A General Breakdown of Shattered's (And Nearly Every Other New Adult Novel Of Its Ilk) Plotline

1. Boy and girl are best friends and/or lovers in high school.
2. Tragic circumstances force boy and girl apart.
3. One of them (girl or boy, but I've seen more boy recently) leaves town seemingly never to return.
4. The other wallows in self-pity, possible drug/alcohol addiction, and try to erase everything that has happened with a new life.
5. The person who left returns to town after a period of 1-2 years to right their wrongs and win their boyfriend/girlfriend back.
6. Person who was left resists.
7. Short wooing period.
8. Mutual frustrations spurred by general misunderstandings/interpretations of body language and/or actions and/or conversation.
9. The couple reconciles (sometimes where the best sex scene occurs).
10. Short honeymoon period.
11. Sex.
12. Relationship once again interrupted by some huge drama (ex-boyfriend, family issues, tragedy, etc).
13. One of them runs away, needing space.
14. Said person realizes they're truly in love.
15. Actual happily ever after.

Why is this awful story arc what writers think we should wish for? Why can't there be romances where two people meet and fall in love, and that's the easy part? I would like to see a romance where two people meet and fall in love and have to work to sustain it. There would be some issues because there always are, but it wouldn't have to be something dramatic like a fire or a threatening ex-boyfriend. It could differing religions, political opinions, or just misunderstandings that actually do drive couples apart. I am tired of happily ever afters. I want actual afters, and I want to read about what real love would look like. It seems like even new adult romances are clueless to what that is.

I can't recommend Shattered, and I'm so burnt out when it comes to romance right now. If anyone can recommend something like I've described, please let me know.