Romance movies and novels are some of my favorite types of media to consume. Something about “everlasting love” really tugs on my heartstrings and keeps me coming back for more. But have you ever noticed how many different romance tropes are portrayed in movies, shows and books? A lot of them are very similar and you tend to pick up on them when you see them over and over! In honor of everlasting love, here are my personal favorite romance tropes found in the media.
- Enemies To Lovers
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A classic. Enemies to lovers is a very popular romance trope. From movies like 10 Things I Hate About You and book series like the A Court of Thorns and Roses. Something about the tension between the two characters and the power dynamic between them makes for a very interesting and steamy storyline.
- Slow Burn
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Ah, slow burn. My personal favorite. It is my favorite because the build up of the relationship and the feelings between the two characters is so fascinating. However, I only really enjoy the build up of the relationship and immediately become less interested when the two characters actually end up together. One of my favorite “slow burn” relationships is Chuck and Blair from Gossip Girl and Elio and Oliver from Call Me By Your Name.
- Marriage of Convenience
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This is a very niche trope in which the two love interests are marrying each other out of convenience rather than love. This one is a classic, especially in historical fiction and fantasy media. This trope is seen with Peeta and Katniss from The Hunger Games series, which is a personal favorite of mine.
- Abduction to Love
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Stockholm Syndrome is a very real and detrimental thing that can happen to those that have been kidnapped and we should not romanticize those who have experienced Stockholm Syndrome. With that being said, abduction to love in movies and literature is fairly common. It is a slight twist on the enemies-to-lovers trope and is completely fantasy so it is a well-liked trope. It is a trope found in well-known movies like Beauty and the Beast, Phantom of the Opera and 365 Days.
- Forced Proximity
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This romance trope is also often another variation of the enemies-to-lovers where the love interests are forced to be in close distance to each other, whether it is living together, being neighbors or being co-workers. There is always captivating tension between the love interests as they try to navigate their shared space together. My favorite romance novel that has this trope is The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary!