Beyond the Chase: The Case for Enduring Romance in Fiction

The literary landscape is dominated by toxic relationships and passionate pursuits. These steamy "will they, won't they" or star-crossed love stories seems so fiery and passionate, but in the real world (and even in the literary ones) do they actually endure? Or do they fizzle out as fast as a sparkler on the Fourth of July? I set out to write something different: a romance that shows what love looks like when it actually works.

This weekend I was at a funeral. I listened as speakers eulogized a woman's life, repeatedly touching on her relationship with her husband. Even after decades together, through illnesses and injuries, the common refrain was that they were still all over each other. That's the kind of love I aspire to, the kind I'm working to maintain with my spouse as we approach our ninth year of marriage.

We've weathered job changes, miscarriages, births, deaths, moves, illnesses, and near-death experiences. Yet with each challenge, my love for him only deepens. This isn't by accident - it's because we actively choose each other every day, watering our marriage with intentional love and care.

Peek into today's romantasy and popular fiction, and you'll find a common thread - relationships built on shaky foundations: pure emotional intensity, raw physical attraction, or that addictive rush of forbidden love. These stories treat the chase itself as the peak, measuring success in "steam" rather than substance, where the "happily ever after" feels more like a finish line than a beginning.

But what if we showed readers something else? Can a literary romance still be swoon-worthy while depicting a relationship built on a strong foundation? A love that lifts both partners higher, instead of knocking them over. Can we still give readers those butterflies while showing them what sustainable love actually looks like?

In my story, Ciran and Roshin (spoiler alert) embody these qualities. Ciran loves earnestly, without demanding reciprocation. His passion manifests in how he moves through the world, how he cares, how he acts. Roshin, is certainly more guarded by her past losses, but he is able to open her up, and she finds her foundation in his consistency. For Ciran it is Roshin’s unwavering faith in him that becomes his driving force to greatness. Each makes the other better - isn't that what real love should do?

Does this mean there's no conflict? No drama? Of course not. Real love ebbs and flows. Couples face doubts, struggles, external pressures. But it's how they face these challenges together that matters. Love isn't about perfect harmony all the time. And frankly it’s not always about how you feel in a given moment - it's about two people actively choosing each other each and every day.

We need more stories that show love as a force for mutual growth, where "happily ever after" isn't the end but the beginning of a deeper journey. Romance doesn't have to sacrifice passion for health, or excitement for stability. Let's normalize showing relationships that readers can actually aspire to - ones that demonstrate what love looks like when both partners actively choose each other's best interests.

Because in the end, that's the kind of love story that truly endures.