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Fiction Filters

Trope tagging and searching for books

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Books

Romance tropes

This is the preferred term. Synonyms are included. You can turn off synonyms.

Narrower terms: Friends to lovers, Enemies to lovers, Rivals to lovers, Bed sharing, Arranged marriage, Fake relationship, Secret relationship, Feelings denial, Feelings realization, Gay for you, Bury your gays, Second chance romance, Women loving women, Men loving men, Nonbinary loving women, Nonbinary loving men, Polyamory, Opposites attract, Strangers to lovers, Coworkers to lovers, Prince(ss) and pauper, I don't need no man, Rekindled relationship, Courting, Break up, Just friends, First love, Forbidden love, Stuck together, Interspecies romance, Love triangle, Best friend's brother, Shitty exes, Kissing to avoid suspicion, Fear of commitment, Queer awakening, Grumpy/sunshine, Age Difference, Bonding over dogs, Pining, Long distance relationship, Celebrity relationships, Only one bed, Marriage of convenience, Fake dating, Straight with an exception, I'm not into labels, Forced proximity, Accidental bonding

The Love Hypothesis

by Ali Hazelwood

Series:

Genres:

Contemporary romance, Humor, New adult fiction, Slice of life

Tropes:

Age Difference, Breaking the fourth wall, Coming of age, Crush on teacher, Fake dating, Feelings realization, Fluff, Friends to lovers, Grumpy/sunshine, Kissing to avoid suspicion, Miscommunication, Opposites attract, Pining, Playing the long game, Slice of life, Woman in a man's world

Characters:

Academic, Characters in their 20s, Characters in their 30s, College student, Scientist, Teacher

Time Periods:

2010-2020

Places:

United States, University

Trade Me

Cover art for Trade Me
by Courtney Milan

Series:

Cyclone

Genres:

Contemporary romance, New adult fiction

Tropes:

Celebrity relationships, Fake dating, Life swap, Prince(ss) and pauper, Transactional relationship

Characters:

Athlete, Billionaire, Characters in their 20s, Characters with eating disorders, Chinese American main character(s), College student, Straight main character(s), Trans woman side character

Time Periods:

2010-2020

Places:

California, College

The Duke Who Didn’t

Cover art for The Duke Who Didn’t
by Courtney Milan

Series:

The Wedgeford Trials

Genres:

Victorian romance

Tropes:

Childhood friends, Friends to lovers, Secret identity

Characters:

Characters in their 20s, Chinese diasporic main character(s), Entrepreneur, Nobility

Time Periods:

1890-1900

Places:

England

You Could Make a Life

Cover art for You Could Make a Life
by Taylor Fitzpatrick

Series:

Genres:

Contemporary romance, Romance, Sports fiction, Sports romance

Tropes:

Friends to lovers, Men loving men, Sports teams

Characters:

Adult characters, Hockey player, New adult main characters

Time Periods:

2000s, 2010-2020

Places:

Canada, Toronto

A Hero Born

by Anna Holmwood (Translator), Jin Yong

Series:

Legends of the Condor Heroes, The Condor Trilogy

Genres:

Family saga, Wuxia

Tropes:

Arranged marriage, Band of misfits, Coming of age, Dysfunctional family, Fish out of water, Playing the long game, Shoot first ask questions later, Time skip

Characters:

Adult characters, Child characters, Daoist priest, East Asian main character(s), Martial artist, Oblivious hero, Teen main character(s)

Time Periods:

Jin Dynasty, Southern Song Dynasty

Places:

China, Mongolia

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Cover art for Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Series:

Genres:

Coming-of-age fiction, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary romance, Realistic fiction, Romance

Tropes:

Men loving men

Characters:

Latine/North American main character(s), Teen main character(s)

Time Periods:

1980s

Places:

Texas

Anyone But You

by Jennifer Crusie

Series:

Genres:

Contemporary romance

Tropes:

Age Difference, Bonding over dogs, Dog characters, Friends to lovers, Neighbors, Pining

Characters:

Characters in their 30s, Characters in their 40s, Divorced main character, Doctor, Straight main character(s), White/European diasporic main character(s)

Time Periods:

1990s

Places:

Ohio

A Marvellous Light

Cover art for A Marvellous Light
by Freya Marske

Series:

The Last Binding

Genres:

Fantasy of manners, Gaslamp fantasy

Tropes:

Dysfunctional family, Enemies to lovers, Grumpy/sunshine, Magical mystery, Magical society, Men loving men, Secret society

Characters:

Characters in their 20s, Mage, Queer main character(s), White/European main character(s)

Time Periods:

1900-1910

Places:

England

Due Diligence

Cover art for Due Diligence
by Anna Zabo

Series:

Takeover (Anna Zabo)

Genres:

Contemporary romance

Tropes:

Coworkers to lovers, Men loving men

Characters:

Queer main character(s), White/European diasporic main character(s)

Time Periods:

2010-2020

Places:

Seattle

Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun

Cover art for Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun
by Jonny Garza Villa

Series:

Genres:

Contemporary romance, Realistic fiction, Romance

Tropes:

Men loving men

Characters:

Latine/Latin American main character(s), Queer main character(s), Queer side character(s), Soccer player, Student athlete, Teen main character(s)

Time Periods:

Places:

Texas

Peter Cabot Gets Lost

Cover art for Peter Cabot Gets Lost
by Cat Sebastian

Series:

The Cabots (Cat Sebastian)

Genres:

Historical romance

Tropes:

Grumpy/sunshine, Men loving men, Only one bed, Prince(ss) and pauper, Road trip

Characters:

Characters in their 20s, New adult main characters, White/European diasporic main character(s)

Time Periods:

1960s

Places:

United States

The Long Game

Cover art for The Long Game
by Rachel Reid

Series:

Game Changers

Genres:

Contemporary romance, Hockey romance, Sports romance

Tropes:

Coming out, Enemies to lovers, Long distance relationship, Rivals to lovers, Secret relationship

Characters:

Bisexual main character(s), Closeted main character(s), East Asian main character(s), Hockey player, Russian main character

Time Periods:

2020-2030

Places:

Boston, Montreal, Toronto

The Missing Page

Cover art for The Missing Page
by Cat Sebastian

Series:

Page and Sommers

Genres:

Cozy mystery, Historical mystery

Tropes:

Complicated inheritance, Dysfunctional family, Secret relationship

Characters:

Doctor, Spy, Transgender side character(s), White/European main character(s)

Time Periods:

1940s, Post WWII

Places:

Cornwall

Tommy Cabot Was Here

Cover art for Tommy Cabot Was Here
by Cat Sebastian

Series:

The Cabots (Cat Sebastian)

Genres:

Historical romance

Tropes:

Second chance romance

Characters:

Closeted main character(s), Divorced main character

Time Periods:

1950s

Places:

Massachusetts

Check, Please!, Book 2: Sticks & Scones

Cover art for Check, Please!, Book 2: Sticks & Scones
by Ngozi Okazu

Series:

Check, Please!

Genres:

Contemporary romance, Hockey romance, New adult fiction, Sports romance

Tropes:

Celebrity relationships, Coming out, Ensemble cast, Found family, Grumpy/sunshine, Men loving men, Secret relationship, Sports teams, Stress baking

Characters:

Baker, Character with substance abuse issues, Character(s) with anxiety, Character(s) with PTSD, Closeted main character(s), Hockey player, Queer main character(s), Queer side character(s), Student athlete

Time Periods:

2010-2020

Places:

College, Massachusetts

Think of England

Cover art for Think of England
by K.J. Charles

Series:

England World

Genres:

Historical romance

Tropes:

Enemies to lovers, Fear of commitment, Kissing to avoid suspicion, Mystery plot, Queer awakening, Spies

Characters:

Character(s) with amputation(s), Cisgender man main character(s), English main character, Former military, Gay main character(s), Poet, White/European main character(s)

Time Periods:

1900-1910

Places:

Country manor, England

Arsenic and Adobo

Cover art for Arsenic and Adobo
by Mia P. Manansala

Series:

Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery Series

Genres:

Cozy mystery

Tropes:

Amateur detective, Back home from the big city, Best friend's brother, Family first, Framed for a crime, Love triangle, Shitty exes

Characters:

Baker, Characters in their 20s, Cisgender woman main character(s), East Asian diasporic side character(s), Lesbian side character(s), South Asian diasporic side character(s), Southeast Asian diasporic main character(s), Southeast Asian diasporic side character(s), Stubborn main character

Time Periods:

2010-2020

Places:

Illinois, Restaurant, Small town

Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey

Cover art for Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey
by Ngozi Okazu

Series:

Check, Please!

Genres:

Contemporary fiction, Contemporary romance, Hockey fiction, Hockey romance, New adult fiction, Realistic fiction, Sports fiction, Sports romance

Tropes:

Character blog, Ensemble cast, Found family, Grumpy/sunshine, Men loving men, Pining, Sports teams, Stress baking

Characters:

American main character, Baker, Bisexual main character(s), Canadian main character, Character with substance abuse issues, Character(s) with anxiety, Character(s) with depression, Character(s) with PTSD, Characters in their 20s, Characters in their late teens, Cisgender man main character(s), Closeted main character(s), College student, Figure skater, Gay main character(s), Hockey player, New adult main characters, Queer main character(s), Queer side character(s), Student, Student athlete, White/European diasporic main character(s), White/European main character(s)

Time Periods:

2010-2020, Information Age

Places:

Arena, College, Massachusetts, New England

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

by Jamie Ford

Series:

Genres:

Coming-of-age fiction, Historical fiction, World War II fiction

Tropes:

Break up, Coming of age, Dysfunctional family, First love, Fish out of water, Forbidden love, Friends to lovers, Growing up, Miscommunication, Rekindled relationship, Secret relationship, Time skip

Characters:

Chinese American main character(s), East Asian diasporic main character(s), East Asian main character(s), Japanese American main character(s)

Time Periods:

Radio Age, World War II

Places:

Idaho, New York City, Seattle, United States, Washington

Heated Rivalry

Cover art for Heated Rivalry
by Rachel Reid

Series:

Game Changers

Genres:

Contemporary romance, Hockey romance, Sports romance

Tropes:

Enemies to lovers, Long distance relationship, Men loving men, Rivals to lovers, Secret relationship, Sports teams

Characters:

Bisexual main character(s), Closeted main character(s), East Asian main character(s), Hockey player, Queer main character(s), Russian main character

Time Periods:

2010-2020

Places:

Boston, Toronto
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This is an academic research project on crowdsourced tagging and building a vocabulary for fiction.

How does this work?

  1. Add books to our database, if the book you want to tag isn’t already there. You can import your books from StoryGraph or Goodreads if you want to save time.
  2. Add tags to the books. Your tag set is your own, and you’ll be able to come back and edit it if you want. Other taggers can’t view your tag set or overwrite your tags.
  3. View the book, and use the tags to see what other books share your favorite tropes and characters!
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