Trope-licious! A Mega List of Romance Tropes

Time for list-making again...and it's trope-licious!

Love 'em or hate 'em, tropes are those common, overused themes you find in stories and are well-known in the romance genre circles. I'll seek out or avoid books based on tropes, as I'm sure others do, too. Sign me up for road trips, fake relationships, enemies to lovers, and going undercover. So fun! But please don't put books in my Christmas stocking with wedding, age-gap, or fairy-tale retelling themes, or anything set in Nantucket. Lol. Weird, I know! But I'm pretty sure I already know the tone. Of course if I visited there, my mind could be changed. Until that day, I'll stick with my tried and true.

Now you, go forth and enjoy your tropes!

Tropes for Hanging Around for You by Stacia Leigh

Young Adult Romance

A newly abandoned girl hides the truth about a fatal accident, a grizzled biker she calls step-dad, and how she really feels about the new boy at school, a low-life spy! But really, who's spying on whom? 

 

FRIENDS FIRST

Friends to Lovers
You've Changed / Love on the Rocks
Belated Love Epiphany
Brother's Best Friend
Best Friend's Sibling
Marriage of Convenience / Marriage Pact
Pretend Relationships
Best Friend's Ex
Roommate Romance / Innocent Cohabitation
Secret Admirer


ENEMIES

Enemies to Lovers
Pen Pals
Rivals
Love / Hate
Revenge
Not Good Enough
Forced Proximity / Stranded
Blackmail


FAMILY

Suddenly a Parent
Single Parent
Orphan
Widow / Widower
Forbidden Love

Tropes for Burnout by Stacia Leigh
Young Adult Romance

"Suspended in grief, a down-and-out teen is forced on a therapeutic road trip. How can he hold onto the past when a feisty biker girl has him hanging on for dear life?"

 

OPPOSITES

Opposites Attract
Age-Gap/May to December
Grumpy-Sunshine
Bad Boy
Celebrity/Actor/Actress/Rock Star
Rich vs Poor / Unequal Social Status
Different Worlds
Want Different Things


OBLIVIOUS

Lovers in Denial
Sworn Off Relationships
Lost Memories / Amnesia


SECRETS

Secretly Rich
Secret Identity
Unrequited Love
Dark Secret
Disguise
Mistaken Identity
Secret Baby
Is All as It Seems?
Spying/Detective/Undercover
Love Triangle
Workplace Romance


MARRIAGE

Wedding Planner
Jilted Groom/Runaway Bride
Arranged Marriage
Soul Mates
Destined to Be Together

Tropes for Dealing with Blue by Stacia Leigh

Young Adult Romance

When quiet good-girl Suzy Blue plays "pretend" with the charmer next-door, she risks exposing a mortifying family secret.

TAKE TWO

Love Potion
Second Chances
Love at First Sight / Insta-Love
Holiday Flings
Reunion
Redemption


COMMITTMENT-PHOBE

Wounded Hero/Heroine (Emotional or Physical)
Sleeps with Everyone but You
Playboy/Rake in Love
Back with the Ex
What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas
One Sided Romance
Afraid to Commit
Can't Say "I Love You"
All Grown Up
Long Distance Love


QUITE THE CHARACTER

Plus Size
Royal
Alpha Hero
The One That Got Away
Loveable Rogue
Ugly Duckling
Wallflower
Men in Uniform
Broken in Some Way
Bet
Blind Date
Fish Out of Water

QUITE THE PLOT / SETTING

Fairy Tale Retelling
Kidnapped
Adventure
Road Trip
Time Travel
Magical
Small Town
Location
Vacation

EXTRAS

Slow Burn
Matchmaker Gone Right or Gone Wrong
Against All Odds
Foodie


SUB-GENRES

Historical / Regency
Comedy / Drama
Mystery
Fantasy
Sci-Fi
Dark
Suspenseful
Western
Spiritual / Inspirational
Paranormal
LGBTQ+
New Adult / College
Young Adult (Ages 14+)


RESOURCES

Evie Alexander: 150 romance Novel Tropes
TCK Publishing: 14 Popular Romance Tropes
Brewing Writer: Ultimate Romance Tropes List: 28 Tropes + Book Recs!

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“The reason that clichés become clichés is that they are the hammers and screwdrivers in the toolbox of communication.”

― Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!