Straight Talk From the Library: "Musts" for the romance genre from M.K. Harkin

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5-10 musts every story in the Romance Genre should have
I’ll start with the most important and work my way down

Love and romance, of course! I’ve read a few books that were based solely on sex, and I’ve found myself planning my shopping list in the middle of the sex scenes – not a good sign!

HEA – I know, I know. But, if I’m going to read a romance book, I don’t want to feel worse at the end rather than better. I don’t want real life when I read (I can watch the news for that) I want to fall in love with the characters, and in turn, I want them to live in my mind happily ever after

Humor – I love an awkward, funny romance.

Tension – I love the buildup. Will they? Won’t they?

Resolution- This is imperative for a happy ending. It’s fun to see how each author will have their characters come to terms with how they’ll finally decide they need to be with each other before everything else. Sometimes it takes chapters, sometimes you have to wait for three books!

Heartbreak – I think this is necessary for readers to connect with the characters. Through suffering, the bonds are created (who hasn’t suffered?) Also, sometimes it nice to know you aren’t alone – that other people (whether fictional or not) have gone through some of the same emotions.

Conflict- There needs to be something (or someone) that pulls them apart. Otherwise, you’d have a pretty boring story!

Sex – If this is added in, it needs to have a good, solid story behind it. If done right, it can be very nice! But, for me, this is optional. An example, one of my favorite books is Slammed, by Colleen Hoover. I think the entire book had a few kissing scenes. Even without sex scenes, I felt the passion throughout the entire story – so it didn’t need it. That’s an example of great writing – where you can engage a reader and keep them enthralled with the love/romance/passion of the storyline alone.

Read the Blurb

Cade, the gorgeous song man, has every reason to steer clear of commitment and train his soulful eyes, killer dimples, and sexy voice on every beauty swaying to his band. So why is it that he finds himself truly, deeply and unintentionally, fixed on the one woman who is not so easily swept away?

The sequel to Intentional, the debut romantic novel by MK Harkins, Unintentional is the heart-racing new work that follows the tangled thread of Cade in the aftermath of his heartbreak in losing the one woman he thought was his soul mate. After taking a hiatus from his job as an engineer, as well as his role in the band as lead singer, Cade reemerges in the Seattle music scene. Enter Laurel, the tenacious and determined music agent. Laurel is determined to sign him, no matter how clearly reluctant he is. Though they try to resist one another romantically, the magnetism is as immediate as it is powerful.

Unintentional offers readers an intricate, riveting story about the fraught paces of love, while also offering strains of heartwarming humor. With rich detail, authentic characters, and plenty of blood-pumping romance, Unintentional is a moving and multilayered look at how love can slip through our fingers, only to be pulled back again at the most surprising, stirring moments.

Read an excerpt:

I close my eyes, trying to shut out the words. A dull, yet painful ache starts creeping up my spine, radiating out to every cell in my body. As the minutes tick by, the feelings become more intense.

My breath catches in my throat as a stream of unwanted emotions rush through me. The torrent of loss and agony storms through my mind, while I desperately hold onto denial, the only thing I have left. Who am I kidding? I’ve lost her. Dread and sadness are pulling me under, making it difficult to breathe.

If Jeremy didn’t cheat on Mattie, I know, without a doubt, she’ll be returning to him. Jeremy will have Mattie back. My stomach roils as I contemplate that bastard having her. It’s irrational, I know, but I’ve despised that guy from the get go.

I want to leave, but I just can’t. My body feels like lead as I stroke her hair, catching her tears as they fall. She knows how I feel. I know she loves me, but she has a history with Jeremy. She loves him more. I’ve known this all along.

Damn, I’m so stupid. But could I really help it? As I gaze at her, probably for the last time, I know I don’t have a chance. I love everything about her, her smile, her laugh, her beauty – but not just the exterior beauty. It’s the person she is.

Hell, I probably fell in love with her the first weekend we met at the cabin in Verlot.

I need to get away. I can’t be next to her like this. It’s too painful.

I get up, but I still can’t leave the room, so I move to the window. I stare at the Seattle skyline for what seems like hours. I’m rooted to the floor, unable to leave. I know, when I go, that’s it. Mattie, or the dream of Mattie, will be gone forever.

About the Author:

MK Harkins is the author of the romantic novel Intentional. An avid reader, she began writing fiction when she ran out of reading selections on her Kindle. Her new novel, Unintentional, is a sequel to her first work and is based on the life of the character Cade. A business owner, Harkins spends her free time traveling, watching movies, reading voraciously, in addition to creating her own fiction. The author currently lives in Mercer Island, Washington.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter Buy Unintentional at Unintentional

Buy Intentional, the first book in the series, at Amazon

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