At one point or another we’ve all been trapped in an inescapable situation with a person we would rather not be in it with. From ill fated group projects to awkward roommate situations, forced proximity is often something we usually avoid at all costs. Unfortunately, when you throw in some magic and two characters with undeniable chemistry, it becomes every romance reader’s dream. Or at least, it becomes mine! But what makes it so addicting, to read two characters that would prefer nothing more to avoid each other, but cannot?
Within my own series, Assistant and the Villain, all three books are centered around The Villain’s office workplace. It’s an inescapable environment for my two leads, Evie and Trystan, because even in moments when they both would rather not face the other, it can never last for any extended period of time. They’re running an evil business! There’s far too much work to be done! In any case, it appears I too am running an evil business, because nothing makes me rub my hands together in the heels of ominous laughter than my characters being thrown together at every turn. It is an entertaining and fun dynamic that lends to incredible storytelling.
Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin
In the novel Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin, this trope is used in one of my favorite ways. Our main characters Lou and Reid are opposites, Lou being a witch and Reid being… a witch hunter! (Talk about awkward) In a world where the two are destined to be enemies Lou and Reid find themselves in a sticky situation that forces them into an arranged marriage—bad for them, good for us! As it is difficult to avoid your own spouse, the two must find it within themselves to be in each other’s company when they otherwise would not, and because of this, a beautiful romance begins to unfold. Serpent and Dove takes forced proximity and uses it to not only spark romance, but to overcome societal boundaries that otherwise might have kept these characters from ever falling in love.
Trial of the Sun Queen by Nisha J. Tuli
Forced proximity is such a versatile trope to explore within the romance genre, but never had I seen it done in such a unique way as in Nisha J. Tuli’s Trial of the Sun Queen. Lor is our strong and resilient main character who has spent the last several years imprisoned with her siblings, leading to her hatred of the aurora king that put her there. Which makes it very inconvenient when she gains the opportunity to possibly free her siblings—all she has to do is win the competition to become the sun queen, wife to the man she despises. Yes, it’s as fun to read as it sounds. Forced proximity does not merely drive the romantic plot within the trail of the sun queen but the entirety of the plot. Lor finds herself in interactions with the other women in the competition, other political players with stakes in the game, and with potential allies. It makes the reading experience so riveting and the tension—romantic or otherwise—absolutely addicting!
The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon
So many, though not all, forced proximity stories are accompanied by the enemies-to-lovers trope. Yay for us! In The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon the two leads are clear enemies and opposites. Talaysn is a lightweaver whereas Prince Alaric’s power is dedicated to the shadows. Not only are they opposites in their powers but they’re also on different sides of a war! Once again, thanks to our trusty friend forced proximity, Talaysn and Alaric come together for a political marriage. It’s a marriage of convenience like Serpent and Dove, but the forced proximity here is based around political alliances, both knowing what the other is, and developing feelings for each other along the way despite their hatred for one another. The vulnerability brought on by marrying the other creates an incredible amount of tension that forced me to close the book on occasion to scream (In a good way).
The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs
Turning to a book that was so sweet it made my teeth hurt (also in a good way), The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs is a swoon worthy medieval romance that follows an adorable protagonist in Princess Clía who is determined to win the betrothal of the prince in the neighboring kingdom, by, you guessed it—following him to a military academy where she is determined to prove herself adept at dueling and other knightly pursuits—ok you probably didn’t guess, but isn’t it fabulous? Clía follows the prince there by choice, but training with warrior Ronan was a necessity. Being forced together in a training ring is enough to build insurmountable tension between the pair until their feelings become undeniable. It’s one of the most swoon-worthy, grinning-like-a-fool forced proximity stories I’ve read, and unique in that the couple that you think you’ll be rooting for is not the one the trope demands you fall in love with. Clía and Ronan might be forced together, but the choice to fall in love is all theirs.
A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden
Finally, the forced proximity trope crops up in another favorite read, A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden. Our main character Arwen is taken into custody by King Kane’s men, and quite literally forced—see what I did there—to be in proximity with her cell mate, who also happens to be her love interest. Arwen’s healing magic makes her a necessity to the king’s army despite her hatred for him, and she has no choice but to aid in their cause to survive. It makes things slightly more complicated when the king that she hates so much turns out to be the prisoner she had been trapped with—again, awkward for them, yay for us! The more time the two spend together, the more their hatred thaws and the romantic tensions rise. Unable to escape the other even if they wanted to, they have no choice but to allow the romantic connection between them to bloom. Every interaction between the two is better than the last, leaving you grateful that they cannot escape each other. It is a breathless whirlwind!
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Accomplice to the Villain
Cordelia and Aral in Shards of Honour
This is one of my favorite books and favorite couples. I love Cordelia.
I love this trope! Let’s see who else we have …
There’s Poppy and Casteel from the Blood and Ash series, Violet and Xaden from the Empyrean series, Rose and Declan from “On the Edge” (and somewhat also the couples from the rest of the Edge series), Nevada and Connor from the Hidden Legacy series … and I know I am missing so many right now.
Also, now I want to read everything featured in the article. As if my TBR list isn’t so long already!
The Jasmine Throne should probably qualify for this list. The Burning Kingdoms trilogy was a nice surprise for me this year in general.
Isn’t that always the case though? Forced proximity is like leading a horse to water: they’ll only drink if they’re thirsty.