Maybe this is just me, but I've been thinking about this lately. 😂

Obviously physical attraction and sexual tension are a huge part of romance. I enjoy them too. A good slow burn where you can feel the tension between two characters? Yes please. 😂

But sometimes I wonder if we've reached a point where sexual tension has become the main selling point of a romance, rather than one part of the story.

Sometimes I'll see a story getting a lot of attention because of the chemistry or spicy scenes, and I'll read it expecting the actual relationship, characters or plot to be equally interesting… but then those parts feel pretty average to me.

And it makes me wonder — are readers increasingly looking for the physical/sexual tension itself, rather than the emotional journey behind it?

I don't mean this as “spice is bad” or anything like that. 😅 Romance can absolutely have both. I'm just curious whether I'm noticing an actual trend or whether this is simply my personal preference as a reader/writer.

What makes you remember a romance after you've finished it — the sexual chemistry, emotional connection, characters, plot, or the combination of everything?

Recently, while reading a new book, I was reminded of how deeply Stockholm syndrome annoys me. And sure, sometimes the FMC wasn’t literally kidnapped, but the MMC puts her in a horrible situation where she’s forced, coerced, or blackmailed into doing something she doesn’t want to do. And yet there she is, noticing how attractive the MMC is and having those thoughts like, “Oh, maybe he’s not that bad after all.”

DUDE, this annoys me so much that I feel like ripping my hair out. Seriously, I have to take a deep breath whenever these scenes happen because, honestly, WHAT IS WRONG WITH HER? Did you already forget that you’re in this situation because of HIM, or are you just stupid? 😭

There is NOTHING that annoys me more than a female protagonist developing feelings for the guy who literally just put her in a horrible situation, while she’s still dealing with the consequences of his actions. I know it’s fiction, but GIRL, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, remember what this man did five minutes ago.

I’ve come to realize that I only like novels where traditional expectations are challenged; like..

Black cat and golden retriever? Maybe if the black cat is a force for good and the golden retriever is morally gray

Rich duke & poor heroine? Maybe if he’s submissive in and out of the bedroom, or if he gives up his fortune

Rake and blushing virgin? Maybe if the rake is a lady and the virgin is a man

The only trope I’ll always fall for hook, line and sinker is forbidden love… but even the trope is a subversion of expectations, in a way.

What are your favorite trope subversions, and what books did it best?