Romance Tropes Book Bingo: Book Recommendations

I just created a romance tropes bingo mixing classic tropes with some favorite of mine. In order to complete it, I’m recommending 9 books for each. 

Office romance

• Attachments by Rainbow Rowell: An IT worker tasked with monitoring office emails falls for a woman whose witty conversations he’s been reading, wondering how to meet her in person.
• Ten Rules For Faking It by Sophie Sullivan: After a public meltdown on her birthday, a radio producer with anxiety agrees to star in a "Bachelorette"-style dating show, only to realize she’s falling for her boss.
• Accidentally Amy by Lynn Painter: After accidentally claiming a stranger's Starbucks order and hitting it off with a handsome man in line, Izzy discovers he is actually her new boss. He also thinks her name is Amy.
• The Wake-up Call by Beth O’Leary: Two rival hotel receptionists must put aside their feud and work together during the busy Christmas season.
• Love Interest by Clare Gilmore: Two ambitious coworkers competing for the same promotion are forced to work together on a high-stakes project.
• The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi: When a man from her past returns to buy out her family’s struggling boutique, she must decide if he is the corporate villain she remembers or a second chance at love.
• Perfect Fit by Clare Gilmore: A talented seamstress and an uptight consultant are forced to collaborate, proving that opposites (styles) really do attract.
• The Love Algorithm by Camilla Isley: A data scientist who believes love can be solved with a computer program finds her logic challenged when a messy and unpredictable man enters her life.
• The Devil You Know by Elizabeth O’Roark: To settle a debt, a lawyer is forced to work for a grumpy and arrogant colleague she despises.

Multicultural 

The main character and the love interest don’t have the same nationality. I wish we saw this micro trope more often. I feel like there’s so many cute scenes, quiproquos and meaningful moments you can get out of two people not having the same culture and native language. 

• Kulti by Mariana Zapata: A professional soccer player is forced to work alongside her childhood idol turned grumpy coach.
• If I Don’t Have You by Sareeta Domingo: Two former lovers are reunited in the vibrant art world of London and Brazil, forcing them to confront the secrets and passion that once tore them apart.
• Maggie Finds Her Muse by Dee Ernst: An author struggling with writer's block travels to a villa in Paris to rediscover her creative spark.
• Float Plan by Trish Doller: Dealing with the grief of losing her fiancé, Anna sets sail on their planned Caribbean voyage alone and hires a professional sailor who helps her navigate both the ocean and her broken heart.
• The Dating Plan by Sara Desai: A software engineer enters into a fake engagement with her childhood crush to satisfy her family's expectations.
• Love Again by Rasheda Ashanti Malcolm: After a painful divorce, a woman moves to the lush landscapes of Jamaica to manage a boutique hotel and fall for a local entrepreneur.
• One Hot Italian Summer by Karina Halle: While seeking refuge from her messy life at a Tuscan estate, a woman becomes entangled in a steamy and complicated relationship with a wealthy Italian widower.
• The Songbook of Benny Lament by Amy Harmon: A talented songwriter finds his life and career forever changed when he teams up with a phenomenal singer, navigating fame and racial tensions through their shared music.
• Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo: A Nigerian-Canadian woman who promised her dying father she would marry a Nigerian man falls in love with a white man.

On Set / Hollywood

Romance books set in Hollywood or on a movie/show. 

• The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren : A cynical romance novelist and a documentary filmmaker team up to film a reality dating show.
• One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London : A plus-size fashion blogger becomes the star of a popular Bachelorette-style reality show.
• Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfel: A cynical late-night sketch comedy writer begins to wonder if life can mirror the tropes she mocks after a famous pop star guest-hosts her show and sparks fly.
• The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun: A socially awkward tech genius goes on a reality dating show to rehab his image and unexpectedly falls for his producer instead of the contestants.
• Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman: Ten years after a whirlwind weekend interview sparked a media frenzy, a journalist and a famous actor reunite for a follow-up piece to see if their connection was just for show.
• The Dating Game (Sandy Barker): Determined to find "the one" after a string of bad luck, a woman signs up for a reality TV dating series in Sydney.
• Once More with Feeling (Elissa Sussman): A former pop star whose career ended in a public scandal gets a chance when they are cast in a Broadway show with an old flame.
• Right on Cue by Falon Ballard: Two rival actors are forced to play love interests in a rom-communication.
• It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan: After a desperate lie forces a former child star-turned-producer to spend a week on Long Island with a rival cinematographer, she must confront her mortifying Hollywood past to secure a hit song.

Pen Pals

A classic trope where two characters communicate through written messages (letters, emails, anonymous DMs, etc) without knowing each other's identity or at least without meeting in person. Although I haven't read many, I like the anticipation and apprehension it creates. The encounter generally feels earned after long meaningful conversations.

• Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer: Two grieving teenagers unknowingly begin an anonymous correspondence after one leaves a letter at a grave and the other finds it.
• The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary: Two strangers who have never met share a bed in a one-bedroom apartment by living there at different times of the day and communicating only through post-it notes.
• The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest: A shy book editor asks her charming neighbor to help her find a reclusive author, unaware that the neighbor is actually the man she’s been emailing for months.
• Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez: A doctor facing a messy divorce and a career plateau finds unexpected solace in a series of letters exchanged with the new colleague she initially disliked.
• The Fastest Way to Fall by Denise Williams: A lifestyle writer goes undercover to test a new fitness app and ends up falling for her personal trainer.
• Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata: After months of being pen pals, a young woman finally meets the soldier she has been writing to.
• Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi: Two socially awkward college students are constantly texting, becoming each other's emergency contacts without the pressure of face-to-face interaction.
• Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey: A woman stuck in a rut begins an accidental email correspondence with the host of a local vintage-style children's show.
• Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade: A famous TV star and a fanfiction writer find themselves in a secret relationship after he discovers she is the woman he’s been defending against trolls online.

Love Coach

This is a popular romantic comedy setup where one character, usually experimented, agrees to teach a clueless character how to flirt, date, or win over a specific crush.

• The Wrong Mr. Right by Stephanie Archer: A bookstore owner asks a hotheaded hockey player to give her dating lessons to land a sophisticated man, only to fall for her teacher instead.
• The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang: A brilliant econometrician with Asperger’s hires a professional escort to help her practice dating and intimacy.
• Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey: A notorious playboy fisherman agrees to help his best friend win over her workplace crush while they share his guest bedroom during a film shoot.
• The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas: When a writer with a secret crush on her friend’s cousin ends up sharing a tiny apartment with him, he offers to take her on a series of experimental dates to cure her writer's block.
• Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon: After a one-night stand turns out to be a disaster, a ghostwriter discovers the man is her new client and offers to give him lessons to improve his performance in the bedroom.
• Mixed Signals by B.K. Borison: A baker looking for something serious enters a dating practice agreement with her charming local cop.
• I Think I Love You by Lauren Layne: Two rival magazine writers and former childhood friends are forced to work together on a romance column across a trip to England.
• Julia Song is Undateable by Susan Lee: A high school student creates a fake relationship with a popular classmate to prove her "undateable" reputation wrong.
• The Faking Game by Olivia Hayle: To save her career and secure a promotion, an ambitious woman enters into a fake relationship with her billionaire boss.

Regency Era

• The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton: A prim and proper lady thief must team up with a charmingly arrogant assassin to rescue her kidnapped aunt from an army of pirates who fly their houses through the sky.
• To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters: After years of cold silence, an estranged husband and wife engage in a series of increasingly absurd and competitive fake injuries to get each other's attention.
• A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin: To save her family from ruin, a ruthlessly ambitious woman heads to London to snag a wealthy husband, only to meet her match in a cynical Lord who is determined to stop her.
• Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti: A scandalous wallflower and a buttoned-up Duke are forced into a chaotic road trip across England that threatens to ruin their reputations.
• How to Lose a Lord in 10 Days by Sophia Irwin: To escape an unwanted engagement, a bold bluestocking deliberately acts as a "difficult" bride-to-be, only to find her intended is equally determined to make the match work.
• Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti: A practical widow finds her quiet life upended when she enters a high-stakes rivalry with a charming Earl she’s loved since childhood.
• All's Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath: Two rival private investigators are forced to work together on a high-society case, battling both their competitive streaks and an undeniable romantic spark.
• The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell: When Jane Austen’s best friend goes missing, the famous author must turn detective to navigate a web of secrets and scandals in the English countryside.
• Lady Like by Mackenzi Lee: A rebellious young woman in the 18th century rejects the strict constraints of ladyhood to pursue a life of adventure and personal agency on her own terms.

Single Parent

• Seven Days in June by Tia Williams: Two rivaling Black romance novelists who shared a week of love reunite fifteen years later to see if their connection can survive their complicated adult lives.
• To Hate Adam Connor by Ella Maise: After a woman is caught "spying" on her new neighbor—a famous, brooding Hollywood actor—the two embark on a high-friction, enemies-to-lovers journey.
• The Nanny by Lana Ferguson: A woman discovers that her new boss, a wealthy single father, is the same man she used to collaborate with on a spicy adult content platform.
• The Match by Sarah Adams: A service-dog trainer with epilepsy finds her life transformed when she is hired by a single father to help his daughter.
• Unravel Me by Becka Mack: A professional hockey player known for his bad boy reputation finds himself falling hard for his best friend’s sister.
• Reckless by Elsie Silver: A small-town doctor and a professional bull rider must navigate the consequences of a secret one-night stand when he returns to town to find out he has a daughter.
• Wild Eyes by Elsie Silver: A world-famous country music star hiding out in a small town meets a feisty single mother who has no interest in his fame.
• Caught Up by Liz Tomforde: A professional baseball player and a single father hires his teammate's sister as his daughter’s nanny.
• If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia: A woman working at a theme park Keeps meeting her best friend’s brother accidentally.

Academic Rivals

• Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon: On the last day of high school, two academic rivals embark on a city-wide scavenger hunt and realize that the person they’ve fought for four years might be the only one who truly understands them.
• I Hope This Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang: A high-achieving student's life is thrown into chaos when her private "burn" emails to everyone she hates—including her academic nemesis—are accidentally sent to the entire school.
• The Rival by Emma Lord: Two ambitious teenagers are competing for a prestigious internship.
• Begin Again by Emma Lord: After transferring schools to follow her boyfriend only to be dumped, a resilient young woman must navigate a new community, a competitive radio station, and a grumpy coworker who challenges her to start over on her own terms.
• Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert: Two former best friends turned rivals have to work together on an outdoor survival course in the woods.
• If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang: To fund her tuition at an elite boarding school, a girl uses her sudden ability to turn invisible to run a lucrative "secret-discovery" service.
• The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe: Two exes and former PhD rivals are forced to compete for a job.
• Class Act by Kelsey Rodkey: A girl who lives for her school's comedy show finds her leadership challenged by a talented new transfer student.
• TJ Powar Has Something to Prove by Jesmeen Kaur Deo: After becoming a meme for her body hair, a high school debater stops grooming altogether to prove she can be hairy and hot. 

He falls first

• Marriage for One by Ella Maise: To save her business and her inheritance, a woman marries a stoic lawyer who has been secretly pining for her for years.
• Consider Me by Becka Mack: A notorious NHL playboy meets his match in a woman who refuses to be another conquest.
• The Love Wager by Lynn Painter: Two people who meet on a disastrous blind date decide to become "dating wingmen" for each other.
• Hello Stranger by Katherine Center: After a freak accident leaves a portrait artist with face blindness, she falls for a man she can't recognize.
• The Fake Out by Stephanie Archer: A professional hockey player agrees to a fake-dating scheme with his rival’s ex-girlfriend to help her get revenge.
• Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage: A high-powered city woman moves to a small town to help a grumpy rancher save his family business.
• Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez: Two people who have a "curse" where their exes find their soulmates immediately after breaking up with them decide to date each other just for the summer to break the spell.
• Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young: After a one-night stand leads to a pregnancy, two people with physical disabilities build a supportive and tender relationship while preparing for parenthood.
• Deep End by Ali Hazelwood: A scientist is forced into a confined environment where she must confront both professional danger and the overwhelming chemistry she shares with her rival.

Roommates 

• Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert: A chaotic woman accidentally hits a perfectionist B&B owner with her car and is forced to help him prepare for a major inspection.
• Next of Kin by Hannah Bonam-Young: Two strangers competing for the same apartment decide to move in together to prove they can provide a stable home for their younger siblings in the foster care system.
• The Roommate Risk by Talia Hibbert: To save their friendship, two best friends who have been pining for years move in together.
• The No-Judgment Zone by Ellie K. Wilde: A woman escaping a bad breakup moves to a small town and enters a "no-strings-attached" agreement with a local man, only for their mutual secrets to complicate the arrangement.
• The Roommate Situation by Katie Bailey: After a series of mishaps, a woman moves in with her brother’s grumpy best friend.
• Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle: Two strangers who inherit a crumbling mansion together must find a way to reconcile their vastly different personalities and visions to restore the estate.
• In Your Dreams by Sarah Adams: A professional dancer finds herself sharing a cramped apartment and a fake dating pact with her best friend's brother, a grumpy physical therapist, after an impulsive decision to pursue her dreams in a new city.
• First Love, Take Two by Sajni Patel: Years after a painful breakup, two former sweethearts are forced to live together as roommates.
• Lease on Love by Falon Ballard: After a terrible breakup and a job loss, a woman finds a cut-rate room in a luxury condo with a grieving nerd.

Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine

I don’t know about you but I prefer when the female character is the grumpy one. Maybe because I’ve read too much about the opposite or because I love golden retrievers. 

• 99% Mine by Sally Thorne: A headstrong woman finally gets her chance to claim the man she’s wanted for a decade when her twin brother’s best friend moves in to help her renovate a house.
• Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams: A professional hockey player joins a secret male book club to learn how to win over a prickly and sharp-tongued woman.
• Baggage Claim by Julianna Smith: After a luggage mix-up at the airport, two strangers are forced to reunite.
• How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang: Two rival screenwriters are forced to collaborate in a writers' room.
• Getaway Girl by Tessa Bailey: When the black sheep of a prominent family impulsively rescues a jilted mayoral candidate from his own wedding disaster, the two strike up a secret friendship that threatens both his political career and her guarded heart.
• Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese: After a misunderstanding leads a hotheaded college soccer star to believe her surly, mountain-man classmate is intentionally ignoring her, the two are forced into a project-based rivalry.
• The Co-op by Tarah DeWitt: Two exes are forced to live together and renovate a crumbling house they both inherited.
• A New Leaf by Samm Wilde: Seeking a fresh start, a woman moves to a small town to take over a flower shop, only to clash with the local grumpy contractor.
• Near Miss by Haley Warren: A woman’s attempt to escape her boring life by impulsively switching plane seats with a stranger.

Runaway Bride

• Runaway Groomsman by Meghan Quinn: After a public breakdown at his ex’s wedding, a Hollywood screenwriter retreats to a small town to find inspiration and falls for the local baker who runs the cabin where he's hiding.
• Powerless by Elsie Silver: A professional hockey player and his childhood best friend—who is about to marry the wrong man—embark on an impulsive road trip that forces them to confront years of unspoken attraction.
• The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas: A woman discovers her fiancé is a fraud, leading her into a fake-dating arrangement with his much more brooding and attractive brother.
• Falling by Willow Aster: A woman who finds herself torn between a comfortable past and an unexpected connection with a man who challenges everything she knows about love.
• Fall with Me by Becka Mack: A protective hockey player tries to keep his distance from his best friend’s sister because of their "just friends" pact.
• I Do with You by Lauren Landish: When a wild night in Vegas ends in marriage, a straight-laced businessman and a free-spirited woman must decide if their impulsive "I do" was actually the best mistake of their lives.
• Wild and Wrangled by Lyla Sage: In this small-town cowboy romance, a headstrong woman and a rugged rancher clash over their - not so - differing lives.
• The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain by Hannah Brown: A woman who has been engaged four times without ever making it to the altar must navigate her messy romantic past to finally figure out what she actually wants in a partner.
• The Ring Thief by MacKenzie Madden: A high-stakes heist leads to unexpected romantic tension when a professional thief and her target get tangled in a web of secrets and stolen goods.

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