I'm also glad you mentioned that her love is real, because one theory down this line is that she never really loved him and she was only using him.

I think the thing that convinced me she was genuine was her overall girlishness after being transformed. Before she was cold, stiff, formal. Like a pretty and wise tree, or something. After being transformed she moves loosely, twirls her skirts, flips her hair, bites her lip, and genuinely seems torn between flirtation and shyness. She reacts to John initially as a girl who doesn't know how to deal with attraction, but you can see as she gradually overcomes that and approaches her feelings and his with confidence and faith.

However, it wasn't lost on me that when she was present to the council in her new form that she was almost paraded like a temple virgin. You can't expect aliens to react to that kind of imagery the way a human male would, but I can see how that context would feel almost "designed" to attract romantic and idealized attention from a man like Sheridan. I don't think she was planning to have that kind of effect, but clearly the writers for the show were. :D