Top 5 Tuesday #1

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly MEME hosted by Bionic Book Worm, this week’s prompt is:

Top 5 Cute Romances

I’m going to be interpreting this prompt as top five relationships I find the cutest, as opposed to top five romance novels I find the cutest. These are all romances that pull at my heartstrings and make me squeal like the unabashed fan-girl that I really am.

❥Nina Zenik & Matthias Helvar (Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo)
I’m actually under the impression that this is the least popular couple when it comes to the Dregs, but they are most definitely my favourite (Kaz & Inej is a close second). I’m a huge sucker for a playful back and forth, especially if that involves teasing, and it’s all the more fun in that Matthias is so innocent when it comes to relationships and Nina very much is not.

❥Royce Melborn & Gwendolyn Delancy (Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan)
Usually I’m not one to root for a bad boy romance, but I’m making an exception in this case (especially since Royce is one of my favourite characters ever). Royce can be a pretty awful human being, like 90% of the time, and I think the 10% of goodness is solely reserved for when he’s in Gwen’s presence. I’d like to say Gwen always brings out the best in him <s>a murderous scene comes to mind that has me stopping</s>, but it’s probably more accurate to say she brings out his humanity. When I consider the Royce before Gwen and the Royce after they’re such different people. Also, they’re super shy and sweet around each other, I love that!

❥Kanata Tanaka & Kazuki Yoshikawa (Love at Fourteen by Fuka Mizutani)
As I mentioned above, I love it when the people in a relationship are super sweet and cute around each other. Mizutani perfectly captures the innocence of first love through Kanata and Kazuki’s relationship, but it’s more than that. These characters are their true selves around each other and they have a relationship that feels so right, I’ve never read about two characters that I thought were more perfect for each other.
Side note: If you’re going to read this manga you should know it is very problematic in its other romantic pairings.

❥Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe (The Anne Series by L.M. Montgomery)
I can’t write a list of my favourite romances and not include Anne and Gilbert. Gilbert ticks off all my boxes when it comes to what I want in a partner, so why wouldn’t I want that for my beloved Anne? He’s devoted but patient, never pressing his feelings on her. He wants what’s best for her and for her to be happy. He’s her intellectual equal and pushes her to be her best self. They know each other inside and out. They very much feel like that one couple that’s been together forever and that every other couple aspires to be like. It also helps that any romantic scene between the two of them always makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

❥Son Hak and Princess Yona (Yona of the Dawn by Mizuho Kusanagi)
I didn’t plan it this way, but I happened to save my OTP for last. This romance has so many elements I absolutely love, we have friends-to-lovers, princess and the guard, slow, slow burn, these characters are oblivious to each other’s feelings, at one point one of the characters doesn’t realize how they feel and it takes them ages to figure it out and I eat that up and love it, and one of the characters feels like they can’t say how they feel because of valid and understandable reasons, and there’s so much longing. He teases her, and she’s constantly thinking his advances are just a way to get a rise out of her, and they have such a great back-and-fourth. They’re one of those pairings that are super touchy feely in the best way, holding hands, hugging, cupping faces, because they grew up together and are so comfortable with each other. They make each other want to be better people, and look up to one another and are always so supportive. And they just want the other person to be happy! *sigh* There’s a reason this couple is my OTP.

Please feel free to gush about your favourite couples with me as well as your favourite romance tropes! Happy reading! 💗