Posted: January 30, 2024

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While I may not subscribe to romance-focused novels, I still enjoy a good love story. It’s just that I prefer it to be in the supportive role. I like stories for the plot, something action- or mystery-based, something to get my brain working to figure things out and see if I can spot hints to any red herrings or reveals. I’ve actually read some incredibly well-written love stories—if I do say so myself.

The thing is, when it comes to love triangles, they’re often bland. It’s a rinse-and-repeat process, which annoys me to no end. Most of the time, there’s one girl who describes herself as plain, even though half the male population is drooling over her. Then, she has two love interests, one who’s a bad boy, rude to everyone except her, and the other who is just a “nice guy”, a better match for her, but too boring to be the end goal of the book. (Sometimes, like is the case with Twilight, neither guy is a good choice—both of them treat her like property.) Most of the time, both love interests look almost identical, and she has to choose between them.

While it’s an okay formula for those who enjoy that sort of thing, it’s nothing new. I like when authors subvert expectations, try something new and exciting that you don’t expect. Maybe it’s a love triangle in which both a guy and a girl both fall in love with the same character. Maybe it’s just a misunderstanding. Maybe one of the guys is completely clueless to the whole setup and the second guy is just getting jealous over nothing. Maybe the main character doesn’t end up with either of her “two choices”. Maybe all three of them end up together. Maybe the two guys forget about the girl entirely and just go off with each other. It certainly wouldn’t be expected.

One thing that I’ve noticed commonly crops up is the dichotomy between the potential love interests. One is interesting but dangerous, the other is a gentleman but boring. There’s always a choice that the author prefers, and it shows in how the story is written—that’s who the main character eventually ends up with. But why do it that way? Why follow a formula just because it’s worked before?

One love story I particularly enjoyed was Emma by Jane Austen, in which the main character thinks herself a capable matchmaker for everyone around her, though she has no interest in marrying. There are several love triangles—though more like love earbuds since they were so tangled and confusing. The miscommunication was written in such a way that it was amusing more than aggravating; it made you laugh and want to scream at the characters to just say what they’re thinking. I shall explain briefly below, so prepare for confusion:

First, Emma believes that Mr. Elton is in love with Harriet Smith, and tries to set them up, convincing Harriet to turn down a proposal from Mr. Martin. When it’s revealed that Mr. Elton was actually in love with Emma, he is so insulted by her belief that he leaves and marries a different woman. Meanwhile, Harriet is now alone, and Mr. Churchill shows up, and Emma believes that he is in love with her (Emma), though he is actually in love with Jane Fairfax and only pretends that he loves Emma because he believes that she could never love him (and he is trying to keep his relationship with Jane a secret). Then, Emma finds out that Mr. Churchill saved Harriet from being mugged and believes that Harriet’s in love with him when she confesses her feelings for a man, though Harriet has actually fallen in love with Mr. Knightly, who danced with her at the ball when no one else would. However, Mr. Knightly is actually in love with Emma and has been for many years. By the end, quite a few people are matched up, no thanks to Emma, and they are happy with their matches.

They’re not quite the love triangles that you see nowadays, and, of course, they can only be done properly because of the Victorian English way of speaking in riddles.

In that vein, one love triangle I really enjoyed was in The Infernal Devices series between Tessa, Will, and Jem. It combined the Victorian-style miscommunication with a bit of modern-day love triangle formula. Will is Tessa’s saviour, though he is rude to her and everyone else (except Jem), pushing her away. Jem, meanwhile, is dying, but he is kind and talented and the perfect gentleman. It’s not too long before we learn the reason behind Will’s rudeness, and his character evolves.

The important part about this is that the “dangerous, rude bad-boy”, Will, evolves. He was always kind underneath, and when he realizes that he is not in fact cursed (that all his loved ones shall die) he is able to reveal his true self as a kind and caring person as well. What’s more, when he realizes this, Tessa has already agreed to marry Jem, and though he wants desperately to confess his feelings to her, he respects her choice and loves both of them enough to hold back and let them be happy, even at his own expense.

The thing is, love is not enough for a relationship. For it to work long term, there must also be respect. Each party should respect each other, honour their choices, trust in their strength, and value their partner’s free will and consent above all else.

Have fun with love triangles, but don’t get lost in the novelty of it all. Work on making an actual love story first, then add in the complications. Love triangles happen in real life. All the time. But some stories focus so heavily on the drama of the love story and the “which one should I choose” that they forget what makes a healthy relationship, and it aggravates me to no end for unhealthy relationships to be romanticized. It’s impressionable on young readers (and even older readers) and will only lead to heartbreak if they try modelling their own love life after their favourite characters.

It’s a romantic notion to say “you complete me” to your partner, but it shouldn’t be like that in the literal sense. Partners should support, encourage, and supplement each other, but they should each be in a good place on their own. They shouldn’t have to feel “incomplete” without a partner.

So, my advice would be to start with a good love story, then add the extra bits to make it exciting. Don’t lose sight of that. Make good impressions on young readers, and make the world a better place with your writing.

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Love Triangle-inclusive Book Reviews:

The Hunger Games Book 1: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Mortal Instruments Book 1: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
The Infernal Devices Book 1: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Emma by Jane Austen
The Twilight Saga Book 3: Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer