BYRON Book Reference Database

Plot Points


Accused (by others -- different from False assumption!) -- falsely accused and searching for proof of innocence;  or he's an investigator and she's the main suspect.
Adoption trying to adopt an orphan;  or long-lost or adopted adult returns;  or adult searches for child given up for adoption.
Amnesia loss of memory, real or pretended.
Arranged arranged or forced marriage;  or together because she's pregnant by him.
Bad Boy (male or female!) -- was once considered a wild kid;  or bad boy, forced to leave town, returns successful.
Blackmail he blackmails her into becoming his mistress;  or someone else blackmails one of them.
Buddies they start out as pals, then realize they want more;  or grew up together as best friends, even fixing each other up with dates.
Captive kidnapped or held hostage by hero/heroine.
Challenge contest or wager;  or she tries to change his chauvinist beliefs about women;  or she has the memory of his first wife to overcome;  or one of them makes it extremely difficult.
Convenience mock engagement;  or marriage of convenience.
Cyrano wooing for another but winning love for self.
Deadline must complete task before it's too late.
Doctor / Nurse medical romance.
Duckling child or tomboy when they first meet, then blossoms;  or initially dowdy;  or plain sister of popular beauty;  or is trained by him (or others) to become ladylike.
Escort traveling together;  or wagon train;  or he's returning runaway heiress to father.
Fairy tale story is based on a fairy tale.
False assumption (between them -- different from Accused!) -- wrong impression of the other;  he thinks she's a prostitute;  or he believes she cheated on him.
Feud family feud;  Romeo and Juliet.
Fish out of water overwhelmed at being out of one's element;  city slicker inherits a ranch.
(NOTE:   Time-travels don't apply = a "given.")
Forbidden (different from Feud!) -- cousins; step-siblings;  brother's ex-wife;  there may or may not be a forbidden feel to the story.
Forgiveness overcoming anger or betrayal.
Friend's spouse ex:   dying friend asks army buddy to look after wife.
Goal working together toward the same goal;  join forces to go after outlaw who murdered family.
Guardian she falls in love with her handsome guardian.
Guilt overcoming feelings of unbearable guilt.
Handicap / Injury physically or even emotionally scarred, injured, or handicapped;  nurse back to health.
Hometown returning to hometown after many years away.
Inheritance brought together because of a Will or an inheritance.
Kidnapped (different from Captive!) -- held for ransom by bad guys and rescued by hero/heroine.
Lies villain/villainess or parent lies to separate them.
Limelight one of them is famous.
Masquerade (different from Secret Identity!) -- covering up true identity;  she pretends to be a boy; he's an undercover FBI agent;  she's the new schoolmarm but is secretly a former outlaw;  runaway heiress is his new housekeeper.
Matchmaker someone else conspires to bring them together.
MayDec age difference, no matter how small, is part of story.
Mythology actual mythological figures are in the story.
Neighbors live next door to each other or within the same apartment building.
Office work together;  or are rivals in business;  or one works for the other;  foreman on her ranch;  nanny;  photographers competing on a news story;  boss and secretary/assistant.
Opposites odd couples of any combination;  she's successful and rich, he's happy-go-lucky and poor;  or he's industrialist, she's environmentalist.
Outcast removed from society;  loner;  hermit;  hated half-breed;  or hated by villagers because his "beloved" first wife died suspiciously.
Psychic Precognition, mind-reading, ESP, etc.
(NOTE:   must be special in a world of non-psychics.   Fantasies or Futuristics -- where they are surrounded by entire races who have psychic abilities -- do not count.)
Rags to Riches she/he is poor but becomes wealthy/famous.
Rescued damsel/man in distress;  must be rescued by the other; bodyguard.
Reunited come together after a long time apart;  separated as teens;  divorced years ago;  find out divorce was invalid.
Revenge one of them wants vengeance;  her father stole his title and lands.
Runaway to or from the other;  from being forced into marriage;  or from evil husband or uncle.
Sacrifice one gives the other up;  or she agrees to marry villain to save her father from debtor's prison.
Secret baby he never knew he was a father.
Secret identity (different from Masquerade!) -- Zorro, Scarlet Pimpernel, or [well-known] highwayman.
Single parent one or both have children;  he needs a nanny for his motherless children.
Spoiled learns a lesson.
Stranded cabin during a snowstorm;  shipwrecked on an island;  quarantined together.
Switch twins;  or lookalike strangers;  time-traveling lands her in another woman's body.
(NOTE:   not necessarily impersonating the other.)
Triangle other man or woman;  heroine has fiancé but loves hero;  or two good men vie for her and she doesn't want to hurt the other one;  or she's not sure which to marry.
Unrequited one of them has always [secretly?] loved the other;  hero considers her to be one of the guys;  or hero tries very hard to win her back.


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