Romance Novel Plots

Your one-stop shopping list for Romance Novel plots and complications!

Although some existing tropes like Magnificent Bastard may fit here as well.

• The Bet (a weird version of Meet Cute)
• Long Lost Love ("Billy? Is that you?")
  • "New Old Flame" connected to a "Meet Cute"
• Handsome/Lovely Adversary ("She's gorgeous, I hate her")
  • Alpha Bitch
  • Millionaire Playboy
  • Reformed Rakes
  • Temporary Love Interest
• The Billet-Doux
  • Love Letter Lunacy
• The Angry Outburst
  • The Masochism Tango which leads to an Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other.
• Pressure From Above
  • Arranged Marriage
    • Altar Diplomacy ("You will marry Princess Lucky, so you better get used to the idea!")
  • Parent ex Machina
  • Parental Marriage Veto
• Star-Crossed Lovers ("Never was a tale of such woe...")
  • Love Hurts
• Ungentlemanly/Unladylike Behavior
  • Love at First Punch
  • Mistaken for Cheating
• Case of Nerves
  • Love Makes You Dumb
• The Big Decision
• Disaster!
• The Chase (oddly enough, a version of The Chase)
• On a Pedestal
  • Beautiful All Along
• Dont Let Him/Her Get Away!
  • Race for Your Love
• Disapproving Authority Figure
  • Parent ex Machina
• Two of a Kind
  • Birds of a Feather
• Sub Rosa
• The One
• Furious Attraction
  • Belligerent Sexual Tension
  • Slap-Slap-Kiss
• The Unknown Child
• Neutral Party with Words of Wisdom (a type of messenger)
• The Old One Who Knows But Aint Sayin (another messenger, possibly a Secret-Keeper)
• Girl/Boy Next Door
  • She Is All Grown Up
• Mistakenly Overheard Conversation
  • Three Is Company, romance novel style
  • Mistaken for Cheating
• Sweet Nothings (Pillow Talk)
• Right Under Your Nose (Stop chasing the Duke; the stableboy has a nobler soul)
• Mysterious Past (Why did he leave London?)
  • A Backstory version of Forbidden Fruit
• Forget It and Run!
• Opposites Attract
• The Perfect Gift (a romantic Golden Snitch?)
• The Imperfect Gift
  • Redundant Romance Attempt: Acting out of character to impress a love interest who likes your true personality.
• The Ugly Duckling
  • Beautiful All Along
  • Hollywood Homely
  • Hot Librarian
• The "Near Mrs."
  • New Old Flame (May I introduce you to my... good friend?)
  • Like Brother and Sister
• Love Triangle
  • Betty and Veronica
  • Betty and Veronica Switch
  • Friends Turned Romantic Rivals
  • The Gentleman or the Scoundrel
  • Muggle and Magical Love Triangle
  • Rich Suitor, Poor Suitor
• His/Her "True Nature"
• Self-Conscious About Best Feature
  • Beautiful All Along
  • Hollywood Homely
• One Who Intercedes (a Secret-Keeper who is more active, like the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet)
• Mindlink Mates
• December–December Romance (or alternatively Grow Old with Me)
• My Secret Pregnancy (category romances signal this trope with the phrase "secret baby" in the title)
• No Loves Intersect
• Love Letter
  • Obsessive Love Letter
• Marriage of Convenience as a plot device, will either be Marriage Before Romance or causing either party to want somebody else really badly.
• Summer Romance

See also Romance Arc.

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