Why do we read romance? To watch two interesting people fall in love, overcoming odds to secure their happy ever after. At the core of a romance novel is the couple. An interesting couple can make the most mundane plot appealing.

So how do you build an interesting couple?

The two people must be different enough to cause conflict yet similar enough to create a lasting pairing. At the core, they must have similar values.

In my upcoming February release Invisible, the hero is a talkative owner of an auction house. As the value of an auction item is in its history, the hero likes to know the story behind everything and everyone. The heroine hides women from their abusers. She doesn't talk. At. All. For good reason. If she accidentally shares information about her clients, they could die.

There's immediate conflict. The hero is frustrated by the heroine's lack of sharing. The heroine gets a headache from the hero's non-stop talking. Over time, we see that both value family. They both value duty. They are both very faithful people. We know that once they trust in each other, they'll do nothing to betray that trust. Their core values, what they feel is important, are the same.

Their values must be the same. A pairing between a PETA activist and a cattle rancher is unlikely to work. Why? Because one person has to give up a core value to be with the other. It wouldn't happen in real life and it shouldn't happen in a romance novel.

Finding the perfect romance couple is a delicate balance between opposites attracting and sameness maintaining the bond.