u/gimmeallthegluten

This is another rant about how much I hate first person dual pov and the way that it is typically used nowadays. I just tried to read {Waking Olivia by Elizabeth O’Roark} because it is widely praised by this sub as being a slow, angsty burn. I couldn’t disagree more.

I’m starting to get really confused about what people on this sub consider a slow burn. When you have the MMC’s pov, and from the first chapter his thoughts are revolving around how hot she is, how obsessed he’s becoming with her, how much he can’t stop thinking about her. The build up is killed, he’s already all in and the only obstacle at this point is just waiting for them to have sex. Am I the only one who finds this boring? I’m starting to think it’s just me 😩

To me, a slow burn is when you get to watch them organically and slowly catch feelings for each other and there’s that disconnect as a reader of rooting for them because you can see it’s happening through their actions, but their dumb selves haven’t admitted it yet. And that payoff when they finally do! In dual pov books, the feelings always come too early before the actions have earned it and I lose interest so fast. Waking Olivia was a huge example of this to me. Blah

Firstly, I have seen other posts about this but I’m looking for fresh answers.

I want a forbidden romance story. Think of it like this: it seems like the obstacles are stacked against them, and there’s no way they could possibly figure it out, but somehow they do. It has to be a very slow burn to get there.

This could be: class differences, professional/ethical obstacles due to position of power, tabboo family relationships (step siblings etc). Please no age gap - I’ve read too many of these.

My favourites that I’ve read:

{Priest by Sierra Simone}

{the maddest obsession by Danielle Lori}

{Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore}

{For the Fans by Nyla K}

I just thought of this and wondering if anyone has read anything like it. I’m interested in a book that goes something like this:

-MMC is either a fuckboy, player or just generally has a lot of casual sex

-gets involved with the FMC somehow expecting it to be more of the casual same (this could be fake dating, friends with benefits, casual arrangement, I don’t care about the trope)

-at some point a connection develops and he experiences sex with her in a new way and it scares him (he finds himself in a vulnerable position, literally and figuratively).

Think of it this way, he’s been fucked plenty of times but never been made love to.

The only author I’ve seen execute anything like this is Cara McKenna in both After Hours and Willing Victim.

Anyone have anything else to recommend?

I need a new series. It can be any genre (contemporary, historical, cozy mystery, fantasy).

These are the musts:

-3-4 books long

-I prefer single pov, but third person is ok. NO first person dual pov 🙅🏻‍♀️

-there has to be a slow burn romance arc and they don’t get together until the end of the series.

-I prefer enemies (or at least dislike/distrust) with a slow progression to reluctant partnership and finally to lovers

These are some of my favourites:

-the Safecracker series by Ashley Weaver

-Beatrice Hyde-Clare series by Lynn Messina

-the Folk of the Air trilogy

-Hidden Legacies and Kate Daniel’s series by Ilona Andrews. Clean sweep was decent but not my fave

-Winternight trilogy by Katherine Arden

-Mirror Visitor series

-Winner’s Trilogy by Marie Rutkowski

Please do not suggest any tik tok romantasy favourites like SJM, fourth wing etc. Not a fan.

Thanks!