🖋️Behind the Scenes: Let’s Talk About Tropes

What even are they and why do authors need to know about them?

If you’ve spent even five minutes in Romancelandia, you’ve probably heard the word trope thrown around. But what even are they—and why do authors care so much?

In simple terms, tropes are the storytelling flavors that make readers (and writers) say yes, please, give me more of that. They’re the familiar setups and emotional beats that shape how we experience a story. Think: “enemies to lovers,” “forced proximity,” “fated mates,” or “only one bed.”

They’re not clichés (though they can be if used lazily). They’re promises. Tropes tell readers what kind of emotional ride they’re about to take. When you pick up a mafia romance, you expect danger and devotion. When you grab a small-town shifter story, you want cozy community vibes and a protective growly hero.

As an indie author, I love tropes because they’re like the secret language between me and my readers. They help me deliver exactly what my Pack is craving—and let me twist expectations just enough to keep things fresh.

Now, if you’ve read my books, you know I don’t stick to just one flavor. I write across worlds—paranormal, fantasy, and contemporary—but I always come back to a few favorite tropes that make my heart (and my readers’) race.

Here are just a few you’ll find in my stories:

💋 Paranormal Romance Tropes:
✨ Fated Mates • Curvy & Sassy Heroines • Protective Alpha Shifters • Magical Worlds • Found Family • Touch Her & D*e Energy • Small Towns with Big Secrets

🔥 Contemporary & Dark Romance Tropes:
💼 Billionaires • Forced Marriage • Age Gap • Possessive / Morally Gray Heroes • Strangers to Lovers • Secret Baby • Fake Dating • Second Chance • Touch Her & D*e (again, always)

Every time I sit down to write, I think about what emotion I want to deliver—comfort, danger, desire, laughter—and the trope is my starting point. The rest is alchemy.

So, tell me—what’s your favorite trope? The one that makes you one-click every time you see it?

P.S.
Here’s a deeper look at tropes in my worlds…

🐾 C.D. Gorri PARANORMAL ROMANCE TROPE MAP

Macconwood Pack / Barvale / Maverick Pride

Fated Mates • Found Family • Curvy & Sassy Heroines • Protective Alpha Shifters • Touch Her & D*e

Shifter small-town heat, pack dynamics, loyalty & humor; wolf, bear, and cat shifters finding mates amid chaos.

Castor’s Corner (Hungry Fur Love / Date to Mate)

Paranormal Romcom • Witches + Shifters • Matchmaker Chaos (Uncle Uzzi App) • Magical Mayhem • Curvy FMCs

Steamy fated-mate comedy with magical interference, sentient familiars, town gossip, and light-hearted chaos.

Cowboy Dragon’s Rose / Dry Creek Shifters

Fated Mates • Dragon Shifter Hero • Emotional Healing • Found Family

Protective cowboy-dragon meets human heroine on the run; storm rescues, tattoo magic, slow-burn + action blend.

Witches of Westwood Academy

Magical Academy • Elemental Magic (Blood/Spirit/Fire/Water/Air/Earth) • Coming into Power • Found Sisterhood

YA-meets-New-Adult witch saga with destiny, curses, and spark-heavy slow burns under the Council of Covens.

Motley Crewd Shifters / Hearts of Stone / Lords of Nightfall

Enemies to Lovers • Morally Gray Heroes • Touch Her & D*e • Powerful FMCs • Dark Fantasy Romance

High-heat crossover with elemental lords, demons, and stone-hearted alphas; darker tone, rich worldbuilding.

Maccon City / Barvale Holiday Tales

Holiday Romance • Second Chance • Fated Mates • Cozy Small-Town Magic

Feel-good shifter novellas centered on gratitude, holiday cheer, and HEAs wrapped in mistletoe & moonlight.

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💼 C.D. Gorri CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE TROPE MAP

Mergers & Acquisitions/Wild Billionaire Romance/ Jersey Bad Boys

Billionaire • Forced Marriage • Pregnancy • Obsessive MMC • Curvy FMC • Touch Her & D*e

Corporate power meets dark passion; high-stakes seduction, family dynasties, and emotional redemption arcs.

Desperate People / Crimes / Games Trilogy

Dark Romance • Bodyguard Vibes • Forbidden Love • Morally Gray Hero • Obsession & Healing

Romantic suspense with luxury & danger; OTT protectors, trauma recovery, and steamy redemption stories.

Jersey Bad Boys

Mafia Vibes • Redemption Arc • Second Chance • Dangerous Hero • Curvy FMC

Tattooed anti-heroes finding light through love; gritty yet heartfelt with plenty of “mine” energy.

Carolina Rovers Rugby Series

Sports Romance • Fake Dating • Second Chance • Grumpy/Sunshine • Team Found Family

Emotional, funny, and steamy; sports drama meets southern charm & slow-burn redemption.

Wild Billionaire Romance / Woodhaven Mountain Men

Small-Town Billionaire • Ex-Criminal Redemption • Age Gap • Curvy FMC

Rough-around-the-edges heroes with golden hearts; mountain cabins, redemption, and steamy HEAs.

Short Holiday Romances (Her Yule His Log, His Wood Her Fire)

Forced Proximity • Holiday Vibes • Older FMC • One Bed • Instant Connection

Cozy, quick reads with snowed-in spice and emotionally warm endings perfect for seasonal promos.

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✨ Bonus Cross-Genre Tropes I’m Known For

• OTT Book Boyfriends 💋

• Curvy Heroines & Body Positivity

• Possessive but Protective Heroes

• Found Family & Community Love

• Humor + Heart + Heat Balance

• Guaranteed HEA (Even Through Darkness)

• “Touch Her & D*e” Protective Mantra