Erica Peck | Editor, Writer, Reader

I wonder if this is how the ancient Greeks felt just watching their lives get absolutely rag-dolled time and time again by their useless idiot gods

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The Romance Deals Weekly Recap (11/16) is up, treat yourself to one of these lovely reads before they expire!

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I’m going to go tell my 18yo gamer kid that he is “goated with the sauce” and watch him cringe so hard a little piece of his soul leaves his body

Thank you @penamerica.bsky.social for taking the time to talk to people actually involved in the creation of young adult literature about this issue. It’s been a difficult few years, and we’re grateful to be heard.

This is your sign to back up your work and avoid tragedy and heartbreak

Dark background with different shades of purple circles. Text is in white or purple bubbles. Erica Peck Edits: Let me overthink that for you. Services: Copyediting, line editing, proofreading, manuscript evaluations (romance only). Specializing in romance, fantasy, science fiction. Logo at bottom of a dragon flying out of a book in a spray of hearts and stars. ericapeckedits.com

Got a manuscript that will need editing in 2026? Book now before my rates go up next year. I have openings in March & beyond.

(Yes, it’s basically the same janky graphic. I have no patience for marketing. I don’t want to spend hours futzing with Canva. I just want to help make your book better.)

Oh my god I hope Lewky takes some of these on, that could be amazing

I do love a good grovel!

Eh, I guess I could maybe see it working if the writer is skilled enough, depending on the particulars around the breakup.

I can only imagine the people who get mad at a romance for having a happy ending also get mad when an Italian restaurant doesn't serve sushi. You are in the wrong place for the thing you want and that's on you!

I think it can be a little bit about twists and turns, but ymmv. And These Specific Characters is super important!

Anyway, all that is to say that knowing where you’ll end up doesn’t have to negate or diminish the experiences you have on the way to get there. And that goes for literature as well.

You know your destination. You’ve chosen your companions and snacks and a car playlist. Does that knowledge or planning ruin your trip? Even if you’ve been along the route before, each trip will be different because there are so many variables. Weather, wildlife, people you meet.

Say you’re driving cross country. There are several routes you can take and many choices of interesting places to stop along the way. You can camp or stay at cheap motels or nice hotels with spas. You can go alone or with a friend or several friends. All those choices will change your experience.

Since we’re talking about it today…for anyone who dislikes the idea of a guaranteed HEA because it spoils your enjoyment to know how a story will end, that’s fine. It’s your right to read what you like, and maybe romance isn’t for you. But also: imagine romance books are like going on a road trip.

Three-panel “you have a point there” meme: A simply drawn figure holds up one finger, mouth open as if to protest. In the second panel, the figure lowers their finger. In the third, they are walking away.

"Is it ok for a HEA to take more than one book?" Opinions are divided on this one, but I say it's absolutely fine, as long as we know that's where we're going from the outset.

See also: antivaxxers who say "why don't we just inject people with a weak version of the virus instead of all those chemicals" and raw milk enthusiasts who say "why don't we just boil the milk to kill all the microbes". Congrats, you just invented the thing you neither understand nor respect.

"Does it count if they break up & he comes back and apologizes in the last chapter?" Idk, probably not? This may be a personal preference, but I've seen this done unsuccessfully. IMO you need more than a chapter to fix breakup-level problems and end with a trusting, secure relationship.

"Can it be an HEA if they die but they're together in the afterlife?" Idk. Maybe? I think I've read 1 book where that worked, but the heroine was already a ghost.

It might seem obvious but I've actually been asked this a lot. It's more than just happiness and togetherness, though those are key. It has to feel earned. Emotional wounds must be healed, or at least acknowledged and on their way to healing. Wrongs must be righted. Foes must be vanquished.

IMO a more worthwhile conversation to have (for new or new-to-romance authors) is not whether romance needs a HEA (because IT ABSOLUTELY DOES) but what constitutes a proper HEA. What does an ending need to look like for readers to get what they're expecting? How does an author stick that landing?

Yeah, I think that would be fan fiction, and IMO fan fiction doesn’t detract.

Idk, maybe it’s too obvious but I think this is a useful example of how the same story element/plot devices exist across genres, but they function differently in each one.

My kid was in Much Ado About Nothing last year and if that’s not an OG rom com idk what is.
Also, Claudio thinks Hero is dead and what does he do? Instead of offing himself like Romeo, he grieves with the support of his buds and does everything he can to atone for hurting her. Classic rom com.

The development of a romantic relationship is central to the plot, meaning if you remove the romance the story falls apart. Romantic elements can exist in just about every other genre, but to qualify as Genre Romance the relationship has to take center stage.

I see it several times a year. Why is this still an argument?? The genre literally has two rules, and HEA is one. Find another genre that doesn’t include that rule if you don’t like it. Romantic elements can exist in pretty much any other genre without breaking their rules.

I can’t believe we’re still having this tired old argument. It’s so exhausting. 😩

Oof, the ignorance. It’s literally a tragedy. Look up a list of Shakespeare’s tragedies and it’s right there. It’s not even the Shakespearean definition of a romance like The Tempest or The Winter’s Tale.

The Princess Bride. It’s a classic for a reason: fun, whimsical, life-affirming. I can watch it over and over.
Honorable mentions: Howl’s Moving Castle (my favorite Studio Ghibli), O Brother Where Art Thou (the music is great; it made me appreciate bluegrass), The Big Lebowski (quirky & iconic)