In the genre of romantic fantasy, I will accept that spark of lust that occurs when two people notice one another for the first time, and the physical desire that underlies each new encounter. Heck, chemistry is important. I will even accept those things when they seem a bit larger than life, exaggerated for the sake of the dream.
But that can’t be all there is.
There are two problems with the lust/love equivalence. The first is a matter of disbelief on my part, because a person can feel chemistry with any number of people. I am particularly likely to roll my eyes when a woman in her mid-to-late-twenties suggests that she’s never felt anything like it before. Seriously? Have you never met a male of the species before? You never had a schoolgirl crush? Did you skip puberty?
And then of course, there’s the rakish man who has met his physical needs with any number of women, but this woman…well, she’s different. What makes her different? What makes her special?
The second problem is something I will call forcing reality to suit your desires. When nothing supports the attraction begun by that initial spark, when that’s all there is, one has to wonder what’s going to happen after the HEA, when the characters wake up from their respective dream worlds.
Love is not a force of nature beyond our control. It is built upon a number of things, including chemistry, but also shared interests, shared goals, similar morals, and most of all — loving actions. I like to think of love as a verb, rather than a noun.
So when writing a romance, or even a romantic subplot, ask yourself: What brings these two together? And what will keep them together well into their happily ever after?