Romance Novel Plots

Your one-stop shopping list for Romance Novel plots and complications!

Although some existing tropes like Magnificent Bastard may fit here as well.


 * The Bet (a weird version of Meet Cute)
 * Long Lost Love ("Billy? Is that you?")
 * "New Old Flame" connected to a "Meet Cute"
 * Handsome/Lovely Adversary ("She's gorgeous, I hate her")
 * Alpha Bitch
 * Handsome Devil
 * Millionaire Playboy
 * Reformed Rakes
 * Temporary Love Interest
 * The Billet-Doux
 * Love Letter Lunacy
 * The Angry Outburst
 * The Masochism Tango which leads to an Aw, Look -- They Really Do Love Each Other.
 * Pressure From Above
 * Arranged Marriage ("You will marry Princess Lucky, so you better get used to the idea!")
 * Parent Ex Machina
 * Parental Marriage Veto
 * Star-Crossed Lovers ("Never was a tale of such woe...")
 * Love Hurts
 * Ungentlemanly/Unladylike Behavior
 * Love At First Punch
 * Mistaken for Cheating
 * Case of Nerves
 * Love Makes You Dumb
 * The Big Decision
 * Disaster!
 * The Chase (oddly enough, a version of The Chase)
 * On a Pedestal
 * Mary Sue
 * Beautiful All Along
 * Dont Let Him/Her Get Away!
 * Race For Your Love
 * Disapproving Authority Figure
 * Parent Ex Machina
 * Two of a Kind
 * Like Brother and Sister
 * Sub Rosa
 * The One
 * Furious Attraction
 * Slap Slap Kiss
 * The Unknown Child
 * Neutral Party with Words of Wisdom (a type of Messenger)
 * The Old One Who Knows But Aint Sayin (another Messenger, possibly a Secret Keeper)
 * Girl/Boy Next Door
 * She's All Grown Up
 * Mistakenly Overheard Conversation
 * Three Is Company, romance novel style
 * Mistaken for Cheating
 * Sweet Nothings (Pillow Talk)
 * Right Under Your Nose (Stop chasing the Duke; the stableboy has a nobler soul)
 * Mysterious Past (Why did he leave London?)
 * A Backstory version of Forbidden Fruit
 * Forget It and Run!
 * Opposites Attract
 * The Perfect Gift (a romantic Golden Snitch?)
 * The Imperfect Gift
 * Redundant Romance Attempt
 * The Ugly Duckling
 * Beautiful All Along
 * Hollywood Homely
 * Hot Librarian
 * The "Near Mrs."
 * New Old Flame demonstrating A Man Is Not a Virgin (May I introduce you to my... good friend?)
 * Like Brother and Sister
 * Love Triangle
 * Betty and Veronica
 * Muggle and Magical Love Triangle
 * Rich Suitor, Poor Suitor
 * His/Her "True Nature"
 * Self-Conscious About Best Feature
 * Beautiful All Along
 * Hollywood Homely
 * One Who Intercedes (a Secret Keeper who is more active, like the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet)
 * Mindlink Mates
 * December–December Romance (or alternatively Grow Old with Me)
 * My Secret Pregnancy (category romances signal this trope with the phrase "secret baby" in the title)
 * No Loves Intersect

See also Romance Arc.