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Nominees:
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1. Savannah and Noah - A Wedding on Sunshine Corner by Phoebe Mills
So she matched his stance and raised an eyebrow in defiance, ignoring the flip of her stomach when those whiskey-colored eyes bored into hers, the intensity enough to make her toes curl.
Brother's bestfriend, oil and water couple, is it any wonder they made the list? She's more dreamy and he's more practical but their chemistry had them pushing through preconceived notions.
2. Yue-ying and Lord Bai Huang - The Lotus Palace by Jeannie Lin
“Why—?” She paused to swallow. “Why did you offer to redeem me?”
He approached her, watching every emotion that flickered over her face. Color rose to her cheeks as he neared. “Why can’t you be my concubine?”
She gave a sharp laugh. “Isn’t it obvious? Look at you and look at me.”
He caught her gaze and held it. “I’m looking.”
Yue-ying tilted her chin upward in challenge. Not only to him, but to everyone who had ever stared at her. “Why would anyone pay for a concubine whose face was ruined like this?”
“This face isn’t ruined.” He cupped her face in his hands and she flinched. He could see the tremor in her lower lip and how hard she fought to maintain her composure. She wanted to look away and hide herself, but she didn’t. And he fell a little bit more for her because of it.
Class differences, hiding of true selves that leads to only showing themselves to the other, just, EMOTIONAL. Huang had to grow and learn how to love Yue-ying the way she needed and Yue-ying had to learn to trust, a romance genre gold star couple.
3. Lady Rosalind Kinwood and Ned Wentworth - Never a Duke by Grace Burrowes
“[...] Is that why you kissed me, because I exchanged some small talk with her and his loathsome lordship?”
“Because you put her in her place,” Rosalind said, “because you got even with Lindy for me, because I can ask you to escort me, and because you read stories to little girls and pine over their lost affections, and because...” Rosalind fell silent, appalled that tears were threatening.
Right away, from their first meeting, Rosalind and Ned had that delicate reach and retreat, spark, and yearning for what's behind that glimpse of something more relationship. This couple was never loud but had that quiet, underneath those words, emotions are burning quality that make them a subtle treat to read.
4. Mingyu and Constable Wu Kaifeng - The Jade Temptress by Jeannie Lin
His features were harsh with little to smooth out the rough edges, the hard cut of his chin, the unforgiving shape of his mouth that seemed forever locked in a grim line. Yet something about him compelled her. Whenever he was near, it was impossible for her to look away. There was so much more to him than what could be seen on the surface. Wu’s tone was gentle and his eyes, though not kind, were far from cold.
I've quoted this couple so much already, I had to search for a new one but I love this because it's more of that seeing under the surface that I love so much from couples. These two, my god fought for each other and I was swept up in it all.
5. Velvet and Jaye - The House on Blueberry Lane by Brenda Jackson
Drawing in a deep breath, he just stared at her, willing her to read in his gaze what she would not accept in his words.
Jaye was a man fighting for a second chance, he realizes what he let get away. They had that spark that feels ready to ignite because of the anger and love mixed in it and gave me a couple that was sexy and sweet.
6. Raven Moreau and Braxton Steele - To Catch a Raven by Beverly Jenkins
"That's unfortunate. Their mothers should raise them better. Bland food. Meek women. Sounds fairly boring where you're from, Steele. Hopefully, the men are good in bed, at least."
"Find us a bed and I'll give you dessert."
Her heart stopped.
Eyes blazing intensely, he added, "I can't speak for other men, but you'll remember my pleasuring you for the rest of your life."
Hellooooooooooooo!! In a year where I felt I just happen to pick books where the passion between leads was toned down, Raven and Braxton were a very welcome hit. They had that delicious sizzle of attraction and some of that pride warring with prejudice heat. They had emotional and physical intimacy and I was HERE for it.
7. May Wu and Han Leung - Return to Cherry Blossom Way by Jeannie Chin
The only answer left was that he had to put his heart---and maybe his entire conception of his life---on the line. If he wanted to be with May, he had to make the decision and commit.
Quite simply, he had to fight.
A second chance romance couple that have some hurt from choices they had to make when they were younger. This had some open door heat and I loved it because this couple had that hurt and tension that you just want to see explode on page in that way. A little bit of teeth gritting emotion couple.
8. Theodora Ettings (Dora) and Lord Sorcier Elisa Wilder - Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
Elias blinked at her. “I will admit,” he said, “you are proving to be far more interesting than I first assumed, Miss Ettings.”
A very sweet couple and, as everyone knows by now, my favorite seeing under the mask of the other person. They had that instant spark of attraction when they meet that had me giddy to see where it was all going to go. When Elias tells Dora he loves her exactly the way she is, readers will get a watery eyes.
9. Sarah and Luke - The Rainbow Season by Lisa Gregory
The dangerous Luke Turner, indeed— blushing and scrabbling for his shirt because a lady had seen him barechested.
A man out of jail after serving time for raping a woman (spoiler - he didn't do it) and a sheltered woman who has the hots for her brother-in-law, all in an old school romance setting. Yeah, things could have really went off the rails here but instead we get the author doing something really great with the dynamics, having Sarah being the one in control and Luke almost afraid of her because of how much he respects her and doesn't want to lose her friendship. This was a very good story about impetuous young love, the newness of certain feelings having to be worked through because of immaturity and Luke not having a foundation and experience of love. What stuck out the most to me was how sweet, earnest, and gentle the tone of the story was, especially Luke's character. For me, a romance mostly shines by how much I believe in the leads' love, do they fit together, what draws and keeps them together, and their chemistry. Sarah and Luke had me tearing up and smiling, I felt and believed in their emotions.
10. Olivia and Bennett - Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen
I grip his hand tighter and pull him closer. Our cheeks graze as I bring my lips up against his ear. “I hope you’re ready to fall in love.”
Rivals-to-lovers that sparked from the get go, you'll remember their meet-cute was a nominee for Favorite Scene. They had fun, cute, and some sparking chemistry through their by-play and I was charmed by them.
11. Harriet and Morgan - A Wicked Game by Kate Bateman
He slid his fingers down her arm and caught her hand, then gently turned her so her back was to him. His soft exhale lifted the hairs on her exposed nape and she could feel the heat of his body all along her back, even though they weren’t touching. And then his lips pressed her shoulder and his arms slid around her waist, his fingers spreading across her stomach, and even through the fabric of her stays and chemise, it burned. A heavy pounding started in her blood.
Another Raven and Braxton couple that stood out because of how satisfyingly steamy their chemistry was. Plot? WHO CARES! When you have spark and spine tingling attraction between leads like this and actually let them play it out, chef's kiss! Hot building tension and crackling chemistry.
Winner:
Yue-ying and Lord Bai Huang
The sounds on the other side of the wall had quieted. In the darkness, he touched a hand against the wood, pressing lightly as if he could reach through to the other side. To Yue-ying.
This couple, just, inject it into my romance masochist veins. The trust that had to be built between them, the gentle probing, the reaching out, not giving up, fighting, and opening up. I loved Harriet and Morgan because of their more fun steamy chemistry but Yue-ying and Huang were that deep hurts so good couple that I become a mess over.
2021 Winner
What couple can't you stop thinking about from 2022?
And finally, next time, Fav Contemp, Hist, and Book of 2022...
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