You couldn't write a really satisfactory novel if you were cynical about love

Romantic novelists Mike Gayle and Katie Fforde lift the lid on what makes a good love story.

- By HANNAH STEPHENSON

Book Shelf

IF you don't buy into the dream that true love will come calling on February 14, perhaps it's time to curl up with a book and escape into a world of romance.

Romantic fiction is nothing new - from classics like Romeo and Juliet, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights to contemporary stories like One Day and Normal People, the popularity of romantic fiction isn't ebbing any time soon.

Here, two bestselling romantic fiction novelists offer their thoughts on what makes a good romantic read and how they go about it.

MIKE GAYLE

The Birmingham-born bestselling novelist, whose books include My Legendary Girlfriend and Half A World Away, reflects: "The secret to a good romantic novel is about having people that you're invested in, to have characters that you want good things for, and even though they're usually not together at the beginning, you know that they would work together.

"The real art is to find the most torturous route for them, to get every single obstacle possible in their way and to reveal their character, obstacle by obstacle, perhaps things they don't know about themselves that ultimately will bring them to a realisation of who they are and what they need."

The world of online dating hasn't made things any easier, he reflects.

"It's become more complicated now because it feels like there are more options. It should be more straightforward.

"We've got apps, we've got the internet and people are more likely to blame themselves (if they don't meet the right person), thinking 'What am I doing wrong?'"

Romantic writing is different from a male perspective, he agrees.

"It's often overlooked because it's deemed to be this female space. There are so many very good romances written from a female perspective.