Maybe the hero is a writer himself. And while exploring different works, he falls in love with another novel. This could inspire him to write in a new style, or it might make him feel a sense of envy towards the author of that novel. He could also try to find ways to incorporate the elements he loves from that novel into his own writing.
In many such novels, there is often a brave prince as the hero. For example, Prince Alexander in 'The Royal Love Affair' who falls in love with a commoner girl. He is a popular character as he has to fight against the norms of the kingdom to be with the one he loves.
The special part could be the unique way they meet and the challenges they overcome together. Maybe it's the depth of their emotions or the unexpected plot twists.
I recommend two novels to you: " A Time Traveler's Wife Marries a Good Husband " and " The Hunter's Wife Becomes Rich and Blessed ". The former was an ancient romance novel about a female medical graduate student who traveled to the countryside to become a village girl whose marriage was canceled and married a hunter. The latter was about a girl who married a hunter after transmigrating. The couple became rich through farming and doted on each other. They fought against the best family members and all kinds of troubles together. I hope you like these novels!
One way to interpret it is that the hero sees the other novel as a form of escape. He might be in a difficult situation in his own story, and the novel he loves provides a mental refuge. It could also represent his taste in literature, which in turn can be used by the author to show his character's sophistication or naivete depending on the nature of the novel he loves.
You might consider 'Wuthering Heights'. Heathcliff's love for Catherine is intense, but he also has an entanglement with Isabella. It's a classic with lots of drama and passion.
Well, usually the hero has to go through a lot of effort to win the heroine's heart. He might face challenges and obstacles that test his love and determination.
The book "The Minister of Power and Red Maiden" was a novel in which the male protagonist was very fierce to the female protagonist, but the female protagonist loved the male protagonist very much. The female lead was a princess of a prince's mansion who had replaced her deceased brother as the heir, while the male lead was a debauchee heir. The two of them were full of schemes and schemes. The male protagonist had a strong possessiveness and desire to control the female protagonist, and the female protagonist had long fallen under the male protagonist's sick love. Although the female lead was not a good person, the relationship between the two was deep. I hope you like my recommendation. Muah ~