One of my favorite romance tropes is the “fake romance-turned-real” trope. It is often called the “fake engagement” trope, but with contemporary romances it is more common to find characters who are in need of a fake boyfriend or girlfriend. A story with this classic trope can often incorporate other favorite tropes, such as “friends to lovers”, “enemies to lovers”, “marriage of convenience”, and others. I adore the farcical elements in romances that have a fake relationship that turns real. “Only the best for my fake boyfriend. Unless you’re fake breaking up with me, in which case I’ll be taking my gourmet takeout elsewhere.” – ONE OF THESE NIGHTS by Kendra Leigh Castle With traditional fake relationship stories, I put them into three basic categories: The first category typically involves a friends-to-lovers theme, or stories in which the two people involved are friendly and work together in a way that is peaceful and that they enjoy. Another category involves strangers who meet and decide to have a fake relationship out of convenience. Finally, you also have a situation in which two people have a somewhat contentious relationship but for whatever reason decide to put on a ruse of romance. In…

I am the first to put my hand up when I see a new cowboy romance hit the shelves, which is probably why I love to write cowboys. It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s gotta do it. 😉 But what is it about the idea of a cowboy that we love? What’s the draw? Just for fun (my husband is sitting here rolling his eyes as I giggle away) here are my top 10 reasons to love a cowboy…. The Boots & the Buckle & the Hat I grew up in the suburbs of Austin but far enough out that ranching kids attended my school. After that was Texas A&M. And I can tell you, the look—fitted shirt with the sleeves rolled up, jeans that show off…err…everything, the boots, the buckle, the hat. Especially if its roughed up a bit and has a bit of wear to it—because it’s not for show then. All if it looks good on a man. Tough Cowboys are raised tough. They learn a strong work ethic early on. They learn to suck it up when they get kicked by a horse or cut. Someone that hard, that self-sufficient, but then the thought of how…