Willingly romance female (4)
I believe the answer is:
lief
'willingly' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'romance female' is the wordplay.
'romance' becomes 'lie' (I've seen this in other clues**).
'female' becomes 'f' (abbreviation).
'lie'+'f'='LIEF'
(Another definition for lief that I've seen is " In old usage, gladly or willingly - file away".)
I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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