I'm looking for stories that have complicated romances (sexuality doesn't matter), where the plot/story makes it so they can't be "together" in the way a couple often would be (they can definitely end up together, but it should be earned and take awhile). It can be for pretty much any reason, but essentially, I just want the angst, tension, quiet longing, you get the idea. They can be side characters or the main characters. It does not need to be a big part of the story, just a consistent theme. They could mutually know about this love, or they could not. All that being said, I don't want the romance to be the MAIN point of the story, so I don't want it to be listed under the romance genre.
Additionally, I'd like the book to:
- be fiction
- involve adventure/danger
- have well developed, smart characters
- have every female character well-written, and have a good number of female characters in general
Bonus points if:
- it's part of a series
- it's gripping/a page-turner
I don't really know of many that fit this request, but if I had to name a pairing (though it's not exactly canon in bookverse), Jaime and Brienne come to mind.
by TiredSpiderScientist