Really specific one I love: characters discover their future selves/themselves in a parallel universe are in love and now they don't know what to do because they never thought of each other THAT way. The Good Place was basically my crack because Chidi and Eleanor kept discovering they had been in love in another reboot and then grappling with that revelation over and over again.
I imagine this is because teen romances are aimed at teens and teens all think they're more mature than they are and could definitely have an older partner because they're so much more mature than people their own age.
Everyone saying enemies to lovers...good taste
I reallyyy like hurt/comfort...not too much angst, just enough to be cathartic. Also, my friend described my ship taste as "good people in love, with similar goals"? Not a specific trope at all, but it sounds really sweet. What if the heroes held hands
I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers, childhood friends, fated pair, first love as last love, and mutual pining where everyone knows their feelings but the two of them (it's frustrating but funny). I love happy ever afters because stories like that make me so warm, and that's what I want whenever I read romantic stuff. Oh, I also have a weird soft spot for stories where the couple are rommates (either cohabitation, simply started as roommates, or if they somehow end up with the living arrangement).
Also also (my list is huge) I'm such a sucker from tall dark and grump but actually soft underneath accidentally falling for loud, bright and dorky but actually a bastard (in a good way) underneath couples.
It wasn't until this forum actually that I learned the difference between things like a love story and a romance, tbh. I never really thought about the differences. But, if I'm going to commit time into two characters' relationship I'd better get a HEA or HFN.
Me too. I also have discovered that I was reared on General Fiction, lol, when I thought it was all romances. I mean, hey, Crime and Punishment is romance by that definition because they end up together, while something as exquisitely romantic as Bodyguard is not.
I think you're right, for sure. Looking at these stories from an adult perspective, I'll be like "You're 12... why are you so worried about this?" Even looking at the older partners, they have no problem with the age difference. IRL, pretty much everyone who is younger than me, even if they are super attractive, falls into the younger sibling basket when we meet, not potential romantic partner.
1. Enemies to lovers.
2. Soul Mates/ Stuck together.
3. The jolly and the shy.
Ah. I can't resist anything with these.
I don't know wtf this trope is called but
"aloof hard-ass but their love interest cracks through their tough shell and then they reach another plane of understanding each other"
I really love enemies to lovers. I am also a big fan of caretaking romance. Like one character is either injured, or psychology messed up or something, and the other person is caring for them and trying to heal them while also in love with them.
Also a fan of bdsm romances too, with either gender playing either role. Though in most cases the woman is the more sadistic/dangerous/monstrous one. I don't know why, but I prefer women in the monstrous role usually.
Two of my characters are basically the "completely unaware that they're basically a couple" type. I had to "break them up" temporarily for the sake of character growth but they're still pretty much a couple and everyone knows it but them.
Two lovers reincarnated that remember each other and their memories when they meet. Bonus points if they've remembered several past lives to imply that this love is strong and timeless.
Also the classic "Monster X Human" pair. That's the good stuff
Adding onto this:
When the powerful god-like entity not only falls in love with a human, but would harvest souls, devour entire worlds, and break the fabric of time in their honor. Honestly, you can swap out "human" with "being" if you're doing non-human characters. But either way, I'll eat that shit up.
Bonus BONUS points if it's cosmic horror romance >w>
Alternatively, I love it when all powerful god-like entities have to scramble because they fell in love with a sweet but dumb human who gets into danger 24/7.
Although I'm not usaully keen on reading romance, I do freakin love this trope. I don't know what it's called, but it's like:
the rejected first offer because your man's still a huge dumbass - trope. very satisfying.
Love that I'm not the only one who enjoys monster x human pairings! I was a little hesitant to start posting my second novel because I wasn't sure how the monster x human romance angle would go over on tapas, but then I read some of Secunda and was like 'All right, monsters are a-ok!'
Enemies to lovers and any of its subtypes(?) - Enemies to friends to lovers, friends to enemies to lovers. I'm gonna say it rn bc i know someone's going to say it - the last one is catradora.
Do you know that trope in stories with alternate universes/time travel and it's basically "a is always in love with b, regardless of the timeline" because that is either the fluffiest thing or an angst galore, there is no in between, and that's why I love it.
"haha what an idiot" "wait, that's my idiot"
sunny, optimistic, babey x emo with a backstory who only trusts and opens up to one (1) person
mutual pining because both parties are insecure and don't think they deserve the other, extra points if it's a slow burn.
the trope where a has a dumb nickname for b and they never call b by their real name, up until B GETS CAPTURED/INJURED AND A SCREAMS B'S REAL NAME IN AN ACT OF DESPERATION. i call this "first name basis". bonus points if the interactions after are: "did you just call me by (real name)" "no, i have absolutely no idea what you're talking about"
finally, my absolute favorite. friends to lovers, the only reason why i considered continuing to write a story i hated
