Romance tropes we can’t get enough of

So, not too long ago, we posted our thoughts on romance tropes we never want to see again.  And we had a few people ask, well, if you don’t want to see those tropes, what DO you want to see? Glad you asked. We have a few things we’d LOVE to see more of in Romance Land going forward.

STEM heroines
I’m not sure we could ever get tired of super smart heroines in roles that are traditionally male dominated. Take note, authors everywhere: you write it, we’ll 1-click it.

Reading suggestions for STEM heroines:

Beauty and the Beast retellings
Any author who hints at a Beauty and the Beast theme in their blurb has my FULL attention. And if at the end of the book the hero doesn’t magically turn into a handsome prince—all the better. Why? Because I like to believe that love isn’t at all superficial, and that it will overcome any obstacle.

​Reading suggestions for Beauty and the Beast retellings

Older women, younger men
There are sooooooo many older man, younger woman romances out there. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that—there are several such romances that sit squarely on our keeper shelves in places of honor.) But what you don’t see everyday are beautiful, romantic stories about women who just so happen to be older than the men they fall for. We’re a little sick of the double standard, frankly. How about some hot cougar action, y’all? (And not in a creepy way)

Reading suggestions for older women, younger men romances

WTF plot twists
One of the most widely spread myths about the romance genre is that all romance novels are predictable. We can think of several glaring examples to the contrary, but we wouldn’t turn our noses up at more. So, what do you say, authors? Go ahead and shock the crap out of us. We dare you.

Reading suggestions for romances with WTF plot twists

Anti-heroes
Is there anything sexier than a bad boy? Yep, there is. A really, REALLY bad boy who doesn’t even know the MEANING of good until he falls ass-over-elbow for the heroine. Point me in the direction of an anti-hero and I’ll 1-click every time.

Reading suggestions for romances with anti-heroes

(Note: we’d really like to see more anti-heroines, as well, but no examples came to mind. Let us know if you’re aware of any!)

Heroes who are anything BUT rock stars, billionaires, or Navy Seals
We’re talking about construction workers, landscapers, cops, mechanics, accountants…you know, guys you might randomly meet on the street—not guys you’re more likely to get hit by lightning (while winning the lottery) than meet on the street.

Reading recommendations for “normal guy” heroes

And for more tropes we can’t get enough of, check out our weekly best of lists!

What about y’all? Any tropes you 1-click the crap out of? We’d love to hear about it!

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