Found Families & Rivals to Lovers

Oh boy, March is shaping up to be something else though, isn’t it? We had a few days of warm weather, then last night we had a lightening storm with marble sized hail and this morning it is snowing. So you know, good bye flowers.

This week I’m showing off some books with my two favorite tropes- found families and rivals (or enemies) to lovers. There’s the typical bunch after the cut, because I can’t seem to get passed all these disaster gays and poorly adjusted people.

Top Ten Tuesday is brought to you by That Artsy Reader Girl.

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Rivals/Enemies to Lovers

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Gideon the Ninth

If you think being the only two children on a planet full of the dead and dying would endear you to your same-age companion, but you’d be wrong. Admittedly, Gideon would have loved to just be friends with Harrow, but Harrow had some… issues to work through in terms of you know… how things were handled on that planet. It took a lot of patience and stubborn attitude on Gideon’s part to get these two women to a point where they could have a relationship that went beyond insults, threats, and casual attempts at murder, but man, what a duo they made once they reached it.

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Red, White & Royal Blue

Henry had it pretty much figured out from their first meeting in Rio, but he was young and sad and angry and really, neither of them were in a place to do much about it. It took Alex a handful of years and some forced bonding to realize that the boy he hated was actually a man he could love, but once he did… wow. Just wow. Their love is show stopping, spectacular, breath taking, tear worthy, and all around wonderful (when they weren’t being stubborn, uncommunicative disasters).

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The Night Circus

I have my problems with Marco, but regardless of my opinions, these two rivals make for a great pairing. All that power, all that magic, all the creativity, melding together to create a series of beautiful creations that make up The Night Circus, a glorious, ever changing love letter to each other. It’s too bad Marco wasn’t raised right, because maybe he would have realized that being emotionally manipulative and dogged in his pursuit of someone who was determined to avoid him might not be the best tactic, but hey- no one’s perfect, right?

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The Darkness Outside Us

Oh god these two. They broke my heart, they put it back together, then they broke it again. Two representatives from two countries that have a long and bitter rivalry, forced to work together and figure out just why they are on a ship hurtling through space. I can’t get into how their relationship develops, because spoilers, but it is heart rending watching these two come together, only to be torn apart again and again by the circumstance they have found themselves in.

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Ravensong

Gordo and Mark may have chosen each other, but fate and the world they lived in had different plans, and the two ended up estranged and angry, though still hopelessly devoted to one another. It was heartbreaking reading about these two finding each other once again, working towards forgiveness and acceptance, all the while the world continued it’s attempts to keep them apart. They prevail at the end, but the cost was high, and the future uncertain, I can only hope fate became a little kinder to them after all they went through.

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Found Family

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The Last Sun

Rune St. John lost nearly everything- his home, his family, and the legacy that entailed. The only person he had left after the massacre of his family and the destruction of their estate was Brand, his best friend and Companion. Together these two face a multitude of danger and challenges, and slowly they began to create a new family, not different, not better, but theirs. In a world of magic, politics, and incredible danger, they have managed to keep those who matter safe, and in the process have created a haven for not only others, but themselves as well. I truly love these two and those they have taken under their wing, and can’t wait to see how their story continues (in only two months, omg).

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One Last Stop

August shows up in New York City for school, a little lost and uncertain about her life, but luckily for her she falls in with a trio of delightfully queer, smart, and hilarious roommates who take her under her wing and show her that life is so much more then stale regret and chasing the ghosts of our past. While the main story is about August and Jane and their relationship, for me it’s Wes, Niko, and Myla who really shined. Funny, witty, and endless endearing, those three made their weird little apartment a home and a safe place, over flowing with laughter, support, and creativity.

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Wolfsong

Ox didn’t have much besides his mother- his dad abandoned their family when he was young, leaving them poor and unprotected in a rural town with nothing to fall back on. But Ox is special, full of honesty and kindness, willing to work hard and be patient, and it’s his amazing attitude and willingness to forgive that so often endears him to those around him. First it was the guys at his job, who treated him like a little brother, fiercely protective, supportive, and loving in a rough-edged sort of way. Later it was Bennett’s, who accepted him without question, gave him friendship and support, welcoming both him and his mother into their household and their hearts. Ox is such an endearing and lovable character, it’s no wonder that those around him would do anything to keep him happy and safe, setting aside old hurts and differences to create a tight-knit family that is always ready to be there for each other.

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Previous Top Ten Tuesdays…

• Upcoming Releases I’m Very Excited For
• Dynamic Duos (and Trios)
• Characters I Would Want As Family Members
• Characters That I Would Never, Ever Date