They say absence makes the heart grow fonder but any good BookTok fan will tell you that nothing stokes the flames of love quite like forced proximity.
What is the forced proximity trope about?
The forced proximity trope in romance novels is centered around the idea that for some reason our main characters are forced to spend time together in close quarters.
This can come in tons of different packages:
Being coworkers or being partnered up on a project
Being teammates (similar to coworkers but extra intense because sports are high stakes!)
Being roommates
Going on a trip together and discovering—gasp!—there’s only one bed in the room
Kidnapping (if this is happening you're probably reading a dark romance)
Fake dating or being in a marriage of convenience
One of the characters is protecting the other (there’s a reason everyone loves a bodyguard romance!)
Or maybe Mother Nature herself has gotten involved, leaving our characters snowed in or seeking shelter together
No matter the circumstance, this trope revolves around our characters spending a lot of time together (and, no, they're not always happy about it).
What we love about this trope
So what is it that makes this book trope a fan-favorite with BookTok?
1. How well it pairs with some of our other favorite tropes
On their own, tropes are great. But stacked together? We’re entering superior book territory! The forced proximity trope goes with everything!
Friends-to-lovers? Check out “People We Meet on Vacation.” Enemies-to-lovers? Crack open “Fourth Wing.” Maybe you’re in the mood for fake dating (“The Spanish Love Deception”) or even a marriage of convenience (“Terms and Conditions”).
No matter what trope you’re in the mood for, the forced proximity trope pairs with it perfectly.
2. The slow burn element
With the main characters spending oodles of time together, they get to really know each other. Their connection starts slow and the more time they spend together, the more it grows. By the time they finally get together, you’re cheering SO loud.
3. The emphasis on the plot
For the forced proximity trope to work, the book has to have a strong plot. In order for the characters to spend any amount of time together closely, it has to feel natural and believable. If the love interests were tossed together with no explanation it wouldn’t make sense. To make it believable, the author has to really develop the plot and make it feel like reality.
4. It includes some of our favorite subtropes
When you read as many romance books as we do (and we read a lot), some plot points, phrases, and characteristics become familiar. While they’re not common enough to be a full trope, these subtropes still have readers kicking their feet and squealing.
A few BookTok-approved favorites? The one-bed trope (hey, so they have to share a bed for a night—it’s not like they’re going to fall in love or anything!), when one of the love interests has always loved the other (watching one character pine for ages and finally get their happy ending is just chef’s kiss), and “touch her and die” subtrope (we LOVE seeing a partner go scorched-earth to protect their love!).
Content warnings
Most of the time the forced proximity trope is consensual—the main characters may be stuck together but no one is being held against their will. As you delve into some dark romance and romantasy books, you may find characters kidnapped, forced into an arranged marriage, or held against their will.
If that sounds a touch too intense for your preference, I recommend checking out a forced proximity book that focuses on another trope like second chance romance (“Under Your Spell”), rivals-to-lovers (“You, with a View”), a billionaire fake dating romance (“A Not So Meet Cute”), or a meet-cute with a neighbor (“The Local”).
Book recommendations
If you want more of the forced proximity trope, you’re probably wondering where to start and what to read next. I’ve got you covered! Since this trope works so well with others, I’ve included options for all sorts of tropes. Apologies in advance to your Goodreads TBR, because it’s about to get longer.
Where they’re roommates
“The Right Move” by Liz Tomforde: Indy needs a place to stay after a breakup so her best friend volunteers her brother Ryan’s spare room. What could go wrong?
“The American Roommate Experience” by Elena Armas: Rosie’s apartment is in shambles, so she heads to her best friend’s empty place while her landlord gets to work. The only problem? Lucas, her BFF’s cousin, is unknowingly crashing there too. They can make it work for a few days…right?
“The Roommate” by Rosie Danan: After Clara is left stranded and homeless far from family, she finds herself living with Josh, a stranger. He’s sweet, charming, and disarmingly hot. Sleeping just down the hall from each other is about to get a whole lot more difficult.
Where they work together
“Wrecked” by Lauren Asher: Jax is F1’s notorious bad boy and Elena is brought in as his PR rep to help manage his image. Sparks fly, chaos ensues!
“The Hating Game” by Sally Thorne: Josh and Lucy sit across from each other at work and have to stare at each other all. day. long.
“Under Construction” by Dipsea: Lucy is on the hunt for a repair person to fix her sink and take care of house troubles. What she’s not expecting is for Rachel to patch up her heart while fixing up the rest of the house.
Where they’re fake dating
“The Unhoneymooners” by Christina Lauren: Best man Ethan and maid-of-honor Olive have to step in and act like a happy couple when the bride and groom can’t make it to their lavish, tropical honeymoon.
“Plus One” by Dipsea: Eva is in desperate need of a date to her friend’s wedding so she doesn’t have to show up solo in front of her ex. Jay, a charming barista at Eva’s favorite coffee shop, offers to be her date. Nobody is going to catch feelings in a single weekend…right? When you finish this three-part series, make sure to check out this interview with E.R. Fightmaster, where they talk about bringing Jay’s character to life and producing the series.
“The Love Hypothesis” by Ali Hazelwood: When grad student Olive panics and accidentally kisses Adam (hey, these things happen!), she suddenly finds herself in a fake relationship and spending a looooot of time with the broodiest professor in the entire biology department.
“Funny Story” by Emily Henry: Daphne and Miles are both left heartbroken (and living together) after their partners run off with each other. The best way to get back at their exes? Faking that they’re in love too, of course!
When they’re best friends
“Hook, Line, and Sinker” by Tessa Bailey: Fox is a notorious ladies man and has never been rattled by a woman. Ever. Then he meets Hannah, who turns his world upside down. When Hannah comes to stay with him for a few weeks, he’s not sure he’s going to survive (he’s a touch dramatic but we love him).
“Powerless” by Elsie Silver: Jasper and Sloan have spent years dancing around the complicated feelings they have for each other. Will the feelings they’ve been trying to outrun finally catch up to them on their road trip?
Where they’re enemies
“The Dixon Rule” by Elle Kennedy: Shane might be a player, but Diana has zero time for his shenanigans. She’s content to ignore him forever (well at least until graduation) when he moves in next door. Can’t a girl catch a break?!
“The Ex Talk” by Rachel Lynn Solomon: Shay and Dominic have a frosty professional relationship at the radio station they both work at. They get paired up to host a talk show pretending to be exes, forcing them to spend even more time together. Yay!
Where one of them is the bodyguard for the other
“From Blood and Ash” by Jennifer L. Armentrout: Poppy’s life as the Chosen Maiden is fairly boring, but when her new bodyguard, Hawke, comes storming into her life, things get a lot more interesting. Hawke is honor-bound to keep her safe from harm, but he’s up for a heck of a challenge in a dangerous world.
“Twisted Games” by Ana Huang: Princess Bridget may be royalty but she’s got a mind of her own and she’s always keeping her bodyguard, Rhys, on his toes. They’re glued to each others’ sides 24/7 and nothing (including archaic laws) can keep them apart.
“The Bodyguard” by Katherine Center: Jack is a famous actor with a stalker on his hands. Hannah is a take-no-prisoners bodyguard determined to keep him safe. Side note: this book is such a fresh approach to the classic bodyguard story—we love seeing the roles reversed and the female main character as the protector!
“Triple Duty Bodyguards” by Lily Gold: As a celebrity, Briar is always the center of attention. But when a stalker breaks into her home, she hires Glen, Kenta, and Matt, a trio of highly trained bodyguards. After all, why should she have to choose just one?
Looking for even more spicy stories or wondering what other tropes you might like? Check out Dipsea, the app for original spicy audiobooks, and find even more stories and recommendations you’ll love!
Or download the Dipsea app for the best listening experience.
