Dear reader,
It’s cute to meet you! Welcome to Love, Underlined, your new online community for romance readers. Each month we invite one of our romance authors to answer a romance-themed Q&A. This month, Aashna Avachat, author of Love Craves Cardamom, shares her favorite romance tropes, her book crushes, and more! Read on for the full Aashna Avachat Q&A.
Love,
Underlined
What was the first romance novel you read?
Probably something by Gail Carson Levine or Meg Cabot! I loved Ella Enchanted, but my true favorite was Fairest, which I think is super underrated. The Princess Diaries were a favorite too, but I loved How to Be Popular the most!
What romance are you currently reading?
I’m actually currently in between fantasies . . . not my usual genre, but I just finished The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang and am about to start Oathbound by Tracy Deonn. There’s good romance in the Legendborn series, for sure!
What are your favorite tropes?
I love a friends to lovers arc in YA rom-coms—it’s adorable and realistic and there’s a strong foundation to build a love story off! I am also partial to rivals to lovers in the fantasy/adult romance space.
Who’s your book crush?
As a kid, Percy Jackson for sure. As an adult, adult Percy Jackson 🙂
What inspires your writing?
My personal interests, things I’m learning about, experiences with friends—I totally have used lines in my romance writing that have been used on me before, and I like bringing things I’m passionate about into my work—in Love Craves Cardamom, Archi works on a museum repatriation project, which is something I’m personally/academically interested in too!
What’s your favorite part of writing romance?
I love writing dialogue! Banter between characters is so fun and builds chemistry; that’s my favorite to write, and to read too!
Share with us an out of context quote from Love Craves Cardamom!
“True or false,” I try again.
He waits, patient as ever.
And then I say it: “You like me.” I press on before he can answer, and the words tumble out, not at all close to the neat, measured way I practiced them. “Because I know we said we should be friends, but . . . I like you. And if that’s too much and not what you signed up for, we’ll pretend this conversation never happened—”
“Archi.” His eyes rake over me. Spots of pink have appeared on his cheeks. “True.” He doesn’t look away.
