When in Rome falls into the genre of contemporary romance. Although When in Rome deals with serious subjects, such as complicated family dynamics, grief, and loneliness, it is underpinned by lighthearted and comedic moments. It incorporates a key element of the contemporary romance genre: the happy ending. Its central plot line focuses on the main characters’ personal growth and the obstacles they must overcome to achieve their happy ending. As in When in Rome, most contemporary romance heroines and heroes are flawed; these narratives often show protagonists helping each other overcome not only external barriers to becoming romantically involved but also internal obstacles to personal growth to become better, happier people.

Just as contemporary romance novels rely on familiar narrative structures, they also feature classic tropes and archetypes, such as enemies-to-lovers relationships, marriage-of-convenience plotlines, and quaint settings. When in Rome uses many conventions typical of contemporary romance novels, including the opposites attract trope, in which two people who are nothing like one another must figure out how to navigate their lives so they fit together. Adams also utilizes the forced proximity trope, in which the romantic leads are confined to the same

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