Knowing (and Meeting) Reader Expectations

All fiction readers come to their chosen stories with certain expectations.

A mystery reader expects a puzzle to solve.

A thriller or suspense reader anticipates tension and excitement and an explosive ending.

Fans of literary novels expect to get lost in world building, beautiful prose, and lovely descriptions.

Romance readers expect:

• Well-drawn characters
• On-the-page chemistry between the hero and heroine
• Compelling reasons that keep the two apart until they wake up and realize they’re perfect together, leading to a
• Satisfying resolution and a
• Happy Ever After ending. Or at least a Happy For Now ending

Characters need to be compelling and feel like people we could be friends with in real life. They should have story goals that are known to the reader close to the beginning.

Give them a quirky trait to seal them as true-to-life characters. In The Princess Bride, Farm Boy Westley responds to Buttercup’s every demand with, “As you wish.” Darcy’s pride covers his growing feelings for Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice.

Hero and heroine both need to grow during the story, overcome obstacles and learn something about themselves that helps propel them to the end of the story.

The recent release, Here With Me, by Mandy Boerma with Tari Faris and Susan May Warren, is a second chance romance. Both Sadie and David contributed to their break-up ten years ago. To get to their Happy Ever After, both characters must learn to overcome their weaknesses—David to communicate more clearly and Sadie to trust and accept help. David has a failure along the way, but he learns from it and becomes more determined to win Sadie, no matter how long it takes. Sadie feels betrayed and let down and it reinforces her resolve to handle everything alone. David’s persistence and care helps her learn that God can be trusted, and she should accept help when she needs it.

There are various kinds of chemistry romance characters experience. There’s instant attraction, the slow burn (Enemies to Friends, for instance), or awakening interest (Friends to Something More).

To keep readers turning the page, the story needs to have tension. Tension is not the same as conflict. An argument is conflict. So are competing goals. The best tension comes from something unexpected or unknown happening.

You create this by using things such as:

• Subtext in dialogue
• Weather or other external forces
• A ticking clock (often used in suspense and thrillers but can also be put to effective use in romance. Maybe the heroine has to raise a loan payment and is running out of time. Perhaps the hero has to get a job or apartment to prove to the court he’s a worthy guardian)
• Failure or the fear of failure

Other elements romance readers expect:

• Witty dialogue/banter, especially with humor
• The hero and heroine sharing lots of time on the page together
• A unique setting. Rural town, mountain village, coastal settlement, or neighborhood in an urban area are often used.
• Romantic gestures, large or small. Remembering she loves peanut butter cookies and bringing some to her at work. Or getting the whole community to support the unveiling of her big project in the town square.

Of course, the best characters need a compelling storyline and plot. They need shared goals as well as individual goals. They need conflict with competing goals. And it all needs to culminate in a satisfying resolution.

With all these elements, your readers’ expectations will be met with a heartwarming, compelling story and they’ll close the book with a contented sigh, satisfied.

The best reward for a romance writer.

Carrie Padgett lives in Central California, close to Yosemite, but far from Hollywood, the beach, and the Golden Gate Bridge. She believes in faith, families, fun, and happily ever afters. She writes contemporary fiction with romance. She recently signed a contract with Sunrise Publishing to co-write a romance novel with New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hauck that will be published in 2022. Carrie and her husband live in the country with their high-maintenance cat and laid-back dog, within driving distance of their six grandchildren.

You can find her online at:

• Twitter: CarriePadgett
• Instagram: carpadwriter
• Facebook: WriterCarriePadgett
• Amazon Author Page: Carrie Padgett