u/Sakura_231

What DR books don´t have a perfect happy ending? A ending, that somehow sticks to you and makes you think about the book after the reading. Something matching the tone of the book, so that the dark atmosphere don´t suddently change into sweet and romantic.

It could be a HEA, but more a bittersweet one. Or a ending where you feel the FMC is forced to stay with him or manipulated by him.

Tropes I like: non con, dub con, age gap, manipulation, obsession

I have no trigger.

I also take recs for books without HEA. But I would prefer a psychological tone over gore (so NO to doing permanent damage to the FMCs body like in erotic horror, but yes to her being broken mentally).

Books or AO3

I already read:

• A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin
• Book of the Ancestor by Mark Lawrence
• Discworld by Terry Pratchett
• Draconis Memoria by Anthony Ryan
• Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
• Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
• Gentleman Bastard by Scott Lynch
• Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
• Night Angel by Brent Weeks
• Osten Ard Saga by Tad Williams
• Raven´s Shadow by Anthony Ryan
• Shadowmarch by Tad Williams
• The Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett
• The First Law by Joe Abercrombie
• The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss
• The Powder Mage Trilogy by Brian McClellan
• The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb
• The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan
• The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski

I also liked:

• Babel by R.F. Kuang
• Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
• The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
• The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
• The Shades of Magic by V.E. Schwab
• Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab

Currently reading:

• Lightbringer by Brent Weeks
• The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
• The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

I couldn´t get into:

• American Gods by Neil Gaiman
• Bobby Dollar by Tad Williams
• Dune by Frank Herbert
• The Band by Nicholas Eames
• The Lord of the Rings by R.R. Tolkien
• The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks

What should I read from the list below? I was thinking about:

• Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence
• Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
• The Black Company by Glen Cook
• The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson
• The Elric Saga by Michael Moorcock
• The Dark Tower by Stephen King
• The Bloodsworn Saga by John Gwynne
• The Broken Earth by N.K. Jemisin
• The Prince of Nothing by R. Scott Baker
• The Riftward Cycle by Raymond E. Feist
• The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind
• The Will of the Many by James Islington
• The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

I would also gladly take other book recommendations.

What do you think of the series Married to Magic?

Which book do you like the most, which you liked the least? How would you rank the MMCs?

Which books are more romantic, have the most spice and tension? Which has the best story?

{A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova}

{A Dance with the Fae Prince by Elise Kova}

{A Duel with the Vampire Lord by Elise Kova}

{A Duet with the Siren Duke by Elise Kova}

{A Dawn with the Wolf King by Elise Kova}

I want to start with the Siren Duke, because I love underwater themes, but I want your opinions of the other stories.

What do you think of the series Married to Magic?

Which book do you like the most, which you liked the least? How would you rank the MMCs?

Which books are more romantic, have the most spice and tension? Which has the best story?

{A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova}

{A Dance with the Fae Prince by Elise Kova}

{A Duel with the Vampire Lord by Elise Kova}

{A Duet with the Siren Duke by Elise Kova}

{A Dawn with the Wolf King by Elise Kova}

I want to start with the Siren Duke, because I love underwater themes, but I want your opinions of the other stories.

Dark romance books with forced marriaged and non con on the wedding night.

It has to be clearly non con, no dub con.

The FMC have to be forced to marry the MMC. She doesn´t think during the wedding how handsome he is (that detail makes it more dub con, because a part of her wants him).

There can be an age gap, but I´ll also take recs without it.

I have no trigger.

Contemporary or historical (or fantasy)

Books or AO3

I want recs for very dark romances, but without touching the erotic horror genre.

No to:

• serial killers
• extreme violence and torture (neither to the FMC nor to other people)
• blood play, cutting, permanent injuries
• thriller, horror elements
• murder (no touch her and die vibes, no murder for revenge or out of anger)

Yes to (not all points have to be in the story):

• non con from MMC
• third party SA or non con
• abuse of authority, age gap
• manipulation
• abuse and violence (on a low level, not turning into torture)
• humiliation

MMC should be realistic, reasonable, even if he is cruel. No psychopath without emotions or sadist who loves to torture people. He should be morally gray or even pitch black, but still human.

It should have a dark atmosphere, but no blood. It should rather be an everyday life setting.

Which books felt very, very dark for you, but didn´t have extreme violence?

Contemporary or historical

Books or AO3

I want the romance to be just a subplot, not the central part of the story. The romance should be important, but not the most important part.

What I look for:

• interesting story
• complex characters (also side characters)
• great worldbuilding
• dark atmosphere

I don´t mind spice, but it should feel natural (not just one steamy scene following another). It´s hard to find a story focused book with spice, so my favorites are rather without it. But I would also take recs for 4-5 level spice books, if the story is good.

I would also like to avoid too many tropes (like one bed, touch her and die).

Books I loved:

{A Winter´s Promise by Christelle Dabos}

{A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown}

{An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir}

{Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas}

{Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland}

{Graceling by Kristin Cashore}

{Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym E. Martineau}

{Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare}

{Nevernight by Jay Kristoff}

{Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin}

{Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo}

{Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim}

{Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor}

{The Atlas Six by Olivia Blake}

{The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon}

{The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty}

{The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor}

{The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab}

{The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri}

{The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson}

{The Winner´s Curse by Marie Rutkoski}

{Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas}

{To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo}

Which male leads from not so popular books are your favorites?

In posts about book boyfriends there are often from the same popular books:

• ACOTAR
• Crescent City
• Emily Wilde
• Flesh and Fire
• Fourth Wing
• Onyx Storm
• Paladin's Grace
• Plated Prisoner
• Quicksilver
• The Crowns of Nyaxia
• The Bridge Kingdom
• The War of Lost Hearts
• Throne of Glass

So this time I want the best MMCs from lesser-known books (not on the list above).

New - means published in the last 20 years.

Are there newer historical romances, which feel like bodice rippers from the 80s? I heard the term neo bodice ripper, but I fear they don´t have the same atmosphere as the old ones.

No modern language, it has to feel authentic. I don´t mind, if they are more graphic, they have just to be written well. I would like to have a story and character development, not just spicy scenes in a historical setting.

Trigger: non con, dub con, forced seduction

Additional tags (not all have to be included): age gap, abuse, misogyny, alpha hero, forced/arranged marriage, kidnapping, third party SA

Which books could you recommend? And which of this modern books sounded interesting, but were dissapointing?

New - means published in the last 20 years.

Are there newer historical romances, which feel like bodice rippers from the 80s?

No modern language, especially modern dirty talk. It has to feel authentic.

Tags: non con, forced seduction

Additional tags: age gap, abuse, misogyny, alpha hero, forced/arranged marriage, kidnapping, third party SA/non con

Not all additional tags have to be in the story.

I have no trigger.

Books or AO3

Dark Romance books where the FMC is raped not only by the MMC, but also by other men.

It doesn´t have to be a gang rape. Actually I would prefer, if it was in different parts of the story (but many man in one scene is also fine).

It just have to be on page, not just mention of past abuse. I would also take recs for third party sexual assault instead of non con, if it´s not just a short mention, but a really unpleasant experience for the FMC.

I have no trigger. But I would like to avoid extreme gore, mass murderer stories. I would prefer a realistic, everyday life setting instead (contemporary or historical). Or mayby a dark dystopian or fantasy world.

I read {Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton}, but I didn´t like the>!blood play!<(and many other things). I´m not against the human trafficking theme, but it just have to be made different (more like in Captive in the Dark than in Hunting Adeline).

Other tropes that can be included (but not a must): age gap, abuse, sharing, humiliation, kidnapping

I´m not a big fan of reverse harem, where the other men would be just other MMCs. RH is not a hard no, but it has a different impact, if the other men are seen as potential MMCs or not.

Books or AO3.

Which trope do you like the most? And which trope do you want to avoid?

I´m curious what loved trope vs. disliked trope we will get.

For me it´s:

enemies to lovers (loved trope) vs. touch her and die (disliked trope)

Of course it depends on how well the trope is made, but somehow enemies to lovers just works for me almost every time. On the contrary the touch her and die trope just irritates me.

I know the most famous ones, but I would want recommendations for lesser known bodice rippers written in the 70s.

Trigger warnings: non con, dub con, abuse, misogyny

Here are the most known books from the 70s:

{The Flame and the Flower by Kathlees E. Woodiwiss} (1972)

{Wolf and the Dove by Kathlees E. Woodiwiss} (1974)

{Shanna by Kathlees E. Woodiwiss} (1977)

{Ashes in the Wind by Kathlees E. Woodiwiss} (1979)

{Sweet Savage Love by Rosemary Rogers} (1974)

{Dark Fires by Rosemary Rogers} (1975)

{Wicked Loving Lies by Rosemary Rogers} (1976)

{Captive Bride by Johanna Lindsey} (1977)

{A Pirate's Love by Johanna Lindsey} (1978)

FMC is crying after the non con scene. Either the quiet version where she cries herself to sleep, sobbing into her pillow. Or a loader version where she panicks.

Tears out of anger, pain or the feeling of helplessness.

Simply, I want tears after (or during) the non con.

I have no triggers.

Books or AO3

The FMC could be a real princess, a noble or just from a rich family (like a mafia princess). She was spoiled, got what she wanted. Everyone was granting her wishes, she never heard a no.

Then she meets the MMC and is shocked. He don´t treat her like a princess at all. He could be abusive or controlling. Punishes her for talking back, don´t wait for consent, humiliating her, locking her up, forcing her.

I want her to realise how her life changed. Her expectations were very different from reality.

Yes to (not all tags have to be there): non con, humiliation, abuse, age gap, forced/arranged marriage, possessive, controlling MMC

It can be really dark. I have no trigger.

Contemporary, historical or fantasy.

Books or AO3.

I don´t talk about the ebooks, but the rewritten paperback editions.

I know the differences between Chandra and Warrior´s Song (thanks to the great Chandra review here in this sub). What about her other books?

For example the Regency books.

The old books had different titles:

• The Autumn Countess
• The Rebel Bride
• Lord Deverill's Heir
• The Generous Earl
• Lord Harry's Folly

The titles of the newer versions are:

• The Countess
• The Rebel Bride
• The Heir
• The Duke
• Lord Harry

What are the major differences of the two versions? Did she cut out some dub con or abuse scenes or did she change some plot points?

Did she rewrite some other books? I´m only interested in changes in the paperback editions.

I want to read a few mafia dark romances.

The mafia theme should feel realistic. No torture for fun, more a cold, hard bussiness.

The MMC should be competent, rather calm and reasonable. He can become obsessed with the FMC, but no touch her and die vibes - he has to be strategic, not violent for no reason.

The relationship with the FMC has to be dark. At least at the start she should fear him.

It has to include: non con, power imbalance

Additional tags (not a must): forced marriage, age gap, abuse

Books or AO3

I have no trigger.

I search for a dark romance named Ribbons by OpusLotus on AO3. It was deleted.

Here some more infos: https://www.reddit.com/r/DarkRomance/comments/1sg28eg/ribbons_by_opuslotus_on_ao3_is_so_good/

MMC slaps FMC not as a kink or during sex, but as a punishment.

She said or did something the MMC wants to punish her for and slaps her in the face.

He can say something like: "Don´t you dare speak to me this way." or "I will teach you to behave."

He can be calm or angry. I would prefer him to be calm, but he can also do it in the heat of the moment.

I have no trigger.

I like (but it´s not a must): age gap, non con, power imbalance, abuse

I would prefer contemporary or historical (but would also take recs for fantasy, sci fi).

Books or AO3.

I read:

{Dark Lover by J.R. Ward}

{Darkling by Yasmine Galenorn}

{Evermore by Alyson Noel}

{Marked by P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast}

{The Awakening by L.J. Smith}

{Twilight by Stephenie Meyer}

{Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead}

Also: Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

I think, I liked Vampire Academy the most, but I also liked the characters in Marked. What other books with vampires published in the 90s or 2000s should I read? Maybe some less known books?

I don´t mind them to be dark, but I would prefer a good story or interesting characters over smut.