Let’s Talk Bookish: What Makes a Fictional Romance Believable?

Hey, everyone! I hope you’re all doing well. I am at the start of a 4-day weekend, which I am extremely happy about. I like the 4-day weekend instead of two 3-day weekends, which is what I had when I was younger.

Today, I have a Valentine’s Day themed post! We are talking about fictional romances.

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where we discuss various topics and share our opinions. Today’s topic is What Makes a Fictional Romance Believable?

Prompts: In honor of Valentine’s Day, here’s a romance related topic! What makes romance in books believable and compelling? What makes fictional romance feel fake? Who are your favorite bookish couples?

I feel like romance is one of the hardest things to write; creating a deep and meaningful relationship between two characters through words is difficult. There are some things I look for when it comes to fictional romances that make me truly believe in it. When I believe it, I’ll like the relationship more.

Time

Instalove is one of my least favorite tropes because it’s so unrealistic. You can’t fall in love with someone in such a short amount of time. You may develop an attraction to them or want to get to know them better, but you’re not going to be saying “I love you” when you’ve only known them for a few days.

Experiences Together (on page!)

You have to get to know each other before you start dating and whatnot. It needs to be shown in the plot. There was a book I read where the two characters were friends one day and then a chapter later, they were together. There weren’t any scenes of them getting closer and getting to know each other. The relationship felt a bit fake, and I kept asking myself, “How did they get into a relationship so fast? They haven’t done anything.”

Chemistry/Overall Vibe

There are some relationships that I absolutely obsess over when I’m reading a book. When that happens, the author has done it right. That usually means that the characters have chemistry with each other, and they make sense as a couple. The moments they have together feel real and kind of electric in a way, if you know what I mean, especially moments that are more intimate.

The relationship should also make sense. Two characters who are completely different from each other and would never cross paths are probably not going to get together. There’s always exceptions and different circumstances, but in general, it likely wouldn’t happen.

There are so many bookish couples that I love. I was probably freaking out in a good way when these characters finally kissed or got to some other intimate part in their relationship. And I would freak out in a bad way when something happened to one of them. (Cough cough that ending scene from As Good As Dead.)

Percy and Annabeth from Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan
Nick and Charlie from Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (and basically all the other couples too)
Alina and Mal from Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Pip and Ravi from A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Roma and Juliette from These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
Karina and Ace from Counting Down with You by Tashie Bhuiyan
Katsa and Po from Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Shiori and Takkan from Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim