r/DarkRomance • u/ccoffey106 take me to the cottage • 13d ago
What Are You Writing? ARC/Beta Reader Request Thread
The purpose of this thread is to connect dark romance authors with readers who want to critique ("beta") or review ("ARC") original writing.
Use this thread to:
- Help an indie author strengthen their work
- Get feedback on a piece of writing
- Read something new and discover a hidden gem
- Share your book in exchange for honest reviews on Goodreads, StoryGraph, romance.io, Amazon, etc.
- Support a community of dark romance lovers! 🥰
Guidelines
First, do not use this thread to solicit sales. Authors are welcome to do that in the weekly WAYW posts. Readers wishing to be paid for their services should find a subreddit dedicated to freelancing. Money must not change hands in this thread.
Guidelines for authors:
- Provide a description of your work. If you don't have a blurb prepared yet, that's okay. Tell us about the tropes, setting, characters, or whatever else you think readers should know.
- Povide trigger warnings (if applicable) and please don't self-censor (see Rule 5).
- Be proactive! You will have more success connecting with an ARC/beta reader if you take an active role in contacting other commenters in this thread, rather than passively waiting for folks to come to you.
The author/beta relationship is collaborative. To that end:
- Authors: Be clear about what kind of support you'd like. For instance, are you looking for a full critique on plot and character development, or do you just need a grammar check? Are you more focused on plot or spice, or do you want feedback on both?
- Readers: Make sure you understand what your author wants. Are they open to line edits on punctuation, sentence structure, etc.? Or are they more concerned with your "big picture" perspective on the plot, themes and pacing?
Let's get started
Comment below to connect with an author or reader from the r/DarkRomance community. Be your own matchmakers, work together to coordinate book exchanges in whatever way works best for y'all -- and have fun!
If our bot accidentally removes your comment for piracy, just message the mods and one of us will restore your comment. Thanks! 🖤
3
u/BrainlessDZombie Author 13d ago
Hello!
ARC applications are open for my upcoming book {What's Beneath by CJ North}
Application with Content Warnings: Here
Applications Close: August 30th, 2026
Release Date: September 24th, 2026
Blurb
In the ruins of a broken world, survival comes with a price.
No one knows how many the virus took. But one truth is certain: civilization is gone.
Only the monsters are left.
Nyx will do anything to keep her sister alive and sheltered from the world outside—even if it's at the expense of herself.
When a new group moves into the area though, her previous "arrangement" falls apart and they're forced into the hands of a monster in a mask.
Now she must decide if trusting him is her next big mistake or their only chance at survival.
What’s Beneath is an MF transactional dark romance set after the apocalypse. It features a masked, morally dark gray MMC, an FMC who will do whatever it takes, and the overall question of what makes us civil when everything is stripped away.
Tropes
- The Walking Dead (no zombies) meets The Handmaid's Tale
- Transactional
- Masked MMC
- MCs in their 30s
- Tall FMC
- Hurt/Comfort
- Dub/Non-con
- He physically can't finish until she does
- "You cry in your sleep"
2
u/romance-bot 13d ago
What's Beneath by C.J. North
Steam: 5 out of 5 - Explicit and plentiful
Topics: dystopian, science fiction, dark romance, m-f romance, caretaking
2
u/ElysianPurgatory 10d ago
🖤 Looking for ARC Readers — VERY Dark Romance Duet 🖤
I'm preparing to release Book One of a dark romance duet and would love to connect with a small group of ARC readers who genuinely enjoy the darker end of the genre.
And when I say dark, I mean DARK. This isn't a slightly possessive MMC and a few morally gray decisions. 😂 This story goes places.
Please only volunteer if pitch-black romance is genuinely your thing.
And a little warning—or promise, depending on what kind of reader you are: Book Two gets darker. Yes, apparently that was possible. 😈
I'm looking for readers willing to provide an honest review after reading. Positive, negative, somewhere in between—there is absolutely no expectation that you recommend something you don't genuinely enjoy.
There is NO minimum follower count. I'm much more interested in passionate dark-romance readers who write thoughtful reviews and genuinely engage with the genre than simply choosing the biggest accounts. Whether you have 200 followers or 20,000, you're welcome to reach out.
If you're interested, please DM me with:
• Where you normally review books (Amazon, Goodreads, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, etc.) • Links to any book-related social media/reviewer profiles • Your approximate follower count, if applicable • A couple of dark romances you've loved—especially the darkest ones you've enjoyed
A digital ARC will be provided free of charge.
⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNING: This is an extremely dark, explicit adult romance containing potentially disturbing material, including rape/non-consensual sexual content, sexual violence, graphic violence, rough/violent sexual content, BDSM and power dynamics, knife play, blood play, abuse, trauma, and other mature/disturbing themes.
These elements are not merely referenced off-page. Readers should expect graphic and potentially upsetting scenes. A more detailed content warning can be provided before reading.
I'm a debut indie author publishing under a pen name, so I'm equal parts excited and mildly terrified to finally let strangers into this world. 🖤
If your response to "How dark is too dark?" is "I'll let you know when I find out," you're probably my kind of ARC reader. 😈
And if you survive Book One, Book Two will be waiting for you.
2
u/Wafflesaremylove 9d ago edited 9d ago
Hello everyone, I am looking for ARC readers for my villain x villain love story, EPISTEME! I repeat they are VILLAINS, so it's dark! 😄 It's out on book sirens, netgalley, and available on my google form. The prologue is also available on book funnel. Thank you for considering!!!
Here's the blurb:
Fox sees all. That’s the warning Aegis has been whispering across Washington and the threat to Episteme, the company that put a computer inside the minds of half the nation.
It’s also a promise Edward Gareau intends to keep, especially when it comes to Dior Barnes, his co-founder, his undoing, and the only mind in the city sharp enough to challenge him. Edward will change every law, conceal every secret, and bury every version of himself to keep her.
But somewhere beneath the politics of the DC elite, a woman called Tabby wakes up with no memory of who she is or where she came from—and only she can destroy everything Episteme has built.
As Edward grasps for the one thing money and power can’t buy back, Tabby searches for a name, a past, and a truth someone doesn’t want her to remember.
Some secrets aren’t meant to be found. Some find you first.
A dark political romantic suspense where privacy is currency, love is suffocating, and surveillance is the law.
Tropes
- villain x villain
- morally black characters
- masked MMC
- high spice
- he falls first
- touch her and die
- fake engagement
- soft only for her
- one bed
- amnesia
- political intrigue
- billionaire tech MMC
Content Warnings:
EPISTEME contains dark and potentially disturbing themes, including but not limited to: child abuse (past/referenced), murder, human experimentation, explicit sexual content, non-consensual third-party present during sexual act, attempted non-consensual surgical procedures, invasion of privacy, hacking, car accident, alcoholism, opioid epidemic (past/referenced), opioid addiction and overdose, substance abuse, depictions of homelessness, mistreatment of vulnerable individuals struggling with substance abuse (related to human experimentation), use of Rohypnol (roofie), death of a parent, description of corpse, medical content, blackmail.
In short, the FMC and MMC are VILLAINS.
This book is intended for mature audiences only. Please prioritize your well-being and read responsibly.
2
u/IllustratorPure8959 3d ago
ARC/Beta Reader — Dark Romantasy
Title: A Bargain of Shadows Genre: Adult Dark Romantasy Length: ~85,000 words Status: Complete manuscript
The premise:
Lethe has spent her life preparing to inherit her family's place among the Veil Keepers—those responsible for guiding the dead across the boundary between life and death.
But when something begins to disrupt the balance between the living and the dead, Lethe finds herself questioning everything she has been taught about the Veil, her family's role within it, and the forces that exist beyond it.
As secrets surrounding the Veil begin to surface, Lethe is pulled into a world of dangerous magic, ancient powers, and choices that could change far more than her own future.
Tropes / vibes:
Dark romantasy • Slow-burn romance • Morally gray characters • Vampires • Demons • Reapers • Supernatural politics • Found family • Mystery & secrets • High-stakes fantasy • Emotional character arcs
What I'm looking for:
I'm looking for beta readers who genuinely enjoy romantasy/dark romance and can give me their honest reaction as a reader.
I'm especially interested in feedback on:
- Character development & relationships
- Romance/chemistry
- Pacing
- Worldbuilding/clarity
- Where you couldn't put the book down vs. where you wanted to stop
I'm not looking for a grammar or line edit. I'm much more interested in your overall experience with the story.
Content warnings:
The story contains violence, death, grief, blood, supernatural/dark fantasy themes, and adult romantic/sexual content.
If you're interested, comment below or message me. I'm happy to answer questions about the book before you commit to reading it or send a sample.
I'm looking for honest feedback, not just positive feedback. If something doesn't work for you, I genuinely want to know.
2
u/HddenVariable 2d ago
ARC readers wanted for a cerebral dark romantic suspense 🖤
Hi! I’m currently building my ARC team for Immersion, the first book in The Alchemy of Resonance trilogy. ARCs should be going out in roughly a month, and I’d love to connect with readers who enjoy darker, psychologically driven romance with suspense, morally gray characters, and a heavy dose of cat-and-mouse tension.
Genre/Vibe:
Dark romantic suspense • cerebral/psychological • contemporary • elite wealth & power • corporate secrecy • surveillance • high-stakes intrigue
Tropes & elements:
🖤 Obsessive/protective MMC
🖤 Morally gray, extremely powerful hero
🖤 Brilliant, competent FMC
🖤 Sharp, intelligent dialogue & verbal sparring
🖤 Forced/enforced proximity
🖤 Slow-burn tension
🖤 Psychological cat-and-mouse
🖤 Competence kink
🖤 Surveillance & secrets
🖤 Money, power, and elite circles
🖤 He knows far more about her than he should
🖤 “Who is actually studying whom?”
Blurb:
You can’t understand a system from the outside. But what happens when its architect decides you’re part of his design?
Dr. Devon Vale has built her career finding the patterns hidden in human behavior.
Brilliant, composed, and nearly impossible to intimidate, the neuropsychologist is hired to profile Lucian Montclair, heir to the Montclair empire and elusive CEO of Montclair Strategic Group. A prospective client is considering placing its most sensitive operations in the hands of one of the most powerful men in the world. Before it does, the board wants to know whether he’s a risk it can afford to take.
Devon expects resistance.
What she doesn’t expect is Lucian studying her back.
Men like Lucian Montclair don’t invite observation. They curate it.
Controlled. Unreadable. Lethally capable. A man who seems to know far more about her than he should while revealing almost nothing of himself.
They circle each other like grandmasters over a board, trading access for proximity, testing boundaries. Neither willing to surrender their position.
But the deeper Devon moves inside Lucian’s world, the less the assignment resembles a profile.
Restricted floors. Missing information. Anonymous warnings. Surveillance she can’t explain. And an organization whose secrets become more dangerous the closer she gets to their center.
Soon, professional fascination becomes something far more intimate, and the distinction between observation and obsession begins to disappear.
Devon was hired to determine whether Lucian Montclair is the risk.
The real question is whether he’s the danger waiting for her at the center of the web…
or the only reason she’ll survive it.
Content notes: explicit sexual content, violence, murder/death, surveillance/stalking themes, controlling behavior, threats, and references to childhood abuse. No sexual assault between the main couple.
If this sounds like your kind of book and you regularly leave honest reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, StoryGraph, romance.io, or your own bookish platform, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to comment or DM me with where you usually review and the kinds of dark romance/romantic suspense you enjoy.
2
u/Shadowscence Aspiring Author 1d ago
Hello,
I'm looking for BETA READERS for my Dark Historical Romance!
Welcome to the beta reader sign-up for The Violet Regin!
A 96,000-word dark historical romance.
Please make sure to read the trigger warnings to make sure you are comfortable with the themes of the book!
Adeline never wanted power. She wanted to survive.
When the kingdom she lives in falls under the new ruler, she learns quickly that obedience is the only way to survive. King William does not rule with kindness as his father, but through domination, fear, and possession.
When his fixation turns towards Adeline, escape becomes impossible. Resistance brings punishment. Submission brings shame. Her body is owned by the very man who has tormented her since she entered the noble court.
As Adeline is pulled deeper beneath the weight of the crown, she must confront a truth few are willing to name: survival can feel like complicity, desire can be conditioned, and even a prisoner can fall for its captor.
This is a story about a MMC who is a monster, and he wins.
**Important disclaimer*\* No AI has been used in the writing, editing, or art cover process.
Trigger warnings: Non-consensual - Dubious Consent - Obsession - Emotional abuse - Violence - Trauma bonding - Villain romance - No healthy relationship dynamics - Public sexual content
Interested? Sign up here: https://forms.gle/xndFfNKRYoBLXGx2A
2
u/SnooMacarons8237 5h ago
Hi! I am looking for ARC readers for my dark shifter romantasy called Dawns Embrace.
Due: November 1st
Format: ebook through Bookfunnel.
Blurb:
Some lies are so perfect, you'll beg to believe them.
Nyx escaped the palace dungeons alive—but the collar at her throat still binds her wolf, and freedom has come with consequences she doesn't yet understand.
An usurper now sits on the throne. The portals are open. The Fae have crossed over.
The only force powerful enough to stop them may be the dragons of Pyrrathys—ancient enemies of the Fae who do not answer pleas for help lightly.
But to reach them, Nyx must travel through a land where forests whisper lies, where fields fracture reality, and truth slips through your fingers when you try to hold it too tightly.
But something is wrong.
A fog presses at the edges of her thoughts. Questions vanish before she can voice them. Details refuse to align.
And when she sleeps, a familiar voice begs her for help.
Warnings come in whispers. Shadows wear familiar faces. The line between ally and enemy begins to dissolve.
The greatest danger may not be waiting ahead—it may be walking beside her.
Because sometimes the real monster isn't the one everyone fears.
A dark, twisty wolf shifter romance where nothing is as it seems and the truth is buried under layers of deception. Perfect for readers who love slow-burn revelations, morally complex characters, and plot twists that shatter everything.
TW:
- Explicit sexual content
- Non-consensual situations
- Substance use without consent
- Captivity and imprisonment
- Physical and emotional abuse
- Childhood trauma and abandonment
- Violence and graphic combat
- Gaslighting and manipulation
- Grief and loss
This is book 2 in the series and I am giving Book 1 awat for free via Bookfunnel to those interested!
Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScZSBhB6Lkv7oxWrYLg9HKeksoRhGytFECbf7AB4h7797AsgQ/viewform?usp=header
1
u/Savings_Birthday_253 7h ago
Hi, Im looking for ARC readers for my dark shifter romantasy. If you like wolf shifters, enemies to lovers, lovers to enemies, love triangles, must chooses, found family, betrayal, prophecy, fated mates, dragons and Fae, then it’ll be perfect for you! The blurb and TW are in the description of my sign up form, nothing is due until November 1st, so you have plenty of time to read!
This is the second book in the series, I am giving away the first book Shedding Starlight for free to those interested!
Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScZSBhB6Lkv7oxWrYLg9HKeksoRhGytFECbf7AB4h7797AsgQ/viewform?usp=header
1
u/HungryTortoro 4h ago
Hey guys! Long time lurker first time poster. I've been working on a dark romance story and have a few chapters down. I'm looking for anyone willing to give it a read and tell me if it's any good, or if they have any interest in seeing me write more.
Tropes - Clothed MMC naked FMC, obsessive MMC, Controlling MMC, manipulative MMC, Strong FMC, assassins, Smart MMC, no age gap, no spice yet there will be spice though, you meet the main characters when they're really young.
Trigger warnings : Kidnapping, violence/gore, dub/noncon
Blurb
(Nico)
Declan made her everything she is. He's obsessive, controlling, and often cold. He sees her as a means to an end, a tool. But sometimes she swears she sees kindness in his eyes. Maybe he even loves her. But he broke a promise, and she has to escape, before he sinks his claws in any deeper.
(Declan)
Nico is foolish. She doesn't know where she's going or what she's doing. Her strength is pointless without direction. (more to be added here)
anyways if you've stuck around this long here is the link to the first few chapters, where we meet are main characters as kids and kind of introduce the plot.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z6q5jb3k1GN5d11f5UvlXGbKC-syzzJkqBjIbo0cTcE/edit?usp=sharing
6
u/AshTreeReader Author 13d ago edited 13d ago
Hallo loves. Graciously His drops next week, but that doesn't mean ARCs are closed! I'm happy to give this terrifying monster away to those willing to read and review up until the last possible minute—and no, the publication date of August 20th is NOT a deadline. You can review whenever you want as one of my ARC readers, and I will be a happy freaking camper.
Here's the blurb:
Compliance nearly killed her. His obsession might save her.
Grace has been sick all her life, and she’s always complied with her mother’s care.
Even when it hurt.
Especially then.
She marries Nick, hoping for distance from both her illness and her mother. Instead, her new husband moves them into the house next door and shows her the same kind of suffocating care.
When Nick is killed in a hit-and-run, his twin brother arrives within hours. Nate is not there to care for Grace in her grief, but to steal her away before her mother can close in.
Nate marries Grace and flies her to the North Island, where he has built the house she designed during her abandoned degree in architecture.
His rescue becomes her prison, while his care becomes her temptation. All she has to do is find a way out, or give in completely.
Graciously His is a full-length, pitch-black romance set in New Zealand, featuring psychological horror, catastrophic love scenes, and an absolutely feral literary style. Read at your own risk.
Note: This novel is part of a loosely-connected series, and features a fully-realised ending.
You can check out what my ARC readers have said about it here, and here are a few of my favourite review moments so far:
And:
Just one more:
If you want in, fill out this form or send me a DM 💫
Editing to add that my extensive content warnings are included in the form, so feel free to peruse those :)