Romance
A slow burn only works if the delay is doing actual work.
If the tension is all chemistry and no change, it starts to feel like the book is stalling for time. Character depth means the wait hurts a bit. It reveals things. It costs something. Otherwise it’s just two people circling each other while the plot pretends that counts as momentum.
Romance can absolutely take its time. It just shouldn’t be afraid to let anything happen before the kiss.
If the tension is all chemistry and no change, it starts to feel like the book is stalling for time. Character depth means the wait hurts a bit. It reveals things. It costs something. Otherwise it’s just two people circling each other while the plot pretends that counts as momentum.
Romance can absolutely take its time. It just shouldn’t be afraid to let anything happen before the kiss.
Sometimes the delay is the point, though not always in the romantic sense. A good slow burn can be about people learning what they will not admit to themselves, or what they are prepared to risk. If nothing in the world changes while they hover, the book starts to smell of furniture polish. Characters need pressure, not just longing.