Romantic Subplot Ideas for Fantasy and Cozy Mystery

Any good subplot will add depth and intensity to a storyline. Subplots can enrich character growth, story tensions, themes, and overall reader satisfaction. This can be especially true for romantic subplots where the reader is drawn in by the anticipation of the “will they or won’t they.”

There is a difference between crafting a romantic subplot and crafting a romantic main plot. Some writers may struggle with balancing the two elements and connecting the romantic development to the plot development. The romance can feel tangential or like an afterthought if it is not interwoven with the story as a whole.

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Check out this list of romantic subplot ideas that marry the plot to the romantic development for fantasy and cozy mystery. These ideas can apply to heterosexual couples, homosexual relationships, queer couples, asexual relationships, and general diverse romance setups. Feel free to customize and explore!

Romantic subplots for cozy mystery

1. Fake dating: Fake dating is a popular trope where the two romantic leads pretend to date to achieve a goal. This setup is perfect for connecting the main plot of a cozy to the romantic plot as the couple can pretend to date to uncover clues—solving the case at the same time they fall for each other.

2. Rivalry romance: A rivalry romance features two characters in a competitive environment, sometimes a professional one or a personal one, who end up falling for each other. For cozies, it works well to have rival sleuths competing to crack the case. They are drawn into close quarters for the romance and to collect clues for the mystery.

3. Mistaken identity: Mistaken identity can take many forms as a romance trope ranging from undercover royalty to humorous misunderstandings that snowball. They are also perfect for the cozy dynamic as one character might disguise themself to investigate the crime. Tension rises as the false identity gets them closer to the culprit but also closer to the love interest who doesn’t know the truth.

4. Workplace romance: Workplace romances, as you might expect, take place in any workplace from an office to a restaurant to a pet store. Cozies are well-situated for a workplace mystery unfolding alongside a workplace romance. Two coworkers might have been friendly up until their work overlaps with a dire mystery. Now they have to work a lot more closely than before.

5. Meet cute: Nothing says cozy like an amusing run-in at a bakery, pet shop, or library around town—just as a crime unfolds in front of them. The meet cute is great for a cozy as it can combine the two elements of crime and cute when the light-hearted setup leads to the discovery of the crime, such as chasing each other’s pets down only to find a body buried in the community garden.

6. Amnesia romance: A romantic lead may develop amnesia (complete or partial) or, depending on your tastes, appear to develop it. The other lead might need to get involved to help retrace their steps and uncover the missing clues. It is a great way for the main plot and the romantic plot to be driven by the same reason.

Romantic subplots for fantasy

1. Royalty romance: Romance involving royalty is one of the most popular tropes in fantasy fiction and can take many forms. The two leads could be royals from enemy families or become betrothed for political reasons. By featuring the viewpoints of the government—and thus combining the personal and the power—the fantasy world can be explored alongside the romance.

2. Soul mates (magical): Soul mates can exist in the abstract sense in mundane stories, but the concept can be very literal in fantasy works. The romantic leads are tied together by a magical force as a fated couple. As a subplot, the soul mate aspect might be related to a dominant plotline around magic run amok, a supporting commentary on fate (with fate being the main theme), or even as the initial inciting incident to get the two leads to work together toward a larger goal.

3. Unlikely allies: Unlikely allies is also a favorite in the fantasy genre. It can involve all sorts of unlikely pairings such as dwarfs and elves, dragons and princes, hunters and werewolves—all of whom are forced to work together to overcome a greater threat and possibly fall in love. An unlikely ally pairing is also a great way to build the world and the characters simultaneously.

4. Arranged marriage: Arranged marriage is often related to royalty romance but not always. It exists on its own category because it encompasses monster spouses, marriages of convenience or the settling of debts, and magical entanglement. There are many options for plot tension and romance of either escaping the marriage or finding their way into it.

5. Cyrano/Matchmaker: Cyrano is a classic storyline where a third party helps someone else woo their love with varying results. In these types of stories, the wooing might work, the matchmaker might end up with one of them instead, or no one might end up together. Cyrano can be a fun trope to include in fantasy novels as it lets writers explore the culture, social or class dynamics, and romantic expectations in this world.

6. Enemies to lovers: Last but certainly not least, enemies to lovers is one of the most popular tropes in the fantasy genre. The setup involves two leads who exist on either side of a serious conflict or who are forced together despite hating each other. Ultimately, they fall for one another despite themselves. One reason this trope is popular in fantasy is because it allows the author space to worldbuild through exploring two opposing viewpoints in a society. Plus, these types of stories can resolve the main plot (feuding powers) by using the romantic plot (rectifying love)—fully integrating the two threads.

These ideas can act as jumping off places for how to connect a romantic subplot with the main plot. You can also mix tropes to surprise audiences, such as combining the mistaken identity trope with the soul mate trope to create something like Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

What is your favorite type of romantic subplot? I’m always curious on what people are drawn to. Personally, enemies to lovers is one of my favorites.

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