So, you’re cooking up a great fantasy novel, a world of magic, epic adventure, and high-stakes conflict. But somewhere along the line, you thought to yourself, “You know what would make this even better? A romance subplot.” (Excellent decision, by the way.)

Only now that subplot feels flat. Maybe that spark isn’t there. It may feel like it was slapped on. Maybe your readers are responding with, “Wait, why are they kissing again?”

You’re not alone. Romance subplots are complex, especially in genre fiction like fantasy, where the main plot will overshadow everything. But if executed well, a romance subplot can heighten stakes emotionally, increase character arcs, and engage readers for more than just dragons and danger.

1. There’s No Real Chemistry between the Characters

Romance is not just two attractive people together. Romance is connection, tension, and emotional vulnerability.

If your romantic leads are cardboard cutouts or their relationship is surface-level, such as “You’re hot” and “You’re hot too,” readers won’t care. Chemistry is built from contrast, shared moments, tension, and mutual growth.

How to Fix It:

Establish conflict and contrast. Opposites attract where there’s tension that propels both characters to change.

Depict why they love or care for each other with more than looks. One may provoke the other’s worldview. Or they may view the other in a way they don’t normally see themselves.

Express desire, fear, hesitation, and excitement through dialogue and body language. 

Consider slow burn, not insta-love.

Example: Instead of the hero falling in love with the rogue mage because she’s attractive, have her duel him and earn his respect first; that’s chemistry.

2. The Romance Doesn’t Impact the Main Plot

Could we cut out the romance subplot, and nothing would change about the main story? That’s a red flag.

Romantic subplots must intersect with your protagonists’ journey. They have to complicate decisions, raise stakes, or drive internal conflict. A well-written romance isn’t a bonus—it changes the way your protagonist interacts with the world.

How to Fix It:

Ask yourself: What does this romance cost them? What does it give them?

Let the love fuel critical plot points. The hero may make a bolder move to protect their love interest. The romantic tension may cause tension within the party.

Make the love interest the focus of the emotional payoff for the story.

Example: If your main character has to choose between saving the world and saving the one they love, that’s dramatic. If they’re able to save both with no negative consequences, it’s not deep enough.

3. The Stakes Are Too Vague or Low

Romance needs stakes. What happens if these two individuals don’t get together? What are they losing if they’re with each other?

If there’s no sense of what’s at risk emotionally or story-wise, readers won’t feel the urgency. For a romance to work, especially in a subplot, the relationship can’t feel passive or just “nice”; it needs to be necessary for the characters and the readers.

How to Fix It:

Develop clear internal stakes: fear of being vulnerable, history of heartbreak, or incompatible goals.

Develop external stakes: social standing, political concessions, and the fate of their kingdom.

Don’t be afraid to get messy. Love should complicate things, and those complications are what make your readers root for your love.

Example: Maybe your elf assassin risks banishment for loving a human. Your chosen one can’t have attachments but keeps running into this one individual in dreams.

4. There’s Not Enough Time to Build the Relationship

If your characters meet and it only takes them two chapters to become lovers, that’s emotional whiplash.

Romance, even in subplots, needs to be allowed space to breathe. Your readers need to see the relationship build. The tease—the will-they-won’t-they, the longing glances, the meaningful silences—that’s where the alchemy occurs.

How to Fix It:

Spread out romantic beats across the story arc. Don’t cluster them in one place.

Give them a reason to meet that isn’t necessarily romantic. Shared missions. Opposing objectives. Forced alliances.

Make tension simmer. Foreboding gratification makes the payoff all the sweeter.

Example: Take the classic enemies-to-lovers trope (my favorite). The tension is the dynamic. Use slow reveals and tiny moments to build toward the kiss.

5. The Characters Don’t Grow Due to the Romance

Romance needs to be transformative. If the romance isn’t causing your characters to grow for the better, it might not sound real.

When characters fall in love, they must learn something about themselves. They may conquer a fear, work through a flaw, or gain the nerve to be more vulnerable.

How to Fix It:

Make the romance mirror the internal transformation of the character. Does falling in love shake their worldviews? Force them to open up?

Make the love interest act as a counterbalance or a reflection of your protagonist.

Show how they are different because of the relationship, even if they don’t end up together.

Example: A hardened warrior who’s always fought alone learns to trust others because their love interest refuses to be a sidekick.

6. You’re writing Tropes, Not People

Tropes are great, but if your characters only exist to fulfill the trope, your romance will fall flat.

Fans hunger for emotional veracity. They need to be persuaded that these two specific protagonists are in love, not just any two people in the same circumstances.

How to Cure It:

Richly build your characters with inner histories, wounds, and passions.

Ask yourself: Why is this person the only one who can love them as they need to be loved?

Subvert or twist the trope. Add depth.

Example: Your grumpy-sunshine pair is cute, but what if the grump is only guarded because of a failed magical bond, and the sunshine has a hidden dark side they’re afraid to show anyone else?

7. You’re Rushing the Resolution

Think about a really good TV show you loved that was canceled. The writers had enough warning to tie up as many loose ends as possible, but you’re left feeling underwhelmed, rushed, and jammed into a conclusion. Don’t let your story end like that show. Don’t wrap up the romance with a neat bow just because the final battle’s over. If the relationship has been building tension throughout the story, let it have its satisfying resolution.

How to Fix It:

Give space at the end to explore what their relationship looks like after the climax. This could involve adding a few more healing chapters, particularly if the main plot revolves around political issues; we can heal the kingdom. An epilogue is also a great way to conclude a plot point or move it into the next book by hint at lingering issues or future complications if you’re planning a series. 

Just let your characters talk. Let them choose each other, not just fall into a kiss, because the plot says so.

Example: The lovers could survive the war but have to work through issues of trust or living together in times of peace. That’s rich soil for emotional depth.

Final Thoughts

Adding a romance subplot to your fantasy novel isn’t about allowing your grand quest or sinister political intrigue to be hijacked. It’s about putting heart into the bones of your story.

When done well, romance amplifies the stakes, humanizes your characters, and gives readers another reason to keep turning pages. But it only works if it feels real, earned, and woven into the fabric of your story.

So if your romance subplot isn’t working, don’t panic. That doesn’t mean you’re bad at writing love stories. It just means the heart of your story needs a little more attention.

Start with one repair. Maybe give your lovers a shared secret. Let’s raise the stakes. Let them fight harder.

And remember: writing romance, especially in a fantasy world, is not about perfection. It’s about tension, change, and authenticity. You can do that. Your characters are ready to love each other in a way that feels as epic as the world around them. And if you’re feeling stuck with your romance subplot—or worried it’s not pulling its weight—that is exactly the kind of knot I love untangling for authors.