The ThriftBooks Blog

By Ashly Moore Sheldon • April 02, 2025

The fact that romance novels often employ familiar tropes doesn’t make them any less enjoyable. In fact, some of us never tire of certain delicious scenarios like getting out of the friend-zone or workplace competition. Here we review some of the top tropes in slow-burn romances. 

Read Article

By Barbara Hagen • February 04, 2025

All of us at ThriftBooks believe tropes deserve to have their time in the sun. So, we are kicking off a bit of a Trope Era by introducing the ThriftBooks TropeTrove™, a collection of book titles organized by various tropes. In this dedicated section of ThriftBooks.com you can search for books by popular tropes or seek out recommendations based upon certain book tropes you enjoy.

Read Article

By Ashly Moore Sheldon • January 28, 2025

As Valentine's Day approaches, we're indulging in our favorite guilty pleasure—romance novels! We love love! Our newest poll takes a look at the secret lives of romance readers. Read on for all the juicy details!

Read Article

By Susie Dumond • January 26, 2025

New year, new books! There's no better way to kick off a year than with some swoony, spicy, charming romance reads. Whether or not you're a regular romance reader, we've got something for everyone.

Read Article

By Ashly Moore Sheldon • December 20, 2024

It's time for our annual collection of the best books of the year. The titles that made the cut cover a robust range of genres. This roundup includes the standouts in romance & horror. Check out past posts on literary fiction & nonfiction; kids & YA; and mystery & sci-fi/fantasy.

Read Article

By Amanda Cleveland • February 06, 2024

Last month, in a survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of ThriftBooks, 2,000 romance novel lovers shared their thoughts and opinions about the genre and their favorite characters. Read on to see what we learned about Romance vs. Real Life.

Read Article

By Ashly Moore Sheldon • July 18, 2023

The fact that romance novels often employ familiar tropes doesn’t make them any less enjoyable. In fact, some of us never tire of certain delicious scenarios like split inheritances or cute-kid connections. Here we review some of the top tropes in cowboy romances. 

Read Article

By Ashly Moore Sheldon • February 12, 2023

Who are the bestselling romance authors of all time? We decided to find out. Here's a retrospective of authors who topped the bestsellers lists from the 1930s onward.

Read Article

By Ashly Moore Sheldon • October 20, 2022

The fact that certain subgenres of romance often employ familiar tropes doesn’t make them any less enjoyable. In fact, some of us never tire of certain delicious scenarios like secret societies and elite boarding schools. Here we review some of the top tropes in dark academia.

Read Article

By Ashly Moore Sheldon • July 31, 2022

For book lovers like us, characters who love literature are a plus. Stories about bookstore owners, librarians, and other avid readers make us feel seen. What can make it even better? If our bookish hero also finds love. Here are ten novels that put the "lover" in "book lover."

Read Article