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108 Romance Writing Prompts & Love Story Ideas

Everybody loves a good love story – here are 108 romantic writing prompts and love story ideas to inspire you!

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Everybody loves a good love story, and with these romance writing prompts for romantic fiction, you are sure to find some inspiration to write a story for the ages.

These romantic writing prompts are free for you to take and let your imagination run wild. Use them as novel ideas, short stories, screenplays, or just try them as creative writing exercises to stretch your imagination.

Romantic Fiction Writing Prompts and Story Starters

Please note : We use the pronouns “she and he” in some of these examples, but of course you have the freedom to reverse and change genders as you see fit!

1. Their story begins on a bright summer morning when they both awake in bed together with no memory of who they are or where they came from.

2. She is determined to go on an epic road trip this summer. When her best friend bails out at the last minute, she talks one of her co-workers into joining her as a reluctant sidekick for the adventure of a lifetime. 

3. Write a story where one character finds the other character in their tent while camping alone.

4. Our heroine catches the hero stealing food from the restaurant where she works. Is he a bad guy or is there more to this story? What happens when she realizes she is falling for him?

5. A mysterious stranger leaves an item at the main character’s front door with a note attached saying “For a rainy day”.

6. Our hero is a jet-setter whose father has died and just left all of his possessions to someone else. He’s about to demand the rights to his inheritance when he realizes maybe he likes this person.

7. Write a romance story about an undercover cop investigating a person for a crime they didn’t commit. As the cop learns more about them, they realize they are innocent and they might be falling in love.

8. The heroine’s father warns her that she’ll be in terrible danger if she accepts the hero’s marriage proposal.

9. Our two characters are shipwrecked after an unexpected storm. They find themselves on an island where they are forced to spend their first night together under the stars.

10. An impromptu dance competition is announced at the bar where two characters are enjoying an evening of drinks. Do they have what it takes to win the contest and at love?

11. The hero is the brother of the person our heroine has had a crush on for years – who is also her best friend.

12. Write a love story where two single parents drop their kids off at the same daycare every morning. When they run into each other, will they be ready to give love a second chance?

13. She has a secret thinking spot on the roof of a nearby building. When she goes there after learning she lost her job, she discovers someone sitting there.

14. Our characters are both recovering addicts. They both have had problems with alcohol and drugs – will they be able to stay clean long enough for true love to find them?

15. Our characters are on vacation in the countryside of a foreign country when they accidentally crash their cars into each other, resulting in them being sent to the same hospital where they share a room for a week.

16. Our hero and heroine meet in line at the grocery store almost every week. After constantly running into each other, he finally asks her out.

17. The heroine’s wedding is cancelled the day before she was supposed to walk down the aisle. She isn’t sure how to pick up the pieces so goes to the beach to sort herself out, where she finds herself falling for someone new.

18. The might be lawyers on opposite sides of many cases, but they can’t deny that there is something between them…

19. The two of them are in a band together, hoping to get their music heard by the world. They start falling for each other, but will it rip the band apart?

20. Our main characters are both struggling to find their places in the world – one feels like their parents never supported their dreams, and the other left their hometown behind without any plans to return. Together, they learn what it’s like to be true to themselves for the first time.

21. They’ve lived together in the same apartment building for years and have a somewhat passive aggressive relationship with each other. It sparks into something more when he asks her to try his new hot sauce recipe.

22. Our two characters find themselves thrown together and in love after they meet while on vacation in a tropical paradise – only to discover that they live in different countries on separate continents. Can they make it work?

23. He likes her… she likes him… but he’s a total ladies’ man. Can she ever get over this fear and see him as more than a player?

24. They are both running from something in the woods and help each other to escape and survive a dangerous situation. What are they running from and could it make them fall in love?

25. She thinks she’s found the perfect guy – until she discovers he has a secret identity. Will he tell her on his own or will she call him out for it?

26. After a mix-up with their reservations, the characters find they both booked the same rental for the week. Rather than forfeit the deposit and ruin their plans, they decide it to share the space together. Will temporarily living together spark romance or will it be a disaster?

27. The story begins with our heroine rescuing the hero from a life-threatening situation. After they meet, sparks begin to fly. What we don’t realize until much later is she’s the one who caused the accident in the first place.

28. The protagonist is a famous chef who is loved by everyone in the neighborhood – except the frustrating food critic who keeps writing terrible things about their cooking. Can the chef woo them over?

29. Our characters meet when both of their cars break down in the middle of nowhere, and they need to wait together until their cars are repaired.

30. The two of them are sharing the back seat of a limousine after a logistics mix-up at their job when things take a turn for the passionate…

31. They have been friends since they were kids vacationing together every summer – but now it’s getting serious. They might not be just friends anymore…

32. The heroine has been hired by the hero’s start-up company to test his new product for attracting love. However, the product is so effective that she finds herself falling for him!

33. He is a famous actor and she is a waitress at a restaurant he frequents – but they both know that he’s tired of the glitz and glamour and wants to settle down. Can she show him that romance is real?

34. One of them is a real estate agent and the other is a home buyer looking for the perfect house, but they end up finding so much more than either of them expected…

35. They go out on a blind date with the hopes of finding love. But what if one of them ends up being the other’s boss and part owner of the company?

36. They had a casual romance in high school, but they both went their separate ways and have both changed a lot. When fate has them meet again, will it spark the magic from their old relationship?

37. They’ve both reached fame in their careers – but when the cameras are on at all times, how can they be honest with each other and their feelings?

38. Frustrated with life on earth, our hero and heroine volunteer to go live on the space station as part of an experiment for two years. They might have escaped all their problems on earth, but can they actually make a relationship work?

39. The two main characters work together at a local animal shelter and they both have secrets to hide about themselves and their lives. When their paths cross on a daily basis, can they resist the pull to tell each other everything?

40. The story begins with two high school sweethearts who are reunited years later only to discover that they are both unhappily married to someone else. Is it too late or will their love prove to be stronger?

41. He’s a famous musician with all kinds of problem. His life is falling apart and now he starting to fall for the person who tends the gardens at his mansion.

42. They’re both on the run from the law. When they cross paths to form an unlikely bond, can they both get out of their current situations to make it work?

43. He wants his lost love back, but how can he convince her he’s changed?

44. The two of them are on a business trip in a foreign country when there is unrest in the streets – can they make it out alive?

45. A famous actor and a famous actress are both staying at the same hotel during the filming of a romantic movie. Could the sparks be more than just what’s in the script?

46. She has had a crush on him for years, but he never notices her. Will he finally realize that true love is right under his nose?

47. Our main character is always setting up their friends on dates and playing matchmaker – what happens when someone tries to match them with someone new?

48. One of them is a soldier, the other an army nurse. They meet on a helicopter ride after being evacuated from a dangerous situation.

49. They broke up years ago but then run into each other after not talking to each other anymore. When they stop and actually listen to what the other person has to say, do they realize that maybe they never really stopped loving one another?

50. Our main character’s dog is missing – but will they find love in an unexpected place instead?

51. Write a love story where one person is a tech mogul and the other person thinks technology is evil. When they start to fall for each other, will technology get in the way?

52. They are both running for mayor in their small town. Only one person can win the election – but can they both win in love?

53. Write a romance story where one character believes that love isn’t for them, so the other person must prove them wrong by showing them how wonderful love can be.

54. Two people meet after finding out they’ve both been dumped. As they try to plot their revenge on their exes, they discover maybe they have feelings for one another.

55. Our main character’s father is determined to find them a match and has arranged for them to have a new date everyday. Will they ever meet the one?

56. When two people who have never met before get into an argument, they end up trapped in the same room together for hours on end. Will this argument push them together or tear them apart?

57. Our main character finds themselves having vivid dreams that feel real about someone from their past. Use this romantic writing prompt to write a love story that transcends the test of time.

58. They are both avid readers who frequently go to the library but one of them believes they can read people’s future through their books. When they finally meet will they be able to read the other’s mind?

59. Our main character is an adrenaline junkie living life on the edge. When they meet someone who wants to tame them, will they be able to gain some balance in their life?

60. She lives in a world where men are forbidden. When she finally meets one face to face, will she be able to resist her feelings or fall into temptation?

61. Write a story where the main character is the president’s daughter. Can she have a relationship with the son of a political rival?

62. Two discover that both their horoscopes describe what their ideal mate would be like and how they will meet – and it’s each other!

63. One of them is a hard working chef and the other is a photographer who wants to take pictures in the kitchen. When they meet, they find that they have more in common than just their love of food.

64. When our main character gets a new puppy, it turns out to be more than they bargained for. After the dog tears up their neighbor’s flower bed it might just turn into romance.

65. She’s an actress and he’s a cop on location providing security for the movie – but what happens when reality mixes with fiction?

66. Two lovers forced apart by war are reunited only to discover that one of them has been injured physically and the other mentally. Can they get past their scars and move forward?

67. Two people who have gone through terrible things in life meet in a support group and learn how to live again together.

68. The Civil War has just broken out – but one of them is from the north and the other is from the south. Will the war tear them apart or bring them closer together?

69. In a post-apocalyptic world, our two characters are both on the run. When their lives cross paths, they decide teaming up could benefit them both – but does their alliance turn into something more?

70. After accidentally sending an email to a stranger, they become online pen pals. When they meet for the first time in real life, will it be love at first sight or disaster?

71. Their tempers have both gotten them in trouble in the past. When they meet at an anger management class, will they finally learn to control their anger and let love in or will it all blow up?

72. Two con artists meet and decide to team up. They have great chemistry but will they ever be able to fully trust each other?

73. After a tornado devastates a small town, our two characters are drawn together by their grief. Can they rebuild a new future together?

74. When two detective partners need to catch the bad guy, they go undercover as a married couple. Could it be more than just a ruse?

75. Write a romantic love story where two friends start having dreams about each other. Will will these dreams be prophetic or turn into a real life nightmare?

76. When our hero finds himself trapped in another dimension, he takes refuge in an abandoned warehouse only to discover that there is another guest who also happens to be beautiful.

77. The two are travelers who both stop at a diner at the same time. When they are served something otherworldly, they suddenly find themselves with the ability to see ghosts – and each other’s pasts.

78. After finding a wallet in the parking lot, the main character is determined to find out who it belongs to and return it. After a long goose chase of research, they finds themselves falling in love with them. When they finally meet, is the person everything they imagined?

79. A group of people are forced to live in a small bunker together when nuclear war breaks out. Can they find love with each other or will they all turn on each other?

80. Our main character starts seeing a vivid symbol in mysterious places. They try to brush it off as nothing until meeting a stranger who has a tattoo of the symbol. Could it be fate?

81. During their first date, two people receive terrible news. Can they still find happiness together despite all of their problems?

82. After being ditched by their friends at the prom, two loners meet and decide to spend an exciting evening together.

83. While skeptical of psychics, our protagonist is also desperate to find love. After being told of a terrible misfortune about to happen, will it turn out it makes them meet the one?

84. Two people from different social classes find themselves attracted to one another. Can they make it work or will it be torn apart by their differing backgrounds?

85. Two long-time friends find themselves thrown together by a terrible accident. Can they be there for each other or will their differences tear them apart?

86. A young couple find themselves responsible for protecting a powerful and ancient weapon. Will they be able to keep it together and stop the evil that is trying to destroy it?

87. A woman confronts her ex-boyfriend at the wedding of a mutual friend – and their hate for each other is unleashed. Can they make up or are they determined to destroy each other?

88. Our hero meets a woman who teaches him about true love and everything he’s ever dreamed of finding in a relationship. Before they can be together, however, she disappears – only to return mysteriously years later.

89. Burned out by the dating scene, two people decide it’s best to sign up for a service that sets up arranged marriages. Will they be able to make it work?

90. They might both be rich and beautiful, but they always feel like the people they date only care about their looks and money. One decides to pretend to be poor while the other wears a disguise. Have they finally met someone who loves them with no regard to money or looks or will the truth be too much to handle?

91. They just met and really hit it off but one of them has to leave for a work project overseas for the next 5 years. Can they make a long distance relationship work?

92. Two people who hate each other become stuck on the same ocean liner together and must work together to survive a violent storm.

93. He might only be 28 and has a successful career, but he’s starting to go bald. Is it too late for him to find a partner?

94. As journalists for their school’s newspaper, they are always on assignment together. Could an innocent stop for breakfast one morning turn their casual relationship into something more?

95. The older couple in a photograph she discovers looks familiar – but she doesn’t know who they are. One of the people looks a little like her, only older. Could it be a view of the future to come?

96. Two people who have known each other since childhood must fight to survive against an army of zombies that are trying to turn them into meals. Can they make it out alive or will their pasts consume them?

97. She is out of work and lives in a trailer park with her sister. She decides she will marry someone rich and sets off to win over the heart of the local millionaire. Will she learn there’s more to love than just money?

98. They have been growing apart for years – but when they each meet someone new, they realize that maybe it’s time to stop running and face the past head on.

99. When you are born, you are assigned three potential love matches. You meet them all on the same day at the same time on your 21st birthday and must choose one by the end of the night to spend the rest of your life with.

100. They are both from different cultures, but when they meet each other for the first time, they are instantly drawn to each other. Can their love survive all the forces that want to tear them apart?

101. She is kidnapped and sold into slavery, but he will do anything to find her.

102. When he ends up in prison, will she find a way to help him or will his past always be too strong for her to overcome?

103. The two of them have been best friends since they were kids, but when they go into business together, their love for each other may become more than it was before.

104. Write a romantic love story that is inspired by whatever you ate for lunch yesterday.

105. A man travels back in time to find his true love and change the way things ended.

106. She has been sent on a mission by the king to find and return the prince before something terrible happens to him.

107. He is one of the best bounty hunters in the galaxy – but when he meets someone who can be considered his greatest catch yet he realizes he is in love with them.

108. Two leaders of planets on the way to extinction decide to join forces and create a new species of people to continue their worlds. Will their attempts to play matchmaker and procreate work?

I hope these romantic writing prompts and love story ideas inspire you to write something great. If you do happen to write a story with these prompts, you know we would love to check it out so please let us know about it in the comments below!

Looking for even more great story ideas and writing prompts? Check out these other resources at ThinkWritten!

• 365 Creative Writing Prompts for Everyday
• 42 Fantasy Writing Prompts
• 101 Poetry Writing Prompts

Do you have any other romantic love story ideas to add to this list? Share your own romantic writing prompts in the comments below!

Chelle Stein wrote her first embarrassingly bad novel at the age of 14 and hasn't stopped writing since. As the founder of ThinkWritten, she enjoys encouraging writers and creatives of all types.

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41 Of The Best Romance Writing Prompts

Writing romance isn’t as easy as many people seem to think.

“You write romances? I could totally do that, too, but I have SO much on my plate. Plus, I think if I’m gonna write a book, I want it to be more of a challenge.”

Said by someone who has never finished writing a romance (or not one worth reading).

Because one thing good romance writing is not is easy.

It’s a real challenge to write an engaging story with two characters whose personalities and chemistry keep the reader hooked all the way to a satisfying end.

There’s magic in that. And it’s not to be underestimated.

The best love story books grab you right from the beginning and hold your attention until the resolution — which makes you instantly want to read another romance by the same author.

Do you want to try your hand at romance writing but don’t know how to start? Maybe you’re having trouble coming up with an idea for your book .

If you’re racking your brain for the perfect story idea, why not try one (or more) of the romance writing prompts in this article?

If nothing else, one of them could plant the seed of an idea for your next bestseller.

41 of the Best Romance Writing Prompts

For romance stories, for short love stories, for college romance books, for fantasy romance novels..

While many of the following prompts at least imply a female protagonist, feel free to change the gender to suit your own story.

If you’re looking for a romance plot generator to help you create a story that will make you an instant reader favorite, here are a few on the web that can help:

• Wattpad’s own romance plot generator
• Seventh Sanctum’s romance plot generator
• Plot-generator.or (UK) (requires more input to generate ideas)

Most of these use basic templates with fields that are randomly filled from a pool of available options. You could create your own template, too, and brainstorm ideas to fill in the blanks. Here’s an example:

• “He’s a ____ who _____. She’s a ____ with _____. They’re thrown together by ____, and if they don’t ______, something terrible will happen (probably involving death, ruin, or unimaginable pain). The clock is ticking, and as they fall for each other, the stakes get even higher.”

You can even ask others to suggest occupations, dire situations, drastic measures, personal hang-ups, traumatic experiences, etc. to help turn your template into a list of story ideas .

If you’re looking for something that already paints the beginning of a picture, though, these writing prompts are worth a look.

Maybe you already know how to write a romance novel your readers love so much they email you begging for the next one.

But no matter how many novels you’ve written and how many glowing reader reviews you’ve earned, it can’t hurt to get some inspiration from a fresh batch of writing prompts .

1. As a bridesmaid, you meet one of the groomsmen at your sister’s pre-wedding dinner and hit it off so well, he asks you out. Your sister warns you not to get too close. You decide to follow her advice, but keeping him at arm’s length proves more difficult than you expect.

2. You start a new job at a large firm, and out of the blue, you start receiving flowers every week with a note enclosed. The admirer’s only signature is a three-digit number, but you don’t know what the number could refer to.

3. Your best friend tells you about a wealthy family living in the area and when she shows you a journalistic piece she wrote on them for the local newspaper, you recognize one of the young men as the tall, reserved, green-eyed guy at the library. Your friend knows why.

4. You’ve just broken up with — you swear — your last boyfriend and kicked him out of your home. Now, you’ve decided to redecorate the place — making it just the way you want it. The guy at the paint counter doesn’t seem like your type, but there’s something about him.

5. You’ve left your husband’s church, and now he’s using a variety of not-so-subtle tactics to coax you back in. You see what he really wants: not a better marriage so much as a “good Catholic” wife. But when your husband presents you with tickets for a couple’s vacation in an Irish castle, you agree to go — despite your suspicions.

6. You start having intense erotic dreams — and the face you see is one you don’t recognize but that feels familiar. In any case, the love relationship you have in your dreams is better than what you have in “the real world,” and you take an interest in lucid dreaming.

7. You inherit a movie theater — or half of one, anyway. You share ownership with the nephew of your deceased relative’s best friend. Your first “business meeting” is not auspicious, but something about this guy makes you want to give him a chance.

8. At an annual town carnival, you buy a raffle ticket, thinking it’s for the newest quilt created by a quirky, lovable group of ladies you’ve known since childhood. But what you ended up winning is a date with the mayor’s son, a conspiracy theorist who lives on a boat.

9. You’re investigating strange phenomena in the wake of a devastating tornado when you meet an eccentric journalist who clearly knows something you don’t. Your curiosity compels you to accept his invitation to review his personal collection of observations.

10. The last year has been rough, and you’re finally interested in maybe meeting someone new, but you feel unattractive. So when a friend shows up after a “miracle makeover” from someone new in town, you insist she takes you to him.

11. Your job as a cop has made it difficult to maintain a romantic relationship, and a two-year relationship has just ended on a sour note. So, when a civilian informant, who has no love for your ex, starts being a lot more helpful, you’re not sure what to think.

They may be short, but what they lack in length, they make up for with intensity and a rollicking pace.

Enjoy these prompts when you’re itching to write some short stories about love.

12. Your morning alarm interrupts an intensely erotic dream involving someone you just met. He just joined your team at work, and you’re drawn to his warmth, intelligence, and unsettling dark eyes. But a friend and coworker believe the man is her soulmate.

13. You take a job as a social worker who visits shut-ins and develop an attachment to a man a little older than you who is agoraphobic. You get along like old friends, but you wonder if he’d give you the time of day if you hadn’t met the way you did.

14. You came back from a near-death experience, and everyone has questions, but no one wants to hear anything that contradicts what they’ve been told. You close yourself off to all but a few — the members of a small support group of NDEs. And one of them believes he’s your soulmate.

15. You go to sleep wanting to visit an old flame you haven’t talked to in years, and you dream that you’re in his bedroom, watching him sleep. The next day, he calls you, fearing you were dead. You agree to meet with him and debate whether to tell him more.

16. A former connection comes to your door on a full moon, and you almost refuse to let him in. He persuades you to open the door so you can talk about a concern of his, and before you know it, you’re both getting a lot closer than you’d planned. And you know why.

17. You have a fair tolerance for alcohol and keep a bottle of Jameson in your home office, but when a new client comes to your door with a bottle of Black Barrel, you let him in and talk for a bit over a few drinks. You wake up wearing a wedding dress.

18. You move into a coveted apartment, and your first visitor is a stunningly gorgeous man looking for the previous resident. He’s about to leave when he notices the book you’re holding. He’s the author.

19. You stop at your favorite used bookstore and buy one of their grab-bags to help with a fundraiser. When you open it, you find a peculiar hardcover book with a handwritten message inside. That night, you find a note at your door with the same handwriting.

20. You’re looking through old photo albums when you see a face you’d all but forgotten — the face of an old high school crush who’d flirted with you but had never asked you out. The same guy shows up the next day at your highly acclaimed matchmaking agency.

21. You take a job singing telegrams and end up singing a Dear John letter to the guy who jilted you in college. He listens to the whole thing, asks you to wait while he writes a calmly-worded response, and tips you a set of keys to the car out front.

Maybe you write cute love stories with college-age characters. Or maybe “cute” isn’t really what you’re going for.

Whatever your tastes, the following prompts will work for you and get you writing another bestseller before you know it.

22. You’ve paired up for a class interview project in one of your writing classes , and your partner is someone you might not otherwise have noticed. In a dream, he comes to your door and invites you to a movie. Suddenly, you’re in a car together, and there’s a ring on your finger.

23. Your roommate invites her boyfriend into the room and introduces you as a hermit who lives on coffee and sandwiches. You take one look at each other and time literally stops for a moment. Memories of a lifetime together pass in that brief space.

24. To satisfy a math requirement, you take a class in Statistics and you’re immediately drawn to a classmate who explains the material better than the prof does. When you see him greet his boyfriend, you’re torn between relief and disappointment.

25. Your new roommate seems intensely interested in your life and wants to know everything about you. You’re flattered and a little freaked out, but it’s nice to have someone to talk to. When her handsome brother comes to visit, she seems uncomfortable.

26. For years, you thought you were born without the capacity for sexual attraction, but when you meet someone in the college dining hall, you feel an intense urge to grab hold of him and kiss him. He gives you a brief, guarded smile and walks past you.

27. A class project has you pairing up and writing daily words of affirmation to your partner, but since you showed up late to class, you end up paired with someone you’ve always seen as an egotistical asshat.

28. You accept a job taking notes for college students, and your main client is a guy with dyslexia, ADD, and gender dysphoria. You become friends and support him, even when it means crossing swords with his older brother, who’s trying to walk a fine line.

29. Your best friend wants you to help her write a love story about her boyfriend that the college literary journal will publish in time for Valentine’s Day. But the story is published under your name, and your ex seems to think the story is about him.

30. You agree to go on one double date with the reclusive best friend of your roommate’s fiancé, and you’re surprised to learn he’s a published playwright. You hit it off and agree to watch one of his plays with him as a second date. The performance does not go well.

31. You agree to tutor someone who’s struggling in his writing class, and he ends up tutoring you in something you’ve avoided as much as possible: driving. He’s a natural behind the wheel — and under the hood — and you have a gift for writing.

Whether you’re writing sexy short stories with shifters and other mythical beings or novel-length epic fantasies with a strong romantic element, the following prompts will get your mind working in ways you probably shouldn’t try to explain.

32. Your vampire cousin has confessed to you his developing attachment to a shifter woman (feline) who works with him and who recently divorced her cheating husband. You know that the vampire leadership wouldn’t tolerate such a relationship, but you’ve secretly been watching the man who was your boyfriend before you were turned.

33. You wake up from an intense dream and see that your arms have changed to wings with snow-white feathers. Your mother suddenly enters and looks you up and down. “Lying son of a …! He told me you’d grow up normal….”

34. The humans in your world are dying of a disease that hasn’t affected the elves, but you’re charged with the protection of a man who, according to a prophecy, will unite the warring human kingdoms. He agrees to go with you on a quest to the mountains, and you take shelter in a cave for the night. Someone had created a home there, but there’s only one blanket.

35. You finally gave in to your boyfriend, whose latest romantic overtures have been over the top. That night, it’s a full moon. When you later tell him you’re pregnant, his reaction scares you. He insists on going somewhere private to explain why.

36. You’re intensely drawn to someone in your class, and twice now you’ve looked into his eyes and you swear they were different colors each time — cool blue when you first met and a warm green when he looked at you in a way that lit you up inside.

37. Your mating season has come, and there’s no escape. Your parents are hoping you’ll respond well to the attentions of the alpha, but you’ve secretly been meeting with a forbidden friend from a different pack — a friend who has lately become more than that.

38. As a princess, you’re expected to marry someone with advantageous connections, but to you, marriage sounds worse than death — until a particular prince arrives who reveals himself to be a dragon shifter.

39. You wake up with an irresistible drive to roam the woods in search of… something. You run out in your pajamas but soon you no longer need them. Taking to the sky with blue-black feathers, you soar overhead until you see one like you. He’s waiting.

40. All the other women in your family are talented witches, but not you. Your mother and sisters play up your non-magical gifts but you know they pity you, and more than anything you want to surprise them. And one night, during a traumatic experience, you do.

41. You’ve come out of the ocean to find a mate, not intending to stay long enough to get attached. But when you meet someone who strongly resembles an old enemy, you extend your stay to seduce and then punish him for his crimes against your clan.

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75 Of The Best Fiction Writing Prompts For All Writers

What Should You Not Do When Writing Romance?

Romance is a genre, and, as such, it has its own set of rules. While it’s essential to use a unique voice and develop creative stories, romance readers expect books to hit specific notes. Moreover, publishers know what sells and therefore have a set of standards writers must meet to secure a contract.

So what should you not do when writing a romance novel?

• Don’t make the heroine or hero unlikable. Character quirks and mistakes are fine — welcome, even — but they shouldn’t be off-putting.
• People are allergic to arrogance in large doses, so avoid it. The main love interest can be a bit haughty initially to establish an initial conflict, but the primary characters shouldn’t be stuck up.
• It’s okay to have outrageous plots and scenarios, but characters must have fully formed personalities whose actions gel with their behavior and beliefs. 
• Publishers reject manuscripts with logical lapses unless it’s a science fiction romance. Examples include blizzards in the Bahamas and tsunamis on Mount Everest.
• Inaccurate research is anathema for historical romance novels. Make sure you have your facts straight!
• Unless it’s an integral part of the plot , try to avoid outdated mores and values.  

What will your romance story be about?

You know as well as any author that crafting a story your readers will love is not a cake walk.

But you took the time to read some prompts, and now your in-house story generator is churning on some ideas – old and new.

You know that blank page doesn’t stand a chance against you. You’ll throw something on it, play with it for a while, delete what you’ve written and start over. None of this is wasted effort.

Use these prompts as they’re meant to be used – as nudges or launching pads, just to get you started on an idea, even if it changes along the way.

Let it come out of you however it does, and don’t worry about making it shine until it’s fully-formed and ready for editing.

And most of all, have fun with it. The first draft is all about exploring possibilities and just letting the words flow out of you, however ridiculous they sound.

Beautiful things can come from messy places. So, don’t be ashamed of your mess.

Put it to work.

And let your creativity and courage inspire your next story and everything else you do today.

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BEST ROMANCE WRITING PROMPTS

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Heavenly bodies, write about two characters who meet and/or fall in love in a museum., start or end your story with a character finding out the love of their life is actually royalty., write a story in which a character cooks up something to impress someone., write a story about two characters who like each other but don’t get a happily-ever-after., set your story on a warm summer evening with a full moon, when everything feels magnetic and your character’s about to meet someone important..

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Write a story about two opposites finding themselves surprisingly attracted to one another.

End your story with a kiss at midnight., write about a character who must confess their true feelings by midnight, or risk losing it all., write about two solo travelers who keep bumping into each other in the most unexpected of places., write about a character who risks everything to pursue their heart’s desires., subscribe to our prompts newsletter.

Never miss a prompt! Get curated writing inspiration delivered to your inbox each week.

Write about somebody looking for love on a reality TV show.

Write about a relationship, either romantic or platonic, that is being affected by jealousy., write a story — romantic or not — about two characters who can’t find the right timing., write a story about somebody in love with someone from their past..

• Write a story that includes (or subverts) the enemies-to-lovers trope.

Write about someone asking out an old crush, only to realize their crush doesn’t remember they’ve ever met before.

Start your story with one character setting up a romantic dinner, and end it with them looking at a framed wedding photo..

• Write about a first date that surprises both people, but in different ways.

Write a love story about an older couple who’ve been together since they were teenagers.

Write about two people reconnecting after a rough patch in their relationship., win $250 in our short story competition 🏆.

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The best romance writing prompts

Sometimes you just want to read a book that gives you the comforting knowledge that there will be a Happily Ever After — and that’s one of the defining characteristics of the romance genre. Everyone enjoys a little romance in their life, whether it’s steamy and passionate, or sweet and PG-thirteen-rated. If you’d like to write your own love story, we hope these romance prompts will help you!

Here are a few types of romance stories you might consider writing:

• Historical romance. Classified as any romance novel that takes place before 1950. Perhaps your heroine is a young woman, waiting to hear back from her wartime sweetheart who is away fighting. Will they end up together forever, or will the difficult times they’re living through keep them apart?
• YA. This is a romance that usually takes place in a high school setting, and features the life and loves of teenage characters. Maybe your character realizes they’ve got chemistry with their dreamy lab partner in science class.
• Contemporary. Any romance novel that takes place after 1950. This might be where you’d find your friends to lovers (or enemies to lovers) arcs, or stories about the trials and tribulations of online dating.
• Paranormal. Romance stories with elements of fantasy or science fiction. Think: a passionate prince falling in love with a powerful witch, or a gorgeous vampire finding romance with a seductive werewolf.
• Suspense. When love stories become intertwined with gritty plots. Caught up in some bigger conflict or mystery, our lovers find comfort in one another’s embrace.
• Erotic. The Romance Writers Association defines this as “Novels in which strong, often explicit, sexual interaction is an inherent part of the love story, character growth and relationships and could not be removed without damaging the storyline.” This kind of writing requires careful handling of intimate scenes and a great understanding of what makes characters tick. 
• LGBTQ. Romance stories that specifically center around queer characters. Maybe your hero uncovers their own sexuality as they fall in love with their best friend, or perhaps they have always known, but haven't quite managed to find joy with the right partner — until now.
• Romantic comedy. This subgenre is what it says on the tin — dreamy romance, that also makes you laugh. Perhaps we follow your protagonist on a series of calamitous dates, or we watch as they try to find happiness despite the interferences of a meddling family.

Keen to get started? Here are our top ten romance writing prompts:

• "I think I've fallen in love with my self-professed mortal enemy."
• You have a crush on a coworker, and that crush is somehow revealed during a company-wide meeting.
• Write a story that involves love at first sight.
• Write a story about unrequited love.
• Write a story about a road trip between two old friends that turns into something more.
• Write a romance where the characters pretend to be dating each other in order to win a reality show.
• The lives of two people are changed forever when they coincidentally meet and engage in a weekend-long affair.
• A meet-cute ends in a terrible date, or a disastrous meeting ends in a great one.

For more tips on how to write romance with soul, check out some of our free resources below:

• How to Write an Irresistible Romance (free course)  — Your ultimate guide to writing heart-stopping, pulse-raising romance is here. Whatever the subgenre, our free course teaches you how to get readers on board and invested in your love story.
• 13 Beloved Romance Tropes Every Reader Will Recognize (blog post)  — Your trope bible, this post breaks down the tried-and-true romance formulas and even suggests ideas for how to make them your own.

Want more help learning how to write a short romance? Check out  How to Write a Short Story That Gets Published  — a free, ten-day course guiding you through the process of short story writing by Laura Mae Isaacman, a full-time editor who runs a book editing company in Brooklyn.

Ready to start writing? Check out Reedsy’s weekly  short story contest , for the chance of winning $250 , plus potential publication in our literary magazine, Prompted ! You can also check out our list of  writing contests  or our directory of  literary magazines  for more opportunities to submit your story.

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81 Romance Writing Prompts to Kickstart Your Romance Novel

Krystal N. Craiker

One of the biggest hurdles in writing a romance novel is figuring out what to write. It can be hard to find a plot idea or figure out how to open your story.

If you need some fresh ideas for your next love story, check out these romance writing prompts.

What Makes a Successful Love Story?

What are the main romance-novel themes, what does a love story consist of, how do you start writing a romance, what are some great romantic writing prompts, what makes a love story interesting, may inspiration strike with our best romance writing prompts.

A good love story needs to have a memorable meet cute, a buildup of romantic tension, and a happily-ever-after ending.

Sure, there are some tragic love stories out there, but most people read and write romance so they can root for love.

It might sometimes feel like all the romance-novel ideas have already been done. That's just because people love reading those familiar themes and tropes over and over again.

You can easily take a familiar concept and change it up to create something new. No love story will ever be exactly like the one you write.

Here's a basic love-story formula you can use to create your own romance:

That may look simple, but crafting a love story might take a little more help.

Keep reading for 81 romance-writing prompts.

The main themes in romance have to do with love, of course. This might be something like love conquers all, the transformative power of love, or acceptance and belonging.

There are also hundreds of romance tropes. These are familiar story premises or plot points. Romance fans have their favorite tropes and tropes that they hate.

Here are a few popular romance writing prompts that never seem to get old. Can you see any of these as your next story idea?

Enemies to Lovers

• A fire marshal falls in love with a serial arsonist.
• A tattoo artist and a florist in the same shopping center both want to expand into the space next to them. They hate each other as they compete for the lease until they fall in love.

Fake Relationship

• Two platonic college friends marry to avoid one of them being deported.
• A CIA agent and an MI6 agent who have never met are sent undercover together as a married couple to infiltrate a human trafficking ring.

Secret Billionaire

• A chef falls in love with a new line cook in their kitchen who is fresh out of culinary school. The new cook is heir to a family fortune but wants to take their own path. They keep their wealth and true identity hidden.
• Two strangers get married in Vegas and barely remember the night. One is a billionaire who refuses to file for divorce because they did not sign a pre-nuptial agreement, and their new spouse would be entitled to half their wealth. They must stay married until a post-nuptial agreement can be written and signed, but they fall in love in the meantime.

Grumpy/Sunshine

• A cynical, experienced teacher clashes with the bubbly, idealistic new teacher next door.
• A doctor with a terrible bedside manner is in danger of losing their job from patient complaints. They are paired with a patient-favorite doctor who is their complete opposite.

Forced Proximity

• Due to university budget cuts, two rival scientists are forced to share an office only to find out they aren't so different after all.
• Two journalists from different news outlets have a chance to interview a high-profile figure who is vacationing in Dubai. Unfortunately there is only one hotel room left. They decide to share it even though there's only one bed.

Friends to Lovers

• Two old friends who have lost touch reconnect at their high-school reunion. They now live on opposite sides of the country, but they cannot deny their chemistry.
• Two coworkers at a bookstore always tell each other their latest string of bad dates. Eventually, they realize that the love of their life has been there all along.

Second Chance Romance

• One partner moved away, choosing their career over love. They must earn their ex-lover's trust and love once again.
• A soldier returns from war to find his sweetheart has moved on, and he tries to win her back.

A love story consists of some basic elements: a meet cute, encounters to build romantic tension, getting together or nearly getting together, torn apart by some circumstance, and a reunion and happily ever after.

Here are some plot points that might work in your romance novel.

• A barista spills coffee on the expensive suit of an ad executive.
• They meet at a wine and paint class. One spills paint and destroys the other's painting.
• A neighbor returns a package that was delivered to their address by mistake.
• They share a dance at a masquerade and don't know each other's true identity.
• One sends the other a wrong-number text, thinking they are texting their ex.

Romantic Tension

• Their hands brush when they both pick up something and sparks fly.
• They end up under the mistletoe at a holiday party.
• Their friends leave the bar early and leave them alone.
• They get stuck in an elevator.
• They are assigned a project together even though they hate each other.
• One must betray the other to save them from a terrible fate.
• An ex-lover shows up and drives a wedge between the two main characters.
• One lover overhears the other say something cruel out of context and leaves them.
• One must return to their hometown to care for an ailing parent.
• One is given an ultimatum by their family: be disowned or break up.

The beginning of your story is crucial. The opening paragraphs of your romance novel establish the tone, the setting, and the characters. That's a lot of pressure!

Below are some story starters if you're stuck on how to begin. Or maybe you are more of a discovery writer or "pantser" and prefer a story starter to a plot idea. Then your plot can develop naturally as you write.

• Her eyes were black, blacker than my soul.
• "Hey, mister! You dropped this!"
• It was the best of times; it was the worst of times; it was the company holiday party.
• Her wedding day was the worst day of her life.
• The rain bathed the London night in a soft, watercolor glow. Like an Impressionist painting, he thought as he approached the pub.
• "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
• I met my soul mate while covered in blood.
• When she said she wanted a fairy-tale romance, she did not mean at the checkout counter at Shoe Palace.
• As he studied the ballroom full of members of the ton , the duke decided he would rather be mucking out the stables.
• Once upon a time, the Queen of the Fairies escaped into the night, leaving her kingdom in chaos.
• She stared down at the two pink lines, her mouth agape. She couldn't be pregnant, could she?
• There he was, chained to a tree, spouting nonsense, and directly in the way of my bulldozer.
• "I've never seen that much money in real life," she said as he counted the bills.
• His fingers gripped the arm rests. "Is it your first time flying?" I asked.
• She had never seen another human.
• "You're alive?" "Last time I checked."

Here are even more great romance-story prompts. These are divided by sub-genre.

Fantasy and Paranormal Romance

Love with a little bit of magic? It's a spell for success!

• Dragons are banned, and a prince or princess finds a dragon egg. Rather than destroying it, they hire a dragon smuggler and go on a quest to get the baby dragon to safety.
• A warlock takes an apprentice who lied about their magical abilities. They have no magic, but the warlock is prejudiced against non-magical people. The warlock and apprentice fall in love. What happens when the warlock discovers the truth?
• A matchmaking angel is sent to earth to make two people fall in love, but they end up falling in love with one of their targets.
• A werewolf saves a vampire from a vampire hunter, even though their kind are sworn enemies.

Historical Romance

Love is a tale as old as time.

• A German nurse falls in love with a British soldier whom she found injured and unconscious, and she nurses him back to health.
• In 1910s Mexico, a revolutionary soldier falls in love with a girl as he raids her farm, but she is the daughter of a Porfiriato general.
• A Mongol warrior woman falls in love with a Chinese royal.
• A Viking warrior is set to marry a chief, but then they meet the grumpy blacksmith.

Crime Romance

Nothing raises tension like a little criminal activity.

• A detective falls in love with a suspect whom they believe to be innocent, even though all signs point to their guilt.
• Two young members of rival crime families fall in love in a modern take on Romeo and Juliet .
• A bank robber gets locked in a vault with the bank manager.

Sci-Fi Romance

Even extraterrestrials deserve a chance at love.

• Two strangers are captured by aliens and taken far away from earth.
• She was sent back in time to stop a catastrophe. He is determined to discover this strange person's true identity.
• An alien has studied one particular human from afar as part of their school project. They decide they must finally meet them.

Contemporary Romance

A love story set in the modern world is easy to imagine.

• Two friends made a pact in high school to marry if they hadn’t married others by age forty. They haven’t seen each other in over twenty years, but one reaches out to the other to fulfill their pact.
• Two single parents are at the skating rink each hosting their child's birthday. One falls on the ice, and the other helps them up. Later, they run into each other at a parent meeting at school.
• A person believes their new neighbor is up to no good. They begin to spy on them.
• A waitress is rear-ended on her way to work by a wayward prince of a royal family.

Classic Story Reinterpretations

There's a reason we keep seeing certain stories brought to life over and over again.

• Write a retelling of Rapunzel where the person was kidnapped and forced to live outside of society and has no clue about modern life.
• Retell Pygamlion / My Fair Lady with a woman who helps turn a socially awkward jingle writer at an ad agency into a superstar musician.
• Reimagine Cinderella with a movie star and a virtual assistant.
• Write a reinterpretation of Little Red Riding Hood where the "wolf" is a person who has stolen Red's grandmother's identity.

Characters make a love story compelling. Readers want likeable, interesting love interests that they can root for. Without good characters, romance falls flat.

You can quickly create excellent characters through effective and intriguing dialogue. Don't let unnecessary dialogue tags distract the reader from your exceptional dialogue.

ProWritingAid's Dialogue Report can help you locate these pesky tags so you can keep them to a minimum.

Do you have trouble creating characters? Here are some ideas for the heroes and heroines of your next love story. Can you mix and match any of those in your story?

• A recluse physicist
• A baker with a peanut allergy
• An overly excited blacksmith's apprentice
• A librarian who moonlights as a superhero
• A clockmaker who can tell the future
• A conservationist who uses vigilante methods to fight poachers
• A queen who everyone thinks is a king
• A rakish bad boy with an affinity for romance novels
• An action star who becomes a vocal anti-war activist
• A shopkeeper with a secret
• A spaceship captain
• A petsitter to the stars
• A pirate who puts the jolly in "jolly roger"
• A writer who can talk to the dead

We hope you've found some inspiration for your romance novel with these romance writing prompts.

You can also take elements from different prompts and combine them into something completely new!

Playing matchmaker with fictional characters is a blast. Now, pick up the pen or open your blank document and start writing that happily ever after.

Writing romance? Join us for our FREE online summit

October 11–15: romance writers’ week.

ProWritingAid will be hosting our first ever Romance Writers’ Week in October. Join hundreds of other romance writers to learn what makes a romance novel swoon-worthy. Whether you’re writing contemporary, paranormal, historical, or speculative romance (or something in between), you’ll find practical, actionable sessions to help you plan, write, and market your romance story.

Learn from bestselling authors like Tia Williams , Talia Hibbert , Louise Dean , and Carolyn Brown , as well as romance writing experts from Pages & Platforms , Simon & Schuster , Harlequin , Romance Writers of America , and more.

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Krystal N. Craiker is the Writing Pirate, an indie romance author and blog manager at ProWritingAid. She sails the seven internet seas, breaking tropes and bending genres. She has a background in anthropology and education, which brings fresh perspectives to her romance novels. When she’s not daydreaming about her next book or article, you can find her cooking gourmet gluten-free cuisine, laughing at memes, and playing board games. Krystal lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, child, and basset hound.

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140 Romance Writing Prompts to Keep Your Imagination Flowing

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on August 31, 2022

Categories Writing , Inspiration , Storytelling

Do you love writing romance stories? Are you looking for a little inspiration to keep your imagination flowing? If so, then you’re in luck! In this blog post, we will provide 140 romance writing prompts to help get your creative juices flowing. Whether you are a seasoned writer or just starting, these prompts will help you develop new and exciting story ideas. So what are you waiting for? Get started today!

Romance Writing Prompts

This post will break down romance writing ideas into various areas and genres to help you navigate directly to the creative writing prompts most helpful for your writing.

20 Love Story Ideas

• A young woman moves to a new city and meets a handsome stranger who helps her adjust to her new surroundings.
• A couple is forced to spend the night in a remote cabin after their car breaks down, and they end up discovering hidden desires for each other.
• A high school student falls in love with her teacher, but their relationship is forbidden.
• A woman meets a man online and begins an intense cyber-relationship, but things get complicated when they finally meet in person.
• Two people who are seemingly complete opposites fall in love and must deal with the challenges of a mixed-race relationship.
• After a bad breakup, a woman takes a road trip to clear her head and meets the man of her dreams.
• A woman gets married to her childhood sweetheart but begins to question her decision after the wedding night.
• A young couple goes on their first date and gets lost in the city streets late at night.
• An office worker falls for her boss and has to find a way to deal with the complications of a workplace romance.
• A woman returns home for Thanksgiving after being away at college for several years and finds that everything has changed while she was gone.
• Write a story about a love that is forbidden by society.
• Write a story about two people who are from different worlds and fall in love.
• Write a story about a broken-hearted person who falls in love with someone new.
• Write a story about finding love in the most unexpected place.
• Write a story about first love and all of the emotions that come with it.
• Write a story about two people who are opposites but still find love.
• Write a story about finding your soulmate later in life.
• Write a story about unrequited love and the heartache that comes with it.
• Write a story about forbidden love and the lengths people will go to be together.
• Write a story about star-crossed lovers and the tragedy that befalls them.

19 Paranormal Romance Story Prompts

• A young woman moves into a new house and begins to experience strange things. She soon realizes that the house is haunted by a ghost who is in love with her.
• A woman unable to have children learns she is pregnant with a demon’s child. The child’s father is determined to take it back, no matter what.
• A witch falls in love with a mortal man and must choose between saving him or saving her coven.
• A group of friends stumbles upon a cursed mirror that causes them to fall in love with the first person they see upon looking into it.
• A vampire falls in love with a human woman and must protect her from his kind.
• A girl discovers that she is a shape-shifter and must figure out how to control her powers before they get out of control.
• Two people who are fated to together find themselves on opposite sides of a war that could end up destroying the world as they know it.
• Write a story about a vampire and werewolf who fall in love.
• Write a story about a witch who falls in love with a warlock.
• Write a story about a ghost who falls in love with a human.
• Write a story about an angel who falls in love with a demon.
• Write a story about a mermaid who falls in love with a human.
• Write a story about an immortal who falls in love with a mortal.
• A shifter falls in love with a human.
• Two reincarnated people keep finding themselves drawn to each other throughout the centuries.
• The mortal world and the spirit world collide when two lovers cross paths.
• Two people who are cursed together find true love in the face of adversity.
• A guardian angel falls in love with a human, and they must navigate the dangerous waters of forbidden love.
• A genie falls in love with a human, and they must break the curse that has kept them apart for centuries.

21 Fantasy Romance Prompts

• A woman discovers that she has a magical power to heal others. She soon falls in love with a man who is injured in battle and must use her power to save him.
• A young girl is taken to a faerie kingdom against her will and must find a way to escape before she is trapped there forever.
• An elf prince must choose between his duty to his kingdom and his love for a human girl he met during his travels.
• Write a story about an elf who falls in love with a dwarf.
• Write a story about dragons who fall in love with elves.
• Write a story about fairies who fall in love with humans.
• The last dragon falls in love with a human and must protect her from those who would do her harm.
• A prince and a peasant girl fall in love and must fight to be together.
• A prophecy says that a dragon will save a princess, so she goes into hiding, waiting for her dragon prince to come to rescue her.
• A pirate and a noblewoman fall in love while on a dangerous treasure hunt.
• After a freak storm, a group of strangers finds themselves stranded on an uncharted island filled with mystical creatures.
• A young girl is chosen to be the next queen of her kingdom, but she must first pass a series of tests to prove her worthiness.
• An elf and a human meet and fall in love while defending their respective kingdoms from an invasion of trolls.
• In a world where magic is outlawed, two wizards must keep their relationship hidden or risk being put to death.
• A group of friends stumbles upon a secret garden where they meet fairy-tale characters who have been frozen in time for centuries.
• A young woman discovers she is actually the long-lost daughter of a royal family and must now take her place as the rightful heir to the throne.
• A group of friends stumble upon a genie lamp and are granted three wishes, leading to hilarious adventures.
• When two feuding families cross paths at a masquerade ball, they are forced to put their differences aside and fall in love instead.
• After being turned into animals by an evil witch, the two lovers must find each other again and break the curse before it’s too late.
• A woman wakes up one day with no memory of who she is or where she came from, but she begins to piece things together when she meets a charming stranger who seems to know everything about her..
• An elf falls in love with a human girl, but their relationship is forbidden, so they have to make all sorts of sneaky arrangements to be together.

18 Romance Short Story Starters

• Write a story about two people in love but can’t be together for some reason.
• Write a story about a love forbidden for religious or cultural reasons.
• Write a story about a forbidden love because one of the partners is married to someone else.
• Write a story about two people who are from different worlds and can’t be together because of it.
• Write a story about two people in love, but their families are enemies.
• Write a story about two people in love but both afraid to admit it to each other.
• Write a story about two people who meet and fall in love online but have never met in person.
• Write a story about two people who have an instant connection and fall in love at first sight.
• Write a story about two soulmates separated by distance who can only communicate through letters or emails.
• Write a story about two people in love but having to keep their relationship a secret from everyone else.
• Write a story about two best friends who fall in love and deal with the consequences of their relationship getting out to the rest of their social circle.
• Write a story on an ocean cruise where the main characters meet and fall in love throughout the voyage.
• Write a post-apocalyptic romance where the world has been destroyed, and the only thing left is love.
• Write a fairytale retelling where the prince and princess meet and fall in love, but their families forbid them from being together.
• Write a science fiction romance where aliens have replaced the human race, and the main characters meet and fall in love while trying to figure out what is happening on Earth.
• Write a Gothic romance where the main characters are forced to spend time together in an old dark house while they try to solve a mystery.
• Write a historical romance set during World War II where the main characters meet and fall in love while working on the same army base.
• Write a contemporary romance set at college where the main characters meet and fall for each other while stuck on opposite ends of a dorm feud.

16 Romantic Comedy Prompts

• Write a story about two best friends who fall in love with each other.
• Write a story about a mismatched couple who find love despite their differences.
• Write a story about a woman trying to find Mr. Right but keeps dating the wrong men.
• Write a story about a man who is trying to find Mrs. Right but keeps dating the wrong woman.
• Write a story about two dating people who keep getting interrupted by comical misunderstandings.
• Write a story about two people who always compete with each other but eventually fall in love.
• Write a story about two co-workers who are constantly arguing but end up falling for each other.
• Write a story about two friends who fall in love after realizing they have more in common than they thought.
• Write a story about two people who start hating each other but eventually fall in love.
• Write a story about an online dating match that turns out to be completely different than what the person expected.
• Write a story about two people who are opposites but can’t help but be drawn to each other.
• Write a story about a love triangle that doesn’t go the way you expect.
• Write a story about a man trying to win back his ex-girlfriend but falling for her sister instead.
• Write a story about a woman unlucky in love until she meets her perfect match.
• Write a story set in the future, where humans and robots can fall in love with each other.
• Write a story about an office romance that starts with one drunken night after work.

18 Historical Romance Prompts

• A Regency-era love story takes place against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars.
• A forbidden love affair between a wealthy plantation owner and his slave girl.
• An epic romance set in the Victorian era, spanning from the poverty-ridden slums of London to the glittering ballrooms of high society.
• A medieval love story set against the backdrop of a bloody civil war.
• A heartwarming tale of two lovers who are reunited after being separated by a devastating natural disaster.
• A steamy romance set in the roaring 1920s, complete with speakeasies and jazz music.
• An inspiring love story set against the backdrop of the civil rights movement.
• A contemporary romance about two people who fall in love despite belonging to different social circles.
• An epic tale of love and adventure, set against the backdrop of ancient Greece or Rome.
• A moving story about a young couple who find each other amid a life-changing tragedy.
• A Gothic Romance is set in an old mansion rumored to be haunted by ghosts.
• A Regency-era love story in which the two protagonists must hide their relationship from society.
• A Viking romance set in 8th century Scandinavia.
• A Tudor-era romance in which the two lovers are forced apart by political intrigue.
• An espionage love story set during the Cold War.
• A Civil War-era love story in which a Union soldier falls for a Confederate belle.
• A Medieval love story about a forbidden love between a lord and his Lady-in-waiting.
• An Old West romance about a cowboy who falls for a saloon girl in Dodge City, Kansas.

15 Science Fiction Romance Story Prompts

• A scientist creates a serum that turns people into zombies, and the only thing standing between him and world domination is the love of his life.
• When an ancient curse threatens to destroy the world, two lovers must travel back in time to stop it from happening.
• A post-apocalyptic love story about two survivors who find solace in each other’s company as they battle to rebuild civilization.
• A futuristic love story set in a world where scientists have developed a serum that can create perfect relationships.
• A human and an alien fall in love on a spaceship heading to a new planet.
• A cyborg and a human fall in love in a post-apocalyptic world.
• A pair of astronauts stranded on an ice planet find each other and fall in love.
• A human lives on a planet populated by aliens and falls in love with one of them.
• An android and a human fall in love and must fight against the government to be together.
• Aliens take a group of humans prisoner, and one of them falls for the captain of the ship.
• An alien race invading Earth causes havoc, but one couple finds true love amidst the chaos.
• Robots have taken over the world, but one lonely robot falls for a human insurgent fighting against them.
• In a future world where the government regulates relationships, two people manage to find each other and fight for their right to be together.
• The only survivors of an apocalypse are a group of humans who have been turned into zombies, but one man still retains his humanity…and his desire for one woman).
• In a world where emotions have been outlawed, two people find each other and discover the power of love).

11 Valentine’s Day Story Prompts

• A young couple is celebrating their first Valentine’s Day together. They are both nervous and excited about spending the day together.
• A couple has been married for many years, but they have lost the spark in their relationship. They are determined to reignite the flame this Valentine’s Day.
• Single people dread Valentine’s Day because they always feel lonely and left out.
• Two people who are in love decide to elope on Valentine’s Day.
• A woman is trying to figure out whether or not she should break up with her boyfriend on Valentine’s Day.
• A man plans a grand gesture for his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day.
• A woman gets a chance to relive her high school romance on Valentine’s Day.
• Two people who are falling out of love find themselves stuck together on Valentine’s Day.
• A couple is trying to salvage their relationship after a huge fight on Valentine’s Day.
• Two married people fall in love with other people on Valentine’s Day.
• A woman realizes she has been in love with her best friend for years on Valentine’s Day.

How to Write About Love

Love is one of the most complicated and nuanced emotions that we experience. It can be difficult to put into words and even more difficult to capture in a story. However, with a little practice, it is possible to write about love in an accurate and engaging way.

The first step in writing about love is understanding what it is. Love is not just a passion or attraction; it is a combination of feelings that includes affection, care, and intimacy. When trying to capture love in your writing, focusing on the emotional connection between your characters rather than just the physical attraction is important.

Another important thing to remember when writing about love is that it is not always happy and perfect. Love can be messy and complicated, often leading to heartbreak. However, that does not mean that it is any less worth writing about. Portraying the complexities of love can make for a much more interesting story.

If you have difficulty capturing the essence of love in your writing, try reading some romantic poetry or novels for inspiration. The best way to learn how to write about something is to read about it from other talented writers.

Once you understand what love is and how to write about it, the rest of the process becomes much easier. Just let your creativity flow and let your characters take control. With a little practice, you can write beautiful stories about love that will touch your readers’ hearts.

What Romance Readers Want

To write a romance story that will capture readers’ hearts, you need to understand what they are looking for. Romance readers want a story full of emotion with a happily-ever-after ending. They want to feel the excitement and anticipation of the characters as they fall in love, and they want to feel the emotions that come along with a happy ending.

One of the most important things for a romance author to remember is to make their characters believable. Readers need to be able to relate to the characters and feel like they are living their story. This is why giving your characters realistic motivations and flaws is so important.

How to Build Romantic Tension in Your Writing

Romantic tension is an important part of any love story. It can make the reader feel the characters’ emotions and suspense as they wait to see what will happen next. Here are a few tips on how to create romantic tension in your writing:

• Establish strong chemistry between your characters. The more drawn to each other, your characters are, the more tension there will be.
• Use subtle clues to hint at their attraction. For example, have one character catch the other looking at them with a certain intensity or have them brush up against each other accidentally.
• Play with their expectations. Have one character do something that surprises the other or keeps them apart for longer than expected. This will create anticipation and make the reader want to discover what happens next.
• Use cliffhangers sparingly. While they can effectively create suspense, too many cliffhangers can frustrate the reader. Save them for key moments in your story that will make your readers want to keep reading.

What Does a Happy Ending Mean in Romance Writing?

For some people, it might mean the couple getting together and living happily ever after. For others, it might mean the couple overcoming their obstacles and finding a way to be together. There is no wrong answer, as long as the ending leaves the reader feeling happy and satisfied.

A good romance story should always have a satisfying ending. The reader should feel like the characters they’ve been rooting for have finally gotten their happy ending. This doesn’t mean that the story has to be sunshine and rainbows the entire time. A little bit of conflict can make the ending all the more rewarding. But, at the end of the day, the characters should be content and happy with their lives.

What is a romance trope?

A romance trope is a recurring plot device or theme in romances. Some common tropes include secret baby, a second chance at love, and enemies to lovers. These tropes can be used to create a predictable but enjoyable story.

How do you write a good romance scene?

When writing a good romance scene , capturing the emotional intensity between the two characters is important. You want the reader to feel the connection and passion between them. To do this, you need to create believable and compelling dialogue and descriptive scenes that bring the story to life. You also need to ensure that the romance progresses naturally and doesn’t seem rushed or forced.

How do you write a realistic romance?

When writing a realistic romance, it’s important to make the characters feel like real people. This means giving them believable motivations and flaws and making their interactions feel natural. It’s also important to create a sense of intimacy between the characters without resorting to unrealistic or cheesy plot devices. By taking the time to develop your characters and setting up a believable relationship, you can create a romance that feels true to life.

How do you write a unique romance story?

One of the best things about romance writing is that there are endless possibilities for plot and story ideas. You can explore different settings, periods, and genres. You can also create your unique twist on the classic love story. Mixing and matching different elements allows you to come up with a story that is truly original and one-of-a-kind.

How do you write a passionate love scene?

A passionate love scene conveys the intense emotions of falling in love. It should be full of descriptive language and romantic gestures that will make the reader feel like they are right there in the moment. To write a passionate love scene, you need to put yourself in the mindset of two people who are madly in love. Conjure up all of the feelings of excitement, desire, and passion that come with being in love and let them flow onto the page.

How do you write a non-cliché love story?

Here are a few tips to help you avoid clichés:

• Avoid using too many overused tropes and plot devices.
• Write about the smaller moments that make up a relationship, rather than only focusing on the grand gestures.
• Let your characters be complex and multi-dimensional rather than simply falling into stereotypes.
• Find new and interesting ways to explore love and relationships.
• Be creative and original in your storytelling!

How can you spice up your love story?

One way to spice up your love story is to add unexpected twists and turns. This can keep your readers engaged and guessing what will happen next. You can also add elements of suspense , mystery, and even danger.

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Romance Writing Prompts: 50+ Ideas to Get Started

Romance is a massive genre with many subgenres and sub-subgenres. Romance readers are famously voracious, and they’re also fiercely loyal. If they find a writer who pushes all the right buttons with their work, they’ll stick with them. But the trick is knowing how to push those buttons. This means coming up with ideas for romance stories that are at once original and faithful to the subgenre you’re writing in. It’s a fine line to walk, but it’s more than possible with the following romance writing prompts. 

• Recipes for a great romance story
• Overarching romance tropes
• A list of romance story ideas

What Makes a Good Romance?

Before we dive into the romance story prompts, it's a good idea to talk about what makes a good romance. There are certain things readers expect when they pick up a romance novel. And, at the risk of being overly simplistic, they can be summed up pretty well in two sentences:

• A love story driving the plot.
• A satisfying and happy ending.

Now, these are very broad, overarching ideas. Things can be a little different in various subgenres, but if you read romance (and you should if you plan to write it), then you'll know that these are expected by readers.

The “heat rating” of said novel will vary, as will the number of subplots, the number of main characters, and the situations these characters find themselves in.

Whether the story is about two men, two women, two people who are non-gender binary, a man and a woman, or some combination of all of the above, any romance novel really comes down to a love story . So keep this in mind as we move through the prompts for the various subgenres.

Common Romance Genre Tropes

As a reader, you may not be consciously aware of the tropes used in romance novels. Some authors will put their tropes front and center, while others won't. But as a writer, knowing the tropes at your disposal is essential to writing romance, whether it's a short story, a novella, or a full-length novel. So here are some of the most common romance tropes:

• Enemies to Lovers
• Friends to Lovers
• Love Triangle
• Billionaire Romance
• Secret Billionaire
• Stuck Together
• Second Chance at Love
• Forbidden Love
• Fake Relationship
• Soul Mates (True Love)
• Opposites Attract
• Secret Identity

Readers expect certain types of tropes from a romance book. Whether consciously or not, they search for these tropes. They want something familiar, but they don't want something they've read before. So the idea is to use one of these tropes to inform your romance story, while simultaneously making it your own .

It's important to realize that the trope doesn't have to influence the genre. For example, you could have a billionaire romance that fits in the historical romance genre by having the story take place in the 1920s or 30s.

You could also write a science fiction romance in which the main trope is “stuck together.”

And while we've tried to group the following romance writing prompts together by genre, they're only story starters. They're designed to get your creativity flowing so you can expand on the idea and make it your own!

Let's get started!

Romance Writing Prompts

You'll see that we often use the terms “he” and “she” in these prompts, but these are just placeholder terms. These creative writing prompts will work no matter the sexual orientation or gender identity of the characters.

Contemporary Romance Prompts

You'll recognize the modern technology, cultural norms, and the way people speak in the contemporary romance genre . These stories could be happening here and now.

• Two strangers and polar opposites always visit the local animal shelter — one to play with the cats and the other to see the dogs. There’s some friction between them, but it might be the right kind to heat things up. 
• After weeks of watching and preparation, the heroine bluffs her way into a rich bachelor’s party to steal a piece of artwork. She soon finds that the artwork isn’t the only thing she’s stolen: there’s a note hidden on the back of the piece, and it’s addressed to her. 
• There’s something familiar about the man she sees on a dating app, but she just can’t place it. Out of curiosity, she agrees to meet him for a date, only to remember that she rejected him in high school. Could things be different now?
• His best friend from high school, who he thought of as a sister, comes back to town after four years of college. She brings her new fiance. But they soon find there’s something more than friendship between them. 
• They’re both ultra-runners, participating in a grueling race. But when a sudden storm strands these fiercely competitive people together, they have to stop one-upping each other to survive.
• He’s just struggling to make his new business successful. She’s an IRS auditor who has a job to do. Things start off rocky, but is there a spark there?
• They are both finalists on a televised singing show. He falls for her hard and decides to tell her through a song on live TV.
• He just got out of a trying relationship. She doesn’t have plans to settle down anytime soon. It starts as a rebound, but there’s something else there, if they’re willing to see it. 
• After the chaos of a bank robbery, she finds a wallet on the ground. Realizing it belongs to the robber, she decides to take it to the police. But before she can, he comes to get it . . . 
• She works with her parents in a dry cleaning store. He’s a low-level enforcer for the mob, tasked with collecting “protection” money from the businesses. Will love make him see the damage he’s doing?

Paranormal Romance Prompts

The paranormal subgenre is rife with romantic suspense. From psychics and witches to vampires and werewolves, there's plenty to spice up your romance story idea.

• She's a witch who has been brought up to distrust vampires. He's a vampire who, deep down, is just the opposite of his somewhat salty demeanor. Can he convince her to give him a chance?
• She's a psychic trying to use her powers for good. He finds out her secret and tries to exploit her talent for personal gain. But their relationship could be the stuff of fairytales. 
• She dreams of a mysterious figure with questionable intentions. When she sees the man in real life, she feels compelled to go up and talk to him – even though he's clearly on a date. 
• A ghost shows up and helps a woman when she needs it most. But the ghost belongs to her husband, who just died.
• Angels and demons wage a war on earth. Their activities are invisible to humans, but not to each other. One day, a demon and an angel find themselves trying to tempt the same person. And although things are rocky at first, an unexpected attraction flares.
• Werewolves roam the night. There's an uneasy truce with the humans, and one woman has been chosen to be the emissary. But her werewolf counterpart is much more than she bargained for.
• She's a vampire hunter who gets critically injured on a hunt. The vampire she was trying to kill takes pity on her, saving her life by turning her into one of the undead.
• A high school girl is learning how to harness magic. She gets chosen for an elite academy where she immediately butts heads with another boy in the academy.
• She hears the voices of the dead. It takes all her effort to control the voices, which leaves no time for romantic relationships. Until she meets a man she just can't resist.
• Her magic is so powerful she can't control it. She hurt her ex by accident and now refuses to take a chance on love. But her ex comes back to convince her that what they have is true love.

Historical Romance Prompts

Historical romance stories generally take place before 1950. They often center on actual events, even if the characters are fictional.

• A shell-shocked British soldier meets a French nurse during World War I. While the language barrier proves difficult to overcome, love finds a way.
• A Regency romance features an odd couple from high society who are just friends . . . but he wants something more. She doesn't really see him that way . . . or does she?
• A lowly stable boy falls for a baron's daughter. They can never be together. Not unless they run away to America.
• In an era when mixed-race couples are actively frowned upon, these two main characters find that some things are worth fighting for.
• She's been thrust into an arranged marriage to a rude older man. Things look grim until she brings out his true nature.

Romantic Comedy Prompts

These love story ideas contain a hefty dash of comedy. And, of course, they end with a happily ever after.

• She's looking for love in all the wrong places. And it doesn't help that her zany mother has a little bit too much control over her life. Until someone comes along who is no match for the main character's mother. . .
• Opposites attract in this story when a comedically pessimistic character meets a too-optimistic match at a company work function.
• She's always had her eye on her best friend's brother, who's a struggling comedian. To get his attention, she arranges to do some comedy of her own . . . with hilariously disastrous results.
• He's been pining over her for years. She hasn't noticed him at all. But with the help of his friends, he tries to learn all the tricks of seducing a woman. The results aren't what he was looking for. At least, not at first.
• She's a single mother of two. He's a single father with a newborn baby. They meet at a support group for single moms when he accidentally shows up, thinking it's a meeting for single parents .
• He just needs a place to live, and the room in a houseful of women is the right price. But as soon as he moves in, his habits and theirs just don't mesh. There's plenty of romantic tension, but things don't go smoothly when he falls for one of them.
• He's a proud bachelor, but his buddies are all married and they won't allow him to go on their annual trip to Hawaii unless he brings a girlfriend. So he asks the girl from the local coffee shop. What could go wrong?
• He was the school bully, and he humiliated her more times than she can count. But now the tables have turned, and she's the popular one in college. But her plans for revenge have unintended consequences.
• She keeps getting sweet letters from a secret admirer. She's positive she knows who it is, but her guess turns out to be way wrong!
• She makes it big as a romance writer in the big city. But for all her writing about true love, she has yet to experience it. She doesn't think it's real . . . until a person from her past shows up with life-changing news.

Science Fiction Romance Prompts

Aliens and robots, androids and artificial intelligence. It's a big universe, and love is the universal language.

• They're astronauts from very different cultures. Can they learn to see past the superficial to the best in each other, or will living on a cramped space station be too much for them?
• She's a starship captain from Earth. She's an alien with plans on attacking Earth. His mission is to convince her that humanity is worth saving . . . any way he can.
• Can androids feel love? Can a human and an android make a life together, against all odds? Find out by exploring this sci-fi romance prompt.
• An asteroid is heading right for Earth, and no one can agree on what to do about it. She thinks blowing it up is right. He thinks diverting it is the way to go. They've got to put aside their differences and work together to save the world.
• They live light-years away from each other, but they've been communicating through messages. When scientists figure out how to travel faster than light, he invites her to visit his planet.

Fantasy Romance Prompts

Romance writers come in all shapes and sizes. And the characters they write about don't have to be human. In fact, fantasy characters can provide the dash of inspiration needed to get the writing going.

• Their people don't trust each other, but they face a threat the likes of which they've never seen. These two fantasy characters must overcome their differences to face the Big Bad – and they may just find love in the process.
• They're the only two from their village selected to attend the prestigious school where they'll learn how to harness magic. But the journey is perilous — and they've been sworn enemies for as long as they can remember.
• In the complex world of Elves, Orcs, and Humans, there's much riding on the arranged marriage of an Elf to a Human. The only problem is they both want to marry for love, even though the other one doesn't know it.
• In this world, each person is shown who their one true love is by the time they're twenty-two. But the main character's birthday comes and goes, and she still doesn't know. Does this mean she'll be alone forever?
• She's had feelings for him since she met him. The only problem is, he's supposed to be dead. He was a great warrior who was supposedly killed in battle. So how is she seeing him? And why has he chosen to come to her and no one else?

Holiday Romance Prompts

The holidays can make a great backdrop for romantic fiction. Choose a writing prompt below to get started!

• Another Valentine's Day comes and goes without so much as a letter. But she soon finds out there's been a mail mistake, and there's a backlog of letters from a secret admirer.
• The only thing she wants for Christmas is a baby. But she doesn't need a partner to help raise it. Until she finds that Santa may have brought her something she didn't even ask for!
• She comes home for Thanksgiving to find that her best friend is dating her ex. She grabs the nearest man — who happens to be a live-in nurse for her ailing mother — and convinces him to pretend to be her boyfriend.
• He hates Christmas and loves sleeping around. She loves Christmas and hates men who sleep around. But she still wonders why he hasn't made a pass at her yet. So she makes an effort to find out why.
• She drinks a little too much during a New Year's Eve party and seeks out a kiss from another solo partygoer. Sparks fly, but it turns out he's taken. What's she to do?

Test Your Romance Novel for Viability

Hopefully, the creative juices are flowing now. But before you start writing your book, it's a good idea to see if there's a market for the type of romance you're looking to write . Since romance is such a competitive genre, a little research goes a long way. And the easiest way to get this research done is with Publisher Rocket.

You can think of the information you get from Publisher Rocket as the foundation for your romance writing career. You get insights directly from Amazon on:

• Keywords – Metadata to position your book on Amazon.
• Competition – Allowing you to see what's selling and how stiff the competition is.
• Categories – So you know where people who are looking for books like yours go to find them.
• Amazon Ads – Helps you quickly configure a list of profitable keywords for running ads.

Check out Publisher Rocket here to get started.

Dave Chesson

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

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101 Romance Story Prompts

Do you want to write in the popular romance genre, but need a push in the right direction? Maybe all you need are some clever romance story prompts. If that's the case, we gotchu!

We have compiled a massive list of romance story prompts to help get your creative juices flowing so you can start conceptualizing your romance story.

1. A woman's date goes horribly wrong and meet-cutes the waiter. 2. One character thinks their relationship is a fling — the other thinks it's destiny. 3. Mutual friends set up a blind date. 4. A guy is auctioned off for a date at a company fundraiser. 5. Two characters at a vintage record store listen to the same record in the same listening booth. 6. A guy looking for an engagement ring for the wrong girl falls for the ring saleswoman. 7. A character goes on an online date with someone that lied about their looks. 8. A woman falls in love with the twin of the man she just dumped. 9. A man arranges for a random woman to call him during a date as an Escape Call — they fall in love. 10. Opposites attract when two characters pretend to be dating and fall in love. 11. Two characters are stuck on a Ferris wheel together and fall for each other. 12. A man delivers flowers to a beautiful woman that's being wooed by the wrong guy. 13. A fling goes south when one of them offers the other character a drawer in their apartment. 14. Characters meet their in-laws and discover that each has dated the other's sibling. 15. A woman discovers an old mix tape made by her high school boyfriend — she tries to reconnect. 16. Despite going on what are considered traditional dates, two people don't believe they're actually dating. 17. A couple breaks up and each is on the rebound. 18. A man uses his brother's baby to attract women. 19. Someone asks another out as a dare and ends up falling in love with them. 20. A man bets his female childhood friend that he can make her fall in love with him in two weeks. 21. A man asks his twin brother to fill in for him in the relationship after he grows tired of it. 22. Two people have a secret relationship. 23. Two people are stood up on their dates and end up falling for each other. 24. A teacher falls for her student's single parent. 25. A woman is always a bride, never a bridesmaid. 26. The third wheel of a couple struggles to find love. 27. The third wheel of a couple ends up falling in love with one of them. 28. Characters fall in love when the Tunnel of Love at the fair breaks down. 29. Two people that know each other only from an online fantasy football league meet for the first time. 30. A woman doesn't know her type and ends up seeking out every type of person to find her preference.

'If Beale Street Could Talk'

31. A woman seeks out the model that was used for a popular romance novel series. 32. One secret agent falls in love with another. 33. A popular character falls for an unpopular character. 34. An unpopular character learns that the popular character they had a crush on is not who they want to be with. 35. A character falls in love with an angel living on Earth for a limited time. 36. An angel falls in love with the human they are assigned to watch over. 37. A celebrity falls in love with a regular person. 38. Cupid is actually an angry relationship therapist. 39. A popular girl is highly attracted to nerdy types. 40. A popular guy is highly attracted to nerdy types. 41. The drama teacher's budget is reallocated to the football coach's program. 42. A chemist-by-trade finds a way to manipulate pheromones to make people attracted to them. 43. Two people drink a love potion that makes them fall madly in love. 44. An older woman is attracted to a much younger man. 45. A younger woman is attracted to a much older man. 46. A character falls in love with a fictional character, only to see them come alive. 47. A female coach's team budget is taken over by a male coach's budget. 48. A man who travels a lot falls in love with a flight attendant he always sees. 49. A woman who travels a lot falls in love with a small-town man that has never left his small town. 50. A woman falls in love with her AI phone. 51. A nanny travels abroad with the family she watches over, only to fall in love with a local. 52. One character must overcome a physical or emotional scar to find love. 53. There's a misunderstanding between a couple that is destined to be together. 54. A woman is attracted to both a man and a woman and must decide which one to choose. 55. A woman who was shamed by a bully in high school falls in love with him at the reunion. 56. A character comes home for the holidays. 57. A career-driven woman inherits a small-town property. 58. A businessman whose car breaks down while traveling cross country falls for a rancher. 59. A businesswoman whose car breaks down while traveling cross country falls for a rancher. 60. A character falls in love with the first human-looking android.

'La La Land'

61. A couple that thought they were divorced is not. 62. Enemies in business fall in love. 63. A fake engagement leads to love. 64. A big city character falls for a small own character. 65. A small-town character falls a big-city character. 66. Characters are trapped in a confined location and fall in love. 67. Friends of a couple enjoy disliking each other but soon fall in love. 68. A character unknowingly falls in love with a ghost. 69. A grieving character falls in love with their deceased significant other's sibling. 70. A rich girl doesn't want her rich lifestyle anymore. 71. A rich guy doesn't want his rich lifestyle anymore. 72. Identical twins agree to change lives to see if sparks fly with the significant others they've grown tired of. 73. A character falls in love with their abductor. 74. A character is learning a new skill under the teaching of another — they fall in love. 75. There's a love triangle and only true love will prevail. 76. One character gets a makeover and finds love. 77. Characters have a marriage of convenience and agree to seek love elsewhere. 78. Medical industry co-workers fall in love. 79. A character falls in love with the police officer that saved them. 80. One character is actually a mystical creature living a normal human life for a short time. 81. The new girl in town finds love. 82. The new guy in town finds love. 83. The mysterious stranger in town attracts locals. 84. Police officers assigned as partners fall in love. 85. A character wins the lottery and falls in love. 86. A character thought dead returns home to the surprise of those that have moved on. 87. A rock star falls in love with a local during a music festival. 88. A runaway bride finds love elsewhere. 89. A runaway bride discovers that the groom she ran from is actually the right one for her. 90. High school sweethearts reunite.

'Happiest Season'

91. High school best friends reunite, only to discover they should be a couple. 92. A rich character hides their true wealth to find true love. 93. A werewolf falls for a vampire. 94. Single parents find love together. 95. Soul mates finally find each other against all odds. 96. A character falls in love with someone that is terminally ill. 97. A character falls in love with someone that is traveling in time. 98. Two characters that had a fling discover that they're having a baby together. 99. Characters fall in love at a wedding. 100. Characters are accidentally married. 101. Two characters vowed years prior to marrying each other if they had not yet found love.

If you loved our list of romance story prompts, take a look at our other genre story prompts !

Should you write in the romance genre.

The romance genre — specifically the romantic comedies that are so popular right now on platforms like Lifetime and Hallmark — is booming. Those two cable networks produce dozens upon dozens of titles each year for their networks and streaming platforms. Why? Because audiences love them. They love the familiar. They love the formulaic. Both of which offer an easy and laid-back viewing experience at home. The networks that are producing and distributing them have created platforms more accessible to undiscovered screenwriters.

Only the top 1% of working screenwriters make a living writing for major studios and production companies.

Read More: How to Create Engaging Romance in Movies

Most working screenwriters could be referred to as blue-collar screenwriters — those that are signing non-Guild low-five-figure contracts for channels like Lifetime and Hallmark. Yes, there's a script market for Direct-to-Streaming action, science fiction, and horror thrillers that former A-list stars (and plenty of B, C, and D-list stars as well) make a living from, but nobody makes more movies per year than Lifetime, Hallmark, and other smaller networks and streaming platforms.

These are places where a screenwriter can build a resume of onscreen credits and compile a few noteworthy low-five-figure contracts that add up to a sustainable career as a paid screenwriter .

Even Netflix has seen the potential of these romance flicks. You can now see a steady flow of Lifetime-like and Hallmark-like titles produced and distributed on the Netflix streaming platform.

Ken Miyamoto has worked in the film industry for nearly two decades, most notably as a studio liaison for Sony Studios and then as a script reader and story analyst for Sony Pictures.

He has many studio meetings under his belt as a produced screenwriter, meeting with the likes of Sony, Dreamworks, Universal, Disney, and Warner Brothers, as well as many production and management companies. He has had a previous development deal with Lionsgate, as well as multiple writing assignments, including the produced miniseries Blackout , starring Anne Heche, Sean Patrick Flanery, Billy Zane, James Brolin, Haylie Duff, Brian Bloom, Eric La Salle, and Bruce Boxleitner, the feature thriller Hunter’s Creed , and many Lifetime thrillers.

Follow Ken on Twitter  @KenMovies

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180 Romance Writing Prompts to Kick Off Your Next Love Story.

Are you stuck trying to figure out what happens next in your current WIP? Or maybe you’re just looking for some fresh inspiration for your next romance novel. Whatever the case may be, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered.

If you’re a writer of romance novels , then you know how difficult it can be to find inspiration. Ideas are often limited and it’s not easy coming up with new settings, characters, or problems that keep the story going. This is why so many writers have their own list of go-to writing prompts whenever they feel stuck. These prompts are great for anyone who is working on a new project and needs a little help getting their creative juices flowing again. So if you’re ready to get inspired once more and can’t wait to dive into one (or all!) of these prompts, keep reading...

"Speak softly love," he whispers in your ear. But when you turn in surprise, there is nothing there but a bust of a handsome young man staring back at you. You continue walking down the dark corridor.

"You can't go in there," you tell him, before he informs you that he owns the museum and can go anywhere he pleases. Since you're a museum guide, he asks for a tour, and you both recognize a spark happening.

A billionaire mogul loses much of his wealth in a legal battle with your family. To your mutual surprise, what begins as hatred turns into romance as you find a way to give him back the fortune he lost.

A chance encounter brings you on the radar of a tortured young billionaire who can't forget the abusive past he endured at the hands of his father. You have a similar past—can you move past it together?

A couple has been dating for about three years, and the man still hasn't proposed. The woman is getting impatient, and after a drunken night out on the town, she proposes to him. He loves her—but he says no—owing to his belief that it's a man's job to propose. This awkward moment leads the pair down a path neither expected.

A deep voice sings each night, a haunting song unlike any you've heard at the recording studio where you work. Each night, you listen and fall in love until one moonless night you seek its origin, finding a handsome ghost who wishes he had tasted love before death stole him away.

A deeply religious Christian couple fails to resist temptation and engage in premarital sex. The next morning, they are unsure how to deal with their actions. The man is willing to ask God for forgiveness. The woman is devastated, and doesn't think they can continue their relationship. She feels that she has failed God, and needs to find a way to seek God's forgiveness and forgive herself.

A difficult home life has led you to make choices that have given you a bad reputation in your small town. Embracing this image, you have grown into a reckless troublemaker with a stony heart. At the town's annual fair, you hear an angelic voice singing a hymn that gives you goosebumps. You follow the voice and discover it belongs to the preacher's daughter, who you know is devoted to her faith. You are the last man she'd be interested in, but you can't ignore the attraction you feel to her. As you pursue her, she challenges you at every turn. Over time, your stony heart softens as the light of her love and faith fill your life.

A few years ago, your friend and her husband decided to buy a 300-year-old castle in Ireland to renovate it from the ground up. You thought they were crazy. "If I sold my company," you thought, "the last thing I would do with that money is make a spooky castle my home." Now their castle renovation project is complete, and they invite you to fly over and check it out. Of course, the property is stunning. It seems like they spared no expense. After looking around the first floor, your friends invite you into the basement to see their wine room and to have an impromptu wine tasting. You agree wholeheartedly, needing a break from the "look at all of the pretty things I have" tour. As you sip your first glass, you feel woozy, then suddenly collapse. You wake up and find yourself chained to the wall. On the other side of the room is a man in his 20s. "What's going on?" you ask. He responds in an Irish brogue: "I was one of the contractors they hired. They didn't want to pay my bill, so they put me in this dungeon." He points to a key close to you. "If you can reach that somehow, we can get out of here." "But why are we here?" you ask. "Because the castle feeds on our suffering."

A handsome cowboy is injured while tending to a wild horse he's rescued miles from town. You're on the run, and can't afford to stop on your way to Mexico – but you can't ignore the wounded man when you see him, and decide to help him despite the personal risk.

A handsome new associate in your father's crime syndicate catches your eye. You know there are rules about this sort of thing but you can't help falling for each other. When it turns out that he is actually an undercover FBI agent, you must decide between love and loyalty.

A handsome widower moves into town and becomes active in the church as a channel for his grief. You become friends and try to help him heal and learn to love again. Friendship quickly turns into romance; however, the widower's faith and commitment are questioned when the father of his late wife visits and learns of the budding romance. His father-in-law believes that starting a new relationship is disrespectful to his deceased daughter. You must bridge the gap between these two grief-stricken men and prove that the new love you have established is not a betrayal of the late daughter's memory.

A music industry mogul hears your voice on a demo album that he receives and signs you to his label. Your troubled life and past keep him at bay for a while as his friends warn him against it, but true love can't be held back for long.

A quiet stranger moves to town and joins your grief group. As a widow, you're open about your struggles and how the church has been there for you. The new man never says anything but attends every meeting and every Sunday service. Despite his stoicism, you find yourself drawn to him. God works in mysterious ways, you've learned, and there's nothing quite as mysterious as the stranger in your parish.

A recently divorced woman leaves New York to move back to her hometown. Depressed and unhappy with small-town life, she has a change of heart when she meets someone from her past – and can suddenly imagine a future again.

A reclusive billionaire without family or friends is in a wreck and develops temporary amnesia from the injuries. Without any identification, he falls in love with you, the nurse who nurses him back to health. As his memory slowly returns, he realizes that friendship and love have been missing from his life, and he has found both in you.

A sniper is part of a special security mission for a US ambassador in a war zone. You're the ambassador's daughter he can't help but fall for, no matter how much distance he tries to put between you. But a dangerous situation requires him to decide to save you, or the ambassador.

A soldier home from deployment moves into the house next door to you. He befriends your dog after experiencing a PTSD panic attack one night. He's closed off, but gradually opens up to you.

A year ago, your sister married a wealthy man who seemed a bit strange to you. After the wedding, her new husband whisked her away to his stately mansion by the sea, and you haven't seen her since. At first, she sent you letters, but gradually the communication became less and less. Now it's been a couple months with no communication from her at all, and you're worried about her. You set off to find her, bringing the handsome young man who was always your sister's best friend as your travel companion. When the two of you arrive at the location where you thought she lived, you find that the mansion has been abandoned for years.

After a lifetime of running from your family's traditional expectations, you find yourself in the one place you never thought you'd be: the sanctuary of a church. You've got nowhere else to go and no one to turn to—except, maybe, the one thing you've been avoiding. The handsome pastor promises to help you find your way again. You slowly realize that sometimes the road less travelled is the one you were always meant to go down. With the promise of love, faith, and happiness on the horizon, you have to ask yourself: Can this be your home now?

After a nasty divorce, you begin dating again by using apps. You meet a seemingly flawless man, but after a few months of blissful dating, you have an encounter with an FBI agent who is investigating him and wants your help. The agent asks you to do some digging into your boyfriend's personal papers to determine if this is the guy the FBI has been hunting for. The more you uncover, the more suspicious you get, and you find that he may be as dangerous as the agent believes. As you do your best to help, you grow closer to the agent, finding that—despite all his flaws—he is an incredible man.

After an acrimonious divorce, you leave your hometown to work overseas as a missionary for a year. You meet another missionary who catches your eye, but he doesn't speak your language. You will have to find a way to bridge the communication gap for love to grow.

After witnessing a mafia murder, you are accepted into the U.S. Federal Witness Protection Program and relocated to a small farming community in the Midwest. You meet a handsome local farmer, and you begin to develop feelings for each other—until he discovers that you have not been honest with him about your past. Things get even more complicated when the mafia learns of your location.

After your divorce from a star NFL quarterback, you've sworn off relationships with athletes. In fact, you've sworn off relationships altogether. Then you meet the quarterback for the biggest rival of your ex's team at a local bookstore, where he is signing copies of his new memoir. He recognizes you from various industry events, and you discover he's everything your ex never was.

After your fiancé up and leaves with no trace, you go through the usual process: disbelief, grief, anger, and, finally, something sort of acceptance. You return all the wedding gifts you'd already received and cancel every part of the wedding that you can, but the wedding venue—a castle that hidden in the hills of Scotland—refuses to return your money. You've paid in full to ensure that yours was the first wedding scheduled after the castle was renovated. You decide not to waste the money, wedding or no. But when you arrive at the grounds, it looks nothing like the pictures. It is decrepit and dirty, and when you venture inside, it's completely empty. The castle is straight out of a nightmare. You hear a noise. Convincing yourself it is the owner who can answer your questions, you follow the sound down a flight of stairs, then two, and then you hear the crystal-clear sound of a voice saying your name. But not any voice—it's him, your fiancé. You race after him, desperate for answers, when suddenly the door slams shut behind you and the lights go out. You scream, and from the dark corner someone begs you to be quiet. "They'll hear you," he says. You scramble away and trip over something firm. "Who?" You question. The man you still can't see lets out a shuddering breath. "The monsters that live here."

An intriguing character across the beer garden keeps staring at you and finally walks over. "Ten euros," the stranger says, putting a freshly sketched portrait of you on the table. It's a good likeness. You wonder why the artist chose you as a subject. You reach for your wallet, saying, "Only if you stay for a drink."

An overweight billionaire hires you to be his fitness coach. You get his blood pumping in more ways than one and the healthier he gets, the more you're attracted to him.

As a nature photographer out on an assignment in the woods, you witness a man burying a body. You snap a photo and quickly turn to leave. However, you trip over a tree root, and the man hears you fall. He drops his shovel to chase you. You run from the unknown killer, going deeper into the woods. As evening comes, you find a tiny ramshackle hunter's cabin and stop to hide. The ruggedly handsome hunter who catches you breaking in offers to help you.

As a recent widower with two young children, you aren't interested in finding a new wife. Your mother, however, strongly disagrees and wants you to remarry as soon as possible, securing an even greater income for the family. From your perspective, you have retained a curtesy in all your late wife's land, so there is little need to remarry for wealth. All you want is someone to care for your two young children, who are in desperate need of a mother-like figure. When you request a nurse from the agency, expecting a dour, middle-aged, no-nonsense spinster, and are quite shocked when you get quite the opposite: a young, whimsical, and quite attractive woman. You are skeptical of her abilities and her teaching methods are a little suspect, but her credentials are impeccable, and the children seem to love her from the start. Over time, you find yourself drawn to her as well, rekindling feelings you never thought you'd have again.

As a recently retired detective, you are surprised to receive a call from your former captain asking you to come into the station to help question the suspects in a murder investigation connected to one of your old cases. At the station, the captain briefs you on the details: A man was killed by blunt force trauma. There is no sign of a murder weapon. There are two suspects: the man's wife and his mistress. As you interview each suspect, you are drawn to the mistress, who is beautiful and has a brilliant mind. Your bias could be affecting you, but you are sure she is innocent.

As a senior detective in the special victims crimes unit, you are hunting down a serial killer who targets young college women. The clues lead you to a reclusive billionaire with a "devil-may-care" attitude. But something is off. It's just too neat when all fingers point to him. However, you can't help but question your motives as you find yourself drawn to him in ways you've never felt before. Can you put aside your own desires to find out if he's really a serial killer or will your passion get in the way of doing your job?

As the youngest of seven sisters, you are told to wait your turn for marriage, but you can't help but fall for a handsome gentleman who comes to town on business. You decide to pursue him even though your mother has been eyeing him for sister number five.

As you walk through the abandoned castle, you have a strange feeling that someone is watching you. Then, up ahead, you see a painting on the wall of a fine young gentleman from the 1800's. As you look closer, you notice that the eyes of the gentleman are following your every movement. You stand there and stare at the painting, petrified with fear. Then, one of the eyes winks at you.

Attending preschool functions as a single dad makes you the only man in a romper room of pretty, attention-starved, flirtatious moms. Their playground games range from helpful and sweet to saucy and brazen. You must choose between your desires and what is best for your kid.

Being an NFL cheerleader is not nearly the glamorous job everyone thinks, but you love the sport and the athleticism of cheering, plus it gives you some part-time income that you desperately need. What you don't love is the objectification and occasional disrespect you receive from both fans and players. When a loudmouth fan throws his hot dog at you during one of your dance routines, a rookie quarterback comes to your defense and gets the fan ejected from the stadium. After the game, the player comes over to introduce himself. You thank him for the help and exchange numbers. The following week, he texts you to ask you out. Dating football players is frowned upon in the NFL, but you say yes anyways.

Despising the stringent restraints that being a lady of society requires, you delight in exhibiting reckless and audacious behavior at every turn to spite your parents. You turn your nose up at the suitors who wish for your favor, as you know they do not have your best interests at heart. They only want the dowry you bring. One night at a dinner party you bump into a dashing young man who, like you, wants nothing to do with high society and openly mocks it whenever possible. Both of you decide to team up and, over time, you fall in love.

Despite being widowed a decade earlier when your husband died of a heart attack, you're still sure of three things in your life: family, faith, and football. But when a football accident leaves your son in a coma, you lose it all in an instant. As a single parent, you spend all your time split between the hospital and work. You're angry with the coach, with the other team, with God—and with a handsome preacher who seemingly, infuriatingly, is everywhere. From the hospital hallways to the checkout line at the gas station, he's the one constant you've got in the world while your son lies unconscious in the ICU. The only problem? He wants you to forgive. As your faith dwindles, the preacher remains steadfast in his mission: to help you see God's will in your life, even when it hurts. As your son starts to heal, you realize it's not just your family and faith healing. Your heart is healing, too.

Devout your whole life, you're dedicated to preaching and spreading the gospel. But when a new man moves to town with a dark and mysterious past—and no patience for the community you've built—you're faced with your toughest challenge yet: love and cherish a man who is against everything you stand for. With a burly exterior and matching attitude, he tries to fight against your efforts to draw him closer until suddenly you both realize there's more at stake than just a religious conversion. To be together, there's always a give and take, but can you get through to the man you're developing feelings for? Or is love not in the cards?

During a business conference in the Greek islands, you hear a sweet and soft song floating on the air from a distance. You walk down the beach, following the sound, and find a woman in the water beckoning you to come closer. You move closer before sitting down on the beach to listen to her voice. Days pass and you become too weak to stand. Nevertheless, you remained entranced by this creature. Suddenly her singing shifts to crying, and she tells you that, although she is the last of her kind, she cannot bear to devour another victim. You vow to help her, not knowing if the love you have for her is true or is a result of the siren's curse.

During the Victorian era, a man has been falsely accused of murdering his neighbor. His wife, desperate to prove his innocence, conducts her own investigation into the crime. Venturing into the castle ruins where the murder took place, she finds both clues and assistance from the long-dead residents of the castle.

During your early morning jog, you find a child crouched in the bushes, half frozen. He says he is hiding from his foster family, and the last thing you want is for him to be sent back because he seems so scared. You take him home with you, but he convinces you not to call the police yet. That night, a noise wakes you up. When you get up to check on the boy, you discover that he is gone, along with most of your valuables. Your attractive next-door neighbor knocks on your door, saying he saw someone fleeing from your home. He has the first few letters of their license plate. The two of you team up to find the robbers and the boy, who you know is being used unjustly.

Ever since you were a child, you've loved the big old house on the outskirts of town. You dreamed of living there and obsessed over every detail of the house. Your second-grade teacher was even concerned about your obsession, especially considering that every picture you drew in class was of that large house on the hill. As an adult, you come into some money, so when the house comes on the market, you quickly call up the seller and agree to buy it. It is what you always wanted, and now you can finally live there and slowly renovate it over time. The man selling the house recently inherited it from his deceased grandmother. When he gives you the keys, he tells you that the house has a funny effect on people, so he'll stop by to check on you later. You find him a little odd, but charming in a sort of endearing way. Yet that night you begin to understand what he meant when you hear a whisper coming from the hallway. You get out of bed and put your ear close to the bedroom door, but all you can make out is: "Welcome home. We missed you."

Everything is going exactly to plan. Your three daughters are all in season and are extremely popular; their dance cards are always full, and you've been approached for several proposals. You're eager to marry them off—not because you don't love them, but because you very much do. When your husband died more than ten years ago, you learned just how terribly lonely it can be without a partner. You want your daughters to be happy. You've given up on happiness for yourself, happiness like that, but you're okay with your decision because you know your daughters will be happy. You've told yourself this so many times that you almost believe it. Then you meet him. A dashing rake with a reputation so big, it's stretched all the way over to you. You warn your daughters to stay away from him. He's older and likely uninterested, but you can never be too safe. But when you meet him, everything changes.

Handsome, wealthy, and well-respected amongst your peers, you are one of the ton's most eligible bachelors in all of society. Known far and wide for your shrewd business deals, cunning intelligence, and irreproachable character, mothers and fathers alike throw their eligible daughters at your feet. Sure, they are all beyond beautiful and come from respectable families, but you know their "desire" for you is manufactured. Not a one strikes your fancy—that is, until you meet the delightful and mysterious Lady Midnight. She is both stunning and sassy and ignites a flame within. The only problem is, she is a courtesan.

He is formidable in the rink and, when he is out of it, he is surrounded by a flock of adoring female fans. As the star hockey player of the decade, you are certain he has an ego, but when he walks into the bar where you work, you are surprised by how down-to-earth he is. As the night goes on and he starts buying you drinks, the electric connection between you is undeniable. When a drunken kiss between you is photographed, you are not prepared for the media storm that hits.

He ran his hand through your hair, commenting on its softness, and from that moment you were hooked. You had no idea he owned a vast empire of real estate and was looking to find the perfect lady to settle down with.

He's a handsome, recently-returned vet dealing with PTSD and you're a nurse working at a VA hospital. You grew up watching your father struggle with his own memories of Vietnam and always regretted being unable to help him. You extend your hand in friendship, hoping you can make a difference.

He's a reclusive billionaire and you are a model hired to be his guest for the evening at a local charity function. He initially has nothing to say to you, but begins to admire you for who you really are inside. Romantic sparks ensue.

He's a writer who has bestsellers and movies based on those bestsellers, but he has run into horrible writer's block. You're an adventure guide and you know exactly what he needs for his inspiration to return.

How do you start small talk on a date with a famous footballer? Do you admit that you have about a million posters and jerseys at home or pretend you've never watched a game in your life? No more time to think—your date has just arrived.

If there's one thing you know, it's that good faith models after good practice. So you do your best to always set a good example of the life you're meant to live for your family and your community. But when a betrayal comes to light and your marriage is threatened, you have to ask yourself if you are sticking with tradition and good faith or following your heart and what you believe God asks. Although you know in your heart that faith trumps family, you find yourself on the outskirts of your community when your ex-husband refutes blame and tries to sully your reputation. When it seems impossible to come back, a new parishioner sees you in a way you stopped thinking was possible long ago. With his support, and your firm belief in your mission, you learn that sometimes following faith isn't the easiest path, but it is always the right one—and that hearts can heal no matter how deep the break.

In a world of angels and demons, humans are a rare commodity, and any who survived The Great War are in hiding. Now, years after the war started, your little brother has gone missing. The elders forbid you from searching for him, claiming it is too dangerous, too volatile. You leave anyway, only to run face first into a handsome renegade angel, with a sword in hand and death in his eyes. He sees your desperation, your humanity, and promises you one thing: He will help you on your journey or die trying. With your brother missing and humans being sold to the highest supernatural bidder, you don't have time to be wary. It's you and one broken angel against a whole world.

In WWI Russia, you believe your lover is going to propose marriage. Instead he suddenly departs with the army, leaving you with no plan for a future. Should you embrace the nearest friend in this war-torn world? Or wait, fanning the faint hope that your true love is alive somewhere and will return.

It has been a decade since you began working for a notorious crime boss, and now you want out of the game. When he gives you the task of acquiring a collection of rare paintings and switching them with counterfeits, you tell yourself this is your last con. Your job is to pose as an art dealer so you can get close to the owner of the paintings and make the switch before anyone notices. When you arrive at the home of the owner, you discover she is a beautiful, young widow who has inherited her husband's estate. Over several meetings, you develop feelings for her, which causes you to doubt whether you can deceive her and carry out the con.

It is hard for an aspiring witch when the black cat you have loved for 10 years suddenly dies. While burying him out in the garden, a spirit approaches you, informing you that he has been trapped within the cat for the entire decade. When you look closer at him, you realize that it is your ex-boyfriend, who disappeared during high school. Everyone just assumed that he dropped out of school and ran away. He was always the rebellious type, after all. He tells you that there is a way to bring him back to life as a human, but you'll have to dabble in some black magic to make it happen.

It's a fairy tale romance: boy soldier meets girl soldier on base, falls in love, and marries the girl. You've been with your spouse for three years now and, even though the war rages on and you're in combat, you're together. Then a run-of-the-mill raid goes sour, and your spouse is declared missing in action. Before you can get any information, you're called to the frontlines. Now you have a choice to make: follow your duties and commander or become insubordinate, abandon your post, and search for your spouse. For you, it's really no choice at all. You leave, with nothing more than a pack on your back, while two armies continue fighting to the death and you an enemy to both. Your spouse might be dead for all you know, but one thing's for certain: You're not leaving this place alone.

It's been a long journey from the small town where you were raised to the big city where your burgeoning PR business is making a name for itself. But there's one complication you never could have planned for: the boy who shows up claiming to be your son. When his mother rushes in after him, you realize that, although you might leave your home, it never really leaves you. The preacher's daughter is as beautiful as she was at nineteen. You turned your back on her and her faith when you left the town ten years ago. But now, as you get to know the son you never knew you had and re-meet the woman you'd tried to forget, you realize that sometimes God's plans for you are a little more complicated than you'd ever guess.

It's been years since you've travelled to the city. The last time must've been when you were socializing at the ton to support your younger sisters. You didn't find a wife in London, but that didn't really upset you much as you are never going to marry. You enjoy your quiet country life too much. Even your mother has long since stopped trying to convince you to find a bride and family. Still, you dutifully support her and your unmarried siblings, so when your sister comes to call and begs you for help, you say yes, of course. Her husband's cousin needs a place to hide from a laudanum-addled ex-suitor and requests to stay with you. Although skeptical at first, you can't turn the young girl away any easier than you could tell your sister no. After all, it's not like it's going to change your life if a woman lives with you—right?

It's the height of the witching hour, risky for an ambush, but it's your job as a witch hunter to take risks. Suddenly, you're frozen by magic. You see a familiar face, only to hear, "I'm sorry. I do love you." The world goes black.

It's tough being taken seriously as a female soccer player, but as the star of the team, you are determined to win the world championship series. When your coach of several years passes away suddenly and a new younger coach is assigned to train your team, you must fight your growing feelings for him because he is exactly the kind of distraction you don't need at the most important point in your professional career.

It's your first season in London, and you're not sure if you're more nervous or annoyed. The ton isn't exactly your scene. Despite feeling ready for marriage, you are uncertain you're ready for the season of romance. You're tired of the preening and the monotony, and you know the other girls are, too, although they hide it better. The one exception is the Duke of Essex's daughter. It's her third season, which is almost unheard of for someone so well-connected and beautiful. You find yourself drawn to her. She sees through the same boredom that you do, and you are both surprised by the instant connection. When an aristocrat offers her marriage and she considers it, you're shocked by your own jealousy. You wonder if you have found love at the ton after all, but with her—a woman.

Life is hard, especially for a single mother, but you've made the best of it and took a new job as the secretary for a billionaire. A terrible tragedy rocks his world and you're there as a shoulder to cry on as he heals (and falls in love with you).

Many years ago, you were invited to stay at your uncle's castle. Although you didn't like it at first, the place grew on you and, eventually, you couldn't think of any other place that you would like to live. Today, a new guest arrives at the estate, and you are excited to see him. It has been a long time since someone has visited. His clothes are somewhat odd, yet you find him quite attractive. You began talking to him, but he just ignores you. You follow him from room to room, but he doesn't seem to care as he is busy measuring the walls. When you have had enough—you are a duchess, after all, and no one should treat you so rudely, no matter how cute they are—you confront him, cornering him in the kitchen, grabbing his shoulders, and yelling, "Can you hear me? What is your problem?!" His eyes go wide as if he's looking at a ghost.

Mistaken as a "lady of the night," you are accosted by an English nobleman. You are able to fight off his advances and end up knocking him out, but in the process you lose your coin purse and your footman runs off. Now you have no choice but to "borrow" some coin from the brute who attacked you to get a ride home. You tell no one about the incident, as you are not supposed to be out unaccompanied. Several weeks later, at a seasonal ball, you see none other than the brute who attacked you. Only now, you realize he is not riff-raff, but one of the wealthiest men of the town, and he's interested in your hand in marriage! How do you explain your aversion to the advances of the most eligible bachelor in town without giving away what happened? It doesn't help that his version of events is that he was attacked and robbed, and now the local authorities are looking to make an arrest.

Moving into the retirement community felt like taking a seat in heaven's waiting room. Then who should roll up in a golf cart? Under the gray hair and wrinkled skin, you recognize the twinkling eyes of your high school crush.

On the moors of England in the 19th century, you take a job as governess to the small children of a reclusive lord. The lord tells you the rules of the house, including that it is forbidden to enter the east wing; indeed, the door to that section of the house will always be locked. One day the children run away from you. You look for them and eventually hear them on the other side of the east wing door. Unable to open it, you ask the handsome groundskeeper for help. He uses his skeleton key to open the door, and you find only a dark corridor on the other side. The children suddenly appear behind you. You ask them where they were, and they tell you that they were playing in the kitchen. Then the groundskeeper pulls you aside and warns you that this house is not what it appears to be, and you should be wary of your surroundings. Just as he finishes his warning, the east wing door slams shut.

One night while walking home, you're attacked by a person hiding in an alleyway. A mystery man comes to your rescue. You later learn that he is a prominent MMA fighter. Your would-be attacker learns this as well and plays up his injuries to press charges against the fighter. As an up-and-coming attorney, you take on the fighter's case, defending him just as he defended you. Little do you know that this will be the start of a true romance.

Recently returned from war, you've been told by the doctors that you might never see again. Then you meet someone who seems more broken than you are, and you unite in your shared pain to help each other find meaning in a world that doesn't make sense anymore.

Something about the new guy in school intrigues you. A loner yourself, you can't fight the magnetic draw you feel to him whenever you lock eyes. One rainy night, while driving home, lightning pierces the sky, enveloping the new guy as he stands on a hill. Worried that he may be hurt, you race up the hill to find his body crackling with electricity. He is overcome with emotion and reveals that he is a Nephilim. The reason you feel connected to him is because you have loved each other for years. His father, the God of all Gods, wiped your memory to keep you apart because it is prophesied that together you will have a powerful child who will rule the Heavens.

The last thing you remember is being shot down on the battlefield. When you wake up, you are standing in the middle of a crowd of people with a bomb strapped to your body and your hand fastened to the trigger. You scream for help, but everyone thinks you are a terrorist, except for one woman, who sees the truth in your eyes. Together, you seek help.

The love of your life is bitten by a werewolf and doomed to spend his life turning at every full moon each month. After consulting with a witch, your love acquires the "cure," which he drinks just before he turns. It "cures" him all right, trapping him in the werewolf's body forever.

The new guy you have been dating has invited you to his house for a home-cooked Italian meal. You put on your cutest outfit and head over in anticipation of some cannoli and canoodling. He invites you in and offers you a drink, and then his mother walks out of the kitchen with a tray of antipasti and a scowl.

The night of a full moon is one that you dread every single month. After losing your fiancé to a tragic accident a year ago, you're wary of the moon and the animals that seem to prowl each time it fills. The police call you hysterical in your grief, but you know that something doesn't add up with the so-called dog attack. Something happens in the woods of your town each month, and you're determined to find answers. You're alone in the woods when you hear it: loud, vibrating howling, followed by the sound of animals running toward you. You try to run away only to trip, and then the dog is on you. It's big, huge, a wolf like none other you've ever seen. The wolf stops, a paw on your chest, staring down at you. There's something familiar about its eyes. Suddenly you understand. Contrary to what the police told you, your fiancé's body wasn't too shredded to identify because this wolf—somehow, someway—is your fiancé. As the sun rises while you sit there, staring at him, you see the wolf's body ripple and change until your fiancé is sitting naked before you. The only thing you hear before passing out is him saying your name.

The quiet guy who lives next door to you hardly seems to notice you, but you can't help but notice him—he's gorgeous. You've given up all hope of striking up a conversation until he comes to your rescue one night after your ex shows up to your house, drunk and looking to take you back, whether you want him or not.

The son of a wealthy industrialist is in the midst of a very public and nasty divorce from his notoriously dreadful wife. You are a reporter hired to find dirt on him for a story. You are surprised to discover that he is actually a wonderful man, and you begin to fall in love with him.

The train you're on to travel across England suddenly derails and crashes. Luckily the young man you've been sitting next to and chatting with during the entire trip saves your life, but then he vanishes. When you ask about him later, you're told there was no passenger by that name or description on the train. You return to the scene of the crash, looking for any clues about his identity, but after several unfruitful hours, you walk back toward your car, frustrated and tired. From the parking lot, you see the ruins of a castle in the distance and notice the young man standing in front of it. You rub your eyes and look again, but he is gone. You decide to investigate further.

There used to be only three things you need in life to be happy: money, baseball, and your freedom. Now that you're playing pro, you have everything you ever wanted—but feel that something is still missing. Could your gorgeous new physical therapist be the key to your happiness?

There's been a rash of break-ins at your store. The police officer they keep sending is gorgeous, funny, and kind. Everything you're looking for, but how do you make the first move? You keep tripping the alarms! Great plan, until you find out it's totally illegal, and you're about to be arrested by the handsome cop.

They say that these old ruins are haunted. That no one should ever go there at night. Well, after your girlfriend goes missing, you go to that place. The one place that everybody said was the last place you should look for her. You hope to find your love, but you may find more than you bargained for.

When you dreamed of becoming a television writer, you never expected you'd end up wasting your time writing for a vapid dating quiz show, but a job's a job. One night, your very charming, very single boss asks why you're working late; you mumble something about new truth-or-dare questions. "Great," he replies with a smile. "Ask me one."

When you receive word that your friend needs help with a cattle drive, you don't think twice about agreeing. You're not needed on your family's ranch right now, not with all your brothers to pick up the slack, so you pack a bag and head over first thing. When you arrive, though, it's clear that this is a tougher challenge than you expected as just yourself, your friend, and his cousin have to complete a difficult journey—not to mention how irritating this cousin is. He scoffs at the fact that you are a woman and proclaims that cowboys are "boys" for a reason. He's smarmy and conceited and, yes, the handsomest man this side of the Mississippi. You resent your attraction to him and how seemingly unimpressed he is with you. But when a camping mishap has you injured and him racing to your rescue, you see a different side of him: caring, attentive, and generous. He risks everything to take care of you. As you realize the depth of your feelings, you wonder if you two can find love together.

When you wake up one morning to find 100 text messages and several missed calls on your phone, you know something bad has happened. In fact, bad is an understatement. It turns out your star NBA player fiancé was caught making out with numerous women in a club last night. Now facing a PR disaster as your face is splashed across every tabloid magazine in the country, you're not sure if your life will ever return to normal. Somehow, you get through the toughest weeks of your life, but just when you feel like you are in a good place, your cheating ex shows up on your doorstep.

When you were young, you were friends with a neighborhood boy who liked the same things as you. Both of you were dirt poor, but it didn't seem to matter; as long as you had each other, there was always a make-believe adventure right around the corner. He grew up to be a star basketball player and, now that he's wealthy beyond imagination, seems to have forgotten where he came from. You haven't talked to him in years, but a death in the family brings him back to the old neighborhood, where you reconnect and reintroduce him to the life he left behind.

When your father is transferred west to open a bank in a newly settled area, it's a much rougher life than you had in the big, bustling city. Luckily, you love every minute of it. The local sheriff teaches you how to shoot a gun, and the bank is doing great business. Then the small town is rocked by a devastating attack from some local bandits. You manage to shoot one of them in the leg and, as the others flee, disarm the injured bandit only to discover that she's a young woman. You grow to love her as she recovers and tells you about the hard life she has led.

When your fiancé is killed in a car accident, you struggle to cope with the loss. One day, in a therapy session, you do a role-playing exercise where you speak with your fiancé and talk about the future that you never got to share. After the session, he follows you home and helps you grieve until you are ready to let go.

When your great aunt from Scotland passes away, she leaves her old castle to you. As the castle in in disrepair, you plan to fix it up to sell. You aren't prepared for the ghosts of your aunt's past that you find there, or discovering her mysterious romantic history.

When your spouse returns from Afghanistan, you are elated. You were so fearful for his safety and feel relieved that the worst is over. However, you are unprepared for how much PTSD and culture shock would isolate your loved one from everyone once he returned home. You struggle to show your love and find ways to connect.

When your wife and child die during childbirth, you vow to never marry again. What you had with her was real love, not a marriage of convenience. She was the love of your life. You close the manor and send away all but the minimal staff possible—you aren't able to look at any of them, watch them mourn your wife as you do. When your wife's cousin shows up in need of help, you want to turn her away—you really do—but you can't. She comes in and opens the curtains, and you hate her. You hate her because she reminds you of your wife and also because she's nothing like your wife. You keep hating her until you don't. But can any amount of feelings overcome the guilt?

While hiking through some unfamiliar woods, you realize you are miserably lost. As the darkness sets in and the temperature drops, you stumble upon a cabin deep in the forest and find that it belongs to a handsome writer who lives alone. There is something electric between the two of you, and you connect on a level you have never experienced before. When someone pounds on the door the next morning, the cabin owner pushes you behind him and motions for you to stay quiet.

While visiting your grandmother in her nursing home, she tells you that her high school sweetheart, who broke her heart by marrying someone else before she met your grandfather, just moved into a room down the hall. One day, you meet the man's grandson, who has been told a different version of what happened between them. You compare notes over lunch, and as you fall in love, you help your grandparents rekindle their own romance.

While you are attending an elegant soiree at an old mansion, a servant runs out of the kitchen screaming that the house is on fire. You turn to run, but you can't find a way through all the people and smoke. Just as part of a wall is about to fall on you, a handsome stranger saves your life, sacrificing his own in the process. Afterward, the stranger appears to you in your dreams and begs you to come back to what is left of the mansion.

With no family money to speak of, no title, and no longer considered of marriageable age, you are about to be cast out of the only home you've ever known. Desperation forces you to decide between options you never thought you would have to consider: either work at the brothel as a common prostitute or try to secure your place as a wealthy lord's mistress. Selling the last of your family's silver, you commission a dress for the final ball of the season—a masquerade ball. Without a formal invitation, you must sneak your way in, but you are determined to succeed as you have only this one night to secure your future.

Working as a paranormal hunter is hard enough without throwing romance into the mix, but when a fairy you recently banished starts stalking you on the job, you realize something has gone wrong. In your overworked state, you messed up the pronunciation of a single word that turned your banishing spell into a binding contract of marriage in ancient fairy lore. To break the unwanted union, you and your new spouse must travel to the fairy world, where you encounter all the fairy you banished—who now want revenge.

Yes, you used to be in love with a vampire, but you were just seventeen and emotions were running high. You broke it off with him before you left for college and, although it was weird to go back to the real world, you knew it was the right thing to do. But then students at your college begin to go missing. Bodies are found on campus drained of blood. When your roommate disappears and then your new boyfriend, you've had enough. It's time to put on some garlic, grab a stake, and end this relationship once and for all. You just hope you can resist his irresistible charms.

You always thought of death as just a vast nothingness, a rest that was eternal. When you actually die, however, you find that this isn't the case at all. You wake up—exhausted—and realize that you're still on Earth. You're incorporeal, and no one can see or hear you. You are a ghost. You get over the shock quickly enough, and then boredom sets in. In fact, you're absolutely out of your mind with boredom. Years and then decades pass as you roam the streets. One day, many years after you first awoke to this pitiful excuse of an afterlife, someone looks at you—not through you, but at you. Then he speaks. He can see you. You're determined to know why. As you get to know him, for the first time in ages, you feel love.

You and he are ruthless competitors at a bank. You are both constantly trying to outdo each other and compete for the assistant manager's position. One day, you get into a heated argument in the supply closet that ends up turning into heated passion. After the encounter in the closet, the competition gets complicated.

You and your fiancé have been blessed to be propelled on the path to missionary stardom after being chosen as the fresh young couple to lead your faith in educating and welcoming youths across the world. From brochures to posters to video interviews, you and your love have become a symbol of inspiration. However, the stress of public life has been a constant challenge, and your relationship with each other as well as with God has suffered as a result. How will you handle the fame and pressure that comes with spreading God's word?

You and your friend are in different relationships that are unhealthy. When you get together, you are constantly sharing stories about how miserable you are. Finally, it dawns on one of you that you should be with each other because you have much more in common with each other than with your partners.

You and your neighbor have been dating for more than a year, and you have fallen in love with him. When he offers to cook you a beautiful meal at his house, you think he's going to pop the question. You are ready to commit to him. When it's finally time for dessert, you can tell the magical moment is about to happen. Then you notice the red laser lights focused on him. Confused, you point them out to him. He glances down and pulls you both out of the way just as a stream of bullets shatter the window. Under the cover of the dining table he tells you he is a contract killer and his agency is here to terminate him.

You are a busy bank clerk with no social life but a great love for reading fiction. One day you read a book about a fairy. As you keep reading, you find yourself gradually falling in love with her. One day she flutters into your bank.

You are a dog walker with little interest in anyone with fewer than four feet. Your new client, the handsome owner of a goofy, flatulent French bulldog, changes all of that when you begin to bond over your loveable new charge.

You are a jewel thief trying to get out of the business, but you agree to take one last job before going straight. The money seems too good to be true—enough to set you up for life—so you can't turn it down. However, there's a catch. You need to steal the jewels from an auction house where your former lover is the head of security. It's been more than ten years, but the pain of his betrayal is still very real. Your plan is to get close to him again to learn the ins and outs of the auction's security system. You didn't plan on falling back in love with him.

You are a middle-class silver-fork novel author, fictionalizing aristocratic life for the masses. You often pose as an aristocrat for research purposes, getting gossip as a member of the inner circle. One day your own "secret" affair becomes the talk of the town. What will you do?

You are a personal chef hired by the coach to cook exclusively for a star NFL player, who turns out to be an extremely picky eater. Basically, what he ate as a child is the only things he eats as an adult. What starts out as a trying working relationship quickly leads to fun in the kitchen and romance.

You are a prosthetist working at Walter Reed, and your newest patient is a hard case: a handsome young veteran who lost both of his legs in a roadside IED explosion. He is so depressed that he can barely even look at you during his first appointment, and he tells you that he hasn't felt like a whole man since losing his legs. As you get to know him better, you begin to develop feelings for him. You realize you want to give him more than a new set of prosthetic legs. You want to give him your heart.

You are a rich merchant in medieval England and hire a servant girl to work in your shop. You fall for her and plan to propose to her but rumors are she is a practicing witch. You don't believe it until you discover strange objects such as melted wax and bird feathers under your bed.

You are a single mother who works as a waitress at a nightclub to make ends meet. The one thing you can't stand are people who get everything handed to them, like the rich, snooty patrons you have to wait on night after night. However, when a handsome and charming clubgoer becomes smitten with you, you find yourself drawn to his enigmatic way. After a few coffee dates, you wonder if this could be the one, but then you learn that he's actually the club's billionaire party boy owner—a man you've heard about and hated from afar for years. He swears he's changed and that he has fallen for you, but you're not convinced: Can you trust him to leave his partying lifestyle behind to become a family man?

You are a single parent with eight children. Eight. And he's the first person to take an interest in years. You have to deal with two grown children who think he's a creep, younger children who don't want him to replace your late partner, and your own reluctance to invest in a new relationship.

You are a sports psychologist on staff with a professional basketball team. You are passionate about your job, but have very strict rules about never getting personally involved. Your resolve is threatened when you meet someone who makes you question everything, and you have a decision to make.

You are a stand-up comic, and have spent most of your life making people laugh. You were on the verge of signing a major television deal to have your own prime time comedy show, when tragedy struck and you found yourself struggling to laugh again. Then you meet someone who changes everything.

You are a successful career woman who's become a bit jaded, returning to your old hometown to try to find something you have lost along the way. You run into a high school crush who is now an unmarried pastor, and the reunion allows you to reconnect as you find that some things never change. This rekindled romance allows you to get your old self back, finding that faith and love were what you were missing all along.

You are a successful singer, a tabloid favorite and a judge in a national TV singing contest. An attractive and charming contestant fails badly during his performance. You want to approach him and express your feelings but you are afraid of negative attention from the press like last time. Yet you have to do something or you'll never see him again.

You are a werewolf slayer whose duty it is to protect humanity from the Lycan hoard. However, you never anticipated that your true love would become the one thing you were trained to kill. You didn't get to her in time, and she was bitten before you could intervene. Yet the law is the law. She must be slayed before she harms others. There is no chance of her changing back. But you just can't bring yourself to do it. Now you must protect the one you were sworn to destroy.

You are a white-collar criminal who has embezzled a fortune, and your secretary has accidentally downloaded evidence of the crime. You go to her house to cover your tracks, but end up falling for her instead.

You are a young girl on a student scholarship at a very high-profile British university. One day at the uni pub you meet a handsome young man with whom you feel in love at first sight. Next day, you open the newspaper only to discover you have been out with a crown prince.

You are a young woman living near an American military base in Japan during the post-WWII occupation. You have met and fallen in love with a handsome GI who wants to marry you and take you to live in his hometown in Indiana when his tour ends. You love him, but you are reluctant to leave Japan and everything you have ever known. Things get even more complicated when your family threatens to disown you if you leave.

You are instantly attracted to the well-dressed person sharing your elevator, but could never think how to initiate a conversation. So the two of you ignore each other as the elevator pumps up New York's Chrysler building. Slowing to a stop on the 117th floor, there's a blackout!

You are lost in the middle of the jungle with your clumsy and absent-minded co-worker. Under these adverse circumstances, you get closer than you ever thought you would.

You are mad at the world and he's an eternal optimist. While on a business trip, you get stranded in the same hotel room (thanks to a hurricane) and the ensuing hilarious encounters convince you to join him in romance (and optimism).

You are moving to a large house in the South to take care of your aging grandmother. Once there, you encounter family secrets and lies that have torn the family apart, along with your childhood sweetheart who helps keep you safe when the secrets turn deadly.

You are new in town and determined to blend in and keep a low profile. After securing a job at a local coffee shop, you manage to convince everyone that you are a normal human and not an incubus with a dark past. When a human regular at the coffee shop starts taking an interest in you, you can't help falling for her. Just when you become comfortable in your new routine, an unwelcome reminder in the form of your succubus ex struts back into your life. Before she can blow your cover, you must reveal the truth about yourself to the woman you love.

You are on a blind date, and the guy turns out to be a total jerk. Increasingly uncomfortable, but too polite to get up and leave, you are grateful to be rescued by a handsome stranger who comes over and gives you an out.

You are taking a break behind the catering truck with the other extras, when the star of the movie, a major celebrity, asks you for a light. In that moment, more than a cigarette is lit up, and the whole film production goes sideways.

You are the daughter of the Earl of Devonshire, a once respected and sought-after man of wealth and stature. However, a scandal has thrown his reputation into disrepair, and you have almost given up any hope of marriage until you meet the impossibly handsome Earl of Castleberry, your father's new business partner. The Earl is not just a savior to your father's fortune and reputation; he is everything you have dreamed a gentleman can be and it looks like he has eyes only for you. However, after you marry, you discover that your Earl has secrets of his own that threaten to shatter not just your trust, but also your heart.

You are the maid of honor in your best friend's destination wedding, but you are single and feeling depressed about having to attend solo. Stressed and grumpy on the long flight there, you have a few too many drinks and pass out, drooling, on the shoulder of your seatmate. When you arrive at the wedding, you are mortified to discover that your handsome seatmate is the best man, and you spend the rest of the wedding weekend trying to avoid him.

You are the wife of a soldier who is missing in action and presumed dead. His best friend, who survived the war, offered you comfort and companionship, and over time love blossomed. A year later, you learn that your husband is alive and is coming home. Now you must confess to him that you have moved on—or have you?

You are tired of the obligations that society places on you, the Duke's daughter. Although you are already betrothed, you are still expected to attend social events, which bore you to tears. You can barely contain your irritation when forced to make small talk and gossip with the other ladies of the ton, who are still trying to find their perfect matches. You are comfortable with your engagement to the affable and amenable viscount. He may not be the most urbane catch, but he is kind and will take good care of you. You do not worry that he is not a love match, like the other silly girls dream of. You have no wish to be swept off your feet with the silly feelings of romance. Then you meet the viscount's brother. As dashing as he is daring, he takes your breath away and makes you second-guess your decision to settle for comfortable.

You are trapped in the elevator of your office building with a handsome executive when the power goes out in the city for a few hours. You get to know each other a little during that time, and the attraction is strong. He's evasive about what he does for the company, and it's not until power is restored and you're back at your desk that you realize he's the billionaire CEO's son…and he's emailing to ask you on a date.

You are working deep undercover to infiltrate a drug ring. While walking down the street with one of the traffickers you are trying to bust, you run into your ex, who greets you by your real name. The trafficker immediately assumes you are a narc and pulls his gun on you. You manage to jump out of the way and escape with your ex in tow. Now that your cover is blown, you have no choice but to keep yourself and your ex alive.

You awaken handcuffed to your bed, with your wife of 10 years standing over you wearing a witch's hat. She is saying some sort of incantation as she sprinkles something over your body. You feel woozy and fall back asleep. When you wake up, it is Saturday morning, and your wife greets you with a big smile and a kiss. You have a hard time remembering what happened last night, but everything rushes back to you when you notice a witch's hat stuffed into a duffel bag in the corner of the bedroom.

You come home after filming on set all day to discover a pool of blood on the floor of your mansion and your wife missing. The police arrest you. Once the media gets wind of the situation, you know their stories will ruin the reputations of you and your wife—both famous movie stars. You reluctantly call in a favor to your ex, who works in the DA's office. You hope she's forgiven you for cheating on her with the woman who eventually became your missing wife because she might be your only chance to prove your innocence.

You encounter your high school sweetheart on the weekend you are set to marry another woman (who is spoiled, selfish, and cruel to others). Your best friends work earnestly to thwart the wedding and convince you that your first love is the right one for you.

You fall in love with an adventurous, fun-loving mountain climber. Little does he know that you are afraid of heights and have never slept outside. He invites you on one of his expeditions, to your dismay. You really want to impress him, so you pack your hair dryer and try to make the best of it.

You hate his materialistic ways but a billionaire's charm wins you over when, following an airplane crash, you are stranded for weeks on his family's private island.

You have been dubbed the "Ice Princess" for your unwillingness to accept any suitor's hand in marriage—and there have been plenty. Many have been excellent matches from prominent and wealthy families, but you have not been even remotely interested in any of them. However, time is running out, and your father has finally put his foot down, demanding that you marry to secure the family's position, both financially and in society. Instead of giving you the option to choose, he has now chosen for you, and his choice is none other than your worst nightmare. This viscount has been a thorn in your side since your first coming out season. You've always found him to be quite high-handed, arrogant, and utterly distasteful despite his incredibly good looks.

You have been having sleepwalking episodes ever since you moved into an old fixer upper and you constantly wake up exhausted. You install a camera and try to see what you do while you are asleep. You are surprised to discover you have been going out of your bedroom and having a relationship with a mystery man that appears to live in your house. Who is he?

You have no desire to wed—now or ever—but your mother has other plans. Tired of her constant matchmaking and not-so-veiled "chance meetings" with eligible ton ladies, you decide to go against her wishes and embarrass her in the process. During one of your mother's huge soirees, you propose to a quiet mousy serving girl in front of everyone your mother deems important. You have no intention of actually going through with it, but hope the shock of the fake engagement will end your mother's ridiculous attempts. You never planned on actually falling in love with the lass.

You have spent the majority of your life living in the shadow of your gorgeous and vibrant younger sister Charlotte, who is everything your parents had hoped you would be: beautiful, outgoing, graceful—society's perfect darling. You, on the other hand, are introverted and clumsy, and you prefer to have your nose in a book rather than interact with society's elite. When asked to teach literature at an all-girls boarding school in Dansbury, you jump at the chance. Out of society's eye, you are free to be yourself without worrying about what others think of you. Unfortunately, you find that there is one person's opinion you can't help but want to impress. Master William Hattenburg, the dean of the school, has captured more than just your attention. He has stolen your heart as well.

You just scored a spot on a major competition TV show that makes its participants do the craziest things. You're partnered up with a handsome but over-confident stranger who, you decide, you instantly despise. Can you work together to win the day and the huge prize?

You know absolutely nothing about modern cowboy life other than what you see in movies and TV shows. You've never even seen a horse up close. But that's not what your fiancé thinks. You have been telling him for years that you know a thing or two about horses. It's not like you've been lying, just pretending that you know more. However, when he asks you to visit his family's ranch, you have to either come clean or do a crash course in riding 101. You choose the latter and hire an honest-to-God ranch hand with cowboy boots and a Stetson to teach you the basics before your trip. He's ridiculous, but also kind and handsome, and soon you find yourself looking forward to your secret lessons with him. As your lessons draw to an end, you find yourself sadder than you expected. You express this to him, and he gets serious, telling you that he's in love with you. You're shocked—not only at his admission, but also at your own feelings about it. Do you stay with the man you already agreed to marry or follow your heart to this cowboy?

You love them both, but they're married, to each other.

You make a great team – one is the driver, the other takes the money, and you are the lookout. The three of you have been successful bank robbers for six jobs now. As the police begin closing in, you find yourselves in conflict—one never wants to stop, the other wants out of the game, and they are both in love with you.

You meet your online dating match at a craft brewery, expecting a face that looks nothing like the profile picture. But when you lock eyes it's electric and you talk for hours. You start to think he has relationship potential…but then he tells you about his extensive doll collection.

You never learned to swim, but signed up for adult swimming lessons despite your misgivings. Your instructor is a drill sergeant-type who seems to think you're training for the Olympics, but the only other student helps lighten the mood. You begin to grow fond of the student.

You own a flower shop, and every week for the past year, a handsome guy has come in to order a dozen roses to be sent to his girlfriend. One day, another man comes in to send a dozen roses…to the same woman. Now you are left with a dilemma: tell the first customer, or let him find out on his own.

You own the best saloon for a hundred miles. You're no nonsense and good at your job: The saloon is clean, the barmaids are treated well, and the patrons are happy. But when an outlaw bursts in with guns blazing, your happy little saloon is at risk. A brawl breaks out, and one of your barmaids gets hit across the face. You pull your own gun from behind the counter to get everyone to stop. The outlaw points his gun at you, and you balk. This isn't just any outlaw; this is the famed bank robber, wanted dead or alive by every sheriff in the west. More importantly, he is your ex—the first and only man you've ever loved. The outlaw recognizes you at the same time as you do him.

You promised your high school sweetheart that you'd support him throughout his pro football career, and now, seven years later, he is the poster child for the NFL. You are doing your best to remain by his side, but you are also forging your own path as a personal trainer. As the two of you start to drift apart, will your relationship survive the pressure or will fame get to him?

You pull the head off the heavy mascot costume, sighing as a cool breeze from a fan chills your flushed cheeks. As you step out of the rest of the costume, you notice one of the basketball players standing behind you. Number 4. "I didn't realize you were a girl," he says. "Or pretty."

You receive the news every spouse dreads: Your wife is missing in action and presumed dead. The Chinook helicopter she was piloting crashed in Zabul province within the Spin Ghar mountain range. So far, no one can approach the wreckage due to adverse weather conditions, but you can feel that she's still alive, somewhere nearby that location. You are determined to find her, so you gather your mountain climbing equipment and take the next flight to Afghanistan.

You receive word that your husband has been injured and is in a coma. He is a POW in a country where the Geneva Convention is an afterthought and women have limited rights. Despite all of this, you must reach him because you are a surgeon with a significant amount of experience treating his specific type of injury. You believe you and you alone can save him. Against all odds, you weave your way into the country so you can perform the surgery before it is too late.

You sign up at eighteen. At nineteen, you leave for special training. By twenty, you're the youngest Navy SEAL on your team. They call you baby and kid, but you don't mind because you know why you're there: do the job, protect your country, have your team members' backs. They have yours, too. But then you're sent on a CIA covert operation without them, with no one to have your back, and you start to question just how you're ever going to pull this one off. When all hope seems lost and you question whether you will even be able to complete your mission, you meet her. She's perfect—sweet, pretty, and, best of all, the daughter of the man you've been sent to kill. Perhaps she will be the ticket to get you in the same room with your target so you can complete your mission. But when you fall for her, you have to decide between your country and your love.

You spent the last five years living through hell together as soldiers, with only a few brief moments apart. Now you're in your respective homes, halfway across the country and you can't help but think that what you had together might have been something more.

You travel to England and stay in a castle that's been converted into a B&B. You enjoy your time there and find the other guests downright charming, especially the man you bumped into in at the airport who surprisingly was staying at the same B&B. One day at breakfast, one of the guests starts chatting about how he used to be a lamplighter in Bristol. "A lamplighter? You must be well over a hundred years old, or maybe electricity isn't in fashion in Bristol," you joke. All of the guests at the breakfast table suddenly stop what they are doing to stare at you. Then, the lady who runs the B&B slowly approaches and whispers in your ear: "You are upsetting my patrons." You apologize and get up to leave, but she pushes you back down into your chair. "I'm sorry, love, but leaving is not an option." The room goes black. A person from the other side of the table lights a match. It is the handsome man from the airport. You ask what is going on, but he knows as much as you do. Together you look for a way out.

You visit a beautiful old hotel near the sea that has been rumored to be a home for ghosts searching for their unrequited love. While there, you encounter a handsome ghost hunter who is there to speak with his grandmother, who has been dead for 15 years.

You wake up in the dark. Being one of the first female soldiers to attend the Special Forces Qualification Course, you thought you were ready for anything. However, nothing has prepared you for this. You remember that you were scaling a ridge on a solo mission. Something happened, and now you can't make out anything in the darkness. As your eyes adjust, you see a man in the distance, but you have no idea if he is a friend or foe. When you hear his voice, a smile comes across your face.

You wake up one day, alone in the desert, with no memories, no keepsake, and no name. The heat only intensifies, and the questions follow suit, but you never find any answers. You eventually decide that it's okay to live like this, so you find a job, a house, and a name that works well enough in a village you've never even heard of before. Years pass, uneventfully. Then one day you see him, and a lifetime of memories rush back. Not all of them are good. The love for your beloved is almost as sweet as the biting pain from your time in the war. To save a child and his pregnant mother, you defied orders and became a criminal to your own country. Do you go back to that life, with a man you love but a history you'd sooner forget, or keep living the simple life you've built from the ground up? You've always believed true love conquers all. Now it's time to put that belief to the test.

You were a rebellious teenager who fell in with a bad crowd far too young to understand the consequences. After years of struggling with addiction, you leave rehab looking for a new way to go about your life. You find resolve in your faith and depend on the pastor of your church for moral support. He knows everything about your past, but still embraces you as an important part of the community. One day while helping set up a food drive, you bump into the pastor's son. You instantly fall for him. However, you believe that the pastor would never let you two get close as he knows too much about your sordid past. At first you keep your feelings to yourself, but over time things begin to blossom between you and the son. You just hope that when his father learns of your relationship, he will have enough forgiveness in his heart to let your love continue.

You were in love with him since high school but he never returned your feelings. You get happily married and get a job as a flight attendant. During one of your business trips you spot him on board, handsome and clearly impressed by the new you. He actually asks you out when landing.

You whisper to him that he is the love of your life. He backs away, looks into your eyes, and tells you that no one has been alive here in over a hundred years.

You work in a corporate office in a mid-level professional position. One day, you accidentally receive an email from the VP, the son of the company's CEO, that's meant for someone else with your last name. Then, you begin an ongoing email correspondence wherein you begin to develop feelings for each other.

You work in an office with a co-worker who annoys you with his political views that you disagree with. You complete a profile on a dating site and it pairs you with him. At first, you laugh at this, but realize that you are attracted to him despite his political leanings. You end up going on a date and having a lot more in common than you suspected you would.

You'd never have an affair with a married man, except he promises he is divorcing his wife. When you see them together at a gallery opening you are faced with stunning realization. You look identical to her, except that you're twenty-five years younger.

You're a city slicker now, but you'll always be a country girl at heart. A family illness calls you back to the ranch. You run into your old friend from childhood, who's now all grown up and a handsome cowboy. Your reunion isn't exactly sweet, since he thinks you haven't been true to your roots.

You're a detective solving a slew of murders. Your head is throbbing from the sleepless nights. Just then a stunning woman walks through your office door. She says she has something that could change the case and your life.

You're a down-on-your-luck lawman looking for a new job in the Wild West. Since being fired from your last position after refusing to charge an innocent man, you have been unable to find steady work. When a wealthy railroad tycoon overhears you telling your woes to a bartender, he offers you a job: Bring the person who killed his son to justice and receive a sizeable reward. You never thought of yourself as bounty hunter, but you can't decline the opportunity. A month later, you track down the killer only to discover that it is a woman who killed the son in self-defense. She's been on the run ever since. After hearing her story, you decide not to fulfill your contract and instead protect her from the tycoon hell-bent on revenge. You know that someday he will send more men to finish what you have started. You stay with her to make sure that this never happens, growing closer with each passing day.

You're a famous gospel singer, spreading the word of the Lord with your God-given ability to sing. Your gift has brought you around the world and back again, but it's also brought you a busy and lonely life. One day, you are overjoyed when you accidentally bump into a member of your church hundreds of miles from home. You talk about memories of your hometown and, when he admits that he has always had a thing for you, you smile and tell him that you feel the same way. You believe this was meant to be. However, your faith and love are challenged when it is time to go to your next gig. Will you stay with your one true love or continue spreading the word?

You're a hopeless romantic. Although the ton can be tiring and you're not exactly pleased to be on your second season, you're trying to maintain a positive attitude. After all, your dance card is always full, and you've received two separate proposals. Thankfully, your parents agreed that neither match was advantageous enough to warrant your displeasure. But you've barely got a week left of this season, and no one has your eye. You're worried you'll be forced into a marriage that you don't want just because you're aging out. One suitor is nice enough, but there's no spark. Still, when he asks for your hand, you feel forced to say yes, deciding that perhaps a love story is just not in the cards for you. Yet during one visiting, you meet his cousin, the dashing Duke of Essex. The spark is instant—as well as the trouble you find yourself in.

You're a practicing atheist, which means you avoid all churches, spectacles, and other religious nonsense that rages on around you. But when a freak storm traps you and the pastor in a cabin with nothing but a fire and conversation, you realize that things might not be as they've always seemed. Maybe, just maybe, there's something to what the woman is saying. The light of day seems too bright, and a promise to attend worship with her brings doubt, but you've got to try. You realize that a connection this deep has to count for something.

You're a publicist secretly in love with your famous client, but his agent thinks you should cook up a story about him and his co-star to generate buzz for their upcoming movie. This involves arranging dates and photo ops for the two of them, but you can't help but notice he seems more interested in you.

You're a reporter investigating claims of violent crimes inside the ruins of an old house on the outskirts of town. Before you go, your father insists that you bring along a police officer he knows. After you begrudgingly agree, you meet up with this officer outside the house. You and the officer scale the chain link fence that surrounds the property and open the front door. The interior is surprisingly clean. There is no graffiti, no dirt, and not even a smidgeon of dust. There was just empty room after empty room with the occasional piece of furniture blanketed with a white cloth. You make it to the second floor and find an antique full-length mirror in one of the bedrooms. As you gaze at it, you notice in the reflection that the officer is walking around behind you. The guy is pretty attractive. Maybe you'll invite him for drinks after this. You look back at yourself in the mirror, but you don't see your reflection. Suddenly, a sheet that covered the bed behind you grabs the officer by the ankle and drags him under the bed. You turn around and the officer is gone.

You're a single mom who works two full-time jobs to make ends meet. The new manager at your second job asks you out on a date. He's hot, kind, and perfect, but your son hates him and shows that in many humorous ways. Will love blossom or wither under his disapproving gaze?

You're a teacher who loves her job and her students. However, when your contract isn't renewed due to budget cuts in your district, you find yourself at a loss. Luckily, a friend of yours knows of someone looking to hire a tutor with just your qualifications. You go to the interview and realize the job is to tutor and mentor the son of a renowned tech billionaire. The son has had behavioral problems in school and was threatened with expulsion, so the single father decided to hire a trained professional to assist in his son's issues. The more time you spend with the small family, the more you realize that the son's behavioral problems stem from his poor relationship with his father. The billionaire is smart, innovative, clever, handsome, and stubborn. He initially disagrees with your analysis, but then eventually gives way to your advice. The longer you spend in the role of caregiver to both father and son, the more you start to feel like this is where you belong.

You're a teacher, and you get a new student in your class – a shy little girl who needs some extra help with reading. You offer to tutor her after school, and you discover that she lives with her divorced father, who is struggling to balance single fatherhood with his work as a police officer. You offer to help out where you can, and romance blooms.

You're a third-generation soldier, proudly decorated and always ready to serve your country and your people. After three tours in Afghanistan, you barely think twice before signing up for a fourth. But then you meet her. She's everything you've ever wanted and a million things you never even dreamt possible. As you prepare to ship out in a week, the woman you love promises to write. Unfortunately, when you arrive back on base, things aren't quite as they seem. You discover a conspiracy involving your commander and certain members in your regiment, and now you face your most difficult challenge yet: Do you get in line, do your work, and go to home to the one you love or do you investigate your commander and find the evidence that will expose the conspiracy? One thing is for certain: If your commander discovers your investigation, everyone in your life will be at risk, including the love of your life.

You're a woman fleeing an abusive marriage and you meet your husband's billionaire boss. You fall in love and your husband learns the hard way that abusers don't win.

You're already having the worst day ever, and a fender bender on the way to an important client meeting is the last thing you need. Even the attractive guy you hit doesn't cheer you up…until he does.

You're an ambitious investigative reporter determined to uncover who's behind a string of jewel heists in the city. You find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time one night, and a handsome detective has to come to your rescue in order to save your life. The problem is, those behind the crimes now know who you are.

You're an orthopedic surgeon assigned to help a star basketball player get back on his feet after a sidelining injury. He's not exactly your favorite patient, but over time, you realize there's more to him than the arrogant front he shows the media.

You're an overworked accountant with little time for a love life. Desperate for a break, you join your girlfriends on vacation at a dude ranch. The handsome ranch owner is rough around the edges, and so are his books. He's about to lose the ranch and everything he's worked for. Will you extend your stay to help him out?

You're an up-and-coming chef whose culinary talent is getting a lot of attention in your city. You agree to compete on a new cooking game show that will give you national exposure and possibly prize money that will help you fulfill your dream of opening your own restaurant. But you are shocked to discover that your competition isn't just any old cook, but rather a charming, cocky, talented sous-chef you might have met before. Although you try to hide it from the producers, it's obvious that you two have history and chemistry off the charts—and the competition has just gotten that much more complicated.

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150 Romance Writing Prompts

November 9, 2023 by Richard Leave a Comment

Here are 150 romance writing prompts to help you spice up your writing with romance! These sweet, sultry, and fun prompts are varied. Some talk about your characters, and some put you in the action. They range from first experiences to long-term spicing things up with your partners or your characters. We’ve varied these prompts because we’ve been told sometimes it’s good to put yourself in the place of your characters, but please remember, if the prompt says to write about a time when you and your partner…you can always change it to be about your characters and vice versa. I recommend that occasionally, you write the scene like it is you and a lover. That may capture more passion than you think. You can always go back later and change the names and pronouns. 

So, I hope you are ready for 150 romance writing prompts to stir your romantic interests and inflame your writing with passion. Enjoy

• Your character falls for someone totally different from their usual “type.” Write about how this changes their perspectives.
• “Love at first sight” – write about two characters who feel an instant connection when their eyes meet across a crowded room.
• A friends-to-lovers romance – Write about two best friends realizing they have deeper feelings for each other.
• Your character spots their ex with a new partner. Write about how they handle this awkward encounter.
• A character falls for their opposite – neat vs. messy, shy vs. outgoing. Write about the hilarious mishaps as opposites attract.
• Write about two co-workers trying to keep their budding office romance under wraps.
• Your character’s date with someone new gets completely rained out. Write about how they make the most of it anyway.
• Write about two people breaking up and getting back together, realizing they can’t live without each other.
• “Enemies to lovers” – Create a contentious first meeting between your romantic leads. How does their hatred turn to love?
• Your character falls for someone they absolutely shouldn’t – their best friend’s ex, their professor, etc. Write about the angst and guilt.
• Write about two people from completely different cultures, like a traditional Korean and a punk rocker, wildly attracted to each other.
• Your character spots their toxic ex out on a date. Write about how they stop themselves from sabotaging it.
• Write about two people who break societal norms to be together, like a noble and commoner or interracial couple.
• Love feels one-sided until it’s revealed the other character has been secretly pining all along too. Write their confession scene.
• Write about two people bonding over shared obsession, like rock climbing or gaming. Love blossoms during their adventures.
• Your character falls for someone after reading their published writing, like a book or popular blog. Write about their first meet-up.
• Childhood sweethearts – Write about two characters who were friends as kids, then reunite later in life as teens/adults.
• Write about two people falling for each other after repeatedly matching on a dating app but never messaging.
• Your character gets set up by family/friends on an awful blind date but ends up connecting with someone else at the scene, like their waiter.
• Write about two people from different social circles forced to work on a school project together. Feelings emerge during their late night work sessions.
• Write about a tough character who falls for someone relentlessly optimistic and cheery. At first they find it grating, but it soon grows on them.
• Your character falls for someone they think is way out of their league. Write about working up the nerve to ask them out.
• Write about two people competing over the same rare object at an auction. The rivalry sparks an unexpected attraction.
• Your character falls for someone they consult for help with an area of expertise, like their accountant or personal trainer.
• Make it a love triangle! Who will your character end up choosing? The steady, reliable partner or tempting new fling?
• Write about two people from warring families/(ex)cultures, like a Capulet and Montague, drawn together despite it being taboo.
• Write about someone falling for the celebrity of their dreams, and by some wild circumstance, meeting them in person.
• Write about someone falling for a mysterious stranger in a mask at a masquerade party.
• Your character spots their awful ex on a first date. Write about resisting the urge to meddle/spy despite old feelings bubbling up.
• Write about two people falling for each other while collaborating long-distance on a project via email.
• Your character meets someone at a wild party…but leaves before getting their name/number. Write about how they try to track them down.
• Meeting “the one” only to discover they’re moving away in a week. Write about making the most of what little time is left together.
• Write about two best friends realizing they have feelings while one comforts the other during a breakup/tragedy.
• Your character falls for someone they think their family will never approve of. Write about keeping the romance secret.
• Write about two people who break up over a misunderstanding. When they run into each other years later, old sparks resurface.
• Love letters between two people separated by circumstance – war, disapproving parents, etc. They can see each other only occasionally.
• Write about someone falling in love with their close friend’s significant other. The guilt eats away at them.
• Write about two people meeting randomly while traveling solo. They decide to continue the trip together, feelings brewing.
• Your character falls for someone while jointly committed to something – jury duty, anger management class, etc. Attraction grows during their forced time together.
• Write about someone believing they’ll never find love, only to meet their match in an unlikely place, like a doctor’s waiting room.
• Your character falls for someone they find infuriating at first. Write about a hilarious enemies-to-lovers progression.
• Write about two people falling for each other while working together during a natural disaster/crisis of some sort.
• Your character spots their toxic ex proposing to their new partner! Write about the crazy volcano of emotions.
• Write about two long-lost high school sweethearts bumping into each other at their reunion. The old sparks haven’t faded.
• Your character keeps running into their “dream girl/guy” around town – write escalating meet-cutes until they finally get a real conversation.
• Write about two people connecting at a support group, helping each other heal from similar trauma and losses.
• Love at a protest – two characters bond while rallying for the same cause they’re passionate about.
• Your character develops a budding office romance – until they find out the object of their affection is being promoted as their new boss!
• Write about a character falling for someone while volunteering abroad. Their fling ends when the trip is over – or does it?
• Write about two people slowly falling for each other during innocent frequent encounters like sharing an elevator ride.
• Write about how you first met your crush or partner. Describe the encounter and your first impressions.
• Describe the most romantic date you’ve ever been on or would like to go on. Include all the dreamy details.
• Write about when you first realized you were in love with your partner or crush. What tipped you off?
• Imagine running into your first love years later. Write about the encounter and the feelings it stirs up.
• Describe the first time you kissed or held hands with someone you cared about. Capture the magic of the moment.
• What’s the most thoughtful gift you’ve given or received from a partner? Write about why it was meaningful.
• Write about when you confessed your feelings to your crush. Describe your nerves beforehand and their reaction.
• Describe the moment you knew this relationship was different than any other. What set it apart?
• Write a poem or letter to your first major crush or heartbreak.
• If you could take your partner on any romantic trip, where would you go? Describe the dream vacation.
• Write about falling for someone unexpectedly, whether a friend or stranger. Detail when and how cupid’s arrow struck.
• Describe the first time your partner said “I love you.” Capture the emotions and magic of the milestone.
• Write about making a relationship official – becoming boyfriend/girlfriend or getting engaged. Celebrate the key moment.
• Share your thoughts on how romance and dating has changed between generations. Are some things better or worse?
• Write about a time you felt immense gratitude to have your partner in your life. What triggered the feeling?
• Describe the moment you first laid eyes on your future spouse or partner. Freeze frame the pivotal introduction.
• If you could recreate your first kiss with your partner, how would you want it to ideally go? Describe the romantic scene.
• Write about a time you surprised your partner with a romantic gesture. Detail how you showed your love creatively.
• Describe the most romantic moment from a book or movie. Capture what made it so special.
• Write about falling hard for a close friend. Detail when you realized you were crushing and how you coped.
• Share your thoughts on how to balance romance after having kids. What tips do you have for date nights?
• Write a poem celebrating the little quirks and habits you adore about your partner. Get creative and endearing.
• Describe the moment you knew you wanted to marry your spouse. What shifted in your feelings?
• Write about a couple you admire in your life, whether family or friends. What makes their relationship solid?
• Share your best tips for spicing things up in a long-term relationship. How do you keep the spark alive?
• Write about falling for someone from a different culture or background than your own. Detail what you admired and learned.
• Describe the moment you first laid eyes on “the one that got away.” Why do they still linger in your memory?
• What song or playlist perfectly captures your love story? Write about the meaningful music memories.
• Describe how romance has evolved in your relationship over time. Compare early magic to today’s comfort.
• Write a short love scene featuring two unlikely characters who find themselves surprisingly drawn together.
• Describe the small gestures that mean the most in your relationship – a squeeze of the hand, a smile across the room, etc.
• Write about falling for a close friend and tip-toeing into romance. How did you turn platonic love into passion?
• What is the most romantic line from literature or film in your opinion? Quote it and explain why it resonates.
• Describe how it felt to fall in love for the very first time. Contrast the new sensations versus past crushes.
• If you could travel back in time to witness any famous couple’s love story unfold, which would you choose? Describe why.
• Write about a book or movie that captures the essence of romance perfectly in your opinion. Summarize the love story.
• Imagine running into your first love on the street years later. Write a scene exploring the interaction.
• Describe the first time you slow danced with someone. Capture the mix of excitement, nerves, and feelings stirring.
• Write a short scene set in a romantic foreign city like Paris or Venice. Include vivid sensory details.
• Describe the different stages of romance – from the butterflies of a new crush to the comfort of longterm love. Compare the sensations.
• Imagine characters from two of your favorite books fell in love. Write a scene exploring their unlikely pairing.
• Write a short scene about a bold public proposal, flash mob style. Capture reactions of the surrounding onlookers.
• Describe the moment you felt you found “the one” – whether a spark, epiphany, or feeling. What shifted?
• Write about making a choice between two romantic interests. Detail the struggle and how you listened to your heart.
• Describe how romance evolves over a long-term committed relationship. Contrast new love thrill versus mature comfort.
• Imagine a couple announcing their forbidden love in olden times versus today. Compare societal reactions you envision.
• Write about reconnecting with your first love or crush years later. Would you still have chemistry?
• Share tips for keeping love alive through life’s ups and downs – from romance troubles to parenting challenges.
• Write a scene about a modern day couple time traveling back to the eras of iconic literary romances like Pride & Prejudice.
• Describe the perfect romantic meal you would cook for a date night, from appetizers to dessert. Include recipes and presentation.
• Write about falling for someone’s personality first before realizing you’re physically attracted too. When did you notice their looks?
• Imagine characters from your two favorite books fell in love. Write a scene exploring their unlikely pairing.
• Write a poem or letter expressing unrequited love for someone. Share your deep feelings and reflections.
• Describe your version of the perfect marriage proposal. Include the setting, words, and how the moment unfolds.
• Share your thoughts on making long distance relationships work. What helps foster connection across the miles?
• Write about unexpectedly falling for a good friend. When did you realize your platonic feelings had deepened?
• Imagine two celebrity crushes who would make the perfect couple. Write a scene about them hitting it off.
• Describe a magical first kiss – either real or imagined. Capture the passion and excitement of the moment.
• Write a story or scene featuring a meet-cute between future soulmates – maybe involving a spilled coffee or missed train.
• List out the little ways someone shows love without grand gestures. How do you notice the quiet romantic moments versus big ones?
• Write about a romance ruined by poor timing or circumstance. Reflect on whether it was simply not meant to be.
• Describe the feeling when you unexpectedly run into an ex. How do you handle the surprise interaction?
• Share your point of view on whether great love means forsaking all others. Should someone be “the one”?
• Write a romantic letter or poem to your first major crush or heartbreak.
• Imagine two movie characters or celebrities that would make an unexpected perfect pairing. Write a scene about their unique chemistry.
• Write a short scene set at a glamorous masquerade ball where two secret admirers finally meet face to face.
• Describe a steamy but awkward first kiss, whether real or imagined. Contrast the romance of the moment with the discomfort.
• Write a scene featuring two friends realizing they’re meant to be more. Describe the pivotal moment of recognition between them.
• Compose a love letter to your partner listing the small quirks that make them special. Include both serious and silly details.
• Imagine you can orchestrate the perfect “how we met” story. Write out the cute or quirky way you envision your paths crossing.
• Write a poem or reflection on finding love after heartbreak or grief. Describe how new romance redeems the pain of the past.
• Share your point of view on whether romance fares better with fiery passion or steady companionship. Which camp are you in?
• Write about a time miscommunications caused romance trouble with your partner. How did you get wires uncrossed again?
• Describe the setting for the most romantic dream dinner date you can imagine. Transport your reader to the scene.
• Write about falling for the person you least expected. Why did this unlikely match take you by surprise?
• Detail the small habits or routines in your relationship that build intimacy through consistency and care.
• Imagine two historical figures who would have made an intriguing romantic pairing. Write a scene exploring their dynamic.
• Describe the pivotal moment you knew your partner was “the one” – whether during a trip together, major life event, or quiet morning.
• Write a scene about nervously asking your crush on a first date. Build up the suspense before their reply.
• Share your point of view on whether relationships fare better when partners have aligned or opposite interests. Discuss the pros and cons.
• Describe the moment you first saw your future spouse walk down the aisle on your wedding day. Relive the emotions and beauty.
• Write about unexpectedly finding love or connection at an unlikely place or time – whether a funeral, traffic jam, or prison visitation.
• Imagine characters from two of your favorite movies fell madly in love. Write a scene exploring their unlikely pairing.
• Describe the feeling of falling out of love with someone. Contrast it with the headiness of new romance.
• Write a scene about reuniting with someone you never quite got over. Would the old chemistry still be there?
• Share your tips for keeping romance alive after having kids or getting married. What rituals preserve intimacy amidst busy life?
• Imagine two celebrity crushes meeting and hitting it off. Write a scene exploring their instant connection and attraction.
• Describe the moment you first laid eyes on “the one who got away.” Freeze frame the details of the pivotal introduction.
• Write a romantic letter or poem confessing your feelings to your crush or partner. Share your adoration and vulnerability.
• Imagine characters from your two all-time favorite novels fell madly in love. Write a scene crossing over the stories.
• Describe the feeling of having a crush on someone unattainable, whether a celebrity, teacher, or friend’s partner. How did you cope?
• Share the moment you first learned your crush felt the same way about you too. Describe the giddy rush of relief and excitement.
• Write about a time miscommunications caused trouble in your relationship. How did you get your wires uncrossed again?
• Describe the electricity of sitting close to your crush or date for the first time – whether at dinner, a show, or car ride.
• Imagine two side characters from different books meeting and hitting it off. Write a scene developing their story.
• Write a poem celebrating your partner’s quirks – both the endearing and annoying.
• Share tips for keeping relationships strong across years and miles. How do you nourish intimacy from afar?
• Describe the feeling of having your crush walk into a room. Compare early butterflies versus comfort later on.
• Write a scene about screwing up the courage to ask your crush on a first date. Build up the suspense before their reply!
• Imagine attending the ultimate romantic music festival with your partner featuring your favorite love songs. Describe the experience.

If you have enjoyed these prompts, especially if you have used any of them to write something you like, please post them in the comments below. We do ask that you keep it clean. It’s just a search engine thing, and we do have young readers from time to time. I hope these inspire your writing!  Check our our other writing prompts .

Related posts:

• 1000 Writing Prompts
• 10 Even More Horrifying Horror Story Prompts
• 50 historical fiction writing prompts
• 100 Thriller Writing Prompts
• Apocalypse Writing Prompts 

About Richard

Richard Everywriter (pen name) has worked for literary magazines and literary websites for the last 25 years. He holds degrees in Writing, Journalism, Technology and Education. Richard has headed many writing workshops and courses, and he has taught writing and literature for the last 20 years.  

In writing and publishing he has worked with independent, small, medium and large publishers for years connecting publishers to authors. He has also worked as a journalist and editor in both magazine, newspaper and trade publications as well as in the medical publishing industry.   Follow him on Twitter, and check out our Submissions page .

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50 Contemporary Romance Writing Prompts

As a writer, facing a blank page can be intimidating, no matter what genre you’re writing in. Especially when it comes to the romance genre, it can be challenging to come up with fresh and exciting ideas to keep readers engaged. However, that doesn’t mean you have to give up on writing altogether. In this article, we’ve got you covered with 50 contemporary romance writing prompts to help you unlock your creativity and get those words flowing.

Understanding Contemporary Romance

Before diving into the heart of this post let’s define contemporary romance. Contemporary romance is a sub-genre of romance novels that takes place in the present day. Typically, it follows the story of ordinary individuals, dealing with everyday challenges and falling in love. This genre is incredibly popular because it allows the reader to relate to the characters forming an emotional connection with them.

Benefits of Using Contemporary Romance Writing Prompts

Writing prompts can be an incredibly useful tool for writers in any genre, especially when it comes to romance. They offer specific ideas or scenarios to help kickstart the writing process and get the creative juices flowing. In the case of contemporary romance, prompts can help you explore different scenarios that can assist you in building a relatable love story.

Using writing prompts can also help with writer’s block. Sometimes it’s easier to start writing when you have a foundation to build upon. Additionally, writing prompts can also keep your writing fresh by taking you out of your comfort zone and forcing you to confront new situations and characters.

• A breakup propels her into taking a trip to a faraway location – while there, she meets a man who turns her life around.
• Two neighbors who never spoke before, find themselves alone and isolated during a power outage.
• An art student who has a one-night stand with an anonymous stranger who turns out to be her new professor.
• An exhausted nurse falls asleep on a train and wakes up to find herself in the wrong state – but it could be the right place to find true love.
• An architect is tasked with building a new library in a small town, but it’s not just the building that catches her eye.
• A famous musician falls for his stylist, but can they make it work with their contrasting lifestyles and the paparazzi on their tail?
• An introverted writer discovers that the dating app she’s using is matching her with people she knows in real life.
• A restaurant rivalry between two chefs turns into a romance.
• Two people stuck in a broken-down elevator discover a spark between them.
• A woman is stood up on a blind date, but instead, she spends the night with the charming bartender.
• A small-town mayor’s daughter runs into an ex-soldier looking for a new start, and together they find a way to save her father’s failing hotel.
• A jaded wedding planner falls for the bride whose wedding she’s planning.
• A Black Lives Matter activist and a white police officer fall in love despite their differences.
• A social media influencer falls for a nature-loving park ranger they mate at the park.
• A librarian and a street artist connect over a shared love of books.
• A single parent copes with balancing work and family until the sexy neighbor gets involved.
• A high school teacher falls for the school’s bad boy, who turns out to be more than just a rebel.
• A businesswoman winds up in a small town and finds love with the handsome owner of the local bakery.
• Two competitors in a martial-arts competition find love amidst the chaos.
• A temp worker discovers that the man she’s working under is the same man she had a crush on in high school.
• Two people who have never met stay in contact through a lost and found journal.
• An accidental phone swap leads to two people falling in love.
• A stripper and a literature professor find unexpected love.
• A single parent finds love with their child’s teacher.
• A person discovers their soulmate on a reality show.
• A celebrity falls for the underdog at the charity event they attend.
• A professor and student find love in a time-traveling adventure.
• A florist falls for their grumpy landlord.
• A baker meets a musician who’s passing through town and their chemistry creates magic.
• A book editor and a kaiju movie fan bond over their love of monsters.
• A journalist falls for the subject of the story they are writing.
• A detective falls for a crime victim while on the job.
• A fashion designer finds her muse in the unlikeliest of places.
• An activist helps a CEO find redemption for his unethical business practices.
• A career-driven millennial falls in love with a traditionalist.
• An arranged marriage leads to the discovery of true love.
• An animal activist falls for a rancher.
• A writer and a chef find inspiration for their respective crafts whilst falling in love.
• A Christmas hater finds love after a snowstorm leaves them stranded with a family that loves the holiday.
• A lawyer falls for their opposing counsel.
• A wealthy philanthropist falls for the waitress at the charity banquet.
• A free spirit and a Type-A personality fall in love whilst on a road trip.
• A possible ring thief and a cop find love amid a jewelry heist investigation.
• A disaster survivor and a firefighter discover love amidst chaos.
• A mobile game developer discovers love in the tech startup world.
• A photography student falls for the model in their class.
• A vacation romance becomes an unexpected life partner.
• A barista falls for the local blogger who drinks there every morning.
• A journalist and a celebrity team up to clear the celebrity’s name.
• A bartender finds love with a regular customer while navigating family secrets.

Contemporary romance is a fun genre to write in that often requires relatable characters and realistic situations. Writing prompts can be utilized as a tool to help you overcome writer’s block and explore new areas of contemporary romance. With these 50 ideas, you have just the beginning of the potential stories that you can write. Remember, successful romance writing is about creating characters that the reader can connect with, and putting them in situations that they can relate to. Happy Writing!

FAQ’s

Q: What is the difference between contemporary romance and other romance sub-genres?

A: Contemporary romance is a sub-genre of romance novels that takes place in the present day. It typically follows the story of ordinary individuals, dealing with everyday challenges and falling in love. In contrast, other sub-genres like historical romance, paranormal romance, and fantasy romance can include supernatural or fantastical elements that are not present in contemporary romance.

Q: How can writing prompts help with writer’s block in contemporary romance writing?

A: Writing prompts offer specific ideas or scenarios that help kickstart the writing process and get the creative juices flowing. In the case of contemporary romance, the prompts can help you explore different scenarios and characters that will help build a relatable story.

Q: How do I make my contemporary romance writing relatable to readers?

A: Successful romance writing is about creating characters that the reader can connect with, and putting them in situations that they can relate to. This is often done by exploring the everyday challenges that people face in their lives and using them as vehicles for the plot. Utilizing personal experiences and observations will help give your writing an authentic and relatable voice.

Q: Can I combine two or more of these writing prompts together to form a story?

A: Absolutely! The beauty of writing prompts is that they can be combined, modified or adjusted for your specific needs. The prompts are meant to inspire your creativity, so feel free to use them in whichever way you choose.

Q: Are there any formatting guidelines I should follow when writing a contemporary romance novel?

A: While there aren’t any specific guidelines for formatting a contemporary romance novel, it’s important to keep these things in mind: Use straightforward language, keep sentences concise, avoid pretentious language, and ALWAYS have a satisfying conclusion.

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340 Romance Writing Prompts That Will Sweep Your Readers off Their Feet

From love at first sight to love that crosses boundaries of time and space, romance is a popular fiction genre that continues to be a favorite among millions of readers. If you are struggling to get your romance story off the ground, look no further. The following 340 prompts will help you get started on your next romance writing project. We hope you enjoy reading these prompts as much as we enjoyed writing them.

This material is copyrighted by ServiceScape and is designed to be used for writing inspiration. Please feel free to use our ideas as a starting point for your next story! If you use one of our prompts as a basis for a story, you don't have to credit us, but it would be much appreciated if you do. A simple link to ServiceScape is the best way to do that. One caveat: Please do not publish our writing prompts as-is, in their entirety without attribution. This is not the intended use.

Billionaires

Contemporary, fantasy romance, inspirational, romantic suspense, science fiction romance, time travel, western romance, young adult.

If you enjoy exciting romance featuring a rich and powerful love interest, you'll love the billionaires subgenre. Common tropes include a flawed, larger-than-life alpha male and a fish-out-of-water protagonist learning how to live a lavish, materialistic lifestyle.

• Your writing career has been stagnant since you moved to the city, so when your editor comes to you with a project unlike any other, you hope this will be your big break. The assignment? An exposé on a bachelor billionaire tycoon that everyone in the city is talking about. The goal is to uncover something unseemly about his background and ruin his reputation. You feel bad about it, but if this is the price for success, you decide that you are willing to pay it. Besides, the public deserves the truth, right? But when you pose as a high-end real estate agent and manage to get some time with him, you find that he's smart, charming, and considerate. He's nothing like you expected. The more time you spend with him, the more your feelings grow until you realize you're unable to complete your assignment. But if he ever found out about your true background, your budding relationship would be doomed.
• A reclusive billionaire without family or friends is in a wreck and develops temporary amnesia from the injuries. Without any identification, he falls in love with you, the nurse who nurses him back to health. As his memory slowly returns, he realizes that friendship and love have been missing from his life, and he has found both in you.
• A billionaire mogul loses much of his wealth in a legal battle with your family. To your mutual surprise, what begins as hatred turns into romance as you find a way to give him back the fortune he lost.
• "You can't go in there," you tell him, before he informs you that he owns the museum and can go anywhere he pleases. Since you're a museum guide, he asks for a tour, and you both recognize a spark happening.
• You are a single mother who works as a waitress at a nightclub to make ends meet. The one thing you can't stand are people who get everything handed to them, like the rich, snooty patrons you have to wait on night after night. However, when a handsome and charming clubgoer becomes smitten with you, you find yourself drawn to his enigmatic way. After a few coffee dates, you wonder if this could be the one, but then you learn that he's actually the club's billionaire party boy owner—a man you've heard about and hated from afar for years. He swears he's changed and that he has fallen for you, but you're not convinced: Can you trust him to leave his partying lifestyle behind to become a family man?
• You're a woman fleeing an abusive marriage and you meet your husband's billionaire boss. You fall in love and your husband learns the hard way that abusers don't win.
• The son of a wealthy industrialist is in the midst of a very public and nasty divorce from his notoriously dreadful wife. You are a reporter hired to find dirt on him for a story. You are surprised to discover that he is actually a wonderful man, and you begin to fall in love with him.
• You've worked years to get to where you are as hairstylist to the stars. It's good work that pays well and lets you help your family back home with their financial struggles. Plus, you love to the work. The only downside is that the patrons of your salon aren't exactly easy to talk to. Their priorities are so different! Vanity plagues their every move, and their cavalier attitudes drive you crazy. No one is worse than your weekly customer: a billionaire obsessed with his aging appearance. He's handsome and you know from overhearing a dozen phone calls that he's pretty charming, so you can't quite understand why he's so insecure over a few wrinkles. You tell him as much, and he's surprised to learn that you find him attractive. He asks you out and, despite the age difference, you find yourself saying yes. Over time, you help him find the confidence he needs. You discover that you share much in common, and love grows.
• You are trapped in the elevator of your office building with a handsome executive when the power goes out in the city for a few hours. You get to know each other a little during that time, and the attraction is strong. He's evasive about what he does for the company, and it's not until power is restored and you're back at your desk that you realize he's the billionaire CEO's son…and he's emailing to ask you on a date.
• You've had foreign language students before, but none as handsome as the son of a billionaire inheriting all of his father's wealth. When he asks you to be a translator for a trip he's about to take, you're all in.
• You hate his materialistic ways but a billionaire's charm wins you over when, following an airplane crash, you are stranded for weeks on his family's private island.
• A chance encounter brings you on the radar of a tortured young billionaire who can't forget the abusive past he endured at the hands of his father. You have a similar past—can you move past it together?
• You're a teacher who loves her job and her students. However, when your contract isn't renewed due to budget cuts in your district, you find yourself at a loss. Luckily, a friend of yours knows of someone looking to hire a tutor with just your qualifications. You go to the interview and realize the job is to tutor and mentor the son of a renowned tech billionaire. The son has had behavioral problems in school and was threatened with expulsion, so the single father decided to hire a trained professional to assist in his son's issues. The more time you spend with the small family, the more you realize that the son's behavioral problems stem from his poor relationship with his father. The billionaire is smart, innovative, clever, handsome, and stubborn. He initially disagrees with your analysis, but then eventually gives way to your advice. The longer you spend in the role of caregiver to both father and son, the more you start to feel like this is where you belong.
• Life is hard, especially for a single mother, but you've made the best of it and took a new job as the secretary for a billionaire. A terrible tragedy rocks his world and you're there as a shoulder to cry on as he heals (and falls in love with you).
• An overweight billionaire hires you to be his fitness coach. You get his blood pumping in more ways than one and the healthier he gets, the more you're attracted to him.
• He's a reclusive billionaire and you are a model hired to be his guest for the evening at a local charity function. He initially has nothing to say to you, but begins to admire you for who you really are inside. Romantic sparks ensue.
• A music industry mogul hears your voice on a demo album that he receives and signs you to his label. Your troubled life and past keep him at bay for a while as his friends warn him against it, but true love can't be held back for long.
• Your dream is to sail around the world and he has the yacht to do it. The only problem is: You're the new maid hired to keep the yacht spotless while docked.
• You are a young girl on a student scholarship at a very high-profile British university. One day at the uni pub you meet a handsome young man with whom you feel in love at first sight. Next day, you open the newspaper only to discover you have been out with a crown prince.
• He ran his hand through your hair, commenting on its softness, and from that moment you were hooked. You had no idea he owned a vast empire of real estate and was looking to find the perfect lady to settle down with.

With funny, heartwarming scenes and plots such as childhood sweethearts coming back together or strangers finding one another against all odds, this subgenre is always a fan favorite.

• The new guy you have been dating has invited you to his house for a home-cooked Italian meal. You put on your cutest outfit and head over in anticipation of some cannoli and canoodling. He invites you in and offers you a drink, and then his mother walks out of the kitchen with a tray of antipasti and a scowl.
• You are mad at the world and he's an eternal optimist. While on a business trip, you get stranded in the same hotel room (thanks to a hurricane) and the ensuing hilarious encounters convince you to join him in romance (and optimism).
• A couple has been dating for about three years, and the man still hasn't proposed. The woman is getting impatient, and after a drunken night out on the town, she proposes to him. He loves her—but he says no—owing to his belief that it's a man's job to propose. This awkward moment leads the pair down a path neither expected.
• You've just moved into a fixer-upper in a quaint neighborhood. You're looking forward to the project of building and designing your nest. Everything's perfect…or would be, if it weren't for that gorgeous but obnoxious guy next door, who's also remodeling his house and who you fight with practically every day.
• You are the maid of honor in your best friend's destination wedding, but you are single and feeling depressed about having to attend solo. Stressed and grumpy on the long flight there, you have a few too many drinks and pass out, drooling, on the shoulder of your seatmate. When you arrive at the wedding, you are mortified to discover that your handsome seatmate is the best man, and you spend the rest of the wedding weekend trying to avoid him.
• You and he are ruthless competitors at a bank. You are both constantly trying to outdo each other and compete for the assistant manager's position. One day, you get into a heated argument in the supply closet that ends up turning into heated passion. After the encounter in the closet, the competition gets complicated.
• You are taking a break behind the catering truck with the other extras, when the star of the movie, a major celebrity, asks you for a light. In that moment, more than a cigarette is lit up, and the whole film production goes sideways.
• When you dreamed of becoming a television writer, you never expected you'd end up wasting your time writing for a vapid dating quiz show, but a job's a job. One night, your very charming, very single boss asks why you're working late; you mumble something about new truth-or-dare questions. "Great," he replies with a smile. "Ask me one."
• You work in an office with a co-worker who annoys you with his political views that you disagree with. You complete a profile on a dating site and it pairs you with him. At first, you laugh at this, but realize that you are attracted to him despite his political leanings. You end up going on a date and having a lot more in common than you suspected you would.
• You are a single parent with eight children. Eight. And he's the first person to take an interest in years. You have to deal with two grown children who think he's a creep, younger children who don't want him to replace your late partner, and your own reluctance to invest in a new relationship.
• Your friend can't wait to introduce you to her new beau. She's been talking about him nonstop and you're actually a little nervous to meet him. When he walks through the door your jaw drops. You would know that face anywhere.
• You and your friend are in different relationships that are unhealthy. When you get together, you are constantly sharing stories about how miserable you are. Finally, it dawns on one of you that you should be with each other because you have much more in common with each other than with your partners.
• You fall in love with an adventurous, fun-loving mountain climber. Little does he know that you are afraid of heights and have never slept outside. He invites you on one of his expeditions, to your dismay. You really want to impress him, so you pack your hair dryer and try to make the best of it.
• You encounter your high school sweetheart on the weekend you are set to marry another woman (who is spoiled, selfish, and cruel to others). Your best friends work earnestly to thwart the wedding and convince you that your first love is the right one for you.
• You are a stand-up comic, and have spent most of your life making people laugh. You were on the verge of signing a major television deal to have your own prime time comedy show, when tragedy struck and you found yourself struggling to laugh again. Then you meet someone who changes everything.
• You never learned to swim, but signed up for adult swimming lessons despite your misgivings. Your instructor is a drill sergeant-type who seems to think you're training for the Olympics, but the only other student helps lighten the mood. You begin to grow fond of the student.
• You meet your online dating match at a craft brewery, expecting a face that looks nothing like the profile picture. But when you lock eyes it's electric and you talk for hours. You start to think he has relationship potential…but then he tells you about his extensive doll collection.
• You are a dog walker with little interest in anyone with fewer than four feet. Your new client, the handsome owner of a goofy, flatulent French bulldog, changes all of that when you begin to bond over your loveable new charge.
• You just scored a spot on a major competition TV show that makes its participants do the craziest things. You're partnered up with a handsome but over-confident stranger who, you decide, you instantly despise. Can you work together to win the day and the huge prize?
• You're a single mom who works two full-time jobs to make ends meet. The new manager at your second job asks you out on a date. He's hot, kind, and perfect, but your son hates him and shows that in many humorous ways. Will love blossom or wither under his disapproving gaze?

The complexity of modern life and the reality of romantic pursuits take center stage in these stories. Characters and situations are grounded in everyday realism, and the female protagonist is usually no shrinking violet.

• You're a publicist secretly in love with your famous client, but his agent thinks you should cook up a story about him and his co-star to generate buzz for their upcoming movie. This involves arranging dates and photo ops for the two of them, but you can't help but notice he seems more interested in you.
• He's a writer who has bestsellers and movies based on those bestsellers, but he has run into horrible writer's block. You're an adventure guide and you know exactly what he needs for his inspiration to return.
• An intriguing character across the beer garden keeps staring at you and finally walks over. "Ten euros," the stranger says, putting a freshly sketched portrait of you on the table. It's a good likeness. You wonder why the artist chose you as a subject. You reach for your wallet, saying, "Only if you stay for a drink."
• You love them both, but they're married, to each other.
• You're a teacher, and you get a new student in your class – a shy little girl who needs some extra help with reading. You offer to tutor her after school, and you discover that she lives with her divorced father, who is struggling to balance single fatherhood with his work as a police officer. You offer to help out where you can, and romance blooms.
• You are a successful singer, a tabloid favorite and a judge in a national TV singing contest. An attractive and charming contestant fails badly during his performance. You want to approach him and express your feelings but you are afraid of negative attention from the press like last time. Yet you have to do something or you'll never see him again.
• While visiting your grandmother in her nursing home, she tells you that her high school sweetheart, who broke her heart by marrying someone else before she met your grandfather, just moved into a room down the hall. One day, you meet the man's grandson, who has been told a different version of what happened between them. You compare notes over lunch, and as you fall in love, you help your grandparents rekindle their own romance.
• You work in a corporate office in a mid-level professional position. One day, you accidentally receive an email from the VP, the son of the company's CEO, that's meant for someone else with your last name. Then, you begin an ongoing email correspondence wherein you begin to develop feelings for each other.
• The quiet guy who lives next door to you hardly seems to notice you, but you can't help but notice him—he's gorgeous. You've given up all hope of striking up a conversation until he comes to your rescue one night after your ex shows up to your house, drunk and looking to take you back, whether you want him or not.
• Attending preschool functions as a single dad makes you the only man in a romper room of pretty, attention-starved, flirtatious moms. Their playground games range from helpful and sweet to saucy and brazen. You must choose between your desires and what is best for your kid.
• You are instantly attracted to the well-dressed person sharing your elevator, but could never think how to initiate a conversation. So the two of you ignore each other as the elevator pumps up New York's Chrysler building. Slowing to a stop on the 117th floor, there's a blackout!
• You're already having the worst day ever, and a fender bender on the way to an important client meeting is the last thing you need. Even the attractive guy you hit doesn't cheer you up…until he does.
• You were in love with him since high school but he never returned your feelings. You get happily married and get a job as a flight attendant. During one of your business trips you spot him on board, handsome and clearly impressed by the new you. He actually asks you out when landing.
• You're an up-and-coming chef whose culinary talent is getting a lot of attention in your city. You agree to compete on a new cooking game show that will give you national exposure and possibly prize money that will help you fulfill your dream of opening your own restaurant. But you are shocked to discover that your competition isn't just any old cook, but rather a charming, cocky, talented sous-chef you might have met before. Although you try to hide it from the producers, it's obvious that you two have history and chemistry off the charts—and the competition has just gotten that much more complicated.
• You own a flower shop, and every week for the past year, a handsome guy has come in to order a dozen roses to be sent to his girlfriend. One day, another man comes in to send a dozen roses…to the same woman. Now you are left with a dilemma: tell the first customer, or let him find out on his own.
• You are on a blind date, and the guy turns out to be a total jerk. Increasingly uncomfortable, but too polite to get up and leave, you are grateful to be rescued by a handsome stranger who comes over and gives you an out.
• You've given up on looking for love, burying yourself at the office as only an accountant at tax time can do. Poring over a client's receipts, an irresistible portrait emerges: scuba trips to your favorite island, charitable contributions, and other proofs of values you treasure. On paper, this person is your soulmate.
• A recently divorced woman leaves New York to move back to her hometown. Depressed and unhappy with small-town life, she has a change of heart when she meets someone from her past – and can suddenly imagine a future again.
• You'd never have an affair with a married man, except he promises he is divorcing his wife. When you see them together at a gallery opening you are faced with stunning realization. You look identical to her, except that you're twenty-five years younger.
• Moving into the retirement community felt like taking a seat in heaven's waiting room. Then who should roll up in a golf cart? Under the gray hair and wrinkled skin, you recognize the twinkling eyes of your high school crush.

These romance stories involve magical characters within a fantasy setting. The arc often revolves around an adventure that leads to romance for the protagonist. Like most fantasy stories, effective worldbuilding is essential for creating a compelling plot.

• Growing up, there was a knock on the door every year at midnight on your birthday. With everyone sound asleep, you would always go and check who's there, only to be met with nothing. On your 20th birthday, the knock happens as usual, but this time someone is standing in front of you. It is the handsome man from your nightmare last night—a person who wielded powerful magic and saved you from a dark being during your dream. You hope that your dream was not a premonition.
• As a child, a bluebird would leave small gifts of pebbles, flowers, feathers, and scrap metal at your window. Years later at a gallery opening, you come across a handsome and mysterious mixed media artist whose compositions featuring pebbles, flowers, feathers, and scrap metal are intriguingly familiar.
• It is said that when the world eventually falls into darkness, there will be one who will come from the light to lead humanity out of it. You. You are the Prophecy, an angel who is the sole salvation for the human race. You have been under constant threat of destruction. Demons and dark forces hunt you endlessly. It is a battle just to survive. However, when a demon corners you and confides in you instead of attacking, you lower your weapon and listen. "You are wrong about all of this," the handsome demon states. "The Prophecy foretells that you will be the cause of humanity's downfall. All humans and demons will perish, and angels will rise in their place. What your brethren has told you has been a lie. Join me, and together we will make our own destiny together."
• Laid off from your job, you come home early to find your fiancé sleeping with your so-called best friend. To top it off, your great-aunt has passed away. You haven't seen her since you were a child, but you receive a letter from a solicitor notifying you of her passing and that you are her sole beneficiary. To what, the letter doesn't state, only that you have to appear for the reading of the will in person. You've never been to England, but now is as good a time as any. Your great-aunt lived a full life, if not a little bit eccentrically. She left you everything, including the estate, but with a catch: For the will to be permanent, you have to find the Trinity Stones within your great-aunt's manor. The story is that the queen, jealous of her step-daughters' beauty, stole the stones and trapped the young princesses inside. Find the stones, and you free the sisters. The folklore is as old as the house. Nevertheless, you are determined to find them, and you have the help of the attractive young solicitor, who feels duty-bound to help you search for them.
• In a world where elves rule the forests, dragons rule the skies, and giants rule the plains, humans are left to fend for themselves in mountain settlements throughout the continent. As a princess of one of these scattered settlements, you have always wanted to venture out of your homeland, but your father, the king, forbids it. When your father falls deathly ill, you are finally granted your wish as you must travel into the forest to find an elven wizard rumored to have healing powers. The journey is difficult, and you encounter troubles along the way. You find the wizard, but he is different than what you had imagined, and he has requests you must follow if he is to heal your father. The first request is a kiss.
• If you could have any superpower, what would it be? On Earth, such a question is a game. On Planet Desalia, it's reality. Everyone gets to choose their magical power on their 18th birthday. You choose invisibility and quickly start a one-sided relationship with a love interest you follow around town. Things get awkward when your love interest chooses the power of x-ray vision and confronts you about following her.
• On your eighteenth birthday, you notice unexplainable things happening around you. Objects seem to move if you squint at them. Faint, golden sparks seem to shoot from your fingertips. Dreams of a handsome stranger with violet eyes plague you at night. At first, you chalk it all up to your imagination, but a week after your birthday, the mysterious stranger from your dreams approaches you and reveals that you are a high-born fairy who was hidden in the human world as a baby for your protection. You are now coming into a powerful arsenal of magic and are destined to be the ruler of a fairy kingdom that will fall apart if you continue residing in the human world.
• In your universe, the Gods are approachable beings with whom anyone can converse and interact. Following a devastating break-up, you call upon the Gods for the power to prevent tragedy in your life and are bestowed the gift of immortality and magical power, making you the first sorceress in your world. Local townsfolk are afraid of your powers, however, and you must hide from a mob hellbent on burning you at the stake. When a handsome warrior hears of your plight, he comes to your aid, protecting you from those who think that magic is inherently evil.
• You are a royal in the 1560 Danish court and in love with a beautiful woman who rejects your feelings. You obtain a magic potion that makes the drinker love the first person he or she sees. You plan to use it on her but her sister drinks it by mistake.
• Desperate for tuition money, you stumble upon a flyer for a drug trial. Three weeks, easy money. Most likely you will get the placebo anyway, but even if you don't, there shouldn't be any lasting effects. Unfortunately, they lied. You wake up, but you aren't you anymore. Given your new shapeshifting abilities, the scientists who administered the drug trial perform experiment after experiment to see just how far your powers can go. Desperate to escape, you enlist the help of another captive with similar abilities. You find that you can speak telepathically to her, and together you plot your escape. As you work together, you discover there is more to her than meets the eye. Her father, a magical shaman from a far-away land, is behind the development of the drug. Now you have to decide if the woman you've fallen for is to be trusted or will eventually betray you.
• You live in a realm where magic exists alongside modern life, but everyone can't see it. You have seen it all of your life while your romantic interest thinks it's all silly and your imagination. Then he sees something he can't un-see and finally believes.
• Your life is anything but ordinary. You are a dream walker and one of the last of your kind. Gifted with the ability to enter into the dream realm, you are hunted by both those who believe you are an unholy aberration of the Divine Right and the Shadow Terrors, who want to exploit your abilities to bestow death and destruction to all that is good. Your only hope to survive is to join forces with Ranger, a dark and dangerous wanderer who shows no allegiance to any faction and only looks out for his own personal gain. So why would he help you?
• Raised in an orphanage, you know nothing of your magical heritage. However, when you reached the age of maturity, you discovered that you possessed the powers of both the light and the dark. You don't know how your dark powers came to be, but they could get you killed by the magical enforcers: a group sworn to remove black magic from the world. That's why you fled the orphanage in the dead of night and never looked back. You survived on the streets, using your wit and your grit as well as a little bit of your dark powers, but only when absolutely necessary. Now an adult, you still remain in the shadows, keeping to yourself. One fateful night you stumble across an attempted murder. You refuse to watch an innocent man be killed. With no choice but to use your dark powers, you save his life. Little do you know that the handsome man you saved is, in fact, a magical enforcer.
• As a fairy, you live in a hidden kingdom deep within woods. Most of your kind grow wings when they reach puberty. However, yours never grew. Now 20 years old, you are shunned by both family and friends. You watch sadly as the rest of your generation takes flight and chooses their mates while you are left on the ground, with no one to share your heart. Dismayed, you leave the kingdom and go elsewhere, hoping to find a wingless mate who will accept you. While on your search, you find a fairy who lost one of his wings during a battle. You aren't sure how he feels, but you instantly fall for him.
• He's been your protector for years. Having come of age, you are now expected to ascend the throne as demon Queen of the Underworld, but you want him by your side. Although you've loved him since you were a teenager, he only sees you as his charge—his duty, nothing more. In order to fully ascend and claim what's rightfully yours, you must be mated by midnight of the next equinox. You only have two months to prove to this man that what you feel is real and that he is meant to be your life mate so you can rule the Underworld together.
• Seven years ago, your older brother disappeared during his Trials of Espial, a quest each mage who comes of age must take to receive the ordainment of their magical order. Now it's your turn. You can choose to follow the same path as your brother, or you can carve your own path. No one would fault you for moving on. Regardless of which path you choose, you are granted the accompaniment of a spirit guide. Choose your own path and you are granted Sylindra, a soft-spoken white mage who has been your best friend since you were children. Choose to follow in your brother's footsteps and you must put your trust and your life in the hands of the same handsome and enigmatic spirit guide that failed to protect him.
• Betrayed by your own brother, you are cursed by a spell from the ancient tomes you were sworn to protect. Now branded with the mark of the Serpent, you are cast out from your clan and banished from your beloved country. As you wander the outer lands, you hear rumors of a powerful sorceress with the knowledge of the curse that lives within the caves of the Hindral Mountains. You venture there and find that the sorceress is a young and beautiful maiden. After hearing of your plight, she vows to help you remove the curse. However, the ingredients for the cure lay deep within the caves—deeper than even the sorceress has dared to venture.
• You're from a realm where all beings have the gift of seeing others' aura. You meet a man who has no aura at all—something you've never encountered. Then you learn why and can't help but to love him for it.
• You're a witch from a centuries-old powerful coven. Except, you have no magical powers. Or at least, no way of accessing them. Until you meet a dangerous vampire, who tells you he can help you unlock your powers…if you'll become his permanent blood-snack.
• As a demonic angel-hunter, you do not know the difference between right and wrong. You have been raised and trained from birth to kill those in the white robes, but then one captures you before you can kill him. He makes it his mission to change you, and over time your demonic features recede. Hate and rage are replaced by kindness and understanding. Your dark red scaly skin becomes human-like in appearance. When your horns fall off, your angel captor decides to release you. Yet you refuse to go, as your love for him has blossomed during your transformation. You know that other angel-hunters will pursue him once they learn what has become of you, and you become determined to defend yourself and your love from these demonic forces.

This subgenre includes elements of mystery and horror and is usually set in a haunted castle or old house. The stories often employ the "woman in peril" trope, while essential characters may hide dark secrets.

• On the moors of England in the 19th century, you take a job as governess to the small children of a reclusive lord. The lord tells you the rules of the house, including that it is forbidden to enter the east wing; indeed, the door to that section of the house will always be locked. One day the children run away from you. You look for them and eventually hear them on the other side of the east wing door. Unable to open it, you ask the handsome groundskeeper for help. He uses his skeleton key to open the door, and you find only a dark corridor on the other side. The children suddenly appear behind you. You ask them where they were, and they tell you that they were playing in the kitchen. Then the groundskeeper pulls you aside and warns you that this house is not what it appears to be, and you should be wary of your surroundings. Just as he finishes his warning, the east wing door slams shut.
• Many years ago, you were invited to stay at your uncle's castle. Although you didn't like it at first, the place grew on you and, eventually, you couldn't think of any other place that you would like to live. Today, a new guest arrives at the estate, and you are excited to see him. It has been a long time since someone has visited. His clothes are somewhat odd, yet you find him quite attractive. You began talking to him, but he just ignores you. You follow him from room to room, but he doesn't seem to care as he is busy measuring the walls. When you have had enough—you are a duchess, after all, and no one should treat you so rudely, no matter how cute they are—you confront him, cornering him in the kitchen, grabbing his shoulders, and yelling, "Can you hear me? What is your problem?!" His eyes go wide as if he's looking at a ghost.
• As you walk through the abandoned castle, you have a strange feeling that someone is watching you. Then, up ahead, you see a painting on the wall of a fine young gentleman from the 1800's. As you look closer, you notice that the eyes of the gentleman are following your every movement. You stand there and stare at the painting, petrified with fear. Then, one of the eyes winks at you.
• A year ago, your sister married a wealthy man who seemed a bit strange to you. After the wedding, her new husband whisked her away to his stately mansion by the sea, and you haven't seen her since. At first, she sent you letters, but gradually the communication became less and less. Now it's been a couple months with no communication from her at all, and you're worried about her. You set off to find her, bringing the handsome young man who was always your sister's best friend as your travel companion. When the two of you arrive at the location where you thought she lived, you find that the mansion has been abandoned for years.
• Ever since you were a child, you've loved the big old house on the outskirts of town. You dreamed of living there and obsessed over every detail of the house. Your second-grade teacher was even concerned about your obsession, especially considering that every picture you drew in class was of that large house on the hill. As an adult, you come into some money, so when the house comes on the market, you quickly call up the seller and agree to buy it. It is what you always wanted, and now you can finally live there and slowly renovate it over time. The man selling the house recently inherited it from his deceased grandmother. When he gives you the keys, he tells you that the house has a funny effect on people, so he'll stop by to check on you later. You find him a little odd, but charming in a sort of endearing way. Yet that night you begin to understand what he meant when you hear a whisper coming from the hallway. You get out of bed and put your ear close to the bedroom door, but all you can make out is: "Welcome home. We missed you."
• You are moving to a large house in the South to take care of your aging grandmother. Once there, you encounter family secrets and lies that have torn the family apart, along with your childhood sweetheart who helps keep you safe when the secrets turn deadly.
• "Speak softly love," he whispers in your ear. But when you turn in surprise, there is nothing there but a bust of a handsome young man staring back at you. You continue walking down the dark corridor.
• The train you're on to travel across England suddenly derails and crashes. Luckily the young man you've been sitting next to and chatting with during the entire trip saves your life, but then he vanishes. When you ask about him later, you're told there was no passenger by that name or description on the train. You return to the scene of the crash, looking for any clues about his identity, but after several unfruitful hours, you walk back toward your car, frustrated and tired. From the parking lot, you see the ruins of a castle in the distance and notice the young man standing in front of it. You rub your eyes and look again, but he is gone. You decide to investigate further.
• You've purchased an old house that's on the historic registry and needs a lot of work. As you uncover its years of use and abuse, you find messages on the walls that appear and disappear, even though you're the only one living there. You ask a nearby handyman for help in deciphering the mystery and romance ensues.
• You're a reporter investigating claims of violent crimes inside the ruins of an old house on the outskirts of town. Before you go, your father insists that you bring along a police officer he knows. After you begrudgingly agree, you meet up with this officer outside the house. You and the officer scale the chain link fence that surrounds the property and open the front door. The interior is surprisingly clean. There is no graffiti, no dirt, and not even a smidgeon of dust. There was just empty room after empty room with the occasional piece of furniture blanketed with a white cloth. You make it to the second floor and find an antique full-length mirror in one of the bedrooms. As you gaze at it, you notice in the reflection that the officer is walking around behind you. The guy is pretty attractive. Maybe you'll invite him for drinks after this. You look back at yourself in the mirror, but you don't see your reflection. Suddenly, a sheet that covered the bed behind you grabs the officer by the ankle and drags him under the bed. You turn around and the officer is gone.
• A few years ago, your friend and her husband decided to buy a 300-year-old castle in Ireland to renovate it from the ground up. You thought they were crazy. "If I sold my company," you thought, "the last thing I would do with that money is make a spooky castle my home." Now their castle renovation project is complete, and they invite you to fly over and check it out. Of course, the property is stunning. It seems like they spared no expense. After looking around the first floor, your friends invite you into the basement to see their wine room and to have an impromptu wine tasting. You agree wholeheartedly, needing a break from the "look at all of the pretty things I have" tour. As you sip your first glass, you feel woozy, then suddenly collapse. You wake up and find yourself chained to the wall. On the other side of the room is a man in his 20s. "What's going on?" you ask. He responds in an Irish brogue: "I was one of the contractors they hired. They didn't want to pay my bill, so they put me in this dungeon." He points to a key close to you. "If you can reach that somehow, we can get out of here." "But why are we here?" you ask. "Because the castle feeds on our suffering."
• They say that these old ruins are haunted. That no one should ever go there at night. Well, after your girlfriend goes missing, you go to that place. The one place that everybody said was the last place you should look for her. You hope to find your love, but you may find more than you bargained for.
• You have been having sleepwalking episodes ever since you moved into an old fixer upper and you constantly wake up exhausted. You install a camera and try to see what you do while you are asleep. You are surprised to discover you have been going out of your bedroom and having a relationship with a mystery man that appears to live in your house. Who is he?
• You whisper to him that he is the love of your life. He backs away, looks into your eyes, and tells you that no one has been alive here in over a hundred years.
• You travel to England and stay in a castle that's been converted into a B&B. You enjoy your time there and find the other guests downright charming, especially the man you bumped into in at the airport who surprisingly was staying at the same B&B. One day at breakfast, one of the guests starts chatting about how he used to be a lamplighter in Bristol. "A lamplighter? You must be well over a hundred years old, or maybe electricity isn't in fashion in Bristol," you joke. All of the guests at the breakfast table suddenly stop what they are doing to stare at you. Then, the lady who runs the B&B slowly approaches and whispers in your ear: "You are upsetting my patrons." You apologize and get up to leave, but she pushes you back down into your chair. "I'm sorry, love, but leaving is not an option." The room goes black. A person from the other side of the table lights a match. It is the handsome man from the airport. You ask what is going on, but he knows as much as you do. Together you look for a way out.
• When your great aunt from Scotland passes away, she leaves her old castle to you. As the castle in in disrepair, you plan to fix it up to sell. You aren't prepared for the ghosts of your aunt's past that you find there, or discovering her mysterious romantic history.
• You visit a beautiful old hotel near the sea that has been rumored to be a home for ghosts searching for their unrequited love. While there, you encounter a handsome ghost hunter who is there to speak with his grandmother, who has been dead for 15 years.
• After your fiancé up and leaves with no trace, you go through the usual process: disbelief, grief, anger, and, finally, something sort of acceptance. You return all the wedding gifts you'd already received and cancel every part of the wedding that you can, but the wedding venue—a castle that hidden in the hills of Scotland—refuses to return your money. You've paid in full to ensure that yours was the first wedding scheduled after the castle was renovated. You decide not to waste the money, wedding or no. But when you arrive at the grounds, it looks nothing like the pictures. It is decrepit and dirty, and when you venture inside, it's completely empty. The castle is straight out of a nightmare. You hear a noise. Convincing yourself it is the owner who can answer your questions, you follow the sound down a flight of stairs, then two, and then you hear the crystal-clear sound of a voice saying your name. But not any voice—it's him, your fiancé. You race after him, desperate for answers, when suddenly the door slams shut behind you and the lights go out. You scream, and from the dark corner someone begs you to be quiet. "They'll hear you," he says. You scramble away and trip over something firm. "Who?" You question. The man you still can't see lets out a shuddering breath. "The monsters that live here."
• While you are attending an elegant soiree at an old mansion, a servant runs out of the kitchen screaming that the house is on fire. You turn to run, but you can't find a way through all the people and smoke. Just as part of a wall is about to fall on you, a handsome stranger saves your life, sacrificing his own in the process. Afterward, the stranger appears to you in your dreams and begs you to come back to what is left of the mansion.
• During the Victorian era, a man has been falsely accused of murdering his neighbor. His wife, desperate to prove his innocence, conducts her own investigation into the crime. Venturing into the castle ruins where the murder took place, she finds both clues and assistance from the long-dead residents of the castle.

These stories are set in an earlier time period that frames the characters and their decisions. Common tropes include feuding families, arranged marriages, enemies becoming lovers, friends becoming lovers, and stark socioeconomic differences between lovers.

• You are a governess and you accept a position working for a Russian noble family. You have never ventured outside of your hometown in England, let alone the Russian Empire, and the head of this family is known for being a cantankerous and disagreeable baron who makes life difficult for anyone around him. It is anything but easy at first, but the young children quickly capture your heart. Over time, so does the baron.
• It's 1692 and you have been accused of practicing witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. You fear for your life as no one believes in your innocence except the kind, handsome deputy constable. He helps you escape, and the two of you flee through the New England wilderness with the Salem authorities in hot pursuit, falling in love along the way.
• You have always been good at selling yourself. While others shy away from social engagement, you jump right in feet first. You never miss an opportunity to make a business connection or perhaps convince some young ingénue that you are the next best thing to John Gilbert. One day you realize that, if you can scam that Texas oilman magnate you met last week into giving you a big pile of cash, you can use that money to convince an upper-class woman that you come from old European money. Then you can marry into wealth and be set for life. You'll have to change your name and adopt an accent, of course, but that's no big deal. After a few months of joining clubs, going to the right parties, and being seen with the right people, you shoot up the New York City social ladder. But now your money is running out. If you are going to make a move, you have to do it soon. The best mark by far is the woman in the red flapper dress you bumped into last week. She is the heiress to an overseas publishing empire and took a keen interest in you during that party. After a few get-togethers, your romantic efforts are successful, and you are on the fast track to marriage. However, when you happen upon her birth certificate in a lockbox you picked, you discover that she is as common as you are. Basically, she is playing the same game as you. You should be disappointed, but somehow this makes you fall for her instead.
• A year after the end of the American Civil War, the situation is still tense among the families in your small town along the Mason-Dixon line. Some families chose to ally themselves with the North, and others with the South. Your childhood sweetheart fought for the Confederacy at the behest of his father and came home a changed man, sullen and silent. As a staunch supporter of the abolitionist movement, you are still angry about his choices. Can you find common ground and learn to love one another again?
• You have just been formally introduced to society through a grand debutante ball. Eligible suitors may now seek your hand in marriage. Unfortunately for your family, no one who has come to court you has caught your eye. All of the men have been distasteful, brutish, and self-occupied. You seek a confident, daring person who embraces challenge and adventure. When you find those qualities in a newly hired maid, you decide to pursue her. Even though you desire her, you know you must tread lightly. If word got out, the repercussions could permanently damage the status of both you and your family.
• You are the daughter of a colonial governor in the Caribbean during the Golden Age of piracy. You are kidnapped by a notorious pirate captain and taken on a long sea voyage. At first, you are terrified of him, but as you spend more time on the ship, you begin fall in love. When your father sends his fleet to bring you back home, you must decide if you want to return to your old life.
• At the turn of the 20th century, you meet a someone who is unlike anyone you've met, and not given to following the rules of Newport high society. A scandal leads you to fight to prove your love's innocence.
• You are an herbalist in the Middle Ages, trusted by some in your village as a valued healer but reviled by others as a witch. One day, a boy rushes up to your house to tell you that a knight has been thrown from his horse and is lying in at the edge of the forest, barely alive. You bring the knight to your house and nurse him back to health. He is initially distrustful of you, but you fall in love during his convalescence.
• It is the dawn of the Age of Electricity, and inventors and entrepreneurs from across the world are working and competing with one another. Seizing the opportunity to be at the forefront of this technological revolution, you drop out of Harvard to pioneer the development of alternating current. To continue your pursuits, you seek outside investment from wealthy individuals. One successful businessman is interested in your invention, but reconsiders after learning that your business would be competing against the likes of Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. His daughter, however, still believes in you and your invention and makes a simple proposition to rectify the situation: Announce that you and she will be betrothed, and her father will have no choice but to invest in your business. After a year, you can call off the engagement. The idea makes sense, so you go along with it. Little do you know that this tactic would be the start of a true romance.
• You've just set foot in the New World, one of the first colonists to emigrate from England. Your love was too ill to handle the trip and stayed behind. You've agreed to send letters as often as the ships can carry them. This is your love story in letters.
• You run a Prohibition-era speakeasy, selling bootleg Canadian liquor for a powerful organized crime syndicate. One night you meet a beautiful new customer, and you are smitten at first sight—until you discover that she is the girlfriend of the local mob boss. Acting on your feelings would put both of your lives in danger, but are you willing to take a chance on love?
• A young, handsome prince has recently been betrothed, but you, a servant in his father's castle, have always cared for him. As wedding preparations commence and the two of you grow closer, he'll have to make a choice: you, or the princess that will bring peace to both of your kingdoms.
• The Seneca Falls Convention is next weekend, and you're all ready to go to show your support for the congregating suffragettes. But your father forbids you from going. He's against the movement and worries that, if you attend, it will fill your head with the wrong thoughts. Without your father's permission, you have no idea how you will travel to New York without any money besides pocket change. You bemoan your issue to your best friend, a man a few years older than you that you've known since you were both children. He offers a solution: He'll accompany you and pay for the train tickets and hotel room in exchange for a night out on the town with him. You didn't think he had feelings for you, and you are surprised by his ham-handed approach. What surprises you even more is your response: You say yes.
• The Sultan singles you out from the other concubines, summoning you to dance for him. It's a terrifying honor, but your movements flow like sea grass, pleasing his highness. Back at the harem, however, his favorite mistress is raging with jealousy. Pray his majesty calls you back before she strangles you with a silk veil.
• You are a young queen on the eve of your coronation and the first female ruler of the British monarchy. Your father passed away a week ago from a mysterious illness, leaving you grief-stricken and under the guidance of his closest adviser, who is pressuring you to marry a nobleman of his choosing. Rumor has it that the adviser had something to do with your father's death, but no one will step forward with proof. Needing an escape, you disguise yourself as a commoner and sneak into town, where you stumble into a pub and meet one of the palace guards. He doesn't recognize you, and the two of you spend the entire night deep in conversation that ends with a kiss. The next morning at your coronation, you lock gazes with the guard, and his eyes widen with recognition.
• Traveling from Mexico to California to pick walnuts in the early 1900's, you are taken aback when the wealthy landowner catches you painting in the grove after work one evening. Art becomes your common ground, making room for friendship despite the ethnic, class, and language barriers between your two worlds.
• You remember it like it was yesterday. When news spread throughout Nantucket that the whaleship Essex was attacked and sunk by a whale, you were absolutely devastated. You hoped and prayed that your husband was one of the survivors, but he wasn't. After several of years of mourning, you are determined to move on with your life. One day, you catch the gaze of a wealthy local banker as he pretended to be looking at a shop window. You approach the shy man and strike up a conversation. After a few months of smiles and laughter, he proposes to you, and you eagerly accept. He is nothing like your former love, but you still adore him and appreciate his warmth and kindness. On your wedding day, you look out from your widow's walk as preparations are being made downstairs. Off in the distance, you see someone jumping out of a boat and running toward your home. You watch him as he nears, and suddenly you recognize him as your former husband.
• Your widowed mother and aunt pressure you to marry into wealth, introducing you to the most eligible suitors in Bruges society. You serve the pompous dullards moldy cheese and stale bread to express your disdain, lacking the courage to confess your heart already belongs to the poor farmhand.
• You don't have many options since your father died. With a grieving mother and four younger siblings to take care of, you leave home to work as a maid for a wealthy nobleman who was recently widowed. On your first day, the housekeeper warns you that you must never engage with the master of the house as he likes his privacy. Determined to stay employed, you agree to follow the rules. One morning while you are dusting the parlor, the master enters the room and, before you can rush out, asks you to stay and keep him company. He is lonely and grieving, and you are young and inquisitive. As the weeks go on, your bond grows. You start to see him as more than the master of the house, and it is clear that he sees you as more than just his maid.
• You are trapped in an old shoe factory during the Haymarket Riots, hiding from the gunfire outside. When a wounded protestor stumbles in, bleeding from a bullet wound to his shoulder, you find yourself in a situation you never imagined: nursemaid to an agitator. The more time you spend with him, desperate to keep him alive, the more you realize there's more than meets the eye—both with the riots and with the man himself. Drawn to his intensity, passion, and kindness, you can't help but wonder what will happen when the fighting ends and he can leave. Surprisingly, you find yourself hoping that he won't.

In these stories, the festivities of the holiday season provide the backdrop for a cozy romance. With common themes such as family bonding, restoring past heartache, and returning to holiday tradition, this subgenre focuses on warm hearts and hearths.

• It's the dreaded annual holiday party at work, complete with cheesy party games, forced fun, and a bunch of people who would rather be doing anything else. And, of course, there is a Secret Santa. Last week, you drew the name of Bob from accounting, who has the personality of a wet blanket. You really hope he likes the pens and pencils your grabbed during a quick trip to the stationery store yesterday. When it is your turn to open your Secret Santa gift, you plaster on a big fake smile and open the box. To your amazement, you find a snow globe that matches the one you had as a child but lost when you moved to college years ago. How would somebody find this? Who knows you this well? You look at the bottom of the snow globe and find a small handwritten note: "I hope you like this gift. It was difficult to find, but seeing you smile will be worth it. From your secret admirer." You look around the room, wondering who it could be but are left in the dark. You just hope that it isn't Bob.
• On each of the 12 days of Christmas, you receive extremely thoughtful gifts from a secret admirer. You and your best friend search to find this mystery person, but you soon realize that it was your best friend the entire time.
• Your brick-and-mortar toy story is on the brink of closing down due to competition from big box stores and e-commerce. You know that this Christmas will make or break your business, so you are willing to try anything this season to keep things afloat. When the owner of the candy shop down the road proposes a partnership, you jump at the opportunity. He has been wildly successful over the last few years, and now he is willing to let you in on a few of his business secrets while promoting your toy store to his pint-sized patrons. One day, when you catch him glancing at you for a little longer than expected, you feel there is more to this partnership than just business.
• Your marriage ended on Christmas of last year, and this year, you've vowed not to celebrate it. A new romantic possibility changes your mind and you have the most beautiful holiday imaginable.
• It's Christmas morning and you head out to get your family coffee and bagels for the present opening like you do every year. The new barista at the coffee shop is super cute, looking lonely and unhappy to be working on Christmas. In a moment of bravery, you invite him to Christmas dinner, thinking he'll probably have plans with his own family anyway. Well, he doesn't, and you have a Christmas date!
• You choose your own Christmas tree from the same farm every year as part of a sacred family tradition you've followed ever since you were a kid. This year when you find the perfect tree, someone else notices it at the same time from the other side of the tree. You squabble over the tree, and the argument becomes heated. After a lot of back and forth, you finally give up and storm out of the farm, driving away in a cloud of anger and sadness. However, your feelings change the next day when the stranger shows up at your house with the tree in his pick-up truck.
• Your flight was cancelled due to the snowstorm and now you can't spend Christmas with your family. You're wallowing, watching sappy romances on TV, and your Chinese food is on order. Who would've thought that the Chinese delivery guy would be your new holiday romance?
• You're a contestant in a popular televised baking competition and ready to wow the judges with your amazing gingerbread Christmas cake. This year's competition includes a twist: Competitors are randomly assigned into pairs, and together you must create one winning vision to take home the top prize. Will sparks fly? Or will there be too many cooks in the kitchen?
• Christmas is one of the most romantic times of the year, but can also be one of the loneliest. You join a dating service offering 12 blind dates in December. Will you find a date to your snobby family's Christmas Eve party, where no one ever shows up single?
• You're shopping for Christmas decorations, so excited to have your first Christmas in your own house so you need a lot more ornaments and décor than you currently own. But, being the klutz that you are, you end up knocking over tons of ornaments and displays, causing a Christmas decoration massacre! Good thing the store manager seems more concerned with you than with the mess you've made.
• Five Golden Rings: You receive five Christmas proposals from five equally matched suitors, although each is unique in their own way. You've been dating one of the suitors for a couple of years, so you were expecting that proposal. However, the other four are completely out of left field. Who will win your heart this holiday season and forevermore?
• While snowed in at the airport on Christmas Eve, you and the other passengers decide to throw a makeshift holiday party. The airport shops and restaurants are closed, so you and a few others decide to raid the vending machines and grab as many snacks as possible. A very nice traveler offers the champagne that he bought from the duty-free store a few hours ago. Another passenger offers a fruit pie from his carry-on bag. One mysterious passenger who seems reluctant to join in the fun catches your eye.
• This is the first Christmas you have celebrated since your parents' divorce made you hate the holidays. You meet someone else who has closed off his heart to Christmas, and together you find a way to rediscover the magic of the season—but you never expect what comes next.
• When your dog goes missing on Christmas Eve, you spend hours searching the neighborhood for her, fearing what could happen if she's trapped out in the cold. Late that evening, a stranger sees the flyers you're posting near his home and tells you that he has found your dog. He invites you in and you are overjoyed to see your furry friend curled up next to his fireplace. After a pleasant conversation with the stranger, you decide to stay a bit longer to escape the cold. You end up staying all through Christmas Day as romance blooms.
• Newly engaged and beyond happy, you are preparing to bring your fiancé home for the holidays to meet your family for the very first time. So far, the two of you have had an idyllic relationship, but the true test will come when the parents and siblings come into the picture and dredge up the past.
• You're spending the holidays away from family this year, having recently moved overseas to Japan. Expecting your Christmas will be uneventful, you plan to hunker down in your PJs and watch your favorite holiday movies. However, you soon discover that Christmas Eve is a romantic holiday in Japan, similar to Valentine's Day, in which couples spend time together and exchange gifts (and, for some reason, eat lots of fried chicken). A new acquaintance asks you out, and you have your first ever first date on Christmas Eve.
• You're in charge of organizing this year's Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting. When one of the singers scheduled to perform during the show flakes out at the last minute, you scramble to find a replacement. As you work through your rolodex, finding that—not surprisingly—every singer you know is unavailable, you worry that the lighting will be a disaster. Then you find one person who says he can be there in 15 minutes and pull off an acapella performance—but only if you go on a date with him. With no other options available, you agree.
• You're trying to get back to your fiancé for Christmas but a major snowstorm prevents you from flying. Luckily, a generous stranger offers to drive you across country in his truck. The crazy cross-country trip may be more than you two bargained for when sparks begin to fly.
• Sometimes love at first sight means via social media, right? When you double tap the Instagram promotion for a new holiday basket company you never expected anything to come of it, let alone for the owner of the company to message you…or to spend all of Christmas Eve night chatting with handsome businessman.
• You're boarding at a school overseas, and most students are going home for the holidays. You can't afford the trip, so you've decided to stay despite the fact that you miss your family. A charming classmate whose father is a teacher at the school invites you to join him and his family for Christmas. During the break, you relearn what Christmas, and love, are all about from a new perspective.

The lovers in these stories experience a spiritual journey that results in a strong bond not only to each other, but also to their religious beliefs. There are usually consequences for sinful behavior, and redemption arcs are common.

• You're a famous gospel singer, spreading the word of the Lord with your God-given ability to sing. Your gift has brought you around the world and back again, but it's also brought you a busy and lonely life. One day, you are overjoyed when you accidentally bump into a member of your church hundreds of miles from home. You talk about memories of your hometown and, when he admits that he has always had a thing for you, you smile and tell him that you feel the same way. You believe this was meant to be. However, your faith and love are challenged when it is time to go to your next gig. Will you stay with your one true love or continue spreading the word?
• You were a rebellious teenager who fell in with a bad crowd far too young to understand the consequences. After years of struggling with addiction, you leave rehab looking for a new way to go about your life. You find resolve in your faith and depend on the pastor of your church for moral support. He knows everything about your past, but still embraces you as an important part of the community. One day while helping set up a food drive, you bump into the pastor's son. You instantly fall for him. However, you believe that the pastor would never let you two get close as he knows too much about your sordid past. At first you keep your feelings to yourself, but over time things begin to blossom between you and the son. You just hope that when his father learns of your relationship, he will have enough forgiveness in his heart to let your love continue.
• Your local church is about to close down due to a lack of attendance. Although you have fond memories of going as a child, you haven't gone in years and don't really care what happens to the church. But then your former Sunday school teacher comes knocking on your door to ask for your help in saving the church. He's much more handsome than you remember, and you agree to help him in order to get to know him more. What you don't expect is to have your faith renewed and your love for God come on as strongly as your love for the new man in your life.
• It's been a long journey from the small town where you were raised to the big city where your burgeoning PR business is making a name for itself. But there's one complication you never could have planned for: the boy who shows up claiming to be your son. When his mother rushes in after him, you realize that, although you might leave your home, it never really leaves you. The preacher's daughter is as beautiful as she was at nineteen. You turned your back on her and her faith when you left the town ten years ago. But now, as you get to know the son you never knew you had and re-meet the woman you'd tried to forget, you realize that sometimes God's plans for you are a little more complicated than you'd ever guess.
• A quiet stranger moves to town and joins your grief group. As a widow, you're open about your struggles and how the church has been there for you. The new man never says anything but attends every meeting and every Sunday service. Despite his stoicism, you find yourself drawn to him. God works in mysterious ways, you've learned, and there's nothing quite as mysterious as the stranger in your parish.
• If there's one thing you know, it's that good faith models after good practice. So you do your best to always set a good example of the life you're meant to live for your family and your community. But when a betrayal comes to light and your marriage is threatened, you have to ask yourself if you are sticking with tradition and good faith or following your heart and what you believe God asks. Although you know in your heart that faith trumps family, you find yourself on the outskirts of your community when your ex-husband refutes blame and tries to sully your reputation. When it seems impossible to come back, a new parishioner sees you in a way you stopped thinking was possible long ago. With his support, and your firm belief in your mission, you learn that sometimes following faith isn't the easiest path, but it is always the right one—and that hearts can heal no matter how deep the break.
• You've found the love of your life but he is not a Christian. Can you still follow the Bible and follow your heart?
• A deeply religious Christian couple fails to resist temptation and engage in premarital sex. The next morning, they are unsure how to deal with their actions. The man is willing to ask God for forgiveness. The woman is devastated, and doesn't think they can continue their relationship. She feels that she has failed God, and needs to find a way to seek God's forgiveness and forgive herself.
• You've never given faith much thought. You're not exactly atheist, but you wouldn't claim to be agnostic either. You're just uninterested. But when an accident leaves you hospitalized until you're able to heal, you meet a nurse who cares for you, holds your hand gently, and prays over you. You wonder if there's more to this universe—and yourself—than you ever knew. If there is, you think she must be the key.
• Your co-worker at the office is a quiet, kind, and patient woman. Whenever your bosses give you a tight deadline for a report, you cuss and swear but she emails you links to useful data and documentation for your report. When the delivery guy gives you the wrong order, she shares her homemade sandwiches. One day, your co-worker hands you a box lunch that she had made just for you. Already smiling, you open the box and find a note: "God loves you, and so do I."
• After an acrimonious divorce, you leave your hometown to work overseas as a missionary for a year. You meet another missionary who catches your eye, but he doesn't speak your language. You will have to find a way to bridge the communication gap for love to grow.
• You're a practicing atheist, which means you avoid all churches, spectacles, and other religious nonsense that rages on around you. But when a freak storm traps you and the pastor in a cabin with nothing but a fire and conversation, you realize that things might not be as they've always seemed. Maybe, just maybe, there's something to what the woman is saying. The light of day seems too bright, and a promise to attend worship with her brings doubt, but you've got to try. You realize that a connection this deep has to count for something.
• A handsome widower moves into town and becomes active in the church as a channel for his grief. You become friends and try to help him heal and learn to love again. Friendship quickly turns into romance; however, the widower's faith and commitment are questioned when the father of his late wife visits and learns of the budding romance. His father-in-law believes that starting a new relationship is disrespectful to his deceased daughter. You must bridge the gap between these two grief-stricken men and prove that the new love you have established is not a betrayal of the late daughter's memory.
• After a lifetime of running from your family's traditional expectations, you find yourself in the one place you never thought you'd be: the sanctuary of a church. You've got nowhere else to go and no one to turn to—except, maybe, the one thing you've been avoiding. The handsome pastor promises to help you find your way again. You slowly realize that sometimes the road less travelled is the one you were always meant to go down. With the promise of love, faith, and happiness on the horizon, you have to ask yourself: Can this be your home now?
• You are a successful career woman who's become a bit jaded, returning to your old hometown to try to find something you have lost along the way. You run into a high school crush who is now an unmarried pastor, and the reunion allows you to reconnect as you find that some things never change. This rekindled romance allows you to get your old self back, finding that faith and love were what you were missing all along.
• Devout your whole life, you're dedicated to preaching and spreading the gospel. But when a new man moves to town with a dark and mysterious past—and no patience for the community you've built—you're faced with your toughest challenge yet: love and cherish a man who is against everything you stand for. With a burly exterior and matching attitude, he tries to fight against your efforts to draw him closer until suddenly you both realize there's more at stake than just a religious conversion. To be together, there's always a give and take, but can you get through to the man you're developing feelings for? Or is love not in the cards?
• You and your fiancé have been blessed to be propelled on the path to missionary stardom after being chosen as the fresh young couple to lead your faith in educating and welcoming youths across the world. From brochures to posters to video interviews, you and your love have become a symbol of inspiration. However, the stress of public life has been a constant challenge, and your relationship with each other as well as with God has suffered as a result. How will you handle the fame and pressure that comes with spreading God's word?
• A difficult home life has led you to make choices that have given you a bad reputation in your small town. Embracing this image, you have grown into a reckless troublemaker with a stony heart. At the town's annual fair, you hear an angelic voice singing a hymn that gives you goosebumps. You follow the voice and discover it belongs to the preacher's daughter, who you know is devoted to her faith. You are the last man she'd be interested in, but you can't ignore the attraction you feel to her. As you pursue her, she challenges you at every turn. Over time, your stony heart softens as the light of her love and faith fill your life.
• Despite being widowed a decade earlier when your husband died of a heart attack, you're still sure of three things in your life: family, faith, and football. But when a football accident leaves your son in a coma, you lose it all in an instant. As a single parent, you spend all your time split between the hospital and work. You're angry with the coach, with the other team, with God—and with a handsome preacher who seemingly, infuriatingly, is everywhere. From the hospital hallways to the checkout line at the gas station, he's the one constant you've got in the world while your son lies unconscious in the ICU. The only problem? He wants you to forgive. As your faith dwindles, the preacher remains steadfast in his mission: to help you see God's will in your life, even when it hurts. As your son starts to heal, you realize it's not just your family and faith healing. Your heart is healing, too.
• Your dance group rents out the church basement for practice every week, but you've rarely ventured above into the church itself. Religion has always made you uncomfortable, and you generally avoid it at all costs unless it is part of a wedding or a funeral. However, a scheduling mishap, followed by a desperate pastor looking for volunteers, leads you to help out with the church bake sale. While organizing the event, you meet a handsome parishioner who challenges your lack of faith and opens your heart to greater possibilities.

In these stories, one or both of the lovers are part of the military, and their experiences in the armed forces affect who they are as characters. Military-driven situations tend to be the source of conflict and serve as the foundation for romantic interaction.

• You receive the news every spouse dreads: Your wife is missing in action and presumed dead. The Chinook helicopter she was piloting crashed in Zabul province within the Spin Ghar mountain range. So far, no one can approach the wreckage due to adverse weather conditions, but you can feel that she's still alive, somewhere nearby that location. You are determined to find her, so you gather your mountain climbing equipment and take the next flight to Afghanistan.
• You spent the last five years living through hell together as soldiers, with only a few brief moments apart. Now you're in your respective homes, halfway across the country and you can't help but think that what you had together might have been something more.
• Recently returned from war, you've been told by the doctors that you might never see again. Then you meet someone who seems more broken than you are, and you unite in your shared pain to help each other find meaning in a world that doesn't make sense anymore.
• Your boyfriend returns from war after suffering a severe head injury that impairs his memory. He doesn't remember you, despite the fact that you have been in a relationship with him for more than two years. You work with him day and night to help him regain his memories, showing him pictures and videos of his past and talking about what you have done together. Nothing works, and he begins to question everything, believing that you are some sort of spy assigned to interrogate him. His conspiracy theories become increasingly outlandish, and you start to give up hope. However, one day, he remembers something from his past. You are overjoyed when he remembers you and your love, but when the memories of war begin to terrify him, you must help him cope with a fear that, until now, was in the deep recesses of his mind.
• When your spouse returns from Afghanistan, you are elated. You were so fearful for his safety and feel relieved that the worst is over. However, you are unprepared for how much PTSD and culture shock would isolate your loved one from everyone once he returned home. You struggle to show your love and find ways to connect.
• You're a third-generation soldier, proudly decorated and always ready to serve your country and your people. After three tours in Afghanistan, you barely think twice before signing up for a fourth. But then you meet her. She's everything you've ever wanted and a million things you never even dreamt possible. As you prepare to ship out in a week, the woman you love promises to write. Unfortunately, when you arrive back on base, things aren't quite as they seem. You discover a conspiracy involving your commander and certain members in your regiment, and now you face your most difficult challenge yet: Do you get in line, do your work, and go to home to the one you love or do you investigate your commander and find the evidence that will expose the conspiracy? One thing is for certain: If your commander discovers your investigation, everyone in your life will be at risk, including the love of your life.
• You've been out of the military for ten years, a civilian in all the ways that matter. But your life lacks meaning—not from your lack of service, but from the woman you left behind. She went missing on your last mission, and you've never been able to forget her. You never told her the truth, told her that you loved her, and the mistake eats at you. Even a decade later, it consumes you. One day you open your door to find her standing on the other side.
• You are a young woman living near an American military base in Japan during the post-WWII occupation. You have met and fallen in love with a handsome GI who wants to marry you and take you to live in his hometown in Indiana when his tour ends. You love him, but you are reluctant to leave Japan and everything you have ever known. Things get even more complicated when your family threatens to disown you if you leave.
• It's a fairy tale romance: boy soldier meets girl soldier on base, falls in love, and marries the girl. You've been with your spouse for three years now and, even though the war rages on and you're in combat, you're together. Then a run-of-the-mill raid goes sour, and your spouse is declared missing in action. Before you can get any information, you're called to the frontlines. Now you have a choice to make: follow your duties and commander or become insubordinate, abandon your post, and search for your spouse. For you, it's really no choice at all. You leave, with nothing more than a pack on your back, while two armies continue fighting to the death and you an enemy to both. Your spouse might be dead for all you know, but one thing's for certain: You're not leaving this place alone.
• In WWI Russia, you believe your lover is going to propose marriage. Instead he suddenly departs with the army, leaving you with no plan for a future. Should you embrace the nearest friend in this war-torn world? Or wait, fanning the faint hope that your true love is alive somewhere and will return.
• You are a prosthetist working at Walter Reed, and your newest patient is a hard case: a handsome young veteran who lost both of his legs in a roadside IED explosion. He is so depressed that he can barely even look at you during his first appointment, and he tells you that he hasn't felt like a whole man since losing his legs. As you get to know him better, you begin to develop feelings for him. You realize you want to give him more than a new set of prosthetic legs. You want to give him your heart.
• The last thing you remember is being shot down on the battlefield. When you wake up, you are standing in the middle of a crowd of people with a bomb strapped to your body and your hand fastened to the trigger. You scream for help, but everyone thinks you are a terrorist, except for one woman, who sees the truth in your eyes. Together, you seek help.
• You sign up at eighteen. At nineteen, you leave for special training. By twenty, you're the youngest Navy SEAL on your team. They call you baby and kid, but you don't mind because you know why you're there: do the job, protect your country, have your team members' backs. They have yours, too. But then you're sent on a CIA covert operation without them, with no one to have your back, and you start to question just how you're ever going to pull this one off. When all hope seems lost and you question whether you will even be able to complete your mission, you meet her. She's perfect—sweet, pretty, and, best of all, the daughter of the man you've been sent to kill. Perhaps she will be the ticket to get you in the same room with your target so you can complete your mission. But when you fall for her, you have to decide between your country and your love.
• A soldier home from deployment moves into the house next door to you. He befriends your dog after experiencing a PTSD panic attack one night. He's closed off, but gradually opens up to you.
• You receive word that your husband has been injured and is in a coma. He is a POW in a country where the Geneva Convention is an afterthought and women have limited rights. Despite all of this, you must reach him because you are a surgeon with a significant amount of experience treating his specific type of injury. You believe you and you alone can save him. Against all odds, you weave your way into the country so you can perform the surgery before it is too late.
• You wake up in the dark. Being one of the first female soldiers to attend the Special Forces Qualification Course, you thought you were ready for anything. However, nothing has prepared you for this. You remember that you were scaling a ridge on a solo mission. Something happened, and now you can't make out anything in the darkness. As your eyes adjust, you see a man in the distance, but you have no idea if he is a friend or foe. When you hear his voice, a smile comes across your face.
• He's a handsome, recently-returned vet dealing with PTSD and you're a nurse working at a VA hospital. You grew up watching your father struggle with his own memories of Vietnam and always regretted being unable to help him. You extend your hand in friendship, hoping you can make a difference.
• A sniper is part of a special security mission for a US ambassador in a war zone. You're the ambassador's daughter he can't help but fall for, no matter how much distance he tries to put between you. But a dangerous situation requires him to decide to save you, or the ambassador.
• You wake up one day, alone in the desert, with no memories, no keepsake, and no name. The heat only intensifies, and the questions follow suit, but you never find any answers. You eventually decide that it's okay to live like this, so you find a job, a house, and a name that works well enough in a village you've never even heard of before. Years pass, uneventfully. Then one day you see him, and a lifetime of memories rush back. Not all of them are good. The love for your beloved is almost as sweet as the biting pain from your time in the war. To save a child and his pregnant mother, you defied orders and became a criminal to your own country. Do you go back to that life, with a man you love but a history you'd sooner forget, or keep living the simple life you've built from the ground up? You've always believed true love conquers all. Now it's time to put that belief to the test.
• You are the wife of a soldier who is missing in action and presumed dead. His best friend, who survived the war, offered you comfort and companionship, and over time love blossomed. A year later, you learn that your husband is alive and is coming home. Now you must confess to him that you have moved on—or have you?

Within these stories, there is a romantic relationship between a human and a supernatural being, such as a vampire, werewolf, demon, shapeshifter, angel, ghost, or witch. Overcoming forbidden love is a major plot device for this subgenre.

• You always thought of death as just a vast nothingness, a rest that was eternal. When you actually die, however, you find that this isn't the case at all. You wake up—exhausted—and realize that you're still on Earth. You're incorporeal, and no one can see or hear you. You are a ghost. You get over the shock quickly enough, and then boredom sets in. In fact, you're absolutely out of your mind with boredom. Years and then decades pass as you roam the streets. One day, many years after you first awoke to this pitiful excuse of an afterlife, someone looks at you—not through you, but at you. Then he speaks. He can see you. You're determined to know why. As you get to know him, for the first time in ages, you feel love.
• In a world of angels and demons, humans are a rare commodity, and any who survived The Great War are in hiding. Now, years after the war started, your little brother has gone missing. The elders forbid you from searching for him, claiming it is too dangerous, too volatile. You leave anyway, only to run face first into a handsome renegade angel, with a sword in hand and death in his eyes. He sees your desperation, your humanity, and promises you one thing: He will help you on your journey or die trying. With your brother missing and humans being sold to the highest supernatural bidder, you don't have time to be wary. It's you and one broken angel against a whole world.
• You are a busy bank clerk with no social life but a great love for reading fiction. One day you read a book about a fairy. As you keep reading, you find yourself gradually falling in love with her. One day she flutters into your bank.
• You are a rich merchant in medieval England and hire a servant girl to work in your shop. You fall for her and plan to propose to her but rumors are she is a practicing witch. You don't believe it until you discover strange objects such as melted wax and bird feathers under your bed.
• You are a werewolf slayer whose duty it is to protect humanity from the Lycan hoard. However, you never anticipated that your true love would become the one thing you were trained to kill. You didn't get to her in time, and she was bitten before you could intervene. Yet the law is the law. She must be slayed before she harms others. There is no chance of her changing back. But you just can't bring yourself to do it. Now you must protect the one you were sworn to destroy.
• You're used to a life of general monotony; after all, being a vampire for the last two hundred years has left you with a lot of downtime. You've perfected most musical instruments, read every bestseller ever, and are a pretty good woodworker now. But no amount of hobbies can ever really fill your day, and you're starting to feel the slow grind of boredom even more acutely. Then, you meet him: smart, funny, handsome, and, unfortunately, human. He captivates you in a way that no other human has in your two hundred years. You have to be careful to not let your secret slip, to not let him know the truth about you, but it's worth it for this friendship—for the energy and life that he offers you, just by existing. But when a tragic accident occurs and he is injured with no signs of recovery, you have to make an impossible decision: Do you let him die a human death and lose him forever or do you curse him to an afterlife that even you don't want just so you can keep him in your life?
• A deep voice sings each night, a haunting song unlike any you've heard at the recording studio where you work. Each night, you listen and fall in love until one moonless night you seek its origin, finding a handsome ghost who wishes he had tasted love before death stole him away.
• It is hard for an aspiring witch when the black cat you have loved for 10 years suddenly dies. While burying him out in the garden, a spirit approaches you, informing you that he has been trapped within the cat for the entire decade. When you look closer at him, you realize that it is your ex-boyfriend, who disappeared during high school. Everyone just assumed that he dropped out of school and ran away. He was always the rebellious type, after all. He tells you that there is a way to bring him back to life as a human, but you'll have to dabble in some black magic to make it happen.
• Yes, you used to be in love with a vampire, but you were just seventeen and emotions were running high. You broke it off with him before you left for college and, although it was weird to go back to the real world, you knew it was the right thing to do. But then students at your college begin to go missing. Bodies are found on campus drained of blood. When your roommate disappears and then your new boyfriend, you've had enough. It's time to put on some garlic, grab a stake, and end this relationship once and for all. You just hope you can resist his irresistible charms.
• When your fiancé is killed in a car accident, you struggle to cope with the loss. One day, in a therapy session, you do a role-playing exercise where you speak with your fiancé and talk about the future that you never got to share. After the session, he follows you home and helps you grieve until you are ready to let go.
• You awaken handcuffed to your bed, with your wife of 10 years standing over you wearing a witch's hat. She is saying some sort of incantation as she sprinkles something over your body. You feel woozy and fall back asleep. When you wake up, it is Saturday morning, and your wife greets you with a big smile and a kiss. You have a hard time remembering what happened last night, but everything rushes back to you when you notice a witch's hat stuffed into a duffel bag in the corner of the bedroom.
• Your elders have raised you to hunt vampires, who are the closest thing to a demon that you will ever encounter in this world. According to your elders, vampires have no morality to speak of; all they want is to feed. You are hard-wired to hate these evil creatures, until you meet one and learn the truth. They only drink the blood of those they want to mate with, marking their territory. When one of them drinks your blood, the passion instantly runs through your veins, and your life changes forever.
• The love of your life is bitten by a werewolf and doomed to spend his life turning at every full moon each month. After consulting with a witch, your love acquires the "cure," which he drinks just before he turns. It "cures" him all right, trapping him in the werewolf's body forever.
• Something about the new guy in school intrigues you. A loner yourself, you can't fight the magnetic draw you feel to him whenever you lock eyes. One rainy night, while driving home, lightning pierces the sky, enveloping the new guy as he stands on a hill. Worried that he may be hurt, you race up the hill to find his body crackling with electricity. He is overcome with emotion and reveals that he is a Nephilim. The reason you feel connected to him is because you have loved each other for years. His father, the God of all Gods, wiped your memory to keep you apart because it is prophesied that together you will have a powerful child who will rule the Heavens.
• During a business conference in the Greek islands, you hear a sweet and soft song floating on the air from a distance. You walk down the beach, following the sound, and find a woman in the water beckoning you to come closer. You move closer before sitting down on the beach to listen to her voice. Days pass and you become too weak to stand. Nevertheless, you remained entranced by this creature. Suddenly her singing shifts to crying, and she tells you that, although she is the last of her kind, she cannot bear to devour another victim. You vow to help her, not knowing if the love you have for her is true or is a result of the siren's curse.
• It's the height of the witching hour, risky for an ambush, but it's your job as a witch hunter to take risks. Suddenly, you're frozen by magic. You see a familiar face, only to hear, "I'm sorry. I do love you." The world goes black.
• You are new in town and determined to blend in and keep a low profile. After securing a job at a local coffee shop, you manage to convince everyone that you are a normal human and not an incubus with a dark past. When a human regular at the coffee shop starts taking an interest in you, you can't help falling for her. Just when you become comfortable in your new routine, an unwelcome reminder in the form of your succubus ex struts back into your life. Before she can blow your cover, you must reveal the truth about yourself to the woman you love.
• The night of a full moon is one that you dread every single month. After losing your fiancé to a tragic accident a year ago, you're wary of the moon and the animals that seem to prowl each time it fills. The police call you hysterical in your grief, but you know that something doesn't add up with the so-called dog attack. Something happens in the woods of your town each month, and you're determined to find answers. You're alone in the woods when you hear it: loud, vibrating howling, followed by the sound of animals running toward you. You try to run away only to trip, and then the dog is on you. It's big, huge, a wolf like none other you've ever seen. The wolf stops, a paw on your chest, staring down at you. There's something familiar about its eyes. Suddenly you understand. Contrary to what the police told you, your fiancé's body wasn't too shredded to identify because this wolf—somehow, someway—is your fiancé. As the sun rises while you sit there, staring at him, you see the wolf's body ripple and change until your fiancé is sitting naked before you. The only thing you hear before passing out is him saying your name.
• Working as a paranormal hunter is hard enough without throwing romance into the mix, but when a fairy you recently banished starts stalking you on the job, you realize something has gone wrong. In your overworked state, you messed up the pronunciation of a single word that turned your banishing spell into a binding contract of marriage in ancient fairy lore. To break the unwanted union, you and your new spouse must travel to the fairy world, where you encounter all the fairy you banished—who now want revenge.
• Your wife died just a year after you were married, leaving you nothing but an empty house and broken dreams. You are about to sell your house when you see your wife's reflection in the bathroom mirror. Days later, she appears again, this time as a reflection in the bedroom window. She speaks to you, saying, "I will never leave you. If you open your heart to me again, I can come back."

With their own unique plot and stylistic conventions, regency romance stories often contain intelligent, fast-paced dialogue between the protagonists. Common themes include social activities among the upper class and marriages of convenience.

• Your father is one of many advisors to the Prince Regent and, through him, you have access to all of the upper-class gossip. You enjoy exchanging information about the latest scandal with your circle of friends. However, some are quite displeased by what you are sharing and would like nothing better than to get back at you for what you have said. When your diary goes missing, you fear that it will be found by someone you spoke against and that you and your true feelings will be exposed. Instead it is found and read by the man you have been eyeing for the last few months, and things get even more complicated than you expected.
• You're a hopeless romantic. Although the ton can be tiring and you're not exactly pleased to be on your second season, you're trying to maintain a positive attitude. After all, your dance card is always full, and you've received two separate proposals. Thankfully, your parents agreed that neither match was advantageous enough to warrant your displeasure. But you've barely got a week left of this season, and no one has your eye. You're worried you'll be forced into a marriage that you don't want just because you're aging out. One suitor is nice enough, but there's no spark. Still, when he asks for your hand, you feel forced to say yes, deciding that perhaps a love story is just not in the cards for you. Yet during one visiting, you meet his cousin, the dashing Duke of Essex. The spark is instant—as well as the trouble you find yourself in.
• You have no desire to wed—now or ever—but your mother has other plans. Tired of her constant matchmaking and not-so-veiled "chance meetings" with eligible ton ladies, you decide to go against her wishes and embarrass her in the process. During one of your mother's huge soirees, you propose to a quiet mousy serving girl in front of everyone your mother deems important. You have no intention of actually going through with it, but hope the shock of the fake engagement will end your mother's ridiculous attempts. You never planned on actually falling in love with the lass.
• You are tired of the obligations that society places on you, the Duke's daughter. Although you are already betrothed, you are still expected to attend social events, which bore you to tears. You can barely contain your irritation when forced to make small talk and gossip with the other ladies of the ton, who are still trying to find their perfect matches. You are comfortable with your engagement to the affable and amenable viscount. He may not be the most urbane catch, but he is kind and will take good care of you. You do not worry that he is not a love match, like the other silly girls dream of. You have no wish to be swept off your feet with the silly feelings of romance. Then you meet the viscount's brother. As dashing as he is daring, he takes your breath away and makes you second-guess your decision to settle for comfortable.
• Mistaken as a "lady of the night," you are accosted by an English nobleman. You are able to fight off his advances and end up knocking him out, but in the process you lose your coin purse and your footman runs off. Now you have no choice but to "borrow" some coin from the brute who attacked you to get a ride home. You tell no one about the incident, as you are not supposed to be out unaccompanied. Several weeks later, at a seasonal ball, you see none other than the brute who attacked you. Only now, you realize he is not riff-raff, but one of the wealthiest men of the town, and he's interested in your hand in marriage! How do you explain your aversion to the advances of the most eligible bachelor in town without giving away what happened? It doesn't help that his version of events is that he was attacked and robbed, and now the local authorities are looking to make an arrest.
• You've grown up a child of old money, the second child and only daughter of a long and dwindling line of aristocrats. Your overprotective big brother keeps you away from potential suitors. However, you are smitten by his best friend, who often visits to play lawn bowling. You begin to wonder if his gaming endeavors are just an excuse to get closer to you.
• You are a middle-class silver-fork novel author, fictionalizing aristocratic life for the masses. You often pose as an aristocrat for research purposes, getting gossip as a member of the inner circle. One day your own "secret" affair becomes the talk of the town. What will you do?
• You have been dubbed the "Ice Princess" for your unwillingness to accept any suitor's hand in marriage—and there have been plenty. Many have been excellent matches from prominent and wealthy families, but you have not been even remotely interested in any of them. However, time is running out, and your father has finally put his foot down, demanding that you marry to secure the family's position, both financially and in society. Instead of giving you the option to choose, he has now chosen for you, and his choice is none other than your worst nightmare. This viscount has been a thorn in your side since your first coming out season. You've always found him to be quite high-handed, arrogant, and utterly distasteful despite his incredibly good looks.
• Everything is going exactly to plan. Your three daughters are all in season and are extremely popular; their dance cards are always full, and you've been approached for several proposals. You're eager to marry them off—not because you don't love them, but because you very much do. When your husband died more than ten years ago, you learned just how terribly lonely it can be without a partner. You want your daughters to be happy. You've given up on happiness for yourself, happiness like that, but you're okay with your decision because you know your daughters will be happy. You've told yourself this so many times that you almost believe it. Then you meet him. A dashing rake with a reputation so big, it's stretched all the way over to you. You warn your daughters to stay away from him. He's older and likely uninterested, but you can never be too safe. But when you meet him, everything changes.
• You have spent the majority of your life living in the shadow of your gorgeous and vibrant younger sister Charlotte, who is everything your parents had hoped you would be: beautiful, outgoing, graceful—society's perfect darling. You, on the other hand, are introverted and clumsy, and you prefer to have your nose in a book rather than interact with society's elite. When asked to teach literature at an all-girls boarding school in Dansbury, you jump at the chance. Out of society's eye, you are free to be yourself without worrying about what others think of you. Unfortunately, you find that there is one person's opinion you can't help but want to impress. Master William Hattenburg, the dean of the school, has captured more than just your attention. He has stolen your heart as well.
• It's your first season in London, and you're not sure if you're more nervous or annoyed. The ton isn't exactly your scene. Despite feeling ready for marriage, you are uncertain you're ready for the season of romance. You're tired of the preening and the monotony, and you know the other girls are, too, although they hide it better. The one exception is the Duke of Essex's daughter. It's her third season, which is almost unheard of for someone so well-connected and beautiful. You find yourself drawn to her. She sees through the same boredom that you do, and you are both surprised by the instant connection. When an aristocrat offers her marriage and she considers it, you're shocked by your own jealousy. You wonder if you have found love at the ton after all, but with her—a woman.
• When your wife and child die during childbirth, you vow to never marry again. What you had with her was real love, not a marriage of convenience. She was the love of your life. You close the manor and send away all but the minimal staff possible—you aren't able to look at any of them, watch them mourn your wife as you do. When your wife's cousin shows up in need of help, you want to turn her away—you really do—but you can't. She comes in and opens the curtains, and you hate her. You hate her because she reminds you of your wife and also because she's nothing like your wife. You keep hating her until you don't. But can any amount of feelings overcome the guilt?
• With no family money to speak of, no title, and no longer considered of marriageable age, you are about to be cast out of the only home you've ever known. Desperation forces you to decide between options you never thought you would have to consider: either work at the brothel as a common prostitute or try to secure your place as a wealthy lord's mistress. Selling the last of your family's silver, you commission a dress for the final ball of the season—a masquerade ball. Without a formal invitation, you must sneak your way in, but you are determined to succeed as you have only this one night to secure your future.
• You've been a risk taker and gambler all your life, only this time you've gone too far. At risk of being stripped of your title and your wealth, you must marry and rise to your position of responsibility or be cast out by the family's matriarch. A determined bachelor, you are not too keen on marrying, but you have no choice. With your back against the wall, you choose Constance Danvers, the quiet and unassuming daughter of your father's long-time business partner, mostly because you feel like she would make a good and respectable wife. She knows she is an unwanted wife, and the marriage is strained from the very beginning. Only when you face the greatest trials of your life do you realize that your feelings for Constance are deeper than you believed.
• As a recent widower with two young children, you aren't interested in finding a new wife. Your mother, however, strongly disagrees and wants you to remarry as soon as possible, securing an even greater income for the family. From your perspective, you have retained a curtesy in all your late wife's land, so there is little need to remarry for wealth. All you want is someone to care for your two young children, who are in desperate need of a mother-like figure. When you request a nurse from the agency, expecting a dour, middle-aged, no-nonsense spinster, and are quite shocked when you get quite the opposite: a young, whimsical, and quite attractive woman. You are skeptical of her abilities and her teaching methods are a little suspect, but her credentials are impeccable, and the children seem to love her from the start. Over time, you find yourself drawn to her as well, rekindling feelings you never thought you'd have again.
• Despising the stringent restraints that being a lady of society requires, you delight in exhibiting reckless and audacious behavior at every turn to spite your parents. You turn your nose up at the suitors who wish for your favor, as you know they do not have your best interests at heart. They only want the dowry you bring. One night at a dinner party you bump into a dashing young man who, like you, wants nothing to do with high society and openly mocks it whenever possible. Both of you decide to team up and, over time, you fall in love.
• As the youngest of seven sisters, you are told to wait your turn for marriage, but you can't help but fall for a handsome gentleman who comes to town on business. You decide to pursue him even though your mother has been eyeing him for sister number five.
• You are the daughter of the Earl of Devonshire, a once respected and sought-after man of wealth and stature. However, a scandal has thrown his reputation into disrepair, and you have almost given up any hope of marriage until you meet the impossibly handsome Earl of Castleberry, your father's new business partner. The Earl is not just a savior to your father's fortune and reputation; he is everything you have dreamed a gentleman can be and it looks like he has eyes only for you. However, after you marry, you discover that your Earl has secrets of his own that threaten to shatter not just your trust, but also your heart.
• It's been years since you've travelled to the city. The last time must've been when you were socializing at the ton to support your younger sisters. You didn't find a wife in London, but that didn't really upset you much as you are never going to marry. You enjoy your quiet country life too much. Even your mother has long since stopped trying to convince you to find a bride and family. Still, you dutifully support her and your unmarried siblings, so when your sister comes to call and begs you for help, you say yes, of course. Her husband's cousin needs a place to hide from a laudanum-addled ex-suitor and requests to stay with you. Although skeptical at first, you can't turn the young girl away any easier than you could tell your sister no. After all, it's not like it's going to change your life if a woman lives with you—right?
• Handsome, wealthy, and well-respected amongst your peers, you are one of the ton's most eligible bachelors in all of society. Known far and wide for your shrewd business deals, cunning intelligence, and irreproachable character, mothers and fathers alike throw their eligible daughters at your feet. Sure, they are all beyond beautiful and come from respectable families, but you know their "desire" for you is manufactured. Not a one strikes your fancy—that is, until you meet the delightful and mysterious Lady Midnight. She is both stunning and sassy and ignites a flame within. The only problem is, she is a courtesan.

The romantic suspense subgenre involves characters in peril who overcome immediate danger, falling in love at the same time. Life-threatening situations and ruthless villains create thrills and tension throughout these romantic story arcs.

• As a nature photographer out on an assignment in the woods, you witness a man burying a body. You snap a photo and quickly turn to leave. However, you trip over a tree root, and the man hears you fall. He drops his shovel to chase you. You run from the unknown killer, going deeper into the woods. As evening comes, you find a tiny ramshackle hunter's cabin and stop to hide. The ruggedly handsome hunter who catches you breaking in offers to help you.
• You make a great team – one is the driver, the other takes the money, and you are the lookout. The three of you have been successful bank robbers for six jobs now. As the police begin closing in, you find yourselves in conflict—one never wants to stop, the other wants out of the game, and they are both in love with you.
• A handsome new associate in your father's crime syndicate catches your eye. You know there are rules about this sort of thing but you can't help falling for each other. When it turns out that he is actually an undercover FBI agent, you must decide between love and loyalty.
• It has been a decade since you began working for a notorious crime boss, and now you want out of the game. When he gives you the task of acquiring a collection of rare paintings and switching them with counterfeits, you tell yourself this is your last con. Your job is to pose as an art dealer so you can get close to the owner of the paintings and make the switch before anyone notices. When you arrive at the home of the owner, you discover she is a beautiful, young widow who has inherited her husband's estate. Over several meetings, you develop feelings for her, which causes you to doubt whether you can deceive her and carry out the con.
• As a senior detective in the special victims crimes unit, you are hunting down a serial killer who targets young college women. The clues lead you to a reclusive billionaire with a "devil-may-care" attitude. But something is off. It's just too neat when all fingers point to him. However, you can't help but question your motives as you find yourself drawn to him in ways you've never felt before. Can you put aside your own desires to find out if he's really a serial killer or will your passion get in the way of doing your job?
• You are a white-collar criminal who has embezzled a fortune, and your secretary has accidentally downloaded evidence of the crime. You go to her house to cover your tracks, but end up falling for her instead.
• You are working deep undercover to infiltrate a drug ring. While walking down the street with one of the traffickers you are trying to bust, you run into your ex, who greets you by your real name. The trafficker immediately assumes you are a narc and pulls his gun on you. You manage to jump out of the way and escape with your ex in tow. Now that your cover is blown, you have no choice but to keep yourself and your ex alive.
• Your editor wants you to investigate a case that was considered closed until a recent murder bore the signature calling card of the Black Lily Killer. The problem is the Black Lily Killer is currently in prison, serving a life sentence, so the police are trying to keep this one under the radar. After securing an interview with the Black Lily Killer, you run into his daughter who is also visiting him. She is an accomplished lawyer who doesn't believe her father committed the murders he was imprisoned for and is determined to prove his innocence. When another murder takes place, the two of you join forces and set out to uncover the truth.
• You and your neighbor have been dating for more than a year, and you have fallen in love with him. When he offers to cook you a beautiful meal at his house, you think he's going to pop the question. You are ready to commit to him. When it's finally time for dessert, you can tell the magical moment is about to happen. Then you notice the red laser lights focused on him. Confused, you point them out to him. He glances down and pulls you both out of the way just as a stream of bullets shatter the window. Under the cover of the dining table he tells you he is a contract killer and his agency is here to terminate him.
• While hiking through some unfamiliar woods, you realize you are miserably lost. As the darkness sets in and the temperature drops, you stumble upon a cabin deep in the forest and find that it belongs to a handsome writer who lives alone. There is something electric between the two of you, and you connect on a level you have never experienced before. When someone pounds on the door the next morning, the cabin owner pushes you behind him and motions for you to stay quiet.
• There's been a rash of break-ins at your store. The police officer they keep sending is gorgeous, funny, and kind. Everything you're looking for, but how do you make the first move? You keep tripping the alarms! Great plan, until you find out it's totally illegal, and you're about to be arrested by the handsome cop.
• You come home after filming on set all day to discover a pool of blood on the floor of your mansion and your wife missing. The police arrest you. Once the media gets wind of the situation, you know their stories will ruin the reputations of you and your wife—both famous movie stars. You reluctantly call in a favor to your ex, who works in the DA's office. You hope she's forgiven you for cheating on her with the woman who eventually became your missing wife because she might be your only chance to prove your innocence.
• You're a detective solving a slew of murders. Your head is throbbing from the sleepless nights. Just then a stunning woman walks through your office door. She says she has something that could change the case and your life.
• After a nasty divorce, you begin dating again by using apps. You meet a seemingly flawless man, but after a few months of blissful dating, you have an encounter with an FBI agent who is investigating him and wants your help. The agent asks you to do some digging into your boyfriend's personal papers to determine if this is the guy the FBI has been hunting for. The more you uncover, the more suspicious you get, and you find that he may be as dangerous as the agent believes. As you do your best to help, you grow closer to the agent, finding that—despite all his flaws—he is an incredible man.
• During your early morning jog, you find a child crouched in the bushes, half frozen. He says he is hiding from his foster family, and the last thing you want is for him to be sent back because he seems so scared. You take him home with you, but he convinces you not to call the police yet. That night, a noise wakes you up. When you get up to check on the boy, you discover that he is gone, along with most of your valuables. Your attractive next-door neighbor knocks on your door, saying he saw someone fleeing from your home. He has the first few letters of their license plate. The two of you team up to find the robbers and the boy, who you know is being used unjustly.
• You are lost in the middle of the jungle with your clumsy and absent-minded co-worker. Under these adverse circumstances, you get closer than you ever thought you would.
• After witnessing a mafia murder, you are accepted into the U.S. Federal Witness Protection Program and relocated to a small farming community in the Midwest. You meet a handsome local farmer, and you begin to develop feelings for each other—until he discovers that you have not been honest with him about your past. Things get even more complicated when the mafia learns of your location.
• You are a jewel thief trying to get out of the business, but you agree to take one last job before going straight. The money seems too good to be true—enough to set you up for life—so you can't turn it down. However, there's a catch. You need to steal the jewels from an auction house where your former lover is the head of security. It's been more than ten years, but the pain of his betrayal is still very real. Your plan is to get close to him again to learn the ins and outs of the auction's security system. You didn't plan on falling back in love with him.
• You're an ambitious investigative reporter determined to uncover who's behind a string of jewel heists in the city. You find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time one night, and a handsome detective has to come to your rescue in order to save your life. The problem is, those behind the crimes now know who you are.
• As a recently retired detective, you are surprised to receive a call from your former captain asking you to come into the station to help question the suspects in a murder investigation connected to one of your old cases. At the station, the captain briefs you on the details: A man was killed by blunt force trauma. There is no sign of a murder weapon. There are two suspects: the man's wife and his mistress. As you interview each suspect, you are drawn to the mistress, who is beautiful and has a brilliant mind. Your bias could be affecting you, but you are sure she is innocent.

This subgenre places a love story within the settings and tropes of science fiction. Common themes include high-tech innovation, space exploration, living on other worlds, aliens, robots, and virtual reality.

• After a violent android uprising, life on the space hub you call home has finally settled down. Things are different now. There are security guards around every corner and a curfew for non-biological life forms. However, it is a small price to pay for peace—or so you thought. When the android you've been best friends with for the last five years goes missing, you barely know where to begin. The police are no help, and soon you don't know who you can trust or what to do. All you know for sure is that, if you don't find him soon, you might never get the chance to tell him you're in love with him.
• You are an advanced alien life form sent on a special mission to Earth to exterminate all humans, who have repeatedly demonstrated their negative effect on space. When your pod malfunctions and crashes, a kind human woman saves you. Now, you are conflicted between the love you feel for her and your mission to destroy her race.
• Your life didn't work out the way you had planned. Instead of being a successful race car driver, you are now flipping burgers at a fast food joint while your social life and love life are non-existent. Your only form of enjoyment comes from playing videos games—and you are grateful for the escape. When the first virtual simulation game hits the market, you are excited for a whole new level of distraction. This simulated reality game requires you to perform tasks physically in real life to unlock achievements in the game, and you feel pain when injured. Your skills that normally go unused in real life make you a top player within the gaming world, and you draw the attention of a fellow female player who you fall for. But will your relationship be able to translate into the real world or are you doomed to experience life through a simulated reality forever?
• Your ship crashes on a planet not found in any of the navigation charts you were given back on Earth. You wake up after the crash and venture outside only to find yourself in a spaceship graveyard, with dozens of empty, crashed ships strewn about in the wreckage. Right in the middle is a humanoid alien standing on top of a ship. The handsome alien stranger grins and calls you by name: "We've been looking for you." He holds out a hand. You hesitate, then—still unsure—place your hand in his.
• You weren't prepared for the phone call in the early hours of the morning, especially since you've been working overtime, but your boss wants you to come in right away. When you arrive at the government research facility where you work, your boss grants you special access to an underground facility you didn't even know existed. Within a glass prison you see something that you can only assume is an alien species. You are tasked with conducting studies on the alien and reporting your findings. Over the weeks, you begin to realize that the alien is reading your mind; it is also becoming more human-like in appearance. One day you walk in and find that it has taken on the form of your recently deceased wife.
• An alien group abducts a group of Earthlings for the purposes of experimentation. When a female alien begins to study one of the Earthling males, she begins to sympathize with him and falls in love. She plans an escape from the main ship with him to a nearby planet where they plan to carve out a new life for themselves.
• You're one of the last surviving humans on Earth. Most others abandoned the planet soon after the final world war. After five long years of not seeing another person, you stumble upon an alien spacecraft. You try to run away, but are captured and brought back to the ship. When the mysterious alien leader sees that you're sick and alone, he takes you under his protection. You fight against it at first, but eventually realize that his intentions are pure. The more time you spend together, the more you come to respect him and his alien nation. Although it doesn't make sense, at least not at first, you feel something a bit more than respect: you start to fall in love.
• Your uncle funds a space exploration program and convinces you to join the team of astronauts exploring a new planet. When you arrive on the planet, you realize that it's barely habitable, but there is a strain of evolved humans that somehow manage to survive there. As you learn more about this strange species, you fall in love with one of them, but the rest of your team perceives these beings as threats and wants to eliminate them once and for all.
• A scientist captures you and your best friend while you are visiting Earth in disguise. You're not sure what the human wants from you, but it quickly becomes clear that it's nothing good. Your best friend is tortured before being taken away, and the scientist tells you he'll be back for you soon. You manage to escape, but now you find yourself alone on an unfriendly planet. You don't know who to trust or where to go. You meet a human male who offers to hide you while you figure out how to get home. You weren't expecting kindness from a human, let alone love and affection, but the heart wants what the heart wants—especially when you have three of them.
• As a general of the Android Armies, fighting against the humans who first created and are now trying to oppress you, you're good at your job of leading your fellow androids in battle. You are known for being calculated, controlled, and unflappable. But when your soldiers find a human in your camp—the human woman you once loved—you're faced with your biggest challenge yet. She says she's here for you because she still loves you, but with the end of the war in sight and a win for the androids so close, you have to ask yourself if you trust her. Do you let yourself be with the woman you've never been able to get over or listen to your fellow androids and decree her an enemy?
• The aliens have integrated nicely into your society, and peace has been maintained for nearly two decades. You were young when they first came and can barely remember a time before the two societies existed as one. But when protestors start to cause agitation, you realize that maybe things aren't as good for the aliens as you thought. You wonder if it's worth all the fuss, but then you see human peacekeepers attacking a defenseless alien on the street for no reason. You try to protect him, but he is ultimately arrested. The more you dig into the mistreatment of aliens in your city, the more you become convinced that an insidious underbelly exists. The only ally you find is an alien who has been an activist and agitator for many years. He's wily and furious and out of control—and right. You become unlikely close friends in a battle for alien rights.
• You and your wife never wanted to work on the experiments, but as two of the most talented geneticists in the country, your superiors put pressure on you to conduct cross-species DNA mutation. You know that animal and human DNA shouldn't be spliced, and the unearthly screams from the mutation room torment you to no end. Your wife decides to reveal the truth about the horrible experiments to the media but dies in a freak accident before she can. Doubling down on work to distract yourself, you continue conducting the experiments. One night, you venture into the mutation room and find a creature that intrigues you. There is a sadness in its familiar eyes that speaks to you. With a jolt, you realize that this is your wife.
• To preserve the energy aboard the space station you call home, you and two hundred volunteers are placed under cryogenic sleep for a hundred years. It is a tough choice to make, but it is the best option for your colony and the advancement of humanity. Coldness sets in. Everything grows dark. You know nothing else. Suddenly, you awaken, and everything rushes back to you all at once. Your century of sleep must have ended. You are excited to see your friends, but when you climb out of your pod, the only person you see is your girlfriend, who has a gleam in her eye as she says, "It's just you and me."
• Incredible advancements in nanotechnology have allowed humans to protect themselves against almost any virus or disease by receiving a mandatory shot of nanoparticles once a year. While attempting to get your annual nano shot, your handsome new doctor refuses to administer it, causing government agents to surround the clinic. "You don't know what they're really doing to you," he says. Something tells you to trust him. Now on the run with the mysterious doctor, you learn about the sinister side of nanotechnology and how the government uses it to control the population.
• You are the captain of a spaceship on a government mission to travel through space to a mysterious planet and retrieve a powerful object. Once you arrive, you realize your leaders lied to you. The planet is inhabited by a gentle alien race that doesn't believe in violence. The powerful object you must acquire is the daughter of the alien leader. Although you are now questioning your orders, she agrees to come with you quietly, and you find yourself drawn to her kind nature.
• There is nothing in the world you dislike more than being mocked by a room full of men, except maybe the tight corset and ridiculous dress society expects you to wear. These Oxford scholars understand nothing about the steam-powered flying contraption you've created, which you plan on using to explore uncharted lands across the ocean. In order to secure Oxford College's funding, you must grin and bear their arrogant questioning and misogyny. Luckily, one handsome scholar takes you seriously and agrees to privately fund you—on the condition he can join you. Together, the two of you set out to prove those pompous scholars wrong about your innovative invention.
• One day you wake up and find yourself on a world you've never even heard of before. Here, species of all kinds—aliens from across the galaxy—live in peace and unity. You're told that your entire planet was under siege, so a wealthy alien family brought you to their world to save your life. As an orphan with few friends, you adjust quickly to the new world, but some unanswered questions prickle at your new life. When looking around the new town, you find another human—the only other one you've seen so far. The more time you spend with him, the more you both realize that there's more than meets the eye here in the alien world you've both been brought to. Yet when presented with the option to return to Earth, you have to choose between going home and staying with the man you're starting to fall in love with.
• One day, a mysterious object appears in the sky. Governments around the world are unable to destroy it and declare a global emergency. The mysterious object begins to glow one night. Your wife turns to you as her body shimmers in the same way and says, "It's time for me to go home. Come with me."
• You are on an expedition to find a planet that humans can colonize. Rule number one is to not engage with any sentient life. You never thought it would be an issue; after all, living beings are rare on new planets. However, the planet you're sent to investigate is home to various creatures, many of whom are highly intelligent. When you're attacked by locals after an excursion for wildlife goes wrong, one alien risks everything to save you from his people. You never meant to disobey your orders. It was a situation you could not avoid. However, you don't think your superiors will understand if you fall in love with this alien. It is a temptation that is hard to resist.
• Your whole life is planned out and has been set in stone for years: finish your medical residency, get a job as an attending, marry your fiancé, have two kids, and live happily ever after. With your residency ending in two months and your wedding scheduled for the third month, you're ready for the rest of your life to begin. The only hiccup occurs when you come home early from work and see your fiancé fixing his arm with a soldering gun. The love of your life has been lying to you since the beginning: He's not human at all. He's an android.

Whether it's football, baseball, basketball, or motorsports, these stories are about falling in love with a professional athlete. Usually the source of conflict stems from the athlete's lifestyle, including the fame and fortune inherent in professional sports.

• Your big brother invites you to his favorite baseball team's season opener. While the two of you talk in the stands, the people around you jump out of their seats. You look up just as a fly ball hits you square on the head. You're taken to the hospital to ensure that you don't have a concussion—which you do—and the batter himself visits you in the hospital. He asks if he can do anything and, in your half-dazed state, you stammer "how about a date?" When he says yes and smiles, you are not sure if he is really interested in you or is just trying to make you feel better. When he comes to your apartment a month later dressed to the nines with a bouquet of flowers in hand, you realize that it is not some sort of benign gesture.
• You are a sports psychologist on staff with a professional basketball team. You are passionate about your job, but have very strict rules about never getting personally involved. Your resolve is threatened when you meet someone who makes you question everything, and you have a decision to make.
• Being an NFL cheerleader is not nearly the glamorous job everyone thinks, but you love the sport and the athleticism of cheering, plus it gives you some part-time income that you desperately need. What you don't love is the objectification and occasional disrespect you receive from both fans and players. When a loudmouth fan throws his hot dog at you during one of your dance routines, a rookie quarterback comes to your defense and gets the fan ejected from the stadium. After the game, the player comes over to introduce himself. You thank him for the help and exchange numbers. The following week, he texts you to ask you out. Dating football players is frowned upon in the NFL, but you say yes anyways.
• You're just getting out of an abusive relationship and decide to reclaim your life. Your brother puts you in touch with an old friend at a boxing gym, a former professional fighter who will help teach you how to defend yourself. You're wary of your trainer at first, but despite his tattoos and edgy appearance, he's kind and gentle, and you can't help but fall for him. However, he is not ready for a new relationship, especially as he was just dumped by a woman in love with the famous boxer and not the man he truly is. Things get even more complicated when you see your ex outside your apartment building and fear that he may be stalking you.
• When you wake up one morning to find 100 text messages and several missed calls on your phone, you know something bad has happened. In fact, bad is an understatement. It turns out your star NBA player fiancé was caught making out with numerous women in a club last night. Now facing a PR disaster as your face is splashed across every tabloid magazine in the country, you're not sure if your life will ever return to normal. Somehow, you get through the toughest weeks of your life, but just when you feel like you are in a good place, your cheating ex shows up on your doorstep.
• You are a personal chef hired by the coach to cook exclusively for a star NFL player, who turns out to be an extremely picky eater. Basically, what he ate as a child is the only things he eats as an adult. What starts out as a trying working relationship quickly leads to fun in the kitchen and romance.
• You pull the head off the heavy mascot costume, sighing as a cool breeze from a fan chills your flushed cheeks. As you step out of the rest of the costume, you notice one of the basketball players standing behind you. Number 4. "I didn't realize you were a girl," he says. "Or pretty."
• You're the daughter of the head coach of an NFL team. You dad's rules are clear: no relationships between you and any of the players. You have never wanted to challenge the rule—until the guy you tutored in college and had a huge crush on gets drafted to your father's team.
• You're in charge of a sports publicist firm that represents a baseball team in need of serious PR spin when a bad-boy rookie flips his SUV after a night of partying. He's trouble with a capital T, but after spending some time with him, you realize what really happened during the accident and discover he's not such a bad boy after all. You are drawn to him and start a secret romance while worrying that word about your relationship might get out, which would put your reputation and career in jeopardy. You try to keep things on the downlow, but this baseball player is anything but low-key.
• One night while walking home, you're attacked by a person hiding in an alleyway. A mystery man comes to your rescue. You later learn that he is a prominent MMA fighter. Your would-be attacker learns this as well and plays up his injuries to press charges against the fighter. As an up-and-coming attorney, you take on the fighter's case, defending him just as he defended you. Little do you know that this will be the start of a true romance.
• You're the personal assistant for a famous professional baseball player, and you finally admit that you've fallen head over heels in love with him. However, he doesn't notice your affection and treats you like an employee. After a whirlwind romance with a local reporter, he decides to marry her after only a few months of dating. You don't like her one bit. When he asks you to buy the engagement ring, you grudgingly agree, but while trying to figure out her preferences you discover that she has been cheating on him. You decide to find hard evidence and expose her for what she truly is.
• When you were young, you were friends with a neighborhood boy who liked the same things as you. Both of you were dirt poor, but it didn't seem to matter; as long as you had each other, there was always a make-believe adventure right around the corner. He grew up to be a star basketball player and, now that he's wealthy beyond imagination, seems to have forgotten where he came from. You haven't talked to him in years, but a death in the family brings him back to the old neighborhood, where you reconnect and reintroduce him to the life he left behind.
• After your divorce from a star NFL quarterback, you've sworn off relationships with athletes. In fact, you've sworn off relationships altogether. Then you meet the quarterback for the biggest rival of your ex's team at a local bookstore, where he is signing copies of his new memoir. He recognizes you from various industry events, and you discover he's everything your ex never was.
• There used to be only three things you need in life to be happy: money, baseball, and your freedom. Now that you're playing pro, you have everything you ever wanted—but feel that something is still missing. Could your gorgeous new physical therapist be the key to your happiness?
• He is formidable in the rink and, when he is out of it, he is surrounded by a flock of adoring female fans. As the star hockey player of the decade, you are certain he has an ego, but when he walks into the bar where you work, you are surprised by how down-to-earth he is. As the night goes on and he starts buying you drinks, the electric connection between you is undeniable. When a drunken kiss between you is photographed, you are not prepared for the media storm that hits.
• How do you start small talk on a date with a famous footballer? Do you admit that you have about a million posters and jerseys at home or pretend you've never watched a game in your life? No more time to think—your date has just arrived.
• Your kid sister is getting bullied at school and asks to take karate lessons so she can learn how to defend herself. You don't want her fighting, but you do want to empower her, so you enroll her in some basic classes at the gym. The sensei is a gorgeous semi-pro fighter, and he's so sweet with the kids that you can't fight off your attraction to him. You decide to sign up for private lessons with him, hoping to get to know him better.
• It's tough being taken seriously as a female soccer player, but as the star of the team, you are determined to win the world championship series. When your coach of several years passes away suddenly and a new younger coach is assigned to train your team, you must fight your growing feelings for him because he is exactly the kind of distraction you don't need at the most important point in your professional career.
• You promised your high school sweetheart that you'd support him throughout his pro football career, and now, seven years later, he is the poster child for the NFL. You are doing your best to remain by his side, but you are also forging your own path as a personal trainer. As the two of you start to drift apart, will your relationship survive the pressure or will fame get to him?
• You're an orthopedic surgeon assigned to help a star basketball player get back on his feet after a sidelining injury. He's not exactly your favorite patient, but over time, you realize there's more to him than the arrogant front he shows the media.

Made popular by such titles as Outlander , this subgenre focuses on encounters and conflicts between lovers when one (or both) have time traveled to be together. The love interest often has to make a decision about whether to return to his/her own time period.

• You should have known it was too good to be true when the caretaker dropped the price of rent in half, but after your disastrous relationship fallout you need a fresh start and the tiny town of Adare in Ireland sounds perfect. The village is straight out of a fairy tale, and you quickly fall in love with the spirit of the people and the land. As you explore the town and its hidden treasures, you stumble across castle ruins that hum with life. In the basement, you find a cheval mirror covered in dust. It has odd looking Celtic runes on the sides. You know a few of the runes and speak them aloud. As you do, the mirror begins to ripple like water, and you are transported through time. You are immediately captured as a spy and taken to the king, who is as ruthless as he is handsome. You have to convince him to spare your life so you can try to make it back home, but at what price? And with the heat that flares between you and the king, you may have to decide where home may truly be.
• One day during your travels as a knight-errant, you come upon an old woman being threatened by a pack of wolves. You rescue her and escort her back to her village. While riding away, you are thrown from your horse—and through time. You wake up hundreds of years in the future, in a world unlike any that you could have imagined. You have no friends or allies… until you meet her. She's unlike any woman you've ever known, and you soon realize that you've never known true happiness without her. One night, you hear a sound and go to investigate. You see the same old woman from the village. She tells you that, because you saved her life, she has given you the gift of being with your one true love. However, since you had to travel through time to find her, the old woman is unsure how long this spell can last.
• You're just enjoying your day off from work, thinking about maybe watching that new movie that people keep talking about, when the literal air splits around you and a man appears out of nowhere. He's tall and handsome, and he tells you that he's been sent from the future to protect you. You think he's crazy—except you did see him come from nowhere. When he grabs your hand, you feel a spark. This man is here to save your life—and change it forever.
• You are desperate for money to pay your rent, so you sign up to take part in a clinical trial, despite it being a little vague on the details. You're not complaining because the money is great! But when they strap you to a machine with a dozen different wires, you start to worry. It's too late to back out now. After a flash, the room fades. You wake up in an alleyway, confused and disoriented. When a car flies overhead, you know something has gone wrong. Somehow, you have ended up in the future. Panicked, you find the nearest floating police station, but the officers laugh you out. One of the officers believes your story and offers to help you. As the two of you grow closer while trying to unravel the mystery of what happened to you, your feelings for her grow too.
• If you get assigned to the fryolator one more time, you are going to lose it. You hate your manager, and you hate working at Burger Hut, but most of all you hate the smell of French fries cooking in a rancid vat of oil. You clock in, tie on an apron, and—surprise, surprise—Ken has you on fry duty again. Jerk. You go into the walk-in freezer to grab a bag of frozen fries, but when you turn around, the freezer is gone. In fact, the entire Burger Hut is gone. So is the year 2020! You discover that are on a potato farm in rural Ireland in 1545. You don't know what to do, until it dawns on you that no one here knows how to make a French fry. With your advanced knowledge on the subject, you could make a ton of money and become a lord or something. You knock on the potato farmer's door, introduce yourself, and discuss your business plan. After a minute, he slams the door in your face. You begin to lose hope, but when the farmer's beautiful daughter approaches you and expresses her interest in your food invention, you think you have found your business partner—and perhaps something much more.
• It's been ten years since you woke up in the 1980s. Born in 1605, it was a hell of a culture shock to wake up in a world you never could have imagined in your deepest dreams. You've created an okay life, and you've even managed to get a job working in a local bakery, using the skills you learned as a young boy. You're in love with the cashier at the bakery—a beautiful woman who is smart, kind, and so unlike any other person you've ever met. She doesn't know the truth, but how could she? How could anyone? You're going to propose so you can live happily ever after together. But then the night you're headed to the restaurant, ring in hand, you slip and fall back into time, waking up in the 1600s once again. You don't have any more answers than you did the first time you time travelled, but you do have a clearer plan: This time, you've got to get back so you can find your way back home to the love of your life.
• It has been a week since your wife died, leaving you feeling hollow and alone. She was the missing piece in your life, and you would give anything to have her back. While visiting her grave, a mysterious man appears and informs you he can grant you the ability to travel through time and save your wife. The catch? Every hour you spend in a different time shaves a year off your own life.
• A handsome stranger moves to your small town, and all the single women are desperate to impress him. As a shy bookworm, you spend your time working at the local library and reading the classics. You are surprised when the newcomer frequents the library daily, reading old journals. The two of you bond over your love of books, and there is something different about him that makes you fall for him. One day after he leaves, you chance upon one of the books he has been reading, which details the town's history. You are shocked when you look at a picture of the town's founders and see someone who looks identical to the newcomer.
• Your life was uneventful until New Year's Eve, 2019, when a strange portal opened in the air in front of you and a panicked figure ran out, claiming to be from the future. She said she wanted to save you from government agents from her time, who were about to travel here to kill you. She explained that, sometime in the future, you will create a technology rendering all other energy sources useless. You laughed, telling her you are a broke college student who eats ramen three times a day. Before you could convince her she had the wrong person, another portal materialized.
• Your wealthy brother takes you on vacation to Morocco, but when the plane lands and you exit the airport, you realize it is the Morocco of ancient times. You turn around to talk to your brother, but he and the airport are gone. When you yell for help, you are picked up by a handsome horseman, who takes you to his tribe. Communication is difficult, but the language of love crosses all boundaries—even those of time.
• You are a time traveler and on your latest journey you meet and fall in love with a beautiful but mysterious woman. When your lover suddenly vanishes before your eyes, you realize that she is a time traveler as well. You move through time again and again in an effort to find her.
• Your lover leaves you for somebody else, but you can't live without her. You find a way to travel back in time to discover what you did wrong and figure out how you can make things right. You can control time. But can you control free will?
• You're not a fan of time travel. It's expensive, it's dangerous, and the regulations don't allow you to alter the timeline anyway, so why bother? Besides, you spend your days and most of your nights working on the tech to keep the machines running, which doesn't leave you with much spare time. But one day, as you're fixing a minor issue in the data mainframe, a woman comes storming in with a gun and demands you go with her—to 1854. She takes your key card, which is the only way to activate the machine, and off you go. You don't know anything about that time period, but you don't have a choice in the matter. Yet the further the adventure goes and the longer you're with her, the more intrigued you become. This woman is on a mission and, as mysterious as she is, you find that you can't help but believe her. You're also starting to think there's more between you than just happenstance—that she chose you for a reason.
• You have no idea where you are or what's going on. You woke up in the middle of a forest, surrounded by men in old fashioned army uniforms and guns. You screamed, but they were unimpressed, refusing to break character. You think it's a game, a joke, until a man in a different colored uniform jumps out from behind a tree and shoots one of your captors dead in the chest. You scream again and pass out, but when you wake up, you're still there. Despite being born in the 1990s, you realize you're now in the middle of the American Civil War. Your only ally is the handsome, mysterious soldier that puts you on his horse and protects you from the other men there. But can you really trust him? Can you trust anyone, especially with a secret like this? You have no idea how to proceed, but as the gruff but kind soldier continues to keep you safe—both from others and this new, dangerous world you find yourself in—you think maybe there's more to this mysterious man than you originally thought.
• You and your husband are inventors who finally discover the secret to time travel. You agree that this year's vacation will be to New York in the 1960s. Unfortunately, something goes terribly wrong, and you both end up in separate eras, lost in time. How will you find your way back to one another?
• Life in the Scottish Highlands in the early 1600s isn't always easy. Luckily, you work for a good lord, who is always kind and considerate to his workers. Although the kitchen is hot and the work is tiring, you are happy with your life. But one night, as you're readying for bed, a strange man appears out of nowhere. He tells you that there will be a fire and he is here to save you. He grabs your hand and before you can say anything, you're somewhere new. He tells you that you're in the twenty-first century. You call him a liar, a witch, but he explains that he is a time traveler who has brought you to his time to protect you. You don't believe him, but you also don't know how to explain what you are seeing around you. You bide your time to survive, all the while learning that there's more than meets the eye with the handsome, mysterious captor.
• You've been lost for nearly as long as you can remember—jumping from year to year, from time to time. You never stay for long, and you cannot control when or where you land. One day, after being thrown from ancient Greece to the Roaring 20s in America, you find yourself stuck. You're unsure what's changed or how long this reprieve will last. Then, you meet him. He's handsome and charming. Weeks turn into months. He tells you that he loves you, and you realize that, for the first time, you are in love. This must be why you've been lost in time: You were looking for him all along. You tell him as much. You fall asleep in his arms. When you wake up, you are in 1670 Russia. You don't know how, but you know you must make it back to your love, whatever the cost.
• When you wake up one morning to find that your wife has aged by fifty years, you wonder if you had one too many tequila shots the night before. Your geriatric wife manages to tell you she is not from this time, but a traveler from the past who has been trapped here for years. As a result of this, the aging process of her body isn't working properly, and she needs to return to her own time to survive. The problem is her rapidly deteriorating memory means she can't remember where she hid the device that allows her to travel in time.
• You usually try to ignore your eccentric aunt when she calls, but after receiving an urgent voicemail from her, you decide to make sure she's okay. It turns out she's been busy inventing a device that enables you to travel through time and she wants you to test it out. Thinking this is some new crazy game of hers, you play along—and get transported to the 1980s with no way to get back to your own time. As your grim reality sets in, you head to the nearest bar to get a strong drink to calm your nerves. The bartender is witty and captivating, and you begin to feel something for him, but what happens when you find out he's someone you know in your present?
• You're walking through the forest when you find an antique locket on the ground. You open it and recognize the face of your fiancé in the yellowed photograph inside. The other side of the locket is inscribed with a date from the 1800s.

If you like reading stories set in the Wild West or the contemporary American West, where the love interest is a rough and rugged individual, you'll love this subgenre. Common plot elements include ranching, wagon train journeys, bank robberies, land wars, and gunfights.

• You know absolutely nothing about modern cowboy life other than what you see in movies and TV shows. You've never even seen a horse up close. But that's not what your fiancé thinks. You have been telling him for years that you know a thing or two about horses. It's not like you've been lying, just pretending that you know more. However, when he asks you to visit his family's ranch, you have to either come clean or do a crash course in riding 101. You choose the latter and hire an honest-to-God ranch hand with cowboy boots and a Stetson to teach you the basics before your trip. He's ridiculous, but also kind and handsome, and soon you find yourself looking forward to your secret lessons with him. As your lessons draw to an end, you find yourself sadder than you expected. You express this to him, and he gets serious, telling you that he's in love with you. You're shocked—not only at his admission, but also at your own feelings about it. Do you stay with the man you already agreed to marry or follow your heart to this cowboy?
• You've been travelling west for months. The wagon journey has been tiresome, and you've grown increasingly weary of what waits for you when you reach your destination: a husband you've never even met. Your family has sent you off to a wealthy man on the other side of America and—knowing what's waiting for you—you hope the journey takes the longest time possible. Then the unthinkable happens: Outlaws raid your wagon train, and one outlaw even threatens to shoot you. A tall, handsome outlaw knocks the threatening man away and keeps you safe. You grab at the handsome outlaw's arm and beg him to take you away with him. Baffled, he agrees. You climb atop his horse, and he gallops away with you. When the adrenaline wears off, you still don't regret your impulsiveness. You and the man agree that, when you reach the next town, he'll give you a bit of coin and you'll be on your own, a new woman. But the days are long and you find yourself drawn to him—and he to you. You start to wonder if you really want to leave him at all.
• A handsome cowboy is injured while tending to a wild horse he's rescued miles from town. You're on the run, and can't afford to stop on your way to Mexico – but you can't ignore the wounded man when you see him, and decide to help him despite the personal risk.
• When your father is transferred west to open a bank in a newly settled area, it's a much rougher life than you had in the big, bustling city. Luckily, you love every minute of it. The local sheriff teaches you how to shoot a gun, and the bank is doing great business. Then the small town is rocked by a devastating attack from some local bandits. You manage to shoot one of them in the leg and, as the others flee, disarm the injured bandit only to discover that she's a young woman. You grow to love her as she recovers and tells you about the hard life she has led.
• You're a down-on-your-luck lawman looking for a new job in the Wild West. Since being fired from your last position after refusing to charge an innocent man, you have been unable to find steady work. When a wealthy railroad tycoon overhears you telling your woes to a bartender, he offers you a job: Bring the person who killed his son to justice and receive a sizeable reward. You never thought of yourself as bounty hunter, but you can't decline the opportunity. A month later, you track down the killer only to discover that it is a woman who killed the son in self-defense. She's been on the run ever since. After hearing her story, you decide not to fulfill your contract and instead protect her from the tycoon hell-bent on revenge. You know that someday he will send more men to finish what you have started. You stay with her to make sure that this never happens, growing closer with each passing day.
• You're an overworked accountant with little time for a love life. Desperate for a break, you join your girlfriends on vacation at a dude ranch. The handsome ranch owner is rough around the edges, and so are his books. He's about to lose the ranch and everything he's worked for. Will you extend your stay to help him out?
• You own the best saloon for a hundred miles. You're no nonsense and good at your job: The saloon is clean, the barmaids are treated well, and the patrons are happy. But when an outlaw bursts in with guns blazing, your happy little saloon is at risk. A brawl breaks out, and one of your barmaids gets hit across the face. You pull your own gun from behind the counter to get everyone to stop. The outlaw points his gun at you, and you balk. This isn't just any outlaw; this is the famed bank robber, wanted dead or alive by every sheriff in the west. More importantly, he is your ex—the first and only man you've ever loved. The outlaw recognizes you at the same time as you do him.
• When you receive word that your friend needs help with a cattle drive, you don't think twice about agreeing. You're not needed on your family's ranch right now, not with all your brothers to pick up the slack, so you pack a bag and head over first thing. When you arrive, though, it's clear that this is a tougher challenge than you expected as just yourself, your friend, and his cousin have to complete a difficult journey—not to mention how irritating this cousin is. He scoffs at the fact that you are a woman and proclaims that cowboys are "boys" for a reason. He's smarmy and conceited and, yes, the handsomest man this side of the Mississippi. You resent your attraction to him and how seemingly unimpressed he is with you. But when a camping mishap has you injured and him racing to your rescue, you see a different side of him: caring, attentive, and generous. He risks everything to take care of you. As you realize the depth of your feelings, you wonder if you two can find love together.
• You're a city slicker now, but you'll always be a country girl at heart. A family illness calls you back to the ranch. You run into your old friend from childhood, who's now all grown up and a handsome cowboy. Your reunion isn't exactly sweet, since he thinks you haven't been true to your roots.
• You're in line to deposit your monthly earnings at the bank when a man comes up behind you with a gun to your back. "Sorry, ma'am," he says with a southern drawl you can't quite place, "but I'm gonna need your help." He takes you hostage as his partner robs the bank. You're held in the back safe while he stuffs his bag and apologizes. You don't understand why until he pulls you up by the arm and says that you're going with them. You scream, but no one can help you as the bank robber throws you on top of his horse and gallops away with you. You're stuck with him as you ride out of town and into the unknown. He promises not to hurt you. You have no reason to believe him, but you do. There's something about this outlaw that you can't put your finger on, but you're drawn to him. Will your instincts be right, or are you crazy for trusting a bank robber?
• Horses are your life—so much so that you run a ranch that rescues neglected horses. You're getting too many to take care of yourself, so you put out a call for some help. You end up hiring two men: one a little older with lots of ranch experience and one in graduate school who is working to become a veterinarian. As you see their passion for the horses, you begin to develop feelings for both of them.
• During a road trip through Montana, your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. Luckily, you find a nearby ranch where the owner reluctantly agrees to let you stay. The ranch owner is standoffish and rude, and you can't wait until your car is repaired. However, as you get to know him, sparks fly, and you can't help thinking this was meant to be. Of course, you've been living in the big city for so long that you must decide whether you can live a rancher's life or give up the man you love.
• The Wild West is no place for a woman to be alone with her children, but when your husband dies on the journey, you don't have a choice. You're all the three younglings have. You're building a life for your family when a bandit comes to your small home to rob you. Seeing you there all alone and defenseless, he has a change of heart. He says he might be a scoundrel, but he's still a gentleman. Months later, you find the same man in town—this time with a noose around his neck because he stole a horse. You beg the sheriff to let the bandit go, but the sheriff refuses to listen to your pleas. Frantic, you lie and say that the bandit was at your home the night the horse went missing, adding that you are about to be wed. The sheriff believes you and places the man in your custody. After all, who would make up such a story to save a convicted horse thief? But you don't know what to do now. The bandit has to stay with your family for a while or you run the risk of going to jail as well. As you spend more time with him, you find yourself more drawn to him. There's something captivating about the mysterious bandit, and you begin to fall in love.
• When your husband was on his deathbed three years ago, you promised him that you would keep his ranch business up and running since it has been in his family for generations. Yet despite your best efforts, you've barely been scraping by. Your ranch and your home have fallen into disrepair, and you are about to lose everything to the bank when a mysterious man comes into town and offers to help. This former rancher has been travelling for a while and is now looking for a place to settle for a bit. With more than a decade of ranching experience, he believes he can help you keep your ranch afloat. You agree eagerly, despite the warnings from your friends that he might be dangerous. There's something about him, beyond his captivating mystery, that is kind albeit broken—the same as you. Seeing him as a kindred spirit, you invite him into your life.
• You like your cowboys rugged and a little rough around the edges, so the second he saunters into your saloon, you know you're a goner. It doesn't take long before the two of you fall hopelessly in love and get married. One day, a bounty hunter walks into your saloon in search of a man with a large bounty on his head. When he shows you the wanted poster for the man, you realize it is your husband.
• You're the greatest barrel racer the Women's Professional Rodeo Association has ever seen. You've set record after record and constantly sell out every rodeo you go to. When a hotshot newcomer starts to steal headlines and win races, you're annoyed. She's basically a kid just out of high school, and she's all show, no finesse. Still, when the press asks if you'll race against her, you try to be a good sport. Then you hear her scoff and ask "would it even be a race?" Your blood boils. Who is this nobody cowgirl? You go to confront her and are surprised by the way you react to her: still hot blooded but it's not quite anger you're feeling. She's conceited and confident as well as snarky and smart as a whip. You become tongue-tied as you realize your interest in her. You walk away, humiliated. You're upset with yourself. You absolutely, irrevocably cannot have feelings for your worst enemy.
• Seeking respite from the horrors of war, a soldier arrives for a long visit on his uncle's ranch. You are the town's only veterinarian, and when you make his acquaintance when you go over to check on one of the animals, you realize the soldier needs some TLC, too.
• Tired of your life working in a textile mill in a congested East Coast city, you want to see the American frontier, which you have only read about in magazines. You are also getting a little too close to spinsterhood for comfort. You've always had a sense of adventure, so you decide to answer an advertisement placed by a California prospector seeking a mail-order bride in a local newspaper. Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime?
• You are a bull rider, and riding is the only thing you've ever loved. When your legs are shattered in a serious accident, your career is over, and you feel as if your life is over as well. The only bright spot in your days is your beautiful physical therapist, who gives you hope that you will walk again. You hope that you might even get back on the bull. She also stirs feelings inside of you that you never even thought possible.
• You own the most successful and lucrative ranch this side of the country. It's taken generations of hard work, and you're proud of the property, but when your estranged cousin comes to town—lawyer in tow—everything you've worked for is threatened. The lawyer tells you that a clause in your grandfather's will indicates that the ranch actually belongs to your cousin. Baffled, you tell them that you will fight them in court. As the court cases starts, the lawyer and your cousin take up residence at the B&B on the property over. The legal battle rages on, and you find yourself taken with the lawyer trying to take everything from you. The lawyer is hard, unwavering, and uncomfortable with the ranch life that she is suddenly thrust into, and you find her exterior melting the more you show her how good a slow, happy life on the ranch can be. With the judge's decision only days away, you decide you're going to tell the lawyer how you feel—after all, what's the point of winning if you're alone at the end of the day?

This subgenre is geared toward younger audiences and features a protagonist between the ages of 15 and 25. The story usually contains youth-oriented tropes, such as coming of age, missing or neglectful parents, and star-crossed lovers.

• The two of you are best friends in college. You ask him to fix you up with some of his single friends. He secretly likes you and decides to hook you up with friends that he knows won't work out. During the last disastrous date you go on, your date reveals the plan to you. At first, you're angry, but then you realize the lengths your best friend is willing to go through and you decide to try going out with him.
• Being the new girl is always hard. You are shy and introverted, and you would much rather be surrounded by books than people. But now you're a senior in high school, and you want this year to be different. Tired of being the nerd and the wallflower, you decide to be someone else. Before you know it, you've caught the attention of the "in-crowd" as well as the most popular boy in school. As the school year and your crush progress, you worry that you can't keep up the façade forever. If you show your true self to him, will he still like you?
• You've been having vivid dreams recently about a beautiful girl. This morning in class your teacher announces the arrival of a new transfer student. It's the girl from your dreams. She drops a folded piece of paper on your desk as she walks past you to her seat.
• A year ago, your father was convicted of embezzling millions from his clients. You didn't just lose your father, but also your home, your social standing, and all your family's wealth. Forced to move halfway across the country to a small Podunk town with your mother to live near your grandparents, you hate everything about your new life. Then you meet him. He isn't the type of boy you are used to. He's a farmer's son who couldn't care less about social status. You think he's perfect, but your mother doesn't approve. She has lost everything as well, but she still clings to her old life and decides that he will never be good enough for you.
• You are an 18-year-old girl who is in a hospital after receiving a heart transplant. You hear sniffling and glance into the hallway outside your room to see a handsome young man about your age wiping away tears. You feel inexplicably drawn to him and ask a nurse who he is. She tells you that he is grieving his girlfriend, who was killed in a car accident…and that you have received her transplanted heart.
• Spending your summer at an all-girls camp was never your idea of fun. You'd much rather be hanging out with your friends, flirting with boys, and thinking about prom next year. Unfortunately, your parents had other ideas. You are determined to hate everything about it, but your cabin mate is unlike anyone you've ever met, and you find yourself drawn to her in ways you never imagined. You never felt this way about any of the boys you've dated. Is this just an experimental phase, or could this be what love really feels like?
• You just found out that your girlfriend cheated on you over the summer. Heartbroken, you are convinced you will never love again. But then a new girl arrives in school, and you are asked to show her around. You play it chill at first, but her kind and bubbly personality thaws you and you can't help falling for her. However, she pushes you away, telling you that she is the last person you should fall in love with.
• You are a recent college graduate who is backpacking through Europe. You just ended a difficult relationship and have vowed to spend the summer on your own. On a hiking trip in the Italian Alps, you meet a guide who has you thinking twice about that decision.
• You hate your high school. All the other students are either dumb jocks or superficial airheads. You still have three years of surviving this small town, but you are counting down the days until you can go somewhere and meet some people you actually like—not these high school stereotypes. The worst is the police chief's daughter, an irritating cheerleader you really can't stand. But one day on your walk home you see her ex attacking her, and you jump in to fight him off. She's distraught and crying, so you calm her down and take her home. The more time you spend with her, the more she feels protected, and you realize that there's more than meets the eye with this girl.
• You are in love with your best friend, but she has no clue. You have suffered in silence as you have watched her fall for the wrong guys over and over again. Graduation is coming up, and you are running out of time to tell her how you feel. Will she finally see that it should have been you all along, or will she break your heart forever?
• He's a gamer and so are you. In fact, you're both so good at it, you reach top rankings in international competitions, and that's how you notice each other. But romance is more than a game—or is it?
• A handsome working-class student at an Ivy League school is treated like an outsider by his classmates from wealthy families – except for you, who sees something in him that they don't. Can you overcome the obstacles of your very different backgrounds?
• It's not much, but the little apartment you've got is all you need. You were emancipated from your parents a year ago after you discovered that they were taking out loans in your name to pay for their drug and gambling debts. You think that there's nothing life can throw at you that you can't handle. Then you meet her: fierce, unflappable, and kind. You are attracted to her instantly, but you are hesitant about pursuing a relationship. You are wary of getting close to others; you are simply not ready to trust people again. However, she's determined to show you that there's a greater amount of good in the world than there is bad.
• You are a junior in high school dating the senior of your dreams. He is kind and sweet, but his wealthy parents look down on you because of your middle-class status. His snobby younger brother doesn't seem to like you either. After a tense dinner at your boyfriend's house, you run out in tears, running into his brother. The two of you get into a heated argument and, out of nowhere, he kisses you passionately. Afterwards, he tells you he doesn't hate you. In fact, he has liked you for years. Now you can't stop thinking about him or that kiss.
• The boy with the glasses is all you can think about. He moved to your town over the summer and, now that school has started, you keep hoping you'll run into him. But he keeps to himself, never socializing or participating in anything except what the teachers ask of him. You don't know what it is about him that draws you in, but you can't fight it. When you're paired together for a school project, you think this is your chance. But he's more than just quiet—he's got secrets that you can't even begin to imagine.
• After a car accident nearly took your life, you wake up from a coma. In the six months since the accident, everything has changed. Your best friend, who was behind the wheel when you crashed, is dead. All of your other friends have graduated and gone off to college without you. Meanwhile, your mom is busy working three jobs to pay your medical bills. You sit in your room in the rehab facility feeling a deep loneliness and depression that you never could have expected. One day you meet a new patient on the ward: a handsome football player who shattered his leg and thinks his life is over, too. The two of you work through the healing process together, growing closer each day.
• Two camp counselors have been working at the same summer camp for four years. This summer is different—it's their last year at camp and their feelings for each other are changing. What will they do when the summer ends?
• Tired of the pressure of college, you take a summer job at the beach to recenter yourself. It's the perfect place to unwind, decompress, and figure out who you are. You have a difficult time making friends, but there's one girl who's different than most. She's bookish and quirky, and not at all cool. But that's the best part about her. The social scene at college can be so cutthroat, and you like that she's not trying to one-up or sabotage you. You quickly become best friends, but by the end of the summer, you are so much more.
• When you came out of a bad relationship, your friend was right there for you. She took you out for pizza and let you talk for hours. The experience has brought you closer, and you start to realize that you might have feelings for her. The only problem is that this friend is the same gender, and you've only ever been in straight relationships.
• Excited to finally be starting college after taking a year off to work following high school, you're immediately overwhelmed by the workload and all of the new people. Always a bookworm, you seek the quiet and peace of the library, where you find an adorable nerdy boy with his head stuck in a book by your favorite author. You strike up a conversation with him and, even though he's not your usual type, you find yourself falling for him quickly. The two of you become inseparable—until he loses his scholarship.

Well, there you have it! We hope that these prompts have helped to inspire your writing. Thank you so much to all of the writers who helped create this romance prompt post. We couldn't have done it without you!

• Emma Canady
• GrammarMaven
• Lauren Meikle
• Nicole d'Entremont
• ShannonSays
• Karishma Petersen

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Romance 101: How to Write Characters Falling in Love

Any story can be enhanced with a good romantic subplot, but if romance isn’t your genre, you’re probably worried about how you’d pull it off. You want it to be emotional and meaningful, but not sappy and cliché. Sooner or later, it’s a genre you’ll end up having to explore at least briefly in order to create dynamic and varied relationships between characters. But… even if you’re in a happy relationship, you might still be lost on how to convey romance authentically in your stories.

The most difficult part about writing a romantic story is the initial meeting between the love interests and the romantic spark between them. It can be difficult to write characters falling in love, since it’s such a natural experience for people in real life. Too often, romances feel unrealistic, forced, or just downright problematic. It’s easy to mess up, so how should you approach writing characters discovering and developing their feelings for each other? Well, there are a few techniques that you can utilize to create an authentic, emotional romantic plot that will keep your readers hooked. 

How to Avoid Romance Clichés

First and foremost: “love at first sight” does not exist . This isn’t a hot take, it just isn’t a real thing that happens. Love is complicated, and you can’t expect such a deep connection to develop on its own. It doesn’t simply manifest after one look. Real love is something that grows over time as people get to know each other and make the effort to foster an intimate connection. Love doesn’t evolve overnight like a Pokémon. In fact, romance stories hardly ever involve realistic depictions of love—most of them don’t even come close . 

With that said, “attraction at first sight” does exist. You can meet a person and be physically, emotionally, or intellectually attracted to them. Attraction doesn’t come with any attachments. You don’t need to know someone to know that they’re gorgeous, you just have to look at them. But finding someone attractive does not mean you’re in love with them. Too many times, fiction writers rely on the notion of “love at first sight” to create the basis of their romantic relationships, when all that really is is lust. It just doesn’t feel authentic. 

That is probably the most prevalent (and worst) romance cliché that writers litter throughout their stories, but that is by no means the only one. Clichés can kill an otherwise good story, and they are unfortunately abundant in romances. Even if the story you’re writing is primarily some other genre, like comedy or mystery, romantic clichés can work their poison into the storyline. 

It’s difficult to describe every type of romantic cliché, since there are just too many to count. The best way to avoid clichés is to be able to spot them yourself, and you just can’t do that if you aren’t familiar with the genre. Although it might seem counterintuitive to read a bunch of romance stories to learn what not to do, that’s the best advice I can give you. Immerse yourself in cheesy romance stories, watch every rom-com you can, and read every sappy romance novel you can get your hands on. 

Then, when it comes to writing your own story, you know the types of tropes that work well and what feels wrong to a reader. Never forget that you are a reader as well. If something doesn’t feel right to you in someone else’s story, don’t put it in yours. Your reactions to an incompatible relationship, unrealistic flirty dialogue, or bizarre romantic scenarios are likely going to be in-line with how your readers would react too. 

How to Write Attraction

Let’s jump back a few steps and focus on the notion of attraction. Attraction and love aren’t the same thing, clearly, but an initial attraction can inspire people to pursue a conversation, which can lead to feelings of love developing. Being physically attractive, having a good sense of humor, or having similar hobbies can all inspire conversation between two hopeful romantics, but it’s not until after they’ve gotten to know each other can the attraction become something that resembles love. 

When it comes to writing attraction, subtlety is your friend. The last thing you should consider doing is having your character see someone else and simply announce “they’re cute.” That is a boring way of really slapping your readers in the face with the fact that the other character is likely to be the story’s love interest. And honestly, in reality, no one looks at someone with wonder when they enter the room, no matter how attractive the other person is. (Remember those clichés we talked about above? Any time you feel tempted to write about “time slowing down” or “nothing else in the room mattering” or something along those lines, you should really stop yourself and consider how creepy it would be if someone just stopped to stare open-mouthed at someone who just entered the room. Yeah… not cute, is it?)

Instead of being obvious about the attraction, you should draw attention to smaller details . Have the main character notice little things, like the way their love interest’s skirt flows when they move, or the way their hair blows around in the wind. Eye contact is a fantastic way of conveying attraction more subtly, so have your character notice the color of the other person’s eyes, or the way they wrinkle when the person smiles. Have your main character think about the other person’s voice, the way they stand, or how they move. These aren’t things you would typically think about—unless you had a crush on someone. 

Along that same line, you can also use this technique to show romantic interest budding between two friends. Even if two characters have known each other for a while, throwing in one simple line can be a strong clue to readers that the character is slowly falling in love with their friend. For example: “how had I never noticed before how blue his eyes were?” That not only suggests a peaked interest, but it also tells your readers more subliminally that the two characters shared a moment of eye contact long enough for the main character to notice that detail. 

Letting readers notice on their own that the main character likes another character is much more rewarding for them than simply being told. This allows them to become more invested in the relationship, which is important for any love story. However, there are many other ways you can influence readers to make them care more about the characters, the relationships between them, and the story as a whole. 

How to Make Your Readers Care About the Romance

You can put a lot of effort into the relationship between two characters, but that doesn’t obligate readers to care about it. In order to make your readers care about the romantic plot, you need to make it interesting, and you need to make it meaningful to the storyline. Romance in a story shouldn’t exist just for the sole purpose of existing. It should create conflict in the story, illustrate a character’s shortcomings or personal development, or just create a fun dynamic that is interesting to read. Ask yourself: “what is the purpose of this relationship?” If you don’t have a good answer, then you need to find a way to make it more integral to the way the story plays out. 

In addition to having a purpose in the story, the relationship between the characters should be inherently interesting. In order to achieve that, you should consider a few different factors that would influence your readers’ perceptions of the relationship. 

Make the Characters Individually Interesting

Long before you even consider the romantic relationship, you need to make sure the characters are interesting on their own. In addition to that, you need to make sure that your readers have time to get to know the characters before you rush them into a relationship with another character. You don’t want any character’s identity to be tied to their relationship with another person—they need to be complex and unique individuals, both within and outside of their interactions with other characters.

The process of making a compelling character is a little difficult to cover in just one short section, but fundamentally, you should establish several distinct things about each character long before you should consider how to make them fall in love. These things are:

• Likes and Dislikes

Each of those aspects is important, but I don’t have the space here to talk about all of them. So, I will be focusing on what is arguably the most important point: flaws. Characters should have behaviors or fears they need to overcome, warped beliefs, or some sort of bad habit. These traits might make them confrontational, difficult to love, or even a bit dysfunctional—but that’s the whole point. No one in the world is perfect, so your characters shouldn’t be either. 

Flaws create conflict, which drives a story forward, and above all else, they make characters more believable and relatable. If a reader can root for a character to achieve something they struggle with, overcome personal obstacles in their life, or find love despite their flaws, then they’re going to be much more attached to that character.

Some great character flaws that work well in romantic stories are:

• Emotional coldness
• Fear of commitment

With that said, it can be difficult to create flawed characters that aren’t over-the-top, annoying, or just generally unlikable. If you want some more guidance on the topic, I have another article that could be helpful: How to Create Complex Flaws for Characters .

Ensure the Characters have Romantic Chemistry 

Only after you have unique individual characters should you begin thinking about crafting romantic interactions between them. Your characters should be interesting by themselves, but when your couple comes together, they should have a dynamic that’s interesting too. The pairing needs to have Romantic Chemistry, meaning that they have to be compatible and make sense together. Romantic chemistry between characters cannot be forced, and trying to pair two characters together that aren’t a good fit for each other just isn’t going to work. That kind of relationship isn’t going to resonate with your readers.

There are four main types of romantic chemistry. You don’t need your couple to check all four boxes, but you should at least take the time to consider each one.

• Physical – the characters should be physically attracted to each other, at least a little. This plays into the characters’ sexuality, and a strong sexual bond can help support trust in a good emotional relationship. 
• Emotional – the characters should feel emotionally supported by each other, and they should trust in their partner.
• Spiritual – the characters should share similar beliefs or lifestyles, at least in some aspects of their lives. Conflicting cultures, religions, and ideals can still work together, but you should make sure it’s still a realistic dynamic. 
• Intellectual – the characters should have similar degrees of intelligence. This is less about particular areas of intelligence, and more about critical thinking abilities. An artist and a scientist could get along fine, since their individual pursuits both require a degree of intelligence, skill, and critical thinking to achieve. However, a scientist may have trouble feeling attracted to a bumbling idiot.

So, how do you create romantic chemistry between two characters? Well, you need to think about them as individuals again. I know that sounds redundant, but bear with me.

In order to make a couple romantically compatible, they need to have character traits that complement each other. That doesn’t mean that they should always be opposites, however. Complimentary doesn’t have to mean they balance each other out. The two characters could share many similar traits and still be compatible. Two characters that are similarly sarcastic could riff off each other’s sarcasm and get along quite well, but that same situation could also end up frustrating everyone involved if the characters’ other traits conflict. 

In addition to the pairing working well together, you need to consider what each character wants, and what makes sense for their personality. A character struggling with addiction and depression might benefit most from a relationship with someone patient, caring, and doting, but if that’s not the type of relationship they want, then it would be difficult to justify. You should take into consideration the characters’ sexual preferences, emotional needs, and desires in a relationship. Two characters might be great for each other objectively, but if you can’t make it realistic given the characters’ preferences, then it won’t feel right. 

Use Conflict to Keep it Interesting

To get readers really invested in the romance, there needs to be some sort of conflict. You can’t make things too easy for your lovebirds, or you’ll bore your readers. Conflict is the heart of storytelling, so you need to put something in the way of the characters’ relationship to keep it interesting. 

The easiest way of creating conflict in a romance is to have an obstacle in the way of the lovers’ relationship. This obstacle can take many different forms, but here are a few example scenarios that you could use to create some difficulty for your couple:

• One character’s family is unsupportive of the relationship between the two characters. That could be because of an arranged marriage, a conflict of beliefs, or just good old fashioned helicopter parenting. This is especially applicable if the other character has bad habits, a general disregard for tradition, or a hard emotional exterior. 
• One character has a destructive habit that just can’t continue if they expect the relationship to work. If they smoke, and the other character is against that despite being compatible in all other aspects, then that could be enough to disrupt the relationship. The original character would be forced to choose between their vices and their love for the other character.
• One character is offered a great job that they just can’t reject, but that would mean moving far away from the other character. The other character may be unable or unwilling to move with them, so each character has to decide between their individual futures and their future together. 
• One character has had bad luck with love in the past, and they’re having a difficult time opening up to the other character despite their feelings. They could experience significant inner turmoil as they try to find a balance between loving the other character and protecting themself. 
• One character has a crush on another character, but can’t or won’t confess for whatever reason. This is especially entertaining if the other character feels the same way. 
• Two characters want to be together, but one character’s vengeful ex keeps trying to sabotage them with lies, trickery, or even just digging up their pasts. 

There are tons of other options you could choose for establishing conflict in the relationship. Whatever you choose, make sure it makes sense for the story, and doesn’t push the characters or their relationship too far. Too much conflict between the two characters could be perceived as toxic or unhealthy, even if they end up happy together in the end. 

Develop the Romance Over Time

Once you’re sure that it’s realistic for the characters to fall in love in the first place, then you need to figure out how to pace the romantic development. Love isn’t something that develops quickly, but rather builds up slowly over time. Sometimes, the onset of romantic feelings can be so discreet and so slow that your readers may notice the attraction between the characters before the characters themselves acknowledge their own feelings. 

One of the most irritating tropes in romance stories is the idea of falling “hard and fast” in love. Passion and lust can blossom quickly, but don’t confuse that with true feelings of love. If you want the relationship between your characters to be perceived as true love, then the longer you draw it out, the more authentic it’s going to feel. Additionally, if your readers get to watch the relationship unfold slowly, it will be more rewarding to read once the two characters get together. 

Sometimes, however, situations can force two characters together faster out of loneliness, desperation, or mutual fear. Two characters destined to save the world together may end up caring about each other much faster than two characters that meet for coffee on weekends. A night of passion could lead to feelings of confusion and self-reflection, which could end up developing into emotional and romantic attachment. Additionally, near-death experiences could pressure characters to face or admit their feelings earlier than they otherwise would, since they could fear they’d miss their opportunity if the other character died. 

You should approach these kinds of situations cautiously, however, especially if you want the readers to perceive the relationship as authentic and not just a product of the characters’ circumstances. 

Love in the Little Things: Writing Love Subtly

Love isn’t something that everyone expresses the same way. Everyone has their own ways of expressing and cherishing love, so don’t assume that there’s only one right way to write about it. Some characters may show their love physically, with kisses, hand-holding, and running their fingers through their partner’s hair. Other characters may show their love through their actions, by staying up with their partner even when they’re exhausted, always giving them the best part of things they share, and preferring to do everything together rather than apart. Some characters may go to great lengths to act on their love for another character, such as changing bad habits, learning how to do things their partner enjoys, and showering their partner in gifts.

Characters showing their love for each other doesn’t have to be dramatic. You can illustrate love between two characters in the thousands of little things they do for each other, in the way they look at each other, and the subtle ways they think and talk about each other. Hide hints of their feelings together in every action, every word they say, and your readers will understand their feelings without having to be told. 

Remember, when characters really truly love each other, your readers will love them too. 

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Home » Blog » How to Write a Romance Novel [In 13 Steps]

How to Write a Romance Novel [In 13 Steps]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

On the surface, romance can seem like an easy genre to write in. However, knowing how to write a compelling romance novel takes skill and practice.

Writing a romance novel takes just as much time, effort, and planning as any other piece of fiction. Following these steps will make the process easier for you, especially if it’s your first novel:

• Choose your subgenre
• Create the setting
• Choose a novel writing tool
• Know the romance recipe
• Use plot devices
• Know your readers
• Present your heroine
• Present the love interest
• Identify the driving force
• Carefully consider the intimate scenes
• Craft your secondary characters
• Find some tools
• Write the happy ending

While it may not require the extensive research and worldbuilding that a fantasy novel does, that doesn’t mean it’s easy. If you’re going to write a fantasy romance or a successful romance you do need to learn how to write a novel well.

Here is a breakdown of steps to write a romance novel:

1. Choose Your Subgenre

Romance is versatile. If you want to write a straight romance, that’s fine! There is a huge market for this.

Many readers live for a good, dramatic story that focuses on love.

But, fans of other genres want some romance too. This is where you can consider writing in a subgenre of romance. You can weave romantic plot lines into almost any other type of story, but the most popular romance subgenres are:

Contemporary

• Supernatural or paranormal

If you’ve been thinking that your idea isn’t appropriate for a romance, you’re probably wrong. Even if fantasy, thriller, or the supernatural is where your heart is, you can always incorporate romance.

The amount of emphasis you put on the romance is up to you. It can be subtle or it can be a focal point throughout the plot. You should add at least a small amount of romantic tension to any novel.

Even if it is a very small part of the story, it is something that helps the characters become more believable. Because everyone needs love in their own life, readers will relate to the character’s yearning for it as well.

If you haven’t already, it’s a good idea to read some romance before attempting to put it into your novel in any significant way. Even if you are a dedicated horror fan, pick up a few romance novels. If you don’t love reading them – consider it research.

This guide is not specific to any one subgenre or type of romance. It is here to teach you the important elements of learning how to write a romance novel. What you learn here can be applied to a romance of any kind.

2. Create the Setting to Write a Romance Novel

No one who is learning how to write a novel should neglect to create a good setting. However, in a character-driven romance, it is especially important.

The setting creates the atmosphere and the atmosphere can hold a lot of weight in what goes on.

A contemporary romance, for example, often takes place in a simple and modern location. This can include an idyllic small town or a university campus.

These settings are perfect for your main characters to spend a lot of time together and have lots of drama ensue. These locations are also usually small enough where larger-scale drama is realistic – such as flying rumors and fast-traveling news.

All of this makes for a perfect contemporary romance setting. An exotic vacation town with lots of tourists or a quiet countryside would not be as effective.

Historical romance can be set anywhere, as long as you have chosen a specific time period in history. Historical romances can be beautiful, exciting trips back in time. But, they are only successful when you do the proper research on your setting.

You need to know what everything was like in your chosen place at your chosen time. Consider these questions when creating your historical setting:

• Who was the president that year?
• What was the economy like?
• What was the social hierarchy? Ie – were women and people of color being treated as equals? What was the balance of the poor/middle class/rich?
• What was the most common mode of transportation?
• How far along was technology at that point?

These are just a few things to get you started. You will need a lot of information before your historical romance will be accurate. But, all this research will be worth it when you have created the perfect setting for the story you want to tell.

Lastly, take paranormal romance as another example. This is a story that could take place in that lonely country town where neighbors are few and far away.

Perhaps the main setting is even a haunted house or street. This creates an effective, gloomy atmosphere for a spooky, ghostly love story with a darker feel.

Creating Good Setting

Of course, you can set your story wherever you want, there are no rules . But, guidelines and common suggestions are in place for a reason – they work.

What matters most about your setting is that it makes sense and captivates your readers. Your goal as a writer of any type of fiction is to pull your readers in and transport them into your world. Once you have chosen the specific location of your story, keep these elements of a good setting in mind:

• Balance description with action. Don’t write endless paragraphs that only describe.
• Use the location within the conflict. Perhaps a physical obstacle or an unreasonable local law.
• Use all the senses when describing your setting.
• Make your setting real by using names. Street names, building names, and even local nicknames are given to landmarks such as a forest or park.
• Be specific about the time of year your story is happening, and even the time of day. This helps the reader visualize what’s going on. It also helps certain scenes make more sense – like something that would only ever happen at night.
• Even if they are not central to the plot, talk about the social and political environment. These things impact everyone’s lives and your characters are no exception.
• Use several different elements to set the mood and atmosphere. Things like temperature, weather, lighting, and the emotional atmosphere will all contribute to how everyone feels.

3. Choose a Novel Writing Tool

In the quest to craft a captivating romance novel, the choice of your writing tool can make all the difference. There are multiple tools out there but Squiber wins the race with AI Smart Writing features.

Squibler emerges as the indispensable ally for aspiring romance authors, offering a plethora of features designed to elevate your storytelling. 

Squibler harnesses the power of AI to effortlessly create and seamlessly integrate characters, settings, and objects into your narrative. Crafting scenes becomes a breeze as Squibler transforms your selected elements into vivid and engaging storylines.

If you feel stuck or need insights then Squibler’s serves as your personal writer’s assistant to answer your queries, guiding plot points or character nuances. 

If you want to rephrase, summarize, add examples, add more inner conflict, or enhance the intensity of your romance plot, use Squibler and let AI instantly elevate the richness and detail of your content.

The AI Writer ensures a smooth flow in your storytelling journey. Squibler analyzes your previous writing and generates fitting paragraphs, maintaining the tone and direction of your narrative. 

You can also visualize your story in a whole new light with Squibler’s, allowing you to create images and short videos of characters, settings, and plot elements.

Add depth to your scenes by using Squibler’s Describe feature. Highlight text, choose the senses you want to evoke, and watch as Squibler helps you paint a vivid picture with sight, smell, taste, sound, touch, or even poetic metaphors. 

If you need to expand a particular section, Squibler will assist you in developing it further. 

Squibler’s user-friendly interface and dedicated romance novel templates are the key to unlocking success in your romance novel writing journey.

4. Create the Recipe

Many cooks and chefs spend years practicing and perfecting their signature recipes. Why? Because when you have that tried and true recipe that everyone loves, the meal will always be a success no matter how many times you make it.

The same can be said for romance novelists . While any novel follows some sort of story structure , most successful romance novels have six key ingredients. These ingredients are included because they are proven effective.  Even when repeated throughout different stories, audiences love it.

The six basic ingredients:

• Boy and girl meet.
• Boy and girl are attracted to each other.
• Boy and girl begin their romance.
• Boy and girl separate.
• Boy and girl become reunited.
• Boy and girl live happily ever after.

Of course, these elements can go in any direction. This is the absolute bare bones of your romance. But, it’s a structure that works.

This recipe can be tinkered with, added to, and expanded. If your love story is unique and original, it won’t feel like a cop-out just because you stick to the basic romance formula. Why mess with a proven, age-old method?

5. A Plot Device is Essential to Knowing How to Write a Romance Novel

A plot device or “trope” is a specific person, object, or situation that is used to advance the plot in the way the writer wants. It is a means to an end – the writer knows what result they want so they figure out a way to get there.

Many plot devices within fiction are common. Earlier I talked about certain settings working for certain types of romance stories – plot devices are no different. Some plot devices just work to drive a romance forward.

Just because a plot device is common doesn’t mean it’s bad. It is up to the writer to make their use of a plot device original and unique.

Common Romance Tropes

There are many more but these are some of the most popular. You can probably think of at least one book or movie right away that matches each of these tropes. Take these stories and ask yourself – did you thoroughly enjoy it or did it feel overdone and cliche?

You might have a mix of answers. This is because it is easy to take these tropes and be lazy. This creates a tired story that won’t stand out.

On the other hand, many writers make these effective devices work for their story in a fresh, unique, and interesting way.

Don’t shy away from plot devices that you know will work, just be sure you are being creative. Put in the effort to write something people will love to read. You can also do this by combining several different plot devices to create a unique flow.

6. Know How to Write a Romance Novel by Knowing Your Readers

Knowing your readers is an important part of knowing how to write a book of any kind – fiction or nonfiction . Being aware of your target audience will help you write in a way you know will resonate with them.

For some books, this can require a good amount of research. For nonfiction especially, you need to find out exactly who needs your expertise, and exactly which parts of it they need at this time.

For romance authors, however, your basic readership is pretty simple and consistent.

About 80 percent of romance readers are women. This is overwhelming compared to most other genres. While this does leave about 20 percent of your readers as male, you know you’re writing to a female majority. It is women you want to reach with your story.

Some other facts to keep in mind:

• Most of the women who read romances are between the ages of 20-50.
• Romance makes up about 30 percent of all fiction.
• Around 30 percent of regular romance book readers will buy more than one romance novel in a month.

That last one is especially important. This means they are constantly exposed to different romantic plot lines, and will easily spot one that is overdone or boring.

To gain a loyal readership that won’t hesitate to pick up your next book, make every effort to stay unique, original, and different.

Writing for Women

While you don’t want to completely alienate the small number of male readers you have, it is important to know how to write for women. Women are the overwhelming majority of your target audience, so pleasing them is a top priority.

Here are a few tips to help you resonate with your female audience:

• Focus on the setting – especially the home. In days past, caring for the home was the women’s job. While society is moving forward from this and embracing the working mom and gender equality, the home is still important to a woman. The way things are arranged and decorated, how it’s kept. Don’t neglect this in your story.
• Don’t be afraid of feelings. It’s no secret that women can be more emotional than men. Don’t be afraid to write strong and deep emotions into your female characters. This is why character development is important.
• Don’t leave out the kids. Not all women have kids, but the reality is that most do. Don’t be afraid to use them in the story. They can be a useful source of conflict. Especially if your reader is a mom, she will directly relate to any emotions about children.

Keep these things in mind, but also ensure you are creating balance. Unless you want to dive right into women’s fiction specifically, maintain a balance. Remember your small section of male readers.

7. Present Your Heroine

This is where knowing your reader becomes even more important. We’ve established that most romance readers are women. But, there are still different age groups to consider.

Narrow Down Your Target Audience

Writing a story about a college girl who falls in love with the arrogant quarterback will not always interest a woman in her forties because she wants a character she can connect with.

So as you write about your heroine, keep your specified target audience in mind. Are you writing for the young adult fresh out of high school, or do you want to target the middle-aged mom?

It’s an important question to ask yourself, but don’t overcomplicate it either. Older women can enjoy a story about young women and vice versa. But, it’s good to keep the general target in mind especially when creating a female heroine.

A romance book will connect with its readers when they have something in common with the heroine. There are a few details you can keep in mind as you begin bringing her to life:

• Your heroine’s age
• Her worldview and personality
• Physical features of your heroine – height, hair color, etc.
• Where she lives
• What she does for a living

Create Believability

Now that you’ve chosen what kind of character to write , you need to make sure they are believable.

Nobody, anywhere in the world, goes through life without struggle. It is imperative that you also give your characters some struggles and obstacles. A character that has the perfect experience every time will not only be entirely unrealistic, but they will also be boring.

Nobody wants to read about a perfect relationship because that’s not interesting. It’s not real and there is nothing to invest in. This is why temporary separation is part of the basic romance recipe I mentioned earlier.

So, give your characters some flaws and put them through some struggles. These struggles can include any number of things:

• Job troubles
• Financial troubles
• Relationship troubles (romantic and friendships)
• Family drama

That is just naming a few.

Usually, it’s most effective to write your main character(s) as round and dynamic. Give them deeply complex personalities. In addition, brings them through some change and growth as the story progresses.

Not every character needs to be like this. That would be exhausting and flat characters have special functions of their own. But, your main characters need to be multi-dimensional to create the maximum level of believability and relatability

8. Present the Love Interest

Much like your heroin, imperfection is the key to creating a successful second character. Or in this case, the love interest.

Like any character, they should be flawed. Perhaps his more prominent flaws cause your heroin to wonder if they made the right choice or if he is the right one.

It can be tempting to write a perfect love interest because a perfect person is easy to fall in love with. However, this is a bad choice. It will take away from the conflict in the story and the believability of the character.

Don’t Make Them Hated

Many stories start with the heroine hating or at least disliking the eventual love interest. This is effective, but it doesn’t mean the readers have to hate the love interest as well.

There is usually a specific reason your heroine hates him – a past betrayal, something he has done, who he was before a transformation took place, etc. This makes the distaste personal and your readers don’t need to share her opinion.

Give him some redeeming qualities that appeal to the reader, and don’t objectify him. Even if your main character hates him for a while, the readers should be able to tell that he genuinely loves her and is a good person at the core.

From here, you can positively develop him. As your heroine begins to fall in love with him, your readers will just like him that much more.

Don’t Fall Victim to the Stereotype

When we speak of romance, our minds often drift to the typical tanned, tall, well-built Don Juan who sweeps her off her feet. He is suave and charming. But, this puts you at risk of creating that too-perfect love interest.

These characters are sometimes effective, but it’s not the only type of man that can be romantic. Sometimes, a shy, nerdy gamer is what your character will love.

Don’t be afraid to go outside the box and create a unique love interest who is charming in his original way.

9. What is the Driving Force?

In her popular book GMC: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict, Debra Dixon says: “External motivation is necessary to establish early in the book. Internal motivation can take a bit longer to develop and be woven into the fabric of the story one thread at a time.”

This is the perfect illustration of the driving force. There is a difference between goals and motivation. Both of them combined are what create your character’s driving force.

For example, let’s say you have a character training for a marathon. He may have a couple of goals here. One might be to make it to 5k. Another might be to win and get the glory.

These goals are logical and important, but they are not enough. What makes him different from every other person training for that 5k marathon and wanting to win? His motivation.

What is really behind that desire to win? It could be a burning desire to feel powerful or superior. Maybe he wants to prove wrong someone who never believed in him. Perhaps he wants to honor a family member or even a beloved coach who has passed.

Each of these motivations will have different people doing the same thing – training for that marathon. But, it’s what drives them that speaks to who they are as a person.

Determine What Drives Your Characters

So, what drives your characters together?

To answer that, you need to dive into your characters and figure out every little, personal detail. Motivations often come from their past. This is why it’s important to know everything about your character , even if the reader doesn’t.

For example, your heroine might struggle to trust in a relationship because she was cheated on by an ex-fiance of five years. This part of her past will drive her behavior within her current romantic relationship as well as other actions and decisions throughout her life.

At some point in the story, this betrayal may be revealed to your audience. But, you need to keep it in mind from the very beginning. Her actions need to remain consistent even before their reasoning is made known.

10. The Intimate Scenes

Within the romance genre, you will find different levels of intimacy.

On one end of the spectrum is straight erotica. Here, physical intimacy is the focus. Writers go into excruciating detail with every scene. And there are a lot of scenes.

But, graphic sex scenes are not a requirement for successful romance. If you are writing about teenagers for teenagers, it would be highly inappropriate. On the other hand, if you are writing for grown women and you mention nothing more than a kiss on the cheek, they may feel a bit ripped.

Knowing your audience is crucial in determining how intimate you get in your romance writing . Your level of comfort will also come into play. Not all romance writers want to be known for the straight sex appeal of their books.

You may also just not be into it, and that’s fine! If sex scenes aren’t your thing, your book won’t necessarily hurt for it. Much can be implied and well, people have good imaginations.

Don’t Neglect Them

Regardless of how much or how detailed you get with your more intimate scenes, knowing how to write romance in a romance novel does not mean you need some .

The general “show, don’t tell” rule works well with scenes of physical intimacy, especially between characters who already have a deep connection. You don’t have to be graphic to let your reader know, through her reaction, how a kiss from her partner makes your female protagonist feel.

Unless you are writing young adult romance, your intimate scenes should have a specific purpose. They should serve to advance the plot in some way. Whether it’s the moment you’ve been building up to for half the novel, or it’s a means to create conflict, it shouldn’t be there just because.

If you are interested in writing intimate love scenes, that are more detailed, there are some things to keep in mind:

• Remember that pushing or breaking physical boundaries requires a building of trust.
• Don’t do everything all at once. Build intimacy over several scenes before finally reaching the finale.
• Don’t skip steps. In real life, some people will go straight to kissing and straight from kissing to sex. While it may happen at times, it is not interesting. Make the process slow and intense. One thing at a time. This will keep readers turning the page rather than yawning.

11. Secondary Characters are Important in Writing a Romance Novel

While secondary characters are important to any story, they play a unique role in a romance. For a female main character, it is usually her sister and/or her best friend from whom she seeks relationship advice.

This right here is a limitless pool of potential conflict. Sometimes, best friends give well-intentioned but very poor advice. And then, the advisee follows said horrible advice and lands in a highly compromising situation.

Sometimes these poor results can be hilarious, other times they are heartbreaking. Either way, they add tension and conflict.

Crazy sisters, eccentric best friends, jealous guy friends, and protective family members all add value and drama to your story. Don’t neglect these characters and their relationship to your heroine and/or hero.

12. Learn How to Write a Romance Novel With Tools

Knowing exactly how to write a book takes time. While nobody will ever write a perfect book the first time, there are ways you can tighten up the process and make things easier on yourself.

There are many book-writing software out there, and most of them have something good to offer.

For editing, you have things like Grammarly and Hemmingway . These are powerful editing tools that scan your work and give you a lot of helpful insight.

Grammarly scans for and alerts you to basic grammatical errors:

• Punctuation
• Missing words
• Repeated words

It will highlight your mistake and offer a solution. To use their correction, simply click on it and the document will change itself. Text can be edited in the Grammarly app, or you can integrate it with Chrome, Microsoft Word, and Google Docs.

Hemmingway is a different novel writing software that checks for readability. It won’t tell you if you’ve spelled something wrong, but it will tell you how easy your piece is to read. It does this by looking at a few specific things:

• Passive Voice
• Complex words or phrases
• Hard-to-read sentences
• Very hard-to-read sentences

The editor is available to use online for free, or you can pay $19.99 for access to the desktop version as well as a few other bonuses and features.

Before you can edit, you need to have written something. The writing process has many elements:

• Brainstorming
• Note-taking
• Planning/outlining
• Storyboarding
• Writing the story

Squibler is an AI book-writing software that can help you with all of these. It has a place for notes, research, your book’s actual content, and everything in between.

It teaches you how to write a book in the most efficient way possible with AI. This will have you on your way to publishing before the novel starts dragging on for months or even years. In the end, this will make you a better writer .

The Smart Writer lets you develop and expand your love story in just one single click. If you want to add more intensity to a current plot, describe a specific scene, or rewrite a chapter, Squibler does all this in just one click with the help of AI. 

Squibler is equipped with advanced organization features. It is not just a writing editor, but also a place where you can format, organize, and collaborate with authors and editors. It offers a lot more than just writing. The drag-and-drop feature for your chapters and scenes means you don’t have to worry about writing in chronological order. You can write whatever you want, whenever you want, and reorganize later.

The existing templates for romance, fiction, biography, and self-help books make the work 50% easier for authors. 

Squibler also offers assistance when it comes time to publish. Once finished, you can export your manuscript to PDF, Kindle, or print publishing formats.

Most book writing software helps you publish , but not many include print publishing as an option within the software. This is where Squibler is powerful and unique.

13. A Happy Ending

There is an unspoken rule within the romance genre. And that is the happily-ever-after. Or at the very least, a happy-for-now. No matter how much trauma and emotional turmoil an author puts their characters through, readers just know that they’ll be okay in the end.

Many criticize romance for being too formulaic. This is because romance does have a formula, which isn’t always a bad thing.

But, the formula does include the HEA. It’s like an invisible line of trust between the author and the reader.

Some try to break conventions. They write a wonderful , romance story but end it with a less-than-happy situation. These often conclude with one or both of the lovers dying. Some argue this would no longer even be considered a romance, but a tragedy.

The issue is up for debate. But, the fact remains that a romance without a happy ending will leave readers, and especially dedicated fans of the genre, feeling betrayed.

That’s not to say you can’t think outside the box. Just be aware of what people are expecting. With romance, unhappy endings can lead to failure if you are not very careful.

If you want to break the mold without enraging your readers, you can try to compromise.

Types of Happy Endings

Here are the common happy endings that you can adopt for your novel:

• Let the lovers end up together, but one is permanently sick/disabled.
• They are together but have a constant thorn in their side – like a nasty and manipulative mother/mother-in-law who disapproves of the relationship.
• A historical romance could have them ending up together but still living in a war-torn, poverty-stricken country.
• Let them be together, but their relationship has the permanent stamp of someone’s mistake or betrayal – perhaps a child with another person.

These types of melancholic endings will still give your readers the satisfaction of seeing the lovers together forever. But, it lets you add a sense of realism and tragedy. Some people will love stories with a darker twist and will appreciate an ending like this.

Learning How to Write a Romance Novel is Always a Good Idea

Romance novels will always hold a special place in the hearts of everyone. Even those who are too “tough” or “hardcore” to admit it, will always have a soft spot for a good romance.

This is due to our inherent desire for love and companionship. Everyone craves it – needs it, even. We have many connections throughout our lifetime – friends, colleagues, family – but our partners become the most important.

It’s this love of love that has people gobbling up these romance books like there’s no tomorrow. Be it a novel that is entirely romance, or a romantic subplot in a different genre, readers love it when there’s love. It adds an element of relatability that lets them connect to the characters .

For this reason, it is smart to know how to write a romance novel. Whether you want to be known as a career romance novelist or not, writing great romance novel is a crucial skill.

Romance is becoming more and more popular, with many romance novels being turned into movies and TV series.

While there is much to be gained from taking formal classes, there are ways you can learn how to write a romance novel on your own. This includes research, experience, and practice.

Fortunately, you don’t have to be head over heels in love at the very moment. Your love life is your business – which is why I have outlined all the essential elements of writing a romance novel. Perfecting the craft will take time, but you can use these strategies to get started.

Romance Novel Template

The steps outlined here will no doubt help you write your romance novel. If you want to make the process even easier, I suggest using a template as well. Squibler has a great romance novel template to spark your creativity:

The template will guide you through each step of the process and make sure you don’t miss anything that a good romance needs.

Final Remarks

Whether you want to learn how to write a novel with romance woven throughout, or you want to write in the romance genre specifically, you can now write your first romance novel with confidence.

The basics of outlining and structuring a novel are the same across all genres, but romance does have a few of its own quirks and unwritten rules. Familiarize yourself with these things and you’ll be able to expertly craft that winning romance in no time.

Here is a list of common questions that authors ask on writing romance novels:

How do I create engaging and relatable characters for my romance novel?

Focus on their quirks, desires, and flaws. Develop characters with relatable qualities, allowing readers to connect emotionally. Give them goals and challenges that resonate with the romantic theme.

What’s the key to building tension and chemistry between the main characters?

Establish a balance of conflict and shared experiences. Create situations where emotions run high, and the two characters must navigate challenges together. Allow their connection to evolve naturally, building anticipation for romantic moments.

How can I write realistic and heartwarming dialogue in a romance novel?

Capture the authenticity of human interaction. Use colloquial language, sprinkle in humor, and express emotions through dialogue. Keep it concise and let the words convey the emotional depth of the characters’ feelings.

Should I follow a specific structure when plotting a romance novel?

While flexibility is crucial, a classic three-act structure often works well. Introduce characters and their worlds, build tension in the middle with obstacles, and resolve conflicts in a satisfying conclusion. Let the romance unfold organically within this framework.

How do I avoid clichés and bring originality to my romance novel?

Infuse uniqueness into character traits, settings, and plot twists. Challenge traditional romance tropes and add unexpected elements to keep the love story fresh. Focus on the specific dynamics between your characters, steering away from overly predictable scenarios.

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Published in What is Novel Writing?

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