Generally, all is real which you love.
That includes even illusive figures and things.
Now, not two lovers have not any same understanding of love.
The only thing they have in common is - their love makes figures and things real to them.
Asking why they love things and figures, they can`t say anything but: I simply love him/them.
A more general attempt in explaining what love is, like 1 Cor 13 or Platon`s Symposium, will be affirmed mostly by all lovers; yet the personal explanation and implementation is highly individual and differs from person to person.
So giving someone or something - out of love - reality is not a question of right or wrong, but love alone.
And even in case a love affair is ending by exposure of fraud, illusion or deception, was it love that gave someone or something reality.
Meanwhile psychologists have described a new form of love beyond homo-, herero- and metrosexuality - a love to things, like technical stuff and devices. People fall in love to a thing, not a person. In this regard there are also many asexual people.
Love is something creating reality, no matter whether it is long or short lasting. You may read the beautiful kid tale here:
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/williams/rabbit/rabbit.html
You may complain that some love is more comprehensive than other, and you are right. But even a grain of little love is better than no love.
Some love is like a flash in the pan - short and intensive. Some love is like a silent river flowing without excitement through space and time. And some love doesn`t dare to expose itself coming forth with strange faces.
And each love creates reality and has it`s symbols, for symbols represent a reality: photos, handkerchiefs, hair curls, lip stick kisses on a piece of paper etc. pp.
There is no better or higher love at all, for love, even appearing tiny and ridicules, is like a mirror reflecting the sun. The mirror might be huge or tiny as a penny - it reflects always the sun as a whole. So does love always reflect the divine as a whole.
And love fulfills a circle if it is replied thus being a creation of love to love...
Replies
Love is that which joins two together in the service of light, or in a positive way. 0+1=1