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5 Romance Tropes I Can’t Get Enough Of

by Kellyn Roth |
January 16, 2019

Hi y’all! Today I’m going to tell you about 5 romance tropes I can’t get enough of. Why? Because they are perfect. Because we all need a little awesome cliché in our lives.

Because originality is overrated, and why teach a old dog new tricks if you can just tweak the trick so it’s slightly different but still kind of the same?

I think that metaphor has flown, but close enough. You know what I mean. Let’s get onto it!

5 Romance Tropes I Can’t Get Enough Of

Note: All of these are unhealthy and twisted, so let’s not let them happen in real life. Just in books. Thanks.

#1: Fighting for no reason

When a couple has some sort of disagreement with each other, but they don’t want to talk about it.

So they just let it sit and instead of arguing about that they start arguing about something inconsequential, like who took out the trash. And they work through their issue like that.

They’re screaming at each other about something that doesn’t matter and ignoring what’s really got them so mad at each other.

But in the end, they work out their issue.

#2: Yelling “I love you” at each other while mad

Because that’s really love. When you are still able to say you love someone even when you’re absolutely furious with them. 😅

I don’t know why, but this always kills me! It touches my feels and my funny bone when someone shouts, “BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!” “WELL, I LOVE YOU, TOO!” while arguing or whatever.

Also, I feel like that’s sort of Jesus. “*throws over a table in the tabernacle* STOP MESSING WITH MY HOLY HOUSE. I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH TO LET YOU DO THIS.”

Okay, the similarities are small. But still. Even Jesus got mad. *shrugs*

#3: Being in love with someone who you can’t confess your love for …

… but instead of becoming bitter, staying cheerful and being their good friend.

Not letting them get hurt or anything … just quietly protecting and loving on them. (This can be non-romantic, too, though the romance adds an element to it.)

Also, people who don’t sulk about not being able to be with someone they love.

Life goes on, y’all. Life goes on!

#4: A romantic couple in which one is very innocent and one is more experienced*

And this is a TERRIBLE basis for a relationship, probably, but …

  • Flynn/Rapunzel (Tangled)
  • Nick/Judy (Zootopia)
  • Kristoff/Anna (Frozen)
  • Probably Every Disney Prince/Probably Every Disney Princess 😅
    • but by default because those older Disney princesses are just like, “Let me follow this obviously evil green light into a room filled with spinning needles! Hoorah! Puppies!”
  • Katniss/Peeta (The Hunger Games)
  • Catherine/Mr. Tilney (Northanger Abbey)
  • Jordy/Ivy (Beyond Her Calling)
  • Kirk/Gwen (All Made New)

(Listed those “experienced/not” for simplicity’s sake, but it could be both with some of them, in different ways!)

And when one becomes sweeter and one becomes smarter, it’s just like … so awesome. Because they both influenced each other for the better!

Street smarts and heart smarts, y’all. Both are important.

*I’m not talking anything sexual, because I know some of you have minds that went there. I mean like in general, like one is a hardened rebel and one is a fairytale princess. 😜

#5: Matchmaking that goes awry somehow but turns out all right in the end.

Emma wins the Kell Award for this, and lots of other books have hilarious situations caused by matchmakers.

I don’t know why, but to me, this is the most fun ever? Like, seriously, trying to arrange someone’s else’s life is messy … and there are so many awesome twists to this!

Also, having the matchmaker be right all along is actually something that’s fun? Especially if she’s like a … crazy old village witch. I don’t know.

(ALSO: I have this song stuck in my head, and UGGGGHHH it’s terrible but I still love it??? It’s called Break Up in a Small Town by Sam Hunt. And it’s great!)

I NEVER THOUGHT SHE WOULD GET DOWN WITH SOMEBODY I KNOW I GUESS THAT’S JUST HOW IT GOES WHEN YOU BREAK UP IN A SMALL TOWN I SEE OUR FRIENDS AND THEY PUT ON A SHOW LIKE THEY DON’T WANT ME TO KNOW. AND THEY GIVE GO-AROUND. THERE’S ONLY SO MANY STREETS SO MANY LIGHTS I SWEAR IT’S LIKE I CAN’T EVEN LEAVE MY HOUSE I SHOULD’VE KNOWN ALL ALONG YOU GOTTA MOVE OR MOVE ON WHEN YOU BREAK UP IN A SMALL TOWN.

TTFN!

~Kellyn Roth~

p.s.

What are your favorite romantic tropes? What about your least favorite? Am I insane??? I feel like I am because to a normal person these would all suck, but I enjoy them! What books have you noticed these 5 romance tropes in? Do you enjoy this kind of post + would you be interested in reading more similar ones?

What do you think of my thoughts?

40 Responses

  3. Fun post~ all these tropes are actually pretty fun to read about, 😛
    Also YOU HAVE JUST MADE ME INSATIABLY CURIOUS as soon as you said the word “fantasy”
    🙂

    Reply

  7. Can’t seem to use the poll. I’m going to say, controversial opinion about why girls shouldn’t wear dresses all the time.

    Reply

  9. Okay, fun fact: I HATE ROMANCE. Yuck. Beyuck. Wuck. It takes something really special to make me like a romance novel (on an unrelated note, I love Beyond Her Calling-fancy that! XD) But I will begrudgingly admit I like some tropes.
    Some.
    Half of your tropes. XD They’re too sweet.
    Otherwise I hate it. 😛

    Reply

    2. LOL! Yeah, I know a lot of people hate romance – and nothing wrong with that! I’m a fan because it’s such an interesting relationship to explore. 😉

      And awww, glad you liked BHC!!!

      Reply

  13. My favorite romantic tropes:
    – Being best friends and then falling in love (my FAVORITE can this happen all the time?)
    – Forced into marriage for some reason and then they slowly fall in love afterward
    – They start off disliking each other, and one gives the other a nickname or something that’s supposed to be rude, but by the end it’s super cute and means “I love you”

    I also love tropes 3 & 4 that you mentioned! The one about falling in love but still being their friend… I love it. (But usually only if they actually end up together.) Okay, now I just want to read a cute romance book… 😛

    Reply

    1. OH!!! Okay, I love all those, too. I was trying to think of some more tropes, and I do love those ones! Especially #1 and #2. Ah, and #3. Okay, I love all those. I think I’ve only used #1 and sort of #3? But not openly. But I WANT TO!

      And yes, same! *looking for a cute romance now*

      Reply

  15. I love best friend-turned lover tropes when they’re done right. An October Bride by Katie Ganshert is a prime example. Another is Sweet on You by Becky Wade, which won’t be out till April. So sad. I’ve hyped this one up for myself way too much but I love Britt’s snarky personality. I was in stitches in book one because she has the sarcasm thing down.

    Reply

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