Ana Huang on why murder is okay in romance, but cheating is not
The romance author on her latest book, “King of Envy,” BookTok, and why real men should take a page out of their fictional counterparts’ books
Author Ana Huang
Courtesy of Ana Huang
Words by Samantha Pak
The number one rule of romance books is that you don’t talk about—just kidding. Romance fans tend to love talking about our favorite love stories. But there is one rule that all romances have to follow. And it’s that the main couple has to end up together at the end of the story.
While some may scoff at this guarantee of a happily ever after, romances are no more formulaic than other genres. After all, we know at the end of a mystery, we’ll find out who the killer is; the superhero will save the day; and that good will (most likely) triumph over evil in a fantasy adventure story. But because romance is a female-dominated genre—both in terms of authors, as well as readers—it’s seen as frivolous.
However, literary snobs shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss romance. Because even though we know how they’re supposed to end, I believe that makes them even more fun to read (and more difficult to write). Because an author has to get their characters from point A, to point B, and still make it interesting. “It’s the journey that matters,” author Ana Huang says.
Huang, who has published more than a dozen romance books since her debut in 2020, first got into writing as a way to improve her English. Although she was taking English as a second language at school, her mom asked her to write her a short story in English every day to speed up the process. Huang fell in love with writing since then, but it was mostly just for fun. Then the pandemic hit and like many of us, she suddenly had a lot more time on her hands. That year, Huang published her first book If We Ever Meet Again, and writing has been a part of her life ever since.
Her latest book, King of Envy follows Vuk Markovic and Ayana Kidane. Vuk has been in love with Ayana for as long as they’ve known each other, but unfortunately for him, she’s engaged to his best friend Jordan—although it’s an engagement of convenience and there are no romantic feelings involved. As the title of the book implies, Vuk becomes envious and he and Ayana have to fight their feelings for each other while trying to remain loyal to Jordan. The book is part of Huang’s Kings of Sin series, which is themed around the seven deadly sins. Huang, who lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, describes King of Envy as the darkest in her series so far, as there are elements of action and suspense.
I recently spoke with Huang about the book, her favorite romance tropes, her relationship with BookTok as an author, and why certain types of violence and even murder are okay in romances, but cheating absolutely is not.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
"King of Envy" is the fifth book in Ana Huang's Kings of Sin series.
Courtesy of Ana Huang
Samantha Pak: Where did you get the idea to do a series based on the seven deadly sins?
Ana Huang: I can't quite explain why, but I've always been fascinated by the seven deadly sins as a theme for some reason. And for me, especially when thinking about a new series, I was really intrigued by the challenge of how can I adapt these sins into a contemporary romance? And some of them are a little bit more obvious—like greed, pride, I can do. And others like sloth and gluttony, I have to think a little bit. I'm like, “How do I make these sexy?”
SP: Vuk is a very morally gray character. And that's obviously become a big thing nowadays, with ACOTAR (A Court of Thorns and Roses). But I thought it was funny that as I was reading King of Envy, I was fine with the killing, but I was like, “Ayana, you need to break it off with Jordan first before anything goes further!” I don't know what that says about me, but I have a feeling I'm not the only reader who is like that.
AH: There's this ongoing joke in a particular sub sect of the romance community that's like, “Murder is totally fine, but we draw the line at cheating.” You cannot do that, right? All of this plays into the reason why this trope appeals to people and why romance readers read romance. It's that escapism, that fantasy of having a guy that is so in love and obsessed with you that he is able to do all these things. You're, I don't want to say, “not like other girls,” but you're kind of the exception, right? The love interest is like the one person that is their exception. And that's the fantasy of it.
SP: That's how it should be in real life, no matter who you want to be with.
AH: Exactly! Some of these real life men, I'm like, “You could benefit from learning some things from these fictional men.” That's why we're drawn to it. And I think for some of those more over-the-top moments, it's easier for readers to accept because that is pretty outside of the realm of possibility. It could happen, but it's very unlikely. So it's easier for us to draw the distinction that that is fiction. But things like cheating, it's so much closer to home, and it's so much more possible, that we’re not as open or forgiving of that in fiction because it’s so realistic.
@authoranahuang Vuk Markovic energy 😮💨 Less than two weeks until King of Envy is here! (April 29) #anahuang #kingofenvy #kingsofsin ♬ Easy - Commodores
SP: What is it like to write those more violent moments in your books?
AH: I don't know what this says about me, but I don't really have to get into a different kind of head space. [Laughs.] I think for me, it's because—and it's taken me a while to get to this point—it's a fantasy. I actually really love writing unhinged characters, because I can really go all out with them. I don't have to think about, “I have to put them in a certain box, because a real person in real life is not going to behave this way, and they have to adhere to these societal norms.”
All of these things can be sometimes a bit limiting when you're writing about them in fiction. And so with unhinged characters, I'm like, “I can make them do whatever I want, and it's okay.” It's letting my imagination fly. There are certain points where I'm like, “Is this just going too far? Am I crossing the line a little bit?” But I think it makes sense. I think my core readers, the ones that enjoy that trope, which is a lot of them, they'll get it.
SP: What are some of your favorite romance tropes to read, and what are some of your favorite tropes to write?
AH: I'm kind of boring. I like to write the same tropes that I read. If people have read my books, they can probably pick what those are pretty easily—enemies to lovers, always the classic, grumpy-sunshine, hates everyone but her. I love a good grovel. If a book has groveling, I don't even need to know what the plot is. [Laughs.]
SP: A good grand gesture. [Laughs.]
AH: Literally! I just love to see fictional men suffer. Those are my top ones, and a good forced proximity, which is very broad.
SP: Grumpy-sunshine is one of my favorites. But I always like it when she's the grumpy—at least in a hetero situation. I think partly because I want to be like that and that's my attitude sometimes towards life, but I can't always act it out.
AH: I totally feel that. I love a good ice queen. I like the flipping of that dynamic. And I also think, especially in a genre where sometimes people expect these characters to all adhere to a certain role—or they have certain expectations for their personalities—I love to see that changed up. And also to see a woman that is able to be all of these things. Because I think in society, sometimes people always expect women to be very soft and very demure, and all of these things. So I love reading stories where they can just be a bad*ss, and their love interest will love them exactly the way that they are.
SP: BookTok is obviously a huge thing, and that's where a lot of people nowadays discover new books and new authors. What is your relationship with BookTok?
AH: It has been extremely integral to my career. I started on BookTok. My breakout book was Twist of Love, and that was my breakout series. I don't think it would have taken off the same way it did without the help of BookTok. I was on it very early. I joined in late 2020—so early that romance BookTok wasn't even a thing. So it's been pretty incredible to see the way that has grown on that platform over the past few years. That is one of the two platforms I would say I am the most active on, Instagram being the other one. It has been a really wonderful way to reach new readers.
I'm not quite as active as I used to be—just because there's so much more on my plate, there's so much more noise that is coming in from outside that can be detrimental to my creative process. So, while I am still on there, I have pulled back a little bit.
"When I write Asian main characters, I have that in mind: Is their identity not the central focus of the book? Obviously, they will be influenced by their culture, in terms of the way that they have their relationships, and the way that they view the world. But that is not the central core of the story."
SP: Romance is a very female-dominated industry. It's about women finding pleasure, women finding their happiness. What can you say about writing Asian women and women of color, and putting us in that main character position?
AH: When I was growing up, I really didn't see a lot of characters that looked like me in popular media overall—much less in romance novels.
Sometimes, when they have Asian main characters, those media tend to be kind of othered. Instead of just saying, “Oh, this is romance,” they'll be like, “Well, this is ‘Asian romance.’” And I'm like, “Well, it can just be romance.” It doesn't have to be a whole separate thing. We are able to have love stories and live our lives the same way other people are. And so for me, when I write Asian main characters, I have that in mind: Is their identity not the central focus of the book? Obviously, they will be influenced by their culture, in terms of the way that they have their relationships, and the way that they view the world. But that is not the central core of the story. It’s just one facet, and I don't think that's even the most interesting thing about them—or about me. I don't think the fact that I'm Asian is the most interesting thing about me.
I think we're making some progress. Obviously, we have a ways to go, but it has definitely improved from when I was reading romance as a teenager.
Published on June 12, 2025
Words by Samantha Pak
Samantha Pak (she/her) is an award-winning Cambodian American journalist from the Seattle area and co-editor in chief for JoySauce. She spends more time than she’ll admit shopping for books than actually reading them, and has made it her mission to show others how amazing Southeast Asian people are. Follow her on Twitter at @iam_sammi and on Instagram at @sammi.pak.