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THE RIGHT WAY TO FALL IN LOVE by Kathryne Kennedy

Okay, so did I get you with the title of my post? Is there really a ‘right’ way to fall in love? Cause I believe there are as many ways to fall in love as there are lovers. I believe in falling in love at first sight. I believe that love can be a slow journey. I believe that friends can become lovers and childhood pals can suddenly discover a love for one another. You can fall in love, stumble into love, fight, struggle, and dive into love.

My characters always dictate how they will fall for one another. Sometimes I don’t have a lot of control over it. I can set up the situation, but they take it from there. So I thought I’d take a look at how some of the characters from my books fell in love with one another, wondering if I had a constant theme that I might be fond of. So here goes:

Beneath the Thirteen Moons: My first book, where the characters are forced on a journey together in close quarters, and there’s a whole lot of lusting and fighting going on. My characters are polar opposites, but a growing closeness and admiration for one another eventually reveal their hearts.

Enchanting the Lady: A timid but strong-willed woman, a suspicious but tender hero. The attraction is there, but love blooms when my hero is so much more concerned about my heroine than himself that he proposes marriage.

Double Enchantment: My poor hero. One woman split into two, and he falls in love with them both. Made his head spin until the end of the book.

Enchanting the Beast: Love was immediate for my hero, but my heroine had too many obstacles to overcome, and was too darn proper to make it easy. Several fears on both their parts made it a long journey to their happy ending.

My Unfair Lady: Arrogant duke, wild frontier girl. My heroine had to dig deep to find the true nature of my hero enough to fall in love with him. My hero…well, she was exactly what he needed.

The Fire Lord’s Lover: I pushed these two characters together with an arranged marriage. I knew they’d fall in love, because they were both such good people at the core, but getting them to admit it was hard.

The Lady of the Storm: Friends from childhood, each with an attraction for one another, but neither one wanted to admit it. Adventure, danger, and more than one curse finally gave them their HEA.

The Lord of Illusion: A scholar and a slave girl. It was so much harder for the heroine than the hero, because romanticism had been beaten out of her. My hero was just what she needed to discover it again.

So my love stories are all different, dependent on the characters. But a common theme I discovered is my hero wanting to protect my heroine (whether she needs/wants it or not), and that instinct is the first indication that my heroes are falling in love. So, I did discover something about my books with this post, but came to the same conclusion that there is no ‘right’ way to fall in love.

What do you think about the path two people take to fall in love? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

My Magical Best,

Kathryne

Comments

  1. I guess the only wrong way to fall in love is for the process to be easy, particularly in a romance novel! Great post Kathryne!

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  2. I definitely agree that falling in love should be unique to each set of characters. The wrong way to fall in love is when the other person is already married or underage. Those are problems, no love.

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  3. You raise a wonderful question, Kathryn, but as a family law attorney, I wish somebody would do a comprehensive study of why we fall OUT of love--because we surely do, much to our collective misery.

    I am going to go pile up my MS and take inventory as you did: Why did they fall in love and what does that say about Madam Author? Terrific post.

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  4. Characters individual personalities provide us with different ways to fall in love and all the hoopla that is involved in blending such things as power suits and stilettos with dusty old cowboy boots and tight fittin' jeans. The great thing is that we get to help them fall in love and reach that HEA, and then let the reader keep them in love forever in their memories of the book! I agree with Grace on the issue of falling OUT of love and fully well intend to explore that for a future heroine. Sounds absolutely intriguing!

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  5. Me, again...forgot to tell you that I loved your post!

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  6. Great post. Like you, I think there are endless possibilities but that it's also a question that you can't put your finger on. Even those that are in love would probably have a hard time to define all the reasons why. Maybe that's one of the reasons some of read romance, trying to figure it all out lol.

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  7. Yes, you're right, Shana. So sad to even think of those situations.

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  8. Thank you, Grace. I had never really looked at all my works before comparing the love stories. It was interesting!

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  9. Hi Carolyn! I shiver when you say cowboy boots and tight-fitting jeans. Now, why is that? ;}
    Loved to hear from you!

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  10. Hi Catslady! I think some things are better left a mystery. That's what makes it so much fun! :} Take care!

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  11. My thoughts are that I agree with you--there is not right or wrong way to fall in love. And I love it that there are so many different ways to fall in love!
    Amelia

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  12. Hi Amelia! Glad you agree. :} Thank you for commenting!

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