Readers aren’t just waiting for kisses when romance is on the line, especially in fantasy. They’re waiting for the waiting, the aching beforehand. They want the stolen glances, the stuttering dialogue, the moments you can practically hear the heartbeats of the characters through the book.

That’s the magic of romantic tension: the delicious pull between two humans has readers turning pages long before lips ever touch.

However, tension is also not created by physical closeness alone. Some of the most swoon-inducing romantic tension is when the characters aren’t even physically together. The magic happens through subtext, body language, internal monologues, and pacing.

Why Romantic Tension Works

For all of you, romantic tension succeeds because it engages an emotional investment. When you drag it out, readers fall in love with the couple and the path to their connection.

For fantasy romance, stakes could be greater: political marriage, magical binding, or sacred vows prohibiting love. But at its core, it remains about the profoundly human dance of attraction, uncertainty, and exposure.

Think of tension as a string you’re stretching between your characters. Pull too hard and it snaps (instant payoff with no setup). Don’t pull hard enough, and the scene feels flat. Your job is to keep it humming.

Tip 1: Use Subtext to Say the Unsayable

Subtext is what characters mean but don’t say out loud—and in love scenes, it’s gold.

In life, we don’t often proclaim grand passion the moment we see it. We insinuate. We imply. We circle it. This hesitation engages readers because they’re constantly reading between the lines.

Example without tension:

“I like you,” she said. “I like you too,” he said.

It’s fine. But there is no slow burn.

Example with tension through subtext

“You’re bleeding,” she said, dabbing at his cheek. Her voice was steady, but her fingers lingered. “It’s nothing,” he said. But he didn’t step back.

They never say, “I like you,” but it’s all there.

Pro tip: Ask yourself—what does each character want to say here, and why are they holding back? That’s your subtext.

Tip 2: Harness the Power of Body Language

Body language typically speaks louder than words. It’s the glance of eye to lip, the brushing of fingertips against a sleeve, and the way one leans forward without even realizing it.

In fantasy romance, when worlds can be unusual, body language also grounds readers in something familiar: desire.

How to show body language tension:

• Segments of silence just a moment longer
• Proximity—standing too near, or not backing away
• Nervous behaviors (fidgeting with a glove, toying with the hilt of a sword).
• Unconscious mimicry (echoing posture or motion)

Example:

He presented it to her, hilt first. His fingers touched hers—hardly at all—but enough to make her lose track of their quarreling.

Tip 3: Let Internal Thoughts Do the Heavy Lifting

One of the most intimate methods of creating romantic tension is letting readers in on your character’s inner thoughts.

The trick? Make it short and descriptive. One idea is more tension than a wandering sentence.

Example:

She remembered she was only spying on him so that he couldn’t steal anything. But she knew the truth—she’d memorized the curve of his smile hours before.

Notice how this thought creates attraction while still affirming the contrary—that’s tension.

Tip 4: Manage the Pacing of the Scene

Pacing is your greatest asset for narrative romance tension. Slowing down the pacing allows the moment to catch its breath and gives readers time to savor each glance and each pulse. Faster pacing can be utilized to induce urgency or desperation.

To build a slower scene:

• Use shorter action beats between exchanges.
• Narrow in on sensory details (but don’t go overboard)
• Make silences drag, letting the reader feel the wait.

To build a faster scene:

• Cut extraneous description
• Make exchanges brief
• Use sudden action or cut-offs.

Slowing down example for tension:

He took the cup from her hand. She did not let it go. Their fingers moved together for a moment, the steam curling between them.

Tip 5: Create Obstacles—Internal and External

No obstacles, no tension. Your characters will have to have good reasons not to pursue their attraction right away.

In fantasy romance, obstacles may be:

External: Political duty, curses, rival alliances, dangerous missions

Internal: Fear of vulnerability, past betrayals, conflicting ethics

Example:

He could kiss her. He could break his promise, the kingdom, and the war outside these walls. But what would be left of him?

The draw is there, but so is the cost, which keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

Tip 6: Use Interruptions Strategically

A near-kiss interrupted is a romance trope for a reason—it prolongs the tension but doesn’t let it come to an end.

The key is to make the interruption natural and relevant to the action, not a ruse to delay the payoff.

Example:

His hand inched across to her waist, drawing her in—and then the door flew open, a voice calling his name. He did not let her go, but the mood shifted.

Interruptions are most useful when they raise the stakes, not simply reset them.

Practical Exercise: Rewriting for Tension

Here’s a quick challenge:

Take a scene in which your romantic heroes are already drawn to one another, but the attraction is declared in so many words. Rewrite it with:

• Subtext rather than outright confession.
• Body language rather than clunky description.
• An internal conflict that inhibits them from acting.

You will find that the moment becomes so much more compelling.

Bringing Fantasy Worldbuilding Into Romantic Tension

One of the delights of fantasy romance is playing with your world to raise the emotional stakes.

Instead of a generic candlelit dinner, try:

• A shared watch over a dragon’s lair
• Murmuring in a bookstore where the books might eavesdrop
• Standing too near on a rickety sky bridge across rolling fog

The setting needs to create tension, not just decorate it.

Example:

The wind howled down the cliffside, tugging at her cloak. He held her elbow—upholding her, but not letting her go. Below them stretched all darkness and storm, but in his hand was all that held her fast.

Checklist: Is Your Romantic Tension Working?

• Characters want each other but have strong reasons for not acting (yet).
• Dialogue implies desire without actually stating it.
• Body language speaks louder than words.
• Internal monologues give the reader a front-row seat to the yearning.
• The pace of the scenes is sympathetic to the mood, stretching out or hastening as needed.

Setting and world-building contribute to the tension without taking attention away from it.

Last Thoughts: Keep the String Taut

Romantic tension isn’t the kiss, but the journey. The magnetic push-and-pull has readers leaning in, eager for that inevitable, heart-stopping moment.

When you control subtext, body language, internal monologue, pacing, and setbacks, you make mundane interactions into scenes your readers will reread—to see that spark all over again.

So next time you write a love scene, don’t rush it. Leave the string taut. Let your characters dance around each other, get too close, pull back, and risk it again. Your readers will repay you with racing hearts and midnight binge-reading. If you’re unsure whether your scenes have that spark, don’t leave it to chance. Book a Mini-Manuscript Critique and let’s bring out the heartbeats between the lines.