Tropes are not evil; they are shorthand. The problem is lazy execution.

Compelling romances are built on characters who are more impactful together than they are apart. According to The Novelry , the key is developing individuals with distinct lives and desires who find something in each other that they cannot find elsewhere.

: Strong fictional couples often feature opposite but complementary traits (the "Yin-Yang" effect), such as pairing a world traveller with someone who has never left their hometown.