Romance Trends, Tropes, and Themes that I Do Like

I recently made a post about romance trends, tropes, and themes that I don't like. I figured that to balance that out, I should make a post sharing those that I do like! While we're past Valentine's Day, and February is over, I think we can celebrate romance and love all year round, including the awesome love and romance books that captivate and entertain us.


Disclaimer: My opinions shift around a lot. What I love today, I might hate a few months from now. Also, just because I mention a certain trend, trope, or theme, doesn't mean that books without these trends, tropes, and themes are somehow lesser. I love, and have loved, many books that don't feature any of the following!

Diversity 

 I love reading books with diverse or minority characters! I especially love it when a book contains characters of all different skin colours, genders, and sexualities. I love seeing books that take a step away from the general, heterosexual, white, perfect-body romances. Of course I enjoy many books that aren't diverse, but it's exciting to see a bigger selection of different kinds of romances and characters!

Polyamory

 

 I've been reading more books featuring polyamorous romance and I love it! I've always thought that its weird that everyone can love multiple siblings or friends or parents, but we act like its strange to love more than one person romantically. I love reading about groups of people who love each other. The Hostage Bargain is the first book in a series about one woman and her three lovers, and its often very sweet and I love it!

Paranormal romance

I love a good contemporary romance, but paranormal romance holds a special place in my heart. I enjoy reading about romantic tension, but I also love vampires. Put those two things together into a good paranormal romance and you've got me satisfied. 

Enemies to Lovers

I like books where the main characters start out as enemies of some kind, but end up in love. I think the journey from hating each other, to loving each other can be beautiful, scary, exciting, and hopeful. 

Dark Romance

 

Dark romance is my guilty pleasure! I love romances that take place in dark situations, with less-than-moral characters and taboo themes. Some people might find themselves upset by the content in these books (which is fine, we all have our limits) but I like the way that these books take me out of the real world, out of my values and beliefs, and take me to a purely fantasy world, even if the setting is simply contemporary. A great example is Captive in the Dark. 

So what do you think of these trends, tropes, and themes? Are you also a fan of any of them? 

Happy reading, everyone!