How we pour it.

HEA

Happily Ever After. The couple ends up together for good by the last page. The gold standard in romance, and what most readers expect.

HFN

Happy For Now. The couple is together at the end, but forever is implied, not promised. Common in series where the relationship keeps going.

FMC

Female Main Character. The heroine of the story.

MMC

Male Main Character. The hero, often described by archetype: alpha, cinnamon roll, grumpy, golden retriever.

Trope

A story setup readers recognize and go looking for, like enemies to lovers, second chance, forced proximity or fake dating. Not a cliché, a craving.

Angst

The emotional tension, pain or heartbreak in a romance. High angst will make you cry. Low angst is a comfort read. We rate it 1 to 5.

Enemies to Lovers

They start out hating each other before falling in love. The push and pull between conflict and attraction drives the whole story.

Grumpy/Sunshine

One is brooding and closed off, the other is warm and cheerful. Sunshine slowly cracks grumpy wide open.

Forced Proximity

Stuck in a cabin, sharing an apartment, stranded together. Close quarters speed up the tension.

Second Chance

They had a relationship that ended, and now they get another shot. What went wrong the first time is usually the heart of the plot.

Fake Dating

They pretend to be together for a family event, a business deal or jealousy, then catch real feelings. It’s never fake for long.

Brother’s Best Friend

She falls for her brother’s best friend, or the other way around. The forbidden part is the fear of wrecking the friendship or the family.

He Falls First

He catches feelings before she does. Expect pining, small gestures, and you knowing he’s gone long before she does.

Slow Burn

The relationship builds gradually, sometimes over a whole series. The tension simmers, and the payoff is usually worth the wait.

Age Gap

A real age difference between the leads, usually ten years or more. The gap brings its own push and pull.

Billionaire

One lead has more money than they know what to do with. Expect private jets, power plays and a world the other has to learn.

Childhood Friends

They've known each other since they were kids. Shared history, inside jokes and years of almost.

Fake Marriage

They say “I do” for show: a visa, an inheritance, a reputation. The wedding is fake. The feelings aren't.

Forbidden Romance

Something says they can't be together: a boss, a family feud, a rule, a vow. Off-limits is the whole appeal.

Friends to Lovers

Close friends who realize it was always more. The risk is losing the friendship if it goes wrong.

Love Triangle

One lead is torn between two people. Readers pick a side early and hold on tight.

Marriage of Convenience

A real, legal marriage for practical reasons like money, custody or business. Love sneaks in after the vows.

Military Hero

He serves or used to. Discipline, deployments and a protective streak a mile wide.

One-Night Stand

It was supposed to be one night. Then they keep running into each other, or one night leaves a surprise.

Opposites Attract

Different worlds, different personalities, and the friction is the chemistry.

Secret Relationship

They're together, but nobody can know. Sneaking around raises the stakes every chapter.

Single Dad

He's raising a kid on his own, so winning him means winning over his kid too.

Single Mom

She's raising a kid on her own, so letting someone in means letting him into her kid's life.

Sisters Series

Each book follows a different sister from the same family, so you watch them fall one by one.

Widow

One lead has lost a spouse. Grief and guilt make loving again the hardest part.

Workplace Romance

Coworkers, rivals, or boss and employee. Office rules and office gossip make it complicated.

Wounded Hero

He carries scars, on the body or underneath, and she's the one who sees past them.

Spice Level

How explicit a book gets. We rate it 1 to 5: 1 is closed door, 5 is on the page and detailed.

Closed Door

Intimate scenes happen, but the camera fades to black. You know it happened; you don’t see it. Also called sweet romance.

Open Door

Intimate scenes are on the page, in detail. Most contemporary romance is open door.

Smut

Romance with heavy emphasis on the spicy scenes. Used affectionately by readers who love spice.

Praise Kink

A spice element where a character responds strongly to compliments and affirmation in intimate moments.

Dual POV

The story switches between both main characters’ points of view, so you see the romance from both sides.

Single POV

Told from one character’s perspective only, usually the FMC. You only see what she sees.

Cliffhanger

The book ends before the romance is resolved, so you need the next one for closure.

Standalone

A complete story in one book. No cliffhanger, no required reading order. We tag every standalone clearly.

Duology / Trilogy

A two- or three-book run, following one couple or several couples in the same world.

Crossover

When characters from one series show up in another. We mark every one, so you know which book to read first.

Spinoff

A new series that branches off an original one, usually following a side character readers fell for.

Next Gen

A series following the kids or younger generation of couples from an earlier series. The original couples become the side characters.

Shared World

Several series set in the same town or universe. Characters drift between them, but each story stands on its own.

Cameo

A quick appearance by a character from another book. A wink for readers who know them, with no prior reading required.

Binge Read

Reading a whole series, or a lot of books, back to back. Our preferred way to read romance. It’s in the name.

TBR

To Be Read. The pile of books you mean to get to. Every romance reader’s TBR is longer than their life expectancy.

Book Hangover

The fog after finishing a book so good nothing else compares for days. Common after binging a beloved series.

DNF

Did Not Finish. Giving up on a book partway through. If we DNF a book, we’ll tell you why.

Auto-Buy Author

An author whose books you buy without reading the blurb. Once they earn it, they have your wallet for life.