The Dead Romantics

“Publishing was all very romantic until you found yourself in publishing. Then it was just another kind of corporate hell.”

This early line introduces the world of the story and alludes to the romance genre, which defines the novel, Florence’s career, and her hopes for love. The contrast between romance and “corporate hell” hints at the contrasts between love and grief that run throughout the book.

“He was a bullet journal kind of guy, and I was a sticky note kind of girl.”

In the romance genre, even if the leads are instantly attracted, some obstacle must keep them apart—this sustains the story’s tension. Initially, Florence identifies that she and Ben are opposites in terms of character. This creates an opportunity for Florence to educate Ben about loosening up and enjoying his life while he restores her faith in love.

“Because storybook love only existed for a lucky few—like my parents. They were the exception to the rule […] I’d been fooling myself for far too long, believing in Grand Romantic Gestures and Happily Ever Afters. Those weren’t written for me. I wasn’t the exception. I was the rule.”

The novel is self-conscious about its structure as a romance story and alludes to its own artifice, an example of metafiction. Florence also uses the romance narrative to try to structure her own life. Her heartbreak over her breakup with Lee provides internal conflict that she must resolve in the course of the book. She also must resolve the novel’s external conflict, which is that her loss of faith in romance makes her unable to write a romance book, jeopardizing her career.