Just how important is the Happily Ever After, or HEA for short, to the success of a romance novel? Very. Unlike some genres where the ending is just about tying up the remaining loose ends, the HEA in a romance novel needs to leave the reader feeling emotionally satisfied.

That doesn't mean that every romance novel must end with a marriage proposal. To the contrary, a romance reader will be happy as long as she feels the ending was positive and uplifting with a promise toward a future happiness.