helenwritesit As an avid reader and writer of romance, like you, I have my favourite tropes. Those delicious will they, won’t they (we know they will) situations that we see time and time again, but never grow old. There are hundreds and they go in and out of fashion as time goes by, but here are the top three tropes I love to see in a romance.
#1 Enemies to lovers
They don’t have to be arch enemies like Batman and Cat Woman; a mild irritation between two characters will do. But the slow burn between two protagonists who start out disliking each other is perfection! It turns love at first sight on its head and shows something more of the real path of love. Not to mention, it’s fun! The opportunities for challenges and witty banter are endless. If your thing is enemies to lovers, try Emily Henry’s ‘Beach Read’.
#2 Fake relationship
The fake relationship trope is an opportunity for an author to throw their characters into relationship-esque moments and see how they fare. There will be the inevitable, ‘Go on, kiss him!’ moment and at least one protagonist will get on famously with a relative of their fake other half. Special shout-out to the ‘only one bed’ moment where our couple is thrown into a situation in which any normal couple would spend the night together. So much fun! If you fancy a fake relationship story, try ‘Purple Hearts’, currently streaming on Netflix.
#3 Second Chance Love
They’ve met before. Perhaps he was the one that got away. I LOVE it when a relationship from the past gets a second chance. They already know each other inside out and it borders closely with friends to lovers, which would have got spot #4 if this was a longer blog post. The familiarity of second chance love makes for a cosy read, especially in a Christmas romance. Fancy a second chance love? Try Under the Christmas Tree from ‘More than Mistletoe’ by the Christmas Collective.
