15 Tropes To Know and Understand When Writing Romance

It's easy to pigeonhole romance into a single open-ended category, but you'd be doing it a major disservice if you did. The reality is there are so many different types of novels that fall under this umbrella. There's literally something for everyone. Romance is heavy with tropes, and some books even have more than one (scandalous, I know)! 

Authors and readers alike have their favorite tropes. Personally, I'm a huge fan of enemies to lovers and unrequited love, because I love watching people fall head over heels for someone they never thought they would. The more they fight it, the more invested I get, because they fall hard. Talk about swooning!

That said, while there are too many to count and seemingly more popping up each day, there are definitely some tropes you're likely to encounter because they're so common. We've got the skinny on those!  

Friends to Lovers (Developing a deeper connection)

This one is a biggie, because it's engulfed in realism. Think about how often in your life you've heard stories of people falling in love with a friend. Exactly! 

The main interests in a friends-to-lovers romance have been friends for a period of time. It could be six months, it could be six years, it could be 60 years (later in life romance, anyone?)! 

The story will open with the main interests doing friend things, and maybe waxing poetic about how important the other is to them. But over time, there will be a shift in those feelings from camaraderie to romance. One day, out of the blue (for some dramatic flair, of course) one will start seeing the other in a different light. 

Enemies to Lovers (What do you mean I love her?)

Welcome to one of my favorite tropes, though I've yet to actually incorporate it into a book. The time is coming, my friends, don't worry. 

Enemies-to-lovers is another trope where the love interests know each other, but good grief, they don't get along. Perhaps it's due to a family feud or maybe one of the characters stole the other's sandwich out of the lunchroom refrigerator. 

Here's the thing. This trope is so diverse, it can be hilarious because of hijinks the characters carry out against each other, or it can be completely full of angst and tension. 

But, in the end? That hate, or perceived hate, will grow into love. And trust me when I say one or both of the characters will fight it tooth and nail. And that, my friends, is where the sheer entertainment and hook lies. The fall is glorious. 

Fake Dating (Quick, pretend you're my boyfriend!)

Dating in real life can be so hard, why in the world would anyone want to fake it? To write a good romance novel, of course! 

No, but really, there are a number of ways this trope gets worked into the story and it's always for the benefit of one of the characters. For instance, a female love interest may ask another character to pretend to be her boyfriend so her ex will leave her alone. Or, perhaps the ex is getting married, and the FMC (female main character) doesn't want to look as though she couldn't move on, so she asks a friend or her boss—this is a fun one—to pretend to be her lover. 

And, of course, in true romance novel fashion, the two fake daters develop real feelings for each other. Cue the swoony love confessions and a happy ending. 

Second Chance (I messed up, I'm sorry.)

This is another one of my top tropes and it's common in romance because it often pulls at the heartstrings. In these novels, characters either dated in the past or nearly did, but life got in the way (right person, wrong time). 

Then, by some hand of fate, they are given a second chance to make their relationship work. But even that isn't without its angst. They often dance around getting back together, especially if one broke the other's heart. Yet, despite their best efforts not to fall in love… guess what? They do, anyway.

Workplace Romance (Rendezvous in the supply closet, anyone?) 

A workplace romance involves two characters who work together. They could be tackling a project together and grow close during that time, or perhaps one is the boss of the other. There are many ways you can play this out, it simply has to take place in the workplace. 

But guess what? Those co-workers could be friends or enemies who fall in love. See how those tropes just keep sneaking in?

Forbidden Love (I love you, but nobody can know.) 

Aww, someone fell in love with someone they shouldn't have. This trope has come a long way since "Romeo and Juliet," though it's not surprising to see family feuds in fiction these days. 

The romance between the main characters is taboo in some way, considered unacceptable by either society or one of the character's family members. Common themes in this trope include best friend's sibling, coach's daughter, feuding families, and even teacher-student. 

Things usually get really tense when the relationship comes out, but they work through it and strive for that happily ever after. 

Forced Proximity (Quit breathing down my neck, will ya?)

Ugh, you mean I'm stuck here with them, whyyyyyyy?

Forced proximity puts your characters in some awkward positions… 

Did the hotel lose our reservation? And what do you mean there's only one room left?

Is there really only one bed? 

Well, that once-in-a-millennium blizzard wasn't in the forecast…

…but those positions are the catalyst for spending time together and realizing good golly, I really do like this person. 

Forced proximity could be between friends, enemies, or strangers who eventually grow into more, but it's often the main point of tension in their love story.

Surprise Pregnancy (Two lines means pregnant, right?)

Whoops, someone got knocked up unexpectedly! Ah, but such is life, right? And it can be a really fun or dramatic trope to include in your book. 

A surprise pregnancy is one of those tropes that really forces characters to examine their relationships, perhaps sooner than they were expecting to have to. It also doesn't have to be the product of a relationship. It could be a one-night stand. 

But, here's the thing. Even with a surprise pregnancy, the male interest doesn't have to be the daddy. He can be someone in the FMC's life who steps up for her and the baby. There are so many possibilities.

Age Gap (He's old enough to be your father!)

Who doesn't like a good age gap story, because true love doesn't know numbers (as long as they're legal, that is)? 

In an age gap story, the male is older than the female, typically by a significant number of years. Enough to be a bit of a shock factor to the other characters in the story. You can also write reverse age gaps, where the woman is older than the male love interest. 

The age gap is typically also the source of tension in the story, but it doesn't always have to be.

Billionaire (Living life in the fast lane) 

Billionaire romances have been all the rage for quite some time now. There's just something about a character who has the money, the prestige, the power. And, spoiler alert: it's not always the man. 

In order to be a billionaire romance, one of the characters is filthy, stinking rich. The wealth will play into the story, somehow. Typically, the love interest is from a different class, which is often a point of tension. 

In order to be believable, you need to do the research as to the types of cars, homes, and clothing the character would have. 

Marriage of Convenience (Do you take him to be your lawfully wedded? … I suppose.)

While arranged marriages have mostly gone by the wayside, in romance novels, they're still going strong. 

A marriage of convenience benefits one or both of the love interests, and there needs to be a strong reason why the other is going along with it. For instance, one character's grandma is about to die and she hopes to see her beloved grandchild get married before she passes. Or, one of the love interests needs to be married in order to take a job. Or, one needs to get their family off their back. So. Many. Reasons. 

While conveniently married, the couple falls in love. Then, they need to work through whether they stay married or opt for a fresh start. 

Secret Baby (He can never know I had his baby)

We've covered the surprise pregnancy, which is where the love interest finds out she's unexpectedly pregnant at some point in the story. With secret baby, that baby remains a secret until after birth. Usually years after birth. 

I know, I know, I hear you. How does the father not know he's a father? Well, because of some plotline twist that takes your FMC out of his orbit. He could leave town to become a famous rock star or athlete, or she could leave town because the father broke her heart, but she has no idea she's pregnant at the time. 

This is one of those tropes that often invites all the feels. Surprise. Anger. Disbelief. Hurt.

Unrequited Love (Cue the daydreams and heart eyes)

Ah, the great unrequited love trope. This is another that hits home for many people, because it's not uncommon to have feelings for someone and not have them reciprocated. 

Except! 

In a romance novel, the disinterested character will eventually become interested. Often, after they're faced with the very real possibility of the other person moving on. 

These are often slow-burn romances and contain a lot of pining. A lot. But it all works out in the end!

Opposites Attract (grumpy + sunshine = true love)

Opposites attract is a fun vibe in a romance novel, because it usually involves one (or both) character annoying the crap out of the other.

The main theme around opposites attract is that the love interests' personalities clash. Common ones include grumpy/sunshine and golden retriever/black cat. 

Sometimes, this trope can even go hand-in-hand with enemies to lovers, which makes sense as the two go head-to-head. Eventually, the two realize the traits they initially found annoying they now find endearing and can't live without. 

Love Triangle (What do you mean I have to choose?)

Ohhh, the beloved love triangle. This isn't your typical other man/other woman drama. Oh no, it goes much deeper than that. 

One of the characters in the story is torn between two people. As in, they don't know who they want to be with. And guess what? Neither does the reader. Oftentimes, the reader is along for the ride, just like the main character. 

In the end, a decision is made, and it leads to a broken heart. But… as an author, you can now make it right for the other character by giving them their very own book. Series, anyone?

This definitely isn't an exhaustive list by any means, there are simply too many to list, though these are among the more common you'll encounter. If you want to dive more into the dynamics of these tropes and even turn them into your own romance novel, Sudowrite can help you reach those goals.