I was thinking it might be useful if we could talk about some of our favorite and least favorite tropes in contemporary romance, and then we can start a new topic per trope and talk about favorite (and reviled) books within that trope. That way, if anyone's looking for recommendations for a type of book you like, you could just go to that topic and read up on what others enjoy and what to avoid.

Sounds fun, right? Me, I'm a sucker for a good friends-to-lovers tale.

I love friends to lovers. I agree about the makeovers and zombie apocalypses. I want them to fall in love just because, not as a last resort. I don't mind quite so much if jealousy makes them wake up and realize their feelings, as long as they recognize those feelings were always there and they've been ignoring them.

My other favorites are big-brother's-best-friend/best-friend's-big-brother, second chances and opposites. I like my second chances to not have a big gap, though and my I prefer it if the opposites are comedies rather than angsty. I read a lot of romantic suspense so I guess I like rescues as well.

There are some I'm getting tired of. The erotic romantic suspense books almost always have a stalker ex after the heroine. I know it happens but these books make it seem like half the men in America are stalking someone.

I also find it amusing when another writes a series with one book each including every major trope. I think they sometimes make a checklist before starting.

Reply to post #2 (show post):
Love a good friends to lovers trope...and hate it for all the reasons mentioned.

Another favorite trope is second chance love. I agree it cant be too long of a gap. And if there is a long gap, they can't resolve everything in an hour and end up in love again without hashing out what went wrong the first time.

The 'enemies' to lovers trope is another fun one. Usually these lead to good witty banter back and forth.

My least fave is the secret baby trope.

Reply to post #2 (show post):
I agree about makeovers and zombies. In fact, I think "No Zombies" might be a hard limit for me. I'm trying to think if there's ever been a makeover book I enjoyed, and I can't think of any, and the only makeover movie I ever liked was "Simply Ballroom" -- but that's so campy and fun, I love it despite and not because of the makeover. -But I don't think I have any strong opinions about the length of the gap of time in a second chance romance, but I care very much about what happens *during* the gap. Eloisa James' The Ugly Duchess (not a contemporary), and Ruthie Knox's contemporary novella "Room at the Inn" are both recent reads where the hero did a lot of catting around during the gap while the heroine sat at home and had herself a sad, and I was turned off by both. I think I'd have been more okay with the infidelity if the heroine were also catting around, but alas, they were kind of doormats.

Reply to post #6 (show post):
That leads me to the other trope I don't like much; the manwhore and the innocent. Men are always painted as having all this experience then the heroine has none. But as soon as she gets with him, she's doing every kinky thing under the sun after 1 encounter without any timidity at all.

I just thought of one that drives me crazy. Not a trope, maybe but a theme that turns up in a lot of romances and that is the "I'm not good enough for you" thing. It drives me bonkers when one or the other or both pushes away with that as an excuse. Also heroes who push the heroine away because they are "too much of a bad boy" for her, especially when, in my opinion, they aren't bad boys at all.

Reply to post #9 (show post):
I read one last week that the hero had this problem and the heroine called him a "pussy" and told him to get his act together. *applause*

Reply to post #7 (show post):
Urgh! I hate that too. That is the flip side of the bad boy who isn't really bad.

Reply to post #9 (show post):
Exactly! It also makes me think the hero is emo when he does that.

Reply to post #10 (show post):
That is awesome! What book was it?

Reply to post #13 (show post):
Safe With Me by Kristen Proby

Reply to post #14 (show post):
Yay! I have not started that series yet. I have it in my TBR so I have it to look forward to.