u/whateverhufflepuff

My favourite trope in the world is a down- bad obsessed man, but I feel like I keep seeing the same books recommended so I’m curious to hear your guys’ underrated/ less- recommended books for this trope.

This can be within any sub genre; historical, why choose, fantasy, paranormal, dark, athlete etc, the only thing that matters is that he falls in love quickly and harder than she does or that he’s just plainly OBSESSED with her.

The whole nine yards: aggressive and pathetic yearning, wet smitten puppy MMC, FMC who walks him like a dog and he’s happily offering the leash etc.

My personal recs:

{playing Defense by Lyssa lemire} black cat fmc, golden retriever mmc, sports romance

{it’s a win for me by Clarissa mae} fake dating, childhood best friends, sports romance

{burnout by Tessa vane} novella, she saves his life, he becomes obsessed, BWWM

{ocean of ink by A R Conwell} fantasy, history, academy (more casual but kicks off in the second book)

{seduced by a selkie Lauren Connolly} obsessed MMC, reluctant fmc

{heart eyes by effie Campbell} stalker MMC, childhood friends

{little lies by elena m. Reyes} giving a recap would be a big spoiler, rich MMC

{wicked sanctuary by Jane Henry} stalker, dark romance, forced proximity

{with visions of red by trisha Wolfe} detective FMC, suspect MMC

Hi guys, I‘ve been going through some tough times lately and I just need a lot of fluff with a lot of caretaking and cuteness.

I’d love to read about an FMC that stumbles upon the MMC’s world/realm/group and they just treat her like she’s made of gold. Treat her preciously, caring, protective sweet etc.

I don’t like omegaverse! Thank you for the rec

Im looking for some books in which the MMC puts his trust in the wrong person after the FMC strongly advised against it and he realises what an absolute fool he was not to trust her. It could be an ally, fiancée, family member etc

However, I want him to feel EXTREMELY guilty (grovelling isn’t necessary because I know in books it’s hit or miss, but I definitely want him to apologise and try to make it up to her) and pine and yearn for her while she’s doesn’t care about him anymore. I need him to be so pathetically down- bad while being obsessed with the woman who tried to help him.

I don’t want the fmc forgive him immediately and no body betrayal Syndrome please! Let him work for it

I‘ve been reading soulmate books again and most why choose soulmate books I find are reluctant/rejected mates or men that didn’t want a mate until they met her and then they were happy.

But I am looking for books on which the men are desperately WAITING and yearning for their mate and actively seeking them out and obsessed once they find her. Maybe some are sad because the haven’t found her yet, others are masking their pain, maybe there’s even a physical condition because they haven’t met her yet.

I’m open to your guys‘ suggestions!

No omegaverse or bullying!

I scoured the subreddit for this trope and found that I read most books that were recommended (I’ll list them later), so I’m looking for some new ones that i haven’t heard of before!

Every trope and subgenre is totally fine!

I just really want the MMC to be extremely obsessive over her because he’s never met anyone as selfless, kind, reckless or as stupid as her. Stalking, darker themes are all okay! He can also be more casual and lighthearted with his obsession, I’m good with everything at least as the MMC is pathetic and down bad.

I personally don’t like extreme dark romances with rape, body betrays me syndrome and bullying but everything else is on the table!

My recs:

{hopeless creatures by Eleanor feighery} mafia MMC bleeds out in alley, FMC nurses him back to health, obsession follows

{Damianos rescue by Leah Merril} similar as above

{kings spinster bride by ruby dixon} she saved him at 13 (he was 8) and he’s been obsessed ever since and marries her 10-20 years later (sorry forgot the exact time jump)

{the alphas savior by Reece Barden} ehhh don’t know if that counts because he would’ve been obsessed regardless since she is his mate, but I’ll count it regardless. She fishes the dying alpha out of a lake and does CPR. Obsession follows

{burnout by Tessa vane} mechanic FMC pulls biker MMC out of a burning car and he devotes himself to her, entirely. Short and quick read!

{the woman in harms way by Jessica gadzilia} baker FMC takes a bullet for stranger mafia MMC and he’s obsessed as hell

{sweet obsession by Callie rose} why choose, FMC loses her arm because she took a bullet for one of the MMC’s and they come and collect her after a few years of her struggling. They’ve been watching her ever since

{in my arms you shall hide by carmen gambit} dark romance, she saves him from killing himself and lands in a coma, he kidnaps her later

Hello! Yesterday, I compiled list of fluffy/ low-stress why choose books and now I’m doing a list based on my favourite trope ever: obsessed MMC‘s.

A lot of these recommendations are a mix of my own personal 5- star reads and your guys‘ amazing recommendations that I’ve saved from this sub under similar asks, but haven’t read yet.

Please add onto this list if you have any that I haven’t mentioned! the only thing that your recommendation has to include is devoted, obsessed, head over heels men. The subgenre, triggers and settings are secondary!

{blood oath by Morgan b. Lee}

{the fifth nicnevin by marie mistry}

{the blackened blade by Isla davon}

{cute but psycho by Beatrix hollow}

{Ironsides academy by jane Washington}

{psycho shifters by jasmine mas}

{den of vipers by K. A knight}

{sweet obsession by Callie rose}

{descendent of chaos by m. Sinclair }

{talk to me by heather long}

{winter solstice mates by texa volts}

{shear instinct by mk michelle}

{path of temptation by auryn Hadley}

{crescent kingdom by Tessa hale}

{savage vandal by heather long}

{graves katelyn Taylor}

{triple threat by k Webster}

{our pucking way by CR Jane}

{bears in mind by Sam hall}

{in the mouth of the wolf by Clara Bracco}

{ruthless boys of the zodiac by Susanne valenti }

{the witchwood boys are trending by C.M Stunich}

{pack baines by j j Dean}

{abbs valley by Ames mills}

{blood tether by eva newton}

{the shadows of wildberry lane}

{soul code by blake black}

{the path of temptation by auryn Hadley}

{knot her fight by ari wright}

{unwanted by sirena song}

{cherished by Emilia Emerson}

{reborn in flames by m Sinclair}

{stranded by Shona knight}

{courting darkness by Katie may}

{the red masques by m Sinclair}

{raven blood by m Sinclair}

{manic by grace mcginty}

{finding my pack by lane Whitt}

{my prison penpals by Shona knight}

{hemlock academy by Kelsey soliz}

{clash of claws by Elisabeth dear}

{clouds and daydreams by Elisabeth king}

{of moons and monsters by willow Hadley}

{dirty broken savages by Eva ashwood}

{vengeance by Theodora Taylor}

{obsessions of the heart by kira Stanley}

{fall for us by Samantha bee}

{gates of bell throne by aurelia knight}

{heat hesitation by birdie d‘avo}

{monstrous heat by joely sue burkhart}

{lunar witch by m Sinclair}

{green and gold by Gwendolyn harper}

{ruthless fae by Caroline Peckham}

{bonded by Christmas by Jillian west}

{they are mine by Gwendoline rose}

{owned by the lost boys by A. J Merlin}

{orc-ward encounters by Sam hall}

{do you even hex, bro? By river Ramsey}

{good deeds by Kathryn moon}

{blindly indicted by Katie may}

{you’re so dead to me by steffanie Holmes}

{pretty little tease by A.J Merlin}

{chasing katana by j.kearston}

{ever marked by j. Kearston}

{queen takes knights by joely sue burkhart}

{hunt me darling by maree rose}

{the cardinal bird by mia smantz}

{all the pretty monsters by Kristy cunning}

{blood of Hercules by jasmine mas}

{curvy dirty omega by Emma Dean}

{touch of oblivion by R.L caulder}

{shadow kissed by Sarah piper}

{Pucking feral by Lenore rosewood}

{chosen by Stacy jones}

{the bonds that tie by j. Bree}

{magic swap by Sadie moss}

{obsession by k Lorraine}

{sin by Meg Anne}

{{fractured Leah Steele}

{the death club by caroline Peckham}

{whatever it takes by Jillian west}

{until tomorrow comes by Adelaide Forrest}

{fate hallow academy by Lyra winters}

{her vicious beasts by E. Pali}

{the chaos crew by Eva chance}

{lords of darkness by Amanda Richardson}

{bad alpha by kathryn moon}

{clarity coast by devyn Sinclair}

{slate city by devyn Sinclair}

{the losers by Harley laroux}

{their lethal pet by lexi cross}

{plus two by Jillian west}

{the eight pranks of April by effect bloom}

{unhinged by Steph Macca}

{82 street vandals by heather long}

{highland hideaway by lily gold}

{lilacs and leather by thora woods}

{dying to love by Reese rivers}

{queenmaker by Rebecca Royce}

{beasts of the briar by Elisabeth Helen}

{the splintered bond by merri bright}

{a torn Paige by L. Rose}

{dangerous men by Evelyn ward}

{pack darling part two by Lola rock}

{pucking obsessed rosemary a johns}

{her knotty list by ari wright}

{die for you by harmony west}

I’ve compiled a list of my (and this subs) favourite fluffy/ low-stress reverse harem book recommendations and everybody’s welcome to add more to it if you have other recommendations!

Disclaimer: all of these are pretty fluffy and lighthearted, but they will obviously have some sort of conflict/triggers either within the group or outside of it, HOWEVER there will be NO bullying, NO extreme betrayal, NO extreme triggers or anything of the sort. Just mostly a focus on love, fluff, spice and comfort
Also, some of these I haven’t read but saw recommended in this sub under every fluffy/ soft rec post.

Happy reading!

{a pack for autumn by Emilia Emerson}

{ a pack for winter by Eliana Lee }

{a pack for spring by Emilia Emerson}

{ a pack for summer by Eliana Lee}

{pack baines by j j dean}

{green and gold by Gwendolyn harper}

{bonded by Christmas by Jillian west}

{knot guaranteed by Jillian west}

{chosen by Stacy jones}

{highland hideaway by lily gold}

{faking with benefits by lily gold}

{nanny for the neighbours by lily gold}

{three Swedish mountain men by lily gold}

{triple duty bodyguards by lily gold}

{do you even hex, bro? By river Ramsey}

{her knotty list by ari wright}

{knot her catch by ari wright}

{ever marked by j. Kearston}

{bodybuilders for the bbw by sam hall}

{ursa shifters by sam hall}

{Bianca and the monsters by Daphne McQueen}

{pay-per- heart by grace mcginty}

{eight pranks of April by effect bloom}

{shear instinct by m.k Michelle}

{multiple love by Stephanie brother}

{cassie Cole}

{knot all that glitters by devyn Sinclair}

{Nicky and the night owls by sierra cassidy}

{switch heater by k. L Moore}

{three scary mafia men and a klutzy woman by Chloe kent}

{talk about history by Jarica James}

{hitched by GK DeRosa}

{lettuce turnip the beet by berlin wick}

{orc-ward encounters by Sam hall}

{a dead and stormy night by Stephanie Holmes}

{rebel bloom}

{cupidity by raven kennedy}

{falling for autumn Chloe hunter}

{rut bar by alexis B. Osborne}

{better off bunny by Sedona Ashe}

{ruffled feathers by grace mcginty}

{kiss of smoke Amy pennza}

{deceived by gargoyles by Lilian larke}

{my summer girl by maeve black}

{the princess and the pack by fallon English}

{Lola and the millionaires by Kathryn moon}

{baby and the late night howlers by Kathryn moon}

{happenstance by Tessa Bailey}

{picking around by Emily wrath}

{the knotty omega by Jessica winters}

{a pack of honey by Veronica samek}

{swipe right for monsters by R. O’Leary}

{scribe of asteria by E. M Meyers}

Im also thinking about compiling a megathread list like this for obsessed mmc‘s by going through my own recs and the recs of this subreddit so let me know if you’d like that

Hi <3 I absolutely love the “he falls first and harder” trope and I especially love it when he already loves her from the first chapter and we just get to watch him court her and develop their connection.

I’m fine with any subgenre of this : enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers, friends to lovers etc, I just want him to be devoted from chapter one.

I also have no preference for the MMC’s personality (grump or golden retriever etc) but I really want to feel that he loves her due to the MMC’s behaviour. For example, being very touchy, constantly thinking about her, being uber protective and obsessed

My recs:

{consort’s glory by Abigail Kelly}

{alien shield by Ursa dax}

{my untrue love by Cassandra Gannon}

{love vs the scarecrow by Cassandra Gannon}

{little lies by Elena m. Reyes}

{too beautiful to break sherilee grey}

{sink or swim by Tessa Bailey}

I realised that most of my favourite books have this sort of trope where the men are into her immediately but the sex only occurs at the end/ in the second book and I really love it.

So I’m looking for obsessed, down bad simps who are all in and devoted from the get-go, but don’t sleep with her until they formed an emotional connection.

Also, I don’t like any objectification and sexualisation regarding women and it’s so difficult to find that in why choose books. Horniness is okay but lusty objectification isn’t for me.

I also don’t like bully romances or omega-verse books

Hello friends, I’m trying to stock up on some books for my TBR and the only men I like to read about are the men who love their women so pathetically and are so down bad for her that it reflects in their treatment of her.

Specifically, I’m interested in men who aren’t that happy in certain aspects of their lives (family, friends etc) and they didn’t even know what they were missing until they met the FMC and she just lights up their world in more ways than one(support, happiness, love, connection etc). And once they’re in, there’s nothing that can shake that stark devotion and unconditional love and loyalty and they go all in with their actions.

I wouldn’t mind some obsessive love and extremely “chalant” attitude either.

{sink or swim by Tessa Bailey}

{my untrue love by Cassandra Gannon}

{consort’s glory by Abigail Kelly}

Hey! I love reading books about down bad men who are so worried about the FMC that they’re about to throw up, but unfortunately whenever I read books where the FMC is in danger it’s a one time thing or she doesn’t get hurt enough and that’s just not enough for me.

I need a lot of protectiveness, concern, breakdowns and unhinged energy all throughout my book. I’d even love to see the MMC’s mental health deteriorating if she’s injured or hurt for a long period of time.

I don’t like it when the FMC gets into dangerous situations because she’s being stupid or difficult so I specified that it’s (somehow) necessary for her to do these things

Hard no’s: bully romance, underage main characters , omegaverse

{cursed legacies by Morgan b. Lee} the first half of the fourth book was basically exactly my request

{chasing katana by J. Kearston} adrenaline junkie thief and exasperated protective squad lol

Going through a health crisis rn so I’m looking for a lot of (disgustingly) sappy, fluffy romance books that’ll make my teeth ache.

I want the MMC to look at and treat the FMC like she hung the moon; worshipping the ground that the FMC walks on, putting the FMC above everything and anybody else, constantly thinking about her and her wellbeing, putting her on a pedestal (not in a "she’s not like other girls” way, but rather she’s so amazing and he adores her so much) he spoils her with money, clothes etc. Over the top protectiveness with big adoring eyes etc.

I want him to do these things without any regard for whether she reciprocates or not (hence the "simp” part). Basically no care for reciprocity because he loves her so much

Not a fan of bullying, extreme dark romance, and extreme lust-filled MMC’s. Don’t get me wrong, I want a lot of sex scenes that reflect the nature of my ask but I’m not a fan of the MMC immediately thinking only about her tits and ass the moment he meets her.

My own recs:

{black and silver by Gwendolyn Harper} pleasure dom demon MMC, starts taking care of everything she might need (food, clothes etc) and it turns quickly into him becoming obsessed and worshipping and spoiling her. Very very indulgent MMC. I always reread this when I’m down

{chasing katana by J. Kearston} reverse harem, one of the guys is literally only alive because she allowed him to take care of her (which soothes his personal alpha- shifter mind), very doting and worshipful

{Vancouver storm by Stephanie archer} a lot of these books are on the more lighthearted side of obsessive/ adoring MMC’s but they still hit

(Please don’t go by E. Salvador} mf, dark themes

{consorts glory by Abigail Kelly} mf, the MMC build his whole life around the FMC so that she’d be the safest and happiest she possibly can be. His POV is soo full of yearning and worship, I love it

{obsessively yours by Jamie Applegate hunter} mf, MMC is actually mated to the fmcs twin but he’s like.. nope. I will defy the gods and their plans and transform this situation into something for the FMC.

{preferential treatment by heather guerre} femdom, alpha boss submissive MMC, classic for this trope I think

I love a good tension filled hate to love story but sometimes I just need the woman to be put on a pedestal and treated like she hung the moon.

I often read about 1-2 of these guys in the usual reverse harem story but I want the entire harem to be like that; worshipping the ground that the FMC walks on, putting the FMC above everything and anybody else, constantly thinking about her and her wellbeing, worshipping her body without it necessarily being sexual or reciprocated, dressing her up in the best clothes ever, Over the top protectiveness with big adoring eyes etc.

Also I need them to be sweet and sappy that it’ll make my teeth hurt. Give me all the teary eyed love confessions where the FMC is loved upon.

I’m open for all pairing types as long as the FMC is the Center <3

{blood oath by Morgan b Lee}

{chasing katana by J. Kearston}

Both fit really nicely but we could up the worshipping and sweetness even more lol

I just read {chasing katana by j. Kearston} and it scratched such an MMC itch that I didn’t know I had; one MMC is so depressed that he’s willing to give up because he has no one to take care of(because it’s such a big part of who he is) until he finds an injured bunny. And suddenly the bunny’s wellbeing is all that matters to him; taking care of her wounds, happiness, buying the right food etc. He even said that she can’t die because he’d follow. Later, he finds out that she’s a bunny shifter and the romance starts and his obsession with taking care of her needs (washing her, being told secrets etc) carries through the relationship.

So, I’m looking for other books with this trope in which the MMC has such a deep need to take care of his lover without it being necessarily sexual (Ofc also in sexual aspects lol but not only). Taking care of her physical and mental health, dressing her, being the person that she can vent to, knowing her inside and out, protecting her etc. it’s not just a kink for him but like a deep part of what makes him.

I tried looking up various daddy dom + caretaking books with this but most of them didn’t really scratch that itch because they were either grumpy about having to take care of her or the non-sexual aspect was only secondary and that’s not what I’m looking for!

{human pets of talin by RK Munin}

{pucking feral part one by Lenore rosewood}

These were the other two books/ series that fit the closest but I’m looking for more! Thank you

One of my favourite series is {blood oath by Morgan b Lee} and I especially LOVED how the FMC was so apathetic to them at first. Not bitchy on purpose or trying to seem like she doesn’t care when in actuality she does. Just a genuine cool headed woman.

I’m looking for more books like this where the men are immediately head over heels and obsessed with her and courting her (however that might look lol) and she’s just like "?? not interested, thanks." And it takes some time for the feelings to develop but the men are still like.. ,,wow.. she’s so cool.. marry me”

I recently reread my favourite why choose books and most of them had some sort of matriarchal structure where the men LOVED the FMC and it was so intrinsically a part of how they were raised and how the society they lived in worked, and I absolutely loved it.

I dont want any really rude and sexist MMC’s (a bit grumpy and assholey is okay)

Also the "desperately waiting for her to come back“ could be anything from she’s the long lost queen to she’s their mate and they’ve been waiting for ages to find her etc.. anything you could think of where the MMC’s waited for her for a long time.

{their vampire queen by Joely Sue Burkhart} there’s packs of vampires which are lead by women who are the descendants of goddesses.

{queenmaker by heather long} the FMC is an alien queen who was brought to earth for safety reasons and her mates come back to bring her home and they’re really upset at how our world works in comparison lol

{chosen by Stacey jones} FMC is on alien planet and gets saved by aliens who were excluded from their own mating rituals for various reasons