Historical Romance Book Club discussion

I created this thread to post the trope/theme lists we use for our group reads. These are only for reference and planning.

This thread would be locked and if you would like to comment, feel free to do so in Parliament.

Master list of 48 tropes/themes

- American Heiress
- Amnesia
- Age Difference
- Beauty and the Beast
- Beta Hero
- Betrothed at Childhood
- Brother's best friend
- Blue stocking Heroine
- Captive/Captor
- Class difference
- Disguise
- Duke
- Enemies to Lovers
- Epistolary
- Experienced Heroine
- Fairy tale retellings
- Fake fiance/engagement/husband
- Friends to Lovers
- Governesses/Housekeepers
- Guardian/Ward
- Heroine in Pants
- House parties
- Huge Family
- Jilted at the Altar
- Kidnapping
- Love triangles
- Mail order Bride
- Marriage of Convenience
- Matchmaking
- Mistaken identity
- Mystery
- Nursing back to health
- Pregnant Heroine
- Pygmalion
- Reformed Rake
- Revenge
- Scandal
- Second chance at love/Lovers reunited
- Secret love
- Spinster/Ape leader
- Spy/espionage
- Tortured/disabled heroes
- Twins
- Ugly duckling/plain looking heroine
- Villains turned heroes
- Virgin Heroes
- Wagers on heroine
- Wallflowers
- Widow/widower
- Witty banter
- Working class romance

The month-wise list of tropes for 2018. (The number in the parentheses is the number of votes for the trope).

2018 - TROPE/THEME LIST

January - Governess/Housekeepers (26)
February - House Parties (30)
March - Nursing back to health (31)
April - Villain turned to Hero (34)
May - Disguise (27)
June - Enemies to Lovers (44)
July - Duke (31)
August - Beauty and the Beast (29)
September - Scandal (29)
October - Fake Fiance/Fiancee/husband (33)
November - Witty Banter (47)
December - Beta Hero (23)

The month-wise list of tropes for 2019 Group reads. (The number in the parenthesis is the number of votes for the trope).

2019 - Trope/Theme list

January - American Heiress (14)
February - Mail order bride (19)
March - Class Difference (16)
April - Second chance at love/Lovers reunited (18)
May - Friends to Lovers (24)
June - Mistaken identity (19)
July - Brother's Best friend (21)
August - Spinster/Ape leader (14)
September - Secret love (19)
October - Blue stocking (15)
November - Tortured/Disabled Heroes (17)
December - Ugly duckling (15)

2020 Trope list for Group reads

January - Marriage of convenience (60)
February - Fairy tale retellings (41)
March - Wallflowers (55)
April - Age Difference (36)
May - Revenge (37)
June - Wagers on heroine (37)
July - Jilted at the Altar (42)
August - Widow/Widower (43)
September - Virgin Hero (35)
October - Betrothed in childhood (45)
November - Huge Families (41)
December - Matchmaking (45)

2021 Trope list for Group reads


February - Wallflowers (45)
March - Beauty and the Beast (34)
April - Governess/Housekeeper (30)
May - Bluestocking (36)
June - Brother's Best Friend (38)
July - Kidnapping (26)
August - Social Class Difference (30)
September - Marriage of Convenience (46)
October - Secret Love (30)
November - Duke (39)
December - Scandal (32)

Note: The number in the parenthesis is the number of votes for that trope.

REVISED MASTER THEME LIST

Previous master list will be used in challenges.

> Age Difference: Main characters with 10+ years in age difference
> All's Fair in Love and War: Books with war settings or MCs with PTSD or with war wounds
> Americana: Books set in America. Includes Gilded Age and Western set books.
> Around the World: Books set in locations other that America or Great Britain.
> Assumed / Mistaken Identity: Books where MCs take on a disguise or misrepresent themselves, where other characters think one of the leads is someone else. Also includes the Fake Fiancés/Spouses trope
> BIPOC: Black and Indigenous Persons of Color - author or MCs
> Class Difference: Romances where the MCs come from different social classes.
> Disabled Lead Character: Romances where one or both MCs are living with a physical or mental disability. Can include addictions.
> Enemies to Lovers: Romances where adversaries fall in love. Can be described as hate to love.
> Fairy-Tale Inspired: Includes Beauty & the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Ugly Duckling, etc. themes
> Forced into Marriage: Unlike Marriage of Convenience, there is no choice but to marry for at least one of the MCs.
> Friends / Sibling's Friend to Lovers: Combined Friends to Lovers and Bother's Best Friend tropes
> Humor: Books that make you laugh or smile. Includes Witty Banter books.
> Irish: Books set in Irish and/or have Irish MCs.
> It's All About the Money: Books that have gaining wealth as a main theme. Includes American Heiress, Fortune Hunters, Treasure Hunters, Gambling, Rag To Riches, etc. tropes.
> Jilted: Includes books with an MC or MCs with broken engagements in their pasts or were jilted at the altar.
> Kidnapping: Includes books that feature kidnapping or abduction. MCs may have done the abduction or saved the MCs from abduction.
> LGBTQ+: Romances with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, etc. MCs
> Marriage of Convenience: Marriages formed for convenience, for status or wealth, includes Mail-Order Spouses.
> Matchmaking : Books where the MCs utilize a matchmaker or matchmaking service to find love. Includes books where an MC is a matchmaker.
> Medieval: Books set in the Medieval time period.
> Old Skool / Bodice Ripper: Books published before the year 2000.
> Overlooked Heroine: Combined Spinster, Wallflower, Bluestocking tropes.
> Paranormal: Books that feature paranormal or fantastical elements.
> Proximity: Shifted house parties trope to a broader context (Road trip, forced proximity, house parties, only one bed, etc.)
> Scandal: Books that feature scandal as main plot point.
> Scottish: Books set in Scotland and/or have Scottish MCs. Includes Highlander romances.
> Second chance at love: Books featuring former lovers reunited. The circumstances of the separation should be sufficient to where the lovers have little hope of a reunion. Circumstances might include time, distance, or marriage to another.
> Secret Love: Books where MCs fall in love in secret. This might include forbidden loves, family feuds, "illegal" loves.
> Support Network: Books featuring one of both MCs with a strong support network either in the form of friendships or family.
> Surprise Reveal: Books where one or both MCs have a secret that is shocking or surprising. Includes hidden pregnancy, secret child, and celibate hero.
> Suspense / Mystery: Books with a mystery or suspense subplot. Includes spy/espionage themed books.
> Twentieth Century: Books set in the twentieth century.
> Widow/widower: Widow and/or Widower as the MC(s).
> Women at Work: Heroines with an occupation (i.e. Governess, Housekeeper, Shopkeeper, Secretary, etc.)
> Working class romance: Books set among the working class. No lordly titles here.

2022 Theme List for Group Reads

January - Humor
February - Scottish
March - All's Fair in Love and War
April - Around the World
May - LGBTQ+
June - Enemies to Lovers
July - Suspense / Mystery
August - Proximity
September - Second chance at love
October - Old Skool / Bodice Ripper
November - It's All About the Money
December - Forced into Marriage

2023 Theme List for Group Reads

January - Overlooked Heroine
February - Paranormal
March - Fairy-Tale Inspired
April - Scandal
May - Secret Love
June - Disabled Lead Character
July - Age Difference
August - Kidnapping
September - Marriage of Convenience
October - Medieval
November - Class Difference
December - Widow/widower

2024 Theme List for Group Reads

January - Friends / Sibling's Friend to Lovers
February - Women at Work
March - Assumed / Mistaken Identity
April - BIPOC
May - Jilted
June - Irish
July - Support Network
August - Working class romance
September - Surprise Reveal
October - Twentieth Century
November - Matchmaking
December - Americana

2025 Theme List for Group Reads

January - Age Difference
February - Suspense / Mystery
March - Overlooked Heroine
April – Proximity
May - LGBTQ+
June - Scandal
July - Paranormal
August - Humor
September All's Fair in Love and War
October - Medieval
November - Widow/widower
December – Secret (+ bonus Christmas read)