In Begin Again, Andie initially denies her feelings for Milo as she focuses on trying to maintain a long-distance relationship with her high school boyfriend, Connor. Not that one ever comes easily for her characters. Plus, “I’m just a sap for a happy ending,” Lord says with a laugh. There were a lot of times when I was writing and was like, ‘Is this marketable? Is this gonna sell?’ But I think it’s so important to write what you love regardless of that and feel unapologetic about it. … It gives readers a chance to see themselves in writing that they might otherwise never get.”

The author continues, “Romance is on the forefront of so many things that other forms of media are still dragging behind to catch up on. At its heart, she adds, the genre - with a diverse cast of characters and its embrace of LGBTQ+ relationships - celebrates the fact that “everybody deserves love, and everybody loves in their own way.” “It’s so strange to me that people have talked down about romance for so long, especially because it’s not just an economic power force, but it’s been such an agent for change and for diversity and acceptance,” says Lord. Recently, popular authors like Colleen Hoover and Emily Henry (not to mention Lord herself, whose 2021 novel, You Have a Match, made the New York Times best-seller list) have helped bring heightened awareness to the genre’s hold on millions of readers, as well as its financial heft: Romance was the highest-earning fiction genre of 2022, generating more than $1.4 billion in revenue. She’s also thrilled that romance is finally being taken more seriously by critics, who’ve long disparaged it for its lighter tone. As a longtime fan of romance works who’s spent a sizable number of hours writing kiss-filled Spider-Man fan fiction, Lord says she loves “every single trope” of the genre and appreciates that her readers seem to be just as enthralled. And then, of course, there are the romances, including the flirty friendship between Begin Again’s freshman Andie and her green-eyed R.A., Milo. Indeed, the 31-year-old’s four novels - including this month’s Begin Again, her first set in college rather than high school - are instant mood boosters filled with witty repertoire, charming characters, and a bakery’s worth of mouthwatering dessert references (Lord is the first to admit she has a bit of a sugar problem).

You have a match emma lord summary