What is the single most important thing to you in a romantic relationship?

trust.

Communication

Cocktails and talking. Taking time to hear each other. Cocktail hour. Talking.

Chemistry. If I feel a connection with someone, I don’t want to miss exploring it, even if it is short lived.

Big time chemestry.

And mutual respect.

great chemistry and communication

True love.

The list of pros is lengthier than the list of cons. I’m easy like that. Trust is really important too.

Trust and Chemistry for a start. I think it’s also a necessity to be able to laugh together when things go wrong (since things sometimes do have that terrible tendency).

Communication.

realy realy good sex…

Trust, chemistry, honesty and laughter will get you through anything.

Humor. Definitely. An authentically funny man is beyond sexy.

I want a best friend who also happens to be amazing in bed. (Lucky enough to have found her, too. How cool is that?)

Hahaha, I have to agree fully with chaosrob.

Though I came in here originally to say “Communication”.

Having someone to talk and be close to. Communication and intimacy (conversational intimacy not sexual) are by far the most important things to me in a romantic relationship.

I’m going with humor. My husband can get me to laugh at just about anything. He’s very good at nutralizing (sp) my hysterical moments. Close second would be honesty/trust/communication. (Those three are inter-connected as one for me.)

I’m most inclined to be turned on by signs of intellect. Prior to getting married a man didn’t have to be a rocket scientist, but he did need to display some high level of insight, which is a sign of intellect for me. Still, in my marriage, I find that I’m more inclined to want to snuggle and feel romantically inclined after deep and long discussions, it feels as though we’re deepening a bond on a level that we often don’t have the time in which to engage.

Of the choices listed in the question, Trust, Hot Love. Chemistry & Friendship, I would have to choose friendship. In a true friendship, you have trust. and long after the hot love and chemistry fade, it’s the friendship part of a relationship that sustains a relationship.

Without trust there is no relationship.
Just lust, lies, cheating and sex

Trust, honesty, chemistry, humor, comunication are all so intertwined with each other, I think they meld together and become the glue of a romantic relationship. My wife is amazing, and it is because all of those things flow from her like breath. We “get” each other, and all of those things are contributing factors, yet inseparable. I talk to her and she is sweet, funny, romantic, trusting and so many other little things all at once. I don’t know how to separate them.

Friendship – I think it’s best to be friends first. You’re friends because you have things in common and having things in common with the person you’re dating is a very good thing.

Allie is so smart! Great answer honey.

Friendship too is a biggie. I take that for granted I guess. My wife and I have been friends since she was 12 and I was 16. We met in 85 and got married in 99. She is still my best friend.

Aww stevenb, that’s a beautiful story!

Common interest and intellect is essential for communication and friendship which is a must because you must be friend before you can have a long lasting romantic relationship.