Valentine’s Day is coming up, which mean love is in the air.

None of that gooey, mushy, melty sort, though, please. If you’re like me, romance to you means something a little different. Namely, it’s a bit more … complicated. Like sure, okay, they clearly care about each other, but one of them may just kill the other before they realize it. Because love is messy.

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is a Valentine’s Day/love freebie … so of course I’m going to choose stabby romances. It’s really the only kind I love without fail.

You know, those romances that are at least slightly unhealthy and you would never recommend anyone actually be in, but it’s kind of sexy in a fictional setting. The kind where either party might kill the other at any given time. Sure, they’d probably feel bad about it, but stop getting in the way, darn you, and there wouldn’t be a problem. The sort borne from begrudging partnerships and enemies-to-lovers and all kinds of dynamics where the couple are obvious partners and equals in every sense of the word.

If you’re a Slytherin (or maybe just a Slytherin at heart), these will be your kinds of romances!

Aina x Kohl

       

This isn’t just an unhealthy relationship, this is THE Unhealthy Relationship™. There’s a very weird love/hate relationship going on here, and there are definite spoilers in the first book that I won’t delve into that really change the dynamics of these characters in a big way. But you know what? I love it.

There’s a power dynamic already established by the fact that Kohl is the leader and much older than Aina, yet Aina refuses to be simply a “subordinate” and so a power struggle ensues. I haven’t read Shadow City yet, but it sounds like there’ll be plenty of juicy power struggles ahead. This relationship is a lot like a train wreck. Sure, I know it’s a bad thing, and probably it’ll result in death and/or injury, but it’s just so darn hot, okay?

Alessandra x the Shadow King

   

This was actually billed as a Slytherin romance, so heck yeah I jumped on it, and boy did it deliver. The two romantic interests here are Slytherin to the core, and I absolutely loved it. The romance serves a purpose for both of them. Make no mistakes, they don’t just fall head-over-heels and it’s happily ever after. This courting is strategic; it’s a power play for both of them doomed not to end happily at all, which makes it all the more enjoyable.

Esha x Kunal

           

Ahhh, the gold old enemies-to-lovers trope, right? Esha and Kunal are forever engaged in a game of one-upmanship with shifting loyalties. The third book hasn’t come out yet, and the way things ended between them in book two has me super freaking excited for it! This is one of those relationships with really high stakes where you’re never quite sure where each character stands or how it’s going to end. The romance is ugly and conflicted and not at all easy, which makes it all the more fun to watch!

Gauri x Vikram

   

Another enemies-to-lovers, where enemies are forced to begrudgingly work together. Both Gauri and Vikram are strong, capable characters in their own rights, both forces to be reckoned with, both with a vested interest in working together to achieve their individual goals. My favorite thing with romance is the dynamic between equals who don’t need each other to be happy but choose to be together, and that epitomizes this relationship perfectly! Also, the banter between these two is just on point.

Fie x Tavin

       

Fie’s initial reaction to Tavin is to punch him, and if that’s not the opening to a long and fruitful romance, I don’t know what is. It’s just *chef’s kiss*. Who the heck needs love at first sight? Pfffft. I want my love to be hard won and earned. This is another romance that really seems doomed to fail and keeps the reader guessing as alliances shift and greater forces keep coming between them. Will they actually end up together by the end of the duology? Probably not, but who knows?! That’s what makes the romance so darn compelling!

Elisabeth x Nathaniel

   

I’m going to admit that this one tries to be enemies-to-lovers, but it felt a bit too contrived for me. They weren’t really enemies. It was simply a misunderstanding based on propaganda by a silly schoolgirl who refuses to use her brain, okay? That aside, though, it’s the banter that really got me on this one. Oh my gosh, the banter! These two crack me up. They also just make a really good team, which I enjoyed. While the romance is certainly less stabby than a lot of the others on this list, Elisabeth carries a big sword and Nathaniel wields magic, and they have to team up to take out the bad guys, so stabbing is still involved. I’m counting it!

Serefin x Anybody

           

Listen, I don’t really care who you pair Serefin with, it wouldn’t be a healthy relationship. Man wouldn’t know healthy if you brained him over the head with a dictionary while repeatedly shouting the definition. That being said, he does get a bit of a romance in book two, though I refuse to say who with because that’s a spoiler. It’s one of those really adorable but horribly ill-fated romances that you want to root for but are afraid to because you’re obviously going to get your feelings shattered. While the romance in this isn’t as violent, this book definitely is, and Serefin himself as a sarcastic murder king that is an absolutely fantastic character, which makes the more quiet, adorable romance stand out all the more in juxtaposition to everything. But can the romance stand through all the darkness surrounding it? I don’t know. I have concerns. I’m not sure I can bring myself to read book three and find out.

Enna x Maekallus

   

How’s this for a doomed, unhealthy romance: a demon whose kiss sucks out part of your soul. Sounds kinda juicy, right?! Hey, demons are sexy. I don’t make the rules; I just live by them. Mostly. This is such a doomed relationship, because each character is taking what they need/want from the other to further their own purpose without any forethought about what it means for the other character. Oops? It’s sexy, it’s tragic, and it’s doomed to end poorly, so … romance? Duh.

Mia x Tric

           

This was obviously a bad idea from the start. Teenagers being trained as assassins who are competing against each other who, if successful, will take orders from others … orders they really have no control over. Yeah, this seems like the perfect setting for romance. I actually loved this specifically because these characters are being taught how to use sex and romance as yet another tool for espionage and assassination … but for a few brief moments, they take autonomy and decide to use this “weapon” for their own purposes. You know, like pleasure! Huzzah! I enjoyed how obviously doomed this romance is, how hard they have to actually fight if they really want it, and how it’s basically a way for the characters to fly in the face of the coldness they’re being taught and groomed for.

Liesl x der Erlkonig

       

This is another epitome of an unhealthy relationship, especially considering der Erlkonig comes to Liesl as a child and falls in love with her. Super awkward. The actual romance in this book, though, takes place when Liesl is nineteen, so less icky. Unless you have a problem with a dude that’s hundreds of years old being interested in a teenager, which I’m willing to overlook because fantasy but not everyone is. Here’s why I’m okay with overlooking this, for the most part: I don’t think der Erlkonig actually loves Liesl at the beginning. He’s just convinced himself that he does when she’s really just a means to an end for him. Liesl obviously doesn’t love him. So in essence, over the course of the book, the reader gets to see them come together, fall apart, scheme, plot, rage, heal, and just generally be human and grow in general. Growth is such a messy thing. I loved all the little intricacies of this and the way that music becomes a foundation of their relationship.

What are some of your favorite stabby romances? If you’re also doing TTT, drop your link below!

Follow Me

• 
• 
•