If you’re after some romance novel tropes to base your next story off, you’re in luck. Today I’ll share ones our best-selling authors have used in the 1,400+ books we’ve released.
Some romance tropes include:
- Accidental marriage.
- Secret baby.
- Enemies-to-lovers.
- Plus size love.
- Unlikely couple.
- And the like.
I share a lot more below, as well as what they entail.
Before we start, please note that the descriptions for each of the below tropes is the path they typically follow, but variations are always being written. Don’t feel you have the stick to the below exactly, more use them as inspiration for your writing (or book finding if you’re a reader).
A Romance Book Tropes List
Here’s a list of popular romance book tropes and what they involve. You can often find one or more in each story.
- Accidental marriage.
- How can you accidentally get married, I hear you ask? Well, the couples in these stories find a way! Maybe it was on a drunken night in Vegas, or they think they’re acting a marriage scene in a film but it turns out to be legally binding.
- Age gap.
- Where the love interests have a notable age gap between them. For example, a woman in her 40s, and a man in his 20s.
- Alpha male.
- In the Alpha male trope, the MMC (male main character) is a strong, dominant male. A real man’s man.
- Arranged baby.
- When the main characters have a baby for a reason other than love. Maybe they need to do it to unite a kingdom, or to give the man an heir. Usually they end up falling in love along the way.
- Arranged marriage.
- Similar to arranged baby books, the main couple get married for reasons other than love. Maybe an inheritance gets unlocked only if the FMC (female main character) is wed by the time they’re 30, or they marry to portray a billionaire playboy as having turned his life around.
- Bad boy.
- Let’s just say, the male lead isn’t the kind of guy you’d want to bring home to your mum. His bad boy nature does make him super irresistible though.
- BDSM.
- Stories that involve BDSM at their core. Expect domination, bondage and more.
- Bear shifter.
- A subtrope of paranormal romance. In bear shifter stories specifically, one or more of the main characters can change into a bear. Usually the man.
- Biker.
- Love a guy looking rough and ready in his biker cut, tattoos, and powerful bike between his legs? Then you’ll love biker romance stories!
- Billionaire.
- “A million dollars isn’t cool – a billion is”. Features characters with more money than most would know what to do with. Often it’s the guy who’s a billionaire.
- Black baby.
- In the black baby romance trope, a Black woman gets pregnant with a Black man. For some reason the baby’s father leaves the picture when the woman is still pregnant, and a man of another race gets with the woman and raises the baby as his own.
- Bull shifter.
- A paranormal romance where the MMC or MFC can change into a bull.
- BWAM.
- BWAM stands for Black Woman, Asian Man. Where the female main character is of Black descent, and the guy is East Asian (e.g. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai etc).
- BWWM.
- BWWM is short for Black Woman, White Man, and features main characters of this type. This genre is sometimes also called WMBW (White Man, Black Woman).
- Childhood sweethearts.
- A romance trope where the main characters fell for each other when they were younger. The story normally takes place when they’re older. In some stories they’ve stayed together since the beginning, but often they drift apart and are then reconnected somehow. The latter is also known as a ‘second chance’ romance.
- Cowboy.
- In these stories, the male main character is usually a cowboy. He could be actively working on a ranch, or have done so previously. He may even own the ranch.
- Dance romance.
- A trope where dance is heavily featured as a key component to the story. There have been popular stories written around ballet, street dance and more, but you can use any kind of dance you like.
- Dragon shifter.
- One or both of the characters, but usually the male only, can change into a dragon. Nice.
- European man.
- The male main character is from Europe. The story can either take place in a European country, or anywhere else in the world.
- English man.
- A romance book where the main male character is English. He can be based in England, or he can be in another country for some reason.
- Fairy.
- A romantasy or paranormal romance subtrope, with this one having the FMC as a fairy. In some cases, the MMC is the fairy.
- Fake boyfriend.
- Where the main female character pretends to be in a relationship with a man, usually for a reason that’s mutually beneficial to both parties. They usually end up genuinely falling in love.
- Fake girlfriend.
- A trope where a man gets a woman to act as his girlfriend, even though they’re not really dating. At some point in the story they learn to like each other for real.
- Fake marriage.
- When the main couple pretend to be married for whatever reason. Maybe they need to portray a certain image, or maybe they do it to change their identity. Often they fall for each other and get married for real by the end of the book.
- Fake relationship.
- Similar to fake marriage books, but this time they pretend to be in a relationship, not pretend to get married.
- Fireman.
- The male main character is a fireman. The female main character can also be a fireperson, but that’s not as common in this trope.
- Forbidden love.
- The couple is forbidden to be together for some reason. Maybe their families are enemies, e.g. Romeo and Juliet. Or maybe their families are business rivals. But either way, they can’t keep away from each other. Usually they meet in secret, until their relationship is exposed and eventually becomes acceptable due to rule or mentality changes.
- French man.
- As you may have guessed, the MMC of this story is French. They may or may not live in France, but expect the woman to be suitably seduced when he says a line in the ‘language of love’.
- Ghost.
- One of the main characters, usually the man, is a ghost. He could be a haunted spirit, who can’t cross over to the other side before he’s kept his woman safe. Or maybe he’s a lingering presence in a house the woman moves into, and she helps him find peace. Oh yer, and they fall in love along the way.
- Harem.
- A story where instead of the main male character picking one partner to spend his life with, he openly chooses two or more women to be with. These women know he’s seeing other people too. Unlike in threesome stories, intimate moments aren’t usually shared between all parties at the same time.
- Hockey romance.
- Hockey culture is a central theme in this trope, with either one or both of the main characters involved in some way. For example, the FMC may be a hockey player, and the male may be her manager or a talent scout. Typically the man is the hockey player though.
- Italian man.
- The main male character has Italian roots. Sometimes the story is set in Italy, for example the female main character may visit there on holiday. Other times it’s set in another country such as America, and he has a business or is working there.
- Jewish.
- In this type of story, one or both of the love interests are Jewish. Made to be relatable to people of the Jewish culture.
- Lion shifter.
- This trope has a main character that can shift into a lion. Sometimes both characters can be lion shifters, but usually it’s only the man.
- Love triangle.
- Either two men, or two women, or even a man and a woman, fall for the same person. The person with all the attention likes both of their admirers, but who will they choose?
- Mafia.
- The mafia romance trope follows a character that’s involved with the mafia in some way. They tend to be either part of the mafia themselves, or they have dealings with them. Their love interest may or may not be involved with the mafia, but often gets dragged into a dangerous situation.
- Marriage of convenience.
- A couple get married not because of love, but out of convenience. For example, maybe it’s to unite two different kingdoms. Or maybe it’s to secure a business deal. The couple end up falling in love for real.
- Marriage.
- A common romance book trope. Marriage romance books usually show a couple getting to know each other and then getting married. The wedding is shown in the book. That said, some start these stories with a couple that’s already married, and explore how they handle this stage of their relationship; ups and downs included.
- Medical.
- Stories where one or both of the romantic pairing is in the medical profession. For example, maybe she’s a surgeon who operates on him and they fall in love. Or maybe they’re both doctors who meet on the job and fall for each other.
- Millionaire.
- The millionaire trope is where one, or both, of the love interests have a net worth of a million dollars or more. Often it’s the man.
- Muslim.
- Romance books where the lead couple are Muslim. The love is explored in a way that can be relatable to other Muslims.
- Older man younger woman.
- A style of romance where the man is noticeably older than the woman.
- Older woman younger man.
- In ‘older woman/younger man’ romances, the woman is notably older than the man.
- Online dating.
- A more modern trope. Instead of meeting randomly at an event or in passing, the couple meet each other via online dating.
- Over 40s.
- The main romantic couples in this trope are in their 40s.
- Over 50s.
- The key characteristics in over 50 romance books are the couple being in their 50s. So between 50 and 59 years old.
- Over 60s.
- Who says you can’t find new love as a pensioner? Involves a couple who are aged 60 or over.
- Plus size.
- We’ve had plenty of best-sellers using this trope. Stories where one or more of the main characters are plus size. If it’s a woman, she’s often referred to as a BBW (big beautiful woman). If it’s a man, he can be referred to as a BHM (big handsome man).
- Pregnancy of convenience.
- Instead of making a baby because they love each other, in this trope they have a baby together due to a common goal. For example, the man wants an heir to his wealth, but doesn’t want a partner. So he pays a woman to have his baby. The couple ends up falling in love and raising the child together in the end.
- Pregnancy romance.
- Pregnancy is another common romance book trope. This style of romance has a woman getting pregnant. Sometimes this pregnancy is planned, other times it’s accidental. You follow the couple during the woman’s pregnancy, all through to, and including, the birth of the child. Or children.
- Quadruplets pregnancy.
- What’s better than having one baby? Having four babies in the same pregnancy, of course! The quadruplets pregnancy trope has a woman getting pregnant with quads. Sometimes it’s a natural pregnancy. Other times, the quads come after artificial insemination.
- Rags to riches.
- Where the MMC or FMC started out with very little money, but went on to have lots of money. You see how this impacts their relationship, for better or for worse.
- Reverse harem.
- The opposite of harem books. With reverse harem stories, the main female character has multiple men interested in her. Two or more. But instead of choosing just one, she’s with as many of them as she wants. She doesn’t cheat, they know she is seeing other men.
- Royalty.
- Typically where one, or sometimes both, of the main characters are royalty. This could be a Prince, a Queen, or any other royal family member. Sometimes though, neither of the couple are royalty, but there’s a royal theme to the book. For example, the main woman could work closely with a royal family.
- Russian man.
- The main male is Russian, the woman is not. Also, Russian romances are sometimes linked with mafia romances.
- Second chance.
- Second chance romances star a couple who were previously romantically involved, but for some reason they split up. Now, in future, they have a second chance of getting back together.
- Secret baby.
- Falling pregnant when you’re not supposed to is a big no-no. So what do you do? Keep the baby a secret of course! It could be a secret from your family, or from your workplace. Probably best not to keep it a secret from the child’s other parent though…
- Secret marriage.
- In traditional marriage romance tropes, an in-love couple usually sings about their marriage from the rooftops. In secret marriage stories however, they keep their holy union a secret from most, if not all of, the world. Usually by the end of the story their marriage is revealed, and things work out well.
- Shifter.
- Stars a main character, usually the male, who can shift into another form. Initially he’s human, or humanoid. But he can turn into some kind of animal or creature. Typically they can shift at will, but sometimes there’s less control with the process. Popular shifter tropes include wolf shifter, dragon shifter, and bear shifter.
- Single parent.
- One or both of the lead characters are a single parent. For example, a man with twins, or a woman with a son. These stories explore forming a romantic relationship with kids in the picture.
- Small town.
- Rather than being set in a big city, these romances are set in a small town. Either one of the romantic interests tends to live there, or both are visiting on a vacation. Or for business reasons.
- Sports romance.
- Sports romance stories are as varied as the number of sports there are; and then some! Hockey romance is probably the most popular of the sport themed tropes, with football also having a good reader base.
- Surrogate pregnancy.
- There are two main paths the surrogacy trope usually goes. First, the man, usually a well off one, wants a baby. He doesn’t want a partner though, so he goes the surrogacy route. They fall in love along the way. The other popular path is having a couple who can’t or won’t have a child together, so they hire a surrogate. The couple split up, and the surrogate and the man become an item and raise the child together.
- Swedish man.
- You guessed it, the lead man is Swedish. While the story can be based in Sweden, it doesn’t have to be.
- Teen.
- Like Yong Adult romance books, in teen romances, much of the cast are teenagers. The MMC and FMC are also teens.
- Threesome.
- When a couple isn’t enough, an extra body is added! Features three people who all get physical at the same time. Sometimes the attention of two people is only on one person, sometimes they all give each other attention.
- Tiger shifter.
- A subtrope of the paranormal romance subgenre, this one featuring a human character that can turn into a tiger and back.
- Triplets pregnancy.
- The main female character gets pregnant with triplets, and has to navigate this with her partner. I mean, she’s going to have to come to terms with one hell of a baby bump!
- Twins pregnancy.
- When triples or quads are two much, maybe try a twin pregnancy romance. Will the twins be identical? Can the couple afford to have two babies? So many potential paths for this kind of story.
- Unlikely bride.
- In unlikely bride romances, a woman who most assumed wouldn’t get married, gets married! She also didn’t think she’d get married, but by the end she loves her marriage.
- Unlikely couple.
- Sometimes, a couple just suits each other perfectly. Other times, they’re the total opposite and no one would put them together in a million years. But somehow, they just work. This is what you’ll find in an unlikely couple romance.
- Vacation.
- The vacation trope is a classic. The main couple meet each other while one or both of them are on vacation. What starts out as fun soon turns into deep feelings for each other. After having a great time together, the vacation ends, or is near its end. Distance is a natural barrier, but they find a way to make their relationship last.
- Vampire.
- While vampire romances have been around for a while, they were really made popular by the Twilight series and film. Typically features the lead male as a vampire, though sometimes the lead female is too. Or she gets bitten and turned into one during the story.
- Werecat shifter.
- A spin on the more common shifter romance tropes, someone once decided to make a werecat shifter. Usually a jaguar or panther, but can be any kind of big cat.
- Werewolf shifter.
- A story featuring probably the most popular shifter kind: A human that can shift into a wolf! The shifter is usually a man that falls in love with a human woman.
- Whirlwind romance.
- Another classic romance book trope. Forget getting to know each other for months before falling in love, couples in whirlwind romances fall in love and get married in a matter of weeks or days. Yes, this is romance in the fast lane!
- White couple.
- While romance books featuring white main characters isn’t really seen as a trope in the western world, in some places it is. That said, most just classify this in the contemporary romance subgenre, especially if it’s set in a modern time.
- Widow.
- A tale of a woman re-finding love after her previous partner dies. Usually there’s a period of mourning, which isn’t always shown in the story. Next there’s a period of being romantically alone, and then finally rediscovering love after she thought she’d never love again.
- Widower.
- The story of a previously married man who lost his partner. This trope explores how he is living after his dead wife, and his path to accepting a new love interest into his life.
Are There Other Romance Tropes?
Yep, this list isn’t even close to covering all romance tropes. There are thousands of tropes that can be used in romance novels, from the very common, to the more obscure. Some will be big show-off tropes, while others will be more subtle.
Either way, if you’re a writer, I hope the above list gave you some good ideas for your future unforgettable story. Along with genres and subgenres, having a clear trope can really help you map out your story.
If you’re a reader who thinks some of the above tropes sound like interesting reads, feel free to browse this Romancely website for examples. We’ve free romance stories spanning many different tropes.