I think it is time to bring tags back, so it is exciting to see people still make new ones! I was invited to do this tag by its creator, . And I love a chance to hype up some of my favourite romances. I will be highlighting a mix of contemporary and fantasy romance books in this post!
Enemies to Lovers
There were obviously a ton of enemies-to-lovers books I could choose from as it is arguably one of the tropes I have read most, but this was an easy decision. The Serpent and the Wings of Night is one of my favourite fantasy romances and I think it is true enemies to lovers as opposite to something like mere dislike or a little miss understanding. I am also not the biggest fan of trials within fantasy (maybe I am just burned out on them!) but I love what Carissa Broadbent did with them. A very interesting world and I may have liked book two ever more!
Friends to Lovers
Why did I struggle so much with this? Apparently I do not read friends to lovers often and the ones I have read are not my favourite. I would not say this is the main trope in Ready or Not but it is definitely present. It is surprise pregnancy and best friend’s brother, but she has been friends with him for years prior. In theory, I should not have loved this but I truly did!
Fake Relationship
I always love having an excuse to recommend D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding. Fake dating is one of my favourite tropes, so I debated between a lot of books, but this is the standout for me. I am a lover of reality TV, so that twist made this so much fun and was a twist on your typical fake dating romance. These two sign up for a reality show where you have to convince your family that you are getting married and make it to your wedding day with no one questioning it in order to win money. That definitely leads to a lot of hilarious antics but it is also super sweet.
Workplace Romance
Workplace romances are so hit or miss for me, but I really did like Not Safe for Work, which is a 2025 release I haven’t had a chance to really talk about anywhere yet. I think I appreciated this one because, though it is romance between co-workers, it is set on a workplace retreat in Hawaii. It is easier to ignore some of the workplace violations and it just feels sexier than an office setting would.
Second Chance Romance
Sweet Heat is the best romance I have read so far this year, but it is the sequel to Honey and Spice and you 100% have to read that one first to appreciate this one, but it is top tier second chance romance in my opinion, which is not a trope that is easy to pull off.
Forbidden Love
I do not read a lot of forbidden romances because they can make me feel uncomfortable pretty quickly, but I can always count of Kennedy Ryan. Long Shot is a tough read but it is definitely worth it.
Childhood Sweethearts
Every Summer After is divisive and I get it but I cannot deny that I devoured it and could not put it down. Sure, it is messy but I was so incredibly invested. It is set in two timelines, one where they were teens and fell in love and then the present day as adults in their 30s and they have not spoken in years. Honestly, I just read the sequel, One Golden Summer, and it is worth reading this one just to get to it.
Forced Proximitys
Savor It is described as Schitt’s Creek meets The Bear and I would say that it is a pretty accurate subscription. I really did like Tarah DeWitt’s writing and I think she has a unique style. This is forced proximity because he is renting the cabin behind her house and they cannot avoid one another. It is super sweet and I need to continue on with the series ASAP!
Soulmates
I am not a fan of soulmates or fated mates but Kimberly Lemming is the exception. I absolutely adore what she did with the trope in That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf. As you can probably tell by the title, it does not take itself too seriously at that is why I loved it so much. There is also some confusion about where they are indeed fated mates or if it is just the effects of a love potion, which is cute.
Opposites Attract
Something Wild and Wonderful is another underhyped romance that I need to talk about more. It is the second book in a series so I think it didn’t get the attention it deserved. It can be read as a standalone! It takes place on a hiking trail and these two keep running into one another and eventually decide to finish the journey together. They could not be more different- definitely grump/sunshine vibes.
Marriage of Convenience
For this last prompt you can choose your own trope, so I went with “marriage of convenience”. I will be honest, I chose this one just so I had an excuse to recommend Radiance because it continues to be my favourite romantasy. It follows two characters from different species and they are repulsed by one another but agree to get married for the good of their people and they immediately have a great friendship that turns into something more. Adored it!
YouTube | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads
I would love to know your favourite books for all of these prompts, so if you decide to do this please tag me so I can read it! (or feel free to leave your answers in the comments)