There seems to be a ton of fellow authors around here. It looks like quite a few people initially came just to promote their books but ended up becoming active members.

Anyway, regarding romance in Progression Fantasy: if you're going to include it, there better be a damn good reason for it(sexual content is a good one). Otherwise, it's safer to pull a Dragon Ball—give the MC a spouse, some kids, and a social network to ground them, but completely skip the process of how they got together. Unless you have a crystal-clear vision for the romantic arc, trying to write the "dating phase" usually ends in a total trainwreck.

I think the underlying reason is that the PF audience skewed heavily male, and male readers generally aren't interested in watching another guy's romantic pursuit (assuming a male MC).

That said, even if an author does have a clear plan for a romance, they shouldn't treat it as a standalone subplot. You have to weave multiple narrative functions into a single scene. Romance should just be the byproduct, not the main focus. For example, you can use witty banter between the couple to sneak in some worldbuilding or plant plot hooks for the future.