This lovely meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!
OOH YAY, we can talk about allllll the things that makes me an aggressive shipper! Here are the top ten things I love when it comes to romances in books!
1. Banter.
Specifically snarky banter. Glorious snarky banter. When characters can insult each other without the other getting offended and tease and throw quips at each other, I will ship them. Ship them very hard.
2. Slow-burning romance
I like it when two characters fall in love over a long period of time. Where they don't realise it until much later but then they get together and they are absolutely perfect for it each other. It makes my heart happy.
3. I-kind-of-hate-you-but-I-kind-of-want-to-make-out-with-you
I LOVE these. You know, the ones where the characters hate each other at first but then they slowly realise that they actually love the buffoon and they fall in love while still being incredibly snarky with each other? Yes, those.
4. Childhood friends that aren't really just friends anymore
Ooh, I LOVE these too! The romances where they were just friends growing up but then they see the other one starts maturing or starts dating and they're like "OH MY GOSH, SHE'S ACTUALLY A GIRL! I never knew." *cough* Ron and Hermione *cough*
5. Skinny love
Where they both really like each other but they completely deny it and you just ship it even more aggressively and then they finally get together and you literally feel so happy. *cough* Percabeth *cough*
6. Love triangles if done right
I hate love triangles if it's a girl constantly going on and on and on about the two guys she's torn between and HOW ON EARTH WILL SHE CHOOSE?! But, if it's done correctly (The Sky is Everywhere, The Summer I Turned Pretty, The Infernal Devices etc) then I like it. If it tears my heart in two and stomps on it and causes me to lose my voice from screaming at the main character and makes me not know which guy I like, then I don't mind it at all.
7. Two characters falling in love under unusual circumstances
Like Hazel and Augustus. They were both diagnosed with cancer and they both met at their cancer support group, and the illness that was killing them was the thing that brought them together. I love it when romances have that as well, two characters that find each other when they thought their life would remain in trauma and suffering.
8. A romance formed over books or music
LIKE TESSA AND WILL FROM THE INFERNAL DEVICES! Okay, their romance didn't technically form during bonding over books, but I'm pretty sure that's when they started falling for each other, ya know, when they were in the library recommending books to each other and stuff. Ahh, be still my shipping heart.
9. Sweet, innocent romances
This recently occurred in a middle-grade I just read. I love it when romances are really sweet and innocent: giving each other chocolates and flowers and kisses on cheeks. Basically, the ones that start out like that and stay like that for a long time before they get more "steamy".
10. Romances where the couple help each other through extremely hard times and always have the other one's back
Like Clary being there for Jace when he wasn't exactly himself (book 4 and 5, you guys know what I'm talking about) and always trying to help him even though she knew how dangerous it could be. She annoyed me a lot throughout the series but I did highly admire how much she was willing to sacrifice in order to save Jace.
These are my top ten things I love when it come to romance in books! What are yours?