Tuesday 10 February 2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Romance

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely book blog: The Broke and the Bookish.
This week's top ten tuesday is about the top ten things I like and dislike when it comes to romances in books.
I love a romance element in the books I read- as a rom-com addict/ hopeless romantic I can't help but love when an author creates a romance which makes me swoon!

4 Things I Dislike About Romances in Books
  1. Too much too soon (insta-love): Isn't it annoying when the characters fall dangerously in love almost in an instant? When after meeting their love interest they declare to the world that they would die to save them? I understand that people can love so strongly and truly that they would sacrifice anything for the person they love but do they need to be so dramatic when they barely know the 'love of their lives' yet?;) If done right, this passion can be absolutely swoon-inducing to read but when its rushed and you feel like the character's feelings have no substance, it becomes frustrating!
  2. Do I know you?: Whenever the protagonist falls in love with a character I want to fall in love with them or feel something about them too! So I hate feeling left out in the dark when authors don't let the reader get to know the love interest well enough- when a love interest is almost reduced to simply being the 'love interest' and nothing else. I want to know why he or she is so special and wonderful and lovely! Otherwise it's not hard to feel disconnected from the romance:(
  3. Geometry and Love don't mix: Why are there so many love triangles, squares and probably even decagons? Now, Hamlet, that is the question! Sometimes love triangles can be done in a way that makes you enjoy them- they're suspenseful ("Who will she/he choose?"), you get to choose a team (which can be really fun!) and you understand the conflict and why the characters are so attracted to whoever they're so infatuated with. But so many books obsess over love triangles even though in reality there aren't that many love triangles and there's nothing wrong with a classic love story (a love line?;))
  4. I Don't Want To Miss A Thing: Another tiny thing that bothers me to no end is when we're told the characters are talking and having the conversation of their lives but we never get to experience that oh-so-sweet get to know you stage. I want to know what the characters are saying to each other and why they feel so connected- give me the dialogue which has conversation and banter I could cuddle! It adds substance to their relationship and in the end will make me care about them more if I know what they are like together and how they understand each other so perfectly!
6 Things I Like About Romances in Books
  1. Witty or adorable conversations: There's always that couple who have the most entertaining, humorous and yet loving conversations I can imagine! Some books in which I have experienced this are: Katy and Daemon in the Lux series (their banter makes me smile and laugh and just stop to appreciate Daemon for a few minutes;)), Rudy and Liesel in The Book Thief - how cute is Rudy's "How about a kiss, Saumensch?", Percy and Annabeth in Percy Jackson because who can forget those two - Seaweed Brain and Wise Girl, Pride and Prejudice is a classic example;), Fault in Our Stars is abundant with these (the quirkiness, lovability and intelligence of the characters sure helps!) and of course Noah Shaw and Mara Dyer in the Mara Dyer series (too many quotable moments between those two- Noah should be a poet!)! 
  2. Stop, drop and roll: Except in this case it's Stop, drop jaw and swoon! There are those moments in romances which just make you instantly adore the couple and everything about them! It can be the most unexpected moment but everything just comes together. For example in The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, I always remember the random and strangely sweet moment Noah kneels down to tie her shoelaces ("'Now you won't fall.' Too late".)
  3. Time after time: Slow-burn romances are the best! Almost the opposite of insta-love because they give characters time to get to know eachother and give the readers time to slowly feel more and more passionate about the characters finally realizing how they feel for eachother. This is done in so many books like Harry Potter, Winner's Curse, Angelfall, The Darkest Minds, Life in Outer Space (the ultimate geeky sweet romance:)) and Crown of Midnight.
  4. You & Me: The best relationships, in books and real life, are the ones in which the characters inspire their love to become their best self and at the same time also embrace their own potential. They're equals and the both end up feeling at home with eachother! In Life In Outer Space, a lovely, weird (a great weird!) and down-to-earth romance, the characters get each other through their hardships by being there for each other and showing each other original and kooky ways to move on from something holding them back. A similar situation is in Amy and Roger's Epic Detour. One book I'll never forget, in which there's a grumpy bookstore owner who is transformed by a little girl named Maya (my name!) left in his store and transformed by someone who just gets and loves him, is called The Storied Like of AJ Fikry.
  5. The chase: Don't you love when two characters are pining for each other? The tension, nervous feelings, sweet moments and reluctant smiles result in making the chase one of my favourite parts of a romance. A classic example is the Lux series, Crown of Midnight and Sweet Evil.
  6. Underdog: You can see how highly a character thinks of another when they think the other person is too good for them but still love them despite how hopeless they think their crush is. I love when a character is so relatable in his/her own awkward and adorable way as they have no idea what to do next! Anna in Anna and the French Kiss doesn't think she can ever be with Etienne St Clair but really.... they're perfect for eachother! Stephanie Perkins is a goddess of romance novels:)

Thanks for reading! What do you love or hate about romance in books?

24 comments:

  1. I also dislike when characters fall in love and develop the relationship largely off the pages. I get that it's not necessary to show every last date, phonecall, and conversation, but I have a hard time understanding just why a couple are supposed to be so in love when we've barely been shown any relationship development before being told they're in love and have something special.

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    1. That's exactly how I feel! It's hard to not feel confused or detached from their relationship if we don't understand why they love each other:( Romances in books are brilliant when we see the sparks fly and we see them love talking to each other in their own quirky ways and experience their chemistry!
      Thanks so much for stopping by Carrie-Anne:)

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  2. OMG I cannot express how much I agree with this fab post! UGH EW INSTA-LOVE and LOVE TRIANGLES. (aka my worst nightmares ever). :'( But when romance is done well it is the best! Thanks for sharing, wonderful post. :) xx

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    1. Awww thank you so much Riya! Definitely!- insta-love is so bleh because it takes the magic out of falling in love:( And there are too many love triangles in books when there are hardly any in real life (I don't see two amazingly cute boys fighting over me;))! Amen! Romance can be the best thing to read because of all the beautiful emotions:) Thank you soooooo much again!:D xoxo (Gossip Girl... not really;)

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  3. I do like the underdog stories too - I forgot about that one

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    1. Everyone loves a good underdog! The characters just tend to be so relatable:)
      Thanks for stopping by Jennifer!

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  4. I couldn't agree more with your list Maya!!!! I love tension in my romance, so #5 on your "like" list is my very favorite. Instalove never works for me, I'm always craving that slow build that comes with a bit of a chase in the mix:) I've come across maybe one or two books where a love triangle worked well for me, but they seem to be the exception and overall geometrical shapes are problematic for me. Having feelings for one person is tricky enough!

    PS - Thank you so much for your kind comment on my blog today. So appreciated:)

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    1. Aww thanks Jenny!! Tension in a blooming romance is definitely fun to read:) Same here!- instalove takes away from the foundations of love and the slow build and chase are some of the best parts but instalove doesn't involve them:( There are a few love triangles that work when they're subtle but it's completely the same for me because they can be so frustrating and unrealistic! Wise words!;)
      Thank you so much for coming by Jenny!
      PS - You deserve a whole bunch of kindness in a difficult time<3

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  5. Insta-love is SO irritating. And I love Noah and Mara too.

    Thank you for the comment on my blog and follow! I followed you back! This is such a great post.

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    1. I wish authors stayed away from instalove more- even if romance isn't the main element of the book! Noah and Mara are an exemplar of a perfectly imperfect couple:)
      Thank you so much for the follow and comment!!

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  6. I was actually thinking about the love triangle thing when I was reading the 2nd Dark Elements book by JLA, because there is definitely a triangle in that series. And really, if you think about it, love triangles aren't new. Think of Gone with the Wind - Ashley and Rhett. And in a way, even Pride and Prejudice uses a bit of a triangle at one point.

    And I think maybe it is nice to pretend that having two guys interested in you at once might be really nice. Even if I'm sure in real life it would not be in anyway.

    I do love the underdog though, like you do! Great post!

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    1. Thats very true! You got me thinking about all the love triangles that authors have pulled off:) I think I especially like them when they don't take over the story but there are so many that have gone wrong too:( But in the Lux series, I think she managed to create an interesting love triangle that I enjoyed reading but of course Jennifer Armentrout pulled it off;) I still need to read Gone With the Wind!:)
      Agreed! It must be nice having two amazing guys fight over you (in books):P
      I love rooting for the underdog too!
      Thanks for stopping by Lisa:)

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  7. Do I know you? is a huge problem for me, too (and I love the way you describe it).

    Basically, I agree with pretty much everything you have here.

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    1. 'Do I know you?' is such a problem in romances because it distances the reader from the characters' feelings:( Thanks!:) -- I try;)
      Awww thank you!:D I guess we must have the same taste in romances in books!:)
      Thanks for stopping by!

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  8. Great list! You had me laughing with Geometry and Love don't mix! I agree...Witty or adorable conversations are the best! :)

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    1. Haha! I'm glad I managed to make you laugh;) Ughh too many love triangles nowadays:( I love banter! Sparks can just fly when characters have these witty and adorable conversations (and I wish I could be as witty as they are:P):)
      Thanks for stopping by Holly!

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  9. Stop, drop and swoon. Yes! Awesome post:D

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    1. Yay! I'm glad you liked the name of that 'like':D And it's those little moments that build up into a romance worth remembering!
      Thank you so much for stopping by!:)

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  10. I generally don't like romance in books unless it's clean and adds conflict to the book, but I can tolerate it. I hate love webs (my term for anything larger than a love triangle), because they are often pointless and generally annoying, especially when the characters don't seem to care about it. I so agree with you on the witty banter. Witty banter is just really fun to read about between any two characters, whether they are in a romantic relationship or not.

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    1. I get that because romance can so easily take over a book! And sometimes the romance element feels forced in certain plots:( Love webs is the perfect term for it:) They're also annoying when we don't understand the connection between the characters!
      Witty banter is one of the best things about romance (or any) books:D Thats true!- even witty banter between best friends is enjoyable to read and can just make us smile:)
      Thanks for stopping by Ana!

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  11. I absolutely agree with you on your second point of your dislikes! I hate it when you can't seem to understand why a character is so in love. When you yourself don't feel like you can fall in love as well, it can really ruin the romance.
    Great post! :)

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    1. Exactly! Because then the rest of the time reading the novel all you can think is, "but why do you like him/her so much?":( You put it so nicely:) - we need to fall in love with the characters too in order to root for them!
      Thanks so much for stopping by Elajsha!:)

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  12. Yesssss for witty conversations! PERCABETH has the best ones, seriously. AND THE SLOW BURNS. YAAAAAAS

    Lovely post! <33

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    1. Haha! Yay witty conversations!- they are the best ones to read;) Percabeth has the best everything:D I mean all their wit, sarcasm and jokes leads to them falling in love and adorable conversations along the way:) How does Rick Riordan do it?:P
      Slow burns show romance at its best because we're with them on their journey!
      Thank you so much Melanie! <3

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