Sizzle & Swoon: Our Favorite Tropes

We've concluded our contemporary portion of Sizzle & Swoon, and we're back with a general post before we kick off into more reviews & fun! Head over to Alexa's for more Sizzle & Swoon fun. Here at The Book Barbies, all three of us are sharing our:

Favorite Tropes

(Remember that (+A) (+S) (+R) means that (+Alexa), (+Sharon), or (+Racquel) agrees with that pick!)

 

ALEXA'S PICKS

1) Wallflower gets noticed by a noble man (+R) - I'm a wallflower myself, so I always feel like they're living MY story when I read these. I like to think that personality trumps looks in the end.
Favorite: Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

2) "Rescue the fair maiden/dear prince" - I'm a sucker for these stories because they remind me of fairytales. It's always fun when the prince saves the day. However, sometimes, it's the other way around too.
Favorite: An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn

3) Siblings in linked stories in a series (+R) - I just love being able to read more about my favorite families or characters. Best series examples? The Bridgertons. The Clayborne Brides. Cheseapeake Bay. And of course, The Travises.

RACQUEL'S PICKS
1) Arranged Marriage - yeah I went there! There is something I like about arranged marriages when the characters find love with the person they're already with!
Favorite: Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas & Confessions from An Arranged Marriage by Miranda Neville

2) Brother/sister of best friend (+A) (+S) - I like how the heroine and hero already know each other for sometime plus this kind of falls under forbidden which makes me love it more!
Favorite: Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

3)  Already Married/Marriage in trouble - I love this one because to me, it's real romance! Romance doesn't have to be just the falling on love phase, but the lifetime that follows too.
Favorite: Making it Last by Ruthie Knox & Ravishing the Heiress by Sherry Thomas

SHARON'S PICKS

1) FORBIDDEN (+R) - Judge me all you want, but I freaking LOVE the forbidden aspect of relationships. Whether it's because it's a friend's ex, the heroine is his ward, he's a special agent in charge of her, WHATEVER. If it's forbidden, I'll probably love it more.
A Favorite: The Smoke Jumper by Nicholas Evans

2) I-really-really-really-don't-want-to-want/love-you-but-I-can't-help-it-dang-it-dang-you-*insert-kissage-here* (+R) - It's hot. What can I say? I love the inner turmoil, the massive amounts of tension, and the passion that comes along with the inevitable caving.
A Favorite: Her Best Worst Mistake by Sarah Mayberry

3) We're Just Friends (But Secretly, I've Loved You for Years) (+A) - I love a good friends-to-lovers story. I love it when the characters know each other for real, without the pressure of dating, and fall in love. The I-love-you scenes in these tend to be the most emotional, and I'm all about the emotional reads.
A Favorite: Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts

Do you agree with any of the tropes listed here? Do you have any favorite tropes or plot devices that we didn't list? Let us know!

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