Bethany Meets Her Match is the third and final book in my From Sunset Park, With Love series. This book is an enemies/rivals to lovers romance, one of my favorite tropes. I love a battle of the sexes story where the hero and heroine go toe to toe.
But this book also allowed me to indulge in another of my all time favorite tropes-the precocious kid/adorable moppet. In this case, the role of adorable moppet is played by Priyanka Mehra, the daughter of Bethany’s next store neighbors. Pri is four years old, the very definition of cuteness, and has everyone wrapped around her little finger, including Bethany and Ethan. For her part, Priyanka develops an immediate case of hero worship and a massive crush on Ethan the minute they meet-much to Bethany’s consternation. And Priyanka doesn’t even try to hide her favoritism and bias when she is a judge in Ethan and Bethany’s dumpling contest.
The reason this particular trope is my ultimate catnip is because it’s such a fun way for the two leads to lower their guard and see each other in a new way. It is especially great when it’s a character you wouldn’t guess who would be good with kids, as is the case with Ethan. Ethan is a bit stuffy, takes pains with his clothes and appearance, and Bethany thinks he’s a snobby jerk. Yet, Priyanka warms to him immediately and the sentiment is returned, all of which forces Bethany to reevaluate her preconceived notions. As she puts it, someone who is so good with kids can’t be ALL bad right? And kids tend to be pretty darn good judges of character. I had so much fun writing the scene where Pri and Ethan interact and bond. To be honest, at certain points I was pretty sure she stole the show, which was perfectly fine with me. In fact, Pri plays a pivotal role in bringing our two lovers back together after the black moment. You’ll have to read the book to find out what she does.
Some of my favorite authors also wrote amazing books using this trope. The first that springs to mind is Nora’s Key of Valor and the relationship between Bradley Charles Vane IV and Zoe McCourt’s son Simon. From the beginning, something about Brad unnerves Zoe and sets her on edge. He’s too rich, too attractive, too out of her league. But Brad and Simon hit it off from the get go and form their own separate bond. They play video games together, Brad hangs up the cowboy boot birdhouse Simon made for him, and the two of them read Captain Underpants at bedtime. Who can resist that??? Certainly not Zoe.
Another is Lisa Kleypas’s Devil’s Daughter. Widow Phoebe, Lady Clare isn’t inclined to think kindly of West Ravenel. West had history with her late husband. However, instead of the monstrous bully she envisioned, West is charming, sexy, hardworking and irresistible. But just like Brad and Zoe, a huge part of what won Phoebe over was seeing West interact with her son Justin. Wes doesn’t talk down to her son, rough houses with him, genuinely enjoys Justin’s company, and looks out for both her sons. With Justin deciding he wants Wes to marry his mother (to the point he asks Phoebe if she could smell like cake so West would propose) and her father Sebastian (formerly Lord St. Vincent now Duke of Kingston) deciding to pull strings behind the scenes and play matchmaker, Phoebe really had no chance.
As you can see, I love this trope and that’s why I just had to include it in my latest book. I hope readers will enjoy Priyanka as much as I did and fall in love with Ethan and Bethany’s story as much as I did.
So tell me, is the cute precocious kid a trope you enjoy? Which ones are your favorites??
About the Author.
Lisa has been an avid romance reader and fan since she read her first Nora Roberts novel at the age of 13 after wandering the aisles of her local bookstore. Lisa loves that romance has the power to inspire, and believes that HEAs are for everyone.
Lisa writes light contemporary romantic comedies with a liberal dash of snark and banter. She enjoys delving into the complexity of Asian and immigrant family experiences, and celebrates female friendships in her trademark dry, witty style. As an Asian-American author writing own voices Asian American stories, Lisa hopes that her books will show the diversity of the Asian-American experience, and the importance of every reader being able to see themselves represented on the page.
