Sonia M. Rompoti, MSc, Bsc

I’m about to ask a very personal question.

Please answer honestly. Have you ever… peeked at the last page of a book before you finished it?

No judgement. This is a safe space. Because if you’ve just quietly whispered, “Maybe…” I’d like you to know you’re in excellent company.

Readers seem to fall into two camps.

The first group believes looking at the ending is practically a criminal offence. They wouldn’t dream of spoiling the story for themselves.

The second group?

They’re over there pretending they were “just checking how many pages were left,” while somehow reading the final paragraph by complete accident.

An astonishing coincidence.

Why Do We Do It?

For years, I thought peeking at the ending meant I lacked self-control.

Then I realised something. It usually happened when I cared deeply about the characters. I wasn’t trying to spoil the journey. I was trying to reassure myself. Are they going to be okay? Should I emotionally prepare for what’s coming? Can I safely become attached to these fictional people, or am I about to spend the next three days glaring at the author?

Romance readers, especially, tend to invest completely in the characters. We don’t just want the relationship to work. We need them to be okay.

Sometimes curiosity gets the better of us.

The Funny Thing Is… It Doesn’t Ruin the Story

You’d think reading the last page would destroy all the suspense.

And yet… Somehow… It doesn’t. Knowing that two people end up together doesn’t tell you how they got there. It doesn’t tell you what they had to overcome. It doesn’t explain the misunderstandings, the laughter, the heartbreak or the quiet little moments that made you fall in love with them in the first place.

In many ways, romance has always been about the journey.

Most of us start the book assuming there’s going to be a happy ending anyway. That isn’t the surprise. The surprise is how the author earns it.

I Have a Theory

I think there are two different kinds of readers.

Readers who are fuelled by surprise. And readers who are fuelled by anticipation.

The first group wants every twist to arrive unexpectedly. The second group actually enjoys knowing where the story is heading because it lets them savour every tiny step towards that moment.

Neither approach is better. They’re simply different ways of experiencing a story.

Personally? I’m firmly in the second camp. I love watching all the little clues fall into place.

The One Time I Never Peek

Here’s where I become strangely disciplined.

If a book has completely captured me… I never look. Not because I suddenly become a stronger person. Because I forget the ending exists. I’m too busy living inside the story.

The thought never even crosses my mind. To me, that’s usually the sign of a truly unforgettable book. When the journey becomes so absorbing that curiosity quietly steps aside.

Every Reader Has Their Own Rules

Some readers never fold pages. Some happily annotate every chapter. Some refuse to lend books. Some remove dust jackets before they start reading. Some absolutely cannot read two books at once. Others somehow juggle five (Guilty!!).

That’s one of my favourite things about the reading community.

There isn’t one correct way to love books. There are only little rituals that make the experience feel like yours. The trick is remembering that your way doesn’t have to be everyone else’s.

So… Confession Time

I’ll go first.

If a romance novel has me genuinely worried that my favourite characters might not get their happy ending… I’ve been known to take a very quick look at the last few pages. Not because I don’t trust the author. Because I become ridiculously attached to fictional people.

It’s one of the occupational hazards of being both a reader and a romance writer.

The good news?

Even when I know the ending, I still cry. I still laugh. I still stay up far too late reading. Because the ending was never the point. Falling in love with the story was.

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When I write romance, I always hope readers feel safe enough to trust me with their hearts. I hope they know I’ll take them through difficult moments, misunderstandings and emotional chaos…

…but that I’ll never forget the promise romance makes.

Hope.

That’s the promise I tried to keep while writing Confessions of a Curvy Heart, The Billionaire’s Curvy Match, and The Widow’s Curse.

Different journeys.

The same destination.

A reminder that even after the hardest chapters, love is still worth believing in. Now be honest… Did you peek at the last page? I promise I won’t tell anyone.

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