love romance; love story; romance; romance story; romantic fiction
subtleties; niceties; fine points; subtle; sensitive
fiction; made-up story; fable; fabrication; myth
conquest (of a difficulty, illness, handicap, etc.); overcoming; bringing under control; subjugation; victory over
programme; program; plans; arrangements
secret; private; surreptitious
to the limit; to the full; as much as possible; with all one's might
to deepen; to heighten; to intensify
to raise one's hand; to surrender; to raise one's hand to someone (as a threat to strike); to become better (at something); to improve; to throw one's hat in the ring
beforehand; in advance; previously
to stumble a step or two forward (when trying to stop); to pass one's destination and stumble a step or two forward; to totter
arrangements; plan; programme; program; preparations
rotation (usu. around something); revolution; turning
(confronting a problem, etc.) head-on; directly; outright; (lit.) from the front
by all rights; legally speaking; properly speaking
(not) at all; (not) a bit; (not) in the least; (not) in the slightest
make no progress; remain unsettled
unavoidably; inevitably; necessarily; reluctantly; against one's will
to wake; to wake up; to become sober; to sober up; to come to one's senses; to be disillusioned
opening; gap; dried and opened fish
thoughtless; reckless; seldom; rare; ordinary; usual
to press down; to hold down; to pin down
to slide into; to slip into
to curl oneself up; to squeeze oneself in; to be huddled
weakly; helplessly; weak; flimsy; easy to bend
to shoot through something (wall, body, etc.); to pierce (e.g. with an arrow or a look)
unpleasant; awkward; embarrassing; uneasy
to shrug (shoulders); to duck (head); to draw back (body)
roughly; approximately; round about; cursorily; briefly; quickly
something or other; one thing or another; this or that
to settle peacefully; to work out peacefully; to come to an amicable solution; to become reconciled
evaluation; criticism; commenting on; assessment; estimation
to retreat; to back off; to draw back; to step back; to shrink away
to run away; to flee; to make off; to start to run away
presumptuous; impertinent; impudent; ridiculous; laughable; absurd
nothing but; none other than
with a feeling of relief; with a sigh of relief; deeply (sigh)
unexpectedly; surprisingly; unexpected; unanticipated; unforeseen
slipping out (a chuckle, giggle); unintentionally (letting out a quiet laugh)
childhood friend; friend from infancy; old playmate
thereabouts; vicinity; that area; that situation; those circumstances
to collect (debts); to dun; to appoint; to promote; to emphasize; to focus on