Descriptions are mandatory in romance. A lot of readers are visual, and they want to be able to see the hunk who merits all this attention from the heroine. So I was surprised to find myself writing a story that dived straight into dialogue, and then tension, without any physical description at all.
This wasn't deliberate; I think I meant to go back and fill in details. But I was a little bored, to be honest; there's a certain set of acceptable bodies for romance heroes, and I didn't want to just regurgitate another one. (I'm also curious as to whether other romance authors default to their own ideal guy's looks, or if they do throw in genuine variety. I know I tend to lean toward physiques I find attractive.)
I think I'm going to let this stand, instead of making those edits the way I planned. I like to think that all the basis for attraction can be found in what they're saying to each other.