Intro to Romance Tropes 101
Intro to Romance Tropes 101
by Charlotte Brandman
I was sitting in literature class this week when I heard the inevitable criticism of my favorite genre: “I just think tropes are so predictable.” My neurons fired immediately, begging me to stand up on my desk in the middle of class and scream, “That’s the freaking point!” I love my literature professor (shoutout Matt) so I didn’t do that. But, I did sit my ass down and open my Google Docs to write this article. I’ve had enough of the trope-hate, both online and now, in person.
Tropes aren’t for everyone and, while I’m their biggest fan, you don’t need to love tropes to appreciate their value in media. However, if you’re a trope hater, I’d encourage you to look at the media you regularly consume. The same tropes that we find continuously occurring in romance novels have bled into popular culture, too. Maybe your favorite Tarintino movie has a spicy enemies-to-lovers plot or your favorite sitcom has a friends-to-lovers storyline. Tropes also extend just beyond love plots. All kinds of media— thriller novels, action movies, superhero comics— utilize tropes as a means to guide the audience toward a familiar ending.
Also, spoiler alert: lots of readers and media consumers don’t want to be stressed the fuck out when watching/reading something. When I was reading Twisted Games by Ana Huang, I had to physically throw my Kindle (gently) on the ground because I was so stressed out by the plot. But, I powered through the dramatics because I knew the third-act breakup was temporary; they always are. And there’s a lot of comfort for readers when we know what’s coming without knowing what’s coming. In other words, tropes are like guidelines, not strict rules. Authors follow them loosely to frame a story but they’re not forced to write love stories according to imaginary literary rules.
So, I thought that I’d outline some of my favorite tropes and add recommendations if you’re interested in any of the tropes listed. I am a book-based blog, after all.
1. Enemies-to-Lovers
A timeless romance trope perfect for angst, tension, hate-fucking, and frenemies-with-benefits. Enemies-to-lovers novels feature two protagonists who have an oddly specific reason to hate each other. More often than not, their “enemy” status would be nulled by a conversation. But who cares about communication when we get explosive love stories? My top enemies-to-lovers recommendations include Twisted Hate by Ana Huang, So Not Meant to Be by Meghan Quinn, Flawless by Elsie Silver, and Mile High by Liz Tomforde.
2. Grumpy/Sunshine
Grumpy/sunshine tropes usually contain a very, very sad/irritated man and a sunshiney woman who wears hot pink on the regular. This isn’t to say that women can’t be grumpy! It’s just better when there’s a fiery hatred for a man at the beginning of the book so we all have to learn to love him. The best grumpy/sunshine novels to start out with are Twisted Love by Ana Huang, Heartless by Elsie Silver (bonus points: single dad), The Right Move by Liz Tomforde, Icebreaker by Hannah Grace (the girl is grumpy!), Behind the Net by Stephanie Archer, and Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score.
3. Arranged Marriage/Fake Relationship
My personal pride and joy: a fake relationship. Who needs real love when you can fake it ‘til you make it? And that’s just what these couples do. Add in some hatred for the situation on top of the impending wedding date and you have yourself a spicy, angsty, fake relationship romance. Best arranged marriage/fake relationship books: King of Wrath by Ana Huang, A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn, The Temporary Wife by Catherine Maura, and Terms and Conditions by Lauren Asher.
4. Friends-to-Lovers
Hot take: I used to hate this trope. Having to watch a relationship change courses halfway through strong friendships sucked. There’s so much angst and heartbreak in these books but the reward is that much higher. And whoof– the smut in some of these pages has me sweating even more than enemies-to-lovers. The mouths on these characters! My fave friends-to-lovers titles: A Long Time Coming by Meghan Quinn, The Final Offer by Lauren Asher, and Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score.
I hope I see your head buried in one of these books (and maybe a few tear stains on the pages). Check out my Goodreads for more up-to-date reading recommendations!
See you next read,
Charlotte
Photograph: Pinterest