Top Ten Things I Like/Dislike When It Comes To Romances In Books

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! As always, I am linking up over at The Broke and the Bookish, and this week we are talking all about romances that we find in books. Since I definitely have some serious likes and dislikes when it comes to romance in books, I thought that I would split it up and do five of each. Well, as long as I can come up with five of each! Let's be real, I love my romance/contemporary books. I'm a big fan of love, so I know I have some pretty strong opinions on the subject. I cannot wait to see what your likes/dislikes are as well!

Top Five Dislikes When It Comes to Romance in Books:

1. Insta-Love
We all know that this is not actually a thing in real life. Sure, I suppose there are people that believe in love at first sight, but I am not one of those people. Love takes time to begin and bloom, even if it is someone that you have been friends with for a long time. I really cannot stand when characters meet for the first time on page one, and by page five they just can't live without one another. That's not realistic in the slightest.

2. Stereotypical Couples
I know that not every couple can be something new and ground breaking, but I think that there is a difference between being usual and being stereotypical. Sure, sometimes it's okay for the football captain and head cheerleader to hook up, as long as it's not super annoying and, well, stereotypical...Maybe I'm not making much sense. Do you know what I mean here?

3. Overly-Clingy Couples
I know that this might be a little dependent on the plot and situation, but I do not like when characters are really, really clingy for no reason at all. I don't think that most people in real life would want to deal with it, so I am not sure why some books make it seem like it's perfectly acceptable behavior. I dislike when characters act like they cannot survive without the other person. They need to be able to stand strong on their own as individual characters.

4. Making Excuses for Unhealthy Relationships
There are some really good books that show just how destructive certain relationships can be, and these books seem to have the purpose of informing us that we deserve better than staying in a situation like that. Then there are the books that try to make excuses for cheating, abuse, and just overall bad behavior towards your significant other. That really irks me.

5. Love Traingles
These are used a lot, and often I do not feel like that it is something that is necessary. Sure, I understand why an author might want to add the complexity and stress of having to choose between two guys, but sometimes it is just pointless (I'm looking at you Hunger Games...Gale was completely unnecessary!). Sometimes it is more of an annoyance for the reader than the character left to choose, I think!

 Top Four Likes When It Comes to Romance in Books:

1. Love Triangles
Yup, I'm about to contradict myself a little bit, because this one makes both lists. Nothing wrong with that, right? In some cases, love triangles are handled really, really well and it adds a lot to the plot. Sometimes it really is a necessary struggle for the main character because each person seems to supply them with something that they need or desire. I believe that for a love triangle to really be successful both choices need to actually be good options for the character.

2. Best Friends Falling in Love
Even though this one is often pretty predictable, though it doesn't always happen between the main characters, I still love it. I think it is one of the cutest romances there is as the characters who have been best friends since they were young realize they have different feelings for the other person. It is usually a slow and timid transformation, and I think that there is something adorable about that.

3. Unpredictable Couples
I think that it is really fun when the couples end up being something that you did not expect at all. It's fun when the stereotypical people do not end up together because it adds some interest and diversity to what we tend to see with the YA relationships. It also shows that opposites really can attract, and sometimes it's nice to see things how someone completely different sees them.

4. Humor
I think that it is wonderful when a lot of humor can be thrown into contemporary novels, and when the characters go along with the whole thing. Sure, I know that some stories are going to be more serious if they cover tough subject areas, but I do enjoy reading light-hearted, humorous contemporaries as well.

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