One of the main reasons I love romance novels is that there are so many different romance tropes within the genre. Romance novels aren’t like thrillers—more often than not, you know what’s going to happen. The love interests are going to get together, and the main draw is how they get there.
So authors have the challenge of creating a journey for their readers. You have to be invested in the characters’ love story, and one way to do that is by first creating a familiar situation.
That’s why there are so many romance books that at first look, might appear to have the same plot. You’ll see many books with two characters who hate each other, two characters fighting for one lover, two characters faking a relationship…etc. But the use of tropes isn’t a cliche, it’s just to emphasize a familiar plot that people will recognize and understand.
And it creates an enjoyable reading experience! Here are my favorite contemporary books from each romance trope, including young adult novels but not including fantasy books.
Top Books from Each Romance Trope
Enemies to Lovers
Enemies to lovers is the one of the sauciest romance genres and it’s my personal favorite. There’s just something so satisfying about following two characters who have it out for each other but also definitely have a thing for each other.
The Hating Game
by Sally Thorne
The Hating Game is one of my all-time favorite romance books. The sauciness level is high, and the flirtation is what makes the book SO good. The main characters’ banter is smart and witty, and you can really feel their hatred.
Lucy and Josh are executive assistants to the two co-CEOs of a publishing house. They spend their 50+ hour workweeks glaring at each other and finding obscure ways to compete. So if Lucy is so fed up with Josh, then why is she dreaming about him and actually getting dressed up for work? 🔥
The Unhoneymooners
by Christina Lauren
I would honestly read whatever Christina Lauren writes. The Unhoneymooners has a bit of fake dating (or fake marriage), but it’s mostly an enemies to lovers romance book. I love how the characters feel quirky and real, and their unlikely attraction leads their flirtation to be charged with some (hot) animosity.
Our protagonist Olive is always the unlucky twin. When her identical twin gets married and the entire wedding party succumbs to food poisoning, Olive’s luck may just be turning around…except she’s forced to go on the all-expenses-paid honeymoon with Ethan, the best man and Olive’s worst enemy. Nobody can stay mad when they’re in Hawaii, though, can they?
Red, White & Royal Blue
by Casey McQuiston
Red, White & Royal Blue is a Goodreads Choice Award winner for all the right reasons. This steamy, politically charged YA romance novel is filled with chaotic humor and brilliant disasters.
America’s First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz and England’s Prince Henry are sworn enemies. They simply do not get along, and when one hectic fight gets spotted by the paparazzi, their dirty laundry is aired to the entire world. Their animosity does not reflect well on either of their famous families, so their task is to pretend like they get along.
In the middle of all this pretending, Alex and Henry start to realize that maybe they actually do like each other…a little too much.
★FOR YOU: The Top Contemporary Romance Novels
Friends to Lovers
Friends to lovers is generally a super sweet romance trope. Dating your friends can get sticky and complicated, and often that’s the conflict of most FTL romance books. But reading about characters realizing their best friend is actually so much more is always heartwarming, and I had to include some of the best romance books for each trope within friends to lovers.
My Favorite Half-Night Stand
by Christina Lauren
If you’re looking for an accurate portrayal of modern dating, My Favorite Half-Night Stand is perfect. Dating apps are everywhere, and it’s super common to find love on Tinder/Bumble/Hinge/whatever new app is the next big thing. This Christina Lauren story is super adorable and pretty hilarious.
Millie Morris is a UCSB professor whose main friend group is four guys (also professors). When Millie and her friends promise to have dates for an upcoming gala, they turn to online dating to find that special someone…all is well until Millie ends up having a half-night stand with Reid, one of the guys….I SERIOUSLY LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. The conversations and friendships are so on-point.
Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating
by Christina Lauren
This is just turning into a Christina Lauren fan post at this point. I swear, they have the best characters and the most swoon-worthy romance novels. Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating was on my TBR list for ages, and when I finally read it I was mad at myself for not picking it up sooner.
Our main character Hazel knows she’s a lot to handle. She has no filter and is always up for an adventure, but she’s a good person who wants to have fun. She’s also known Josh since college, and they’ve always been each other’s friends from the sidelines. When Josh’s girlfriend cheats and turns his life upside down, Hazel is there to help him through her humor and by setting him up on countless dates…unless they decide that maybe they could try dating each other?
Emergency Contact
by Mary H.K Choi
When authors including texting in YA novels, it often turns out cringe-worthy and unrealistic. Emergency Contact is one of my favorite YA romance books because Mary H.K. Choi truly gets young adults and knows how they communicate. Also, I feel like there needs to be more YA books about college students!
College freshman Penny Lee is so ready to get away from her boring high school life. She’s excited to leave everything behind, and when she meets Sam, a barista who sleeps in the extra room on top of the café he works at, it’s less meet-cute and more a collision of unbearable awkwardness. They exchange numbers and chat exclusively via text, getting super close without actually seeing each other IRL.
The Best Laid Plans
by Cameron Lund
The Best Laid Plans was one of my favorite YA books of 2020! It’s a sex-positive romance novel that feels like a breath of fresh air. I loved it because it has the perfect balance of cute + hot + deep.
Keely already feels alone, and when the only other virgin in her friend group loses it at Keely’s own 18th birthday party, she’s had enough. She wants to get experience before going to college, and she falls hard & fast when she meets a hot new guy who’s so NOT like the boys she’s known since kindergarten.
The only problem is that Dean is in college and he’s too experienced…so Keely plans to have her best friend Andrew show her the ropes. The only problem is that this plan only works if she and Andrew stay JUST friends, so things are about to get complicated.
Love Triangle
One True Loves
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Taylor Jenkins Reid is super well-known for her novels Daisy Jones & The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but her other books are also so great. One True Loves examines an extreme love triangle that will definitely pull at your heartstrings.
Emma Blair married her high school sweetheart, Jesse, in her twenties. They’re adventurous soulmates, but on their first wedding anniversary, Jesse goes missing in a helicopter in the Pacific. Emma rebuild her life and moves home to move on. Now, in her 30s, Emma gets engaged to Sam, an old friend. She feels like she has a second chance at love…until Jesse is found and he’s alive.
Now Emma has both a husband and a fiancé, and she’s forced to examine what true love really means.
Fake Relationship
Fake relationship romance novels are becoming a super popular romance trope. I’m honestly not sure how often they happen in real life, but I love reading about them. You know that characters’ fake relationship is eventually going to turn into a real one, but HOW is it going to get there?
The Wedding Date
by Jasmine Guillory
After Jasmine Guillory’s The Proposal was a Reese’s Book Club pick, I had to read her other books. The Wedding Date is my favorite one of hers, and I even got to meet Jasmine at one of her book launches.
Alexa Monroe gets stuck in a hotel elevator with a random guy, and decides to go to a wedding with him on a whim. Then she realizes it’s his ex’s wedding…surprisingly, Alexa and Drew have more fun than they anticipated. Although they’re splitting their time between Berkeley and Los Angeles, they can’t stop thinking about each other.
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before
by Jenny Han
The hit Netflix show To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before brought this already popular series into the spotlight, and whether you’ve seen the show or not, you NEED to read this one. It’s adorable, heartfelt, and will make you want your own Peter K.
Lara Jean always kept her crushes to herself. She wrote letters to the boys but never sent them, instead storing her private notes in a hidden box. When the intimate letters are somehow sent out to all her crushes, Lara Jean is mortified. Her crushes confront her, leading to a twisted scenario with each and every one of them, including her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, and even her sister’s ex-boyfriend.
Second Chance
The Bromance Book Club
by Lyssa Kay Adams
The Bromance Book Club is another great romance book I’m kicking myself for not picking up sooner. It’s now a book series AND is being turned into a Netflix film, so it’s never too late to hop on the bandwagon!
The first rule of book club: You don’t talk about book club. Pro baseball player Gavin Scott’s marriage is in trouble. His wife just dropped a bombshell that she’s been faking the big O, all this time. Their relationship gets even more messed up when Gavin takes it out on her, instead of being understanding.
Desperate to make things better, Gavin turns to his friends and MLB baseball team, who have a little secret: they use romance novels to mend and create relationships. With the help of a saucy romance book called Courting the Countess, Gavin attempts to learn the tricks to get his wife back.
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What are your favorite romance tropes?
