One of my absolute favourite tropes within romance, second only to ‘friends to lovers’ (although they go hand in hand), is ‘slow burn’. I am someone who cannot fathom the idea of ‘love at first sight’ and believe that the only ships worth their salt are ones that fight tooth and nail to be together. I love reading about two (or more, I don’t discriminate) characters whose relationship develops based on genuine connection and affinity with one another; hence why I have complied five of my top ‘slow burn’ book romances.

The Infernal Devices Trilogy : Jem and Tessa

Tessa Gray travels to England in search of her brother, leaving behind all she knows in New York. However, finding danger immediately upon her arrival, she soon allies herself with a group of demon-killers named ‘Shadowhunters’. Tessa finds more than she bargained for in her new life in London, including a unique ability of her own and a spark with more than one of the mysterious Shadowhunters.

• James Carstairs ‘Jem’ and Tessa Gray are one of my absolute favourite ships. I consider them to be a slow burn, as despite them getting engaged mid-way through the series, they don’t actually end up together until the very end/ in the other works.
• I love Jem and Tessa’s relationship because they develop a close friendship beforehand. Jem is one of the first characters that Tessa opens up to when she arrives in London, and likewise Jem allows himself to establish a relationship/ friendship with Tessa despite his illness.
• Both Jem and Tessa are extremely caring and honest people who would do anything for those that they love; I also believe that they balance each other out very well. The family that they grow from the end of Clockwork Princess to the Ghosts of the Shadow Market Novella is beautiful to see (although Will should be there too and I will stand by that forever!).
• Overall, I think that seeing their relationship develop within each series set in the Shadowhunters universe (as they are two of the only characters that appear within every work) is a unique and wonderful experience.

The Percy Jackson Series : Percy and Annabeth

After being attacked by his maths teacher, and subsequently vaporising her, Percy discovers that he is a half-blood – the son of a human and a greek god. Sent on a quest to retrieve Zeus’ lightning bolt to prove that he is not the thief, along the way Percy encounters dangers he’s only read about in ancient myth.

• Percy and Annabeth are one of the OG slow burn romances and have established themselves there for a reason.
• Starting off as enemies/ rivals and developing their connection into a friendship and eventual romantic relationship, they truly have been through it all together. I love them both as individual characters and as a duo, they are the definition of a power couple.
• Once again, seeing these two develop their relationship over multiple series is beautiful to see and its incredible to see them grow into their own as well.
• They have some truly iconic moments, both in the original work and the on-going TV adaptation, and its amazing that multiple generations will know of them and their legendary romance.

The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation : Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji

Years after his death, Wei Wuxian wakes up in the body of one of his followers – a young man having sacrificed himself so that the lengendary ‘Yiling Patriarch’ could exact revenge on his behalf. Though reborn into a new body, Wei Wuxian cannot escape the pain from his former life. Determined to find out the truth of his own downfall and repay his sins, an old friend makes a re-appearance to help him on his new path.

• Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji is a ship for the ages and I truly sympathise with anyone that isn’t already aware of them.
• Lan Wangji is the definition of ‘down bad’ and literally waited years for his beloved to come back to him (I believe I’ve said enough but I shall go on).
• Both Wuxian and Wangji are dedicated to each other and fight for one another when given the chance. Both characters endure so much pain and betrayal within the span of the series and yet they can always rely on each other.
• Their slow burn spans decades (although not quite as long as one other Mo Xiang Tong Xiu romance), and I love seeing as they overcome their individual and shared trials to eventually reach their happy ending.

The Folk of the Air Series : Jude and Cardan

After seeing her parents murdered in front of them, Jude and her sisters are abducted and brought to live in Faerie. Tortured and tormented by her peers for being mortal, Jude realises she must assimilate herself if she wishes to survive the world of Faerie. The road to power is a tricky one and Jude must contend with those standing in her way, including Prince Cardan, one of her chief tormentors.

• In my opinion (and potentially controversial), Jude and Cardan are one of the best written couples in YA fantasy – I feel like they’re a breath of fresh air among a lot of couples who have a wide age gap, unrecognised problematic pasts, and one dimensional characters/ love interests.
• The relationship between Jude and Cardan starts off quite rocky, and Cardan isn’t the most ‘unproblematic’ love interest in the world, but I do believe that he redeems himself and evolves throughout the series – which in turn makes his and Jude’s dynamic really interesting.
• Jude and Cardan’s relationship adds to the already intriguing storyline and I love how their dynamic never feels boring or ordinary.
• Overall, I believe that Jude and Cardan are two of the most fascinating characters in YA and I really love seeing how much they begin to love and care for each other despite their trust issues.

The Captive Prince Trilogy : Damen and Laurent

Though the rightful heir to the throne of Akielos, after his half-brother Kastor seizes power, Damen is captured, stripped of his identity, and sent to the enemy kingdom of Vere. His new master, Crown Prince Laurent, is the last person Damen could hope to serve – beautiful, manipulative, powerful, and worst of all having vowed to avenge the brother that died at Damen’s hands.

• This series really grew on me as I continued with it – it’s a ‘trust the process’ kind of series through and through. Despite my not loving the first book, Damen and Laurent’s dynamic really sold me and I’m glad I continued.
• The enemies part of their dynamic is emphasised throughout the series and this brings a compelling layer to their relationship, especially as one party isn’t fully aware of who the other is.
• I loved seeing their bond flourish slowly page by page as they both move past their biases and preconceived ideas surrounding the other and their peoples.
• Throughout the series, the reader can witness the accumulation of each sincere moment that they share into the eventual protective and intimate nature of their devotion to one another.