Confession time: I’m powerless when it comes to certain rom-com tropes. The kind that make you grin like an idiot, stay up way too late, and text your best friend things like “you’ve got to read this one!” When I started writing my newest book, Matchless, I wanted to pack in all the things I adore—plenty of banter, and those swoony, slow-burn moments that make your heart ache and your cheeks hurt from smiling.

My female main character is smart, funny, a little chaotic—and looking for love in all the wrong men so she is failing miserably and believes she is matchless. Which, of course, makes her the perfect target for “the one” she didn’t see coming.

Here are a few tropes I just couldn’t resist slipping in:

Enemies to Lovers
There’s nothing quite like two people who drive each other completely crazy… until they realize all that banter might actually be chemistry in disguise. Their snark hides sparks, and I adored writing every eye roll that secretly meant “kiss me.”

Fake Dating
It starts as an online search and ends with a reluctant deal and a cover story. They’re both sure it’ll be no-strings-attached until one of them starts caring far too much. Cue the longing glances, the almost-touches, and the questions swirling in their thoughts of “what are we doing?”.

Grumpy + Sunshine
He’s reserved, methodical, and determined to keep his life in check . . . because he has to. She’s the human equivalent of a pink glitter explosion—creative, outspoken, and absolutely not part of his plan. Yet every time she’s near, he swears she smells of vanilla… and trouble.

Sometimes the sweetest connection is the one you never see coming.

That line became my heartbeat while writing this book. Because underneath all the banter and slow burn, it’s really a story about finding love where you least expect it and realizing that what looks like chaos might actually be the beginning of something extraordinary.

The book just received its first book blogger review on Goodreads: a 5 star rating. See the review here and the books it is compared to — and join the 1000+ others who have added Matchless to their TBR bookshelf, and sign up for my Goodreads Giveaway!

So yes, I gave in to one of my favorite tropes. But honestly? I wouldn’t have it any other way. If these are the same tropes that YOU can’t resist – I hope you’ll check out Matchless!