If books are a drug, addicted readers all want the same dopamine rush: an emotionally-satisfying ending. Satisfaction, we are taught, comes from story resolutions that align to genre. Mysteries end once they identify the killer. Suspense/thrillers let the protagonist get out alive. Romance lets lovers ride off into the sunset. Yet the best—and, indeed, the most satisfying—stories rarely pick a lane. They stay true to their dominant genre, but use sub-plots that double down on the emotional stakes. Romance author Kilby Blades will explore how romantic sub-plots can be used in novels outside of the Romance genre to hook more readers and deepen their emotional investment in your books.