Squirrel's Nest

Things to consider when writing about Romance!!!

⊹ Why do these two people actually like each other. "They're both hot" is not enough. What specifically draws them together? Shared trauma? They make each other laugh? They challenge each other? Similar worldviews or completely opposite ones that balance out? Give them actual chemistry based on personality not just physical attraction!!

⊹ What's stopping them from getting together immediately. External obstacles like war, forbidden love, wrong timing? Internal ones like fear of vulnerability, past trauma, thinking they're not good enough? Both?

⊹ How does the romance affect the main plot. Does it help or hinder the protagonist's goals? Create complications? Give them something to fight for? Romance subplots that are completely separate from the main story feel tacked on!!

⊹ What's the pacing. Do they fall for each other slowly over time or is it fast and intense? Slow burn is great but you need moments of progress. Instant attraction is fine but the actual relationship should still develop.

⊹ How do they communicate. Do they actually talk about their feelings or just pine silently for 200 pages? Can they have difficult conversations? Do they understand each other or constantly misread situations?

⊹ What do they disagree about. Couples who agree on everything are boring. What are their fundamental differences? How do they handle conflict? Do they fight fair or is it toxic? Can they compromise or does someone always give in?

⊹ How do other characters react to the relationship. Supportive friends? People who think it's a terrible idea? Jealous exes?

⊹ What does each person bring to the relationship. Is it balanced or does one person do all the emotional labor? Do they make each other better or worse? What do they each need vs what do they want?

⊹ What are their love languages. Physical touch? Words of affirmation? Acts of service? Quality time? Gifts?

⊹ How does their past affect this relationship. Previous heartbreak? First love? Trust issues from family stuff? Abandonment fears?

⊹ What's the power dynamic. Are they equals? Is one person in a position of authority? Does one have more experience? Unbalanced power dynamics need to be addressed not ignored!!

⊹ How physical is the relationship and when. First kiss timing? Is there sexual tension? Do they hold hands? Are they touch-starved and finally have someone? What's appropriate for your genre and audience??

⊹ What's at stake if the relationship fails. Just heartbreak or something bigger? Will it destroy the friend group? Ruin the mission? End an alliance?

⊹ Do they have lives outside each other. Friends, hobbies, goals that have nothing to do with the romance? Couples who only exist for each other are codependent and boring :(

⊹ What's the "oh" moment. When does each person realize they're in love? Is it dramatic or quiet? Same time or does one person know way before the other? Multiple realizations?

⊹ How do they support each other through the plot. Do they have each other's backs? Believe in each other? Or does the relationship become a weakness enemies exploit?

bugs & insects bookmark + books

for all the creepy crawlies (affectionate)... here's some bug adjacent books I enjoy:

The Works of Vermin - horror fantasy set in a city of plants and giant bugs and political turmoil

The Stone Wētā - climate fiction novella about a network of women protecting climate data in a future where science is suppressed

What Feeds Below - YA fantasy horror adventure about a girl rescuing her friend from a deep cave ecosystem full of dangerous plants, creatures, and monsters

Werecockroach - weird sci-fi novella about someone moving into a new flat with some odd flatmates, on the day aliens arrive

House of Hollow - YA horror about 3 sisters with lost memory from the time they went missing as kids, after one disappears again

gwynlain art by venusfolk

When She Was Wicked , but make it

Sapphic Winter Sports Romance Book Recs for Fans of Heated Rivalry

Hey romance readers! 💕

It's time for ROUND FIVE of the Romance Readathon! We've been reading romance together for five years which makes me so happy! For the entire month of February (1st-28th) I will read as many romance books as I can so join me in swooning over some fictional characters 🥺

If anyone wants a challenge, here are this year's reading prompts:

read a romance with "love" or "heart" or "romance" in the title

read a romance by an author you've never read from before

read a romance with at least 5 colors on the cover

read a romance you've been wanting to read forever

read a romance with a character who works for the food and beverages industry (i.e. chef, baker, barista, restaurant manager, bartender, anything could work)

Please feel free to double up on prompts, no problem!

Use the hashtag #rr2026 for all posts related to the readathon. This can be your TBR, a book review, rant, reading update, absolutely anything you want.

It's a weird time to be trying to release a book in the US for the first time, but I guess we all need some medieval werewolves and queer yearning amidst The Horrors? Anyway, it's only a week until THE WOLF AND HIS KING comes out in North America, and the NA edition is VERY pretty, so I thought I'd make this post to show you what it looks like.

The additional artwork is also by Tom Roberts, who did the cover art.

The Wolf and His King is a retelling of 'Bisclavret' from the Lais of Marie de France, the tale of a werewolf knight and the king who loves him. My story is about loneliness, about chronic illness, about the mortifying ordeal of being known... and what it means to be loved even when you feel you're lost to yourself.

It's Knight Time; fealty, love, and a whole lot of swords.

Cover is UP! The stunning art is by @eliotbaum.

Call Me Traitor is the story of a living weapon fighting her way towards personhood and the awful lesbian she's doing it with. I keep calling it 'the sapphic Winter Soldier wizards' book despite being told we can't put that in the blurb.

STORY:

1. The Setup (Separate Worlds)

Each character is introduced in their own emotional world. We see:

Their wounds, needs, and flaws

What they want vs. what they actually need

Why love is currently not working for them

This stage sets up why the romance matters.

2. The Meet Cute or First Collision

They meet in a way that creates friction, curiosity, or disruption. This can be cute, hostile, awkward, or intense — but it must change something for both of them.

3. Attraction and Tension

They feel drawn to each other, but:

There are obstacles (external or internal)

They deny, resist, or misinterpret their feelings

Chemistry builds through proximity, conflict, or emotional glimpses

This is the slow pull stage.

4. Forced Proximity or Emotional Intimacy

Circumstances push them together:

Working together

Traveling together

Being trapped together

Sharing secrets or vulnerability

This is where emotional bonding starts, even if they don’t admit it.

5. The First Shift (Romantic or Emotional Breakthrough)

A moment changes the nature of their relationship:

First kiss

Confession

One saves the other

A moment of deep understanding

After this, the story is no longer “will they notice each other?” but “what does this mean now?”

6. The Honeymoon or Hope Phase

Things feel good. There’s closeness, trust, or passion. The reader is allowed to believe the relationship might actually work.

This makes the coming conflict hurt more.

7. The Break (The Black Moment)

Something shatters the relationship:

A betrayal, lie, misunderstanding, or revelation

A fear or wound resurfaces

External pressure pulls them apart

This is the emotional low point of the romance.

8. The Growth and Choice

Both characters grow:

They confront their flaws or fears

They choose love intentionally, not accidentally

They become capable of sustaining the relationship

This is where love becomes a decision, not just a feeling.

9. The Reunion and Resolution (HEA or HFN)

They reunite with honesty and emotional maturity. The story resolves with:

A Happily Ever After (HEA) or

A Happy For Now (HFN)

The emotional promise of the genre is fulfilled.

✦ Why This Structure Works

Romance isn’t just about attraction — it’s about emotional transformation through love. Each stage:

Builds intimacy

Introduces risk

Forces growth

Rewards vulnerability