I *really* disliked the 'love interest' in the first two InCrytid books, and still feel that he was/is a colourless cardboard cut-out of a character.

Fortunately, I liked everything else about the world and cast, and so far each of the Price siblings has gotten two books as the point-of-view character.

Haven't had the chance to read books 5&6 yet, but very much looking forward to them, and I adored book 4, even with it being a 'NorAm expert travels to Australia' plot. Seanan actually pulled that one off pretty well, I felt.

Which makes once that this trope hasn't sucked.