u/SailorTexas

Gonna preface this by saying I use romance.io constantly and I really like the site.

I know there was a post (I think on this subreddit) a while ago requesting tags people want added to romance.io. And a recent newer tag since then (told you I use the site a lot) is "no third act breakup" and I'm curious if a lot of people want to know about that before reading a book.

I do get annoyed with third act breakups. Most of the time it feels forced and could have easily been avoided. But I won't avoid a book for that reason (no judgment for people who do) and I feel like it's a semi-spoiler? So tbh, when I'm adding tags after I finish a book, even if there's no third act breakup I still feel weird about selecting it so I don't. But I also won't downvote it to get rid of it if there's already one vote. I just leave it alone.

So I want to know what other people think about that tag. Do you want to know ahead of time if there's a third act breakup? Do you avoid books with a third act break up? Do you intentionally select books because they have a third act breakup?

And I get that some other tags could be considered semi-spoilery, but for whatever reason that's the one that stands out to me. Though, I did see a sibling's best friend tag on a book I read recently and I felt like it was semi-spoilery cause that was a reveal in the book. And I wished I hadn't seen it before I got to that part. But, that could be a discussion for another day lol

Edit: I'm glad to see so many people like it! I hadn't seen a previous post another user linked in their reply with people celebrating the addition of this tag. As I said, I use the site a lot and really like it, and was curious about what others thought :)

Since I've been back into reading these last couple years, I've primarily read romance books with at least a Black FMC. I'm not as picky about the love interest and I've read all sorts of scenarios that range in believability. But I have the hardest time with the stories where the other MC is a non-Black man who is looking for a woman to have his child. I struggle to ignore how racist people are in real life and how so many still oppose interracial relationships and mixed kids, especially within certain demographics.

In these books, the man is usually wealthy and he needs to have a kid so he can secure an heir. Sometimes there's familial pressure for him to settle down and have a family. And it's hard for me to suspend disbelief because of how anti-Black people are in real life. In the books I've come across that have this plot, the MMC is either Black or white. It's believable when the MMC is Black. But when he's white, I think about how I doubt the rich, white family would be accepting of a Black woman as this rich white guy's wife (most of the time they get married). And I doubt they'd be accepting of his mixed, Black child. Sometimes MCs have to deal with racism and sometimes it's nonexistent.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not looking for nor do I expect realism when I read fiction. And I can usually suspend disbelief while I'm reading. But that specific scenario is one where it is harder for me to do. Tbh, I don't read those books a lot for that reason but in the rare instances I do, I have to try really hard to not think about how racist people are in real life.

And I want to make it very clear that it's not because I don't think Black women are good enough or are less than. It's because in my [redacted] years around the sun, I know there are white people of various SES who want to maintain "racial purity", I know this has especially been the case with old money rich white families, despite the existence of the occasional Black spouse. I don't have this struggle anytime the MMC is a rich white man. It's specifically the ones where he has to have a kid.

So I'm curious if others have to make a concerted effort to ignore racism in real life so they can enjoy a book? It doesn't have to be with the scenario I described.

I know this is kind of specific, but I'm looking for an MM dark romance (preferably queer awakening but it doesn't have to be) where the romantic/sexual relationship starts off with a noncon (or dubcon) encounter between the MMCs and then develops from there (bonus if there's body betrayal or if the MMCs started as friends). I prefer if both MMCs are in their 20s or older (no poly). And of course, with lots of smut!

I already read {Sick Bargain by Nordika Night} and loved it!

I did look at the MM Romance Books subreddit and the most recent similar post is from a year ago (and I don't have enough karma to post there yet 😔)

Please, no incest.

Thanks!

As the title shows, I'm looking for books that feature erotic asphyxiation with a Black FMC or MM. I prefer books where both (or all for poly) MCs are 30+ but I don't mind the 20s. Definitely not below that for either MC.

Bonus if there's dick piercings 👀

I've been on a dark romance kick recently (I'm a mood reader), and something I've noticed in recent books I've been reading is that at some point there's a pivot in the dynamic between the MCs and I'm finding it a little annoying. Like I'll select a book looking for a toxic dynamic between the MCs and it's going great (for me), then there's this pivot in the dynamic where things start to get to a seemingly sweeter romance between them and I start losing interest. I've paused multiple books for this reason and maybe when I continue them I'll find out that they didn't actually make a pivot to a sweeter dynamic like I'm thinking they will. But for now, I just keep thinking about how I do not want that shift in their dynamic.

Since I'm a mood reader, there have been times when I have enjoyed seeing that shift. But right now that's not what I'm looking for ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But I'm wondering what others prefer. Do you want the dynamic in a dark romance book to stay dark (however you define that) the whole time or do you like when the dynamic shifts to something sweeter and less dark between the MCs?

I'm looking for lesbian romance books with a queer awakening that have at least a Black FMC (no white FMCs). I'd like for these to be with adults and lots of spice and not poly.

When I search for that on the romance website, I only got two results: {The Ethics of Desire by Tracy Cress} (I added that one to my tbr) and Scissor Sisters (though both are 18+ one is still in high school and I don't want that).

I did read {Four Letter Word by Ava Freeman} last year, and if I recall, that included a queer awakening?

Thanks!

Anyone using the romance.io website experience this? I have a lot of books in my tbr (like, a lot a lot). And every once in a while, I search for a book that I know I added to my tbr because I can't remember enough tags to find it in my tbr. And when I locate it, it's there's no tbr tag on it. This has happened enough for me to take notice. I know sometimes there are duplicates (and one is in my tbr and another isn't), but this has happened when there isn't a duplicate for a book. This happened most recently with {Priest by Bre Shadae}.

Has this happened to anyone else?

Anyone using the romance.io website experience this? I have a lot of books in my tbr (like, a lot a lot). And every once in a while, I search for a book that I know I added to my tbr because I can't remember enough tags to find it in my tbr. And when I locate it, it's there's no tbr tag on it. This has happened enough for me to take notice. I know sometimes there are duplicates (and one is in my tbr and another isn't), but this has happened when there isn't a duplicate for a book. This happened most recently with {Priest by Bre Shadae}.

Has this happened to anyone else?

I've been reading poly romances more and I realized I prefer MMF more than MFM. I still like MFM, but I like when every one is with each other as opposed to just the MMCs are all sharing the FMC. The book that helped me figure that out was {Right Side of Paradise by Shon}. And I made the mistake (lol) of reading a poly MFM after (I knew it was MFM) and feeling disappointed that even though all the MMCs were fine with them all being with the FMC, they weren't all together. I still enjoyed the book, {Diamonds and Straitjackets by MT Addams}, but I realized how much more satisfied I am when they are all together with each other.

This would be similar with other genders too, like FMF vs MFF, etc.

I'm curious what other people think. Do you have a preference? Like all of them in a relationship with one MC or all of them together with each other?

Of course this would be different if it's one MC dating bio relatives. In that case, I'm not interested in them all being together, but I know there are other readers who feel differently.

I'm looking for a fast or medium burn, high-heat, poly romance with a Black FMC (no white FMCs) with swords crossing. I prefer the FMC to be in her 30s though late 20s is fine. Of course, no young adult or anyone younger than 20.

Some books I've read or started are: Right side of paradise by Shon, Buried beneath sin by MT Addams, Nothing between us by Roni Loren, escorting the yakuza by Melverna McFarlane, Power of Lies by Auryn Hadley, and Road Trip by Addison Arrowdell.

Bonus if there's DVP or exhibitionism/voyeurism! Even bigger if any of the men have pierced dicks!!