Love triangles are a widely loved or hated trope. The Tamlin trope is a variant. It happens when there is a love triangle, but the reader isn’t meant to fully know it’s there. When an author pours a great deal of time into developing a Love Interest who is all around a decent person. They often support the Protagonist—sometimes help this character become a braver person. They seem fated both by equal attachment and by fate. The story sees our two heroes face down the world for their love, and then they end up together. They beat the odds.

Buuuut.