My Favourite Fictional Couples

Romance is not necessary in books. Actually, if it's done poorly it can make the book feel a bit flat and any impact the plot has is reduced by the shoddy attempt at a love story. Saying that, when romance is done well it can often be my favourite part of a book and can often reduce me to tears. I'm not ashamed to admit how I reacted to the Clockwork Princess epilogue...

As much as I love romance in a lot of books, there are few couples which just work. These are the ones which I ship wholeheartedly, that I'd willingly argue over on tumblr. Today I want to talk about them. Expect a lot of fangirling, and bear in mind that this changes every time I read a new book or watch a new show. It'll probably be obsolete in a week.

Before I start this post, you may notice that there are no Sarah J Maas couples on this list. To be honest, Sarah J Maas writes my favourite romances of all time. The reason I can't include them on this list is because I have no idea who I want to end up with who. I don't know if I want Aelin to end up with Chaol, or if her and Rowan are my otp or brotp. I used to ship Tamlin and Feyre hardcore, but recently I've fallen in love with Rhysand and yet again I can't decide. Blame Sarah's wonderful characters, but deciding just isn't possible at this point. By September/next May, I'll probably have an answer.

Also, I'm not just going to include book characters because I have SO MANY FEELS about a certain couple involving two badass blondes. If you've seen my twitter it's not hard to work out the couple in question.

WILL HERONDALE AND TESSA GRAY

Team Wessa all the way. I feel like I'm the only person who isn't completely in love with Jem, and I think that's just because a certain Mr Will Herondale stole the stage from page one. Will and Tessa just have so much chemistry, and I cannot explain how invested I was in their relationship. Almost two years later I'm still not over it.

ISLA MARTIN AND JOSH WASSERSTEIN

I was going to put Anna and Etienne rather than Isla and Josh, but then I remembered how bad my book hangover was for Isla and the Happily Ever After and I couldn't not include these two. Their romance was both sweet and sexy, and the sole reason why I think Stephanie Perkins was Eros in a past life.

EMMA SWAN AND KILLIAN JONES

Oh man. These two. Killian Jones/Hook is my favourite part of Once Upon a Time and I absolutely love his relationship with Emma. It was initially slow burning but it's still sexy and spontaneous. I'm terrified for season five after that last finale.

JAMES POTTER AND LILY EVANS

These two are the ultimate Harry Potter couple. I'll fight you over that. James and Lily are so utterly perfect for each other. Yeah, James was a bit of a tool when he was in school but he came through in the end. He didn't just risk his life but willingly sacrificed it for his wife and son, and I just ship these two so bad. Even though they give me all the feels.

THE TENTH DOCTOR AND ROSE

If you think that Eleven and River are a better couple, you can move aside. Rose and the Tenth Doctor were so wonderful together and I cry every time I watch That Episode. They bring out the best in each other and I genuinely don't think that Dr Who has been as good since these two left. Yes, I'm still upset about this nine years (!!!) later.

KHALID AND SHAHRZAD

I only finished The Wrath and the Dawn recently but oh man, the romance was wonderful. I did think it unfolded a little too quickly, but once it started I didn't want it to stop. They brought out the best in each other and I'm both excited and terrified to see what happens to them in book two.

RAPUNZEL AND EUGENE FITZHERBERT

Anna and Kristoff don't come anywhere close to these two. Tangled is my favourite film ever, and personally the romance between Rapunzel and Eugene feels so much more realistic than any other Disney couple. You can probably tell by looking at most of the men on this list that I'm a sucker for a morally ambiguous antihero and Eugene is no exception, even if he came through in the end. I. Ship. It.

SPIKE AND BUFFY

Saving the best till last. If I had to pick one couple to defend until my dying day, it would be these two. I just have so many feels. So many. I know that Spike was a literal monster for so much of the show and he did a lot of unforgivable things (just a reminder: he had no soul at that point), but the speech he gives to Buffy stole my heart. Whilst Angel was good for teenage Buffy, Spike was the perfect match for her adult self. I just...so much love, guys, so much love. The ending of BtVS left me lying dead on the floor.