I love reading a story that has a great guy in love with the absolutely right girl. I love writing about that kind of good guy – an old friend who becomes more than a friend by story’s end.
I saw something this week about romance tropes in stories. There’s the bad boy character who always seems to draw girls to him. There are the main male and female characters who start out hating one another or at least seeming to. The opposites attract trope. The two people who seem the least likely to fall in love but are forced to together by some force outside their control. And then the one that fits Caleb in Along a Storied Trail. The long time friends who add romance to that friendship. That’s the romance trope in my upcoming release too. I think you’ll love getting to know Gabe and Jacci in my story, In the Shadow of the River.
But in my Rosey Corner stories, Small Town Girl and Love Comes Home, I suppose it was more the bad boy trope and Kate not wanting to fall in love with Jay. But of course she does. I suppose that’s a little of a spoiler alert for Small Town Girl, but when you start reading books like that you are usually sure early on in the story which guy and which girl will end up together at the end of the story. You just don’t know exactly how and you enjoy going along on the journey to love with them.
Romantic scenes aren’t always just that first kiss or proposal or wedding. Here’s a scene from Love Comes Home that I think hits high on the romantic scene meter. What do you think?
That first night after they’d put her in this hospital bed, she’d drifted in and out of awareness, but every time she opened her eyes Jay was there. She wanted him there, and at the same time she couldn’t bear to see him. She wanted to shut out everyone, even him, and curl up in solitary sorrow, but he refused to let that happen. She could still feel the loving comfort of him cradling her body next to his after he climbed into bed with her. When a nurse came in to the room during the night, Kate braced for the nurse’s outrage at Jay in bed with her.
Jay raised his head and simply said, “I need to hold her.”
Kate opened one eye enough to make out the nurse’s features in the light from the hallway. The same woman had been in earlier, a plain woman in her middle years who looked worn down with taking care of people.
“I have to check her vital signs,” the woman insisted.
Kate couldn’t remember her name, but Jay did. He kept his voice soft, friendly. “Glenda, I can vouch for her pulse being steady and her breathing easy. If you know that, there’s no reason to jerk awake someone who has suffered what my Kate has suffered.”
Kate eased her eye shut and pretended sleep. She could feel the nurse hesitating. Jay had always been a charmer. She wanted him to charm the nurse. She wanted him to keep holding her.
The nurse summoned up her sternest voice. “It’s against the rules for you to be in bed with her, sir.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m sure it is. But I spent more than three years marching across Africa and Europe to make sure we hung onto the freedom to break those rules when they need breaking. Most of the time they’re good rules and you’re right to insist on folks following them. But tonight that rule needs breaking. We just suffered a sad loss and I need to hold her.” His arms tightened around Kate. “She needs me to hold her.”
Did you agree that this scene has romance?
Which of the romantic tropes do you most like to read in your stories?
For fun, I’ll give away a copy of Love Comes Home to one of you who comment on this post and on the Sunday night post. Maybe I’ll come up with another romantic scene for that post from a different story. Maybe one from When the Meadow Blooms or who knows? Maybe In the Shadow of the River. It’s time to get readers wanting to know more about my people on that showboat. Just leave a comment to get your name in the drawing for Love Comes Home. If you already have the book and you win, you can always donate it to your library or give it to a friend. Deadline to enter is midnight EST on February 21, 2023. You need to be 18 or older to enter. I’ll pick a winner by random and notify them by email and announce the winner on the post Wednesday, February 22.
Comments 69
Oh would love to win this book. Yes, Romantic! Love the scene and your books. But of course I love all of your books, regardless. I have read all your shaker books this winter and Angel Sister. God bless and thanks.
Author
How great that you’ve read my Shaker books, Linda. In those stories I had to work hard to get that romance in since the Shakers weren’t at all interested in having any romance in their villages. 🙂
If you’ve read Angel Sister, then you already know my character Kate in Love Comes Home. She grew up in the years since Angel Sister and has the beginning of her love story in Small Town Girl. So if you do decide to read Love Comes Home, you might like to read Small Town Girl first since you’ve already started down the story road with my Merritt sisters in Angel Sister.
I agree, that scene is very romantic. I need to read that book! I especially love friends that turn into more, or second chance when the couple are older.
Author
Kathy, I have written a few of those friends that turn into more and I have included some other couple romances in my stories. Probably the favorite of that one is in Along a Storied Trail. Such fun writing about Perdita Sweet.
I do agree that it a romantic scene. True love ❤️.
Some of my favorite tropes are age gap, marriage of convenience, secret/mistaken identity, and enemies to lovers.
Thank you, Ann!
Author
You’ve thrown some different types of romantic tropes at me, Laura. Interesting. Age gap – I’ve never tried that one or the mistaken/secret identity. I have read a few stories with that though. Enemies to lovers is a favorite of romance writers. Not one I’ve ever done, but I can see why it’s great for a romance story with all the possibilities for conflict.
That scene is poignant and romantic! I have not read this book yet, and this section surely makes me want to now! I enjoy your books and know I can count on you for clean, caring, and compelling novels!
I like friends first and the slow simmering into something more, but I am also a sucker for the meeting of two strangers eyes across a room!
Author
Oh, that look across the room that says this is someone meant for me, Sandra. I have heard so many romantic real life stories of people who know that this man or woman is the one at first meeting. My mother actually had that feeling about my dad when they first met on a double date. They weren’t on the date with each other but when others. Mom always said she knew Dad was the man whe was going to marry at that first sight.
I hope you will give Love Comes Home a try. It has many touching scenes.
That was one of the first books of yours I read, and it was very good. I still have it as I do all of your books.
Author
That’s such a compliment that you’ve hung onto my books, Donna Jean. I’m so glad you’ve liked my stories. I hope you did check out the other Rosey Corner books. Even if you read Love Comes Home first, you might have still enjoyed the other two to read how Kate and her sisters came to be where they were after World War II.
My favorite romance tropes are marriage-of-convenience and friends-to-more!
Author
I like how you describe the romance tropes, Elizabeth, especially the friends-to-more. The marriage-of-convenience is probably the one that describes the romance in my work in progress. So maybe you’ll like it when I get it written.
I loved that Jay wanted to be near Kate and hold her. And he didn’t give up when the nurse said that was against the rules.
I can hardly wait to read When Love Comes Home.
Author
You don’t have to wait, Marlene. If you don’t happen to be my lucky winner of this giveaway, you can grab the book online or perhaps in your library. Love Comes Home is the third of my Rosey Corner books. The first in Angel Sister and the second Small Town Girl, but they can all be read as stand alone stories too. However if you think you’d like to read them all it’s more fun to start with story one, Angel Sister, and get to know the Merritt sisters when they are young and then stay with them through the years as they fall in love and marry.
Absolutely! It is a wonderful book and a fantastic series if you read all three.
I read Katherine’s comment and it made me cry. I had two children by the grace of God when doctor’s said it was unlikely to happen. Things could have turned out a lot differently and for some in-laws it did turn out as she described. My heart goes out to those families.
There are many kinds of love and the love for a child that you carry in your body and feel them grow is amazing…however the love of a grandchild is so powerful it can almost hurt. Please do not get me wrong, I love my children but I adore my grandson. A lady I worked with told me the love for a grandchild was different, greater and I didn’t believe her until it happened to me. He is such a blessing!
I can’t wait for your new book!
Author
So glad you read my Rosey Corner stories, Pamela. Also happy that the Lord blessed you with children and now with a grandson. The love for grandchildren is different that that for your children, but the love is strong for both. It is a wonderful blessing to have grandchildren for sure.
I’m excited about you and others reading my May release, In the Shadow of the River, and can’t wait to hear what you think of the story.
Jay seems like a wonderfully romantic husband. I would love to read “Love Comes Home”.
Author
Jay was a great character to get to know. He’s introduced in Small Town Girl and has a checkered past with not the happiest of childhoods. Rosey Corner because a place of saving grace for him with friends who cared. Then the story of Jay and Kate continue in Love Comes Home. I loved writing about the Rosey Corner characters. All the books, starting with Angel Sister are available online or maybe in your library.
I love this scene! It’s very romantic! My favorite tropes are when a guy and gal are friends, but find that there’s something more. It always helps to be friends with the one you love! I can’t wait to read this book!
Author
The book was published a few years ago as the last of my Rosey Corner books, Judi. So it’s out there for people to read now. Maybe if you don’t win a copy in this giveaway, you can find a book online or at your library. I hope you will give it a read.
Yes, I agree that scene has romance. I like stories where the couple started as friends or when a girl is rescued by a stranger from a bad situation and they go on to fall in love.
Author
Lee, sounds as if you like romance in a story. The girl being rescued and protected from something bad is often used in suspense novels or tv stories. That can often be when at first they really don’t get along at all and as time goes by they draw closer and fall in love.
I like relationships that start out as friends and add love and romance.
The excerpt above is great, it sounds like a wonderful book.
Author
I’m glad you thought so, Martha. The book was published a few years ago. So, it is available at many book sites, or who knows you might be my lucky winner here.
The couple who are friends and then develope a stronger relationship is a favorite of mine too.
This is very romantic. I’m guessing she lost their baby & my curiosity is piqued. Aaa faith community nurse; I learned that parents of still born babies don’t get the moral support and closure that thru need. Miscarried babies seldom have funerals, are buried in cemeteries to be visited, & mothers often feel like failures for not carrying to term. Maybe, that will help in your research for a book one day. You would have the ability to educate your readers that parents & their grief need acknowledged. There babies were people and their children that they loved..DON’T SAY THEY CAN HAVE MORE. This child cannot be replaced and they need the support to grieve & not to look on the bright side.
In Wabash, Indiana there is a small monument and park-like seating area for anyone grieving a miscarriage or stillborn. It would be nice if every community had such a place.
Author
With such a loss, I’m sure it can be hard to think of any of it having a bright side. Several family members have dealt with miscarriages, Katherine. And you obviously have firsthand experience with these situation and have great insight. My research wasn’t from personal experience but I read some tearful first person experiences. Some readers have said I helped them with forgiving themselves and dealing with their grief that had been ongoing for years.
As Lee notes, in some places they do have special monuments and places for grieving parents. A place to grieve and be assured their loss and their grief are real.
nice scene to read
It sounds like a wonderful book.
I love this scene. Can’t wait to read the entire book.
I Love this it sounds amazing!
Author
Wonderful, Sarah. I hope you’ll be able to read Kate and Jay’s story someday and find out about the other Merritt sisters and all the Rosey Corner characters too.
I love best friend, good guys as my hubby was a distant friend and a good guy and 30 years later became my husband.
Author
That’s wonderful, Lucy. Glad you found that good guy to be your friend and then your husband. I like my guys in my stories to be good guys.
That scene from Love Comes Home is one of my favorites. 💜
I am always torn between the bad boy who finally grows up to be the man that can be depended on and the good guy best friend who has always been there just waiting for the girl of his dreams to open her eyes and see what is right in front of her.
Author
I love both of those romantic threads in stories too, Robin, and have used both of them. But I seem to go to the good friends turn lifelong lovers the most although in my WIP I’m more in the two pulled together by some different circumstances trope.
Very romantic. I love that scene.
Author
So glad you thought it was romantic. That was what I wanted it to be, Shirley.