Definition
Romance fiction centers a love relationship and requires an emotionally satisfying ending for the central couple, often called a happy or hopeful ending. Genre romance follows courtship, conflict, and commitment arcs.
Example
Two rival bakers forced to share a kitchen until they admit their attraction is genre romance.
Related terms
Common mistakes
- Assuming romance cannot include serious themes, trauma, or external plot.
- Treating any book with a love story as romance when the relationship is not the primary arc.