10 Worst Romance Tropes in Fiction
- Jenna Moreci
- Aug 12
- 7 min read
HelloOoOo everybody!
If you've been following me for a while, then you know that I made a video all about romance tropes that I hate years ago. It was one of my very first videos, and I haven't watched it in approximately a century. I honestly have no idea what I listed, so why not make a part two, new-and-improved rant of all the romantic tropes that make me want to throw the book at the wall, and then out the window, and then in the trash?
Quick disclaimer: I'm going to avoid the most common romantic tropes like love triangles, insta love, and alpha douches. Because I feel like they're kind of implied, anyone with half a brain cell doesn't like these tropes. Instead, I'm focusing on the tropes that have come up in my most recent reads, and I wish they hadn't. Will there be repeats from my first video? Will all the tropes be different? Let's find out now.
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Number 1: No First Kiss
I don't mind not getting a sex scene. In fact, there are many books where I do not under any circumstances want a sex scene. But if you don't give me a kiss, specifically the first kiss, I will find you, you little bitch.
Look, I'm not unreasonable. I will slog through one or two books to get this kiss, but you better deliver, and it better be good. I want details. And if the first kiss happens off page, I swear to God, I don't care if this is the best book I've ever read, you've ruined it. We see the 10th kiss or the 100th kiss, but not the first kiss? That is cruel, it’s unacceptable, and I will not allow it.
Number 2: Lust Times 10,000
Lust at first sight is totally a thing for plenty of allosexual people. I get it. But sometimes writers take it way over the top, like mile-long boners or rivers pouring out of vajoodles.
“The instant I saw her, I had to physically restrain myself from mounting her.”
What the hell is going on?
And sometimes it's not these over-the-top lust descriptions that give me pause. It's the little details.
“He stepped toward her, and her nipples got hard.”
He stepped towards you…that's all it took? Is this like a foot thing? Hey, I'm not judging! And how do these women know that their nipples got hard? I don't notice when that shit happens. Is she just staring down at her braless chest? Are her nipples so long and pointy that she can feel the pressure change against her shirt? These are the questions that keep me up at night.
Number 3: Condescending Pet Names
I love pet names, especially between romantic partners. But I cannot stand it when the love interest gives the main character an annoying pet name, right when they meet, just to be a dick.
“Hey, Princess.”
“What's up, Sweetheart?”
The intention is usually to taunt, but the writer thinks this translates as confident or sexy. Spoiler, it doesn't. Well adjusted people do not go around giving strangers condescending nicknames just to piss them off. You know who does do that? Cat callers.
(Douchebag Voice) “Eh, Luscious, over here! What up Baby Cakes, how you doing? Hey Sugar Tits, give me some attention. I feel inadequate.”
Number 4: Painful, Bloody Virgin Sex
If you are a person with a vagina and you are having penetrative sex for the first time, it does not need to be a horror show. Just in case you weren't aware. Hymens are not sheets of flesh. They do not need to be plowed through like a goddamn fortress wall. And yet that is exactly what so many people write.
“He thrust through her, breaking through her virginity.”
First of all, this dude's an asshole. Second, if their partner is even a remotely decent person with any consideration for their pleasure, pain and blood should be negligible. Maybe stop writing piece of shit love interests, and start paying attention to basic anatomy. Just a thought.
Number 5: Slave Fic
So, slave romance is a thing, apparently. A slave falls in love with their owner. (Disgusted pause.) Do I even need to explain why this is on the list?
“But Jennaaa, it's so romantic!”
If that's the case, so is stepping on broken glass, eating spiders, and licking armpits. I'm sorry if this is an unpopular opinion, except that I'm not sorry at all. I'm fine with a love story between two slaves (Crixus and Naevia forever). But I find it very uncomfortable and pretty gross to read about a person being treated as property falling in love with the other person who treats them as said property, for reasons that should be blatantly obvious.
Number 6: The Naive Dumbass
It seems like every shitty love story I read is a heterosexual pairing involving a man who fits at least three of the tropes on this list, along with a woman who is inevitably described as naive. Writers like to use the word "naive" to explain away idiotic decision making that is necessary to drive the plot forward, because of course the love interest has to save the woman from the shit show that she's created. Does she almost get herself killed for the 15th time despite plenty of warning? Poor thing, so naive.
Stupid! The word is “stupid!” Naivety means a lack of experience and wisdom. It is not synonymous with being a fuckin’ idiot. And I promise you, it's definitely possible to write a romance featuring a woman with at least half a brain.
Number 7: Sexy Assault
Blurring the lines of consent is not sexy. I don't know why some people think this, and I worry for them. We've all read lines like, “He’s the kind of man who doesn't take no for an answer. He takes what he wants.” Sounds like something a rapist would say.
Some writers have gone on record saying that they write love interests like this because they personally feel ashamed of their desires. So if the man “takes what he wants,” it's not technically their partner's fault. You don't realize that by writing this crap, you are only perpetuating the cycle of shame for future generations like a complete asshole.
Other writers have said that they write these kinds of sex scenes because they like assertive partners. What if I told you a love interest can be assertive without being a predator? If you're adamant about writing abuse as romantic or sexy, do us all a favor and seek counseling instead. That's not a joke. Therapy works wonders, and I support you.
Number 8: Redeem the Abuser
“Okay, I know he manipulated, assaulted, and both physically and emotionally abused her, but keep reading. He totally makes up for it.”
Do you hear how this sounds? Are you listening to the words coming out of your mouth? I know in fiction we're allowed to give way to fantasy, but I genuinely want to know who the hell is fantasizing about this. And I'm not saying abusers can't become better people, but can they do it away from their victims? Can the person in question find someone who treats them right while their abuser gets the help they need?
I'm tired of this cliche, mostly because it sends a really unhealthy message to impressionable readers. “Is your partner repeatedly hurting you? Stick around, they might change! Maybe. Hopefully. Probably not.”
Number 9: Gross Age Differences
I'm not saying all age differences are gross, but we've all seen some that make us want to call CPS. A 30 and 35-year-old getting together, fine. Have a nice life. A 16 and 20-year-old!? I just threw up right in my mouth.
But the age gaps that most throw me for a loop are the ones that span hundreds and thousands of years. She's 21, and he's ancient. What the hell does an ancient man have in common with a 21-year-old woman? I'm 32, and even I look at 21-year-olds as babies. How the hell am I supposed to believe that this 1000-year-old dude looks at this barely legal woman and says, “You know what? She gets me.” She gets you hard is what you mean.
And what does a young woman want in a grandpa? What are they gonna do together? Play bridge? Drink Ensure? Oh, wait, I forgot, he's extremely hot and also rich. So, personality and common ground are irrelevant. As long as he can buy her pretty things and take her to Pound Town, we're all good.
Number 10: Who the Hell Is the Love Interest?
If I'm 100 pages into your book and I still can't tell who the hell we're shipping, we're gonna have issues. She has instant sexual tension with this guy. But she's been in love with this guy since she was a kid. But this chick is constantly flirting with her. But this is the chick that everyone wants her to be with. Why exactly is everyone trying to fuck this annoying one dimensional character?
“But Jennaaa, I'm trying to be sneaky. I don't want the ship to be obvious.”
Here's the deal: if I can't tell who the love interest is, it doesn't mean that you're subverting tropes or being clever. It means that your characters have no chemistry. Outside of cliches like insta love, readers can usually tell who the love interest is because the characters vibe, and thus, readers want them to get together. If I don't care who the person ends up with, then the romance you've created is not at all romantic, which kind of defeats the purpose.
So that's all I've got for you today!
This is my updated list of romantic tropes that make me long for the sweet release of death. I have no idea if any of the tropes from my first list made it onto this list, but if they did, congrats to all the writers for keeping the shitty romance alive.
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