Tropes I love!!!!!

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I know I'm in the minority here, but I love a good trope.

What is a trope? Storytellers/authors often use tropes as a plot device to help the reader get a sense of what to expect; or in simple terms a recurrent theme. I know there are some tropes that are overdone (the lone savior) or on the verge of hated (insta love), but there is value in using tropes. Honestly, for those who scream at the high hills that you hate tropes, I personally don't get it. ALL genres use tropes in the narratives, for instance romance- HEA, mystery- red herring, fantasy- world building; do I need to go on? So at the end of the day my advice is find a trope you like and read until your hearts content. Here are a few of my favorite tropes.

Friends to lovers

Recommendation: My Favorite Half Night Stand- Christian Lauren

Millie is surrounded by friends who get her and she just happen to catfish one of them into falling in love with her or maybe catching feelings. Either way a good friends to lovers plot is a winner in my book all the time. This trope gets me moreso than an enemies to lovers because the premise is really seeing a person who's been in your life for some time with a fresh pair of eyes and a little kissie kissie.

Synopsis: Millie Morris has always been one of the guys. A UC Santa Barbara professor, she’s a female-serial-killer expert who’s quick with a deflection joke and terrible at getting personal. And she, just like her four best guy friends and fellow professors, is perma-single.

A Come Up Story

Recommendation: The Worst Best Man- Mia Sosa

Lina is so relatable. She has something humiliating happen to her i.e. being left at the alter but makes a living out of the very experience. I love her tenacity and the Santos family. Pure gold to see her grow over time.

**Doubles as Family Centered story too**

Synopsis: A wedding planner left at the altar. Yeah, the irony isn’t lost on Carolina Santos, either. But despite that embarrassing blip from her past, Lina’s managed to make other people’s dreams come true as a top-tier wedding coordinator in DC. After impressing an influential guest, she’s offered an opportunity that could change her life. There’s just one hitch… she has to collaborate with the best (make that worst) man from her own failed nuptials.

Sassy Best Friend(s) 

Recommendation: The Bromance Book Club- Lyssa Kay Adams

The unlikely pick, yes sassy friends that happens to be a baseball team trying to be better partners. Gavin is having a hard time in his marriage. Thankfully, his ragtag group of friends are on it and ahve created a secret group who take their relationships cues from romance novels. With their support Gavin is able to navigate his relationship with Thea.

**Doubles as a Small Town Romance** Who doesn't like a two for one :)

Synopsis: Nashville Legends second baseman Gavin Scott's marriage is in major league trouble. He’s recently discovered a humiliating secret: his wife Thea has always faked the Big O. When he loses his cool at the revelation, it’s the final straw on their already strained relationship. Thea asks for a divorce, and Gavin realizes he’s let his pride and fear get the better of him.

Wallflower Who Finds Their Voice

Recommendation: A Prince on Paper- Alyssa Cole

I know, I know. I will never have a recommendation list without Alyssa Cole. By now you should expect it, come on. Nya has had a rough few years, you know with her murderous father and all. Now Nya is dealing with family shame, having to leave her home country, and starting over in New York. Basically she has a long way to find her footing. Thankfully, Prince Thebiso realizes Nya was not to blame and wants to keep her connected to the family. Through a series of wedding events Nya get's her spark back while cozying up to playboy Johan.

Synopsis: Nya Jerami fled Thesolo for the glitz and glamour of NYC but discovered that her Prince Charming only exists in her virtual dating games. When Nya returns home for a royal wedding, she accidentally finds herself up close and personal—in bed—with the real-life celebrity prince who she loves to hate.

Family Centered Plot

Recommendation: With the Fire on High- Elizabeth Acevado

Emoni is a single teenage mom who's trying to find herself. Thanks to her abuela and bestie she finishes high school and sets her sights on a lifelong passion.

Synopsis: With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Still, she knows she doesn’t have enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain — and shouldn’t still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life — and all the rules everyone expects her to play by — once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free.

Love Notes

Recommendation: The Flatshare- Beth O'Leary

I basically squealed with the adorable use of post-it notes. Tiffy and Leon develop a budding friendship and soft romance through the use of post-it notes. I LOVE POST-IT NOTES. Over the course of a few months, readers were able to see their relationship unfold. I'm soft for this trope.

Synopsis:  After a bad breakup, Tiffy Moore needs a place to live. Fast. And cheap. But the apartments in her budget have her wondering if astonishingly colored mold on the walls counts as art. Desperation makes her open minded, so she answers an ad for a flatshare. Leon, a night shift worker, will take the apartment during the day, and Tiffy can have it nights and weekends. He’ll only ever be there when she’s at the office. In fact, they’ll never even have to meet.

Have I convinced you yet? What are some of your favorite tropes?

Happy Reading!