Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, so today I’m going to take a look at my favorite love stories. These are ranked in no particular order, other than the way they come to me as I’m writing.

1. Noah & Allie – The Notebook – The love story of Noah and Allie is impressive because it’s based on Noah spending day after day after day at the nursing home, reading their love story to Allie, who now has Alzheimer’s Disease. Most days, Allie doesn’t remember who Noah is, but that doesn’t stop him; he’s there every day to read to her, because to him, it’s worth it for that one time that she will remember. For those of you who have only watched the movie, I suggest you read the book. The movie wasn’t bad, but the book is a whole lot better. Especially the ending.

2. Scarlett & Rhett – Gone with the Wind and Scarlett – Again, if you’ve only watched the movie, you’re missing a huge part of the story. You cannot truly appreciate Scarlett’s selfishness if you haven’t read the books. Both rogues (yes, I just called Scarlett O’Hara a rogue), these two star-crossed lovers deserve each other, and much to everyone’s surprise, by the end of the saga, they have actually learned something and realize they really do love each other.

3. Elizabeth & Mr. Darcy – Pride and Prejudice – It takes some time but Elizabeth finally overcomes her prejudices against Mr. Darcy. It’s really no surprise that he overcomes his pride before she overcomes her prejudices, though. You know those strong, female characters. They can be a bit stubborn. In the end, though, it all works out, and Elizabeth is pleased to find that she really can marry for love and not money. It doesn’t hurt any, though, that the man she loves has money.

4. Baby & Johnny – Dirty Dancing – Patrick Swayze is my all-time favorite actor; it’s easy to see how socialite Baby fell for wrong-side-of-the-tracks Johnny. Unlike the others on the list, there’s nothing to indicate that Baby and Johnny stayed together forever, but I’d like to think they found their way back to each other. I certainly believe that neither of them was the same after their summer at the Catskills.

5. Sally & Harry – When Harry Met Sally – Based on the title of this movie, the movie could have ended about five minutes into it, when Harry met Sally, but it goes deeper than that. Harry and Sally met when they had a common goal, a destination to reach and carpooling was the logical thing to do. Of course, their paths continue to cross, and they eventually become friends who cross the line. It takes some time, but they realize they were meant to be together.

So if you’re in need of a feel-good love story this Valentine’s Day, check out one of the ones above, and you won’t be disappointed. Do notice, however, that I purposely left Romeo and Juliet off the list. It’s not Shakespeare’s best play, and it’s not the greatest love story in the world. They are a couple of teenage kids who met, fell in love, married, and committed suicide in about the span of a week. It’s Shakespeare so there are some good lines in the play, but it’s not the place to look for a great love story.