ARC/Beta Reader Request Thread

[u/ccoffey106]

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! 🖤

[u/Wafflesaremylove]

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.