Opposites Attract

The last few months in the McLean household has been nothing short of chaotic. I have found myself, in those moments when I just need to take a break, indulging in a new obsession – restocking and organizing videos on TikTok. I stumbled upon these magical little tidbits of cleanliness and ASMR perfection by chance and I just can’t get enough. I do not know why watching someone restock their snack pantry or clean their kitchen is entertaining but judging by the amount of time I scroll through those videos, it has apparently become my favorite form of entertainment. Also, I now want to tear my house apart and put it back together with clear containers and cute alphabetized labels. My husband is about to pull his hair out because our house either looks like a tornado hit it or it’s organized within an inch of its life (there is no in between) but he’s probably afraid I’d put it in a container and label it. So, he closes his eyes and lets me do my thing.

What does this have to do with romance?

See the above comment about my husband LOL He doesn’t understand the whole organizing obsession, but he knows it makes me happy, so he not only looks the other way while I roll his socks into intricate balls, he sometimes pitches in. That is not what I thought romance looked like back when I was dipping my toe in the dating pool. I thought dating was all flowers and candlelight and dancing to soft music under the moonlight. And that stuff is still amazing. But do you know what really makes my heart skip a beat or two? When I walk into the kitchen and he’s doing the dishes. Or making dinner. When he does a load of laundry, I damn near swoon.

It’s not because he doesn’t pull his weight around the house. But that kind of thing is just my love language. You want to show me you love me? Make something sparkle. I mean, I’ll take a diamond or two also, don’t get me wrong. But a nice gleaming surface or freshly scrubbed floor just calms the chaos in my mind and makes my little heart so happy.

What’s my husband’s love language? Meat, mostly. A good jerky might bring him to tears. And if I give him anything that will facilitate in catching, curing, cooking, or storing said meat, he is one happy camper.

We are the classic opposites attract couple. He doesn’t mind a bit of a mess. If you hold still too long around me, I will stick a label on your forehead and file you between the appropriate items on the nearest shelf. He loves the outdoors. I love it too…from inside the house. He wants to be in it. I want to enjoy it from the air conditioned/heated (depending on the season) cushioned comfort of the nearest couch and bay window. He loves spicy, I’m a mild girl…at least when it comes to food. If we’re talking books, reverse that LOL Actually, he doesn’t really read, and I’ll read anything with words on it. If we ever win the lotto, I want to buy a castle in Europe, and he wants to buy a ranch in Colorado.

Yet somehow, we work. For twenty-one years so far.

In fact, our relationship may have inspired quite a few of my books. I like to dabble in a lot of different tropes. My favorites, however, are enemies-to-lovers and opposites attract. We aren’t enemies and never were, but we do enjoy a good snarky banter with each other. And the opposites thing…well, see above LOL

The couple in my newest release, THE GUNSLINGER’S GUIDE TO AVOIDING MATRIMONY also enjoy a good bit of banter. He’s a well-dressed, fresh-pressed occasional outlaw and she’s never happier than when she’s elbow-deep in her garden breathing in the scent of fresh dirt. They might snip at each other, but they can’t resist each other either. And they definitely have to learn to rely on each other, at least a little, in order to find their happily ever after.

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