This may say more about me than I like… but I think fictional competence might actually be a romance language.
Not abs.
Not billionaires.
Not even “touch her and die” energy.
(Though obviously I fully support all of the above.)
I mean the moment a character walks into absolute chaos… and quietly handles it.
The person who notices the problem before anyone else does.
The one who already has a backup plan.
The calm voice in the middle of disaster.
The hyper-competent man who can coordinate security logistics, track six moving variables at once, and stay emotionally composed under pressure…
…until one woman smiles at him and suddenly his entire nervous system short-circuits.
That’s the good stuff.
And honestly, I think that’s why competence is so attractive in romance. It creates safety.
Not boring safety. The deeply attractive kind.
The kind where you know if everything goes sideways, this person will still show up.
Which brings me to Margaritas & Mischief.
First: thank you.
Seriously.
Watching readers fall into this lighter, chaotic little corner of the Storm world has been incredibly fun. I’ve loved seeing reactions to Callie’s energy, the scavenger hunt madness, and Eli Vega quietly trying to maintain order while surrounded by complete chaos.
(Relatable, honestly.)
If you haven’t grabbed it yet, Margaritas & Mischief is:
🍹 a romantic suspense holiday novella (National Scavenger Hunt Day)
🌴 set in the Storm Series world
🕵️ a scavenger hunt fundraiser gone sideways
💻 competence + chaos energy romance
🔥 Phoenix Shield crossover characters
❤️ flirty banter, chemistry, and tropical trouble
[GRAB MARGARITAS & MISCHIEF]
And if you’ve already read it?
Reply and tell me your favorite kind of fictional competence:
• tactical competence
• tech genius competence
• emotional competence
• quiet “already handled it” competence
• all of the above
(The last one is also my answer.)
More soon,
Jena Wilde
Where passion meets peril… by the sea
