I didn’t even know Hurt/Comfort was a trope until I started writing romance. Actually, I was writing my fifth book before I discovered that two of my previous titles included hurt/comfort situations. In retrospect, it should have been obvious. I had one character in hospital and the other character comforting them. I had not realized this was a situation readers might look for. But now that I do know, I totally get it!
There’s little that accelerates a relationship faster than one party holding the other’s hair back while they vomit. I mean… it’s a ‘zero to a hundred in sixty seconds’ situation. With the added danger of getting one’s shoes dirty.
Sickness isn’t sexy. But caring for someone while they’re under the weather can bring a new closeness to any relationship. A part of falling in love is sharing your vulnerabilities with someone. Opening up and inviting another person inside. Being at your worst, physically, can make this so much harder, but also easier. Being laid up makes it all the more difficult to run away and hide.
Continue reading “By the Tropes: Hurt/Comfort”