Enemies to lovers is top tier for me. I like the tension that comes with it, and when they make the gradual change from enemies to grudging respect to *spark.* Especially when it's enemies turned reluctant allies in a fantasy setting. The only thing better than that is, when done right, academic rivals to lovers.
bodyguard romance is really up there with tropes like leader/trusted right hand for me. I used to find the relationship weirdly hierarchal but as I grow up it's what makes it work: the idea of one person truly devoting themselves to the another not in a submissive way, but as a protector who'd kill and die for the one they love. It also gets really fun when the "boss" turns protective and possessive of the bodyguard/right hand too, so you just have these two mildly unhinged people being repressed and pining after one another. It's definitely not the healthiest kinda love but it's fiction so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
You just put into words how it is that, while I really don’t like Enemies to Lovers in most book, I tend to really enjoy it on mysteries/police stories: the characters are forced to work together and it gives them time to slowly get to know each other beyond just having the hots for each other.
I wish boyfriend's/ex's best friend had been on this list! So angsty, and absolutely a fave of mine if done right. I actually happen to love workplace romances, but one that isn't at all like the one's you mentioned is Reckless by Stella Rhys. They're boss/assistant, but they're such a good team and have been for years that the power imbalance isn't really there. They bicker, but there's a lot of mutual respect and they've had years to really get to know one another.
I love bodyguard romance. A lot of books don't do it well but I found one that so sweet "The Bodyguard" by Katherine Centre. The audiobook was amazing and I have read it twice in March because of how much I loved it. Even now I have to convince myself that I have more books to read. Def one of my favourite books of the year.
I must say even better than friends to enemies to lovers and childhood friends to lovers is the mix of the two childhood friend to enemies to lovers it’s just sooooo good it’s the best pinning and slow burn recipe ☺️😍
i would say strangers to lovers is usually mixed with another trope like how The Relationship Pact by Adriana Locke is strangers to lovers with a fake dating on top
I love brothers best friend specifically when it’s like we all grew up together but I crushed on my older brothers best friend. Then I feel like the tension for the hero makes sense because you watched this person grow up, that might cause some conflicting feelings about seeing them as a potential romantic partner (sort of similar to childhood friends to lovers) and I can see it being weird for the brother cuz it’s like then it’s weird to talk to your friend about their relationship cuz that’s your sister? BUT some authors take the brother’s ick way too far and it just comes off childish. But maybe I’m just a girl with two older brothers who both had crush-worthy friends😂
Omg this was so fun to watch and think about! Ok, for your description of only one bed and how you would enjoy it - you HAVE to read The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick! I love grumpy/sunshine but I would say it has to be done right because I do hate when it's overdone, especially when it's a girl who is literally made of sunshine and rainbows. Like, they can be grumpy/sunshine without being so exaggerated. I wish there were more age gap romances where the FMC wasn't like 20 and inexperienced. I'd like more 30 year old FMCs with a 40-50 year old man! I'd read that all day lol
100% agree about the grumpy sunshine where it's just an excuse for the hero to treat the fmc (and other people) poorly, and it also goes hand in hand with childish, unnuanced heroines.
I love the reverse grumpy/sunshine when the girl is the grump and the man is the sunshine but the traditional man grump woman sunshine is overdone I agree. I am a simp for bodyguard romance there is an mm book.. Shiver that's a good bodyguard romance tat I would recommend.
I am a bigggg fan of enemies to lovers, but it exels in fic format (when the back story already exist) or in a saga, so you have the time tomse why they are enemies. Also, give me enemies like Jude and Cardan, who actually wanted to kill the other, no a ofice rival
i tend to end up really enjoying secret relationship books because it tends to be a veryyyy common trope in queer books and I feel like as long as there isn't any glaring problematic things with how it is done I think it really is a very solid trope in a book and can add alot. anyway all this to say you probably have read more secret relationship books than you think lol
For me it depends because in a lot of cases one of them is in the closet and the other isnt and I fucking hate that. But when that doesn't happen is good
@@charoraimondogarcia yeah thats super fair. I think the closet thing can be okay as long as that isn't the insighting factor that leads to a conflict. Like if there is open communication throughout and whatever, idk the closet can be done well but yeah youre right fuck that shit sometimes lol
It feels like every romance these days is split POV, and I don't often love the man's POV... Does anyone have any recommendations for romances that aren't split POV?
I agree with most of your choices! Most "enemies to lovers" aren't even enemies, they're just people who are rude to each other! Lol. Do you have any "friends to enemies to lovers" recs? 😀
I agree with you about so many, I love Bully romance, friends to enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience and dislike workplace romances and billionaire romances. I feel more positive about Mafia books and I adore accidental or surprise pregnancy books but don't like books with children so single parent books get the thumbs down. Also love stepbrother books. Also I cannot stand bodyguard tropes (and I would widen it to police officers or fireman or armed forces personnel as well). Thanks for this video.
A king so cruel by Ellie Cassidy. I'll admit it not the best written book but it does have this trope and there's a VERY good reason for them to become enemies. It's kinda like a dystopian romance.
I thought it was kind of funny to put E2L so low with Bully romance so high. They seem like 2 sides of the same coin. 😆 I love E2L in a fantasy setting because then they can ACTUALLY be enemies for good reasons. However I think it works best in a real slow burn fashion. I’m a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan and the Spike/Buffy E2L story is like my blueprint but I have yet to find that in a book.
I can’t stand billionaire tropes because the heroine is always so nonchalant about the fact that they’re a billionaire. Like, who wouldn’t be freaking out if someone with that much money was into you?!
Pregnancy stories would be cooler if more writers were willing to do "and then they got an abortion because they didn't want kids and getting pregnant didn't magically change their entire personality"
love!! can you share the link to this tier ranker
just added to the description of the vid :)
Enemies to lovers is top tier for me. I like the tension that comes with it, and when they make the gradual change from enemies to grudging respect to *spark.* Especially when it's enemies turned reluctant allies in a fantasy setting. The only thing better than that is, when done right, academic rivals to lovers.
bodyguard romance is really up there with tropes like leader/trusted right hand for me. I used to find the relationship weirdly hierarchal but as I grow up it's what makes it work: the idea of one person truly devoting themselves to the another not in a submissive way, but as a protector who'd kill and die for the one they love. It also gets really fun when the "boss" turns protective and possessive of the bodyguard/right hand too, so you just have these two mildly unhinged people being repressed and pining after one another. It's definitely not the healthiest kinda love but it's fiction so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Recommendations please!
You just put into words how it is that, while I really don’t like Enemies to Lovers in most book, I tend to really enjoy it on mysteries/police stories: the characters are forced to work together and it gives them time to slowly get to know each other beyond just having the hots for each other.
I can’t lie, I’m a sucker for a good bad boy, grumpy sunshine situation 😅❤
I was NOT expecting fake dating to make S-tier 😮😅
Yes please mafia romance recommendations!
I wish boyfriend's/ex's best friend had been on this list! So angsty, and absolutely a fave of mine if done right.
I actually happen to love workplace romances, but one that isn't at all like the one's you mentioned is Reckless by Stella Rhys. They're boss/assistant, but they're such a good team and have been for years that the power imbalance isn't really there. They bicker, but there's a lot of mutual respect and they've had years to really get to know one another.
Oooh suggestions for boyfriend/ex’s best friend"?
I'd love to see the Mafia romance recommendations video!
This was so interesting to watch! I love hearing people’s thoughts on different tropes
I love bodyguard romance. A lot of books don't do it well but I found one that so sweet "The Bodyguard" by Katherine Centre. The audiobook was amazing and I have read it twice in March because of how much I loved it. Even now I have to convince myself that I have more books to read. Def one of my favourite books of the year.
Chandler, it would be great it you recommended one book/your favorite for each trope!! 💖💖
I must say even better than friends to enemies to lovers and childhood friends to lovers is the mix of the two childhood friend to enemies to lovers it’s just sooooo good it’s the best pinning and slow burn recipe ☺️😍
do you have an example book of this?
Everyone in comments saying fake dating shouldn’t be s-tier is surprising me. Fake dating/ fake marriage is amazing
Ugh hate accidental pregnancy 😬
Grumpy/sunshine is my jam😭 This was so much fun!
Please do the mafia recommendations. I have the exact same problem you mentioned about them and am yet to find a good mafia romance
i would say strangers to lovers is usually mixed with another trope like how The Relationship Pact by Adriana Locke is strangers to lovers with a fake dating on top
I love brothers best friend specifically when it’s like we all grew up together but I crushed on my older brothers best friend. Then I feel like the tension for the hero makes sense because you watched this person grow up, that might cause some conflicting feelings about seeing them as a potential romantic partner (sort of similar to childhood friends to lovers) and I can see it being weird for the brother cuz it’s like then it’s weird to talk to your friend about their relationship cuz that’s your sister? BUT some authors take the brother’s ick way too far and it just comes off childish. But maybe I’m just a girl with two older brothers who both had crush-worthy friends😂
please do the mafia romance recommendations!!!
I thought I was the only one who watched The Royals on E omg throwback memory!
You should do a in defense of love triangles with recommendations video!
Omg this was so fun to watch and think about! Ok, for your description of only one bed and how you would enjoy it - you HAVE to read The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick!
I love grumpy/sunshine but I would say it has to be done right because I do hate when it's overdone, especially when it's a girl who is literally made of sunshine and rainbows. Like, they can be grumpy/sunshine without being so exaggerated.
I wish there were more age gap romances where the FMC wasn't like 20 and inexperienced. I'd like more 30 year old FMCs with a 40-50 year old man! I'd read that all day lol
100% agree about the grumpy sunshine where it's just an excuse for the hero to treat the fmc (and other people) poorly, and it also goes hand in hand with childish, unnuanced heroines.
You need to read a workplace sapphic romance because those hit different 🤭 tough I agree about the male alpha bosses being bleugh
I love the reverse grumpy/sunshine when the girl is the grump and the man is the sunshine but the traditional man grump woman sunshine is overdone I agree. I am a simp for bodyguard romance there is an mm book.. Shiver that's a good bodyguard romance tat I would recommend.
using my last 3 percentages in math class to watch this🤝
I am a bigggg fan of enemies to lovers, but it exels in fic format (when the back story already exist) or in a saga, so you have the time tomse why they are enemies. Also, give me enemies like Jude and Cardan, who actually wanted to kill the other, no a ofice rival
Enjoyed this video
i tend to end up really enjoying secret relationship books because it tends to be a veryyyy common trope in queer books and I feel like as long as there isn't any glaring problematic things with how it is done I think it really is a very solid trope in a book and can add alot. anyway all this to say you probably have read more secret relationship books than you think lol
For me it depends because in a lot of cases one of them is in the closet and the other isnt and I fucking hate that. But when that doesn't happen is good
@@charoraimondogarcia yeah thats super fair. I think the closet thing can be okay as long as that isn't the insighting factor that leads to a conflict. Like if there is open communication throughout and whatever, idk the closet can be done well but yeah youre right fuck that shit sometimes lol
I thought slow burn was going to be higher but then I think I was actually thinking of mutual pining 😅
It feels like every romance these days is split POV, and I don't often love the man's POV... Does anyone have any recommendations for romances that aren't split POV?
Also FINALLY someone who like love triangle. I personally love the drama
I agree with most of your choices! Most "enemies to lovers" aren't even enemies, they're just people who are rude to each other! Lol. Do you have any "friends to enemies to lovers" recs? 😀
I like love triangles but only if it is why choose, the ones where only one love interest is picked annoy me
Omgggg please give some recommendations for right person, wrong time!
I agree with you about so many, I love Bully romance, friends to enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience and dislike workplace romances and billionaire romances. I feel more positive about Mafia books and I adore accidental or surprise pregnancy books but don't like books with children so single parent books get the thumbs down. Also love stepbrother books. Also I cannot stand bodyguard tropes (and I would widen it to police officers or fireman or armed forces personnel as well). Thanks for this video.
Current boyfriends best friend hive needs to rise up like when will this takeover I’ve been waiting
Ok but where would you rank nursing back to health/sickbed trope? 👀
Any friends to enemies to lovers recommendations???
A king so cruel by Ellie Cassidy. I'll admit it not the best written book but it does have this trope and there's a VERY good reason for them to become enemies. It's kinda like a dystopian romance.
Can you do a book recommendation video of angst/tension filled books? I will eat anything up lol
i have one up :)
Is right person/not enough time like when someone returns to thier small town but is only there for six weeks type of thing?
I've never read mafia books because i don't know any books that are good like not toxic af soo pleeeease do the recommendation video hhehehe❤
I thought it was kind of funny to put E2L so low with Bully romance so high. They seem like 2 sides of the same coin. 😆
I love E2L in a fantasy setting because then they can ACTUALLY be enemies for good reasons. However I think it works best in a real slow burn fashion. I’m a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan and the Spike/Buffy E2L story is like my blueprint but I have yet to find that in a book.
What is her planning channel called? I want to follow but I can’t find it!
plan with chan :)
Okay… but workplace romance not in an office (imagine if authors wrote jobs that weren’t in offices)
childhood friends to lover’s recommendation video when ?? 🤨
Love fake dating ❤ yes!
I clicked so fast when I saw this video lmao
I can’t stand billionaire tropes because the heroine is always so nonchalant about the fact that they’re a billionaire. Like, who wouldn’t be freaking out if someone with that much money was into you?!
13:00
I had no idea you had another channel! Would love to subscribe, what's it called??
Fake dating trope is ❤❤❤❤
Pregnancy stories would be cooler if more writers were willing to do "and then they got an abortion because they didn't want kids and getting pregnant didn't magically change their entire personality"