Great Y&R Couples Who Should Have Made It But Didn’t

Published on August 8, 2018. Updated April 24, 2019

With 45 years under its belt, the Young and the Restless (Y&R) has had some incredible love stories told (and retold) over its tenure. While some couples have been matches made in heaven, others have been epics fails. Then, there are those romantic duos that seemed perfect but never lasted. Below are 12 great couples in the Y&R that should have made it but didn’t.

12. Ashley Abbott and Victor Newman

If you really think about it, Ashley and Victor are perfect for each other. Both come from prominent Genoa City families, both have a flair in the corporate world, and the two had incredible chemistry together. Sadly, the only downfall this couple had was Nikki Newman and Victor’s unfailing love for her. He always ends up back in Nikki’s arms when all is said and done.

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11. Nikki Newman and Jack Abbott

Speaking of Nikki, she and Jack have had a rollercoaster of a relationship over the years and were constantly breaking up and getting back together. The thing is, Jack is perfect for Nikki; however, Nikki is blinded by love when it comes to The Moustache and continually goes back to Victor in the end.

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10. Christine Blair and Danny Romalotti

Nothing like a rock and roll boyfriend to place some chemistry and excitement in a romance. Danny and Chris made a fantastic super couple in Genoa City in their heyday. Sadly, the biggest obstacle in this relationship was Phyllis Summer’s scheming and plotting to break them up. That and the fact that Christine ultimately chose Paul over Danny in the end.

©Aaron Montgomery/JPI

9. Mackenzie Browning and Billy Abbott

These two had plenty of hurdles during their relationship. Finding out they were related right after their wedding placed a huge wedge between Mac and Billy (c’mon, ew!), but they did eventually find out there was no family connection between them and did reconnect as adults. In the end, J.T. Hellstrom ended up turning Mac’s eyes from Billy and Mr. Abbott jumped into a relationship with Victoria Newman. In hindsight, these two should’ve just stayed together.

8. Chloe Mitchell and Chance Chancellor

Bad girl Chloe really knows how to pick her men, and she scored the perfect guy in Chance Chancellor. He was handsome, smart, came from a great family, and the two connected well. Sadly, infidelity on his part caused a huge rift between these two and they were never able to get over it.

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7. Lauren Fenmore and Paul Williams

Lauren and Paul still remain the best of friends today, but back in the 1980s, they had quite the big romance. While they had a ton of chemistry, it really just didn’t work out and they figured out they made better friends than lovers. Plus, Paul is matched up well with Christine Blair and Lauren with Michael Baldwin.

6. Sharon Collins and Dylan McAvoy

Currently, Shick is in full effect as once again, as Nick and Sharon are making another go at their relationship, which is great; however, some Y&R fans think that Dylan and Sharon were far better for each other. Dylan accepted Sharon for exactly who she is: a woman who means well but tends to mess up quite a bit. Could they have lasted? Their break up has more to do with the fact that the actor who played Dylan, Steve Burton, was heading back to General Hospital. Had Burton stayed with the Y&R, these two might still be together.

5. Avery Clark and Nick Newman

Speaking of Shick, Nick Newman had a gem of a woman in Avery Clark. In fact, fans need to wonder where it all went wrong. Avery was a good lady, who was smart, independent, and one whom he had a great communication with. So, what gave? Nick’s need to give Phyllis another chance, and Avery’s wondering eye for Dylan! While Dylan and Avery made a cute pair, Phyllis and Nick ended up breaking up once again due to Phyllis’ lies.

4. Phyllis Summers and Jack Abbott

Phyllis sure does have a knack for meeting nice men and screwing things up in a relationship. Take her and Jack, for instance. Jack Abbott adored Phyllis, and she just may have been one of the great loves of his life. These two should’ve made it, but thanks to Phyllis’ cheating, they did not.

3. Traci Abbott and Brad Carlton

Traci and Brad were definitely one of those cute couples from the 1980s when big hair and mullets ruled the soap opera world. They seemed to have a good thing going, but Traci’s sister Ashley, as well as some other women, were constantly turning his focus away from what truly mattered.

2. Colleen Carlton and J.T. Hellstrom

Traci and Brad’s offspring Colleen had something pretty special with J.T. Hellstrom at one point. While J.T. ended up gravitating towards Victoria Newman, the attraction and connection between Colleen and J.T. always seemed there, even after he married Vicky. Sadly, these two will never reconnect as Colleen was passed away in 2009, drowning in a lake trying to escape from the insane Patty Williams.

1. Victoria Newman and Billy Abbott

Vicky and Billy have great chemistry and at one point were a solid Y&R super couple who just seemed to get each other. Unfortunately, while Billy means well most times, he still does continue to make really bad life choices. This relationship has also been consistently doomed thanks to Billy hiding things from Victoria. These two do have a chance to make it and still could. Only time will tell if Vicky and Billy can reconnect and go the long haul.