There’s something undeniably captivating about two characters who start off hating each other—only to find themselves united by a common goal. As they navigate their differences, sparks fly, and by the end, they find themselves crazy, madly, deeply in love.
This is an example of the Enemies to Lovers trope. A trope is essentially a recurring theme or motif in storytelling. Tropes are different to genre such as crime, mystery and romance. Romance even has sub genres such as historical romance, romantic fantacy and the ones I love to write - Romantic Suspense and Romantic Comedy.
In my book Escape Mission, this dynamic plays out beautifully between my heroine, Zena, and her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Blade. Trapped together in an abandoned diamond mine, their initial animosity gives way to a thrilling journey of trust and unexpected chemistry. Their sharp, angsty banter keeps the tension high, making every moment between them electric.
What about the Fake Identity trope? This one is a delightful twist on romance! As the name suggests, one of the characters—usually the heroine—pretends to be someone she isn’t. In my series Stilettos and Secrets, plain Jane, dons a sexy disguise and adopts the name Memphis to re-enter the dating world after her disastrous engagement shattered her faith in love.
However, things quickly spiral out of control when some of the men she likes come back for more, leaving her with one teeny, little, MAMMOTH problem: they don’t know her true identity, not even her real name!
Dive into Touch Me, book 1 of the Stilettos and Secrets series, where you’ll find forbidden steamy moments, hilarious banter, and a heroine on a journey to rediscover self-love.
Tropes are fantastic because they provide a familiar framework, allowing you to dive into a book knowing some of the journey that awaits you. I hope this exploration of romance tropes has clarified their appeal and offered you some great examples along the way.
Curious to learn about more tropes? Head on over to my FAQs where I answer lots of questions.