To explain a little about what this post will be about, I’m taking the intro I did for the last one: In every romance book you read there are tropes or archetypes. You can also see them in shows, movies, plays, etc. 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 more. I decided to do a sort of Trope Tuesday piece where I will be talking about many tropes and recommend you all some of my favorites that fit.
What is a trope? Urban Dictionary explains it best I think: “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 for sure. 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.
This week’s trope is: romantic comedy. With this new trend of illustrated covers, most of the time romance books get titled “romantic comedy” when they are not. A cute, modern, illustrated cover doesn’t mean it’s going to be a romantic comedy and I wish that they would stop cataloguing them as such. They might have the romance under their belt, but the comedy? Where is it? We want that laughter that the romcom movies have given us. (Note: It doesn’t mean ALL of them aren’t romantic comedies, just saying that most of them aren’t and they’re shelved wrongly sometimes).
So I’m here to recommend you some laugh-out-loud, swoony as hell romantic comedy books. I hope you agree with me with the choices and that, you too, have spent a lot of time not be able to stop laughing and feeling all the emotions with these novels.
Getting Schooled by Christina C. Jones
Oh my god. Christina C. Jones. Do you mean queen of romantic comedies? I recently read this title, Getting Schooled, and couldn’t stop laughing, y’all. It’s that book you’re searching for if you love humor, romance, sexy times, family. It has it all and definitely more things I’m forgetting! But Ms. Jones is one of my new favorite authors that I will continue reading and getting to that backlist!
Reese and Jason start on the wrong foot. They bump into each other and hell breaks loose. They immediately don’t like each other and their banter is just *chef kiss*. They know they want each other but cannot help telling on each other. It’s so wonderful to see that relationship grow and how it does it because it’s not from one day to another, like time actually passes and you see all the little things that make them go “wow, this other person is really my better half.” It’s really wonderful.
Acting On Impulse by Mia Sosa
This whole series is the greatest ever. It has amazing romantic moments AND comedic ones as well. I remember laughing so much while reading it. It also features the “kiss me so they don’t realize it’s us” trope which is a plus in every single way.
Carter and Tori meet, unexpectedly, on a plane. She doesn’t know he is Hollywood’s heartthrob. She’s the girl he wants to be with since the first moment he saw her. These two have such a good dynamic between them; their humor is similar, they get along so well, it’s a match made in heaven.
Beginner’s Guide: Love and Other Chemical Reactions by Six de los Reyes
Want a nerdy romcom? Beginner’s Guide has the perfect recipe for a good romance story. Science? Check. Tattooed hero who owns a coffee shop? Check. Heroine wants to create a formula to find the perfect partner for her cousin’s wedding? Oh yeah.
There really are some epic moments, laugh-out-loud “can’t believe this is happening” moments that will become your favorite thing in the world.
Act Like It by Lucy Parker
You can never go wrong with a Lucy Parker novel. I have read every single one and seriously how can I choose my favorite? You have made this so hard, Lucy. This time around I’ll talk about Act Like It; this beautiful romance between two actors who don’t like each other and have to pretend to date so their popularity raises/their bad press goes down? Bad boy and good girl of British theatre are about to enter your life and you won’t be able to stay away.
Feud by Phyllis Bourne
This is the only book I haven’t read but definitely have to change this. But I do know that everyone raves about this one and is definitely a romcom. Everything that the blurb gives me speaks to me, alright? It’s like the perfect book for me and I’m ready to just love this story with all my being.
Enemies since before they knew it, Alexandra and Justice are fighting it out for this inheritance. Their families have had a hundred-year feud and they’re not about to break it, are they? I’ve heard there are petty pranks, awesome funny moments, romance to the max, and just . . I really think everyone should pick up at least one book by Phyllis Bourne.
If you have more romcom books, do share them with me!
