Ranking My Favorite Romance Tropes
Yeah, You Can Probably Guess Which One’s #1
Happy (belated) Valentine’s Day!
I don’t read a lot of romance books. When I do, they’re usually because I get a heads up about some really good ones due to my work at Harpeth Road. I do love a good Rom-Com, though, as any of my friends can vouch. Every February without fail, I simply must watch 10 Things I Hate About You.
So in the spirit of Valentine’s, and because I love a properly formatted newsletter, I proudly present my personal ranking of popular romance tropes.
Each of these tropes were my favorites pulled from this Writer’s Digest article. I look forward to your disagreements in the comments below.
Now, on with the show!
#12: Love Triangle
3 Potential Suitors, 1 Endgame Relationship.
This is my LEAST favorite trope ever. Maybe it has something to do with its overuse in the YA novels of my youth, or maybe I feel bad for the inevitable stringing along of love interests. Either way, I hate it, and to this day I will rate books low if they have a love triangle. Just pick someone to love and stick with them!
#11: Other Person’s Lover
Got a Crush on your Best Friend’s Boyfriend? This is the Trope for You!
I dislike this trope for similar reasons as Love Triangle, but I can admit it has its moments. Usually it can highlight unhealthy relationships, but I have a hard time ignoring the inevitable borderline-cheating that usually accompanies these stories. Hard pass.
#10: Suspect and Investigator
A Police Station’s Worst Nightmare . . .
Not that this trope has to involve the law, just a character intent on looking into the actions of another. I’ve personally never read a book with this trope, so I don’t really have any feelings on it. It’s a good middle ground neutral to include in this list, because I can imagine instances where it’s done right. As long as we leave police officers and criminals out of the occasion.
#9: Fish Out of Water—AKA every Hallmark movie ever
Perfect for Big City Girls Looking for their Perfect Small-Town Cowboy.
A classic, and for good reason. There’s some truth to the saying opposites attract, and if it wasn’t such a successful way to get across romance, it wouldn’t be the crux of so many romance movies. This trope is prone to some cringey montages, though—that big city girl is always falling on her butt in mud or other farm related substances. But it can also address feelings of living for others instead of yourself and addressing your roots and identity. I’ll take a bit of cringe to get to some solid character development.
#8: Betting—a relationship born out of a dare, only for real feelings to blossom
So Frustrating but So Dramatic!
Do I hate anyone who would consider making this kind of bet? Yes. Do I love seeing people get rightfully chewed out? Of course! I rarely see this trope, so it’s usually a surprise for me when it plays out. The drama makes up for the emotional turmoil I’m thrown into. Get me some popcorn and sign me up for the ride.
#7: Holiday Romance
Christmas, Valentine’s, and There’s GOT to be a Halloween Movie Out There Somewhere, Right?
I don’t care if they’re cheesy, I will watch every new low-budget Christmas movie that hits streaming services. This is the most classic of romance tropes. And the titles of these books are always the best, most groan inducing puns of them all. Tis the Season to be Sinful? It doesn’t get any better than that!
#6: Grumpy and Sunshine
One is an Annoying Jerk, the Other is a Living Saint. What Could Go Wrong?
I think part of the fun of this one is the character dynamics. Dueling personalities often lead to some great banter, and that’s usually my favorite part of any novel.
#5: Secrets—whether an identity, assets, or a sordid past
So Much for Good Communication Being the First Rule of Relationships.
Now let me put this one out there, this can be a frustrating storytelling device. But done right? Magic can happen. I’m particularly a fan of the identity part of the secrets trope. Whether a spy or a secret royal, the reveal is usually equal parts dramatic and heart wrenching. It can make or break the relationships I’m rooting for, but if they can survive the reveal? Now that’s a relationship that will last.
#4: Fake Dating
It’s All For Show . . . Right? ;)
This one is just fun. The making-the-relationship-look-real date shenanigans turning into actual feelings never fails to put a smile on my face. And these books are usually comedies, which are a plus. If my romance doesn’t have some fantasy in it, then it better make me laugh. There’s no in-between for my weird reading preferences.
#3: Forbidden Love
The Classic Romeo & Juliet Love Story.
This one never fails. The pining! The secret meetings! The inevitable moment when the lovers are caught and forced to choose between the world they know and the person they love! It’s gorgeous. These books could probably write themselves and I’d read every single one.
#2: Forced Proximity
Keep Your Enemies Close . . . Until They’re Not Your Enemies Anymore . . .
This trope goes hand-in-hand with lots of others, and I think that’s what makes it so good. It’s a trope-enhancer, if you will. Making couples spend time together, when they probably wouldn’t be caught dead near each other in the first place, is what gives me that banter, that longing, the jealous looks before the feelings are realized that just makes a romance shine. After all, you can’t have a love story if the lovers never interact, even if they’d prefer not to.
#1: Enemies-to-Lovers
Hate Is Definitely Not the Opposite of Love.
The holy grail of romance tropes. The caveat with this one is that the trope must be done right. It’s not Nuisances-to-Lovers or Acquaintances-to-Lovers. The enemies part here is important and sometimes glossed over. This is about the pining. The forced proximity. The sudden realization of oh no they’re hot. When done right, this is the romance trope of all romance tropes, but it only works if characters develop and emotions not only change but have good reason to.
Some of my favorite actual romance books (and not just books with romance in them) are Once Upon a Royal Summer by Teri Wilson and Long Time Coming by Edie Claire. It’s safe to say several of the tropes above feature in these novels, and they may or may not have been the inspiration for this week’s newsletter . . .
Do you have a favorite romance trope? Favorite novel or couple? I’d love to hear all about it down below!
Enemies to lovers is the superior one and we all know it.