Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a community of bloggers all create posts around a common theme. Everyone is welcome to get involved. Feel free to join in!
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Today’s topic is: All About Romance Tropes/Types
I love novels with romantic elements to them. My stomach fills with warm-fuzzies and my face relaxes into a smile. I’m a huge romantic, always have been, always will be. (Heck, my husband proposed with Pride and Prejudice!). I also love romance novels. I thoroughly enjoy a story that revolves completely around a romantic relationship. I have no shame in that. Whether it is sweet or smutty, it can be a fun, entertaining read (which is the main reason why I read).
There are a few tropes I can’t stand – the love-triangle being one of them. It always feels so unfair to me. Also, insta-love. Sorry, guys, if that’s your jam. I like a slow-burn so much more. I love the hate-to-love and best-friend-to-love tropes so much.
That said, here are my top ten hate-to-love romances!
1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy can’t stand each other at first. And I adore how they continually misread the situation and each other. This novel (and recent adaptations like Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld), always makes me smile.
2. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Feyre and Rhysand. I thoroughly enjoyed the build to their relationship. Despite the touchy subject of him being her captor (kind-of?), I loved the sexual tension between them (and the fruit of that tension!).
3. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
While this isn’t strictly hate…Eleanor was the weird, different kid that Park didn’t want anything to with, at first. I think it fits. Plus, this book is simply lovely, so needs to be on another list of mine.
4. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
This book was my be all and end all in high school. It is an Gold-rush adaptation of the biblical story of Hosea, a man who married a prostitute and continually welcomed her home each time she left him to go back to her old life. Eventually, she loved him back.
5. Circle of Honor by Carol Umberger
Another favourite from when I was in high school and in my Christian fiction phase. But this story is an enjoyable romance full of tropes. Gwenyth and Adam are forced to marry. They hate each other for various reasons, but eventually fall in love. It’s soft and fluffy and can be read in one sitting.
6. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Not necessarily hate, but definitely unable to trust one another at the beginning, Scarlet and Wolf learn to love one another. Meyer uses a lot of wonderfully fun tropes in The Lunar Chronicles series.
7. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Anne and Gilbert. Need I say more?
8. The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Mass
This collection of novella’s about Celaena’s orgin (and first love) are really fun. I really liked Sam…
Having trouble remembering which books could be on this list, I started checking out other lists. And found some books that are on my TBR, thus making me even more eager to read them.
9. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
It’s sitting on my shelf after being heartily recommended by my friend Erica.
10. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
I got both of the books in this duology for Christmas and I’m so excited to read them. They are coming up soon!
Larkin @ Wonderfilled Reads says:
Yes, I always love a good love-to-hate romance! It’s probably my favorite! 🙂
Trisha says:
If it’s done well, you can’t go wrong. 🙂
Jo says:
Awww Sam……my heart is breaking a little!
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/14/top-ten-tuesday-96/
Trisha says:
Right!? His storyline is so wonderful and so sad.
Olivia Roach says:
I’ve only read two of the ten romances you mention here. I have to admit, I am not a fan of Pride and Prejudice. I really don’t like the way they turned around the romance too quickly? I found it a bit unrealistic. Mostly in terms of Mr. Darcy’s personality. However, I did love the romance between Scarlet and Wolf. They’re actually my fave couple in the Lunar Chronicles!