Tropesmith Research · Free Report
Three years of measured reader demand — not bestseller lists, not vibes. What romance readers asked for from July 2023 to June 2026, which tropes held their ground, which faded, and what is rising in every major lane right now.
Pooled share of the demand conversation across all tracked lanes, 2023 H2 vs 2026 H1, for the highest-volume tropes:
| Trope | 2023 H2 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 H1 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Found family | 5.17% | 5.37% | 4.41% | 4.72% | The most durable trope in romance |
| Forced proximity | 3.85% | 3.89% | 3.00% | 3.25% | Resilient — top mentions in 2026 |
| Slow burn | 4.29% | 4.39% | 4.26% | 3.35% | Solid, first dip in 2026 |
| Second chance | 3.17% | 3.10% | 2.99% | 2.84% | The steadiest line in the data |
| Enemies to lovers | 5.24% | 4.36% | 3.26% | 2.43% | Fading share every single year |
| Reverse harem | 4.88% | 5.24% | 4.33% | 2.65% | Peaked 2024, halved since |
| Fated mates | 4.91% | 4.08% | 3.29% | 1.91% | Fading overall — but see Paranormal below |
| Grumpy/sunshine | 3.63% | 2.78% | 1.67% | 1.28% | The steepest fade of a named trope |
| Single parent | 5.75% | 4.55% | 2.89% | 1.26% | Down 78% of its share in 3 years |
| Marriage of convenience | 3.35% | 3.33% | 2.40% | 1.63% | Fading — with one loud exception (below) |
The pattern: situation tropes (found family, forced proximity, second chance) outlast dynamic tropes (enemies-to-lovers, grumpy/sunshine). Readers tire of a flavour of banter; they never tire of people being stuck together and building a home.
In 2023 H2 the top ten tropes above accounted for roughly 45% of all trope demand. In 2026 H1 the same ten account for about 25%. That missing share didn't vanish — it moved into the long tail: micro-tropes, cross-genre blends, and hyper-specific asks (our engine now tracks 2,100+ micro-tropes). The era when writing "the big trope" was a strategy by itself is ending; the winners now pair a durable situation trope with a specific, rising hook.
| Lane | Trope | Before | Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| MM Romance | Found family | 2.00% | 7.94% |
| Sports Romance | Second chance | 0.75% | 6.09% |
| Romantic Fantasy | Fated mates | 1.86% | 6.37% |
| Romantic Fantasy | Reverse harem | 1.90% | 6.14% |
| Western | Forced proximity | 3.85% | 6.73% |
| Historical | Found family | 2.29% | 5.14% |
| Bi Romance | Forced proximity | 1.49% | 4.69% |
| Cozy Fantasy | Slice of life | 1.28% | 4.27% |
| Romance (general) | Marriage of convenience | 0.42% | 3.45% |
| Lane | Trope | Before | Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billionaire | Marriage of convenience | 12.07% | 3.16% |
| MM Romance | Enemies to lovers | 7.55% | 2.28% |
| Western | Found family | 10.46% | 5.44% |
| Contemporary | Found family | 8.69% | 4.39% |
| Romantic Fantasy | Enemies to lovers | 7.21% | 3.91% |
| MM Romance | Forced proximity | 6.02% | 2.56% |
Note what found family is doing: surging in MM and Historical while cooling in Western and Contemporary. Durable tropes don't die — they rotate lanes. Catching the rotation early is the entire game.
| Lane (by demand volume) | Rising now | Move |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Romance | Age gap | 0.62% → 1.70% |
| Small-Town Contemporary | Forced proximity | 3.36% → 4.51% |
| Contemporary | Reverse harem | 1.14% → 3.38% |
| Romantic Suspense | Enemies to lovers | 1.29% → 2.78% |
| Paranormal | Fated mates | 7.33% → 8.28% |
| MM Romance | Found family | 2.00% → 7.94% |
| Billionaire | Age gap | 0.77% → 1.92% |
| Western | Forced proximity | 3.85% → 6.73% |
| Historical | Found family | 2.29% → 5.14% |
| Workplace | Second chance | 2.61% → 4.12% |
| Romantasy | Possessive MMC | 1.14% → 1.99% |
| Rom-Com | Second chance | 2.04% → 3.11% |
Notice the contrarian signals: enemies-to-lovers is fading globally but rising in Romantic Suspense; fated mates is fading globally but strengthening in its Paranormal heartland while exploding in Romantic Fantasy. Global trends tell you the weather; your lane tells you whether to bring an umbrella.
If you write romance, the playbook the data suggests: anchor your next book in a durable situation trope (found family, forced proximity, second chance), position it with the specific hook rising in your lane, and avoid leading with a hook that's cooling where you publish — even if it's rising somewhere else.
The Q4 2026 edition plus the monthly movers — which tropes are rising and cooling in the lanes you care about. Free, from the same live engine. Unsubscribe anytime.
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