Romance readers know their tropes. A trope is a plot device or theme used within a novel giving a recognizable starting point to the story that a reader can recognize.
Though many romance books can use one common romance trope, it is their storylines and characters that differentiate each book using this common plot device. Romance authors can use more than one romance trope within a novel and these romance tropes can be found within any romance sub-genre.
We have picked our four favorite tropes and curated a list of romance books we love that show off the best of each trope.
Grumpy/Sunshine
The grumpy/sunshine trope is mainly a grumpy character falling for a sunshine character. Grumpy characters are usually stoic, icy, or even prefer order instead of chaos. Sunshine characters tend to talk a lot more, they like everyone, and they are overly nice.
Enemies to Lovers
The enemies to lovers skim the line between love and hate. The main characters may start out as enemies with either extreme hate or dislike actually hiding love and affection, but they end up overcoming that hate and falling in love.
Fake Dating
This romance trope centers around the main characters agreeing to carry on a fake relationship for beneficial reasons to one or both sides. In the process of faking their relationship in public, they end up falling in love.
Love in Letters
In this type of story, the characters open up to each in writing letters or emails. They fall in love in letters, with the other person’s writing and words, sometimes without even knowing what they look like.
Love in Letters
Love in Letters
Love in Letters
Love in Letters