Annoying Romance Tropes

So we've been meaning to do a post about this for ages. The three of us have read many books and have had tons of bad experiences with crappy romances. So we decided to put together a rant about it. The focus will be NA and YA.

Okay to start things off as this was my idea (Paulina) relationships are not perfect. I'm getting kinda sick of seeing the same type of story line with all the New Age Romance Genres. It's getting really annoying now. Here is the plot of most romance books- girl is shy/new/doesn't like people, she somehow meets the hottest guy - possibly in the whole country/college/school and he falls in love with her. Why? I have no clue. But he falls in love or he wants to get to know her and plot twist is that she doesn't like him or thinks she's too good for him.

Then we have about half of the book about the "chase". The guy tries his hardest to win the girl over but she keeps saying no. This is the only originalish bit about the books because authors can go out and play around with this by making it funny, sometimes creepy, sweet, or really weird. But then something drastic happens like someone dies/ the girl falls over/ gets bullied or something completely random and she realises that the guy of her dreams, the same guy that every single girl wants, and the same guy who randomly fell in love with her is the right guy for her. The book takes a twist where she says yes and tells him just how much she loves him and how she wants to have babies with him or whatever. But. Dun Dun Dun something happens to break their perfect relationship for example she thinks he's cheating, or some other girl makes her insecure about their relationship. But fear not! After about a chapter of the girl trying to "find herself" she once again realises that the guy is perfect and all of that crap. The end. Did I mention they all live happily ever after?

Think back to some of the typical romance New Age and Young Adult books that you've read that were purely about romance - did this sound familiar?

Let's not forget how perfectly pretty these people tend to be. I (Rashika) for one cannot stand it at all. Maybe I just have issues with pretty people or MAYBE I realize that no one can be that pretty. Sure these books are fiction but I don't want to read about a perfect character. Imperfect characters will do. And I don't mean those stupid characters that attempt at being imperfect but somehow everyone is so obviously in love with them. I mean have you read those books where all the guys are in love with the girl who is TSTL? No I don't want a romance that involves two perfect people who are making out half the time and have their I love you's a couple pages into the book. I want a couple who is capable of fighting over little things, a couple who is capable of respecting each other and for crying out loud - actually have the ability to communicate. 

Let's face it. Authors who create perfect worlds for us to escape too are great. But too perfect is bad. This is not something that would most likely happen in real life. This is just not how life works. I (Paulina) have a massive issue with romance and how everything is so shiny and brilliant and not a grey cloud in the sky.

Then there are also the romances where one of the characters broods about how he/she is not good enough and how they should stay away from him/her. Give me a break man. We know you're going to end up together so cut out that hot and cold shit. I (Rashika) dont't like putting up with it. This all comes back to being able to trust each other. A good relationship is built on trust and if two people cannot trust each other you might as well call the quits because this ain't going anywhere. 

What I am trying to say is that, instead of doing the whole I am dangerous/not good enough for you routine they should just try to WORK IT OUT!

Other than that I've also noticed that sometimes the plot tends to take a backseat to the romance. Once these characters fall oh so hopelessly in love, they become the center of the universe for each other and care about nothing else. The world could be ending and all they would think about is how they didn't get enough time. Things are bigger than just the two of you. GET OVER YOURSELVES and go do something instead of fawning over each other. Because honestly, while I may enjoy a good romance, I didn't come here to read about two characters drooling over each other and their minor relationship problems, I came for a LOT more and I don't have the time to just sit there and force myself to drudge through all the cheesiness of their romance when there are tons of other books waiting for me.

And don't even get me started on the complications of a love triangle (No seriously. Don't). Because please, someone explain to me how a girl can love two people at the same time. I don't KNOW! You can like two people at the same time, you can even have a crush on two people at the same time (or is that just me?) but be in love with two people at the same time? Uhhh how about NO? Some of the love triangles 'try' to be more substantial by making the girl fall in love with another guy when the original is going through some rough patches or something like that. Again. No. If you were professing your love to one guy like in the last book, you cannot just move on so quickly. Love doesn't work like that dear child, unless it wasn't love, just an infatuation. So just please. Stop. Grow up. Oh and please stop breaking your Bff's heart. 

I (Megan) have very little to add to this post. I don't like it when romances are cliched, but in general - if you give me romance, I'm happy. Also, Paulina... don't hate me or anything.... but I really didn't like TFIOS. It was not near as good as everyone told me it would be. But that is not what this discussion is about!

Some of the tropes that disgust me in romance are so easy to name! I'm surprised that neither of you guys mentioned the dreaded insta-love! I mean, I understand that you're not considering it romance... LOL. I hate it when the plot of a book is amazing, and you're about three chapters in and you're saying "damn this is gonna be good" and out of nowhere....BOOM. There's a love interest. And they're in love. They know every thing there is to know about each other - in one paragraph.

You can imagine the lameness of this. (Also, Tom Hiddleston is in this GIF.) I don't want to have to tell you this... but whatever you have, whatever it's called... it's not love. You wouldn't last three weeks in the real world, and that's a MAXIMUM estimate.

Next we have the issues couple. I don't know if you've encountered them, but they have issues. Usually rape and/or death is involved in their "issues" and the only thing that can heal them is their romantic interest, whom they just don't want to drag into it. My face. It hurts from your stupidity.

I don't really understand this trope - the idea that the only one who can love someone with issues is another person with issues... it just doesn't ring true to me. There's more to love than that.

This is really all I have to say... so... Megan, out. *flashes peace sign and walks away*

I'm not saying I (Paulina) hate the authors or the books that pretty much have this plot line and make every romantic relationship amazingly perfect. No I don't. I just wish that authors would stop trying to make their worlds so perfect and all of their characters so amazingly perfect. One good example of an author who I love John Green - he created a heart shattering world where the relationship was not perfect, and the people were not perfect but normal. It's what I love, by the way talking about The Fault In Our Stars.

And for me (Rashika) that book would be How to Love. Honestly I haven't read a lot of YA lately but there is reason for that. I want to be able to love YA like I once used to without all these grievances. 

The gifs used in this post were obtained from here
Megan has no idea where her gifs originally came from.