Natasha Moore | Hook Me with The Standby Guy

One of the best things about writing romances is that I get to delve into my favorite tropes (back when I first started writing romance, in the olden days, we called them hooks) and wallow in their awesomeness. I can explore those fun fantasies I love to read and put them into my own stories.

One of my favorite tropes is Friends-to-Lovers. When
emotions start to change between longtime friends it can throw them for a loop, especially
when they’re not sure if the other one’s feelings have changed as well. Then there’s the worry
that if they do take the relationship to the next level, will it ruin everything they had? Is a
romance between friends worth the risk?

In THE STANDBY GUY, Carter and Katie are not just best friends, they live next door to one another. Yeah, the Boy Next Door/Girl Next Door trope. I can’t help it, I love that one too. So there’s the added pressure of what would happen if things didn’t go well. Not only could they lose their friendship, but they’re going to run into this person all the time. Talk about awkward. Again, is it worth the risk?

Another favorite trope of mine is the Pretend Relationship.
While I was writing this book I got to throw two people together who need to appear
comfortable with each other when they’re out in public, and not in a just-friends way. They
have to be comfortable touching each other. Kissing each other. My pretend relationship
trope-loving heart races at the thought. When unexpected emotions have been simmering
beneath the surface, all that together time is going to have those feelings steaming before too
long. And whether I’m reading or writing, I can’t wait for them to boil over!

And then, of course, it’s a Small Town Romance. The series
title is The Men of Lakeside. The people in this small village get involved in everyone else’s
business. The Lakeside rumor mill is notorious. And whether it comes from a place of love or
mischief, their interference can throw a curve ball in any relationship, especially one that’s
based on a lie. I love the complications that friends and family in a close-knit community can
throw into an already complicated relationship.

There are even a couple of other hooks in THE STANDBY GUY . Katie is a single mom and Carter is a reformed bachelor/ playboy. I love to take a number of familiar tropes and weave them together into an emotional and sensual story with relatable characters and a heart-warming ending. It’s fun.

There are many tropes that hook me as a reader, ones that
when I run across a book description, I can’t help but click that link to find out more. Readers
look for the tropes that work for them, those hooks that make them want to read right now.  I
sure can’t put them all in one book, but I’ll keep writing and playing with as many as I can.
What are your favorite tropes? They just might end up in my next book.

Natasha