Tropesick by Lauren Okie: Book Review

You can’t be a romance reader without having a love-hate relationship with tropes, how they’re written and how well each book gives in to the stories you love. Lauren Okie’s Tropesick is the ultimate love letter to romance readers, writers, and all the books that have come before - wrapped up in an unexpectedly delightful little pink paperback.

We meet Katie, a romantic ghost writer for one of the world’s most prolific romance authors, Meredith Bradford - the Nora Roberts of this fictional world. 80 titles under her belt and a fandom willing to eat up anything they’re given. Due to the tightest deadline Katie’s ever faced, her publisher requests a second writer to help speed along the process, so ensues the first of our tropes - childhood friends to enemies to lovers. 

Enter Tyler, Katie’s late brother’s best friend (oh, another trope) to help write this book. Tyler isn’t a romance writer and needs a little guidance on the tropes of the romantic literary world. As the tropes unfold in their book, they begin to unravel in their own story.

It’s a fun read, but also moving at times. I also didn’t see the plot twist coming, which is rare in the romance genre (boy + girl > third act conflict > in love), so any shakeup to the formula is welcome.

Okie’s prior The Best Worst Thing is well reviewed, and high on my list to read next!