What's a good conflict for a romance novel?

Okay, first of all my suggestions are going to seem a little extreme for a romance novel because I write survival and dystopian fiction stuff, but bear with me.

First, learn the art of romance, before anything it'll help you.

Now, if you want to make the story more appealing you may need to add some out of the ordinary twist, say that this island has a volcano, say that the volcano erupts and tears the island apart leaving the guy stranded with other survivors, and this girl you speak of, they lead the group, maybe, and also find themselves tangled in love.

Another way to make it more appealing is to just make the characters real. Add backstory, I love backstory my book I'm currently writing has a lot of it, and make the audience feel for these characters in a way that's compelling and spontaneous.

Now, here's one thing you should know, don't try to appeal to everyone, and I know you probably heard that before. Target an audience, and stick with that audience. Never stray away from that audience and always have them in mind, if you do not, you will lose sight of that appeal that you are looking for.

Appeals, once again, you could add like some definitive prologues where in the future they are married, and you tell of their story and how they got their, and maybe their situation now that they are married. That's a suggestion too.

If you want to avoid making them sick as a reason they are separated, then still add that, only make that a subplot. Your major plot of pulling them apart may be that she's carrying to many secrets, or that she has commitment issues, and I'm even going to enthuse you to use clichés like family drama, she's not ready, or anything else.

Now, here's my survivalist fiction coming, but have them going on a hike in the jungle and have her, or him, kidnapped by savages and they have to save each other, or something like that.

Another thing you could do is another cliché, but it works, is building a love triangle. Now, I personally hate love triangles, they annoy me because its like 'Just choose one godammit!' but if you write it correctly, you could have yourself something magically.

And here's a big twist, maybe she's a time traveler or something, that was a random blurp, but I'm confident you could pull it together.

I hope that those may lead you to some major conflicts, and give a few idea's, and I hope I could help, so cheers! :)

Well since I think your asking why they should split apart when the summer comes to a end (or they have to leave a different time) maybe the girl has to go back to college (which is far away from the area they are in during the summer) or maybe she has to get back to her job (like a school teacher, because most teachers have Summer off).

Or maybe something happens to the guy's family (his sister/brother/mom/dad get into a car accident, or get sick) so the guy leaves to visit the family member that got hurt and soon meets the girl (maybe 3 months later, or 1 month later) and she has a boyfriend over the months/month they were gone, so soon they have to fight off their growing feelings for each other.

And also maybe they can switch numbers so they text or call each other daily.

I don't know if it was helpful, but it was worth a try.

He's got an kid by an rich and powerful families daughter and they threatens to take the child in an custody battle never to be in his life again if he leaves his hate-filled rotten daughter for any reason.

or

He has an dream job that can only be done in an geographic specific location and she can't stand the thought of moving there or leaving family/friends.

or very cliche, he's running from the government, mafia etc.and doesn't want to endanger her.

maybe he has serious mental problems he has masked so far around her but he was actually just released from the mental ward for attacking his last girlfriend and the reason he wasn't having fun is an mix of meds and guilt and self hatred over what he had done to her.

One individual interior the relationship is percieved to be cheating; the different individual is harm and emotional by using that. One individual is distant emotionally or no longer very open on particular matters; the different individual gets indignant, envious, distrustful that if their better half won't be able to open up with them who're they sharing with. a lot of human beings have appropriate acquaintances of the choice intercourse. each so often a strictly platonic pal or one they as quickly as dated or grew up with. the different individual interior the relationship would take offense that the 'acquaintances' will communicate their issues and be a convenience to their better half after an arguement or that the better half needs to tell the appropriate pal the sturdy information of an journey even earlier speaking with them. One individual feels the different individual is disrespectful in that they'd insult their intelligence, shaggy dog tale harshly and unkindly with them, have faith they have a particular and in line with hazard menial activity of their relationship. the different individual would harbor resentment and quietly be making plans to end the relationship. ie. a woman who's the breadwinner interior the relationship or makes greater desirable than the guy. although she would not see herself as being a braggart she would communicate to acquaintances with reference to the recent vehicle 'they' have been given understanding that all of them know she particularly paid for the BMW. She would make statements approximately how the money must be spent, make purchases with out consulting her husband on account that in her recommendations this is her money. One individual is a homebody, the different a spendthrift. variations in pastimes, and existence even options in gown and ingesting, babies, childrearing and how lots acquaintances and relatives must be in contact of their on an typical basis lives. greater desirable than one guy has been accused of being a 'momma's boy', women people who paintings too stressful or communicate their recommendations are called 'bee otches', adult males who walk faraway from a combat or arguement could be percieved as vulnerable. those issues will reason arguements and emotional conflict, even 0.5 truths or omission of records. some human beings take this as a reasonable others experience this is disrespect. those are emotional. no longer actual. Yell scream communicate.

Have the guy not be from the island and he has to go back to wherever he's from to run the family business or to go to school or one of his parent's is ill and while he's gone she starts getting into drugs and alcohol and it turns out she wasn't such a good girl but he brought out the best in her and since he's gone there's no one to keep her on track

Why is everyone obsessed with mental illness?....

Maybe there was a guy that already liked the girl and was going to confess his feelings when she got back from holiday and she says yes out of pity, and tries to love him because she thinks she will never see the other guy again but meanwhile the guy is thinking whether he should find her or not then eventually decides to go find her then he sees that shes engaged to the guy?

Maybe one of them has a mental illness? Or the guy had a gf at home? Or maybe something bad happens to a close friend or family member to one of them?

I don't understand why people ask this...like you want me to write your story for you really?