Sometimes heroes or heroines really screw up. What does it take to make better?

Groveling isn't something I look for in a romance, however I certainly notice the lack of a good grovel. There is a sense of incompleteness when a wrong is not acknowledged and apology exchanged.  If a protagonist fails to acknowledge the hurt, it will always leave it a bit unfinished for me, like the proverbial gun that is not fired in the third act.

The most recent good grovel I have read is in Tamsen Parker's upcoming The Cartographer. In it Rey has own up to the fears that drove him to send his lover away. He is someone used to making all the choices and has to wait to hear how he has hurt his lover and whether he will be forgiven and trusted again. Their usual relationship dynamics are inverted in the scene and it gives hope that they will be able to build a better relationship going forward.

If you are a person who remembers good grovels which one stand out for you? What do you need from one?