Ever since I fell deep into the rabbit hole that is the romance genre I have learned a lot about myself. The main one being that contrary to my own belief I am in fact a romance writer and not a fantasy one (at least not right now, Thing 1 still straddles some kind of line in terms of genre, I just still haven’t figured out what the other side is)
Another thing I have learned is that I am a tropes girlie. Some tropes just hit different. Some don’t hit at all. Some can be a bit meh. Some I need to be properly in the mood for. Some are almost a requirement for me to pick up a book. Some take me by surprise and become my new favourite thing.
Then I saw the below post from
and thought doing something similar could be quite fun.So, let’s get into it.
Only the chosen few (aka, the ones I will only read when I trust the author with my life)
surprise/accidental pregnancy - First off I hate it when at no point is the fact that someone will get pregnant isn’t mentioned when looking into a book because then I will get quite deep into a book and then BAM, the twist hits and I want out. Except I am terrible at DNF-ing books so I just persevere and dislike the entire experience.
stalker romance - Generally speaking I can’t get on board with it. But yes, there are authors that I will go along on the ride with and I won’t hate it.
bully romance - similar to the above.
cheating - Sometimes the angst is great. Most of the time I wonder why these characters are even bothering with each other when clearly they would be happier in other places
love triangle - I have been on the wrong side of people choosing the WRONG PERSON one too many times and then I discovered ‘why choose’ and now for the most part that is my only thought when I read one. Which is rare these days
single parent/nanny - Let’s be honest, this is usually a live in nanny of some description and a grumpy single dad who reluctantly accepts that he needs help. My issue here tends to lie with the children. Sometimes they are written as if there were babies even though they are supposed to be pre-teens. Other times they are written like they are adults but they’re supposed to be 5.
age gap - I need to be more specific because there are levels to this. Any age gap over 13 years where the FMC is the younger one. I have consistently found that anything more than that falls into the wrong kind of Daddy category. It starts to feel infantilising and it ceases to be sexy, just uncomfortable.
forbidden romance - I just need a really good reason why it’s forbidden. And it needs to be SOLID because otherwise it could probably fall under rivals/enemies to lovers.
The Bread and Butter (aka the ones that I really, really like)
marriage of convenience - I just find the set up such a thing fascinating and I love reading how it unfurls because they aren’t marrying for love, but they end up there and the journey is always fascinating. Plus, I love a good ‘my wife’ moment.
friends to lovers - I didn’t use to be that jazzed by this trope. I mean, it’s fine but it wasn’t something that I was naturally drawn to. Then I found myself writing not one, but two, books that at their core were friends to lovers and I uncovered new layers to the trope that I thoroughly enjoy
billionaire/CEO romance - The only time I like billionaires. I love it when they spoil their person. I love how they manage to be excessively hot and ripped and pack serious heat even though they are married to their work. I love it when they start leaving their desks so that they can spend more time with their person.
slow burn - The angst in a slow burn just hits different. The slight touches. The longing stares. The almost kisses. The interruptions when things heat up. When the slow burn finally ignites. Ugh. This only doesn’t come in my Ride or Die category because sometimes the burn is too slow and it’s painful and I can’t take it.
grumpy/sunshine - This dynamic when done right is just so good. They complement each other so well and watching the grump soften slightly as they settle into their relationship is so nice. If I tell you that I am a Beauty and the Beast girlie I think you can trace
cowboy romance - I talk about the cowboy agenda (and I will continue to do so now that Cowboy Carter is about to enter the chat) a lot but it actually took me quite a while to get on the cowboy romance horse. But I’ve saddled up and will not be looking back any time soon.
second chance - I have come around to this one more recently having read some really great ones. The heartbreak of a second chance is unmatched and there is also so much angst involved. And sometimes that is what you need on your journey to the happily ever after.
brother’s best friend - This is the kind of ‘forbidden’ I can get behind. It’s the sneaking around that does it for me.
Ride or Die (aka the ones that I love with all my heart and will devour every iteration of)
enemies/rivals to lovers - It’s the elite. The banter. The snark. The tension. The ‘fuck it’ moment. It is all just unmatched. I never get tired of reaching the moment where they go from being enemies to lovers. It gets me every time.
fake dating - Again, elite. It doesn’t matter who is doing the fake dating or why they are doing it. It is particularly tasty when they are rivals, but really it always hits the spot. Again, the tension that comes with faking intimacy to the extent that it stops being fake and then they have to figure out what is really going on. It’s always fun to read (and it is fun to write)
forced proximity (yes this includes, only one bed) - Make them roommates. Snow them in and force them to have to spend quality time together. Make there only be one room left in the hotel because they needed last minute accommodation. Let there be a mix up and there be only one room booked in the first place. Have the fresh from the alter couple living in the same space because they are married now and that’s what married people should be doing. Have them share a bathroom and then inevitably share a ‘moment’. Just stick them together and force them to spend time in each other’s space and then watch the sparks fly.
small town romance - They are so cosy and nice. They can be bother super gentle and super angsty. They have an element of healing to them as well. Sometimes reading about a big city someone in a small town is a fun time, Hallmark isn’t wrong.
sports romance - I have to read at least one hockey romance a week. I read a variety of sports romances, but the bulk of them are ice hockey. I don’t know what it is about them that I love so much but once I started I couldn’t go back. I’m dabbling baseball romances right now which is fun. Also read one about golf, rowing and fencing. I’m real ‘sporty’.
why choose - I saw the light with this last year (and watched in real time as it went from being called reverse harem to why choose) and frankly I have never looked back. There is so much to explore when there are multiple partners involved. All the dynamics are different. There is all this delicious tension.
Are there any tropes that you love? Like? On the fence about? Despise with every fibre of your being? Let me know in the comments!
Jumpin’ Jumpin’
What I’m reading - No your eyes won’t deceive you, there are two books called Pretty Boy by different authors in this week’s roll call.
ARCs read - The Best Way to Bury Your Husband - Alexia Casale (out today) and A Feather So Black - Lyla Selene (out today). I also think I forgot to mention The Lagos Wife - Vanessa Walters last time.
Other books - Brazen Affairs - Ashely James, Blindsided - Becca Steele, Aftermath - L.A Witt, On Guard - J.R Gray & Andi Jaxon, Pretty Boy - Brianna Flores, Off Season - Jodi Oliver and Pretty Boy - K.M Neuhold. (all available on Kindle Unlimited)
Currently reading - Ensared - Rebecca Quinn (on KU) and A Botanical Daughter - Noah Medlock (out March 19th)
(Bookshop links are affiliate links)
What I’m watching - We watched Boarders and have now moved onto Beef.
Title Inspiration - Sometimes the title just strikes you when you’re minding your business. In this case the song was Hate To Be Lame - Lizzy McApline and Finneas