Sasha/X17online.com; Fame Pictures; John Shearer/Getty ImagesMaybe it's just because we've still got a certain celebrity wedding on the brain, but we can't help but think that this, above all others, might truly qualify as the summer of love.
There's no question the Hollywood hookups came in all shapes and sizes: from the downright bizarre (hey, Melissa George and Russell Simmons) to the fresh and young (hiya, Emma Roberts and Chord Overstreet) to the low-key hip (here's to you, Dianna Agron and Sebastian Stan) to the newly reconciled (here's to you, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel...and to a lesser extent, you, too, Jesse James and Kat Von D) to the truly eyebrow-raising (yeah, we mean you, Doug Hutchinson and Courtney Stodden).
But, believe it or not, none of those canoodlers were steamy enough to make our cut. So which five couples really made the temperatures rise?
Here are our picks for the five hottest hookups of the summer:
1. Leonardo DiCaprio and Blake Lively: Guess what, America? Leo has a type, and that type is anything with a pulse blond, leggy and, uh, supermodely. Well, two out of three proved just fine for this Gossip Girl, as there seemed to be no continent left uncanoodled this summer. They were first caught out while walking and boating around Italy (grazie, but no grazie on the playing coy, guys) and then were soon spotted taking the mickey in Disneyland, sunglass shopping in Santa Barbara and biking around New York. As if that weren't enough, they even weathered a potentially embarrassing nude photo scandal together and got past the most treacherous relationship hurdle of all—gaining the approval of Leo's mama. Heck, these guys just might make it to fall!
2. George Clooney and Stacy Kiebler: Yeah, yeah. We know they haven't even been spotted together yet. But bear in mind, Clooney does have a history of keeping his women hidden in the first few months of his relationship before going public, usually on a red carpet in some fabulous and foreign locale. And who are we kidding? He was never going to stay single for long—plus, sources close to the superstar have already confirmed the head-scratching hookup. If nothing else, it's nice to see Clooney break from his usual brunette arm candy. And we know how George likes to stay friendly with his exes…maybe Stacy can give Elisabetta some Dancing With the Stars tips? Win-win! Well, kind of.
3. Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield: With respect to Jim Carrey, he really should've seen this one coming—after all, you don't need tingly senses to know that Spider-Man trumps Yes Man any day of the week. Still, these Spidey costars seem to have gone out of their way to build a web of secrecy around their partnership, but took the giant step just last week of being seen together in public while on a dinner date in Malibu. Getting more serious, are we? And for those naysayers clinging to their platonic pals party line, we have one word for you: Robsten.
4. Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux: Everyone and their grandmother seems to have their own romantic hopes pegged to the success of Jennifer's love life, so it's no surprise that the world has united in their eagerness to see these two make it work. And they're obliging at record speed. Since going public with their love earlier this summer, J-squared has been inseparable, donning matching rings, hitting up the (international) party rounds, going on date nights, vacationing in Hawaii and, most recently, moving in together. Here's hoping this happily ever after lasts a long, long time.
5. The Marines and Everyone: Who knew the men and women of the armed forces were such, well, hoo-ras. Sure, everybody loves a ball, but none more so, it would seem, than the U.S. Marine Corps, who valiantly attempted to outdo each other this summer with a series of YouTube proposition videos in which they publicly guilt-tripped asked the who's who of Hollywood to be their dates to this fall's slew of Marine Corps Balls. Mila Kunis, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Betty White, Mary-Kate Olsen, Emma Stone, Jennifer Aniston, Will Ferrell and countless others were asked. Betty White and Scarlett Johansson showed how to classily demur, while Linda Hamilton countered with a proposition of her own. And after all that, we still have to wait a month or so to see who actually makes good on their RSVPs—hottest hookups of fall, anyone?
So, did we drop the, uh, ball? Left out your favorite couple of the summer? Let us know in the comments!