Writing the Opposites Attract Trope in Your Romance Book

I've covered the enemies-to-lovers trope previously on the blog, and now, I want to talk about another romance book trope: opposites attract.

Think of it as enemies-to-lovers' less angsty cousin.

It still offers plenty of opportunities for conflict, but you don't need that inciting incident to show why your characters are enemies. Instead, your focus is on creating two people who seem at first like they have nothing in common, and plotting story beats that show them slowly discovering their shared interests, thoughts, and backgrounds.

Because the opposites attract is predicated on the characters really knowing each other before they fall in love, it lends itself well to a slower-paced romance plot.

Basically, it's a slow-burn romance writer and reader's dream.

Three books that do a fantastic job with the opposites attract trope are:

Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma

The Professor Next Door by Jackie Lau

Heart of the Steal by Avon Gale and Roan Parrish

While you're reading these, record your impressions of the main characters' similarities and differences at the beginning, middle, and end of the book. Then, once you've read the happily ever after, go back through your notes and see how your impressions changed throughout the story. Now think about the characters' impressions of each other. Which story beats made them see each other differently? How did each beat affect the characters' emotional and physical connection?

Keep your notes nearby as you start plotting your opposites attract romance; it'll help you decide how you want your readers to understand your characters, and your characters to understand each other, at different points in the story.

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