Favorite Tropes

Today's Top Five Wednesday topic is favorite book tropes. I can get down with this. I have a few.

Hate to Love

I mean the ultimate hate-to-love romance is Pride and Prejudice, amirite? That may be where my fondness for this trope began. Unless either one of the main characters is actually abusive or cruel, I love a good story where they really don't like each other until suddenly, they do.

Fake Dating

I might like this even more than hate to love. The two characters decide they will pretend to date each other for whatever reason: they need a date to an ex's wedding, they want to get their parents off their back to "get married already", or (like in the last one I read) she knows she is a trend-setter so if she dates him, more girls will like him, including the girl he likes. Of course, it never goes to plan, but I love it.

Secret Heir

There are lots of fantasy stories out there where the peasant child is secretly the heir to the kingdom. And it's beginning to reach other genres as well. The best book I read last there was about a girl who was living out of her car until she found out she had inherited eleventy bajillion dollars. Good stuff.

Small Town Setting

I love a good small town. Everyone knows everyone's business until you find out someone has a super big secret. Those small towns frequently provide the most interesting and hilarious side characters.

Bookish Themes

This is suddenly a huge trend in publishing and I am here for it! My hubby bought me 2 books set in bookshops or libraries for Mother's Day. They are everywhere now. I'll have all of them, please.

What are your favorite tropes in books?