The Strawberry Patch Pancake House

Contemporary romance fiction has developed specific narrative conventions that shape reader expectations and character development. The romance genre has gained popularity in recent years, and print sales of romance books rose by almost 9% in 2024 (Milliot, Jim. “Print Book Sales Saw a Small Sales Increase in 2024.” Publisher’s Weekly, 10 Jan. 2025), partly because certain tropes consistently resonate with readers. The “single-dad trope” positions male protagonists as inherently nurturing figures, challenging traditional masculinity by showcasing men in caregiving roles. This trope gained prominence in novels like Nicholas Sparks’s Dear John and Elsie Silver’s Heartless and became popular because of how it demonstrates male emotional vulnerability while creating built-in conflict through parental responsibilities.

Gilmore both embraces and playfully subverts these conventions throughout The Strawberry Patch Pancake House. Archer embodies the single-dad archetype as a successful chef who must suddenly care for five-year-old Olive, displaying expected vulnerability and growth. However, Gilmore adds complexity by making him a world-renowned chef reduced to working at a small-town diner, while the local book club explicitly analyzes romance tropes.