Love triangles. Do you love them or hate them?
Personally, I enjoy them. But I’ve had some Goodreads comments letting me know that not all readers share my opinion. Somewhere I recently read that it might benefit authors to change it up a bit, rather than have the triangle with two guys always going for the same girl, have two girls interested in the one male character.
Have you realized how very true this is in YA fiction?
All of these examples have two guys, one girl:
And however many more love triangles there are out there in YA lit…
Are there different kinds of love triangles? Or are they all the same ol’ same ol’?
The best friend vs the new guy. The nice, cute guy vs the hot, bad guy. The safe, known guy vs. the unknown, dangerous yet protective guy. The girl and the two brothers. The girl chooses between the two best friends, or maybe even blood brothers or parabati.
You get the idea.
What are your favorite, or most loathed, love triangles that you’ve read? What do you love, or hate, about them?
Do you choose NOT to read a series simply because there’s the potential for a love triangle? Which series did you in so that you vowed never to invest in another?
Usually, love triangles lead to Team A and Team B which means some readers choose one over the other and vice versa… which also means there’s a chance of disappointing a large number of readers in the end. Are there love triangles listed above where the majority of readers agree with how the romance turns out for the main characters in the end? Or… don’t?
Now, is there the potential to be a love triangle in my series? Yes… but it’s muted and somewhat unclear. I’ve had readers from book one that had no idea it was even hinted at. I guess it’s all about what you’re reading for and how perceptive you are. My books are little more paranormal and a little less romance, though it’s definitely there, overtly between Julia and Cole, anyways. Book two may make the triangle a little more apparent, and I hope it doesn’t turn you off!
Also know that there will be competition for the boys’ hearts, not just the girl’s! (Meet Mila in book 1.5! Coming soon!)
What are your thoughts on love triangles where there are girls fighting over a guy’s interest for a change? Have you read any YA lit where this is the case?
I’ve posed lots of questions. Please share your comments, responses, or additional examples below!
Find me on Facebook, twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, (@authorcecelia) or email me ceceliaearl@yahoo.com I’d love to hear from you. And if you check out my books, let me know what you think! I aim to please, so any writer who shares opinions with me can help to shape the future of my stories.
Much love, Cecelia ❤
cecelia earl 
A love triangle might be the only reason I like a certain story (or not). From “Beauty and the Beast” where two guys are competing for the same girl to “The Phantom of the Opera” where two sides of Christine are waging a battle over two different guys – I like how it’s about the MC trying to figure out who she is and where (and with which guy) she belongs. Though it’s really about the execution. Some stories might have these same triangles and yet fail to make it about the MC’s journey and more about “you must have a boyfriend to belong” – that’s the type of love triangle I have a problem with.
I haven’t read any YA lit where it’s the girls who fight over a boy’s heart… sounds interesting! In Holly Black’s “The Darkest Part of the Forest” it hints at a girl and her brother both having an interest in the same guy, but it’s more about the MC finding herself and saving everyone than it is about falling in love (though that happens too).
Writing a love triangle with a twist sounds like fun. I might try it with a new project 🙂
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YES! And that’s exactly what Julia’s decision will come down to… who will she become? How will her arc be completed? The two guys represent choices she has to make on her journey to heroism, the journey to fulfilling her arc.
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That sounds great 🙂
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