I’ve really missed doing Friday Favorites, and since no one was currently hosting it, Cait @ Functionally Fictional decided to jump into the gap. Each week, she provides a prompt, and I get to talk about my favorite books that fit the topic. Feel free to join in – the more the merrier!

Today’s topic is tropes, and I’m thrilled about it because there’s nothing I love more than a good trope, done well. I know everyone likes different things, but here are some of my favorites:

1. Fake dating — I love this trope so much that I even wrote my own manuscript featuring it! This one goes hand-in-hand with the one bed trope, and I’m always excited to see one or both of them. Good examples include The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren, and The Dating Plan by Sara Desai.
2. Found family — Some of my favorite books feature this trope, and I especially enjoy that it works across genres. I’ve seen it in fantasy, romance, mystery, and historical fiction, and it warms my heart every single time. Some examples of this include Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo and One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston.
3. Enemies to lovers — Two characters who hate each other but are forced into proximity and manage to fall in love is one that I can’t resist. When this is done well, the characters create such amazing bonds and I’m completely on board with it. Good examples include These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong and Boss Witch by Ann Aguirre.
4. Villain or morally gray MCs — While this one doesn’t come along as often as I’d like, when it’s done right, I always find myself rooting for the “bad character,” usually one with complex motivations and a secret, painful past. Some books that come to mind include The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch and This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab.

What are some of your favorite tropes?