I recently posed the question ‘what do you consider to be the essentials of a romance novel?’ to a romance readers’ group site.

Several people responded and their responses are categorized under headings below, although the question itself was unstructured.

1. Credibility

·         'Essentials' for me are that the couple fits together and that their
romance sounds natural and not far-fetched. I also like a lot of fun in
novels even though drama has to be included.

2. Flow of story and when to include sex

·         My biggest essential is that the story flows and doesn't feel forced flow is important to me as a reader be it in the relationship between two or three I want them to fit. I like sex in my story I'm human but I don't want it forced if the particular storyline doesn't lend itself to the couple having sex until way towards the end of the book than don't put it in as a reader I'm jarred out of the fantasy if something doesn't fit - be true to your characters

·         For me, I like sex, but it needs to make sense and, if it takes most of the book for the hero and heroine to get together, I don't have a problem with that, as long as that's the best described sex scene in the book. 

I am reading one where the two finally did it and it was supposed to have meaning and feeling and yet it had less description and feelings put into it than the opening sex scene with nobody important having sex.  That's a big downer.  It's supposed to be all "sweet" and everything, but it seems as though the author relied too much on "telling" words rather than "showing" words and it really irked me because I had liked the story thus far.  Now I'm not sure how I feel about it. 

·         I dislike sex scenes for the sake of sex scenes.  There has to be an underlying plot to the story, and then when it’s right for the characters to get ‘down and dirty’, it makes it that much hotter for me.  If they have been going at it like bunnies from the moment they meet, it loses its impact.

3. Conflict/friction

·         Conflict.  There has to be something standing in the way of the HEA that needs to be overcome by the characters.  Something that shows me, the reader, their true identities and how deeply their love is for each other.  Nothing gets the tissues flowing more than sacrifice for the sake of love.

4. Characters

·         I need good, solid complex characters and I need to be put into their heads from the beginning.  I need to be able to care about them.  If I can't identify or care about the characters, the plot or storyline won't matter because I won't read one. 

·         I especially appreciate the authors that can make you feel the emotions of the characters as they are                   feeling them whether it's fear, happiness, love, sensuality, eagerness, etc.  The dynamics between the characters also needs to feel real, logical.  I prefer showing to telling, and the use of dialogue or memories to set the scene and provide back story. 

·         Having an element of a character’s personality that I can relate to also helps.  Some little ‘human’ element (even in paranormal stories) that makes the character more ‘real’.  A tough ass dragon shifter who’s afraid of mice.  A vampire with a crocked tooth.  A werewolf with dandruff...  Well, you get the picture.  Some little humorous element that allows you feels that a character isn’t too good to be real.  Makes you believe you can meet that man of your dreams somewhere down the line.

5. Pov

·         Narration works for some stories, but not all of them.  My favorite pov which is never used these days is third-person omniscient.  I love having 3 people in a scene and knowing what they all think and then watching the story unfold to see what happens.  I never find it confusing or jarring when it's done right, but I guess that's just me.

6. Endings (apart from HEA)

·         I like all sorts of endings.  Maybe I get used to having closure in romance novels, but I have since realized that I can appreciate almost any type of ending as long as it fits with the storyline and the characters. 

My love of anime has taught me to appreciate the open-ending, even though I always do want closure, sometimes it's just nice to think that a good friendship doesn't have to end or change. 

·         I hate cliffhangers I think it is an insult to my intelligence to think the only way I am going to continue to buy book 2, 3 or 4 is to make the ending of each book in a series a Cliffhanger -- I will stop buying books before I continue to read the series if it is a series I really liked I may postpone it until the series is finished but if it is a series that has say more than 4 or 5 in a series and the author continues with cliffhangers I will chalk it up to a loss and I won't look back. I'm an intelligent reader if the series is good enough I'll come back for more that is why we have "Happy for Now"

Although by no means an exhaustive list, I found there were some interesting and valid points of view. However, I must make it clear that the comments are direct quotations, not my personal opinion.

Megan Johns

'The Path of Innocence'
www.megan-johns.com