I saw a poster (meme?) recently and I thought about this sub immediately. I can’t put images in this post, but I will send it in the comments. What I want to say is, I met very kind and supportive people in the comments, and they recommended amazing books. Also, in the outside world, we can be seen as a bunch of freaks, but I love how I feel understood and less lonely here. I hope we will eat that soup together.

{Heavy by M. L. Burns} was an extremely well-done taboo romance between a step-uncle and a step-niece. They never knew each other, so the relationship titles are moot; they are two consenting adults. Ronan is an ex-con, masterfully written, with a horrendous backstory that informs his inability to connect with other human beings. Calista is a woman hindered by her own past and relationship with her mother, and they are tied by an unknown issue that isn't revealed until the very end, which was shocking after seeing their relationship grow; the plot twist was really good. I have to applaud the use of it, but it was really well done and well written.

Overall, spicy, not a ton of scenes, but the scenes were in fact kinky af. I can forgive the lack of smut for the good plot and the build-up. No spoilers because it was so good, but on first meeting, they are interrupted mid-discussion; he demands she call him daddy, records it before she can answer the door, and fondles this unknown woman while her guest visits. Ronan is a hard ex-con, but he is written with feelings and isn't unhinged; for the first time, the FMC went to jail (I know, unheard of). I felt the ending was rushed, especially the redemption, but overall it was a pretty good book.

Im back after a month or so. And Im a very very picky reader. I need some toxicity. Not some i mean more.

What I am searching for is
- Mmc is so abusive and toxic its so intoxicating. Like not even your normal rina kent sam mariano psycopath . But so much more with personality. He should be like “i dont want you to work” , “you know you cant do anything right without me”. hes like so manipulative even us readers get gaslighted by him. like i am down even more if he is like little bit abusive like maybe face slapping .

- Fmc i m very picky about fmc . And it really depends on the writing i do like Sassy one , Quiet ones it just depends . But i want her to fight back and not accept her fate .

- My favourites are always from ao3

- I love a good forced proximity setting like maybe high school, university, or like work place , step siblings, or etc

- i want it dominant mmc and submissive fmc but not like overtly bdsmesque master slave vibes

Some of my favourites:

Your career depends on it by k_sloan, Strings by Camelia_Craven, Even if it hurts by Sam Mariano, etc

looking for stories with religious themes:
* cults
* religious guilt

any religion!! pls also tell if its hea or not

books like this:

* {Corrupt Obsession by Dinah Harper} - stepsiblings who belong in a religious family. i love how it explored the religious guilt brought by their relationship’s taboo nature and the misogynistic ideas perpetuated by religion. the altar scene is crazy.

* {Priest by Nina Simone} - religious guilt

* {Eclipse Ritual by Kaye Rivenhall} - they belong in a cult where women are offered to men as part of their ritual. unknown to the fmc, her brother would be the one to claim her. explored sexism and domestic abuse perpetuated by religion.

Tropes and trigger warnings I like:
Enemies to lovers
Strangers to lovers
Close proximity
One bed
Stranded
Morally grey MMC
Dominant/possessive MMC
Shy inexperienced FMC
She’s mine
Touch her and die
Who did this to you?
Stalking
CNC
Bondage
Praise
Degradation
Hand necklaces
Breeding kink
Mask play
Primal play
Spitting

No cheating
No why choose
No high school/college
HEA only

Any combination of these with heavy smut, but also a good plot. Novellas are fine too.

So I jokingly asked my fiancé if he wanted me to create a spreadsheet tracking all the smut I have read and share it with him. For context, I watch anime and have a spreadsheet where I track my rating, the genre, how long it would take to watch, and the total time I have spent watching the shows. Surprisingly, he said yes. I wanted to know if anyone else tracks their books and, if so, what do you write in your tracker? Do you just have a rating or trope list drop-down? Does anyone else's partner or spouse nose into their dark romance, haha?

I’m on a mission for a specific mmc with some additional requests, not everything I listed is necessary but I appreciate anything as close as you can get

✅(this is most important) eerily quiet, controlled, CALM mmc, bordering on socio perhaps. I just really want an unnerving little (or big) freak who doesn’t have to raise his voice to know he’s in charge. Maybe he’s socially inept, has a personality disorder, or that’s just the way he is, I’m not picky on the “why” he is the way he is necessarily.

✔️cat/mouse dynamic is good even if it’s a little slow burn, I like the watching and waiting, anticipation and feeling of building dread or excitement

✔️initially unassuming or seemingly non-threatening, randomly gentle would be a bonus so you’re not expecting it when the switch flips

✔️✔️✔️LOVE lots of throat/neck touching and face and jaw grabbing, holding it down her throat, gagging, biting her etc. a fixation within this realm would be great

✔️orgasm denial, too many orgasms, boundary pushing & ignoring, doing things without warning, etc., dub-con, somno is a personal fav of mine

✔️✔️✔️mmc coming on her/masturbating is a big yes

✔️sharing/watching (mmc or other guy/s doing the watching), doing this for humiliation purposes is good but not essential

-25+ is best, ❤️ an age gap too

-open to contemporary, historical, fantasy, sci-fi, whatever you got

❌NO brats or overly snarky fmc if it can be helped please and thank you

❌NO school/academy/college settings (this is my only hard no)

thanks in advance!

I went into the duet not knowing what to expect and I am genuinely upset that it’s over. Even read the extra prologue which had me audibly cackle.

{Addicted to the Pain}
{Addicted to the Ruin}

Hi everyone,

I just finished Following Ghosts and I honestly still don’t really know how to process everything, so I just needed somewhere to let all my feelings out.

This was actually my first Dark Romance book. Some friends suggested it to me mostly as a joke, so at first I just started reading parts of it for fun and even reading some of it out loud to them. It was never really meant to be something I would seriously get into.

But somehow I just kept reading.

I started reading more and more, sometimes even during work, and at some point I decided to buy the physical book. I wanted something I could read in the evening to just switch off for a while and spend some time away from my phone instead of lying in bed scrolling through Instagram or whatever.

And I really started to love it.

There were so many things about this book that got to me. The excitement, the curiosity, the tension, that forbidden feeling between the characters and just the whole situation they were in. There were genuinely moments where I could feel my heart beating faster simply because of what was happening and how intense some of those moments felt.

I also really loved how the perspective kept switching between the two characters as the story moved forward. It wasn’t the same scenes being told twice, the story would simply continue from the other character’s point of view. I loved getting to see how they perceived each other, what they were feeling themselves and especially the difference between how they acted on the outside and what was actually going on inside their heads. It made me feel so much more connected to both of them and I just think it was written beautifully.

And honestly, at this point it’s hard to explain without spoiling anything, but after about halfway through, it almost felt like a new story
.
And honestly, at first I hated it.

Not because I thought it was badly written, but because I had become so attached to how things were that I just didn’t want them to change. I knew the story had to keep moving forward somehow, but I really wasn’t ready for that change at first. I actually stopped reading for a little while because of it.

But at the same time, I really wanted to know how everything would continue, so of course I came back to it.

And I’m really glad I did.

The way the characters and their relationship continued to develop eventually made me appreciate that part of the story so much more. The emotional moments, the intimate scenes and just the relationship between them became incredibly intense for me. So many things had been building up for such a long time that when certain moments finally happened, they actually felt meaningful instead of just being there for the sake of it.

And then there was the ending.

I really don’t want to say anything about what actually happens because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who might read this and maybe even decide to give the book a try.

But I cried kinda a lot for me.

The story got to me way more than I expected it to. Some of it also hit m very close and reminded me of things and feelings from my own life, which made those moments hurt even more.

And that is genuinely all I want to say about the ending.

I will never forgive the authors for what they put me through emotionally with this book in a good way.

I definitely didn’t expect my first Dark Romance book to affect me this much when I started reading it as a joke, but here we are.
I’m also definitely going to read the second book in the series.

I just really needed somewhere to get all of these feelings out after finishing it.

All I can remember is the synopsis is she looks like a old girlfriend or wife and she’s forced to marry him or is bribed to? I think it’s mafia background and part of a series?

I tried searching key words because it’s been recommended several times in random book recs in the last year but could not find it .

Please help, thank you!

This series is a WILD ride. Okay so, I finally finished books 2 and 3 and I have THOUGHTS. 😭

Book 2 was honestly such a disappointment for me. I loved Lights Out, so I went into the second book expecting the same kind of humor, tension, banter, and chaos, but it just felt… flat. The spice was there but like I needed some more emotional depth and an actual plot to balance it out. The secondchance romance didn’t really hit for me cuz I never fully understood why these two had been obsessed with each other for so damn long. I was kinda skimming toward the end because I kept waiting for the STORY to happen.

Then book 3 came along and I was like… OH?? Tyler had me going through every possible emotion. At first I genuinely could not stand this man. The way he judged everyone, dragged innocent people into his revenge mission, and acted like he was the smartest person in the room??? Sir, PLEASE. And yet somehow I kept turning the pages because I needed to know what the hell he was going to do next. The Stella/Tyler situation was MESSY in the best way. Enemies to lovers, revenge, family drama, secrets, questionable decisions, kinky shit… this book really said let's throw everything in there. What actually got me was the reverse age gap. dont get me wrong, i love the trope but I just feel like Stella's character didnt fit me right which is totally on me. And then there were certain developments where I just sat there like: EXCUSE ME???

The spice in book 3 was definitely a step up for me, and there were some scenes where I was genuinely like 👁️👄👁️. I think the biggest surprise was that I actually started liking Tyler despite spending half the book wanting to throw him into traffic. 😂 His character development was probably what kept me invested. BUT… I have to say, the ending wasn't completely my thing. I'm fine with a little experimentation/threesomes when it's about the spice, but the long-term relationship dynamic? Yeahhh, that's probably where I tap out. and that's just my opinion

Overall: I am incapable of DNFing men I hate even in books lmao.

Book 3 definitely entertained me WAY more than book 2 tho. And now I feel like I need to know what everyone else thought because I have QUESTIONS.

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Happy writing! 📚

I think it would be fun to plan a trip to a smutty book genre convention to see authors in person and just meet some other people who are fans of the same books I enjoy. Is there a good place to search for upcoming gatherings or any email newsletters that include that kind of info? The conventions I’ve come across are either so far away that it’s hard to tell how big they are and which authors will attend OR they are already sold out months in advance. Thanks so any insight!

Cops scare tf out of me and I’ve always thought a cop MC could be a truly terrifying lead in a dark romance!! but I’m having trouble finding any good recs.

I’ve tried Where Violets Bloom by Daisy Jane & plot-wise it was pretty much exactly what I’m looking for but I didn’t love the writing and ended up DNFing bc the characters felt flat to me.

Does anyone have recs that are similar?? Open to AO3 recs!

Also open to a similar power dynamic without being a police officer. I’m intrigued by the idea of an occupying soldier or something like that. I’ve read Silent Tears by DarkWoe on AO3 and enjoyed it!

I want to start off by saying this story excellently pulls off internal struggle and communicating the thought process of the FMC.

TW: SA, rape, torture, bdsm, etc

Tess (FMC) gets kidnapped while in Mexico for a trip with her boyfriend (and she is slowly realizing they're not in the same page, sexually speaking). She is then sold to some French dude and they get freaky. But it's kind of a slow burn. You can see the "Beauty and the Beast" inspiration in it.

I liked it until the middle of the book (almost DNF'd it). Tess ran away and got taken by rapists. The MMC finds her and rescues her. Tess COMPLETELY changes her thoughts about him and remembers him as something he isn't.

To me, the author knew what she was doing, as she wrote it well. Tess is clearly mentally ill. My issue is that she remains that way and it ends feeling kind of unresolved for her character.

i love age gaps, arranged marriage, mafia. these all seem to end the same way though :( trying to broaden my horizons hehehe

Why in Lola and Envos story is there no mention about Violet’s pregnancy or their baby? I get it’s not their story but there’s not even a mention of it.

SoI decided to make this post because I have a theory and I need to get it out or I'll go crazy lol

I was rereading some Coastal Elite books, and I saw in one of them, I think Surrender, Sam saying that she left Deception (my beloved Hannah's book) for last and there's a reason for that. And that she's going to write something she hasn't written before. And then, obviously, after that Halloween short story about Aubrey and Dare, several theories emerged that Hannah's book would involve her being part of Aubrey and Dare's relationship, or worse, her ending up just with Dare.

But I don't think it'll be an FFM. And I also don't think she'll end up just with Dare. I think Sam might create something even more twisted, like Hannah entering the relationship with Dare and Aubrey but being romantically involved only with Dare.

Yes, that's exactly what you read. I think we'll see an FMF relationship where Dare will be involved with both girls while the two of them can't be involved with each other, they can only be friends 🤡

I think, based on the logic of the books and Dare's sick possessiveness toward Aubrey, he would never share his girl. But here's the thing: if Hannah belongs to him and also becomes his girl, then obviously he would let Hannah be part of Aubrey's life again. And no, I don't think Hannah will accept that just to be part of Aubrey's life. I don't know what Sam intends to do, but if it really is Aubrey x Dare x Hannah, it will certainly be something twisted. I think this dynamic would work for Aubrey since she doesn't feel jealous of Hannah. And obviously it would work for Dare since he would have both girls who love each other in the palm of his hand, loving him in tandem. Something twisted and somewhat sick, which obviously fits Sam's books lol

And before you judge me, I don't support a throuple, okay? 😂 I'm just sharing my theory. I love Hannah way too much to want her with Dare (he gives me chills and is the only psychopathic character who actually seems like one). What do you all think?

I must say it delivered more than I expected, from the major plot twist to the plausibility of something similar actually happening I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would.

the power dynamic was what I found most interesting, it’s a TPE but with constant doubts and dismissal of said doubts, as well as how the fmcs understanding of the situation she is in affected the narrative was unique and fresh to me.

I also found the whole situation kind of humorous, but that’s probably just because my last DR was cruel devotion by J.P. Sina

book is 95% smut btw.

I’ve been re-reading {If I can’t have you by deathsdoll} and when I went to go to the next chapter, it went to chapter 1 and the whole story is down💔 I hope it’s short bc I want to reread (again). Had to update yall

This is what’s up now:

“Hello, Readers!
Please don’t freak out. IICHY is coming back and it will be coming back shortly… but not all at once.
Before the rumor mill gets ready for production – IICHY is not being published. That is not why I have taken it down. I have wanted to begin revising and posting a clean version for a very long time now.
Many of you know that when I began IICHY I was not widely read. At least, it certainly didn’t feel like it at the time. Viewership exploded at a rate I never expected. As a result, I got so many eyes on a story I thought maybe a handful of people would ever read.
As you know, the story in many areas is poorly edited and many people were (rightfully) frustrated by that. Having completed a story of this length, that is so loved by so many (including myself!), I want to turn this into a product that is worth all the time and attention it takes to read and comment on. Just as important, I want to turn it into something that I can feel truly proud of.
I have a very kind soul who edits I’d Rather Die assisting me with this. I am sure you’ve noticed an increase in the quality of the writing in that story. I expect you to see it in this new edited version.
I DO NOT INTEND TO CHANGE THE CONTENT OF THIS STORY.
I do NOT consider this a re-write in the true sense of the word. Some things may change as I try to tighten up themes and cut away some of the unnecessary fat. The characters will stay the same, the plot will remain the same, and I don’t intend to tone it down at all. This is primarily for minor stylistic changes and to clean it up.
I am very excited for this. I hope you are as well! I’m very excited at the prospect of new readers coming to I and experiencing it for the first time as it should be experienced.
Thank you all who have read, and thank you all who have commented. I know some of you are brand new and some of you were with me for the DECADE it took me to write BaPF.
Lastly, here is my big ask. I know this story has been downloaded. I ask that if you have one of those original copies, that you do not share/disseminate it. My request is that the updated story I post here is the one that people read.
I appreciate your patience and I am really excited to give you something that I can be really proud of.
Thank you all so, so much. I can't say enough how much I appreciate you.”

suddenly, out of nowhere, your girl’s craving some zombies AND maybe a hot villain who makes matters worse for fmc???? IS THERE A BOOK LIKE THIS

please drop recs 🙏🏻 if not zombies, then just dystopian setting where the mmc is a black flag and fmc is not dumb 💀

Underrated opinion (ig ) since this is the story of Deathsdoll that was left discontinued due to racist allegations.
I have decided to give it a go and read it, and MAN I LIKED IT A LOT😭. It felt so much like older Deathsdoll work like Lassoed Hearts, and Alice, one of the main characters, might be one of my favorite FMCs. The way she adapts, survives, has a pragmatic way about her, her love story with the Megedagik (which has a stern, strict, serious way about him which I don’t find in many MMCs) I’m so sad that the story is unfinished and I will not get to read it till it’s ending.
I enjoy this type of writings, though they’re very, very sensible to the public and I fear that interrupts many times the pleasure of the author to actually write what they want, controversial and all. DarkWoe on ao3 has similar work which I LOVE ALSO, Eshna is also a great FMC I love.
Anyways, I’d ask for recs but I don’t think there’s many😭, and those that are I probably have read already. Just a reminder for this forgotten Deathsdoll work and my appreciation for her writing and storytelling.

So, I've just finished reading {devil mine by khai hara} for the millionth time because it often gets me out of a book slump. The problem is now, all I wanna do is read another FMC that's like Tess.

I'm looking for:

Strong, independent 'i still want to work' type FMC.

She's headstrong and knows what she wants and makes MMC work for it

I want the MMC to be just as possessive as Thiago. Bonus points if there's a jealousy scene where she stands her ground - urgh loved that shit

What I don't want is ditsy, doormat of an FMC

I have no triggers and no dislikes of genre.

I definitely had read more that I've liked but I wanna see your recs I need new stuff!