The Definition of Romance

Every day in January (with the exception of New Year’s Day), I have been posting to Creole Bayou blog on different topics that occur in or are related to subjects in my newest sports romance (soon to be released), Future Goals in celebration of the novel going live on 02/02/23. Future Goals is the fifth book in my sports romance series, Locker Room Love. Although this is a series, each book can be read as a stand-alone. As one may imagine, coming up with a new topic each day can be a challenge for a content creator. I was struggling with a topic idea as I sat down to write this when I realized that I’d neglected to discuss the obvious. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching next month, it seems fitting to go all in and discuss what is the focal point of Future Goals: romance.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, romance is a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines romance as a love affair. Now, for romance authors, there is a distinction between a love story and a romance. There are people who will disagree with the following statements, but the majority of romance authors will agree as these are guidelines that have been cosigned by the Romance Writers of America (RWA). To be considered a romance, a novel must include three main ingredients.

There must be at least two characters that fall in love with each other. It’s a simple statement and guideline but one that can be misinterpreted. So, let’s dissect it. There needs to be at least two. If one person falls in love, and that love isn’t reciprocated, it isn’t a romance. One-sided relationships are typically dramas. Two, there is no rule that demands romance be limited to two characters. Some romances contain polygamous relationships, and that is acceptable in this genre. Three, there is no ban on same-sex relationships. For a long time, many believed romance novels could only include relationships between a cis-gender male and cis-gender females. Four, the characters involved in the romantic relationship must be the main characters. If the only characters falling for each other are two side or minor characters, that will not meet the criteria for being labeled as a romance, and the next point denotes why this is the case.The romance must be the focal point of the story. The rule of thumb in a romance novel is if the romantic element can be removed from the story and the story is unaffected by this removal, then this isn’t a romance. Chances are what has been written is some other genre with a romantic subplot.And here’s the biggie that set some people on edge. Romances must have a happy ending where the couple ends up together. Most of the time the argument against this uses the example of Romeo & Juliet. However, this is actually listed as a tragedy or drama. This is also where the difference between a love story and a romance can be seen. Now, in my personal opinion which doesn’t count a squat of beans, I view the relationship between Romeo and Juliet as more of an infatuation or addiction rather than true love. Again, that is just me. I mean they were barely teenagers rebelling against their parents who end up causing a lot of chaos by sneaking around and committing suicide. That doesn’t sound like love to me. But again, that is my opinion. What’s not my opinion is one is to conduct an internet search for a list of William Shakespeare tragedies, Romeo & Juliet would be on that list.

Some people will argue that a romance book must have a “satisfactory” ending. Eh!  The problem with using the word “satisfactory” is that an ending may be satisfying without the couple ending up together which defeats the purpose of a romance novel. I hate to be “punny,” but many erotic novels have satisfactory endings that have absolutely nothing to do with love or romance, which is why it is a genre in and of itself. This is not to say that romances cannot have erotic scenes. However, the focus of erotica is to turn the reader on, and the focus is on sexual acts. Steamy romances or erotic romances, on the other hand, have romance as the center and graphic sexual scenes as secondary. Sex is not the same as romance. But aside from erotica, other books may have satisfactory endings that have nothing to do with sex, love, or romance. All a satisfactory ending means is that the reader is content with the book the ending of the book.

In a romance, a happy ending consists of the two main characters becoming a couple or solidifying their relationship at the resolve. This means that readers will have a reasonable expectation that the two couples will remain a couple for an extended period of time—usually, it’s forever but not always. There’s happily ever after (HEA), which like in the fairytales, is until the end of the characters’ days, and there’s happily for now.

Many times, a happily for now (HFN) ending indicates that the reader isn’t quite sold that the characters will remain together forever. This sometimes occurs in short stories when the romance happens quickly and there’s not a lot of time for readers to get to know the characters or when the characters have an attraction, romance, but again not a lot of time together due to the brevity of the story. For example, a short story may occur over the span of a day. The characters clearly are attracted to each other and will begin a relationship. However, the reader may be able to envision how the relationship will develop beyond the day described, and therefore, may question if the relationship will endure when tested. There’s much logic behind this because how many readers would accept two characters professing their undying love for each other a few hours after meeting.

Frequently, a romance novel involves characters who meet and fall in love. Second-chance romances break that mold. They focus on rekindling love and romance. Often, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, and office romances also have main characters who know each other from the start of the story. Thus, romance is not restricted to “new love.”

So, what is the difference between a romance and a love story? Actually, not much. Many people use the terms interchangeably, and many literary experts debate what the differences are. However, I believe that most would agree that when a story is heavily centered on a romantic relationship but ends with a bittersweet (not tragic) ending, it likely can be categorized as a love story. Gone With the Wind is a good example of a love story. The romance between Scarlett and Rhett is the undeniable heart of the story, but they do not end up together at the end—or at least, it’s not clear if they do. It ends on an ambiguous note that Scarlett thinks there may be a chance to win Rhett back.

So, that wraps up this post. Now, it’s your turn to sound off. What did you think? What is your take on the subject? Do you agree or disagree? Did you find this information helpful or informative? Did you learn anything new, or did it change your opinion? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. Also, let me know if you would like me to cover more of these types of topics or dive deeper into this one. If you like this post, please click the like button and share it. Your feedback allows me to know the content that you want to read. If you’re not following me on Creole Bayou blog, what are you waiting for? There’s always room at the bayou.

Get ready. It’s almost time to hit the ice again. Future Goals Coming soon.

When a college hockey player needs the help of an attractive older attorney, he gets more than he bargained for when trying to sort out the troubles in his career. Falling in love was never part of either man’s plan, especially as Corrigan’s and Sacha’s lives should never have collided. Now they’re left questioning if they’re standing in the way of the other’s future goals, or if there’s room for redirection.

Preorder your copy at:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3RjPYb9

Other booksellers: https://bit.ly/3CI8d5W

Missed the first four books in my hockey romance series? No frets.

Out of the Penalty Box (book #1), where it is one minute in the box or a lifetime out, is available at http://amzn.to/2Bhnngw. It also can be ordered on iTunes, Nook, or Kobo. For more links on where to purchase or to read the blurb, please visit http://bit.ly/2i9SqpH.

Defending the Net (book #2) can be ordered at https://amzn.to/2N7fj8q or www.books2read.com/defending. Crossing the line could cost the game.

Ice Gladiators (book #3) is the third book in my Locker Room Love series. When the gloves come off, the games begin. Available at https://amzn.to/2TGFsyD or www.books2read.com/icegladiators.

Penalty Kill (book #4) retakes the ice. Get a copy at https://amzn.to/3ex0N9p or https://amzn.to/3ex0N9p and let the pucker begin.

For more of my stories, shenanigans, giveaways, and more, check out my blog, Creole Bayou, www.genevivechambleeconnect.wordpress.com. New posts are made on Wednesdays, and everything is raw and unscathed. Climb on in a pirogue and join me on the bayou.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this post or any others, feel free to comment below or tweet me at @dolynesaidso. You also can follow me on Instagram at genevivechambleeauthor or search for me on Goodreads or Amazon Authors or BookBub or TikTok.

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Until next time, happy reading and much romance. Laissez le bon temps rouler.

Author Bio

Genevive Chamblee resides in the bayou country where sweet tea and SEC football reign supreme. She is known for being witty (or so she thinks), getting lost anywhere beyond her front yard (the back is pushing it as she’s very geographically challenged), falling in love with shelter animals (and she adopts them), asking off-the-beaten-path questions that make one go “hmm”, and preparing home-cooked Creole meals that are as spicy as her writing. Genevive specializes in spinning steamy, romantic tales with humorous flair, diverse characters, and quirky views of love and human behavior. She also is not afraid to delve into darker romances as well.