five specific romantic tropes that deserve better

Hello, friends!

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day here in Brazil, so HAPPY EARLY VALENTINE’S! Yes, unlike the rest of the world, we don’t actually celebrate Valentine’s on February 14th, but rather on June 12th, to honor Saint Anthony, who’s known as the match-maker saint.

And it’s in this love-doey spirit, that I present to you today’s list of my *hyper-specific* favorite romantic tropes that I want to see more of in fiction!

FIVE. PERSON A TALKING ABOUT PERSON B TO PERSON C

Oh God. It doesn’t get more specific than this, huh?

But, honestly, the way in which characters are more honest about their feelings when they’re with other people than with their *actual* loved one is actually pretty realistic!

I, too, am a lot nicer about my mom when I’m not talking TO my mom, you know?

That’s definitely why I love a good counseling/therapy scene. Those were some of the most awkward, but also fascinating moments to read in Love Her or Lose Her because these characters opened up more to strangers than to each other and it was just beautiful to watch.

FOUR. HURT/COMFORT

Not to go 100% my AO3 history here, I looooove myself a good hurt/comfort story. The angst, the softness, it’s all there and it’s beautiful?

When I picked up Snowflake by Nia Forrester, I was counting on having more of this trope. Mostly because the synopsis suggested that Kaleem, one of our protagonists who’s a runner, had gotten himself injured, and I totally expected to see him being the grumpy, hurt one while our other protagonist, Asha, takes care of him as he softens.

That’s not what happens at all and it was the biggest disappointment of LIFE. Seriously.

THREE. SWAPPING CLOTHES

This is just simply a superior trope. That’s it.

Only Mostly Devastated possibly has one of my favorite scenes ever written, which is when Ollie and Will sneak out of the diner and Will asks to see Ollie in his varsity jacket.

HE ASKS TO SEE IT. AND THEN TAKES A PICTURE. AND THEN TELLS HIM HE WISHES OLLIE COULD WEAR IT IN PUBLIC. I die every time I think about it.

this is me having a mental breakdown at this scene when i re-read it

It was just…… beautiful, really. Like, equally heart-warming and sexy, if that’s even possible? Anyway. Give me more of this, I beg you.

TWO. LOVERS TO ENEMIES TO LOVERS

Enemies to lovers has NOTHING on lovers > enemies > lovers. It’s the best transition in the whole wide world.

It’s always connected with the second chance romance trope, which is one of my favorites, but it has the added angst of now these two characters after breakup becoming “known” enemies and joining opposite sides.

You can always count that is going to be angsty af, which is the best you could wish for.

Nina and Matthias are probably the most popular example for this one. However, recently I also finished May The Best Man Win and I can attest that it DELIVERS.

ONE. TALL GIRL X SHORT GUY

We need to end the “tall guy x short girl” narrative. It’s old, outdated and deeply rooted in sexism.

Okay, jk.

If that’s your thing, then go for it! But it makes me sad to see how little rep we have for tall girls dating short guys or fat girls dating skinny guys. It’s a trope that makes me go feral every time I think about it.

Book-wise, the only couple that fits the trope that I remember was Sakshi and Perry, who were a minor side couple in Her Royal Highness. I still wait for the day Rachel Hawkins will give them the spin-off novella that they deserve.

Let’s talk about romantic tropes in the comments! Which one is your favorite? Do you have a hyper specific one that you’re obsessed with? Let me know!