Happily Ever After

The couple doesn't always have to get married and have babies .... but I do want them to declare their love and be committed to each other by the end of the book .... and I want them to be happy ...... no Nicholas Sparks hero drownings ... or Nicholas Evans mountain lions attacking heros   ..... I want an uplifting ending

we have enough "real" life happening .... I read for pleasure and a bit of escape .... so ya, I always have to have a HEA when it comes to romance

I agree with Katherine.  I have enough "real" life with in my real life.  The whole reason I read, watch movies, etc. is for escapism.  Obviously, I don't need a happy ending in a Stephen King novel , but I really appreciate and expect them in my romance novels!  Babies and marriage are not necessary, but a nice byproduct for some of the younger characters.  I recently blogged about Jennifer Crusie's Anyone But You and the protagonists married but neither wanted children.  It's often more about the journey.  That's still a happy ending! 

to the fabricated HEA where I think to myself that they'll be
divorced within six months - you might have noticed my comments on a
few of my reads in recent months

I think mutual respect and
wanting the best for the other is more  important than a wedding
ring between a domineering supercilious rich man and an overly
protected innocent virgin

Hugs

Sadhbh 

Yes! They don't have to be married and have children at the end like Katherine said but I want a commitment. That is why I read romance. Sweet Romance, Romantic Suspense, Paranormal Romance, Historical Romance, etc.

Otherwise I would read something like Women's Fiction. Those are good but I was never satisfied with some of the endings and I came to realize that I wasn't as happy when I read those kinds of books. So now, when I take the time to read, I want it to be what I like and what I like is a HEA.

HEA = Happy Ever After
DH = Dear Husband

Margie :)

No...the books don't always have to end HEA .  And my dearest thanks to Kath T. for her definitions (although after some thought, I did have HEA figured out).

I'm still trying to get my head around a man who reads!  Other than the sports section in the bathroom.  At least that's what he TOLD me he was reading!!!

I've been thinking about HEAs since I read this thread this morning. I guess my answer would have to be I want a HEA if I'm reading a romance. But HEA doesn't have to include marriage and babies. Like Katherine said above, I want the commitment and declaration.

I didn't like the way Message in a Bottle ended. I felt robbed. But I loved A Walk to Remember. The ending was heart-rending. Jamie was so genuine. She saw in Landon what no one else could see and she made him believe. Landon loved completely; he sacrificed his heart to give Jamie her dreams. In the end, I believe love made him a better person.

Shannon 

I haven't seen the movie Message in a Bottle. A Walk to Remember wasn't too bad. Better book. Anyhow, I didn't want to spoil the end for anyone who hasn't read it. But it is definitely not a traditional HEA.

Shannon

Wee Willy

I  think this was somewhat where the EL line became so popular.These book told a story of the HEA. They showed wht went on during ?? of years of marriage and life wasn't all hearts and roses. The books are similiar to a series for me because even though I'm meetin the characters for the first time I feel I am revisiting and catching up.

I started reading romance when the kiddos were small and the dh and I were always running in multiple directions at once. I wanted a book I could pick up and put down even if all I had was 5 minutes to read. I didn't want to have to do any deep thinking and I wanted an HEA. Lighthearted, fun and quirky were also high on the priority list. Little did I know that 20 years later I still want the HEA, but I have discovered that some of the romances I've read have been deep, thought provoking and intense. The couple does not have to get married and have babies, but I do want commitment.