The Top Romance Tropes Readers Love in 2025
Romance readers know what they like—and they really know what they love. While some trends come and go, certain tropes stay at the top because they deliver exactly what we crave: tension, longing, slow-burn chemistry, and that all-important happily ever after.
So, what’s dominating the romance charts in 2025? Let’s break it down—plus, I’ve got some fresh story prompts for each trope in case you’re feeling inspired.
1. Enemies to Lovers 🔥
This trope isn’t going anywhere. There’s something deeply satisfying about watching two people go from rivals to reluctant allies to “I hate you so much it might be love.” Readers adore the slow-burn tension, the sharp banter, and the moment when one character realizes—oops—they actually care.
💡 Why Readers Love It: Enemies-to-lovers books tend to have the best chemistry, the most emotional payoff, and that delicious push-pull dynamic that keeps us flipping pages.
📚 Examples That Keep Selling: The Serpent & The Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent, The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood.
📝 Try This:
A ruthless pirate and a royal guard are forced to work together to survive after being shipwrecked.
She’s a cutthroat literary agent, and he’s the author whose book she just rejected—but now they’re stuck together on a cross-country book tour.
Two rival wedding planners are hired for the same high-profile event and have to somehow pull it off together.
2. Friends to Lovers ❤️
If enemies-to-lovers is about fire, friends-to-lovers is all about warmth. This trope thrives on years of history, inside jokes, and that one moment when everything changes. Readers love seeing characters navigate the messy shift from “just friends” to something more.
💡 Why Readers Love It: There’s built-in trust, which makes the stakes even higher when romance gets involved. Also, readers love the agony of “Should we risk it?” moments.
📚 Examples That Keep Selling: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, The Deal by Elle Kennedy, Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren.
📝 Try This:
Two best friends make a pact to fake-date for the summer to ward off nosy relatives… until real feelings get involved.
He’s always been her rock, but after a brutal breakup, she starts seeing him in a whole new light.
Childhood pen pals meet for the first time as adults—only to realize one of them has been secretly in love for years.
3. Fake Dating 💍
It’s a classic for a reason. There’s nothing like watching two people pretend to be in love—only to accidentally fall for each other. Whether it’s for convenience, a bet, or an elaborate scheme, this trope delivers tension, awkward moments, and so much forced proximity.
💡 Why Readers Love It: Fake dating gives us all the swoony moments without the immediate emotional risk—until, of course, it becomes real.
📚 Examples That Keep Selling: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas, The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory.
📝 Try This:
A struggling actress is paid to be a billionaire’s fake fiancée—only to realize she’s been falling for him off script.
He needs a last-minute plus-one for a family wedding, and she needs rent money—what could go wrong?
A high school teacher and a grumpy bookstore owner pretend to be dating to avoid their nosy small-town matchmakers.
4. Second Chance Romance 💔➡️❤️
There’s something extra satisfying about watching two people find their way back to each other after heartbreak. Maybe it was bad timing, maybe life pulled them apart, or maybe they left without saying goodbye—but now? Now the universe is giving them another shot.
💡 Why Readers Love It: It’s packed with history, longing, and unfinished business—and when these characters finally get their HEA, it feels earned.
📚 Examples That Keep Selling: Before We Were Strangers by Renée Carlino, You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle, Exes & O’s by Amy Lea.
📝 Try This:
She broke his heart in college—now she’s the wedding planner for his big day.
A retired rock star and his first love reconnect after a viral song resurfaces their past.
They swore they’d never see each other again—until their teenage kids start dating.
5. Workplace Romance 🖋️
Office romances have always been fun, but readers especially love seeing them set in unique workplaces (beyond the standard corporate office). Whether it’s academia, a coffee shop, or a high-stakes law firm, there’s something about mixing business with pleasure.
💡 Why Readers Love It: Forced proximity + power dynamics + sneaky romance = an addictive read. Plus, there’s built-in secrecy, which makes for some great tension.
📚 Examples That Keep Selling: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon, Boss in the Bedsheets by Kate Canterbary.
📝 Try This:
Two rival food critics are unknowingly falling for each other online—while battling it out in real life.
A high-powered divorce attorney falls for her client’s ex-husband.
She’s a nanny, he’s the single dad she works for, and neither of them saw this coming.
Final Thoughts
Romance tropes stick around for a reason—they work. But what makes them exciting in 2025? Unique settings, complex characters, and fresh takes that keep them from feeling like every other book on the shelf.
The key to making these tropes shine?
✔️ Make them personal—give your characters real reasons to fight or fall.
✔️ Add a twist—subvert expectations, break stereotypes, and keep readers guessing.
✔️ Lean into the emotional depth—because the best romances aren’t just about the tropes; they’re about the people living them.
So, which of these tropes do you love most? And which ones are you planning to write next? 💕
