We’ve all been there — sitting on a train, bus, or on a busy tube, earbuds in, coffee in hand, watching two people exchange nervous smiles. Perhaps one tries to make interesting small talk or the other drops the book they’re reading, and they both reach down to pick it up. The romance author in me always wonders whether this is the start of a train, bus or tube love.
If you’ve ever wanted to write a romance that unfolds between the morning rush and the evening ride home, here’s how to make it work.
1. Make the Commute a Character
The setting is half the appeal of commuter romance. Whether your story takes place on a bustling city underground, a sleepy small-town bus or in the back of a pink mini, let the environment shape the story.
- Use the sensory details — the hum of the tracks, the press of strangers, the smell of rain on pavement.
- Let the commute set the rhythm — mornings can be hectic and filled with near-misses, while evening rides might be quieter, more reflective, and intimate.
- Include the small rituals — favorite seats, missed connections, waiting for the right bus. These little moments can become emotional touchpoints for your characters.
2. Create Organic Encounters
The magic of commuter romance is that it feels like fate brought two people together. Avoid forced meet-cutes — instead, lean into the natural patterns of commuting:
- Glances across the aisle that turn into smiles.
- Shared frustrations when the train is delayed or the bus is too full.
- Brief interactions that build over time — lending a pen, sharing an umbrella, swapping book recommendations.
This slow-burn format works beautifully because readers are invested in watching the relationship unfold in small, believable increments.
3. Play with Tension and Timing
A commute is inherently time-bound. Your characters only have a few minutes (or an hour at most) to interact before one of them gets off. Use this built-in constraint to your advantage:
- Cliffhangers: One character is about to confess something… and then their stop comes.
- Near-misses: One day, they don’t show up, and the other character has to grapple with how much that absence hurts.
- Countdowns: Maybe one of them is moving to another city soon, giving their romance an urgent ticking clock.
This makes every interaction count — and keeps readers turning the pages.
4. Explore the Themes of Movement
Commuter romance isn’t just about getting from point A to point B. It’s about transformation.
- The journey mirrors the character’s emotional growth.
- The daily routine becomes a metaphor for breaking out of a rut.
- Love literally takes them somewhere new.
Whether your characters are finding love while stuck in traffic or riding a high-speed train, their emotional arcs should mirror the motion of the world around them.
5. Don’t Forget the Destination
Eventually, your characters have to leave the train (literally or figuratively). A satisfying commuter romance shows what happens when their relationship steps off the platform and enters real life.
Do they keep seeing each other outside of the commute? Do they decide to make a big change — move, switch jobs, take a leap of faith? Your ending should feel like a reward for all those quiet moments spent sitting side by side.
Here’s my commuter romance: The Car Share
Embark on a heartwarming journey in this romantic comedy that proves it doesn’t matter where you’re going—it’s who you have beside you on the way . . .
After Lia’s old car breathes its last, the single mom must reluctantly take the bus to work . . . and face unwarranted attention from a troublesome teenager. It’s all too much to take—she’s been depressed since her fiancé’s death and even quit her beloved women’s football team. But it’s Happy Car Sharers to the rescue after her friends get her set up on the app.
Mateo, meanwhile, has recently moved to town, and his long walk to the train station is a literal pain due to an ankle injury. Soon he and Lia are riding each morning with a charmingly bossy driver and a rotation of colorful fellow passengers.
It’s not love at first sight. Technically it’s not even first sight: they’ve seen each other before at the nursing home where both their fathers live and Mateo plays piano for the residents. But with each trip they get to know each other better . . . and the more they know, the more they find to like.
With both of them consumed by personal losses and pressing family responsibilities—and another man getting in the way—can romance lie on the road ahead for these commuting companions?
The Car Share is a humorous exploration of love, loss, and the unexpected detours that lead us to where we truly belong.
Lucy Mitchell Author 