Today is Day 4 of Book Couples Countdown, and I’ll be writing about one of my newer favorite couples: Rachel and Gabriel from Archangel by Sharon Shinn! Really I could have talked about all of the couples from this series. Equal parts romance, science fiction, and fantasy, Shinn’s Samaria is fantastic! So far I’ve also read Angelica, and I’m currently reading Jovah’s Angel. While existing in the same universe, they skip around in time and each book can stand on its own. Each one also includes a central romance, and on that note, let’s get back to my favorite of them!

Art by Weelcheetza on DeviantArt.

A key element in the evolution of Rachel and Gabriel’s relationship is their conflicting natures. They want different things, and they possess colliding perspectives and opinions. Yet there’s an undeniable attraction, and factors outside of their control have made their union nonnegotiable. They engage in wonderfully biting banter, and their love grows slowly, which I tend to love. And Shinn is skilled at striking the right level of drama, so we get all of this angst with none of the overdone feel romance novels often succumb to! read more