Behind the Net

“I know better, and I know his type. After Zach, I know not to fall for guys like this—famous guys. Guys with an ego. Guys who think they can do whatever they want without consequences.”

The introduction of Pippa as a protagonist emphasizes her past disappointment with her ex-boyfriend Zach, and her reserve about falling in love. There’s a note of irony in her first impressions of Jamie as having an “ego” when in truth he feels tongue-tied and nervous. Her reservations about love will provide Pippa’s internal obstacle toward falling in love again, an important source of tension and conflict in the developing romance.

“Failure is really hard, she always says. Set yourself up for success instead.”

Pippa’s mother is Pippa’s internal voice telling her she should avoid risk and do something practical that will earn her a reliable, steady paycheck. This quote introduces the theme of The Shaping Power of Family Loyalty, as Pippa reflexively uses her mother as a guide. This advice to play it safe offers an alternative perspective on the book’s exploration of following one’s ambitions and dreams, which, like falling in love, involves risk.

“Deep down, I dreamed of having a career like Zach’s.”

Part of Pippa’s character arc is getting back in touch with her dreams and ambitions, which she put aside for Zach and then for her parents, and the mention of “deep down” illustrates how far she has buried her dreams at the beginning of the novel. Falling in love with Jamie, who encourages her, helps Pippa rediscover her love of music and a sense of bravery. This illustrates a beloved motif of the romance genre, that the right partner encourages and brings out the best in the other.

“Zach didn’t break me. That girl I used to be is still in there. I just have to find a way to get her out.”

Pippa starts the journey to her character growth when she realizes she wants to leave behind the heartbreak Zach left her with and reclaim herself and the things that bring her joy, rediscovering The Pleasure of Following One’s Dreams. This resolve is spurred in part by Jamie’s telling her she has a strong voice, and then by seeing her dream guitar in the window. Jamie is bound up in her ability to reclaim her passions and her dreams, which adds to the romance arc.

“Back in high school, she was just the girl I was fascinated by, but as I get to know her, it’s turning into more. I can feel it.”

While there is initial attraction introduced in the backstory that sets up the powerful attraction, part of the developing romance includes an emotional attachment that corresponds to the increasing sexual desire. This passage sets the novel up to turn into erotic territory by steering their relationship from friendship into sexual territory, incorporating the friends-to-lovers arc that is a popular premise of the romance genre.

“The way she looks at me makes me want to scoop her up into a hug and never put her down. I’d never let her go. The way she’s looking at me makes me want to protect her from the world and assholes like her ex.”

One of Jamie’s chief character traits is his protectiveness toward the people he loves, a common quality in a romantic hero. Jamie’s efforts to rebuild Pippa’s confidence and encourage her talent promote her arc of self-discovery, which progresses and complements the arc of their romantic relationship. This quote also highlights the theme of Recovering and Moving on From Heartbreak with its reference to Pippa’s ex-boyfriend Zach.

“He’ll devastate me. After Zach, I’m full of cracks. I can’t have feelings for Jamie, because if it ends like it did with Zach—which it will—I’ll smash.”

The obstacles each protagonist faces while opening themselves to love are part of what creates tension and suspense in a romance story. Zach’s treatment of Pippa creates the backstory that explains why Pippa doesn’t believe, at least early in their relationship, that Jamie could be attracted to her. Pippa refers to the “cracks” that Zach left to highlight how fragile she considers herself to be. The inner obstacles defer the romantic consummation as Pippa works to overcome what she sees as her weakness.

“He’s hot, protective, and secretly sweet. Kissing him was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. He’s nice to his mom, for god’s sake. He’s the whole package.”

The first kiss is a milestone in the romance arc, and the universal convention of the genre is that any romantic or sexual contact between the leads is better than any previous experience they’ve had. In Pippa’s case, realizing the depth of her attraction to Jamie makes her realize he could hurt her even more than Zach did. This paradoxically confirms her wariness toward love and the inner obstacle that will make her hold back from committing to him.

“I’m a grown woman who can take care of herself, but between him helping me with my shoes, putting my coat on me, and now trying to keep my hair dry, I’m melting into a puddle.”

One of the ways Jamie demonstrates early on that he is a suitable as well as desirable romantic partner is the care he shows toward Pippa, thinking about her comfort as well as her wishes and needs. This nurturing of one lead toward the other is a popular convention that signals developing emotional regard in addition to sexual attraction. The examples that Pippa offers all revolve around everyday life—shoes, coats, and hair—signifying the fact that Jamie is about more than the grand gesture: He is paying attention to the small details as well.

“Every bad thing I’ve ever seen or that has happened to me evaporates into the atmosphere as I kiss her, like she’s filling me with light.”

Along with the intensity of their desire and sexual pleasure, a convention of romance is the theme that love transforms the protagonist and their perceptions of the world. Feeling filled with light as he kisses Pippa is an image foreshadowing how Jamie’s life will become happier with Pippa as his partner.

“I’m just starting to play music again. I don’t want to put pressure on myself to make it everything in my life. I just want to love it again.”

Midway through her character arc, Pippa is still telling herself to take the safe, steady marketing job instead of pursuing music, as she still feels fragile and humiliated by the way Zach treated her. Her reconnecting with her passion for music counters and complements the discovery of passion with Jamie, twining the two story arcs together. Her idea of not putting pressure on her music, however, also highlights the theme of The Pleasure of Following One’s Dreams, as Pippa decides to enjoy making music without worrying about making it pay.

“Jamie isn’t just the hot hockey player I had a crush on in high school. He’s so much more.”

One appeal of the grumpy/sunshine trope in romance is the clash of personalities and the enjoyment of seeing the grumpy character softened by the cheerful nature of the sunshine character. In Jamie’s case, Pippa sees that the grumpy nature is superficial, and she discovers more beneath the surface. This discovery of Jamie as an individual unfolds alongside the self-discovery Pippa undergoes as she gets in touch with her own passions.

“I know we shouldn’t have messed around again, but the second he touches me all the thoughts just fall out of my head. It’s too electric between us. Too intense, too good.”

Archer follows the convention that the sexual attraction between the protagonists is strong enough to overcome the internal obstacles holding them back from choosing to pursue a relationship. The intensity of the sexual pleasure indicates the characters belong together, as it signals their compatibility on all levels. Pippa’s inability to think or resist fulfills this convention as, despite all her misgivings, she falls into a physical relationship with Jamie.

“When she plays her guitar and sings, light spills out of her, filling the room, brightening everything. It’s such a stark contrast to the muted version of Pippa I see when she talks about this marketing job.”

In line with the themes of self-discovery and pursuing one’s dreams, Jamie sees what is possible for Pippa with a music career well before she does. His support boosts her confidence, leading to her character growth and incorporating a beloved convention of the romance genre, that the romantic partner helps a protagonist become a better version of themselves. Throughout the novel, Jamie refers to the “light” that Pippa exudes, imagery that highlights the distinct impact she has on him.

“It’s so beautiful, but it’s more than that. This guitar is something I thought I couldn’t have, and yet, here it is.”

Jamie’s giving Pippa her dream guitar as a gift symbolizes his encouragement of her musical talent, signaling that he sees and supports her—a sign of his suitability as a romantic partner. The dream guitar is also a literal manifestation of her music career and knowing she can have it opens the possibility of having the career, too. In addition, getting her dream guitar encourages Pippa to believe she could have other things she dreams about, like Jamie.

“I want to prove them wrong, and more than anything, I want to prove Jamie right.”

Pippa’s character growth throughout the novel is illustrated by her success in reclaiming her love for music and deciding to try to make a career out of performing. In the initial wake of her breakup with Zach, she isn’t able to play her instrument, but with Jamie’s encouragement, she plays, performs, and writes new music. By tying Pippa’s love of music to her developing feelings for Jamie, the novel connects the themes of the pleasure of following one’s dreams and recovering and moving on from heartbreak.

“All the stuff with my mom, my concerns about hurting Pippa like I hurt Erin, I’m going to deal with it. I’m going to fix it. I don’t want to be weighed down by it anymore. I just want Pippa.”

Jamie’s epiphany about his feelings for Pippa mirrors her epiphany about moving on after her heartbreak, using the same language and imagery as a way to connect the emotional evolution of the two protagonists. In addition, Jamie refers to how his past “weighed” him down, another oblique reference to the lightness he feels, in contrast, when he is with Pippa. This intention to overcome the obstacles and pursue a relationship is an important milestone in the romance arc, though typically the plot usually presents at least one or two further conflicts before supplying the protagonists with their happy ending.

“No more putting up roadblocks for myself. No more letting what Zach said weigh me down. If I want what I imagined just now, I’m going to have to do scary things…like send my music to people who could reject me.”

After admitting to herself how much she loves writing, playing, and performing, the next milestone in Pippa’s character arc is deciding to pursue a career as a musician. The recognition that she’s been holding herself back out of fear is another epiphany that helps move her along the path of self-realization and pursuit of her dreams. Pippa shows her realistic view of the “scary things” she will have to do, which will potentially cause her pain, but she is beginning to understand that following her dreams requires risk, an understanding that will apply to her relationship with Jamie as well.

“Strung across my body, my dream guitar feels like an extension of me. The fact that Jamie bought it for me makes this moment just a little more special, like a perfect circle.”

Her new guitar not only comes to symbolize Pippa’s dreams of a career performing music but also represents Jamie’s faith in and encouragement of her, demonstrating his worth as a romantic partner. Her passions and dreams about music and Jamie are connected through the guitar.

“When I was ready to go back to real life, I did, but it was on my terms.”

Jamie’s discussion with Erin, taking place around this passage, is an important step in his character growth as he realizes he has been mistaken in blaming himself for the choices Erin made. Erin describes how she discovered and pursued her passions, offering Jamie another example of someone who followed her dreams and achieved them, providing a model for his own possible future.

“Telling him I love him would make a breakup so much worse. I’m frozen like I’m standing on a crumbling cliff, rocks breaking off around me, and any sudden movement will bring the whole thing down.”

Archer’s prose doesn’t invoke a great deal of figurative language, so this image stands out, signaling Pippa’s fear of how she could be hurt if a relationship with Jamie doesn’t work out. The metaphor of the cliff highlights both the danger and fragility of her position and signals a setback in Pippa’s thinking. The romance hasn’t yet reached the final resolution, where all obstacles have been resolved and the characters are secure in their relationship and commitment to one another.

“Everything about today, about my life right now, feels like a fairy tale. The princess goes to the ball in a beautiful dress, swooning over the handsome prince.”

The romance genre gains its appeal from its use of fairy tale references and their implication that the protagonists’ lives are transformed into something lovely and magical by their love. Here, Pippa’s preparations for the gala allude to the fairy tale Cinderella, where the protagonist transforms from a serving maid to royalty when she attracts the interest of the prince.

“Something needs to change, and until now, it’s been me. With my mom, I’m always the one who bends. I’ve been encouraging Pippa to stick up for herself, put herself first, do what’s best for her career and her life, but I haven’t been following my own advice.”

Donna’s accident catalyzes Jamie’s epiphany that he has been enabling his mother’s avoidance of her mental health condition. He also realizes that he has been putting his wants and needs on hold because he thought he had to take care of his mother. His insistence that his mother take care of herself is a mark of his character growth and maturity, the climax of his journey of self-discovery.