Before engineering romantic situations, fully develop each character's wants, fears, flaws, and history. Love stories work when falling in love forces characters to change. Ask: What about this specific person challenges this specific other person to grow?
Modern storytelling increasingly embraces diverse voices, showcasing LGBTQ+ relationships, multicultural dynamics, and romance later in life. Furthermore, contemporary narratives are redefining what a successful resolution looks like. There is a growing appreciation for storylines where characters choose self-love and independence over a flawed partnership, or where the romance serves as a subplot to a character's personal journey of self-actualization.