I have a dark secret…

I’ve seen it happen now in a couple different book series. The fundamental nature of romance fiction is that the heroine and her man are supposed to live happily ever after. And yet the idea I seem to take to heart is pushing that happy ending further and further to the end of the story – something that a thriller author would do. Although with all my twists and turns sometimes, I feel like I’m writing more romance thriller than romance itself. But I’m actually looking for ways to put off the happy ending as long as possible to up the suspense level. For better or worse, I enjoy that as an author. How do you feel about it as a reader?