How to Craft Romantic Moments that Make Your Readers Swoon

Romance readers live for romantic moments, ones that make them smile and others that make them sigh. But the romantic moments that truly make readers swoon (and screenshot, annotate, and revisit at 2 a.m.) are crafted with emotional layering, intention, and a deep understanding of what makes intimacy come alive on the page. 

Whether you’re crafting a tender brush of the hands, a heated confession, or a magical, starlit kiss, your goal is the same—creating a moment that feels emotionally charged, inevitable, and most importantly, earned. 

Let’s jump into some tips on how to write romantic moments in romance or romantasy novels that pay off for the reader. 

Make Romance More Swoon-Worthy with a Third Emotion

Romance doesn’t hit right when it’s only about love or desire. Those two emotions alone do not create the emotional payoff your readers crave. The secret to making romance hit hardest is braiding it with another emotion–fear, awe, relief, longing, grief, joy, or frustration. This “third emotion” adds depth and complexity to your characters’ relationship, turning a simple romantic beat into an unforgettable moment. 

Let’s look at some examples of a “third emotion” in romance novels: 

• A confession during an argument that reveals vulnerability and fear. 
• A hand touch during a moment of grief offers comfort and connection. 

Using a third emotion to deepen the connection between your characters can help raise the stakes, ground the moment, and make the romantic moment feel earned. When writers layer emotions, readers feel the moment in their heart, not just their head. 

Using Small Details to Make the Heart Race

Big gestures without meaning can be memorable, but small details are what make a romantic moment feel intimate and real. A tip for writing to find those small details is to immerse your imagination in the scene and feel it yourself. How would you respond to a love interest leaning in for a kiss? Does your heart flutter in anticipation, or do your hands turn clammy with nervousness? 

Here are some examples of small details to use in a romantic moment: 

• A hitch of the breath before a kiss
• A character’s fingers tremble when they reach out
• Warmth of shared laughter
• A brush of a thumb over a knuckle

What can these microdetails do for your scene? They slow the moment down, which gives the reader a chance to immerse themselves in the story. They heighten the sensory information and create emotional closeness—both of which can make a reader feel like they’re a part of the story. 

Readers don’t swoon because two characters kiss—they swoon because of how the characters kiss, why they kiss, and what it means in that exact moment. 

How to Use Emotional Misdirection Without Manipulating Readers

Another tool you can use while writing romantic scenes is emotional misdirection. This is not about tricking your readers, though! It’s about guiding their expectations so the romantic payoff lands with even more impact. 

Emotional misdirection can set up one emotional expectation and pivot to a deeper or more vulnerable truth. It can also reveal something more meaningful about the characters. 

For example, a character storms into the room looking furious, but they’re actually terrified of losing the other person. Or perhaps a tense argument softened into a confession of love. Either way, these emotional misdirections create surprise, emotional release, heightened intimacy, and an unforgettable romantic beat. 

The Slow Burn vs The Spark

When writing a romantic relationship, you can use either the slow burn or the spark. Both of these will make your readers swoon, but they work in different ways. 

The slow burn romance thrives on longing, restraint, unresolved tension, emotional growth, and delayed gratification. When the characters finally come together, the readers will swoon because the payoff is earned. 

On the other side, the spark is about instant chemistry that thrives on bold attraction, impulsive choices, and immediate emotional stakes. Readers love this type of romance because the characters’ connection feels electric and undeniable. 

The key is to keep a romance progression consistent throughout the story and make sure the romantic beats align with your characters’ personalities, wounds, and desires. 

Editing Romantic Moments for Emotional Precision

Editing your romantic moments is an essential step once you’ve completed your draft. Even the most beautifully written romantic moment can fall flat without careful refinement. Editing is where the basic swoon becomes swoon-worthy. 

Here are some questions to ask yourself while revising romantic scenes: 

• Is the emotional arc clear?
• Are the characters’ motivations aligned with the moment?’
• Is the pacing rushed or too drawn out?
• Is the dialogue saying too much or not enough?

There are many reasons to edit romantic moments. Editing sharpens the emotional clarity and pacing, which are essential for using either the spark or a slow-burn romance. 

Make Your Readers Swoon With Edits by J. Berry Editorial

Need help turning your romance novel into a story that will make your readers’ insides flutter? A professional editorial eye can help you refine your emotional beats, refine your pacing, and elevate the stakes of the characters’ relationship. That’s when you should turn to J. Berry Editorial. 
With professional developmental editing to proofreading, my editing services will help you refine your romance novel and make your readers swoon. Request a sample edit today for your romance novel!