On Display at Odum 2024: Romance and Historical Fiction

Themes/Tropes

Enemies to lovers— It begins with two characters who have an intense hatred for one another at first and are often forced to work towards a common goal. So, they start relying on and opening up to each other, often revealing a side of themselves they don't show the rest of the world. This leads them to trust each other and eventually realize that they are falling in love (Kabir, 2023).

Friends to lovers— They’ve known each other since they were childhood friends or they recently met each other, and now things are heating up—even though they used to see each other as just friends, they now see each other as a potential love interest (Masterclass, 2021).

Love triangle— A love triangle is a scenario where a central character is romantically involved with two other characters at the same time, and they need to decide who they ultimately want to be with. It creates tension, conflict, and can keep your readers invested in your story (The Urban Writers, 2023).

Forbidden love— The Forbidden Love trope involves a romantic relationship between two characters that society, family, or some external circumstances deem inappropriate or unacceptable. This taboo aspect creates tension and conflict within the narrative, as the characters must navigate the challenges and consequences of their relationship (FirstDraftPro, n.d.).

Second-chance romance— There’s something really special about getting to see characters grow into themselves. Sometimes the reason they don’t end up together the first time is because they need to mature, sometimes it’s because they need to learn how to communicate, and sometimes it’s because they were too afraid to take a chance (Wright, 2024).

Forced Proximity— There are plenty of variations of the “stuck together” trope, which is often a staple of romantic comedies: two people trapped in a snowed-in cabin, forced to stay with each other overnight at the office, on a road trip, or even stuck in an arranged marriage (MasterClass, 2021).

Secret billionaire or celebrity— A billionaire, member of a royal family, or celebrity is tired of their lavish lifestyle, and they sneak out of the spotlight—and, in disguise, run into someone who treats them as if they’re an ordinary person (MasterClass, 2021).

Fake relationship— Pretend lovers that wind up falling in love. Fake dating stories are all drama and fun. There's lots of swoony 'is-this-real, is-this-not' tension. There's something very human about falling for someone you never expected to fall for (Makhijani, 2024).

References

First Draft Pro. (n.d.). The ultimate writer’s guide to the Forbidden Love Trope. First Draft Pro - Book Writing Software. https://www.firstdraftpro.com/blog/forbidden-love-trope

Kabir, S. (2023, May 7). The irresistible allure of “enemies to lovers.” The Daily Star. https://www.thedailystar.net/shout/news/the-irresistible-allure-enemies-lovers-3090066

Makhijani, P. (2024). Call It What You Want. Publishers Weekly, 271(19), 20–26.

MasterClass. (2021, September). 7 popular romance fiction tropes to keep your readers hooked - 2024. MasterClass. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/popular-romance-fiction-tropes-to-keep-your-readers-hooked

The Urban Writers. (2023, March 13). The perfect all enthralling love triangle in literature. The Urban Writers. https://theurbanwriters.com/blogs/publishing/the-perfect-all-enthralling-love-triangle-in-literature#:~:text=A%20love%20triangle%20is%20a,readers%20invested%20in%20your%20story.

Wright, P. (2024, May 22). Books by trope: Second chance romance. Read & Wright. https://www.readandwright.com/blog/2024/5/22/books-by-trope-second-chance-romance

Appeal

Romance novels offer an emotional appeal, where readers feel a connection to the protagonist and experience the power of love (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019). Characters are well-developed and drive the story through their personal development and relationships with others. These are typically fast-paced novels that follow the courtship and growing relationship of the two central characters and conclude with a happy ending. Readers are drawn in by highly expressive language and style that reflect sincerity and authenticity.

References

Wyatt, N. & Saricks, J. G. (2019). The readers' advisory guide to genre fiction (3rd ed). ALA Editions.