Romance plot conventions

[oyceter]

Because I am having a very interesting conversation with Justine right now...

What are the romance tropes and conventions that drive you nuts? Why?

And which ones almost always work for you? Why?

And which ones are the ones in-between? I.e. if done well, they totally work, and if done poorly, they prompt chucking the book at a wall.

Bonus question: does Doomed Love work for you? What counts as Doomed (or, should I say, DOOMED)? What about love triangles/quadrangles/geometric shapes?

(Note: these aren't limited to romance novels, but to any narrative that involves romance-with-a-small-r.)

Also, please put spoilers in spoiler text! <span style="color:#333333;background:#333333">Spoilers go here</span>

Comments

[susanw.livejournal.com]

No, I haven't read THE LEOPARD PRINCE yet. I've sort of been avoiding recent examples of my own bulletproof kink to give myself time to get over my bitterness over my version of it (sergeant & wealthy highborn officer's widow in the Peninsular War) coming really really close to selling but not quite getting there. :-(

[oracne.livejournal.com]

AGH! AGH! So painful.

[susanw.livejournal.com]

I'll get over the bitters eventually--at least, I know I need to! I'm working on same era, different genre, now (alternate history instead of romance), and it feels like a better fit for my voice and interests. So maybe in the long run it'll be a good thing. I still think I wrote a damn good book, though.

[oracne.livejournal.com]

I've got one of those lying around, unsold...maybe I'll send it out again.