Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is:

Top Ten Favorite Romances

At first, I was a tad confused by the topic. Should this be my favorite romance novels? (I don’t think I could name ten, to be honest.) Or top ten romantic books in general? But no, what makes the most sense is the top ten romantic pairings — the “supercouples” of fiction, with love stories that are remarkable, unsurpassed, unforgettable… or at least, different enough to be noteworthy! My list of romantic couples in fiction:

1) Jamie and Claire Fraser (Outlander): Speaking as an unabashed fan of the Outlander series, I just don’t think I could name a more romantic couple than Jamie and Claire. Put a tall, red-headed 18th century Highlander (in a kilt, please!) together with an outspoken 20th century medical woman, and sparks fly! A love story that crosses centuries, filled with humor and passion — what’s not to love?

2) Severus Snape and Lily Evans (Harry Potter series): Just because the love is unrequited doesn’t make it any less romantic. Poor Severus, doomed to spend his life paying for his part in the death of the one and only woman he ever loved. His patronus is a doe! This scene gives me chills every time I read it:

Dumbledore watched her fly away, and as her silvery glow faded he turned back to Snape, and his eyes were full of tears.
“After all this time?”
“Always,” said Snape.

3) Henry and Clare (The Time Traveler’s Wife): This book just knocked me out when I first read it, which may explain why it’s one of the few books I’ve read twice in a row (and a couple more times since). Henry always finds his way back to Clare; Clare is his rock and his constant. I just love these two together.

4) Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont (A Discovery of Witches): The witch and the vampire who find a forbidden, prophecied love. Total hotness… plus a couple who meet in a library? How awesome is that? Academics need love too!

5) Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley (One Day). Best friends who finally – FINALLY – realize that they’re perfect for one another. This book made me laugh, yell, and cry. Dexter and Emma’s paths, alone and together, felt so true to me, and perhaps it’s this real-life element that makes their relationship feel so special and so romantic.

6) Mercy Thompson and Adam Hauptman (Mercedes Thompson series): I already included a witch and a vampire on my list; now here’s a shapeshifter and werewolf combination that’s just hot as can be and incredibly full of love and romance. I love this urban fantasy series, especially how it shows the evolution of Mercy and Adam’s relationship from wary acceptance to full-throttle love and devotion.

7) Jane True and Anyan Barghast (Jane True series): Long live the supernatural power couples! Jane’s a half-selkie, Anyan is a Barghast in the funny, crazy, high-powered world of Nicole Peeler’s Jane True series. It takes several books before these two finally wise up (and hook up), and it remains to be seen whether the author will grant them a HEA when the final book comes out in May.

8) David and Debra (Eagle in the Sky): This is going way back, but I read this Wilbur Smith novel when I was a young, starry-eyed teen and it just blew me away. Debra and David find a love that is tested over and over again by tragedy, and they always manage to find a way back to one another. I must have read this book half a dozen times in the couple of years after I first discovered it. I wonder whether it would stand the test of time if I reread it now?

9) Buttercup and Wesley (The Princess Bride):  Does this one even need an explanation? Are there better words for pledging undying love than “as you wish”? Twu wuv.

10) Snow White and Bigby Wolf (Fables): From my absolute favorite graphic novel series – I just adore the romance between these two strong-minded Fables. They have a marriage with more stress than most mundies could ever imagine, and yet they manage to maintain their love, respect, affection, and passion. Is it wrong to have a crush on a comic book character? Because that Bigby Wolf is just so… big and bad.

Honorable Mention:  All the rest that I don’t want to overlook: Really? Narrow it down to just ten? It all comes down to my mood, not to mention the fact that what I’ve read more recently is fresher in my mind… so here’s a bunch of other great romantic couples that just shouldn’t be forgotten:

• Ron & Hermione, Harry & Ginny, Molly & Arthur, Remus & Tonks (sniff…) (Harry Potter)
• Lyra & Will (His Dark Materials trilogy)
• Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)
• Emma and Mr. Knightley (Emma)
• Alexia Tarabotti and Conall Maccon (The Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger)
• Harper Connelly and Tolliver Lang (Grave Sight et al by Charlaine Harris)
• Mariana and Richard (Mariana by Susanna Kearsley)
• Heather and Brandon (The Flame and the Flower — the very first romance novel I ever read!)

Love is in the air. Happy Valentine’s Day! May you find romance, either in your real life or in the pages of a book!