The Dead Romantics

While the structure of romance depends on the protagonists falling in love, modern romances incorporate a journey of self-growth and self-realization, one that the protagonists embark on through their developing relationship. More than simply giving the lovers a happy ending, romance resolves personal issues and heals past wounds. The Dead Romantics adheres to this pattern as growing trust and companionship heal both Florence and Ben from their past betrayals and convince them to trust their hearts to another person once more.

Florence begins the novel feeling jaded about love. After her painful breakup with Lee Marlowe, she doesn’t have faith that the possibility of love exists for her, and wonders whether grand passion exists at all for most people. She’s decided: “Love was putting up with someone for fifty years so you’d have someone to bury you when you died” (8). Only very few exceptions—like the love story of her parents—stand apart from the rule that love disappoints and betrays. Her disillusionment reflects in her inability to write fictionalized romance, though her career depends on it.

When she meets Benji and is immediately attracted to him, Florence steers away, telling herself he’s off limits as her editor and that romance is dead.