Books like 'The Sweetest Chirp'

Readers who enjoyed The Sweetest Chirp by Toni Aleo also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

contemporary  funny  sports  hockey  m-f

  • Forever Paired by Kathleen Brooks

    Forever Paired by Kathleen Brooks

    Rated: 4.77 of 5 stars
    · 19 ratings
    Landon Davies had worked hard to start his own restaurant. It was a very different path than most of his family had taken. He was one of the few family members that were not military or law enforcement. But his hard work had given him a restaurant that was beginning to take off when a woman’s scream in the alley outside his kitchen changed everything...
    Categorized as:
    sports  m-f  contemporary  suspense  humor
  • Reshuffle by Emilia Finn

    Reshuffle by Emilia Finn

    Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 3 of 5
    Open door [?] · 16 ratings
    The first round is for practice. The second round is for keeps. She was everything Ben ever wanted. But time, distance, and jealousy made it impossible. Now they’re adults, Evie’s back in town after college graduation, and Ben never once let go of what he knew was meant to be...
  • Sponsored links
  • When Alec Met Evie by Jenny Proctor

    When Alec Met Evie by Jenny Proctor

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 1 of 5
    Glimpses and kisses [?] · 29 ratings
    Evie told herself not to fall for her pro-hockey crush. But when she sees him holding her baby girl, all bets are off.When Evie moves South to the same mountain town where her childhood crush plays pro-hockey, she arms herself with all the reasons why she can’t fall for him again.Number Alec is her best friend’s much older brother...
  • Matchmaker by Ivy Smoak

    Matchmaker by Ivy Smoak

    Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars
    · 25 ratings
    Matthew Caldwell is NYC's most eligible bachelor.Charming.Gorgeous.Wealthy.Great with kids.Broken.Sixteen years ago he lost everything. He made a vow to never love again. But suddenly everyone in his life is acting like a matchmaker. He can't help but wonder if a broken vow is better than a broken heart.There's just one problem. Only one woman in the city has caught his attention...
  • My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh

    My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh

    Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 2 of 5
    Behind closed doors [?] · 27 ratings
    A humiliating break-up leads to an impulsive New Year’s Kiss with a complete stranger. What could possibly go wrong?It’s no secret that I love life. And Dr Pepper. But also, I love a challenge. . .So when the coach of the Chicago Comets gives me the opportunity to help their star player, newly traded to their team, acclimate to life in Chicago, I'm all in.I have to be...
  • REGRET by Emilia Finn

    REGRET by Emilia Finn

    Rated: 4.72 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    Preston Danes was born and raised on the streets.Unloved. Unwanted. And quickly discarded.Now he’s a man on the verge of a new career when the infamous Checkmate Security offers him a job.They want to shut down a mafia family, and they need the assistance of a skilled hacker to get the job done.Preston knows code like others know their left hands. He’s perfect for the job...
  • Wishing on a Star by Mandy Baggot

    Wishing on a Star by Mandy Baggot

    Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 2 of 5
    Behind closed doors [?] · 21 ratings
    A single mum. A superstar athlete. A Christmas like no other.Anna Heath is divorced, a single mum and trying desperately to keep her life in order. Despite her friends' best efforts, Anna has stopped looking for love and is determined to give her daughter, Ruthie, a Christmas to remember.Sam Jackman has just been dealt with life-altering news, and all he could think to do was run...
  • Just One Look by Rosalind James

    Just One Look by Rosalind James

    Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Luka Darkovic has some tackling skills. He hadn’t planned on using them to bring down a runaway dog the size of a Shetland pony, though, especially not when his neck is already buggered. At 33, a rugby forward protects his vertebrae.. He’s even less happy when the dog’s incompetent owner turns up in his hospital cubicle the next day with a plan to fix those vertebrae...
    Categorized as:
    sports  m-f  contemporary  humor  athletes  length-long
  • Hold Me Forever by Layla Hagen

    Hold Me Forever by Layla Hagen

    Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars
    · 28 ratings
    Tyler Maxwell's story will be released on January 18th.As the leagues’ top goalie for the Chicago Blades, I stay disciplined and follow three principles:1. Keep a pristine image.2. Play smart and hard on the ice.3. Stay out of relationships...
  • A Smoky Mountain Hockey Holiday by Toni Aleo

    A Smoky Mountain Hockey Holiday by Toni Aleo

    Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    One chalet in the Smokies. Four loving families. While all the grandbabies are on Santa’s Nice List, a few of the adults are getting coal in their stockings. But no matter their status with the man in the red suit, Elli Adler will spoil each and every one of her favorite people with love and holiday cheer...
  • Puck Performance by Alley Ciz

    Puck Performance by Alley Ciz

    Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    All's fair in love and potatoes. Melody Brightly Broadway Star. Pink hair. A smile that hits me harder than a slap shot. Terrible taste in hockey teams. Full of secrets. The one woman I fail to defend my heart against. Jase Donnelly Defenseman.Charming. Sexy as puck. Makes my hormones give a standing ovation. The one guy I can never be with, but can't stay away from...
  • Rogue Wave by J. Bengtsson

    Rogue Wave by J. Bengtsson

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 15 ratings
    A love story that survives the test of time. Keith McKallister is the king of the stoners. You know the type. Every school has one – the hot, fun, dopey guy beloved by the student body but despised by, well, just about everyone else. He spends his early mornings in the ocean and his days trying to get to class on time...
  • Cocky Quarterback: Eric Cocker by Faleena Hopkins

    Cocky Quarterback: Eric Cocker by Faleena Hopkins

    Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars
    · 19 ratings
    BRAND NEW IN THE HIT SERIES WITH OVER 250,000 SOLD I told her I hope he knows how lucky he is. ERIC:  The waitress with the bird tattoo up her middle finger has gotten my attention by not caring if she does. My team thinks it’s hilarious that she’s not into me. I think it’s almost as fascinating as she is. Trouble is she likes musician types... And has one for a boyfriend...
    Categorized as:
    sports  hockey  humor  contemporary  length-medium
  • Dangerous Exes by Rachel Van Dyken

    Dangerous Exes by Rachel Van Dyken

    Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars
    · 25 ratings
    In #1 New York Times bestselling author Rachel van Dyken’s scorching series, revenge is a justified pleasure… Isla made one teeny little mistake. Now she and her PI company, Dirty Exes, are being targeted by one seriously angry and furiously sexy ex-quarterback. Jessie freakin’ Beckett. But there’s no way some NFL superhunk is going to take her business away...
  • Pucks & Penalties: Pucked Series Outtakes and Deleted Scenes by Helena Hunting

    Pucks & Penalties: Pucked Series Outtakes and Deleted Scenes by Helena Hunting

    Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 14 ratings
    An extensive compilation of outtakes, deleted scenes and a crossover novella from The Pucked Series, which now includes:ENDORSE THIS: An Area 51 invasion outtake in which Alex once again tries to persuade Violet that he should go where no man has gone before. And likely never will...
    Categorized as:
    sports  hockey  humor  contemporary
  • Thrill of Love by Melissa Foster

    Thrill of Love by Melissa Foster

    Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Discover the magic of New York Times bestseller Melissa Foster's writing, and see why millions of readers have fallen in love with the Bradens. Fall in love with Ty Braden and Aiyla Bell in this epic love story...
    Categorized as:
    sports  m-f  humor  contemporary  length-medium
  • Delayed Call by Toni Aleo

    Delayed Call by Toni Aleo

    Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars
    · 27 ratings
    Vaughn Johansson is the Nashville Assassins' star player. He's brash, cocky, and talented. And he isn't afraid to let anyone know it. He lives his life on his own terms, never forming romantic attachments, and only allowing his very closest to see his true, caring self. Brie Soledad has the weight of the world on her shoulders...
  • Cocky Senator’s Daughter: Hannah by Faleena Hopkins

    Cocky Senator’s Daughter: Hannah by Faleena Hopkins

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · 21 ratings
    HANNAH COCKER Every man I've dated in this city has either bored me or hurt me. When Sofia Sol, my crazy cousin, offers a ride on the back of her Harley with no destination in mind besides out-of-Atlanta, what do you think my answer is? I'll give you one guess. TOBIAS KYRKOS Life doesn't ever hand you what you want. You have to take it...
    Categorized as:
    sports  m-f  humor  new adult  contemporary  length-medium
  • The Assassins Series by Toni Aleo

    The Assassins Series by Toni Aleo

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    Now all four novels and the companion novella are together in one can’t-miss eBook bundle:  TAKING SHOTSTRYING TO SCOREEMPTY NETFALLING FOR THE BACKUPBLUE LINES   The Assassins may be the hottest things on two legs and ice skates, but when the gloves come off, the chiseled men of this Nashville NHL team will do anything for the women they love: A reformed bad boy helps a charming, willful beauty...
    Categorized as:
    sports  hockey  humor  contemporary  length-long
  • The Tenacious Act by Marion De Ré

    The Tenacious Act by Marion De Ré

    Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 1 of 5
    Glimpses and kisses [?] · 10 ratings
    Our contractor declared bankruptcy and we now have to leave our bookstore opening into the hands of a professional hockey team.Thankfully, the guys are also skilled off the ice and dedicated to help us make our dream come true.Particularly, Maxime, my friend’s brother who’s a relentless flirt with a goofy personality.And as hot as he might be, I don’t do boyfriends...
  • Drew by Lulu Moore

    Drew by Lulu Moore

    Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 10 ratings
    Let me ask you a question.Have you met your soulmate?I did, then promptly lost her. Because what happens in Vegas stays there, right?Wrong.I’d never been the relationship type, but I’ve spent every spare second of the past twelve months wondering what if. What if I hadn’t slept through my alarm? What if I hadn’t lost her number? What if I’d known her name?But I came up blank...
  • Playing Dirty by Mickey Miller

    Playing Dirty by Mickey Miller

    Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    I'm going to teach Andrea to play dirty...she just doesn't know it yet. Jake Pulling in eight figures a year as star pitcher for the Chicago Jaguars, there's no shortage of parties, booze, and women. I'm a beast on the mound and between the sheets but when my social media presence becomes a major problem, the team’s owner brings in a PR expert to clean up my image...
    Categorized as:
    sports  m-f  humor  new adult  contemporary  baseball
  • Tight Hold by Lisa Suzanne

    Tight Hold by Lisa Suzanne

    Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    The pro football player I’m faking a relationship with has the perfect solution to my career woes. He’s encouraging me to lean into the pseudo-celebrity life I was born into instead of trying to outrun it, and for the first time in my life, someone sees me for me.I feel like he’s falling for me, too.And then my ex shows up...
  • ICED by Jacob Chance

    ICED by Jacob Chance

    Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars
    · 15 ratings
    Oliver Ice, one of Boston University’s notorious hockey players, has been on my radar since I slammed into his rock-hard body during my first week of college, three years ago. He helped me to my feet, muttered an apology, and ran off after his girlfriend, dashing my hopes of a happily ever after. Now, he’s the bartender where I work, and this time, very much single...
  • Rosie and the Beast Next Door by Kaylee Baldwin

    Rosie and the Beast Next Door by Kaylee Baldwin

    Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    It is a truth universally acknowledged that a hockey player in possession of a bad reputation must be in want of a fake girlfriend.Rosie Forrester is in desperate need of cash after an embarrassing run-in with the law. Enter Dylan Savage, a disgraced hockey player who needs a place to hide out for a few months while he figures out how to get back on his team...
  • Protecting Her Heart by Chance Carter

    Protecting Her Heart by Chance Carter

    Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    I'm going to make her beg. Emma asked me to take her all the way. She wants to experience every delicious thing a woman can feel. She wants to be brought to the very edge of ecstasy, and then she wants to leap right off the cliff. I'm a complete playboy, an expert in the ways a man can make a woman beg, so naturally I accept. I love a good challenge...
    Categorized as:
    sports  m-f  humor  contemporary  length-medium
  • Light 'em Up by Kelly Jamieson, Bang Brothers

    Light 'em Up by Kelly Jamieson, Bang Brothers

    Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    Light 'em Up by Kelly Jamieson is book 5 in the Bang Brothers Hockey seriesAnnie BangI’m thrilled to be working in professional hockey, since my five brothers are all hockey players. My new role as skating coach to the New York Bears is the perfect fit and I can’t wait to whip all these guys into shape so we can win more games...
    Categorized as:
    sports  hockey  contemporary  humor  length-medium
  • Lost the Handle by Toni Aleo

    Lost the Handle by Toni Aleo

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 11 ratings
    Emery “Just tell me to wait for you,” Quinn whispers desperately as he slides his nose along mine. My ribs are having a hard time containing my hammering heart as I keep my eyes locked with his blue ones. I stroke my fingers along his cheek as a sob hiccups out of me. “I can’t. I wouldn’t do that to you.” “I would, though.” His words match the promise in his eyes...
  • Second Dive: A Second Chance Sports Romance by Jasmin Miller

    Second Dive: A Second Chance Sports Romance by Jasmin Miller

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Noah Winters was my heart’s desire, the boy I loved desperately and had hoped to spend my future with. Until our plans were derailed and life took us in completely different directions.When our fate changed, and our paths crossed again, nothing prepared me for the punch straight to the heart when I saw him . . . or his anger and bitterness...
    Categorized as:
    sports  m-f  contemporary  humor  length-medium
  • Somebody Like You by Carrie Elks

    Somebody Like You by Carrie Elks

    Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    He’s rich, talented and way out of her league. Now he’s making her an offer she can’t refuse…Football has always been Cam Hartson’s life. When he's forced to retire following an injury, he slinks back to his small home town, planning to lie low and lick his wounds. Until he meets Mia Devlin. The beautiful single mom of two tearaway boys has no interest in love...
  • Breakaway  (The Rule Book Collection) by A.M. Johnson

    Breakaway (The Rule Book Collection) by A.M. Johnson

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    As Tampa Bay's star center, Mark Carmelo's life was hockey, and after a bitter and public break up, all he wanted to do was focus on the game. Until he saw her. The one that got away. The one he thought he'd never see again. For thirteen years, Stevie West drowned in her lackluster life. Recently divorced from her “roommate” with passionless benefits, she was ready to start over...
    Categorized as:
    sports  hockey  christian  humor  contemporary  athletes
  • Gabbi's Goalie by Nichole Rose

    Gabbi's Goalie by Nichole Rose

    Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    This over-the-top goalie refuses to crash and burn when it comes to the woman of his dreams.Atlas JacksThe moment I set eyes on Gabbi Sterling, I know she's mine.Unfortunately, she doesn't agree.Her brother owns my team.Her best friend told a little white lie.And my girl is giving me nine kinds of hell.Right up until we get lost in the woods together.Now, it's up to me to get her out safely...
  • The Trouble with #9 by Piper Rayne

    The Trouble with #9 by Piper Rayne

    Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 18 ratings
    Trouble.One word that comes to mind when someone talks about me. I like to think of it as protection, watching out for the ones I love. But now I’m spending more time in the penalty box than on the ice and the team owner isn’t happy.Finding myself across the room from the hot therapist I kissed on New Year’s Eve only makes me push my problems down further...
  • Shopping for a Turkey by Julia Kent

    Shopping for a Turkey by Julia Kent

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    I don’t understand Americans. 
Or, as we say in Scotland, I dinna understand ye eedjits.
And I definitely dinna understand the crazy mother-in-law of my cousin Declan...
    Categorized as:
    sports  m-f  contemporary  humor  soccer  length-short
  • Ice Ice Maybe by Rich Amooi

    Ice Ice Maybe by Rich Amooi

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    “I want you to date my daughter.”Those seven words hit Nolan Reid like a puck to the head.Once destined for NHL stardom, a skiing accident left Nolan driving the Zamboni for the San Diego Sea Lions. But his humble life of maintaining the ice is about to get complicated.The billionaire owner’s insane plan? Nolan fake-dates his daughter Zena to ignite her ex’s jealousy...
  • Tight Spot by Lisa Suzanne

    Tight Spot by Lisa Suzanne

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    I don’t date football players.I’m not interested in the ones who are a decade older than me. I want nothing to do with the ones who play on the same team as my brothers, and I certainly avoid the ones who spend more time in strip clubs than kids’ clubs...
  • Iced by Colleen Charles

    Iced by Colleen Charles

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    I’ve heard it all before. I need to grow up. Take things more seriously. Stop making headlines for anything other than my game.Even though it wasn’t my fault that I recently got into a fight at a bar over a woman…yeah yeah, no one wants anymore excuses. My agent just wants me to overhaul my public image before I lose my contract...
    Categorized as:
    hockey  sports  contemporary  humor  length-medium
  • Meant for Love by Natasha Madison

    Meant for Love by Natasha Madison

    Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 33 ratings
    What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Unless you end up married! ZoeyWhen I first met him, I got butterflies in my stomach.I thought it was silly and pushed it aside. Avoided him.Besides, I was taken—unavailable. Or so I thought. That was before he hired me to take over his company’s PR.Now that we were working with each other, that meant he was completely off-limits.Until one night in Vegas...
  • Face-Off at the Altar by Toni Aleo

    Face-Off at the Altar by Toni Aleo

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    Markus Reeves is sucking. Big-time. Toiling away on a minor-league hockey team hundreds of miles away from home, he's watching his dreams of an NHL career fade away. Add in the lingering guilt he has over the dramatic demise of his relationship with college girlfriend, Mekena, and he's a mess on and off the ice. But the family of his heart, the Sinclairs, won't let Markus suffer any longer...
  • The Baby-whisperer and the Brute by Tru Taylor

    The Baby-whisperer and the Brute by Tru Taylor

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    You can’t appreciate all the implications of the word “conflicted” until you come face to face with the guy you’ve been secretly lusting after for weeks... and then learn he’ll be signing your paychecks—Angelina RappaportSome people might call me sheltered. That doesn’t begin to cover it. I’ve been practically sequestered my whole life...
  • Fake Start by Jasmin Miller

    Fake Start by Jasmin Miller

    Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    You know that awkward moment when your agent tells you to fake date your best friend’s sister so you can get the endorsement deal of your dreams? No? Call me crazy for considering it, but why not? Daisy’s my friend, after all, and I’ve gotten quite close to her and her two awesome boys over the last few years since her douche-nozzle husband divorced her...
  • Crossing the Line by Kendall Ryan

    Crossing the Line by Kendall Ryan

    Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars
    · 37 ratings
    Recovering from a pulled groin muscle isn’t exactly how I planned to spend my much-needed summer vacation. But I’ll admit, being nursed back to health by my gorgeous friend Bailey, who’s just graduated from medical school, doesn’t exactly sound like a hardship...
  • Play Me by Kelly Elliott, Kristin Mayer

    Play Me by Kelly Elliott, Kristin Mayer

    Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars
    · 15 ratings
    She has a head for business and a body for sin. He is a coach who knows how to use his equipment. Neither is looking for love. Should be easy, right? Wrong. This might be the most important game Kendall Wales and Hunter Owens have ever played where everything is on the line. With one wrong play, they could lose it all...
  • The Friend Face Off by Grace Worthington

    The Friend Face Off by Grace Worthington

    Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Getting involved with your brother’s best friend is risky enough. But when he's a hockey player? It's a whole new level of bad idea.As a ravenous reader, I’ve got a I’m obsessed with hockey romances.But let me tell you, real life hockey players are nothing like my book boyfriends.So I threw down the gauntlet on BookTok. I challenged any single guy out there to prove me wrong...
  • Hot Pickle by J.J. Knight

    Hot Pickle by J.J. Knight

    Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    I'm rock hard.No, not like that.When that happens, you won't need me to tell you.I'm a competitive bodybuilder, ready for my very first contest. And winning requires more than killer workouts and stage presence.It's all about the tan.My training partner Franklin uses the best in the business — Camryn Schultz. She understands the career killer of a badly placed white spot.She’s also his sister...
  • Turn of the Tides by Jessica Prince

    Turn of the Tides by Jessica Prince

    Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    When Beau Wade left his small hometown of Whitecap, Oregon, he swore to himself he’d never go back. But when his NFL career goes up in smoke, that’s exactly what he finds himself doing. Not much has changed in the ten years he’s been gone...
  • Puck Love by Carmen Jenner

    Puck Love by Carmen Jenner

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    Stella Hart is the hottest thing in country music. For ten years, she’s been Nashville’s darling. She’s pure, sweet, and a positive role model in an industry rife with scandals, sex, and sequins. Men want to own her, women want to be her—everyone wants a piece of her, and Stella? Well, she wants out...
    Categorized as:
    sports  hockey  humor  contemporary  length-medium
  • Wheeler by Colleen Charles

    Wheeler by Colleen Charles

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    Throughout my time as an elite hockey player, I’ve had a few hookups.But there's only one I can’t get out of my mind.Stella left me high and dry in Costa Rica with a bruised ego and a broken heart after a single perfect day.I wish I’d ignored all the rules with her. I wish I’d made her mine in every way that mattered...
    Categorized as:
    sports  hockey  humor  contemporary
  • Trivial Pursuits by Aven Ellis

    Trivial Pursuits by Aven Ellis

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Landon Holder is exactly the kind of man Livy Adams should stay far away from. The flashy, flirty star defenseman for the Chicago Buffaloes is known for hooking up with women all over Chicago. Livy finds herself attracted to Landy, but his sexy good looks and charm are irrelevant...
  • The Race by Alice Ward

    The Race by Alice Ward

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    I like it fast. She likes it faster. Who will win this race? As founder and CEO of UnCaged Fitness, I sponsor some of the hottest fitness properties around. Top female athletes and models beg for my attention. I’m rich. I’m ruthless. And when it comes to my business, I don’t play around. Until Emma James and her beautiful curves comes to Daytona...
    Categorized as:
    sports  m-f  humor  new adult  contemporary
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.