Don't let my avoidance of relationships and intimacy fool you. I LOVE love. In fact, I consider myself a hopeless romantic. It just so happens that I grew up obsessed with the fantasy of love more than the reality of it.
Relationships are messy and there's such a huge risk of getting your heart broken. But books? Books are safe. Sure, they'll twist you up and break your heart but only temporarily. Because no matter what happens midway through the book, it all turns out well by the end.
So if you're lonely on Valentines Day, here are my top 10 favourite fictional love stories (or rather, books that have relationships I like). And as usual, mild spoilers because I’m trying to get you hooked into a story and I can’t do that by giving you nothing.
10. Isadora by Charlotte McConaghy: Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass Is Truly The Most Satisfying Trope
Now I’ll warn you. This is the last book in a trilogy so there might be some heavy spoilers here. Each book follows a new couple but it is in chronological order and while you could reasonably get away with reading one and not the rest, I’d still suggest reading all three in order. There’s sort of a plot line there. Especially considering that the events of book 2 directly lead onto book 3. And there are characters that make an appearance in book 3 whose backstory is almost entirely in book 1.
But if you don't care about spoilers, or even better, you've already read the book, I have to tell you that my favourite part of this book is its execution of the crouching moron, hidden badass trope. On the one hand, you have Isadora, a ruthless killer who has mastered the art of hiding her true thoughts and coming across as vacant and empty. She is truly a force of nature and I don't think anyone would enjoy having her as an enemy.
On the other hand, you have spoiled Emperor Falco who would probably stab himself with his own sword before he manages to kill an enemy. He's a bumbling, fool of a leader who was only half decent when backed by an empress who died in the conclusion of the last book (oops, spoilers!) But wait, that's not true at all! Emperor Falco is a master swordsman and expert manipulator on par with his soulmate: Isadora.
Yes! This book follows soulmates. Who would I be if I didn't start off this list without discussing soulmates?
Isadora and Falco are two sides of the same coin. They are quite literally made for each other. And sure, they may hate each other to begin with. They may be sworn enemies. But that doesn't matter when it comes to your soulmate. When you find that other half of your heart, when you find the one who matches you in every way, you can't help but fall in love. And I love that in the end, what brought them together wasn't magic but rather their own choices.
9. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones: Give Me A Narcissistic Man And Force Him To Prioritise!
Yes, Miyazaki's iconic Howl's Moving Castle is an adaptation of the book of the same name by Dianna Wynne Jones. And both version are spectacular, albeit very different. The most changed element in the adaptation has to be what's behind the black door. But that's a spoiler for another review, of course.
Today we're going to talk about why it's the ultimate love story to have a vain, shallow, self-absorbed man fall head over heels for a woman who, for most of the story, occupies the body of an old woman. Now that is a compelling story! You mean to tell me that a man who gave up his heart for power and beauty finally found a woman he loves enough to sacrifice all of that for? Give me more!
There is something so sweet about having a conventionally attractive man love you despite you looking like you could pass for his grandmother. And it's even better when the man in question has a reputation for being vain, narcissistic and self-absorbed. I wouldn't say that Howl changes for Sophie. Rather, he finds someone he cares about more than his looks. And that's honestly all any woman wants from a man.
Just put down the mirror and love us. Instead of making out with your reflection, make out with us instead. Otherwise, you too may end up having your heart consumed by a fire demon.
8. Mercy by Rebecca Lim: Ooo He's A Bad Boy (Who Digs Holes)
Yep, yet another series. This list is full of them. I guess the stories I love the most cannot be contained into one book alone. This is a love story that looks beyond physical appearances. And that's not me trying to nicely say the main character is ugly. It's literally the point of the book (man, I must have some insecurity issues because I'm seeing a pattern here with the whole overlooking a woman's appearance to fall in love with the person she is on the inside).
Mercy is an angel trapped in the body of a human. Or rather, humans. You see, every time she gets comfortable, she is moved into another human body with no forewarning, and such it has been for as long as she remembers. And each life is forgotten with time. Until ... she jumps into the body of Carmen. An awkward teenager with a bad case of acne. She's no one's first choice and yet, her personality shines through.
And yes, she attracts the "bad boy". Although, calling a boy who only broke rules and became rebellious in pursuit of his kidnapped sister a "bad boy" seems a bit insensitive and distasteful. The man is committed. And no, he doesn't really pursue Mercy until after she helps him get his sister back (a process that involved her getting drugged and kidnapped).
But unfortunately, by that point, Mercy is no longer hiding in the body of Carmen. She has moved onto the next body. And so dear sweet Ryan has to follow her into the next book.
Where she will be shot to death (spoilers!) But don't worry, this is a story about angels which pretty much means that human bodies are disposable things. But hey, at least they have a heaven and the dead human ends up in a better place.
7. All American Girl by Meg Cabot: Want To Date That Cute Guy? Simple: Stop His Father From Getting Shot!
Yes, that Meg Cabot: author of the Princess Diaries. She also happened to write a book about what would happen if an ordinary American teen girl accidentally saved the president of America ... and then promptly began to date his son. Now, this is actually a duology and in my opinion, you can't truly appreciate the love story until you read both books (duh).
Now, I have to tell you, this book is kind of unhinged. But in the best way imaginable.
Sam is unquestionably a teenage girl. And yet, she does something unthinkably brave, and winds up a celebrity. But in between the press conferences and art competitions, she falls in love with the president's son. This is a love story that is grounded and speaks to what it feels like to be a teenage girl (also, I read this for the first time when I was a teenager so past me can attest that we indeed overanalyse everything as much as Sam).
You can have earth shattering things happen to you and overcome them. But at the same time, you could catastrophise over an issue that you'll probably forget about in a few months. Such is life when you're coming into your own and yet are still held to the rules of adults. Rules that don't make sense to you. When you feel that every adult is talking down to you. You're allowed to speak but no one really takes you seriously.
My favourite part about this story is that David balances Sam out. She is chaos and anxiety. He's probably also just as anxious but doesn't show it as much. He knows when to pull her back to Earth but also validates her when she needs it. Sure, that's the bare minimum but it's still sweet.
I think I'd be overjoyed if I ever found a man that knew me that well.
6. Malice By Heather Walters: What If Sleeping Beauty Didn't End The Way You Thought It Did?
Yes, it's another duology. And small disclaimer, I haven't actually finished the whole duology yet so it might end up being terrible. But so far, it's not. If you've seen my reading history, you'd know I love a good fairytale retelling. I, especially, love a good fairytale retelling when it happens to be super super gay. And there are few things as entertaining as a princess falling in love with the villain: the wicked witch (or wicked fairy I guess).
This is a book about female empowerment and patriarchy. Aurora may be the Princess but she lives at the whim of greedy men. By all rights, she and her mother should have all the power but they don't, that honour goes to her father. A man who can't stand the fact his wife technically outranks him and does all he can to establish his dominance over her.
A man who would rather rob his daughter of her one true love than break the status quo. A man who curses his own daughter to a life where she forgets the woman she truly loves.
This is a story about what happens when a victim finally snaps. She may be the wicked fairy in the fairytale but in Heather Walter's book, Alyce is a woman who was robbed of her autonomy and power her entire life and finally snapped. And yes, there were casualties. But you can hardly expect the oppressed and downtrodden to happily forgive their oppressors. Especially when those oppressors make no effort at reconciliation or reparations. Violence is wrong until it is self-defence, then it's a natural consequence.
5. Cinder by Marissa Meyer: Everybody Loves A Good Cinderella Adaptation
I have been obsessed with Cinderella since I was a child. I’ve basically seen and read every adaptation of it there is (yes, even the truly bad ones). So it’s no surprise that I’d lose my mind when I find a Cinderella adaptation with not just an Asian protagonist but also an Asian love interest. Add the science fiction elements to the mix and I’m sold!
But honestly, beyond that, it is just such a genuinely sweet relationship.
Cinder is an orphaned cyborg, mistreated by her stepfamily, without a single ounce of femininity in her and who only cares about the prince so far as any of us care about our leaders. She’ll be respectful in his presence, sure, but she’s not making googly eyes at him for his rank alone.
No, what she truly loves about him is his personality. He’s a genuinely sweet and kind person (minus the subpar reaction he gave to finding her biggest secret). And he likes her for who she is. And this attachment goes so far that he puts her safety above his own welfare at times.
This is a prince we can care about. He has more depth than simply being a rich man who can take our protagonist out of her abusive family home. She doesn’t need him to save her. In fact, she could’ve very easily saved herself and forsaken him. But she still tries to protect him, not just because she likes him but also because he’s a good leader. He is the type of leader we all need. The kind that actually cares about his people and takes steps to ensure their comfort and safety.
4. Renegades by Marissa Meyer: A Good Old Fashioned Enemies To Lovers (Even Better If One Party Doesn’t Realise They’re Enemies)
Yes, it’s another book by Marissa Meyer. What can I say, I adore her! And even better, I adore the relationships she writes.
There is something about a good enemies to lovers trope that hooks me in every time. And by enemies to lovers, I don’t mean a story where an abusive male lead takes advantage of an overly trusting and kind female protagonist, I mean a story where both parties involved have legitimate reasons to fight each other and give as good as they get.
If anything, our female lead: Nova screws over the male lead much more than he does her. And it’s fascinating!
The idea that she’s actually the villain of the story and lied her way into being a part of not just the hero’s side, but was specifically picked by him to be on his team, and then she backstabbed him? Now that’s juicy!
And once again, apologies for the spoilers, but the fact that he actually went and cuffed her and put her in prison! Only to have to later apologise to her with flowers because she was manipulative enough to get out of prison despite there literally being a trusted eye-witness who verified she is a traitor! Now, that's impressive. Give me a female lead who can not only run laps around everyone else but also knows when to pull out the waterworks!
3. Skip Beat By Yoshiki Nakamura: Who Doesn't Love A Good Revenge Story?
Now, fair warning, this is a LONG manga series. It has been running for over 20 years and apparently went on a one month hiatus. Unfortunately, that particular update is from October 2022. I read it for a while but I’m not up to date so there is potentially things I’m missing.
This could end up being another Glass Mask and leave its readers without ever getting a satisfying conclusion (or any conclusion, for that matter). It’s an amazing manga series but I’ve spent basically most of my childhood following it. And I have no guarantee if I’ll ever get to see the end.
So read this so long as you’re willing to take the chance.
But anyways, onto our demonic main character (and I mean that literally). When poor, sweet Kyoko discovers her childhood best friend doesn't actually love her and only brought her to Tokyo (away from her home!) so that he'd have a live in maid to pay all the bills. So he could just focus on becoming famous, she snaps.
This one act of betrayal releases demons she never knew she had. And Kyoko vows to get into the entertainment industry herself and beat her scumbag ex best friend. And in the process, she finally finds herself.
Turns out, she's actually really good at villain roles. And in the process of acting, she reunites with her childhood friend, and promptly falls in love with him without knowing who he is. Although, that's kind of the sped up version of this. Within the timeline of the story, she spends a substantial amount of time fighting with the man, only to develop deep respect for him, only to later fall in love with him.
Which is kind of a bummer for her, considering she's vowed never to love again. But we all know how those particular vows go.
2. Ella Enchanted By Gail Carson Levine: Love And Bodily Autonomy
Yes, there is yet another Cinderella retelling on this list and this one’s just as good. And for anyone who watched the movie, just know that the book and movie are so different, they may as well be two entirely different stories. The only thing that stays the same are the character and place names.
And while I love the movie for how fun it is, it cannot compare to the genius that is the book.
This book is an exploration of how difficult it can be to build authentic relationships (especially romantic ones) when one lacks bodily autonomy.
Ella has to follow every command. To the point that she almost ends up happily marrying an old man simply because she is ordered to. If she were ever to become the victim of domestic violence or sexual assault, she could simply be commanded to be happy with it and she would have no choice but to be.
It has been this way since she was cursed ... oh sorry, given the gift of obedience by her fairy godmother as a baby. With no way to end the curse, Ella is horrified when she falls in love with the prince and discovers her feelings are reciprocated.
How could she possibly marry him while knowing she could easily be ordered to assassinate him? She would be a danger to the state. All it would take would be for the wrong person to discover her "gift". And with her wicked and greedy step-family already using it to their advantage, she can't keep her curse a secret.
But unable to resist seeing her prince again, after brutally breaking his heart, Ella puts on a mask and attends the three balls.
And thus begins another Cinderella story, with a twist of course.
1. Pride And Prejudice By Jane Austen: No It’s Not Overrated, It’s Popular Because It’s Good
Now I cannot have a top 10 romances list without the O.G. I was gifted a copy of this book when I was 12 and I have pretty much read it at least once a year (usually a few times) since then. And it never gets old. In fact, I almost always find a new interesting side of the story.
Jane Austen was truly a genius. She really got me inside Lizzy’s head. Honestly, as nice as I am externally (because I don't think someone's day should be ruined just because I dislike them), I can relate to making snap judgements on people and coming to the realisation that someone I hated was actually a good person. Sometimes, people are rude because of external events that have nothing to do with you and it's not an accurate reflection of their character.
My favourite part of this book is actually the myth that a man will change for you. Even though this basically never happens in real life, I like the fact that Mr Darcy actually thought about Lizzy's feedback and changed accordingly. She never demanded for him to change, she simply told him why she couldn't marry him.
And, for the first time in his life, this rich little man actually had to act like a decent human being to get what he wanted. He couldn't just wave his money around and expect a self-respecting woman to fall at his feet. He needed to be humbled and Lizzie handled it beautifully. And the fact that she gave him another chance had everything to do with his improved behaviour. He became a better person. And in that way, she finally found a man who deserved her.
Honestly, this book definitely gave me false expectations. I'm pretty sure if I ever gave a man feedback as to why I wouldn't date him, he'd probably just call me a bitch and block me.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it, my top 10 favourite romances. Because if you can't find love in your life, you can at least read about it. And sure, that sounds pathetic until you realise that fictional men sound and act a thousand times better than real men.
Just the other day (a year ago at the time of this being republished), I had a guy I'd been dancing with for a while randomly tell me he would die for me. Now, if this was a book, that would be the ultimate confession of love. It would mean he was my soulmate. In real life, it simply means he's bored and wants to fuck with me.
Which is a shame, because he's cute. But then again, assholes are always cute. And I've been burned one too many times by a pretty face and pleasing smile to let this one in. But at least he's entertaining in the moment.
Also, note from the present, I'm going on a date tomorrow. Yes, I'm going on a date the day after Valentine's Day but I work Valentines Day and it's only a second date. It seems a bit too forward to make Valentines Day plans with a man I've only been on one date with. So wish me luck.