“And that was the moment I realized: when the world felt dark and scary, love could whisk you off to go dancing; laughter could take some of the pain away; beauty could punch holes in your fear. I decided then that my life would be full of all three.”

This quote introduces January’s worldview on love and romance. It illustrates the way she has romanticized life for herself. This is the moment in January’s life when she decides to work towards a perpetual happily-ever-after, wanting to capture and emulate the love she feels around her.

“Back then, true love had seemed like the grand prize, the one thing that could weather any storm, save you from both drudgery and fear, and writing about it had felt like the single most meaningful gift I could give.”

This quote explains January’s choice to write romance novels. She puts a lot of faith in the power of love and believes her greatest gift to the world would be novels that could spread that love to others. January understands that love is most powerful when shared with others.

“Rivalry or not, it had been palpable how much we wanted each other that night. We had both been ready to make a bad decision.”

This quote describes January’s perspective on her dance with Gus at the frat party. Despite their rivalry and the criticism he has towards her writing, January feels an attraction to him. This spark is part of what ignites the fire of their romance years later.