I’m at a conference this weekend, so I’m going to make this short and sweet.
The 7 elements I think are essential in any great romance story.
- a heroine with backbone that I can imagine myself being
- a hero I can fall n love despite foibles and flaws
- a villain/protagonist who isn’t a characature
- a plot that is plausible with conflict that is real not contrived
- a setting that is real
- an HEA ( duh!)
- secondary characters that are more than just walk-ons and that enrich, contribute to, and foster the h/h’s journey to love
Check out the other authors in this hop to see some of their favorite “7 things” Seven Saturday
Peggy Jaeger, Author 
I couldn’t agree with you more on all of those points. I’ve read a few romances that didn’t have a HEA, and I wasn’t quite sure what to think of them. They were well written….they just really threw me for a loop there with how they ended. 🙂
My Saturday Seven post: http://lydiaschoch.com/saturday-seven-my-favourite-langston-hughes-poems/
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Nice list! I really enjoy well developed secondary characters as well.
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Good list! You’re right on it. 🙂
Here’s the link to my post: https://wendizwaduk.wordpress.com/2018/04/28/saturday-seven-7-records-i-discovered-because-of-the-library-with-meganslayer-satseven-saturday7-music-records-librarymonth/
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IMHO, “romances” without a HEA aren’t romances. They’re fiction with romantic elements. Period. Nicholas Sparks is the reason I have trust issues and started reading the end of books before I bought them at the store… also re: heroes — they need faults and foibles. I swear I hate reading books where the hero is 100% perfect. Have fun at your conference!
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Short, but a great list.
I’m a bit more demanding. For me to really love a romance, the conflict has to be sufficiently difficult and compelling that it’s hard to believe the HEA will ever occur. I really hate romances where it’s all too easy and predictable.
My Saturday Seven is here:
https://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com/2018/04/saturday-seven-favorite-poems.html
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