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When the love interest sticks up for the MC-or-a a badass Female Lead...looking at you Julliette Cai

I'm not big on romance as a genre and don't like romantic plots that crop up in crime fiction - especially not police procedural stuff, unless handled gently, not made centre stage, and suffused with some light humour.

However, I will always find any Rochester-esque characters rather appealing. I like old school masculinity that shows a protective man with a wicked glint in his eye. Also, men who strive to understand something that crosses the boundaries between the arts, academics and science. Dark haired and wearing glasses is an added bonus.

When the MC notices tiny little lovely things about their love interest, ie. the way the sun looks in their hair, how they throw their head back when they laugh, how beautiful their green their eyes are
SO CUTE!

respect boundaries and be a decent human being 😍

Haha, I don’t instantly fall in love with any character bc it’s too early in the story and I know better. Plus, I would rather read something where there’s more to question and dislike about the characters than like them. It just makes things more interesting, in my opinion.