Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Hello! Welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday! I haven’t done one of these for a while but this one looked fun so I thought I’d have a think about my favourite book couples. I actually found it quite tricky because I don’t read romance often and the couples in the books I read are rarely functional or happy! But I did manage to come up with ten so here they are!

1. Ron and Hermione in Harry Potter by JK Rowling

Why:

I know that a lot of people (including possibly even JK Rowling herself) prefer Harry and Hermione as a couple but I have honestly never even considered the idea for a second that they have any romantic chemistry. In my opinion Ron and Hermione work perfectly for each other. Ron gets a lot of flak I feel, but I really like him and I don’t think Hermione is as amazing as everyone else seems to! Don’t get me wrong, I think she’s a great character and a good female role model but I find her a bit patronising and judgemental sometimes and I think Ron’s humour would temper that slightly.

2. Jesper and Wylan in Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Why:

I just read this awesome duology recently so it is fresh in my mind and whilst there are quite a few great couples in it, my favourite is Jesper and Wylan. I just think they are a fun and witty pairing. I love Jesper’s energetic nature and Wylan’s thoughtfulness and they so clearly care about each other more than themselves which is adorable.

3. Ove and his wife in A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Why:

This is a funny one because Ove’s wife is already deceased at the beginning of the novel so as a reader we only really experience her through Ove’s recollections, but his love for her is so overwhelmingly apparent that they have stuck in my mind as one of the best couples in books. She clearly had such an impact on his life and brought out the best in his nature.

4. Patroclus and Achilles in Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Why:

This couple has to be near the top of a lot of people’s lists I think. The story is so epic but the relationship feels so intimate and real which is a huge testament to Miller’s gorgeous writing. So many stories of The Trojan War focus completely on Achilles but in this book Patroclus is actually the focus and comes across as a really three dimensional character.

5. Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Why:

This one doesn’t really need much of an explanation! It’s an oldie but a goodie! Their relationship is a timeless classic because it works in pretty much any time or place and Austen’s wit makes it both amusing and heartfelt.

6. Matthew and Diana in A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Why:

I recently watched the TV adaption of this which made me remember how much I liked the book series. I like both Matthew and Diana as characters and their relationship didn’t feel too rushed or ridiculous. They felt like a mature couple and their partnership felt equal and respectful. Overall just a great bookish couple!

7. Sarah Linton and Jeffrey Tolliver in the Grant County Series by Karin Slaughter

Why:

The relationship between these two is in a way the driving force of this phenomenal crime series. They are both interesting in their own right and their relationship is deeply flawed in many ways which feels honest. They are not a fairytale couple, they have real and pretty dark issues but they so obviously deeply care for each other even when their romance is in question and they stick in my mind as a great bookish couple.

8. Lale and Gita in The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

Why:

This couple is one of my all time favourites in part because they are real people so their relationship feels even more affecting and important. This was one of my favourite books from last year and although it is about the darkest of times and has a great deal of pain and suffering in it there is also so much love and hope to be found.

9. Jude and Willem in A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Why:

Ugh – this book. I both love and hate it because it is amazing but pretty much destroyed me emotionally. I really enjoyed the relationship between these two characters mostly because it just felt really anchored in respect and trust. The book is dark but their relationship is not.

10. Don and Rosie in The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Why:

This couple made my list because they are hilarious, light and fun. The book just made me smile over and over again and these two characters and their banter was the reason for that. The story is unique and sticks in my mind as an honest and great love story with plenty of humour.

Well there you have it! That’s my list of my favourite couples from the book world. This was a fun list to make and made me want to go back and read all these books again! Please do comment with your thoughts and link to your own Top Ten Tuesday – I can’t wait to read about everyone else’s favourite couples!

xxx