When it comes to regency rom-com (and some mystery, too) today’s featured author is a star! If you haven’t met her yet, allow me the pleasure of making introductions!

About the Author

Kristi Ann Hunter is the award-winning author of the Hawthorne House series of romances set in Regency England. She is an active member of several writing communities including Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers.

When she isn’t writing she enjoys watching cheesy Rom-Coms, reading sigh-worthy happy endings, and playing board games with her family. She lives in Georgia with her husband and three children where she works with the youth in her local church.

Find out more about Kristi and her books on her website.

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Five Favorite Romance Tropes

Kristi: I am a sucker for romance. That’s probably why I write it, read it, watch it, and live it. My husband is adorably romantic and makes sure I live my own HEA (Happily Ever After) every day.

Beth: I’m with you, Kristi! I love LOVE!

So I thought I’d share five of my favorite romance tropes that get me every time. Whether it’s a book or a movie, if it’s based on this plotline, I’m probably gonna try it.

Cinderella Stories
Love, love, love me some Cinderella stories. Rich/Successful/Popular/Royal/Handsome guy and less advantaged girl. I’m so there. There’s been a string of exceedingly cheesy teeny bopper romance movies simply called A Cinderella Story, Another Cinderella Story, and so on. Yep. I own them.

There’s just something about love being able to lift you out of dismal circumstances and make your life better in more ways than companionship. It’s a nice dream.

Beth: Some day my prince will come… la da dee da da da… Actually, I have my prince but that just makes me appreciate the story more!

Friends to More
The guy best friend that you played with as a kid suddenly looks different to you through the eyes of post-puberty maturity.

I think I like these stories so much because the characters know each other so well that the story is really about the discovery and growth of love and romance. The history between the characters gives extra depth to the relationship as well as extra fun such as inside jokes and teasing.

Beth: This one is my favorite because it’s my personal happily ever after flavor! ???? Who wouldn’t want their own Mr. Knightley!

Brother’s Best Friend/Best Friend’s Brother
I think I like these for a lot of the same reason I like Friends to More. They’re very similar. There’s usually a history between the characters and they already know each other well.

There’s the added dynamic of families being thrown into the mix and I simply adore protective older brother characters. Especially when it’s in a series because I always end the book wanting the heroine’s brother to find his own happily ever after.

Beth: I enjoy these stories too! There’s often an element of “what happened to that annoying/awkward person?” and “when did that happen?”

The Bet
My soft spot for betting story lines comes from family history. My parents actually started dating because of a bet.

The interesting things about stories revolving around bets is that the characters are forced to examine their motivations for doing things. I love watching characters move from wanting to be around the other person in order to win the bet to wanting to be with the person for more personal reasons.

Too many times the fall out is rather predictable, but every now and then you get a story that just does it right and puts a new spin on it and it’s wonderful. Those make it worth trodding through the predictable ones.

Beth: Generally speaking, I’m opposed to making wagers but I certainly make an exception for these stories.

Unrequited Love
I don’t know why I like this one so much because prior to the opening of the book one of the main characters is absolutely miserably in love and they are totally tortured. Must be the writer in me that enjoys seeing fictional people so miserable at the beginning of a book.

Now these stories go one of two ways, they can be in love with someone, or think they are, until life or someone else tells them they aren’t and they have to realize that what they thought was love was just habit.

Or, they are in love with the other main character and something happens – usually the person in love trying to move on – to make the second character realize they love the first character back.

Beth: This is what happens when daydreams get out of hand!

I’m noticing a theme here… that I really like stories where the characters have some sort of history/connection and the story gets to really focus on the way love and feelings change and grow. Except for Cinderella stories. And those are just fantastical fun.

Books

Tell us about your latest release

Kristi: An Uncommon Courtship was a very different book for me for several reasons. For one, it was the first book I wrote entirely under contract – can we say deadlines!?

Also, it was entirely focused on the emotional process of learning about love and about the person you love. It was very much about the hero and heroine and how they grew as individuals and together.

I didn’t have any exciting spy-related storyline to put the romance against which made it difficult and exciting at the same time. Based on the feedback I’ve gotten since the book came out, I think that romantic journey has really resonated with a lot of people which is very exciting for me.

Life for Lady Adelaide Bell was easier if she hid in her older sister’s shadow–which worked until her sister got married. Even with the pressure of her socially ambitious mother, the last thing she expected was a marriage of convenience to save her previously spotless reputation.

Lord Trent Hawthorne couldn’t be happier that he is not the duke in the family. He’s free to manage his small estate and take his time discovering the life he wants to lead, which includes grand plans of wooing and falling in love with the woman of his choice. When he finds himself honor bound to marry a woman he doesn’t know, his dream of a marriage like his parents’ seems lost forever.

Already starting their marriage on shaky ground, can Adelaide and Trent’s relationship survive the pressures of London society?

goodreads | amazon

Beth: I enjoyed it immensely!!! ❤

What’s next?

Kristi: Griffith! Griffith’s story comes out in September. He has been such a solid presence behind his siblings throughout the series that I can’t wait to let everyone meet the girl that pulls the rug out from underneath him. I really love this story. And the cover is gorgeous!

Griffith, Duke of Riverton, likes order, logic, and control, and he naturally applies this rational approach to his search for a bride. He’s certain Miss Frederica St. Claire is the perfect wife for him, but while Frederica is strangely elusive, he can’t seem to stop running into her stunningly beautiful cousin, Miss Isabella Breckenridge.

Isabella should be enjoying her society debut, but with her family in difficult circumstances, her uncle will only help them if she’ll use her beauty to assist him in his political aims. Already uncomfortable with this agreement, the more she comes to know Griffith, the more she wishes to be free of her unfortunate obligation.

Will Griffith and Isabella be able to set aside their pride and face their fears in time to find their own happily-ever-after?

goodreads | amazon

Beth: I can’t wait to get inside Griffith’s head! There’s a special place in my heart for the strong & silent types. Kristi, thank you for sharing your favorite romance tropes and all your juicy bookish news!!!

Freebie

Want to check out the Hawthorne House series for free? The prequel novella, A Lady of Esteem is free on ebook.

If you are a Kindle Unlimited member, you can currently read the first full book in the series, A Noble Masquerade.

Hawthorne House series

goodreads | amazon

prequel review | book 1 review | book 2 review | book 3 review

 

Readers, what are your favorite kinds of stories?