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Swoon-worthy literary couples

Books » Our lists » Swoon-worthy literary couples

The literary romances too perfect to fail.

When you’re for a truly romantic story, there’s nothing better than seeing two of your favourite characters finally find their way to each other, through all the twists and turns of a great book. And every now and then you’ll find a love story so beautiful it makes you more than a little teary, and just a little bit weak at the knees. Here’s a list of books featuring some of our favourite literary couples. Hopefully you’ll fall in love with them as deeply as we have.

The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman
This story of strong, enduring love was volunteered immediately by one of our publishers when we started talking swoon-worthy couples. A true love is one that can hold fast in the face of real hardship and Tom and Isabel’s love is certainly put to the test in The Light Between Oceans. As the only two inhabitants living on the windswept island of Janus Rock, when a baby washes up on the shore fulfilling all of Isabel’s broken dreams, Tom is forced by the strength of his love to ignore his own conscience, to devastating consequences. This is a heartbreaking story of what people will do for love – but what a romance!

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Talk about heartbreaking, has there ever been a more wonderfully tragic story than this tale of love, life and death? Our marketing team want you to swoon along with them at this tragic story. Even though Adam is a guitarist in an indie rock band, he falls under the spell of Mia’s gentle concentration on her classical cello. Out in the world they’re different creatures, but in the privacy of the school’s music rehearsal room, their love of music blooms into an all-consuming, life-altering love. When fate wants to take Mia away in the most painful of circumstances, will their passionate connection be enough to convince her to stay? 

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
This one comes from our sales department, but with echoes from all corners of the company. How could you not fall in love with a couple whose love can travel through time? We have the luxury of so much time with our partners – but what if you knew exactly when your time together would end? And that the love of your life could be a different age, emotional state, or even completely absent at any moment? Most people would give up, but when your beau is as swoon worthy as Harry, and you are as stubborn as Claire, there’s only one way forward – together.

Eliza's Home by Rachael Herron
When we asked the editors, one of them dreamily mentioned that she can still picture Joshua Carpenter’s sky blue eyes gazing at Eliza when he finds her broken down by the side of the road, on the run from an unhappy marriage. Eliza’s Home is the gorgeous prequel to Rachael Herron’s Cypress Hollow series and takes us back to 1945, just after WWII. Eliza is looking for a job, not love, but how can she not fall in love with the way he never tries to change her, just offers her work and shelter on the house he’s single-handedly building on his beautiful new farm? This love story will make you feel like hitting the road to find your one true love.

Outlander: Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon
The romance of Claire Randall and James Fraser is a far from easy one, making their story all the more compelling, according to our publicity team. To begin with, Claire Randall was on a second honeymoon in Scotland with her husband in 1945, before finding that she had fallen through time into a violent skirmish taking place in 1743. In her plight to make it back home to her husband, Claire slowly gets to know James Fraser – a gallant and courageous young Scots warrior. There is an instant attraction between the stubborn and somewhat naïve Claire, and the passionate and completely loyal James, with their desire slowly developing into true love as they continually look out for one another in the dangerous setting of a country torn by war and by clan feuds. Claire and James are not only a strong team against the world, but also as a strong example of old time romance.