The best romantasy tropes, ranked by a woman who has read too many

Every romantasy reader has a Trope List. The tropes that make us one-click a book we know nothing about. The tropes that make us close a book at page 30. And the tropes we pretend not to love but absolutely do.

After — let's not count how many — romantasy books, here's my ranking. Fight me in the comments.

S-Tier: instant one-click

1. Enemies to lovers (with actual stakes)

Not "we bickered once at a party." I mean he tried to kill her in chapter three. Give me a genuine reason for the tension and the payoff will hit like a truck. See: Jude and Cardan, Violet and Xaden, basically all of Sarah J. Maas.

2. Morally grey love interest with one (1) soft spot

He's ended dynasties. He would end another for her. The single-braincell devotion of a man who has never been kind to anyone else — that's the whole appeal.

3. Touch her and die

The overprotective possessive love interest trope is not for everyone but it is absolutely for me. Rhysand at Starfall. Xaden literally shielding Violet. Every Ana Huang hero. I know what I'm about.

A-Tier: I will pick this book up every time

4. Only one bed

Still undefeated. There is nothing more romantically efficient than logistics forcing a couple to share a bed. Bonus points if one of them insists on sleeping on the floor first.

5. Fake dating / marriage of convenience

The political-alliance version in fantasy is chef's kiss. See: A Deal with the Elf King, The Bridge Kingdom, Assistant to the Villain.

6. Slow burn

Book one they don't kiss. Book two they don't kiss. Book three, chapter twenty-seven — finally. The economy of one good slow burn is worth ten insta-love novels.

B-Tier: good if done well, painful if not

7. Fated mates

When it works (Rhys and Feyre), it works. When it's a shortcut so the author doesn't have to build chemistry, we can tell.

8. Love triangle

Controversial. A well-written love triangle is thrilling. A badly written one is 400 pages of a woman being indecisive. The bar is on the floor and most books trip over it.

9. Chosen one

Fine. Whatever. Just give her a personality outside of "the prophecy."

C-Tier: I will read it but I have complaints

10. Insta-love

Sometimes the vibe just carries it. Usually it doesn't.

11. Love interest as ancient magical being + heroine is 19

The age-gap thing is fine in fantasy where lifespans are different — but centuries-old fae falling for a teenager who just discovered she has magic is a lot of trust to ask of the reader.

12. The "not like other girls" heroine

2015 called. It wants this trope back. Let women in books have friends, please.

Bottom of the barrel

13. Third-act miscommunication

The moment a couple could resolve a 400-page conflict with one honest sentence and instead choose violence — that's the moment I put the book down and go make tea.

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What's the trope I'll read forever?

Enemies to lovers, morally grey love interest, forced proximity, slow burn. Give me all four in one book and I'll read it in a weekend. Every time.

What's your S-tier trope? Come tell me on Instagram — I promise not to judge (unless it's third-act miscommunication).