It seems that barely a week goes by without a new story hitting the headlines about a celebrity couple splitting up. In the past few weeks I’ve read of Johnny Depp’s split from his wife of 14 years, and then Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes heading for the divorce courts. And after all that high romance at the start of their relationship too!

It’s saddening to see people once so much in love walking away from their relationship. Most people love a good romance, whether that’s in a book or a film, or a ‘real-life’ one played out by people in the public eye. The world melted over William and Kate’s Royal Wedding because we so wish them well – a lifetime of happiness together. We hope that William will follow in the footsteps of his grandmother, who will celebrate her 65th wedding anniversary this year.

But with constant reminders of relationships breaking down, is it possible to keep believing in the happy-ever-afters of romance novels such as those I write?

One of my favourite lines from JM Barrie’s Peter Pan is this: ‘Every time a child says “I don’t believe in fairies” there is a little fairy somewhere that falls down dead.’ I think perhaps the same is true of believing in a love that lasts. Every time you hear of a relationship that’s ended, you have that choice: let it make you cynical and say ‘I don’t believe in happy endings’, or keep your faith, and the positive, dreamy, happy glow it gives you, and believe.

I think those, like me, who love to read romance novels are united by their belief in a happy ending. Now of course I am not suggesting that a happy-ever-after is perfect or easy: long-term relationships have their ups and downs and require a good deal of work to maintain. As readers, we know this. But we hold fast to the belief that the highs can outweigh the lows and the effort; and those highs can be ever so romantic.

As someone who is still as much of an ardent romantic as she was in her dreamy-eyed teens, I can think of no better job than writing love stories that end happily. Which is probably why I really struggled with the ending of the wonderful and superbly written One Day by David Nicholls. And of The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. And of Romeo and Juliet. When I close a book, I want to have a light and happy heart. So in my novel Burning Embers, I leave readers to imagine the future of my lovers, Rafe and Coral – babies, homes, travels, and so many romantic moments along the way.

If you are also a happy-ever-after, I recommend visiting the Happily Ever After Cafe group on Goodreads, where you’ll find hundreds of other readers discussing uplifting romance novels and movies. I hope to see you there!