Top Ten Things I Like/Dislike When It Comes To Romances In Books

Top Ten Tuesdays is a weekly feature created at The Broke and The Bookish.

Oh boy, this is going to be hard... I'm not much of a romantic (that or I'm too much of a romantic, you decide)... Okay. Lets see.

1. Not overbearing. I prefer the romance not to be the only thing that's going on. I don't mind it being an important part of the story, but I need something else happening. Like aliens. Or dragons. I'm here for the dragons.
2. Both the main character and the love interest are actual characters. Characters with flaws and personalities. I find it impossible to invest in a pair when one of them feels like they exist solely to be part of a romantic plot. Essentially that they both have a life outside of the other person.
3. Slow build. I know people will argue to the moon and back about whether or not insta-love is a thing... but you don't meet someone one day, and then decide you would die without them the next.
4. Chemistry... I guess? That the couple feels... right together? I don't know what the word would be. I guess chemistry.
5. Characters actually seem to want to know each other. I don't know how to explain this one... but that they actually want to spend time together. Like, just doing things like... I don't know homework or battle plans or having an actual conversation. Especially if they learn from each other.
6. Trust. Call me naive, but I feel like if you can't trust someone, you probably shouldn't be in a relationship with them.
7. Inside jokes. Crazy plans. Dodge ball. Generally just having fun with each other? Like, it doesn't all have to be life and death romantic stuff.
8. Seriously, having something, anything in common besides the love part.
9. NO LOVE TRIANGLES. (Does this belong here... whatever, it is at least 4% of my personality on any given day, so its here). I have read *counts of fingers* .., one? Maybe two? Love triangles that I didn't dislike. They're a hard trope to do in a way that's appealing, and too often feel unnecessary.
10. I don't like the phrase "devastatingly handsome" unless they are being said sarcastically, and even then I'm iffy... I don't know why it bothers me so much... it just does. (I think maybe it has been over-used? Maybe I subconsciously associate it with another trope I don't like?) I wrote a rant-y post about it a long time ago, which I am not linking because I hope it will never be unearthed (then why mention it?)

I feel like this got really off topic... this is one of those posts that I might come back and update if I think of something else. I feel like this wasn't what the prompt meant... *shrugs*