Romance Tropes Week 9 - Marriage of Convenience - Arabella Sheen

 

Romance Tropes We All Love - Week 9.

If you’ve ever picked up a romance novel and thought “oh, I know where this is going”—and still couldn’t put it down—you’ve felt the irresistible pull of a romance trope. Tropes are the storytelling blueprints we know and love. They are the familiar setups that promise sparks, tension, and of course, a happy ending.

In the coming weeks on my blog, I'll be blogging about twelve of the most beloved tropes in romance fiction that readers can't get enough of —maybe one of them is your favorite?

Marriage of Convenience

They tie the knot for practical reasons, but love sneaks in through the cracks. Who doesn’t adore a slow build to passion?

Why the Marriage of Convenience Trope Is Irresistible

The Marriage of Convenience trope is a timeless favorite in romance because it blends practicality with passion. In these stories, two characters enter a marriage or long-term arrangement for reasons other than love—financial security, family obligations, political alliances, or societal pressure. The twist? Along the way, real feelings inevitably develop.

Built-In Conflict

The heart of this trope is the tension between duty and desire. The characters may start with an agreement that their relationship is purely practical, but close quarters, shared responsibilities, and intimate moments slowly blur the lines. Readers love watching this push-and-pull dynamic unfold.

Emotional Growth

Marriage of convenience stories often involve character development. The pragmatic characters must learn to trust, open up, and navigate vulnerability. Watching them evolve from strangers or reluctant partners into a genuine, loving couple is emotionally satisfying.

Slow-Burn Romance

Since the relationship begins as contractual or strategic, romance develops gradually. This slow-burn approach heightens the anticipation of every touch, glance, or confession, keeping readers invested in each step of their journey from “arrangement” to true love.

Humor and Awkward Moments

Forced closeness, domestic arrangements, and navigating social expectations can create plenty of funny, awkward, or charming situations. From dinner disasters to public appearances, these moments keep the story lighthearted while building intimacy.

Classic Examples

• The Proposal (movie) – a fake marriage for career reasons leads to genuine love.

• Historical romances – often involve arranged marriages, political alliances, or financial necessity evolving into heartfelt love.

• Contemporary novels – couples marry for tax benefits, inheritance clauses, or family pressure, only to discover real connection along the way.

Why We Love It

Marriage of convenience romances satisfy our craving for slow-burn, tension-filled love stories. They combine emotional growth, realistic conflict, and the magic of love blossoming where it was least expected. Readers get both the charm of a practical arrangement and the thrill of love winning in the end.

About Arabella Sheen

Arabella Sheen is a British author of contemporary romance and likes nothing more than the challenge of starting a new novel with fresh ideas and inspiring characters.

One of the many things Arabella loves to do is to read. And when she’s not researching or writing about romance, she is either on her allotment sowing and planting with the seasons or she is curled on the sofa with a book, while pandering to the demands of her attention-seeking cat.

Having lived and worked in the Netherlands as a theatre nurse for nearly twenty years, she now lives in the south-west of England with her family.

Arabella hopes her readers have as much pleasure from her romance stories as she has in writing them.

Social Media

Website: http://www.arabellasheen.co.uk/

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/ArabellaSheen

Facebook Author: https://www.facebook.com/ArabellaSheenAuthor