Watch me as I trash one of my favourite things in bitterness…
I GET IT. IT’S NOT VALENTINES DAY ANYMORE. BUT I’M STILL BITTER.
If I’m honest, romance right now can just burn. Literally. Set it on bonfire fire — right in the middle. Throw it into a forest fire. Add it to a firework then set it off so it can explode before me. Just make it burn furiously. Someone kill it. KILL IT WITH A TWIG. BRANCH. SWORD. MACE. CLUB. SHOTGUN. CANON*. JUST MAKE IT GOOOO.
Okay, so despite me saying all of this I actually quite like romance in books. My heart often likes being smashed to pieces with a hammer from time to time with a good ol’ bit of romance.
JUST. Sometimes**, I just, can’t STAND IT? Sometimes there are just moments where it’s too unrealistic, or they argue all the time and I’m just screaming “BREAK UP ALREADY!!” or it’s just too damn consuming or unhealthy. OR FARRRRRR TOO MUSHY AND HOW DARE THEY BE HAPPY AND INFECTIOUS.
Posts about other tropes here: BOOK TROPES: WHICH DO WE BURN OR EMBRACE?
*I’m running out of weapons… **by this I mean: A LOT OF THE TIME.
The Love triangle
Our good terrible ol’ friend the love triangle! Oh, how I loathe thee!
Okay, I actually don’t just SO MUCH of the time they’re done poorly, or so SO stereotypically that I want to eradicate them from this earth.
The stereotypes:
- one will be super sweet and one will be a bad-boy.
- it’s usually 2 guys over a girl.
- that girl is usually “average” that’s actually a dull bucket of nothing interesting *cough*twilight*cough* yet TWO people are SO in love with her and trying to win over her boring heart.
- She’s usually SO in love with one of them and so incredibly slow to see this and is just stringing along the other one.
- OR better yet, she wants to be “FRIENDS” with the other one, I mean, honey you just kinda trampled on his lil heart by picking the other guy so,.. I think that’s a firm no.
…I’ve actually enjoyed these terror-creatures in the past. For example, in The Infernal Devices*, or perhaps even the one at the start of The Mortal Instruments** … these are all Cassandra Clare wow. NOW I SEE WHY… but what I’m saying is that was fetus Lu!! more-grown Lu doesn’t like these anymore***. THEY’RE BAD!!
… But now I just scream “PICK ONE ALREADY YOU SILLY, PUNY HUMAN.”
… LIKE THIS WOULD REALLY HAPPEN THOUGH?? NO!! I don’t know about you, but I’d be lucky if one person liked me, let alone TWO people loving me.
*this one broke me **I just laugh, Simon, bless. . . *** Why am I speaking in the third person?
Instalove
This is legitimately the most annoying. How does this seriously happen in real life? I mean, just how. I just don’t get it okay? It’s actually a tad infuriating how they can just aimlessly chuck their feelings into the “I love you” bucket after knowing them for 5 minutes.
is. it. even. real?
It doesn’t make sense!!!
Or maybe it’s just me that doesn’t have any emotions after about 2 seconds of knowing someone… hmmm. Discussion: is lu emotionless or is it just YA MCs that think they’re “soulmates” after 3 seconds?
(Tbh I think it’s the latter but who am I to judge).
All your problems are now solved!!!
This annoys me to NO end.
When someone tries to “fix” the mental health of another I just combust in fury. Or when they have to “push it aside” because the other doesn’t want to “deal” with it I just want to STAB them furiously and I’m really not a violent person* BECAUSE THEN THEY DON’T LOVE YOU!! I just want to SCREAM. READ THIS IN A SCREAMY VOICE BECAUSE I’M MADDDDDDDDDDD. *side note: I love puppies*
OR. They just act like they never had any issues in the first place and act like they’re 1000% fine with everything and then they don’t talk about it and I just sit there protesting in my head (and sometimes via stabbing the page with my sharp nail that I use to stab my enemies) because IF YOU’RE IN A RELATIONSHIP YOU HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS… or maybe I’m just so bad at relationships and this is a no-no?
*you may have thought differently from the into to this post…
Kinda like insta-love but…”omg we’re SOULMATES”
YES, DRAGONS ARE A THING. BUT SOULMATES? Nah.
Can this just burn? Yes. Oh, wonderful.
I get it when there is the whole “soulmates” thing in a fantasy book, and if the whole concept has been made into the world building. However, I’m still not a great fan because I feel like a good excuse for them to be together is that they’re “soulmates” and it’s not ACTUALLY about the compatibility of the two characters. And most of the time, the whole “soulmates” thing just takes over the rest of the book sometimes???
… but in contemporaries where they start acting like they’re “made for each other” I just… I just burn inside and decompose in angst.
And this just makes me SO angry because you know what honey, you’re just being silly and you’re in HIGHSCHOOL for Pete’s sake and you’re probably going to end up breaking up pretty damn soon… or a love triangle will hop on along and make everything BURN.
*smashes something with a hummer until there is only dust remaining*
that overly mushy couple
Stop. Rubbing. Your. Happiness. In. My. Face. I. Get. It.
I honestly take this as a personal attack.
Choosing love interest before friends ALL THE TIME
Fair enough, once or twice. But if they’re just all about them and their boyfriend then sorry, but they’re just being a b*itch.
When the narrative becomes them basically obsessing over the love interest.
Sorry, but the book isn’t called “a narrative of obsession over this person’s boy/girlfriend”. 1) that’s too long and has no ring to it unlike.. idk A THOUSAND PERFECT NOTES, 2) If that was the title, then who in their right mind would read it? it just sounds BORING & 3) obsessing over a boy/girlfriend is such an IMMATURE thing to do people would actually just STAB it n the bookstore without even looking what it’s meant to be about.
Why do authors bother with romance since we book bloggers can never be satisfied?
Romances that I’ve actually enjoyed *gasp*:
Mini Appreciation to these in particular: Turtles all the way down, OF COURSE THE RELATIONSHIP OF BLUESY but then also in THUG: because I think that with the topic of the book, I think that the relationship was handled really well and it wasn’t all about the romance but it did show possible problems in relation to the topic that it discussed!! AND THEN OF COURSE KAZ AND INEJ. (AND YES THERE ARE NO SHADOWHUNTER BOOKS BECAUSE THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY BOOKS AND TOO MANY SHIPS FOR ME TO SCREAM ABOUT!!)
Chat with me: what romance tropes do you think need to burn? Which do you like? Any of these? Do you like any of the tropes that I mentioned here? What general tropes do you think are awful? Do you like any of the romances that I mentioned here? What are some of your fvourite ships? Let me know!
Luuuuu
I totally agree with you. I absolutely loathe love triangles. I used to read books with love triangles even though I didn’t like them, but now I just can’t. If a book has a love triangle I can’t read it. Even if the book is awesome I end up obsessing over the fact that I don’t like the love triangle and the rest of the plot is dust in the wind. I don’t like insta and mushy love either.
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TRIANGLES. MY LEAST FAVOURITE SHAPE. ESP WHEN THERE’S LOVE IN THE MIX TOO.
KDGJKDFG mushy love??? pass me a bucket??? I’m feeling nauseous???
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Hilarious post! But I SO agree with most of these. Especially the “here, let me help fix you with our loveeee” (side side note: puppies are ADORABLE)! The other two that bother me a lot are when the story literally becomes all about the love interest (time to skim!) and when they start thinking “love interest > friends”. This just bothers me. Like, no thank you haha. On the bright side, I’m good with love triangles if they work and aren’t your stereotypical “average” girl vs. bad boy/best friend.
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Thank you so much!!!!!! Irbdjdjd when it’s all about the love interest I FALL ASLEEP. Omg I want to see a love triangle that’s new and refreshing!!!
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i can foresee it now: i’m just going to comment “how are you so good at blogging how are all your posts so good and unique and entertaining so consistently” every time you post for the rest of eternity.
THIS IS THE REALEST
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EMMMMAAAA YOU GEMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
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I HATE ALL OF THESE SO MUCH. Your post has made me a bit aggressive lol. I could maaaybe get behind two people being in love with the same person, but that person not being able to choose between them?? GURL (I’ve never read a love triangle that did not resolve around one girl) HOW. HOW CAN YOU BE IN LOVE WITH BOTH OF THEM. HOW DOES THAT EVEN WORK.
And the insta love oh my goodness N O when they’ve known each other for like a day and are already declaring their undying love for each other and are all ‘i can’t live without u’ *throws laptop out of the window* *not really it’s expensive and i need it(
My most hated trope is when the book is suddenly ALL ABOUT THE ROMANCE though. I mean it’s fine obviously if it’s a romance book, but if it’s a fantasy?? And then the romance completely takes over the plot?? False advertising. Makes me want to burn the book and I don’t burn books
Love this post! 🙂
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I KNOW RIGHT YOU JUST CANT BE IN LOVE WIT TWO PEOPLE!!!! And urgh yes the “I can’t live without you” is just an insult to everyone in long distance relationship esp when you throw instalove into the mix!!! JUST NO!!!!!
Oh my God yes same. I’m like??? If I wanted a book all about romance then I WOULD READ FROM THE ROMANCE GENRE????????????
Thank you so much ❤️❤️❤️
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[…] Lu from @It’s Lu Again […]
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Ahhh romance that evil thing that shalt not grace my heart ever. hahha, that’s a lie. I found a guy to obsess over at work so that sucks xD
love triangles could possibly work… may…be
idk about that instalove one. i mean, that’s so unrealistic. and probably creepy in my eyes. like, hi, i just met you, now let’s get married. i’m over here like wooow, wooow, get the love-repelling spray, please!
oh goodness, that “here is love/ now all is well” is utter bull. if someone suffers from ptsd or has severe anixety, they can’t just be “fixed” after they find a relationship. IT DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY.
♥ KAZ ♥ AND ♥ INEJ ♥ ARE ♥ FOREVER ♥ THE ♥ ULTIMATE ♥ ARMADA ♥
great post lu. it was funny 🙂 i’m cackling and it’s 2 in the morning.
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OMG A GUY TELL ME ALLL.
YEAH INSTA-LOVE IS SO CREEPY. LIKE?? BACK OFF MATE!!! WE’VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR ABOUT 3 SECONDS.
kaz ❤ freaking ❤ brekker ❤ my ❤ husband ❤
AWWW THANK YOU SO MUCH HANNNN
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These are all really tropes that bug me, it’s very rare that I find a love triangle I enjoy (although it has happened once with Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices series) and I really cannot stand insta-love because it just feels too unrealistic. No one can fall in love in a second, it just doesn’t work that way. 🙂
The romances in Six of Crows were so incredibly written, they were well developed and didn’t take away from the plot or the action at all. Personally I could not have asked for a better written romance! Also I loved Kady and Ezra and Hanna and Nik from The Illuminae Files series too. How excited are you for Obsidio by the way?! 😀
Great post Lu, here’s hoping we find more books with romances we enjoy? 🙂 ❤
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YES THAT LOVE TRIANGLE I LOBE BC WILL + JEM ARE EVERYTHING???
Yes it’s just SO unrealistic!!!
I think that also in six of crows, you could tell that they’d been in love with eachtoher for a long time?? (Kaz and Inej AND Nina and Matthias) omg YES HANNA NIK Esp!!!
OMG OBSIDIO I CANNOT WAIT.
Thank you so much ❤️❤️❤️❤️
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Six of Crows there was kind of development in the past that added to the development in the actual stories. It was kind of masterful the way Leigh Bardugo wrote.
That’s all right! 😀 ❤
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YESSSS EXACTLYYYYYYYYYYYY
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I’m starting to realize I’m a little forgiving about some awful romance tropes in fantasy books as opposed to contemporary. I mean, I still greatly dislike most cases of love-triangles and such other problematic things, but for some reason fantasy seems like a slightly more acceptable setting for what otherwise would have me seething. Maybe it’s because I was a dweeb in high school that never ever dated and I simply can’t relate to those characters? But I obviously spend a lot of my time riding unicorns and talking to mermaids so those love stories just seem way more realistic.
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I think that with fantasy there’s more going on and that’s why i can forgive them for existing?! I think that with contemporary books it’s so much easier for EVERYTHING to become about the love interest(S)!
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I don’t mind a love triangle as long as it’s done well. Ahem, Infernal Devices, ahem
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YES THE INFERNAL DEVICES YES YES YES.
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Every once in a while I stumble across a love triangle that works. But the author has to convince me that the girl actually might work with both of them. You’re too right that there’s often a good choice and a bad one. I mean, no way is the author actually going to have her pick that guy who’s a jerk drug dealer. Not in YA, at least!
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yes exactly, i think that the “bad boy” trope is more just… one that is aggressive/mean to people?
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I’ve just read a couple books where the “bad boy” love interest option was literally a drug dealer. :p
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oh myyyyyyyy NO
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INSTA LOVE NEEDS TO DIE I HATE IT SO MUCH
Also I feel like so many times there are like soul mate tropes or like a trope where the males like “oh we’ve met in another universe where we love each other” and like,,, is in love with the female lead and like they basically skip…. the whole GETTTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER EXCUSE ME??? Also I feel like the soul mate trope is usually an excuse to have no development and it’s so ANNOYING LMAO
I really liked the starfish romance too!! Jamie was so cute
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IKR CAN WE BURN IT TOGETHER?
Yesssss, i think that when there’s a love interest and they ACTUALLY GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER then it helps with their individual development (AND MAKES ME SHIP THEM MORE) and when they just get together immediately it’s just too-resemble-y of INSTALOVE? so it needs to go!!
OMDGHBRKG YESS STARFISH.
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I KNOW RIGHT
also slow-burn is painful but also I LOVE IT SO MUCH AND I REALLY LIKE IT WHEN THERE ARE SWOONY MOMENTS WHEN THEY’rE NOT IN A RELATIONSHIP??? IS THAT ANYONE ELSE???
starfishHHHH is my lovE
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OMG YES ITS SO SO PAINFUL BUT SO SO WORTH IT. Not just you omg yes and it’s like “PLEASE BE TOGETHER”
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I will always remember the whole thread on Tumblr where its like… are you guys even friends???
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I love this post! All of these are such good points! Especially the one about love being the answer to all of a person’s problems. A boyfriend/girlfriend will not cure your all your issues and authors need to stop pretending that they will.
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Thank you so much!! YES, IT’S JUST SO NOT HEALTHY TO PORTRAY THAT IN BOOKS, especially when a lot of people who read YA are IMPRESSIONABLE.
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UGH LITERALLY ALL OF THESE ANNOY ME. I TOTALLY agree with you! Although I can handle a love triangle but only if the plot is more important and the romance doesn’t get in the way, which sadly most of the time it does. But I guess that applies to all romance actually not just triangles. XD.
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Yeah, I think that would be an exception for me too!! Oh yes, I really don’t like it when a romance takes over the entire plot!!
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okay hell yeah insta love can go DIE like not only is it super annoying but just REALLY BAD writing skills on the author’s part. also yeah I hate love triangles!!! you know The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich?? it seemed like such a great trope inversion (boys fight over girl but end up falling in love with each other) but apparently it sucked soooo. but that’s something I’d like to see!!!
and oh my god I HATE the “love cures all” mentality with mental illness. it’s disgusting that love is the cure because 1) aro people, 2) it’s not TRUE, and 3) it can make people think that if they find love, they’ll find a cure. and like,,, sjkdkskdjs there are so many wrong things about it I HATE IT SO MUCH
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YES AND IT JUST TAKES OVER THE WHOLE BOOK, AND pleaseeee can it NOT?
OMG, that just sounds??? Ok, it sounds hella interesting IF WRITTEN WELL?? I love how it just spins the love triangle on its head like that!!
OMG YES EXACTLY. LIKE CAN THEY STOP THE “LOVE CURES ALL” THING NOW??
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This post gave me so much life I’m screaming because I understand this on a spiritual level oh my God – and I fucking hate love triangles so much ❤️❤️❤️
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OMG YAS ELM YAS.
WE CAN BURN THEM TOGETHER!! ❤ ❤
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I also genuinely hate insta love, and I feel like my threshold for patience with it has gotten lower and lower till it’s practically nonexistent. The romantic subplot can really make or break a book for me tbh
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Same here!! I used to like it, then it got old and i tolerated it, and now I just want it to leave ahaha. It just takes over the book??
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I hate the instant love one so much. Like, YOU JUST MET THEM. Or worse, only SAW them from a distance. Please. SPARE ME.
And I hate the love triangles that aren’t written well. Then it’s just like you said: a character who obviously likes one of them but is dragging it out for the ‘conflict’ of the book and it TAKES OVER THE BOOK.
Let me join you in burning these ones. We’ll burn them slowly and torturously, laugh maniacally, roast marshmallows over the fire of their burning, then dance on the ashes.
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omg seeing them from a distance… EW? CREEPY? STRANGE? YES.
YES, LOVE TRIANGLES JUST TAKE OVER THE WHOLE BOOK AND IT’S JUST, SAD.
CAN WE PLEASE?
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Every single one of these bothers me as well, but not as much as ‘all my problems are now solved.’ I think that trope is very dangerous and it infuriates me when I see it!
I also hate the choosing relationship over friends trope! A lot of people do that in real life and it is not healthy. I wish that more books would stress the importance of friendship, even when you are in a relationship!
Excellent post! I loved a love the romance you loved as well- especially Monty and Percy!
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IT’S SO DANGEROUS, YOU’RE RIGHT.
It’s totally not healthy to put your relationship above other people in your life, you need a BALANCE.
Thank you so much, Kristin!!
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I think all you listed here are pretty bad. I find insta love super sad and weird… it doesn’t happen outside YA books so much. Maybe in adult romance… but i have no idea, don’t read those….
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Yeah!! It’s just strange?? haha same with adult romance anaha
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YES. love triangles need to go – mostly because I get really salty because the person I want them to be with NEVER get’s picked and then im not happy for the other two xD
and isnta love, and soulmates. basically, everything you listed above!?!?!
such a good post lu! 🙂
but yes for monty + percy, Kiko + Jamie, blue + gainsay (also Ronan and Adam???) and of course, kaz and Inej <3333
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YES OMG SAME. AW thank you so much!! RONAN AND ADAM OMG YES. MY LOVES.
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Insta-love is something I can’t stand whether it’s in a tv show, movie, or a book. But there are times when I let it slide when it actually works. I can’t think of an example right now for a book, but FinnRose in Star Wars works in my opinion.
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OMG SAME SISTER, SAME. Yeah, I think that sometimes I can let it slide because sometimes they acknowledge that it all moved a little fast?
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Okay, yes please don’t rub your mushiness in our faces. Also, not everybody wants a badboy so just chill okay! There are too many SH ships I just can’t! KAZ AND INEJ! BLUESYYYYY!!! YASSS. There boring love tropes are getting annoying (unless they’re done…)
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YESS. OMG JUST TOO MANY BAD BOYS. THE ONLY ONE(S) I WANT ARE KAZ ADN JESPER OK.
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I’m way too in love and may need to be hospitalised… send helo
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SAME.
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*help
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