I love dogs way more than the average person.
Waaaaayyyyy more. Trust me. I make this face: “🥺” whenever I see one out in the wild. I can spot them from several hundred feet away. I cry whenever I see an inspirational Instagram reel about an injured dog getting better.
Because I truly love sleeping, last month I wrote about sleep-related romance tropes. So this month, I’m back with another one of my favorite things (DOGS!) and thoughts on how our fluffy friends can play into some of the best romance tropes. Similar to the single parent trope, a main character with a pet is a great way to show that person’s true, caring character, especially if they have a grouchy exterior. A boisterous dog can counteract the energy of a rigid, anxious main character and push them out of their comfort zone. And sometimes, dogs are better judges of character than humans. So if your main character has an ex they just can’t get over (but is terrible), why not add in a dog to sniff out the evil? Or conversely, have the dog fall in love with your main character’s workplace enemy they can’t stand.
Romance Trope Dog-stravaganza
Picture this…
Our main character, a grumpy, cryptic tech billionaire, leaves work after a grueling day. He heads to the subway but on his way, spies a lost pug crouching on the side of the street. Despite his general grumpy attitude, our tech man takes the dog in and lets her live in his pristine NYC apartment. He’s obviously incredibly annoyed by the dog’s presence in his life (how can he spend five hours at the gym when she needs to go for a walk!), but over the next few days, falls totally in love, though he’d never admit it. He starts reading the Wall Street Journal out loud to her, putting on TV shows with horses for her, buys her mini stairs so she can climb onto his austere, all gray bed.
Despite his attempts to find the pug’s owner, it’s looking like he might just have to keep her. But then, a woman wearing polka-dots approaches him on the street and says it is her dog. The tech billionaire is relieved to be rid of the nuisance of caring for the dog and he gives her back.
As romance readers, we know he’s lying to himself. He immediately misses the dog. And soon he realizes this and in a moment of weakness, tracks down the woman and asks if he can see the dog occasionally. Cue the trope of: Only One Dog! The two work out a shared custody agreement and tech billionaire realizes his life is far better with the dog in it (and, ahem, the dog’s owner). Not to mention… having a dog has drastically improved his reputation at work. Cue: Dog of Convenience!
When our polka-dot wearing love interest finds out that the tech billionaire has been using her dog to gain favor at work, she feels betrayed. But once he assures her that his love for the dog (and her!) is genuine, they reconcile and live happily ever after with a very happy pug.
Bonus dog trope:
Instead of a secret baby, why not a secret dog?
Have any more dog-related romance ideas? Does my grumpy/dog tech billionaire/pug idea already exist in a book? Let me know! I’d love to hear all your dog thoughts.
Some (not dog related) news…
In other news, I am incredibly excited to say that last month, I signed with a literary agent for my Bachelor-inspired romcom! I’m thrilled to have such an enthusiastic partner in the next steps of my publishing journey and am so grateful for all the support and encouragement I’ve received along the way.
Recommendations: Dog Edition
In keeping with my theme, this month’s recommendations are dog themed 🐶. (In case you missed it, last month’s theme was One-Something Stands!)
Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn
An unexpected career upheaval sends Georgie back to her hometown and forces her to confront what she truly wants from life. She discovers a long-lost “friendfic” diary from high school and decides to follow the path of dreams she once had. And her quiet, grouchy, unexpected roommate Levi agrees to help her along the way.
When I started thinking about books with dogs, Georgie, All Along was the first book that came to mind! Levi (the sweet, kind, quiet love interest) has a big, lovable dog named Hank. I’d love to read an entire book just about Hank and his adventures!
Also, check out this book boyfriend bookmark Kate shared on her Instagram, which includes Hank!
I also recently read an ARC of Kate’s latest book The Other Side of Disappearing, a heartwarming road trip romance that I absolutely loved. If you love road trip romances, sister stories, and sweet, caring heroes, this book is for you!
Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun
A sapphic, opposites-attract, road trip romcom about two former best friends turned enemies who reunite to drive their dying mentor across the country.
There is SO much to love about this book. The banter is delightful, the characters are beautifully written, and the emotional arc had me crying almost immediately. It is definitely a heavier romcom (with several laugh-out-loud moments!), but if you are okay with undertones of grief, I would highly recommend it! And of course, Odysseus the dog is a delightful road trip companion and responsible for many critical hijinks throughout.
And here is Alison Cochrun’s Instagram post about all the tropes and themes in the book, including “There’s only one bed x100,” “A critical subplot involving nudes,” and most importantly, “A giant dog/toddler horse named Odysseus.”
Thanks to my friend Teddy for recommending this book! Teddy runs queermediareview.com, an amazing resource for book recommendations!
Thanks for sticking with me through this oddly specific newsletter issue! Until next time!
With love and dogs,
Isabelle
Love this!
I loved everything about this!