5 OTPs To Melt Your Heart

I'm in a very squeeable mood today. I fancy melting into a small puddle of pleased goo. In order to help me achieve this slightly alarming goal, would you like to discuss some OTPs?

Good. Because I'm going to rabbit on about them regardless.

Them? I know. Technically - and I mean technically - the "O" in OTP stands for "One", meaning I should not have several. 
Well pish to that.
There is already an OTP post going on somewhere in the deep recesses of this blog's archives, but ... they're deep, as I say. It's been a while. And I wanted to come up with some kind of opportunity to make some aesthetics, since photoediting is becoming more and more like an addiction for me and I've got to let it out somehow. Please enjoy:

Abby and Will (Waking in Time by Angie Stanton)

Seriously. Couples from different centuries should get together more often. Except ... not when there isn't time travel involved? Because I think it would be creepy otherwise?
But there are so many reasons I love these guys. They are funny, caring and fiercely loyal. They make me laugh ... AND GOSHDAMMIT THEIR FIRST KISSING SCENE WAS IN THE FIFTIES. GREASE STYLE.
Excuse me if the musical nerd inside is getting a bit overwhelmed by all of this. 

Elena and Gabe (Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell)


What I love about these guys is their absolute unashamed geekiness. The fact that they meet in a line waiting to see the new Star Wars film, despite the fact that modern booking systems mean they could spend the week before its release at home instead of shivering on the pavement outside the cinema ... and still get seats at the premier screening. They wait in line out of the principle of the thing.

The fact that they then spend hours comparing favourite characters and consuming Yoda-festooned cupcakes and making emergency runs to Starbucks in order to refresh the absolutely vital face paint - because how else would everyone know what crazy fans they were?

The teasing is merciless, the debates about whether fake geeks can possibly exist are genuinely thought provoking, and I'M JUST LOVING THE WHOLE THING, OKAY?

Baz and Simon (Carry On by Rainbow Rowell)

So, yeah. You've probably not been able to tell - I am quite subtle about it, most of the time - but I love Rainbow Rowell. She sure can write a romance.

I think what I love about Simon and Baz is how obvious their love for each other is ... to everyone except themselves, that is. Often, I kind of end up hating this kind of slow-burn, tantalising romance, but this one was so well done I couldn't help but love it. There's something about two people admitting a romance to themselves at the same time they have to admit it to each other that just melts my heart.
And no, I don't ship Drarry. But since these guys are based off them, I guess I must have more sympathy towards them as a pairing than I'd thought.

Joe and Lennie (The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson)


More amazing geekery ... but of the band kind this time. I absolutely fricking loved these guys, and honestly most of it was because of the way they bonded through music. Complaining about conductors! Making eyes at each other in rehearsal!

I know. I'm a music nerd. Sue me.

But I honestly think that these guys would appeal to you whether or not you know what stave means. There are scenes in this book that I've honestly read two or three times just because the romance was so well done (and yes, because it was steamy. Despite many appearances to the contrary, I am actually human from time to time). Plus, Joe is French.

FRENCH.

Lennie never stood a chance, honestly.

Lola and Cricket (Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins)

There's no romance like the romance of childhood sweethearts, let me tell you that much. I don't want to give too much away about exactly how happy the ending was for these two, since it's quite a spoiler, but they have these moments that absolutely melted my heart, mostly because, well, Lola had a boyfriend. Which was frustrating to the point you could just hear Cricket's heart breaking.

My poor, poor baby.

But Lola too ... these guys are made for each other. I know that's as soppy as heck, but honestly I'm not sure I really care. Cricket ever the gentleman, and Lola the perfect high lady of fashion.

*happy sigh*

Molly and Reid (The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli)

Apparently a pattern is emerging and I quite enjoy geeky couples. It's not surprising, really, since geek has never failed to = awesome, but what's so great about these guys specifically is that neither one of them were exactly in their comfort zone when it came to romance, and they supported each other, rather than one person doing all the reassuring.

If that made sense.

I liked this relationship because it was a partnership of equals. And you'd be surprised how rare that is in YA, since ... you know ... YA is partly about teaching teens what healthy relationships are? And equality is a big part of that healthiness?

Not to mention serious food appreciation and a Pinterest addiction. I like.

***
In the comments: What are your OTPs? (Come on, I know for a fact I'm not the only rebel with more than one). What is it that makes them so awesome for you? If you had to describe them in three pictures (or three words), what would they be?
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15 comments:

  1. This is such a sweet idea, Lara! May I steal this concept? Um, but first, I want to learn to make little mood-boards like you because that would the most fun thing to do for the blog! Some of these books I haven't read yet (BOO! I know!). But, like Carry On is pure love. The Sky is Everywhere is a book I read like two years ago, so I don't remember much. But, it was also super cute. LOLA! CRICKET. MY HEART, BE STILL (I mean, beat, but like, not that fast?).

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    1. First off, yes. You may steal this concept as much as you would like. Maybe I should make a tutorial on how I do my aesthetics? Would you like that? Basically, I use PicMonkey collage, the Unsplash picture library, and a lot of tearing my hear out. It's fun.

      CARRY ON! LOLA! WHOOP WHOOP! (Also, I'm going to casually recommend a Sky is Everywhere re-read for you. But I understand if you have no time whatsoever.)

      Yeah. You don't want your heart to stop there, mate.

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  2. I remember that OTP post buried deep within your archives! My how we've both grown up. :')

    I just read Kindred Spirits! I'm pretty much guaranteed to love anything Rainbow Rowell writes, and though a lot of the nitty gritty Star Wars details went over my head, I liked it.

    SIMON AND BAAAAAAAAZ. They're such a mess, but I love it. They're weirdly very perfect for each other. "There's something about two people admitting a romance to themselves at the same time they have to admit it to each other that just melts my heart." YES. You just summed up my love for slow burns.

    Ooh, I have The Sky is Everywhere on my TBR shelf because I adored I'll Give You the Sun. I can't wait to see what else she's written!

    Molly and Reid are the BEEEEST. That book was so adorable and I gobbled it up in a few days because I couldn't get enough of those two. All the desserts and dorkiness and just--gah. Feels.

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    1. Awww, we remember! *eyes cloud over with nostalgia*

      Yay Kindred Spirits! I'm surprised about the fact that I didn't get confused by all those references despite not having watched Star Wars at that point. Maybe I'm just used to being befuddled? WHO KNOWS?

      Also, yeah. Simon and Baz. They're the perfect mess. Thank you for liking my phrasing ;-)

      I chose to read The Sky is Everywhere before I'll Give You the Sun because I ... guess I didn't like the look of it? I don't know. Advice? Is there anything there I wouldn't like?

      Dessert was 100% my favourite part of that book, BTW. I'm glad I'm not the only one so transparently manipulated.

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  3. My OTPs tend to be for films rather than books? Weird, I know! On the plus side, they're superhero films, based on comics, so that counts dammit! Also, none of my OTPs ever seem to become canon (dammit!) - I'm guessing that's because of the high levels of GAY that I tend to ship!

    I'm total Stucky trash (STEVE AND BUCKY BELONG TOGETHER!!!) I also love FrostIron (Tony & Loki! It works dammit!) And I don't know whether you've read HP & the Cursed Child, so I will just say that I ship the thing ;)

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    1. I must admit that I'm not an expert on comics (I might have dressed up as Oracle for ComicCon last year, but that was only because she was the only costume I could think of that incorporated a wheelchair. I'm a bit of a fraud tbh)

      The lack of gay ships that become canon is very disappointing. HP and the Cursed Child I have read, but ... do you mean the gay thing? Or the slightly creepy thing? Because I totally ship the gay thing.

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    2. I mean the gay thing! ;) (THEY BELONG TOGETHER WHY IS THIS NOT CANON?!) (I must've missed the slightly creepy thing!)

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    3. The slightly creepy thing involved Voldemort *shudders* BUT OMG THEY TOTALLY BELONG TOGETHER. To be honest, I'd half forgotten that they weren't canon because of the amount of beautiful headcanons I've seen out there.

      Ah well. We can imagine.

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  4. I've never heard of Waking in Time, but I am 100% there for it. I love time travel books. In fact, one of my friends is writing this incredible one right now that you would die for. I mean, I'm going off the fact you want more time travel romance. Anywaaaaaay, Waking in Time has just been added to my TBR. (Because I needed more. Thanks, Lara :P)

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    1. YAY! I RECOMMENDED WAKING IN TIME TO SOMEONE! Seriously, if you love time travel, you'll love it. I don't even regret making your TBR bigger because it is that good.

      If your friend's book ever gets published / they need some beta readers, let me know. I'd love to get my hands on anything that's remotely similar to Waking In Time.

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  5. I can tell you like Waking in Time because you sure talk about it a lot!! hehe. ;) And yes Rainbow Rowell is so great at writing romances! My favourite couple of hers is Levi and Cath from Fangirl. :) Another kind of geeky couple... and all of Stephanie Perkins couples are A+. I have no idea why it's called an "O"TP since no one I know has only one!!

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    1. Oh yeah, Rainbow Rowell is the QUEEN of romance. I love all of her couples - Levi and Cath especially - and loads of her stuff is geeky, so it's right up my street to be honest. Now you mention Stephanie Perkins, I do love her Isla and Josh as well.

      The word 'OTP' is such a scam, honestly. No-one has one, my friend.

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  6. THESE OTPS ARE SO CUTE THO. I love them!! I haven't read is The Sky is Everywhere but I'm a huge music nerd and had no idea it was musical????? Omg??? I need it like yesterday. ๐Ÿ˜‚ And I LOVE Carry ON. Snowbaz is so cute I can't even. Also The Upside of Unrequited with all that pinterest food?!?? I was doomed to love it.๐Ÿ˜

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    1. Between Becky Albertelli and all the amazing food, I thought Upside of Unrequited would be up your alley, Cait. And actually I think it was your recommendation that introduced me to Carry On in the first place, so thank you for that!

      If you're a music nerd, you definitely need The Sky Is Everywhere IMMEDIATELY. I vaguely remember you talking about playing an instrument? Or the fact that you used to play an instrument? What do/did you play?

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