When I first started writing romance back in 2010/2011, unless you were aiming to write for a specific Harlequin line, trope was a bit of a dirty word. If your romance story idea was based on a trope (spoiler alert, most of them are), you weren’t supposed to actually call out the trope. Better to disguise it as “high concept.”
Which, as someone who loves my favorite tropes (I am a huge sucker for marriage of convenience…), always bothered me. Why would we try to hide the best thing about romance?!
I’m thrilled, that 10+ years later, not only are readers embracing tropes, publishers are too. My most recent book, I didn’t even pitch any tropes, but my publisher included tropes in the marketing copy. I loved it.
Even literary trade reviews like Publishers Weekly are on board. Their review of my most recent book began: “This grumpy sunshine contemporary from Layne brims with wit and warmth…”
I hadn’t even realized I’d written a grumpy-sunshine! The industry’s gone from pretending not to see tropes to looking for them.
So what are romance tropes? They’re common themes, scenarios, dynamics, or plot devices that keep the story and romance moving forward.
And don’t be scared off by the word common; remember, your romance reader is a smart, opinionated woman who knows what she wants and what she likes. Don’t be scared to deliver!
Here are a few common tropes to get your idea wheel spinning.
Pro-tip: Try combining multiple tropes into a single story idea; this can help put a fresh twist on old classics. Bonus points if you go “Cross sub-genre.”
I use hero/heroine and he/she in the below examples, but of course swap pronouns however works for you.
Contemporary Romance Tropes
- Friends to Lovers – Long-time friends realize their deep-seated feelings for each other.
- Enemies to Lovers – Sparks fly between rivals or people who initially rub each other the wrong way.
- Fake Relationship – Two people pretend to be in love for some external reason, only to find themselves falling in love for real.
- Second Chance Romance – Former lovers cross paths and have to mend old wounds.
- Grumpy Sunshine – One character is cynical and irritable (grumpy), while the other is cheerful and optimistic (sunshine).
- Workplace Romance – Colleagues navigate their growing attraction, often while navigating professional boundaries.
- Secret Billionaire – A wealthy individual hides their true identity to find someone who loves them for who they are.
- Single Parent – A single parent finds love while juggling the responsibilities of raising a child.
- Secret Baby – Hero discovers he’s a dad, but didn’t know it…
- Opposites Attract – Two people with nothing in common find unexpected attraction.
- Best Friend’s Sibling – Falling in love with the sibling of one’s best friend, complicating relationships.
- Sibling’s Best Friend – Same as above, slight twist.
- Love Triangle – A character must choose between two equally compelling romantic interests.
- “Don’t Touch Her” – The heroine is off-limits to the hero for some reason.
- Military Romance – This is probably sub-genre than trope, but one of the characters is in the military, and all the challenges and sacrifice that come with that.
- Royalty Romance – A commoner and royalty fall in love.
- Fairy Tale Retellings – Beauty & the Beast, Cinderella, etc.
- Celebrity Romance – A “regular” person falls for someone famous.
Historical Romance Tropes
- Marriage of Convenience – A couple marries for practical reasons but eventually falls in love.
- Forbidden Love – A couple is from different classes, feuding families, or one of them is already betrothed.
- Highlander Romance – A romance set in the Scottish Highlands, often involving clans and lairds.
- Damsel/Duke in Distress – Someone saves someone else from a predicament, and their lives become intertwined.
- Nobleman and Governess – A nobleman falls in love with his children’s governess.
- Runaway Bride – A woman fleeing an arranged marriage finds love while on the run.
- Lady and the Scoundrel – A noblewoman falls for a charming rogue or pirate.
- Pirate Romance – An adventurous romance involving pirates and high seas adventure.
- Time Travel Romance – A character travels back in time and finds love in a different era.
- Gothic Romance – A brooding hero or heroine in a haunted mansion or castle, with elements of mystery and supernatural occurrences.
Regency Romance Tropes (Plenty of overlap with the above, but some more ideas…)
- Arranged Marriage – A couple engaged through family arrangements learns to love each other.
- Wallflower and Rake – A shy, overlooked woman captures the attention of a notorious rake.
- Season in London – Set against London’s Marriage Mart, characters are trying to marry (often for family obligation) or NOT marry…
- Mistaken Identity – Often involves amnesia or subterfuge … this one is great for conflict, because you know all hell will break loose when the truth comes out.
- Spinster and the Duke – A woman deemed “on the shelf” is finds love.
Paranormal & Fantasy Romance Tropes
- Fated Mates – Two characters, often from different supernatural species, are destined to be together.
- Vampire and Human – A brooding vampire falls for a human.
- Shifter Romance – A character who can transform into an animal inds love with a human or another shifter.
- Witch and Warlock – A powerful witch and a warlock from rival covens join forces (or face of)
- Ghostly Love – A living person falls for a ghost.
- Demon and Human – A human and a demon develop a forbidden romance.
- Angel and Demon – Good vs Evil with a romantic twist.
- Reincarnated Lovers – Lovers who have been separated by death are reincarnated and find each other across different lifetimes.
- Psychic Romance – A person with psychic abilities connects with someone skeptical of their powers, and they have to work together to achieve a goal.
- Elemental Love – Beings with control over elements (fire, water, air, earth) find love while balancing their powerful abilities and often opposing natures.
- Dragon Shifter and Human – A human discovers their love interest is a dragon shifter, etc.
- Fae and Mortal – A mortal and a fae (fairy) being navigate a relationship fraught with magical laws, court intrigue, and otherworldly dangers.
- Sorcerer and Apprentice – A sorcerer and their apprentice develop a romantic relationship amid magical training and external threats.
- Cursed Love – Lovers must break a powerful curse that prevents them from being together, facing magical trials and enemies.
- Paranormal Investigator Romance – A paranormal investigator falls in love with a supernatural being they are supposed to be studying or hunting.
- Supernatural Protector – A supernatural being becomes the protector of a human, leading to a romance.
- Forbidden Supernatural Love – Two supernatural beings from opposing factions or species fall in love.
- Magical Bond – Characters who share a magical bond that ties their fates together, making them stronger together but vulnerable when apart.
- Ancient Prophecy – Lovers are brought together by an ancient prophecy, finding that their union is key to saving or transforming their world.
- Parallel Universe Romance – Two people from different universes somehow meet and fall in love.
- Dark Academia – Moody and mysterious academic setting, often involving secret magical societies or convent. Also fits
Romantic Suspense Tropes
- Bodyguard Romance – A bodyguard falls for the person they are sworn to protect.
- Undercover Agent – An undercover agent’s mission is complicated by falling in love with their target.
- Kidnapped by the Hero – A person is taken by someone who initially seems dangerous but turns out to be their protector.
- Revenge and Redemption – A character seeking revenge finds love and a path to redemption.
- Law Enforcement Romance – A police officer or detective falls for someone connected to their case.
- Solving a Mystery – Two people have to work together to solve a crime.
- On the Run – Two people get stuck together fleeing someone trying to kill them.
Western Romance Tropes
- Cowboy and City Girl – Usually a fish-out-of water story about a woman not suited for life on a ranch with a rugged cowboy.
- Mail-Order Bride – A woman travels west to marry a man she has never met.
- Rancher and the Heiress – A wealthy heiress inherits a ranch and falls for the rugged rancher who she can’t stand…
- Outlaw and the Proper Lady – A law-abiding woman falls for an outlaw. She couldn’t possibly…
- Wild West Adventure – A couple faces adventure and danger in the untamed West. Think sleeping under the stars … it’s cold … body heat …
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