Good points made by all today, thanks to everyone who read my post and left a comment.

I’m still a proponent of HEA and probably always will be, but having said that, I do read general fiction and mainstream that don’t focus on romance, so they don’t necessarily have a hero and heroine to bring together by the end of the story. But the ending still needs to leave me feeling good.

I have a confession to make…not about books, but movies. I have never watched Titanic. I know the ending, I know I’ll feel terrible when it’s over, so why put myself through all that.

Oh, well, it’s been a long day. Lots of baby goats to deliver and feed at work, writing that needed doing and then my own goats to take care of. I’m tired, but so glad to have been here today.

Have a great night,
Catherine

I’m “old school” when it comes to romance, but I do understand that, particularly in contemporary fiction, traditional HEA is not always possible or realistic. That doesn’t mean a story can’t have a satisfactory conclusion in context with its content.

I’m okay with “neutral” endings in a series. A well-written “neutral” ending book can keep me hanging on to read the next installment.

Tragic endings just aren’t for me. Sorry, if I paid $X and invested X hours in following a storyline, I want my warm-fuzzies at the end (romance) or I want the monster dead/neutralized (horror).

Mary, you make an excellent point about not necessarily having a HEA, but giving the reader some satisfaction while leaving it open for a sequel. Are you sure you’re not a writer? Maybe marketing or promotions? It’s a very valid point.

Marlene, I agree with you about making the characters work for it, but in the end having the happily ever after. But the question always remains that if the characters are not meant for each other and find that out over the course of the story, would you as a reader believe that they even are living happily together once you close the pages of that book? Does that question even make sense, because I’m afraid I might need some of that caffeine Mary was mentioning.

I find the ongoing struggles and twists in a novel add dimension to the story. Even so, when I pick up a romance, I like to know where its going. If I’ve had a hard day with work and the kids, I like to put my feet up and get my does of HEA. Feel free to make them work for the HEA, but give it up in the end.

Great blog.