Each romance writer has a unique style and different plot and character arcs. But they have a lot in common too. They realize that the world is full of curveballs and internal struggles which are far larger than external problems. Characters have depth, a distinct lack of omnipresence and telepathy, and react to situations like normal people do – with struggles, rants, groans and tears. These books end on a happy note, which is expected, but also give the message that our hurt is valid but holding onto it for years harms us much more than the other person; that it is impossible to forgive an act, but emotional healing happens only after we actively move beyond it.
Abby Jiminez, Carley Fortune, Emily Henry, all of these authors and countless others like them incorporate reality within their novels. A doctor weighed down by family expectations to follow in the lineage path, a small-town (talented!) carpenter determined to save their family house despite no support, an introvert who feels like a curse of unhappiness has embedded itself in them, and a vet with an abusive past who has managed to become successful (while in mounds of debt) and meets the “love of his life” who is moving 2000 miles away.
These are stories of the “shifty” man on the bus, your grumpy neighbor, even you. The stories that these writers spin are unique in their ability to acknowledge human feeling and emotion to a (sometimes) alarming level of accuracy while providing hope to work for a happier compromise than the status quo. These stories begin after life’s “happily ever after”, when lemons and salt come knocking on our door. But now we have the inspiration to make a choice for our happiness, that even impractical acts can have partially positive outcomes and that that is enough for us. People are flawed, but ruining one’s own peace and sense of calm over it affects us more harshly than them. Because love doesn’t solve all problems, it is not the The End we see on the big screen; in reality it often creates more issues and yet, it also keeps us afloat as the center of our emotions. Ultimately, these writers show us that life is a balancing act between the head and the heart, but sometimes we need to trust that we’ll land on our feet (like cats do!) while sacrificing one of our nine lives 😀
