Today is my regular blog date at Austen Authors, and since love is in the air, I decided to write a piece on four real-life love stories from history. This idea came about in part to augment my essay on Jacob and Rachel from the Bible that was my entry into the Hearts Through History Valentine’s Blog Hop. If you missed that bit-o-fun, scroll down, click the badge/link on the left sidebar, or click HERE to read my entry & enter giveaway.

It isn’t too late to partake in the ongoing event (deadline 2/16), including my giveaway!

There isn’t a special giveaway attached with my Austen Authors blog – although I am giving away a copy of The Passions of Dr. Darcy with the monthly drawings HERE – but the blog is interesting and enlightening, so pop over to read about the couples I chose as favorite true happily-ever-after romances.

Historical Happily Ever Afters at Austen Authors

This blog turns the attention toward literature rather than real life. Novels are chock full of romantic couples, even if romance isn’t the main point of the story. I created a fun match-up for you all, based on some of my favorite literary lovers. I steered clear of Jane Austen, since that is too obvious! Instead I cast my mind into a variety of genres. Some of these will be easy, others will reveal how eclectic your reading material! All of it is in good fun. No big quiz thing here! I have the answers at the end of the blog, hidden a bit but right there for you to see. But of course the fun is in trying to match them up first!

So I have a list of heroines and heroes in the first table, and the novels and authors in the second. All of them are mixed up! Matching the lovers will probably be easy, but what about the author and novel? A Challenge! Have fun with it, let me know how you did in the match up, talk about these characters and books if you wish, or tell me about your favorite literary lovers.

How do you think you did? Got all of them sorted out and sure you are 100% correct? Well, click the link to open up the rest and see how you did!

Literary Lovers Match-Up

Penelope and Odysseus, The Odyssey by Homer

Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler, Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Arwen and Aragorn, The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien

Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Buttercup and Westley, The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Jo March and Professor Bhaer, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe, Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery

Chani and Paul Atreides, Dune by Frank Herbert

Francis Goldsmith and Stuart Redman, The Stand by Stephen King

Beatrice and Benedick, Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare

Claire Beauchamp and Jamie Fraser, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Meggie Cleary and Ralph de Bricassart, The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough