A character who serves as the romantic focus for the protagonist, driving emotional stakes and often catalyzing personal growth.
A love interest is a character toward whom the protagonist develops romantic feelings, creating a relationship arc that runs alongside (or sometimes drives) the main plot. While the term can sound reductive - as if the character exists only to be loved - the best love interests are fully realized people whose own goals, flaws, and choices create genuine tension and chemistry. The love interest's role ranges from subplot sweetener to the central engine of the entire story, depending on genre and narrative focus.
Romance is one of the most powerful motivators in fiction because readers instinctively understand it. A compelling love interest raises emotional stakes, reveals hidden sides of your protagonist, and gives readers someone to root for (or argue about on the internet). Whether you're writing a romance novel or a thriller with a romantic subplot, the love interest's quality directly affects how invested readers feel in your story's outcome.
Darcy is the gold standard for love interests who challenge the protagonist - his pride and Elizabeth's prejudice create a romance that requires both characters to fundamentally change.
Patroclus as narrator and love interest to Achilles shows how a love interest can also be the viewpoint character, reframing a famous story through devotion and grief.
Prince Henry works as a love interest because his own internal conflicts - duty, identity, family pressure - mirror and complicate the protagonist's journey.
Rochester is a complex, morally ambiguous love interest whose secrets create both romantic tension and genuine ethical dilemmas for Jane.
Ask yourself: what would this character be doing if the protagonist didn't exist? If the answer is 'nothing,' they need more development.
Introduce them through action, dialogue, or a distinctive behavior. Let readers see their personality before cataloging their eye color.
Build chemistry through specific interactions - shared humor, meaningful disagreements, small moments of vulnerability. Let readers feel the attraction rather than being told about it.
Give the love interest their own problems, their own story, and moments where they need something from the protagonist too. Relationships are mutual.
Write a scene where your love interest is dealing with a problem that has nothing to do with the protagonist. Show who they are when romance isn't on their mind - their competence, their quirks, their frustrations. Then have the protagonist walk in at the end. Notice how the energy shifts. Aim for 400-500 words.