Why Romance? Writing the Hard Things … With Hope at the Heart

Why do romance readers return again and again to stories of love, especially when those stories walk through some of life’s hardest places? Scrivenings Press author Lori DeJong believes romance can offer more than a happily-ever-after. It can remind us that hope, healing, grace, and God’s presence can be found even in seasons of grief, disappointment, and brokenness. In today’s guest post, Lori shares why she chooses to write the hard things while always keeping hope at the heart of the story.

I’ve always loved reading romantic fiction, whether it was clean mainstream romance, Christian contemporary romance, romantic suspense, or even historical romance. I love reaching the end of a book with that warm, fuzzy feeling that romantic fiction leaves me.

So, naturally, when I started writing many years ago, contemporary romance was the obvious choice. But while I love a happy ending, I also knew I didn’t want to shy away from the messy, complicated parts of life. Because that’s what I believe I’m called to as a writer of Christian fiction—to tell the hard truths, but never without reminding readers that God is still in the middle of it.

Real life is rarely wrapped in a pretty bow. It’s full of broken families, second chances that don’t come easy, and wounds that take more than a few chapters to heal. But I also believe that within the pages of my stories, I can offer something more than escape. I can offer hope. Redemption. Restoration. A picture of what God can do with even the most shattered parts of our real-life stories.

In both my True Calling Series and my Guarded Hearts Series, each book deals with themes that aren’t easy—addiction, abandonment, grief, abuse, deep disappointment. Even anger at God. But woven through every page, every struggle, is the quiet and steady presence of hope.

Why I Write the Hard Things

Why do I tackle such weighty subjects in my books that are “supposed to be” romance? Because love, real love, is forged in the fire. It’s not just about butterflies and banter (though I always include a bit of those too). It’s about seeing one another fully—scars and all—and choosing to stay. It’s about what God does when two people learn to love each other the way He loves us—sacrificially, patiently, with grace.

In Love’s True Calling, Harper carries wounds from her past that most people don’t see. Wyatt questions whether he’s missing something in his ministry to teenagers. If he’s truly doing enough. Their second-chance love story isn’t simple, but it’s honest. It’s hopeful. And it reflects the God who doesn’t leave us where He found us.

In Love’s True Home, Ally just wants to build a stable foundation beneath her but can’t escape the conviction that she hasn’t fully surrendered her dreams to God. Fun-loving, always-sees-the-good-in-everything Zane is hiding a deeply buried pain stemming from a childhood tragedy. Together, they discover the true meaning of “home” is nothing either ever expected.

And Love’s True Measure—perhaps the most emotionally raw of the three—deals with the ache of loss, the kind that changes your whole rhythm of life. Shannon has hidden her deepest shame beneath layers of “doing good” while Hunter, whose carefully curated life and career is put to the test after a family tragedy, is faced with defining what truly measures a life. Writing that story stretched me. It reminded me that sometimes healing isn’t about resolution, it’s about presence. About showing up. About love that doesn’t run from grief but walks through it with open hands and a listening heart.

 

Mistletoe and Malice features a man raised in a faith-filled home who’s lost his way after a devastating loss. Colton’s life now focuses on the protection of others, including Riley, who’s been targeted by an unknown evil. They both have to overcome misconceptions about the other, and Colton has to decide if God can be trusted to protect his heart.

Romance as a Reflection of God’s Love

One of my greatest joys as a writer is crafting stories where love doesn’t rescue the characters from their struggles but stands with them through it. Where healing isn’t instant, and trust takes time. Where God’s grace is the truest love story on the page.

That’s the heartbeat of my stories. Not perfection, but process. Not quick fixes, but lasting transformation. And always, always, a love that points beyond itself.

Hope for the Reader

My prayer in writing these stories is that readers will see themselves—whether they’re walking through addiction recovery, grief, family wounds, or just the quiet ache of not knowing where they belong. I want them to know they’re seen. That no matter how broken things might look, God isn’t finished.

Each book ends with the kind of hope that doesn’t deny the pain but transcends it. Not because everything is suddenly easy, but because grace has entered the picture. And grace changes everything.

So, yes, I write about the hard things. But I do it because I believe in the healing power of story. I believe God uses fiction to remind us that no one is too far gone, no loss is beyond redemption, and no heart is too wounded to love again.

 

 

Award-winning author Lori DeJong enjoys penning contemporary stories full of grace
and the redemptive power of God’s love that inspire others to hope regardless of
circumstance. She resides in Georgetown, Texas, with her husband and two fur-babies,
with a daughter and son-in-law in DFW. Lori is a five-time Selah Award finalist, two-time
ACFW Carol Award finalist, has been awarded an Angel Award, and placed second in
the FHL Reader’s Choice Awards. Her debut novel, Love’s True Calling, was the 2022
winner of the ACFW Genesis Award for Romance prior to contracting it for publishing.
She’s also a member of several organizations, including ACFW, Faith, Hope, and Love
Christian Writers, Novel Academy, CenTex Christian Writers, among others. You can
visit Lori and sign up for her newsletter at https://loridejongwrites.com.