I read all sorts of romance novels…suspense, historical, paranormal, contemporary. In addition to the happy ending I know I’ll get from a romance, there are a few other things I want out of a story. Good structure, of course. Great dialogue. Multi-dimensional characters. But aside from those obvious choices, here’s a list of things I just can’t do without.

Laughs. Even if the book is a romantic suspense, even if Scarlett is not going to end up with Rhett, even if I’m going to dampen the pages with my tears later on, I want a couple laughs. If I’m reading a book that doesn’t make me at least chuckle once in a while, it’s fair to say I’m snowbound in a mountain cabin. Make me smile, on the other hand, and I’m yours.

Animals. Yes, yes, you all know I’m a dog lover. But how a person views animals is so revealing. Sherry Thomas’s Private Arrangements is about an estranged couple who hasn’t seen each other for ten years. Way back when they were still in love, he gave her a puppy. That dog is very old now. I can’t tell you how poignant it was when the hero sees that dog again after their long separation. Blerk!

Someone being told off. That’s always so much fun! Finally, the nasty frenemy gets blown out of the water, or the evil mother hears just how much damage she’s done. It shows wonderful character growth, doesn’t it? Because being told off implies that person had it coming for some time, and our hero or heroine has finally grown up enough to say what needs to be said.

Food. In a perfect world, I’d have a butler to procure me whatever the heroine was so enjoying (and I’m working on it, believe me). If you’re a writer who can make a reader hungry — even a well fed reader like myself — you’re a really good writer.

A scene where the hero and heroine look fabulous. Call it the Cinderella Syndrome, but we all love seeing our couple looking great. We may not ever go to a ball, but we can pretend, right? The dress fits, the shoes don’t hurt, and the hero is staring at you with hot and hungry eyes. Mm-mm!

A scene where the hero and heroine look like idiots. Even better. Let them screw up, let them be less than perfect, let them babble, let them ruin an important event. Let them be imperfect. Bridget Jones making that speech at the Darcys’ anniversary party… “No! No! NO! It’s just that…it’s such a terrible pity. For Britain. To lose such top people…top person, really.” Nothing is less interesting than two perfect people who are perfectly happy in their perfect world. Just typing that sentence makes me sleepy.

Him defending her. “Can’t you see that, how wonderful, how special she is?” That’s from one of the most unapologetically romantic movies I’ve ever seen…A Walk in the Clouds starring Keanu Reeves. He’s telling her disapproving father that the heroine deserves better treatment from her family. I believe he gets kicked off the vineyard for that speech. Sigh!

Her defending him. Our own Jaunty Quill Kate Smith did this quite nicely in When Seducing a Duke. The hero is a man everyone loves to hate, and the heroine finally has had enough. You go, sister! I did it myself, a bit more, er, physically, when Chastity punches a guy who insults Trevor. That was really fun to write. 

A person you love to hate. The nasty coworker. The sneaky pseudo-friend. The guy who keeps getting in the way of Our Hero. The ex who breaks a true and loving heart and doesn’t even care. What I love too is when these characters get at least a glimmer of redemption.

A job I’d like to have. I read to escape, as do we all. Chef. Airline pilot. Navy Seal. Horse trainer. Vampire slayer. I’m never going to have those jobs, but how cool to get a little look into what that would be like! Personal shopper. Jewelry designer. Wizard. Surgeon. Yep. I need to have a few more lives. In the meantime, I really like reading about a person with a cool profession.

Are there elements in a book you really love? What are some you could do without? If you’re a writer, what’s your favorite thing to write about in your books?