Romancelvania writer on her approach to romance genre tropes

Next up was examining something that was near and dear to my heart—the different types of frame-stories in romance novels. There’s “enemies to lovers,” which pits the couple against each other; witty banter nearly always ensues, and there’s always tons of delicious unresolved sexual tension here. A big fan favorite is also “friends to lovers,” where the characters have known each other platonically, and then “something” starts to happen between them that leaves the audience swooning. Taking a look at what’s keeping the characters apart here is what is key. Ask: why aren’t they together yet? Then, boom, there’s your trope. Are you dealing with a broody hero that can’t be hurt again? A heroine with a flighty attitude because she doesn’t want to settle down? One of the characters of Romancelvania who highlights a well-chosen trope is Van Helsing, who is the typical “enemies to lovers” choice. Van Helsing is the reason Drac is in this rut! Why on earth would Drac want to date a mortal enemy? UNRESOLVED SEXUAL TENSION. They threaten. They banter. They tease. And it’s hot. Eventually, depending on the player’s choices, Van Helsing opens up, and we see a whole new side to the monster hunter. This is what’s exciting about this trope—the progress you see!