No love story has just two characters. Sure, the focus of the book is probably about two people and their journey toward a happy-ever-after, but let’s be honest: they never do it alone. Our main lovers are always surrounded by side characters—the trusted friend, an insightful co-worker, that long-distance sibling who answers the call no matter what time it is. Maybe it’s even the local neighborhood barista who knows all the gossip or a feisty, widowed octogenarian who lives in the apartment downstairs. The point is: at some point in the book, at least one of the main characters is gonna need someone to help them get to that happy place.
A pep talk.
Wise advice.
A swift kick in the ass. And who always delivers? The side character.
Despite the importance these folks undoubtedly add to a story, I usually don’t have trouble keeping them in their place. When I write a romance, I’m hyper-focused on the main characters and their journey, only allowing the side characters to slide in when necessary to help the mains reach that HEA. At least, I was before Claire and Graham.
I wrote a friends-to-lovers/marriage of convenience mash-up called Would You Rather that came out last fall. That book centers around Mia and Noah, two friends that end up married so they can share health insurance. Mia and Noah lived rent free in my head for months before I actually sat down to write that book. I thought about them all the time, and had the entire story fleshed out from the very beginning. I had plans to include Mia and Noah’s closest friends and confidants, Claire and Graham, and because this wasn’t my first book to sit down and write, I wasn’t expecting any surprises. I even knew these side characters would be feisty: Graham was arrogant in a strangely endearing way and Claire’s entire life goal was to take him down a notch. But I still thought they’d stay in their lane.
Little did I know.
I wasn’t even a quarter of the way through writing Would You Rather when Claire and Graham went rogue. It wasn’t so much them taking control—this book was still very much about Mia and Noah—but they just had this presence I hadn’t anticipated. They even wormed their way into scenes I hadn’t originally planned them to be in, simply because in those moments, it felt as if things would be richer and more entertaining if they were there. As I kept writing, Claire and Graham became more than sources of friendship and tools to help get Mia and Noah together. They came to life individually…and a strong chemistry began to develop between them, too. By the time I finished writing Would You Rather there was no question in my mind Claire and Graham would have their own story. Not only did they demand it (and who am I to say no to the voices in my head?), but when I took stock of everything that happened in Would You Rather, I realized they’d given me a pretty nice set-up for another book:
There’s the marriage pact from Would You Rather which Claire promptly flips into a sex pact in The Roommate Pact (because why not?).
It’s also convenient that Claire and Graham became roommates, thanks to Claire’s need to split rent after Mia ditched her in Would You Rather to move in with Noah (forced proximity, anyone?).
Claire and Graham also have pre-built side characters of their own in Mia and Noah who, yes, make appearances to return the favor and give Claire and Graham a few pep talks when needed (read: often).
Most of all though, it was honestly just Claire and Graham. Sassy and independent + cocky but surprisingly tender. Even if I hadn’t left myself a nicely wrapped romance plot to work with, they still would have found a way to tell their story. That’s just who they are, and they weren’t going to stop until I gave them their time in the sun. And honestly, after what they did for Mia and Noah, they deserved it.
The Roommate Pact is available from Amazon and Bookshop.