Since a fundamental part of The Save the Pearls campaign is to help Pearls find the perfect mate and navigate the world of dating and mating, it’s also our mission to provide strategies for creating a successful relationship. Eden Newman had an awesome question for us this week: how do you know if your relationship is exclusive? That’s a question almost everyone faces in their adventure romance, and since we’re not all living in the world of Harlequin romance novels, it takes work to create the young adult romance you’re dreaming of.

After browsing online dating profiles so you can find a mate—the perfect mate, of course, you may date for a period of time and not be sure of your status. Here are some things to look for so that you don’t suddenly find yourself immersed in a romantic apocalypse rather than a young adult fantasy romance.

Getting it together.
After weeks of sorting through online dating profiles and going on dates, you think you’ve found someone cool. Often times, people spend a lot of time interacting online before actually meeting in person—instead make sure you’re going to social activities and events together. Get some quality time in so that you can see if it’s really a fantasy romance in the making.

Getting introduced to the friends.
You can be sure your young adult fantasy romance is headed in the right direction if your date brings you around their friends. It means that they are confident being seen with you if they bring you to parties or their regular hangouts. If their friends knew about you in advance, even better. This factor ranked particularly high with Pearls, but much lower in interracial relationships or those that were in casual, interracial dating situations.

Meeting the Family
One of the most nerve wracking events in any adventure romance is meeting the family. If you’re dating and mating and the one you like introduces you to his family, there’s a good chance they’re taking this seriously. Likewise, a bad interaction with the family can lead to the demise of your young adult romance and place you on the verge of—you guessed it, romantic apocalypse. This factor ranked extremely high with Coals, lower with Pearls, and lowest among interracial relationships. However, it was a major concern for our lovely Eden Newman.

Stylin’ and Profilin’
Has your quest to find a mate been a whirlwind of fantasy romance, the exact stuff of Harlequin romance novels? Do you go out to nice restaurants or are you still meeting up at the club? Do you start the night together or are you just getting a booty call? This isn’t a young adult fantasy novel—it’s reality. Look at how and where you spend your time together and you’ll know whether you’re on the serious track or the friends with benefits path.

Whether you’re interested in interracial dating or learning how to create a young adult fantasy relationship, the Save the Pearls site will give you all the resources you need for this journey.