Books like 'Bound in the Streets'

Readers who enjoyed Bound in the Streets by Tamsen Parker also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

contemporary  bdsm  m-f  childfree-couple  politician  caretaking  second chances  disabilities and marks  competent heroine  independent heroine 

  • It'll Be An Adventure by Cherise Sinclair

    It'll Be An Adventure by Cherise Sinclair

    Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 28 ratings
    From NYT & USA Today Bestselling author Cherise Sinclair comes an outstanding addition to the beloved Masters of the Shadowlands series. The secret of author Murphy’s success is hands-on research. Murphy loves writing popular Regency thrillers and jumping into new adventures under the guise of research. For one novel, she’d joined a K9 search-and-rescue group—and liked it so much she stayed...
    Categorized as:
    m-f  bdsm  contemporary  military  alpha male
  • Rescuing Mary by Susan Stoker

    Rescuing Mary by Susan Stoker

    Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars
    · 20 ratings
    Ford “Truck” Laughlin and Mary Weston have weathered their share of storms over the last couple years. Truck’s job, Mary’s health. His bossiness, her bitchiness. All while dancing around their intense attraction. Mary’s tried to push him away for his own good but Truck won’t let her give up…on herself or on them. Just when she decides they deserve a fair shot, disaster strikes...
  • Sponsored links
  • Loving You by Kelly Elliott

    Loving You by Kelly Elliott

    Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars
    · 22 ratings
    In the long-awaited conclusion to the Wanted, Broken and Love Wanted in Texas series, New York Times bestselling author Kelly Elliott brings you a story filled with angst, cowboys and fairytale love. Taylor Atwood and Jase Morris finally found their way to one another. Life couldn't have been more perfect for either one of them as they began to build a future together...
  • Again, Rachel by Marian Keyes

    Again, Rachel by Marian Keyes

    Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars
    · 30 ratings
    In her twenties, Rachel Walsh was a mess. Since her spell in rehab, though, she's come a long way on the road to recovery - and now, she's ready to go back to where it all began. But this time, the student has become the teacher. She used to hate the staff in charge of treating her addiction. Now, she's one of them.Rachel's finally got herself on track - but life never stops being messay...
    Categorized as:
    m-f  second chances  humor  contemporary
  • Fatal Deception by Marie Force

    Fatal Deception by Marie Force

    Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars
    · 31 ratings
    The wife of the White House deputy chief of staff has been beaten to death, and their one-year-old daughter is missing. D.C. Police Lieutenant Sam Holland is in charge of the murder investigation, but she's forced to collaborate with Special Victims Unit detectives as well as thorn-in-her-side FBI Special Agent Avery Hill...
  • Fatal Flaw by Marie Force

    Fatal Flaw by Marie Force

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 35 ratings
    Back from their honeymoon, Senator Nick Cappuano and D.C. Police Lieutenant Sam Holland are ready for some normalcy after the whirlwind of their wedding, but someone has other plans for them. When Sam discovers wedding cards containing thinly veiled death threats, she's not sure if she or Nick is the target. Already on edge, Sam and her team start investigating a series of baffling murders...
  • The Start of Something Wonderful by Jessica Redland

    The Start of Something Wonderful by Jessica Redland

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 30 ratings
    Autumn Laine has lost her creative sparkle. After losing her grandad and her job as an illustrator in quick succession, she is at a crossroads in life and needs a break. Spending time with her parents in Paris, even in the artistic community of Montmartre, doesn't appear to be the answer...
  • White Knuckles by Autumn Jones Lake

    White Knuckles by Autumn Jones Lake

    Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars
    · 17 ratings
    TWO DAMAGED SOULS After countless detours, Wrath and Trinity’s wedding is only ten days away. Together they’ve battled their demons and are ready to declare their commitment to each other in front of their entire Lost Kings MC family. ONE BITTER ENEMY No one is prepared for the threat that crawls out of the shadows and issues an evil ultimatum...
  • Enchanted by J.S. Scott

    Enchanted by J.S. Scott

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 1 of 5
    Glimpses and kisses [?] · 28 ratings
    Opposites resist—and attract—under the Cancún sun in this emotional Accidental Billionaires novel by New York Times bestselling author J.S. Scott.Years ago, Noah Sinclair promised his dying mother that he’d stay strong and work hard for his younger brothers and sisters. Even with the Sinclairs’ newfound wealth, Noah has never steered from that blue-collar drive...
  • Fighting the Pull by Kristen Ashley

    Fighting the Pull by Kristen Ashley

    Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars
    · 28 ratings
    From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley comes the new book in her River Rain Series, Fighting the Pull .Hale Wheeler inherited billions from his father. He’s decided to take those resources and change the world for the better. He’s married to his mission, so he doesn’t have time for love.There’s more lurking behind this decision...
  • His Wicked Ways by Melissa Foster

    His Wicked Ways by Melissa Foster

    Rated: 4.66 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    Blaine Wicked is used to women doing as he says in and out of the bedroom. Find out happens when he meets the one woman who won't submit to his wicked ways in the newest insanely sexy, deeply emotional, and laugh-out-loud funny standalone romance by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster.Blaine Wicked can spot trouble a mile away...
    Categorized as:
    bdsm  m-f  contemporary  new adult  humor  length-long
  • The Billionaire's Secrets by J.S. Scott

    The Billionaire's Secrets by J.S. Scott

    Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars
    · 28 ratings
    Former rock star Xander Sinclair may be out of rehab, but he’s not out of the woods. Still haunted by his parents’ murders, he has secluded himself in his Amesport mansion and dodges any attempted contact from his two brothers. Struggling not to fall into relapse, he believes he’s battling his demons alone. That is, until Samantha arrives to work as his live-in housekeeper...
  • A Thin Disguise by Catherine Bybee

    A Thin Disguise by Catherine Bybee

    Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars
    · 22 ratings
    A former gun for hire and a federal agent find themselves on the right side of love but the wrong end of a bullet in this Richter installment from New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee.On a fateful night in Las Vegas, FBI agent Leo Grant is working on a critical detail in a high-profile child prostitution trial when a beautiful woman jumps into the path of a bullet meant for him...
  • She Loves Me by Melissa Foster

    She Loves Me by Melissa Foster

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    What are two besties willing to risk for something more? The New York Times bestselling author of This Is Love has the answer in this fun, sexy, and emotional romance about friendship, family, and giving love a chance. Something is off in Piper Dalton’s life, and she has a feeling it might just be her. All her siblings are blissfully settled with their forever loves...
  • Lost in You by Lexi Blake

    Lost in You by Lexi Blake

    Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    Robert McClellan was forced to serve as a soldier in a war he didn’t understand. Liberated by McKay-Taggart, he struggles every day to reclaim the life he lost and do right by the men he calls his brothers, The Lost Boys. Only one thing is more important – Ariel Adisa. The gorgeous psychologist has plagued his dreams since the day they met...
    Categorized as:
    bdsm  m-f  suspense  contemporary  mystery  length-long
  • Riverbend Reunion by Carolyn Brown

    Riverbend Reunion by Carolyn Brown

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 23 ratings
    Back home is the best place to start over in a heart-stirring Texas romance about friendship, second chances, and small-town scandals by New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown.Riverbend, Texas, doesn’t look like the crossroads of anywhere. But for four high school besties reuniting after twenty years, it’s a place to unpack a lot of baggage...
  • Billionaire Unknown by J.S. Scott

    Billionaire Unknown by J.S. Scott

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 29 ratings
    I was perfectly content with my life. My career was booming. I traveled. I did as much charity work as I possibly could for the homeless, and I was perfectly happy with the choices I'd made. At least...I was--until my sister, Dani, came up missing. As an international correspondent, she traveled to war-torn countries, and she'd stepped a little too far over the line...
  • Finally Home by Kris Michaels

    Finally Home by Kris Michaels

    Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 10 ratings
    In Hollister, there is peace.In Hollister, South Dakota, where the vast ranching terrain meets the sky, Tegan Wells loves his job as the manager of the town's bustling stockyard. His life, rooted in the rhythms of this small town, is about to be upended by the return of Dr. Kate Johnson, an Army veterinarian who left Hollister for the far-flung corners of the world...
  • Touched by Love by Melissa Foster

    Touched by Love by Melissa Foster

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    TOUCHED BY LOVE is a USA TODAY BESTSELLER Readers’ Favorite calls Touched by Love, “The best book I’ve read all year!” 5 Stars! An unexpected tragedy leads to an unexpected love. Fall in love with the story thousands of readers are raving about. Fiercely independent Janie Jansen has always believed there were worse things in life than being blind, and she’s spent her life proving it...
  • For the Record by K.A. Linde

    For the Record by K.A. Linde

    Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 42 ratings
    With Congressman Brady Maxwell up for reelection and journalist Liz Dougherty about to graduate into a promising career, the ambitious couple’s future is brighter than ever. They share a passion for their work…and for each other. But when Brady holds a press conference to officially introduce Liz as his girlfriend, reporters hungry for a scandal bombard her...
  • My Fake Fiancé by Odette Stone

    My Fake Fiancé by Odette Stone

    Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 15 ratings
    He came back to New York to get his ex-girlfriend back. …Too bad I forced him to be my fake boyfriend after he bailed me out of jail. My name’s Beth Stirling. Yes, as in 'those' Stirlings. But I’m the anti-socialite. Seriously. While the rest of the population is trying to get into my parents’ inner-circle, I’ve spent my entire adult life trying to escape it...
  • Heart of the Billionaire - Sam by J.S. Scott

    Heart of the Billionaire - Sam by J.S. Scott

    Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 44 ratings
    Sam and Maddie are here! Billionaire Sam Hudson has pretty much lived his life with no apologies because he tries never to do anything that he’s sorry about…except for what he had done in the past to Dr. Madeline Reynolds. Many years and regrets later, Sam meets up with Maddie again by chance; his brother Simon is marrying Maddie’s best friend and the two of them are forced to be civil...
  • Second Time's the Charm by Brenda Jackson

    Second Time's the Charm by Brenda Jackson

    Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Years ago, family tore them apart. Will sweet revenge lead to a second chance? Find out in the latest from New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson! This one chance at revenge may be their second chance at love Part-time rancher and world-renowned musician Dylan Emanuel never forgot his college romance with Charm Outlaw...
  • Beard in Waiting by Penny Reid

    Beard in Waiting by Penny Reid

    Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 3 of 5
    Open door [?] · 46 ratings
    A Long scene/short story featuring two unlikely characters from the Winston Brothers series...
  • Hoping for Love by Marie Force

    Hoping for Love by Marie Force

    Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars
    · 34 ratings
    All her life, Grace Ryan was the “fat girl.” Taunted and teased and ignored by her peers, she tried every diet ever invented to no avail. Desperate to change her life as her twenties slipped away, she decided it was time for drastic measures and had lap-band surgery. More than a year later, she's lost 130 pounds and is venturing into the dating world for the first time...
  • Player! by J.S. Scott

    Player! by J.S. Scott

    Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    I may have moved from Texas to Colorado, but my reputation followed me--right along with my furniture. Everyone knows...I'm a player. Since I'm one of the billionaire Walker brothers, most of the world knows what I am. It's not like I ever tried to hide it. I never cared about what other people thought about me. I lived to party...or I did until I realized what I really wanted to do with my life...
  • Velvet Angel by Nicole Fox

    Velvet Angel by Nicole Fox

    Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 29 ratings
    Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life.I’ll have my daughter back in my arms and we can start over.Spoiler alert: tomorrow never comes.At midnight, there’s a tap on my window.And who should burst in but the devil himself?Isaak Vorobev never intended to let me go.He made me his fake wife.He made me his Bratva queen...
  • The Winning Hand by Nora Roberts

    The Winning Hand by Nora Roberts

    Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 3 of 5
    Open door [?] · 38 ratings
    "Did you say I won almost two million dollars?" Running away from her former life and her controlling fiance, Darcy Wallace was down to her last ten dollars. And in the bright lights of a Las Vegas casino, Darcy gambled and won! Suddenly the small-town girl was big news - and in need of protection...
  • Ready for Love by Marie Force

    Ready for Love by Marie Force

    Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars
    · 37 ratings
    For four of the best summers of his young life, Luke Harris was in love with Sydney Donovan, a wealthy seasonal visitor to Gansett Island. Then Sydney went off to college and never came back. She married another man and had two children while Luke remained on the island, working at McCarthy's Gansett Marina and wondering what had gone wrong between him and the only woman he ever loved...
  • Brie's Christmas Pearls by Red Phoenix

    Brie's Christmas Pearls by Red Phoenix

    Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Brie’s Christmas Pearls (Submissive in Love, #3) Christmas magic with a little kink… Brie’s Master has kept something from her that threatens to tear them apart. When confronted, dark emotions are awakened but the couple is part of a tight community that won’t let them fail. Brie believes in the magic of Christmas and plans the perfect gift...
    Categorized as:
    bdsm  m-f  m-f-m  contemporary  poly  length-novella
  • Breaching the Billionaire: Alethea's Redemption by Ruth Cardello

    Breaching the Billionaire: Alethea's Redemption by Ruth Cardello

    Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author! Breaching the Billionaire: Alethea's Redemption (Book 6 of the Legacy Collection) Alethea is at a crossroad. For as long as she could remember, it was her and her best friend, Lil, against the world...
  • Caramel Drizzle by Pepper North, Paige Michaels

    Caramel Drizzle by Pepper North, Paige Michaels

    Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Welcome to Little Cakes, the bakery that plays Daddy matchmaker!Can a hardware store crush provide the building blocks to happily-ever-after?Jordi Crouse is thrilled when she lands a new remodeling job. Sure, it's not a luxurious mansion or a fancy restaurant, but funky strip mall beauty shops deserve to be both gorgeous and functional, too...
  • Malted Milk by Pepper North, Paige Michaels

    Malted Milk by Pepper North, Paige Michaels

    Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    Welcome to Little Cakes, the bakery that plays Daddy matchmaker!From dodging a matchmaking mother to finding her dream Daddy!Disconcerted by the handsome man who keeps watching her across the restaurant, Maya Rodriguez drops a stack of plastic glasses that clatter to the floor and draws everyone’s attention. After a quick apology, Maya gathers them up with a sigh...
    Categorized as:
    bdsm  m-f  age play  contemporary  length-short
  • Forever Entangled by Kathleen Brooks

    Forever Entangled by Kathleen Brooks

    Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    Ryan Parker had always loved Sienna Ashton, but gave up on his fantasy years ago. After working as an undercover FBI Agent in Los Angeles, Ryan gets a phone call telling him to come home to the small town of Keeneston, Kentucky. The woman he thought he was over is now in serious trouble. Sienna Ashton fell in love with Ryan Parker too late...
    Categorized as:
    second chances  m-f  humor  suspense  contemporary
  • Gabriel by Becca Jameson

    Gabriel by Becca Jameson

    Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    “Ladybug, you’re about to become intimately acquainted with my palm…”Eden’s life is falling apart. Her boss is a condescending womanizer, her apartment is flooded, and her estranged sister is in town. The only good thing is her reliable car. Life is wearing on her last nerve, and then her boss makes a pass at her…Gabriel is known among MC members as the wise one...
  • Opposition by Jane Henry

    Opposition by Jane Henry

    Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    I hate Liam Alexander. I hate his Rolex. I hate his scowl. I hate everything his multi-billion-dollar company stands for. When the pompous, rich, arrogant jerk comes strutting into the coffee shop, I barely manage civility. But people make mistakes, and when I screw up, it's epic. I never expected the jerk would actually be a well-respected member of Club Verge...
  • Walkout by Lila Rose

    Walkout by Lila Rose

    Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    In Living Without, Melissa and Dallas’s chemistry skyrocketed. It’s finally time to get up close and personal with this hot couple in their very own novella, Walkout. Get ready to discover what happens when Dallas chases Melissa all the way to Sydney to claim her back. From her one visit to Melbourne and the Hawks MC compound, Melissa Stevenson knows Dallas is who she wants...
  • His Package by Penelope Bloom

    His Package by Penelope Bloom

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 30 ratings
    His package ended up inside my box. Calm down, perv. My mailbox. As soon as I saw what was inside, I knew two things: It belonged to my hot neighbor, and he had a dirty secret. Normally, I was more of a cat person. As in, if I had to choose who lives, I’m going to take the cat nine times out of ten. It’s not that I particularly like cats, I just don’t particularly like most people...
  • The Wedding Forecast by Nina Kenwood

    The Wedding Forecast by Nina Kenwood

    Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 3 of 5
    Open door [?] · 24 ratings
    Anna was never going to have an easy time at her best friend’s wedding. She’s the bridesmaid; her ex, Joel, is a groomsman. But she’s determined to get through the festivities with a smile on her face. Despite the fact that Joel is bringing his new partner, Bianca. Despite the fact she’s stuck sharing a house with the newly in-love couple...
  • The Genius and the Muse by Elizabeth Hunter

    The Genius and the Muse by Elizabeth Hunter

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 26 ratings
    When Kate Mitchell decided to research the mysterious portrait in the student gallery, she had no idea how her life would change. She thought she knew what she wanted in life. She had a great boyfriend, a promising career, and a clear path. How could one simple portrait change all that? A photograph. A sculpture. A painting...
  • Saving Easton by Kaci Rose

    Saving Easton by Kaci Rose

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 7 ratings
    Can love free the heart of a former prisoner of war? Easton My time as a POW left emotional scars that cut far deeper than any physical ones. I can’t stand to be touched. I am plagued by horrid nightmares. I knew therapy was my only option, but I didn’t realize it was fate leading me there... until I saw Paisley. As the sister of my best friend, I’ve had a crush on her for years...
  • Shadow by Ivy Nelson

    Shadow by Ivy Nelson

    Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    A Dark Romantic SuspenseCannon Ripley has spent his life in the shadows, but he's always been able to count on Olivia being there for him on the rare occasions he was able to come home. That is until he couldn't. When she walked away from their casual arrangement to marry someone else, he knew he'd stayed away too long. But she's divorced now and he's ready to come home for good...
    Categorized as:
    bdsm  m-f  contemporary  suspense  length-medium
  • Savor You by Kristen Proby

    Savor You by Kristen Proby

    Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 3 of 5
    Open door [?] · 32 ratings
    In the next sizzling romance in Kristen Proby's New York Times bestselling Fusion series, two celebrity chefs compete in a culinary competition, but resisting each other will prove to be the greater challenge. Cooking isn't what Mia Palazzo does, it's who she is. Food is her passion . . . her pride . . . her true love...
  • Bad Cupcakes by Pepper North, Paige Michaels

    Bad Cupcakes by Pepper North, Paige Michaels

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Welcome to Little Cakes, the bakery that plays Daddy matchmaker!Everyone should be bad every once in a while, shouldn’t they?Gather a group of Littles, and who knows what will happen?Enjoy the beloved characters of the Little Cakes series as they indulge in a much-needed break from following all the rules, and treat yourself to this sweet and naughty update on each couple's decadent journey to...
    Categorized as:
    bdsm  m-f  age play  contemporary  length-short
  • Undeniable Temptation by Eden Summers

    Undeniable Temptation by Eden Summers

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    Haunted by a kiss. With his destructive marriage behind him, Ryan Bennett can no longer deny his insatiable attraction to the one woman in control of his future. He needs her. Craves her. She’s the only glimpse of happiness through the building drama in his life and yet one drunken kiss has pushed her further away. Tormented by what’s at stake...
  • Brie's Mile High Club by Red Phoenix

    Brie's Mile High Club by Red Phoenix

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    Submissive in Love #7 (The Brie series continues!)One of their own is in need…Brie Bennett returns to Denver under her Master’s orders. In the process of helping another she discovers the power of friendship, the uncertainty of life, and the beauty of a well-executed prank. Love abounds and Brie is swept along by the nightly tasks her Master has set for her...
    Categorized as:
    bdsm  m-f  contemporary  bondage  length-novella
  • Brie's City of Angels by Red Phoenix

    Brie's City of Angels by Red Phoenix

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    Submissive in Love #6 (The Brie series continues!)Angels come in all shapes and sizes…Brie returns to LA with a friend spiraling out of control - a transformation is coming. In the midst of turmoil and change, love grows deeper. Brie will discover the truth about Rytsar’s past, and her Master will face a new challenge...
    Categorized as:
    bdsm  m-f  contemporary  bondage  length-novella
  • Black Light: Protocol by Shane Starrett

    Black Light: Protocol by Shane Starrett

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    “Yes, sir.”Galen Harmon lives to hear those two words. And for fifteen years he lived the dream with a submissive who’d knelt at his feet and offered that simple phrase over and over again.But then she was gone. Ripped away in a heartbeat of savage betrayal and anguish that still haunts him.Until he met Alex.She’s everything that was taken from him...
  • Bittersweet by Jessica Prince

    Bittersweet by Jessica Prince

    Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars
    · 15 ratings
    She thought he was just a cocky, spoiled rich kid. She had it so very wrong.Shane Hendrix had a hundred-foot reinforced steel wall around her heart to keep people out, so when she first laid eyes on Jensen Rose, she wanted nothing to do with him. But what started as disdain quickly grew into something so much more...
  • Southern Sunrise by Natasha Madison

    Southern Sunrise by Natasha Madison

    Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    Buried secrets never stay hidden in the South. Emily I fell in love with him when I was fourteen. Under the stars, he told me he loved me, and under the stars we promised to love each other always. But under the stars, he broke my heart by walking away.He left me without a second glance. I was just an afterthought.Now he's back, but this time, I'm not falling for his Southern charm.Maybe...
Fantastic book recommendations by romance book lovers for romance book lovers.
Find out more about romance.io.


Get recommendations by genres & tropes

Use the romance book finder to mix and match over 100 content keywords to find the books that match your preferences

romance book finder

Looking for more inspiration? Enter another book title to get more suggestions on what to read next.


Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.