To explain a little about what this post will be about, every Trope Tuesday post starts with the same introduction. In every romance book you read there are tropes or archetypes you find inside its pages. You can also see them in shows, movies, plays, etc. Every type of entertainment and media. Romantic tropes are everywhere, and they are fabulous. I adore them and I always tend to find my favorite ones in romance books so I can enjoy them even more. Trope Tuesday is a weekly column where I share books that I know people will enjoy with a specific central trope.
What is a trope? Urban Dictionary explains it best: “Despite the erroneous definitions already published here, trope on the interwebs really refers to an often overused plot device. It can also be described as another variation on the same theme. TV shows, movies, comics, games, anime’, & books are full of tropes & many rabid fan-sites now name & track said tropes with a self-explanatory title for each one.” We can name a few: accidental pregnancy, best friends to lovers, sibling’s best friend, marriage of convenience, and so many more. Your favorite couples? They probably got a trope too! It’s always so nice to realize or find out your favorite romance trope and keep searching for books with the same theme. So really? I’m just helping you find that new favorite book of yours. If ever you want a post on a trope I haven’t done yet, do drop me a tweet at @thebookvoyagers and let me know!
“I want to read romance but not the abs-kinda-romance.” I’ve heard/read this statement soooo many times. And each time I read it, it makes me angrier. It tells me that people view romance as something to be ashamed of. Or that if you like reading the abs-kinda-romance books, you’re less than the people who read other genres. It continues to baffle me that this is the sentence that I’ve seen the most on Twitter when they ask for recommendations. And maybe this is one of the reasons illustrated covers have come back and now more people are reading romance novels without feeling a certain kind of something whenever they’re showing they’re reading them. Which okay, you do you, but don’t shame people who love abs on covers. We do love some abs here and I’m about to show you some very good abs on some very great stories. You ready?
Under His Protection by LaQuette
LaQuette is a powerhouse and Under His Protection has to be on your list. Look at that cover and tell me you’re not one bit interested in this book. Because I will be calling you a liar and that’d be the truth. Expect steam, mystery, longing, and action!
A second chance romance that will put your heart ready to go at full speed. Prosecutor Camden meets Elijah again after five years when he walked out on him. One wants a safe desk job, the other needs a babysitter. Neither are happy with the decision but that passion will ignite again between them and both of them won’t see it coming until they’re knocked out.
Toxic Desire by Robin Lovett
Who doesn’t want alien erotic romance? *crickets* Of course we all want this book and let me tell you that it’s a series so there are more with this same theme. Robin Lovett put everything we love inside a book: enemies, fighting for what you believe in, lots of sex, a romance that you won’t stop rooting for, accepting you’re wrong when you are indeed wrong, and a golden-armored skinned alien. You heard that right. He has golden skin. It’s pretty great. See that cover? A+ on finding that model.
Ice Cream Lover by Jackie Lau
Shirt opened with that intense look looking right at us? At our hearts? Jackie Lau really came for us all. You will be in love with Drew before you know it.
Drew hates ice cream after his fiancée left him at the altar. But now that he’s looking after his niece more and more these days and she loves ice cream so much, he’s spending a lot of time in Ginger Scoops, this cute Asian ice cream shop. He refuses to eat the thing and prefers to sip his black coffee and crush on the owner, Chloe Jenkins.
Wild Thoughts by Delaney Diamond
Some of my favorite romance covers are from Delaney Diamond books. This complete series, the Brooks Family series, has beautiful, amazing and outstanding covers to look at. The stories inside are just as delicious as these covers.
What do you get when you put together a) a woman who has a podcast on sex and has talked about this “fiancé” she has and the experiences they have shared but actually does not exist and now needs a fake fiancé and b) a man who has given up on sex and now works hard on his job but when a deal falls through, he needs help? You get a really f*cking great romance novel.
Make the Play by Jamie Wesley
If you are a fan of sports romances, Jamie Wesley is the first option. She has to be on that list of favorite sports romance novels. Make the Play is all about football. We’re currently at the playoffs so this comes at a perfect time if you do want to pick it up.
Carter Jones just got signed and has become the league’s highest paid wide receiver. But he’s dropping passes and the fans are booing him and his oldest brother keeps getting in his business. So he decides to move out and coincidentally Gabby Stephens needs to sell houses because her bills are piling up and she is very eager to start fresh. Gabby meet Carter. Carter, this is Gabby. Gabby is definitely not falling for a rich guy again. Been there, done that. But Carter is really hard to resist…
