E.A. Brady

For me, the fun of reading Romance stories (aside from the obvious 😉) is the inevitability of the hero and the heroine* finally getting over whatever has been holding them back, and then watching as they choose to take hold of their happily ever after with both hands.

It’s falling in love over and over and over again.

And the swoonier the better as far as I’m concerned. I like the hot intellectual or the gruff alpha, but no matter the personality of the hero, he must learn to put his s–t aside for the benefit of the woman he loves. And the object of his affections eventually must believe she’s worth it.

When one lover melts into the kiss of the other and my own stomach gets all fluttery – that’s what I’m looking for in a romance. I want to fall in love with the hero just as surely as I want our heroine to fall in love with him. And when lust gives way to love and our lovers finally lose themselves in each other, I melt. Every. Damn. Time. (I’ve been known to sigh out loud at declarations – and expressions – of love in a book!)

I’ll be honest – as a writer, this is where I struggle the most. Having two people fall in love on paper with words you put in their mouths and thoughts you put in their heads is scary work. And doing it in a way that is consistent with each lover through all the changes they undergo is akin to working magic!

So, what’s your favorite part of a romance story? What’s the secret ingredient that keeps you reading book after book after book?

*Disclaimer – I understand that the Romance umbrella is huge and encompasses a seemingly endless variety of heroes and heroines, in any and every combination. I also know the same umbrella covers heat from super sweet to highly erotic and everything in between. I LOVE that Romance has something for everyone. But my favorites are M/F contemporaries with a decent amount of heat, and I will only comment on what I read and what I like.