When Love Strikes: Reading and Writing Romance

by Laurelin Paige

Romance is one of the most popular literary genres out there. The world is filled with millions of people who long for stories of passion and intimacy, of fateful connections and emotional suspense, of love found in ancient castles and distant galaxies.

Maybe you’ve always considered writing your own romance story, or you’ve just landed on that perfect idea, or you’re curious about what makes a successful romance novel. Regardless of where you are in the process, New York Times best-selling author Laurelin Page offers invaluable tips to help you in her Audible Original When Love Reading and Writing Romance.

You’ll learn about building believable worlds and putting fresh spins on timeless tropes. You’ll gain the confidence to write about physical and emotional intimacy. You’ll discover techniques for taking your story’s lovers from two-dimensional to three-dimensional. You’ll also learn the secret to writing unforgettable romance. And when it comes time to share your work with the world, you’ll get advice on finding the right path to publishing your work.

So long as there are people, there will be an audience for a romance story. So, listen to these five lectures, then start writing your own. It’s going to be great.

Genres: Audiobook, Nonfiction, Romance, Writing, Literature

Audible Audio

Published February 8, 2024

About the author

Laurelin Paige is the NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling Author of the international sensation, The Fixed Trilogy. She's also written other popular books in the Fixed Universe as well as the Dirty Universe and has cowritten with both Kayti McGee and Sierra Simone.
Are you looking for a romantic comedy or something hot and angsty? Here's Laurelin's list of books broken down by trope and reading order.
Sign up for Laurelin's newsletter to make sure you know all the latest info on her projects and to get a free book every month from a bestselling author.

FULL LIST OF BOOKS:

Series:

Reviews

[Irena Pasvinter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short audiobook (2 hours 22minutes) specifically geared as a writing advice for those who want to write a romance novel. Lots of useful tips and tools for wannabe creators of romance bestsellers. If anything, it once and forever explained to me why I actively disliked most of the contemporary romance novels, which I happened to read recently. As an added bonus, it convinced me I should avoid writing in the genre (not that I've been planning to, anyway).


Image credits: Bondegezou, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons"

It just so happens that all the staple attributes of a bestselling contemporary romance novel coincide with what I dislike most: predictable tropes, predictable ending ("if your love story doesn't end in happily ever after, that's not romance but a love story with romantic elements"), cliches, stereotypical settings and equally stereotypical character archetypes, rehashed but still "comfortingly" unrealistic. While all this is marketed as "satisfying and comforting" (or spicy and hot, depending on the subgenre) and is indeed perceived as such by hordes of happy readers, I couldn't help mentally replacing "bestselling" with "trashy" in many a mention of the bestselling romances.

But if, unlike me, you love the genre and dream to try your luck as a romance writer, this short audiobook could be a good starting point. And if, like me, you have a subscription on audible, it's "included" for you, and you can listen to it free of charge.

[Maida · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good resource for those just starting out and a review for those who haven’t written in a while. I like the light conversational tone Ms. Paige used in her narration. I wish there’s an accompanying workbook to jot down the action notes.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Free to me on Audible last month. A short pleasurable listen packed with practical, up-to-date information for writers of romance and for readers new to the genre. The author provides examples to illustrate her advice; many of these are from her own work.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really quite loved this overview and how the author wound her points together. I'm always happy to hear about how any given author builds their books and the logic Laurelin outlines in this course was engaging and made it easy to see how things would indeed fall into place.

I even got kind of emotional with the last part. Very nice.

[Catherine Puma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure why the Goodreads entry doesn't include the title description, so here it is:

"Romance is one of the most popular literary genres out there. The world is filled with millions of people who long for stories of passion and intimacy, of fateful connections and emotional suspense, of love found in ancient castles and distant galaxies.

"Maybe you've always considered writing your own romance story, or you've just landed on that perfect idea, or you're curious about what makes a successful romance novel. Regardless of where you are in the process, New York Times best-selling author Laurelin Page offers invaluable tips to help you in her Audible Original When Love Strikes: Reading and Writing Romance.

"You'll learn about building believable worlds and putting fresh spins on timeless tropes. You'll gain the confidence to write about physical and emotional intimacy. You'll discover techniques for taking your story's lovers from two-dimensional to three-dimensional. You'll also learn the secret to writing unforgettable romance. And when it comes time to share your work with the world, you'll get advice on finding the right path to publishing your work.

"So long as there are people, there will be an audience for a romance story. So, listen to these five lectures, then start writing your own. It's going to be great."

My review:

This lecture series is a great listen for those who have read some romance and hope to publish someday, like myself. I learned good information about different tropes and expectations, and I especially enjoyed when Laurelin Page walked through a brainstorming character development/plotting exercise to show how knowledge of genre conventions can help generate ideas. There are a variety of references to published examples, both from her own work and others. I recommend this to intrigued fans of the romance genre!

[AHCuteArt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why did you read this book?
I am trying to become a better writer.

What format did you read this book in?
Listened to the audiobook on Audible.

Is this an educational book or a book for entertainment?
This book was an educational read.

What genres do you think this book belongs to?
Art, Nonfiction, Self Help

What was your favorite part of the book?
I like how honest she is about how difficult it is to get published and what they are looking for.

Who would you suggest this book to?
Anyone who is interested in becoming a romance writer.

What is your general opinion/ rating of this book?
I thought this book was alright. I understand where this author is coming from. She is giving advice to anyone who wants to be a published romance writer. To do that, one must write books heavily based on a formula. So her advice isn’t wrong, just disappointing. Publishers want to make things that they know will make money and repeats of old troupes do so. This is something that is wrong with the book-selling world and not the author herself. I also appreciated that she was up front about how old she was when she decided to become an author. (40 btw) Which made me feel better about my age as a want-to-be writer. Overall, it’s not bad advice, but I couldn’t help but be disheartened by it.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a useful book and I took away some helpful hints, particularly in the final lecture about publishing. I did feel like a lot of what was covered in this book I have encountered elsewhere in terms of the craft of writing so I would say this is a better resource for people just starting on their journey. But the format was perfect- quick and to the point in easy to consume bits. Perfect for a writer or aspiring writer with many spinning plates and not a lot of time to delve into book after book on “how-to.” Also it only spoke about writing romance which was nice since you got only the information that you needed. I haven’t found too many resources specifically for writing romance so this was much appreciated. Again, a great place to start and expand from there with more generalized writing resources.

[Lenka Příplatová · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not generally a fan of romance, and When Love Strikes didn’t exactly change my mind. However, it did help me understand why the genre doesn't resonate with me, and for that, I found it quite valuable. What I appreciated most was how informative and inspiring it was from the perspective of writing genre fiction in general—not just romance. The course offers practical insights into structuring stories, building tension, and creating compelling characters, all of which are useful for any genre.

While it didn’t spark a new love for romance novels, When Love Strikes is definitely worth a listen if you’re interested in writing, as the lessons extend beyond the romance genre. Overall, a good resource for aspiring writers, even if you’re not planning on penning the next great love story.

[Arathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

my toxic trait is i believe i'll write a romance best seller if i actually sat down and tried. this book was a bit of a mythbuster in that regard, but trust, i'll lick my wounds and be right back with that delulu thought.

this is a primer for people who, i think, have never read romance or never interacted with romance readers. it talks about the main tropes, the routes to publishing (in this economy??) and other aspects of romance if you've never read a fanfic or a romance in your life. which is a bummer, i think, because there's so much else that i as a casual outsider would never know.

[A.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read a lot of craft books, and this one is pretty good. So good in fact, I am going to listen to it again and take notes this time.

I am also very pleased to see that the author has actually written and published romance novels - you would not believe how many people write a how to book, and have not done the thing.

4 stars

[Anastasiya M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a short and interesting audiobook to listen to, especially if you're planning on writing a romance book and in need of some guidance and explanations about tropes and how to bring a romance story to life. Those who have some writing experience can also benefit from this audiobook to find new ideas and improve their work.

Read more here: https://annietheinkdrinker.wordpress.com

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some useful tips that I made me think of a lot of things. I read romances but never really noticed how some things are placed at the forefront to make it what it is. I’m currently learning about all genres and how to written them. Just another step in my self master course. Although this was short, it was very helpful.

[Ana Costa · Rating 2 out of 5]

honestly didn't learn anything. it's just a bunch of clichés and an excuse to promote the author's romance books. kind of steps down on being creative and thinking outside the box because "it won't sell". may be something for very begginners, I suppose

[Lil Smiles · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting presentation on writing within a genre, and the breakdown of some of the tropes and how they can be used to develop a plot. Maybe not something I will strive to, but super interesting to know the expectations of readers, and how that might work for or against a writter!

[Gyrithe Blichfeldt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A how too guide on writing romance.
It was amazing. Laurelin makes it sound so easy. But also gives the pointers on what to do. Where to start.
I will listen to more guides like this.

[Simon Says Hellooo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick book on how to write better romance that will sell. Informative and interesting.

[Emily]

Listened to the audio

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful guide to understanding romance literature better. It’s not an historical review of the genre, but a look at how it stands right now and it is designed to be useful to both readers and writers. I really enjoy books that help us to understand why we enjoy a story. I always find that it enhances my appreciation of what the author has accomplished when I become more aware of how they manipulate the reader through the use of tropes, archetypes, character development, and plots.

While I read in just about every genre, romance is not my mainstay, so I was not familiar with this author before encountering the book in my “included” section of my Audible membership. I also was not familiar with more than ninety percent of her examples. That didn’t harm my enjoyment of her work or lessen the usefulness of her tips. If you like romances, or have even a passing interest in how such books are developed, this is a must read. I will be looking for similar books in other genres. I think it has seriously enhanced my appreciation of the genre. And, as an author, even if I don’t write a romance, I think that many of Page’s tips about how to develop unique characters, and the growing feelings between characters, will be especially useful to me. For a writer of romances, I think that would be even more true.

I’m very glad that I stumbled across this book.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short audiobook good for beginner writers looking for a good overview of common tropes within the romance genre.