What is Romance?
Romance is a genre defined by its happy ending. In fact, a happy ending is so crucial that love stories that do not end with a Happily Ever After (HEA) or a Happy for Now (HFN) are not considered Romance. Typically, Romance focuses on the emotional and physical connections between people. The core story is about the relationship. The characters are expected to go both on personal journeys and journeys together. And, the couple should be better together than without each other. No matter the plot or subgenre, this core story is the heart of any Romance.
Romance is a genre defined by its happy ending. In fact, a happy ending is so crucial that love stories that do not end with a Happily Ever After (HEA) or a Happy for Now (HFN) are not considered Romance. Typically, Romance focuses on the emotional and physical connections between people. The core story is about the relationship. The characters are expected to go both on personal journeys and journeys together. And, the couple should be better together than without each other. No matter the plot or subgenre, this core story is the heart of any Romance.
What is a trope?
Romance is full of tropes. Tropes are common themes or plot devices. For example, imagine the characters are on a road trip. How does an author get them to spend more time together? Perhaps, the hotel or inn only has one room available, so the characters have to share! To take this trope even further, the room might only have one bed. Will someone sleep on the floor? Will they share? Many authors put their own spin on tropes, but when reading a Romance, tropes can often provide comfort. You know what to expect. And, if you like a particular trope, you can seek out more books that contain that trope.
Trope: Fake Relationships
A Fake Relationship, sometimes called Fake Dating, is an example of a classic Romance trope. It can include fake dating, fake fiancés, and fake marriage. The story often revolves around a bargain struck between the two protagonists. The bargain boils down to this: someone needs a date. Reasons can include attending a family event or wedding, making an ex jealous, or securing an inheritance. Inevitably, the protagonists start to have feelings for each other and the dating becomes less fake. Tension and emotional stakes come from one or both of the protagonists believing that their feelings aren’t reciprocated because the relationship is fake. However, the truth will eventually come out and the relationship will become real.
This classic trope is found across subgenres. Below are recommendations for Contemporary Romances and Historical Romances.
Recommendations
Contemporary Romance
When her unreliable boyfriend is a no-show for a Florida family vacation, Sara recruits Luis Navarro—a firefighter paramedic and dive captain willing to play the part of her smitten fiancé. Soon, he and Sara have memorized their "how we met" story and are immersed in family dinners, bike tours, private snorkeling trips . . . sharing secrets, and slow, melting kisses. But when it's time for Sara to return home, will their fake relationship fade like the stunning sunset . . . or blossom into something beautiful?
Ever the obedient daughter, Daisy Patel always follows the rules, but the one thing she can't give her family is the marriage they expect. With few options left to her, and desperate to escape a parade of unwanted suitors, she asks her childhood crush to be her decoy fiancé. When he learns that his inheritance is contingent on being married, Liam Murphy realizes his best friend's little sister has the perfect solution to his problem. Sparks fly when Daisy and Liam go on a series of dates to legitimize their fake relationship.
Convincing her best friend Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees. That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor—and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion.
It's been months since aspiring journalist Kian Andrews has heard from his ex-boyfriend, Hudson Rivers, but an urgent text has them meeting up at a café. Maybe Hudson wants to profusely apologize for the breakup. Or confess his undying love. . . . But no, Hudson has a favor to ask—he wants Kian to pretend to be his boyfriend while his parents are in town, and Kian reluctantly agrees. The dinner doesn't go exactly as planned, and suddenly Kian is Hudson's plus one to Georgia's wedding of the season. Their fake relationship is starting to feel like it might be more than a means to an end, and it's time for both men to fact-check their feelings.
Historical Romance
Lady Helena March is flirting with scandal. Instead of spending her time at teas and balls in search of another husband, as is expected of a young widow, Helena pours her energy into The London Home for Young Women. But Society gives no quarter to unmarried radicals who associate with illegitimate children and fallen women, and Helena’s funding is almost run out. So when the sinfully seductive Crenshaw heir suggests a fake engagement to save them both—him from an unwanted marriage and her from scorn and financial ruin—Helena finds herself too fascinated to refuse the sexy American.
When a former Confederate official is suspected of stealing the Declaration of Independence, fearless grifter Raven Moreaux is forced by the government to get it back. Her partner is the too handsome Braxton Steel. Masquerading as a valet/driver, Brax is also supposed to be her “husband.” He has his own reasons for doing this job, but when their pretend marriage ignites into fiery passion, they’ll have to put everything—including their hearts—on the line.
Lady Grace Wyatt is content as a wallflower, focusing on scientific pursuits rather than the complications of society matches. But when a handsome, celebrated naturalist returns from abroad, Grace wishes, for once, to be noticed. Her solution: to 'build' the perfect man, who will court her publicly and help her catch his eye. Grace's colleague, anthropologist Sebastian Holloway, is just the blank slate she requires. Between secret lessons on how to be a rogue and exaggerated public flirtations, Grace's feelings for Sebastian grow from friendship into undeniable, inconvenient, real attraction.
By all accounts, Simon Basset is on the verge of proposing to his best friend's sister—the lovely and almost-on-the-shelf—Daphne Bridgerton. But the two of them know the truth—it's all an elaborate ruse to keep Simon free from marriage-minded society mothers. And as for Daphne, surely she will attract some worthy suitors now that it seems a duke has declared her desirable.
If you love Romance books, be sure to check out our upcoming Romance library events!
Sunday, February 5
2:00–3:00 p.m.
Post Road Library
Saturday, February 11
1:00–2:00 p.m.
Hampton Park Library
Tuesday, February 14
6:00–7:00 p.m.
Hampton Park Library
Brittany
Information Specialist
Post Road Library
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