Does a Romance Novel Have to Have a HEA?

 

I write fiction and non-fiction.

Two of my fiction books are romance novels.

One of my books is called Stand By Me and one reviewer on Amazon complained that the story didn't have a HEA (Happily Ever After) ending so it couldn't be classified as a romance story.

But I disagree. I believe that a good story is a good story with or without a HEA, plus, I don't think a romance story necessarily has to have a HEA. A HFN (Happy For Now) is good enough. 

I also think my novel had a great ending that tied everything together.

And it was a Happy Ever After ending, although not in the traditional sense.

It's a story about a woman who wants her lover to live with her, but he won't. 

She tries to leave him and move on with her life without him but she misses him too much.

She even leaves him and takes up with a new love, but even though her new love is a wonderful man, she still pines for her old love, but he still won't live with her and she cannot for the life of her figure out why not.

To the reader and to the main character, his secrecy makes him seem like a bit of a ratbag, until she unwittingly learns the truth and realises that he's not a bad guy at all and now that she knows the real reason, she understands that they can never be together.

She is finally able to walk away.

That's a good ending isn't it?

She got the closure she needed and could move on whereas she couldn't before she knew the truth. She had been waiting for someone she could never have.

It is a surprise ending, and a good one. She discovers a truth that she could never have guessed.

So even though they never got together, they loved and laughed.

And then she was able to move on, and so was he.

Whether you think it's a HEA ending or a HFN, the ending still satisfies.

And because this novel is still selling, I'm having a HEA.

If you want to write a novel, write the one you want to write.

https://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/SBM.html