Content Notes:

Steam Level:

Steam levels vary based on how explicit the romantic content is, starting with the G-rated, emotional moment of a first kiss to the erotic scene of two people making love.

G-Rated (1)- Brief moments of physical contact, a chaste kiss. It is mainly about the emotional connection and yearning for the love interest.

Sweet (2)- Is more flirtatious with a physical connection and possible make out sessions. It can contain hints of further intimacy behind closed doors but doesn’t include explicit scenes directly.

Sensual/Steamy (3)- The romance exhibits physical touch, but these books contain no more than two sex scenes, and those scenes are largely emotion-based. The intimate scenes can be descriptive but tend to use more euphemistic language, nothing incredibly crude or crass.

Extra Steamy (4)- The books are explicit but still tasteful. It includes emotional aspects while also being physically descriptive. But erotic does not mean incorporating sex for the sake of a sex scene. This level ties in well with character growth and connection. (This level can also be called erotic. But I will use steamy, since the word erotic has bad connotations with it.)

Swearing:

Swearing is a socially offensive use of language, which may also be called cursing, cussing, profanity, obscenities or expletives.

None (1) – There is no swearing of any kind in the book.

Sprinkle (2) – Some content may not be suitable for young children, usually those below nine years of age. There is minor coarse language that is justified by context. Equivalent to PG

Mild (3) – Contains content not suitable for children. Suitable for teens, 13 years and older. May contain moderate coarse language. Equivalent to PG-13

Moderate (4) – Contains content suitable for mature teens and older only. Not suitable for children below 16 years. Contains strong coarse language. Equivalent to R.

Adult (5) – Not suitable for children. Contains explicit content suitable for mature adults only. Contains explicit sexual language and adult themes. Equivalent to MA.

Romance Tropes:

A Romance Trope is a plot device or theme used within a romance novel giving a recognizable starting point to the story that a reader can recognize. Some novels can have more than one trope.

Accidental Marriage

Two characters suddenly end up marriage. Usually during a drunk night in Las Vegas.

Amnesia

One of the characters suffers temporary or permanent memory loss and is forced to start over and reclaim their identity.

Best friend’s Brother/Sister

The character is in love with their best friend’s sibling and must keep it from them.

Enemies to Lovers

Instead of “love at first sight”, it’s “hate at first sight”. This trope has the characters starting out despising each other, but despite their efforts, fall in love with one another.

Fake Relationship

A “secret relationship” trope where characters are in a situation and pretend to be together (for example, someone needs a date to a wedding so their family will get off their back about being single), then it typically becomes less of an act as the story progresses. Usually, when the arrangement ends, they will part ways, thinking that is it for the couple. Until one or both of them declare their true feelings.

Forbidden Love

When two characters can’t be together because of their families, culture, or geographical differences even though they love each other.

Forced Proximity

When the couple is force to be around each other. Usually the couple aren’t fond of each other or they barely know each other. Through the forced proximity, they are forced to get through the experience together. They eventually fall in love with each other.

Friends to Lovers

This trope is when to friends realize their feelings for each other and start a romantic relationship. Sometimes they’ve known each other since childhood, or college.

Love Triangle

There is a couple ways this trope can happen. For example, Peter and Ben love Jess, and Jess must choose between the two people she cares about. In the end, some one will have a broken heart.

Opposites Attract

A couple that are different from each other are attracted to each other.

Pregnancy

The heroine must deal with a unexpected pregnancy and decide whether to tell the hero.

Second Chance

When a couple are thrown into each other’s paths sometime after their failed attempt at a relationship. This can be after spending years apart. Or the character has been seriously hurt in love in the past, and finally decides to give love a chance.

Secret Billionaire/Royalty

One character falls in love with another character before realizing they’re a billionaire/royalty.

Small Town Romance

Where one character usually comes to town from a big city and, quite reluctantly, grows to love the town and a particular citizen of it. Or both characters grew up in the same small town and fall in love.

Surprise Parenthood

A sibling or best friends dies or becomes ill and the character is now the sole guardian of the child/children.

Workplace Romance

The hero and heroines are co-workers or colleagues and find that they can’t suppress their chemistry.

Virgin Heroine

The heroine of the story is a virgin.

To see Trigger Warnings, please visit this page.