trope
Love Triangle
A romantic plot where one character is torn between two potential partners, or two characters compete for the affections of a third, creating a web of longing, jealousy, and hard choices.
Why readers love it
Readers love the emotional rollercoaster of seeing desire pulled in two directions, and the tension of wondering which connection will win out and at what cost. It also lets them imagine themselves in the protagonist's shoes, weighing two different kinds of love.
Also called
love triangle with a twist
love triangle resolved by polyamory
love triangle with a villain
love rectangle
love dodecahedron
one-sided triangle