Huh? Here's Exactly What 'HEA' Means in a Book
Acronyms are all over the place these days. Terms like SWMBO, ATP and BSF are showing up left and right as you scroll your phone. And when it comes to this "social media speak," some people are now scratching their heads over HEA's meaning and how it relates to certain books or stories.
"HEA" is a common description of many Lifetime movies and romance novels, and the phrase it stands for has been around for what seems like forever.
According to the statistics, romance novels are a $1.44 billion industry and as of May 2023 have sold over 39 million printed copies, making it the largest-selling book genre. So, it's no wonder that the corresponding term "HEA" is popular as well.
We'll fill you in on what HEA in a book means, how it differs from HFN, and if every story involving romance needs an HEA.
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What does an HEA book mean?
"HEA" is an acronym for “happily ever after.” Most of the time, a book with an HEA is thought of as something that happens in romance novels: the guy and the girl go through some hard times, but everything comes together flawlessly by the end of the read. That’s an HEA book. But, technically, any book that wraps up in an almost-too-perfect way could be classified as an HEA book.
What is the HFN book ending?
HFN is the acronym for "happy for now." This is a slight twist on the "happily ever after" ending in a book. Although all of the conflict is resolved by the end of the book, it doesn't guarantee that it is over for good. It may even be open-ended or leave you wanting more.
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Does romance need an HEA?
There are many different opinions about whether or not all romance books and movies need to have a "happily ever after." Personally, I believe that a book that isn’t a romance can have an HEA (but doesn't have to), but a romance novel just isn’t a romance unless it has an HEA.
According to the Romance Writers of America, romance must-haves include "two basic elements ... a central love story and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." (AKA HEA!)
Here are some other readers' opinions about whether romance needs an HEA:
The Typical Romance Novel:
"In a typical romance novel, woman meets man; man is bit of a jerk; woman reluctantly finds herself attracted to man; woman eventually tames man and the couple lives happily ever after."
Steve Stewart-Williams— Erwin Schmidt (@Schmidt_Erwin) November 6, 2023
all "romance" novels are supposed to have some extremely specific tropes, to include the HEA. sometimes ppl speak out against this, but romancelandia is pretty singleminded about it. however, a non-romance novel that simply includes characters in love is not beholden to the HEA
— ??????Nicole Catherine Lindsay?????? (@NicoleCLindsay) November 7, 2023
I'm with romancelandia until the HEA part but where they start losing me is that when some insist romance novels shouldn't tackle serious topics like grief, neurodivergence, parental issues etc. Some of us like that in our romances
— Rukman Ragas (@RukmanWrites) July 30, 2023
I’ll say this til the cows tip over BUT THE DEFINITION OF A ROMANCE REQUIRES AN HEA ALSO KNOWN AS A HAPPY EVER AFTER WHICH CAN BE DEPICTED IN MARRIAGE OR A COMMITTED RELATIONSHIP OF SOME KIND. STOP TRYING TO TAKE THE ROMANCE OUT OF ROMANCE NOVELS FFS https://t.co/GoHTeO6c5s
— Lydia is tired (@bubblyhalseylrh) July 25, 2023
Me, reading exclusively romance novels knowing full well that a HEA is a requirement of the genre and that’s why I like them in the first place:
Wow I really hope they end up together— Hedgie is writing ?? ?? (@mystic_hedgie) May 30, 2023
tired of romance novels ending in marriage/pregnancy. what if my HEA is just literally chilling. why do we have to do marriage?
— jorjor wel (@livvanii) May 6, 2023
We (as in the royal we) are looking for Happily Ever After (HEA) ending, rather than a Happy For Now (HFN) cliffhanger …
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.
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Perhaps I’ve been reading too many romance novels …— Hoho Chan (@HohoChan657) February 23, 2023
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