Book tropes have become a topic of immense popularity. For those who may not know, book tropes are essentially themes in a written piece of work, and they can sometimes be confused as genres. Whereas a genre could be fiction, nonfiction or mystery, a popular book trope might be forbidden love. Book tropes can be found in a variety of genres, but they are often most recognizable in romance books. Other examples of book tropes could include opposites attract, love triangles, friends to lovers and so much more.
Since the emergence of #booktok, book tropes have become a huge topic among readers. Readers on TikTok are now following popular trends discussing why they do or don’t like certain tropes as well as their favorite books that fall into each category.
Below are just a few book tropes we all love (at least I know I do):
Enemies to Lovers
Enemies to lovers is a classic book trope. If you’ve ever read a book where two characters start off as enemies, absolutely hating each other, and then end up in love, then you’ve read this trope! Normally, throughout an “enemies to lovers” book, something happens that allows the characters to truly get to know one another and see past their initial judgments.
Popular enemies to lovers books:
- Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
- The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
- Twisted Hate by Ana Huang
Grumpy vs. Sunshine
Grumpy vs. sunshine is another book trope trending on TikTok right now. In this trope, a grumpy, broody character is met with an upbeat, positive character. Over the course of the story, the two personalities end up finding common ground and falling in love.
Popular grumpy vs. sunshine books:
- The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
- The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
- The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Fake Relationship/Fauxmance
Fake dating is one of my all-time favorite book tropes. This troupe follows two main characters who, at first, don’t really have any connection to one another. However, their worlds soon cross as the two begin a fake relationship for their own benefit, ultimately falling in love with one another throughout the process. For anyone who ever watched Bridgerton season 1, the Duke and Daphne are a prime example of this trope.
Popular fauxmance books:
- The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
- To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
- The Deal by Elle Kennedy
Although I only listed three popular book tropes, there is a vast number more. Every book trope is unique in its own way, and every trope has its own audience. No one is going to be a fan of every trope, and that is perfectly okay. But, it’s always fun to reach out of one’s comfort zone, and what better way to do so than reading a book trope you’ve never read before?