Top 10 Tuesdays: Fictional Crushes

This is always such a hard topic for me, because I don’t really get fictional crushes. I think the only two fictional characters I’ve ever had “crushes” on, if you can even call it that, are Gomez Addams from the Addams Family (especially the version of the character played by Raul Julia in the 1990s movies), and Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I wouldn’t even necessarily say it’s a crush, but both are characters that I really loved and could potentially see myself being interested in someone like them. That’s a bit more of a questionable statement when it comes to Spike considering his history as a vampire as well as some of his actions toward Buffy, but I loved his loyalty and protectiveness toward the women he cared about, as well as his wit and confidence. For Gomez, it’s mostly his devotion to his wife and family that really appealed to me, since that is one thing that is consistent in every iteration of the character regardless of who is portraying him. When it comes to book characters, it’s very rare that I’d get a crush on any of them. I guess I just have trouble getting behind the idea of crushing on someone who isn’t real, although in movies or TV shows it’s a bit easier since they are at least portrayed by a real person so they seem a little more real. I remember back in high school, a friend of mine telling me she thought one of the characters from the anime Death Note was attractive, and I was so confused because to me, he was a cartoon. I do know that anime and cartoons aren’t exactly the same thing, but either way, it was a drawing of a person, not a real person. There have been a few characters in books I’ve read that stood out to me as potentially interesting partners, but I definitely wouldn’t classify them as crushes.

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

1) Zafir from Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert – This was the first recent character that immediately sprung to mind. I loved how he looked out for Dani and found small ways to support her and show that he cared, such as bringing her snacks because he knew she wouldn’t remember to take a break to eat.

2) Paul from Have a Little Faith in Me by Sonia Hartl – To be honest, I wasn’t sure about Paul at first because I didn’t love his reputation for dating so many different girls, but I really loved the way he treated CeCe. I loved how he was so respectful of her and made sure to communicate with her every step of the way, and especially loved how their relationship developed from such a strong friendship.

3) Leo from You Have a Match by Emma Lord – Like Zafir, I think one of the things I loved most about Leo is how he found ways to support Abby, even from behind the scenes such as showcasing her photography on Instagram. He seemed like such a great friend to have, and such a sweet guy in general.

4) Quint from Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer – I loved Quint’s passion for working with sea creatures at his mom’s rescue center, and loved that he had something that he cares so strongly about. I also thought he seemed very knowledgeable about the topic, and that’s something I tend to find very attractive.

5) Cassian from A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas – To be honest, a lot of Sarah J. Maas’s characters could easily fit here, but Cassian is the one that I read most recently. I would definitely include Rhysand and especially Hunt Athalar too. All of these are characters who are very loyal and devoted to their partners, but also protective without crossing that line into being too controlling. I also thought Cassian was very thoughtful (ie. his Winter Solstice gift)

6) Jem Carstairs from The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare – I could likely also include Julian Blackthorn because of his devotion to his family, but Jem is by far one of my favourite Cassandra Clare characters. I liked Will too, but of the two, I think Jem is the one I personally would have gravitated toward more because of his intelligence and patience.

7) Alex from People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry – I’m not even sure I can really put into words what it was that I liked about Alex, but he was just a very appealing love interest to me. I think part of it was just the way the author built such a strong friendship between the characters, so their relationship just seemed so natural and it made me like him that much more.

8) Vas from Harley in the Sky by Akemi Dawn Bowman – This was an incredible book in general, but one of the things that stood out to me the most was Vas and how far he was willing to go to support Harley and make sure she had opportunities to do what she loved. I also loved his passion for music and conducting, which is another thing that tends to appeal to me, likely because I have absolutely no talent for it myself.

9) Thomas Cresswell from the Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Mansicalco – Although I did think some of the more modern/feminist views expressed throughout this series hit the reader over the head a little, I really liked the way Thomas respected Audrey and treated her as an equal, as well as giving her the freedom to make her own choices, even when that meant he might lose her.

10) Zachary Ezra Rawlins from The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern – I’m not sure how much of this one is a “crush” and how much is the fact that I just relate very strongly to this character, but I think we’d have a lot in common. Zachary is an introvert who loves to read and enjoys gaming, which are both things that I really like too.

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