mr Darcy, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
“We are all fools in love.”
Liesel & Rudy, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The only thing worse than a boy who hates you: a boy that loves you.
Jesper & Wylan, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
“I told you, I like your stupid face.”
Sydney & Adrian, Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
“No, you will listen. For once, you’re going to hear something that doesn’t fit into your neat, compartmentalized world of order and logic and reason. Because this isn’t reasonable. If you’re terrified, believe me—this scares the hell out of me, too. You asked about Rose? I tried to be a better person for her—but it was to impress her, to get her to want me. But when I’m around you, I want to be better because… well, because it feels right. Because I want to. You make me want to become something greater than myself. I want to excel. You inspire me in every act, every word, every glance. I look at you, and you’re like… like light made into flesh. I said it on Halloween and meant every word: you are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this earth. And you don’t even know it. You have no clue how beautiful you are or how brightly you shine.”
Dexter & Emma, One Day by David Nicholls
“Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today; and I’ll always remember it”
Simon & Blue, Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
“The way I feel about him is like a heartbeat – soft and persistent, underlying everything.”
Amani & Jin, Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
“You’re right.” He cut me off. “I never understood this country. I never understood why he chose to leave everything else behind and stay for this. Not until I met you.”
This list started out more than twice as long as it is right now. Cutting it was so, so hard. So here we have some honorable mentions that more than deserve to be included in any list of epic love stories:
Katy & Daemon, Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Lily & Lo, Addicted series by Krista & Becca Ritchie
Poppy & Rune, A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole
Clary & Jace, The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
Lucy & Josh, The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Henry & Clare, The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Cathy & Heathcliff, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Charlie & Braden, On the Fence by Kasie West
Lilac & Tarver, These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Now, what are some of your favorite love stories? We would love to know!
