Decorating the tree with tropes
This year, I skipped ornaments and went straight for tropes.
Meet my Trope Trees—festive little Christmas trees “decorated” with the tropes that define each book. Because if we’re being honest, tropes are the emotional tinsel of romance novels: sparkly, intentional, and doing a lot of heavy lifting.
This book is soft, slow, and quietly devastating—in the best way.
Benevolent billionaire
Young widow
He falls first
Slow burn
Age gap
It’s a story about grief, gentleness, and letting yourself be loved again—even when you’re convinced you’re not ready.
Festive rainbow chaos.
Twisty love triangle
Trapped in paradise
Second chance
LGBTQ+
Sun, tension, unresolved feelings, and the kind of attraction that refuses to stay buried. Add holiday magic and emotional honesty, and you’ve got Ivy.
Whether you’re a slow-burn softie or a messy-queer-feelings enthusiast, there’s a tree (and a book) with your name on it.
So tell me—which trope would you hang at the very top of your tree?
