It has come to my attention that I love absolutely problematic, unhealthy pairings.

The rougher, the better. I’m not talking about outright abuse. I’m talking about the pairing that you look at and go, “Oh, this is gonna be a dumpster fire,” so you grab the marshmallows and chocolate and a good seat where you can see the action and prepare to make s’mores.

I suppose I shouldn’t be particularly surprised, considering my favorite romantic trope is enemies to lovers. Of course there’s going to be some weird, problematic junk rising up from that. And I want all of it. With some caveats.

In order for me to ship a couple, it has to be two people who are individually strong on their own who have the power to choose to be together.

It’s just not sexy if one side is a wilting daisy being shoehorned into this relationship, even if they say it’s what they want. It’s also not sexy to force someone into a relationship against their will.

I also fully realize that I would not recommend real people to enter into similar relationships in real life.

I mean, sure, it’s all good for the badass assassin to date another assassin, even if it sometimes ends in bodily harm as they struggle to do their individual jobs and get in each other’s way … but you’re not an assassin. No, don’t even try to argue. Assassins don’t read this blog. They’re out reading Murder Nightly or some such blog. I don’t know.

I read largely fantasy or paranormal romance, which means I don’t actually think any of these things could happen in real life. Except maybe the dragons. Pleeeease let the dragons happen. I’m happy to simply let these pairings be what they are and live their best lives on the page.

So why do I like problematic relationships? Well, here are a few reasons:

✿ The individuals tend to be strong, opinionated people on their own.
✿ Romance is sometimes hard. Fight for it, darn you!
✿ A couple that goes through some stuff and makes it out the other side has some staying power.
✿ I want to see all the nitty, ugly parts of the relationship grow into something beautiful.
✿ One-upmanship is sexy.
✿ Sometimes beating someone up and not killing them is like saying, “I love you. And you’re welcome.”

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is a love freebie, so I thought it’d be a good idea to go over my favorite problematic pairings.

Because even messed up people deserve love, too. Some of these may not be canon pairings, but they’re characters who seem to have a “thing,” which I so generously would love to see develop into more of a “thing,” whether they like it or not, darn it. Sometimes characters just don’t know what’s good for them and you have to help them out with it.

Aina x Kohl

From: Diamond City

Problematic Because: Uhh … where do I even start with this? SO MANY FREAKING THINGS. The beginning of which, Kohl took Aina in and basically groomed her, so for most of the book, she has a bit of a hero worship infatuation with him. The rest is just … spoilers.

What I Love: Aina’s character arc has her growing into herself and into her own. I ship them at the point where Aina realizes she’s more than Kohl, greater than Kohl, and she doesn’t need him. The minute she realizes she can take him down, that’s the point I started shipping this couple. Will it happen in canon? Unlikely. But that doesn’t mean I can’t pretend.

Eliana x Simon

From: Furyborn

Problematic Because: Enemies on opposing sides of a war, which, you know, always poses some problems.

What I Love: The Dread is a sexy name. The Wolf is also a sexy name. See? Clearly destined to be together. I just love the will they/won’t they of this. I mean, there are so many things that need to be put aside for this ship to work. Like their allegiances, their hatred, their desire to stab the other one. Actually, you know what? Once they’re married, it’s fair game if they want to stab each other, so I take that back.

Liesl x Der Erlkonig

From: Wintersong

Problematic Because: Creepy old guy ends up falling for a kid, asks her to marry him, and then casually kidnaps her as an adult to follow through with said marriage.

What I Love: It’s a Hades/Persephone retelling, so of course there were going to be problems. Liesl may not have a lot of agency in this … but eventually she does. She sort of makes her own agency as she goes. And for Der Erlkonig’s part … he genuinely does love her? Not that it makes the whole kidnapping thing any better, obviously. One might argue this is a case of Stockholm, buuuut … I mean, you can only do so much with retellings, and it’s not like Liesl had to love him. All she had to do was play a part, if she’d really wanted. But the way the characters sort of grew together from genuine interests, which formed into mutual respect is what made me love this, despite it’s problematic origins.

Jude x Cardan

From: The Cruel Prince

Problematic Because: They hate each other, constantly threaten to murder the other one, and one is 95.24% likely to stab the other one at some point. Probably in a non-lethal way, but hey, who knows.

What I Love: This is the quintessential dumpster fire. And yet … I can’t look away? Both Jude and Cardan are such solid characters on their own, and I love them each separately. But together? Ooooh myyyy. This is a level of one-upmanship rarely seen, I think, and I just love it. They hate each other. But they love each other. But they hate each other. But they hate other people more. It’s so freaking complicated and ugly and yes, I’m all in for this.

Kaz x Inej

From: Six of Crows

Problematic Because: Emotionally unavailable male unable to give up his bid for vengeance meets female who just wants something more out of life.

What I Love: OMG I JUST WANT TO SMOOSH THESE TWO TOGETHER AND WHACK THEM OVER THE HEAD AT THE SAME TIME. Kaz won’t say what he’s feeling and thinking, and Inej keeps brushing off what she notices as being something else and I just … grrr.

I actually haven’t read Crooked Kingdom yet (soon, my lovely … soon. I’m coming for you), so I don’t really know how this pairing ends, but my gut says … not happily ever after? Which is a shame. They deserve it. Inej and Kaz together could rule the dang world.

I think I love this just a little more, because my husband is very much like Kaz. He’s really freaking bad at sharing his feelings, and he speaks through his actions, so you have to really pay attention to it. I’m just clearly better at it than Inej is. Which is fair. Not everyone wants or can deal with that sort of nonsense. But I’m still rooting for this power couple just the same.

Mia x Tric

From: Nevernight

Problematic Because: This is just … spoilers. Spoilers everywhere! You get a spoiler, and you get a spoiler. EVERYBODY GETS A SPOILER. But also … two assassins falling in love will just always have problems, especially in a setting where they’re meant to compete against each other.

What I Love: Look. I’ve read the whole series. I know what happens. I still ship this. Even though anyone who’s read the first book completely will understand why it’s problematic. But OMFG Tric is just adorable and deserves all the happiness. He is the Hufflepuff of assassins, okay? He’s loyal and caring, but also ruthless and determined. I don’t know how those traits combine, but they just do. And he’s perfect.

The chemistry between him and Mia was immediate and automatic, and they were so in lock step and kept up with each other without missing a beat. I’m not prepared to go down with this ship. To heck with that. I refuse to let this ship sink. We’re just going to sail off into the sunset, to our happily ever after.

Enna x Maekallus

From: The Will and the Wilds

Problematic Because: He sort of wants to eat her soul, and her world is currently destroying him.

What I Love: Okay, first, can I just say that I will forever love tough red-headed fighter demons (helloooo Kurama). The relationship is obviously toxic. Literally. Yet … it’s lovely. They’re lovely. Just because it starts off rocky, doesn’t mean a relationship can’t work out sometimes. Even if one of them’s a demon who wants to eat the other’s mortal soul.

Gideon x Harrow

From: Gideon the Ninth

Problematic Because: They obviously hate each other, and being in each other’s vicinity causes excruciating pain and emotional agony.

What I Love: This obviously isn’t canon, and I’m okay with that. They have a special sort of love that doesn’t have to be a romantic pairing, but I still love it. I mean, okay, enemies forced to work together is a big YES. But OMFG these women are badasses. They both have things to work on personality-wise (and rest assured, they do in this book), but there’s nothing like two powerful women coming together to torch their enemies. Or in this case, I suppose, fling reanimated corpses at them. It’s all good.

Jane x Gideon

From: Dread Nation / Deathless Divide

Problematic Because: I’m not sure there’s a non-spoilerish way I can legitimately answer this question? So how about we go with he’s white and she’s black and this is set in a time where that still very much matters? Even though, ha, that’s the least of it.

What I Love: Each of these characters on their own, obviously. Heck, if I could marry Jane myself, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Sorry, hubby, but … Jane. It’s a no-brainer. Jane is more of a Chaotic Good … and Gideon’s more of a Chaotic Neutral. The two just aren’t great together … but I mean, they totally could be and bring out the best in each other, yeah? No? Well, I tried.

Okay, this one is just all around problematic, and these characters don’t belong together, but I want them together anyway. I want either Gideon to lean more to the Chaotic Good side, and they work towards dragging this zombie-infested world into changing, whether it likes it or not. Or I want Jane to veer more towards Chaotic Neutral (which, to be fair, mission almost accomplished on its own) and they can just be their awesome selves together while they watch the world burn. I’m oddly okay with both scenarios?

Talasseres (Tal) x Just … Everyone

From: The Unspoken Name

Problematic Because: Umm … I dunno. Higher risk for STDs? High probability of sleeping with the wrong person and being executed … or being caught by the wrong person and being executed?

What I Love: I haven’t finished this yet, so I actually don’t know how Tal’s arc ends (if it even ends in this book). But so far? I just love him. He’s cunning enough to know how to get what he wants, and suave enough to get it. People easily fall in love with him, because he’s just so charming. To a fault. He’s not above sleeping with someone to get what he wants, and I love it.

Tal is just one of those characters that I never see settling down. I want to support him getting out there and living his best life, even if that means sleeping with the majority of people in all the worlds. Yeah, why not? Have some fun. Live a little.

Chat With Me

What are your favorite problematic pairings, whether they’re canon or not?