Category Archives: tropes

I’m Not a Fan of the Fated Mates Trope

Could you resist the pull of someone who was fated to be in your life? Would you want to? Well, it wouldn’t really be up to you, would it?

As romance readers, we all have our most and least favourite tropes, and I’ve been exploring mine in the hopes of working out exactly what I like when it comes to romance. One of my least favourite tropes is Fated Mates. Often found in romances with shifters—beings who can change into more than one form—the fated mates tropes has both intriguing and unsatisfying qualities, and I will discuss both in this post.

I Don’t Like the Forbidden Love Trope (and here’s why)

As an avid romance reader, I’ve encountered my fair share of tropes. I’m definitely in tune with my tastes and aware of what I usually do and do not like. A trope is not inherently bad, but as with everything in life, I prefer certain tropes over others. Though a favourite for many, I look at the forbidden love trope and often feel disappointed. Can I really ship them when they might be siblings? When their age gap is huge? When the power dynamics are questionable? When they’re from different species?

Trope Spotlight: What is Enemies-to-Lovers?

Enemies-to-lovers is possibly one of the most popular tropes in the romance genre. As an umbrella term for a few other sub-tropes, it also encompasses other romance tropes that lend very well to tense scenes between two rivals whose attraction to one another is undeniable. Thanks to the versatility and drama, it takes the top spot as my absolute favourite trope.