Those who read or write romance are well aware of the presence of tropes, predictable situations that help structure a relationship between two people as they fall in love. Let’s get that out of the way. The first Rule of Romance Writing is that two people have to fall in love and there will be an HEA, Happy Ever After, or a Happy Now at least. In today’s world, where you can’t always count on government officials following the law or whether your job will be there tomorrow, escaping to a world where rules are followed and outcomes are assured is comforting.

Although my first introduction to tropes smacked of tired clichés, I soon became a believer. They make it easier for readers to identify if they will like a particular book, a boon for both author and reader. As a reader, I’ve mismatched myself with plenty of books that bored me halfway through, and as an author, I never want to read a review that says someone “did not get what they expected, and not in a good way.”

In my current romance series, I’ve tried to use different tropes, working hard to bust out of my personal “secret baby” preference. The most prominent tropes in The Love Genes are Family Saga (across multiple generations), Single Dad, Age Gap, Dual Stories, Grieving Lover, and yes, Secret Babies times two couples. In Lost Genes, you’ll find tropes of Hidden Identity, Single Dad, Smalltown, Alpha Hero (the twist is the heroine doesn’t let him save her), and Found Family. Lucky Genes, now available for pre-order, for an August release, has these tropes: New Girl in Town, Opposites Attract, Dark Secret, Emotional Scars, and Alpha Heroine. Book Four, my work-in-progress, sports tropes like Politician, Enemies to Lovers, Secrets and Lies, Single Mom, and Soulmates.

If I have repeated the Secret Baby trope, I’ve so far avoided some of the others that feel overworked, such as Forced Proximity, Grumpy Sunshine, Friends to Lovers, and Office Rivals. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve read some great books with these tropes, but they are used often.

Romance also provides us opportunities to mock the genre, as it should never take itself too seriously. Here are a few ways it can feel ridiculous:

Spit it Out Already—Why is it so hard for the main characters to say “I love you?” They fall into bed without a second thought, but love? How can this be love? Don’t know when the intimacy vs love ideas got flip-flopped, but someone should put them back in order.Who seriously wants to fall for a Bad Boy? Maybe a flirtation, but he’s bad; avoid a lifetime of heartache.The hero thinks the heroine is “not like other women.” Of course she is, you’re just not paying attention to what other women think.One of the main characters is “Too Dumb to Live.” This happens more often with suspense elements. Don’t go in that barn alone. If you’re in danger, take steps to protect yourself. Why is this your partner’s job?The hero is always drool-worthy, with a ripped physique yet no evidence he ever hits the gym. The heroine often has severe self-esteem issues, but that is rectified with a Pretty Woman-type makeover. We’re supposed to ignore that the heroine still makes a living as a streetwalker.The Grand Gesture doesn’t always feel like a grand old time. Sometimes the hero acts like a jerk and is forced to humiliate himself by singing karaoke badly, or something that may represent a sacrifice on his part, which rarely satisfies the reader. A better gesture of love and appreciation is like the library that The Beast provided Belle, something she could uniquely appreciate without humbling The Beast.

Romance books are designed to be objects of your affection. Romance Rules, like others, are made to be broken. Just make sure you search for your HEA along the way.