Getting a package in the mail is an adventure in and of itself, but it becomes something even more special when that little parcel had to travel a long, long way to get to your door (or, in my case, college mail room).
If you haven't guessed, that exact thing happened to me this week. Being the Type-A kind of fan I am, I may or may not have ordered a book that has only been published in the UK thus far without even batting an eyelash at the cost of overseas shipping. Oops. You see, my dire need for this unnamed book has everything to do with the fact that said book is Carrie Hope Fletcher's debut novel, "On the Other Side". Being a longtime fan of hers--a "Hopeful" for what seems like forever--I couldn't resist snatching up a signed copy when she announced that a block was going on sale for international purchase.
"On the Other Side" is just as its tagline describes: "a love story like no other." Without getting too ahead of myself, I'll just cue this meme. It'll explain pretty much everything.
Basically, Evie and Vincent gave me a lot of feelings and I need to expel them, so what better way to do so than in listicle form? I figured, in honor of this new favorite bookish pair, I'll just rattle off a few other faves while I'm at it, in no particular order. Hopefully by the end of writing this I'm not a squeeing puddle of sappy mush, because I can deny it all I want, but in my heart of hearts I'm a sucker for a well-written romantic arc. Aren't we all?
Now, on with the feels.
Ron and Hermione
The Harry Potter Series
The King and the Queen. Quite honestly, I think I shipped Romione before I even knew what the term "ship" was. It was quite thrilling to read through the "Harry Potter" series as a kid and pick up on all of the hints of their growing feelings for each other. By the time the explosive Yule Ball rolled around, I was sold. Plus, it remains refreshing that the Harry Potter series doesn't corner its female lead into a hapless love triangle. Yay for boy-girl friendships and a believable, long-term arc!
Katniss and Peeta
The Hunger Games Series
You heard me loud and clear before: I'm not a huge fan of love triangles. That being said, I feel that "The Hunger Games" treats its use of the otherwise overdone device quite well, as the triangle isn't really the primary focus of the series--Katniss' journey is. Plus, come on, there really isn't a "choice" here: The Girl on Fire and The Boy with the Bread are simply meant to be together anyway. After all, they literally could not have survived the events of the series without each other. Combine that with a sweet unrequited childhood crush and a smattering of soul-crushing symbolism (the pearl!!!), the real cannon going off is for me, announcing my death as a result of these two.
Cress and Thorne
The Lunar Chronicles
Hazel and Gus
The Fault in Our Stars
Okay? No, me neither. Some may be put off by the fact that these two teens are quite pretentious--most times eye-rollingly so--but I was (am?) also quite the pretentious teen myself, so it works out fine. From their starry-eyed date in Amsterdam to that gut-wrenching park bench scene (you know the one), Hazel's and Gus's story is one that has stayed with me for a long time, and I doubt it will ever leave. I'm still on that roller coaster that only goes up, my friends.
Evie and Vincent
On the Other Side
My most recent faves, my precious babies. I was surprised by how quickly I was charmed by "On the Other Side", but charm me it did, and it was wonderful. Evie and Vincent's story is a melting pot of all of the best romance devices: the fateful meeting, the poor-boy meets the rich-girl, and most of all, the star-crossed separation. Yes, it might be a bit cheesy, but hey, I love a great hunk of cheese every now and then. Plus, there's some beautiful magical realism woven into the text that's just irresistible.
The Little Prince and His Rose
The Little Prince
Okay, so the Rose is actually a bit beotchy, but the distant love that she represents adds so much power to "The Little Prince" that it's impossible not to fall for such a sweet relationship. If you've read my article about "The Little Prince", you know how partial I am to this story in general, so my choice to include them on this list probably doesn't surprise you. But come on, with quotes from Exupéry like “If you love a flower that lives on a star, it is sweet to look at the sky at night," how can you not mention it?
Liesel and Rudy
The Book Thief
Speaking of sweet love stories, here's another one, if not one that's way more ill-fated. "The Book Thief" is my official 100% favorite book of all time, so talking about these two seemed like a no-brainer. True, Liesel and Rudy's "romance" is more of a schoolyard sort of thing, and yes, they're more deeply-bonded friends than anything, but nevertheless, it is their innocence together that makes this novel's backdrop of Nazi Germany all the more jarring. And the ending of the book, with the thing that happens--you know, the thing--it just makes my heart ache for the boy with the yellow hair and the small girl with a passion for words. They're two characters that are very close to my heart.
Eleanor and Park
Eleanor and Park
"Eleanor and Park" is another book that took me by surprise--when I read it a couple summers ago, I couldn't put it down! It's just so sweet and heartfelt, complete with a quirky love story filled with mixtapes and comic books. I have to admit, I swooned pretty hard for this pair, and their story is another one that hasn't left me either. The mere image of the two of them sitting together awkwardly on the school bus still makes my heart swell.
James and Lily
The Harry Potter Series
Shoutout to the "Harry Potter" series for blessing us with a slew of great fictional couples. Even though I already have a pair from this series on this list, I still wanted to mention James and Lily, because theirs is a special kind of love near many a Potter fan's heart, including my own. I think that what's so compelling about them is that they're not physically present at all during the series, and yet we get such a strong sense of their bond with each other through Harry's small discoveries about them throughout. They're not just Harry's parents; they come to embody the very theme of unconditional love that becomes ever-so important to the main plot of the books, and to me, that's quite remarkable.
Elizabeth and Darcy
Pride and Prejudice
C'mon, you didn't think a list about literary couples wouldn't include Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, did you? These two are THE fictional couple, folks. If you want to talk about the "we started out hating each other but then slowly fell in love" appeal of many a modern fictional romance (*cough cough this list starts with one*), then look no further than Jane Austen's arguably best work, complete with family scandals, close sisterly bonds, and muddy shoes. Plus, Colin Firth is in 99% of the adaptations of this pair, so bonus.
