Character development

Escaping from a deep, dark troubled past—i.e., overdose of Disney World and the tourist industry—new-adult heroine, Sarah, moves from Orlando to Chicago with cat and boyfriend. Dumps boyfriend, keeps cat. Finds studio apartment, learns to assemble flatpack furniture. Discovers intense love for Chicago and city life: lives beside Lake Michigan, cycles everywhere, teaches as adjunct English professor. Intends to remain single and childless forever.

Romance plot

Scene set up: Chicago, summer, Sarah attends a rooftop party. Goal: Locate the Irish sailing instructors from the Chicago Sailing Club and charm one into taking her sailing on Lake Michigan—for free. Meetcute: After targeting sailing instructor/victim, Sarah gets more than she bargains for when confronted by a pair of big blue eyes and cute Irish accent. Conflict: Four-year long-distance relationship. (Yuck!!) HEA: Daire and Sarah move to London, buy a house, and have two children, Finn and Rory, and Sarah becomes a brilliant/genius romance editor.
(P.S. Daire took me out sailing lots that summer!)