Jane Eyre's Psyche

Psyche, a mortal, royal daughter, was so beautiful that people began to pay attention to her rather than to Venus, goddess of love. Venus got jealous and asked her son Cupid to get Psyche back; Cupid (unsurprisingly) fell in love with Psyche. Psyche's parents consulted an oracle as to why her love life was rather troubled, found that she was destined to marry a monster, and went to the specified place to meet this marriageable monster. She lived in his beautiful palace with all her physical needs well met, but he refused to let her see his face. One day, her sisters visited and jealous, suggested that she discover what her husband looked like while he was sleeping. She did so, but the oil from her lamp burned and woke him; he angrily flew away and the palace vanished around Psyche.

Psyche, still very much in love, asks the goddess Ceres for help in reuniting her with Cupid. Ceres refers her directly to Venus. Venus commands that she carry out a number of really tough tasks; with the help of various other gods and goddesses Psyche does so. Finally, Psyche must journey to the underworld, carrying a box. Psyche makes it there but opens the box, curious, and its contents put her to sleep. Cupid saves her, asks Jupiter for help, and with Jupiter's support marries and makes immortal Psyche.

I really can't claim knowledge of the best love story ever, but Jane Eyre comes to mind as a solid one. Certainly, the strong, impassioned amorous relationship is there, between our title character and Rochester. I find the story more notable than other love stories because of its moderation. On one hand, it ends happily, with the two lovers married. On the other hand, the process by which that end is reached proves tumultuous, and even once reunited, the pair must face new challenges--i.e. Rochester's physical handicaps. This balance avoids what I see as excesses of most romances--a perfect, Disney-esque (but uh-oh, I shouldn't get started on Disney...sexism, racism, exoticism/imperialism, etc.) happy storyline, or a melodramatically tragic one (Romeo and Juliet).

Source: http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs42/f/2009/114/8/e/Cupid_And_Psyche_by_Sybiria.jpg