101 Writing Tips from an Exhausted Reviewer

Types of Love Interests

New profile picture. New me. Anyways.

Let's face it: humans are pretty amazing.

I once read this book about a man who returned from WWII, sent letters to every girl from his hometown asking them if they were single and ready to mingle and tingle with his pringle, if you catch my jingle. In the book, there were these letters, and I thought they were odd because they had typos and weren't really phrased very romantically. Then, I read the author's notes.

The letters were real letters. That man was a real man who actually sent those letters to all those ladies. And one of those ladies did accept, and the author of the whole book was their grandchild.

My heart, man. My heart.

There are amazing love stories everywhere. My aunty ran into her childhood sweetheart after fifteen years, and they rekindled their love and got married. My neighbour had a dream about a man she had never met, saw him at a supermarket, and they fell in love after a few months. My friend had a car accident, got out of the car to yell at the guy who rear-ended her, thought he was cute (but still yelled at him), and now they've been dating for three months.

And then there's me and the love of my life, who I had to buy for $5 at a waterpark.

Yes, the love of my life is a bucket of cotton candy.

Moving on.

After reading and reviewing lots of books, I've realised that there are some really popular love interest tropes! Let's go through them and have some fun! Let me know which ones you love, which ones you hate, and if you know any books that fit the trope, let me know because I'm always looking for fresh reads!

In advance, I would like to apologise for the titles.

THE BROODING BAD BOY.

I mean, we're on Wattpad. It makes sense to start with this one.

I did a whole chapter on this guy. He is sexy, badass, and mysterious. He sits at the back of the classroom, and says absolutely nothing. His father is probably rich, famous, or dead. Or part of a mafia industry. He is cold, rude, and no one is able to reach his heart...

Until the protagonist comes along. And, because she's oh, so special, suddenly his guard is lowered. He shows his caring side. He shows his thoughtfulness. He shows his abs.

To be honest, I'm considering becoming one of these bad boys to see the hype. Yes, I identify as a girl, but still. I'm going to buy a leather jacket, get some tattoos, and start glaring at everyone who walks past me. I'll let y'all know how it goes.

THE SOB STORY SOLDIER.

This one is usually found in historical fictions, but also... a very specific range of them. But go with me here!

She is at a bar. He is there. They make eye contact. She flashes her wrists. It's very scandalous.

Then, just as she falls in love and he proposes...

Hitler gets rejected from art school.

War ensues. He is sent to fight for his country. And she is left, wondering if he will be alright... stealing fleeting kisses as he visits every now and then... crying over the few letters he sends.

TL;DR: don't flash your wrists to people if you think a war is about to happen!

THE BOSOM BUDDY BESTIE.

The best friend.

This is your typical best friend who, after years of laughing and having inside jokes and venting about all their other relationships to each other, they've realised that... gasp! All along, they were the ones perfect for each other! It's like You Belong With Me, by Taylor Swift, turned into a trope!