r/RomanceBooks

What does slow burn mean to you?

Is it when two characters are attracted to each other from the beginning but take a long time to get together? Or is it when they don't even realize they have feelings until much later?

Personally, I prefer the second. I love when they start out as genuine friends, their interactions are purely platonic at first, and they slowly get to know each other. Then they gradually fall in love without realizing it for quite a while. That's what a true slow burn feels like to me.

I'd love to hear how everyone else defines it !

Several MF, CR books I’ve come across recently have been so frustrating with how they characterize the main characters. The FMCs are so often characterized as bumbling fools, while the MMCs are contrasted as solid, mature, and extremely competent. I’m fine with competence in MMCs - it’s preferred over incompetence. But seeing MMCs labeled as these supremely mature and confident men while their counterpart FMCs are depicted as “silly” and incompetent (even more upsettingly when they’re the same age), is so frustrating and honestly gross.

edit: just wanted to complain 😭 i feel so annoyed but i also love CR

Ive read some books where the MMC has to get married to OW but she runs away so the FMC now has to get married and most of the time MMC wanted this to happen. I want the opposite, the MMC wants the prettier sister/friend. The FMC is overlooked and MMC kinda hates her/ignores her. I love angst so make me cry make me feel bad for FMC. Lowk good grovel too

Bonus if they are married.

OW can be a bitch idgaf

I am looking for books where the FMC defends the MMC from unwanted sexual advances. I feel like this thing comes up a lot the other way around (MMC defending FMC) and I read one of Olivia Dade's book recently (unfortunately I can't remember the title) where she defends him. I loved that the author flipped the dynamic amd I'm looking for more books that have this.

It doesn't have to be a sad scene, I'm here for FMC just being a total badass and taking no shit from anyone. And MMC is maybe a bit stunned and proud. Basically, I want the FMC to be a badass and defend her man. Bonus for check-ins/serious conversation after. Double bonus if the book adresses harmful stereo types, e.g. women can't (physically) defend their partners or men can't get assaulted/sexualised without wanting it.

A book that doesn't directly have this but deals with him being seen as a player that I also read was {{Hook, Line And Sinker by Tessa Bailey}}.

I'm mostly looking for CR, but will read other genres too.

I hope this is allowed, if not, I'll delete it.

Thanks!

I realised today we are in the second half of the year and it just felt so rushed. Anyway, I got back into reading romance this year and wanted to ask what new tropes did you discover or fall in love with?

Hello! I'm looking for more recommendations for this!

I've seen so many MMCs as fae and so on, but I'd love to read something where FMC is one. It would be funny if she could actually change her body size and fly around as a little fairy so that no one would hardly notice her. And then, there's MMC who finds her. But of course the plot may be different, though I would appreciate it if the FMC was a rather sweet and funny fairy.

I don't read dark fantasy/romance and don't like gore, so keep that in mind. Basically I want some sweet romance between a human guy and a cute fairy (both adults).

There’s plenty of romance out there without toxic main characters. What I want is no toxic characters period — no ex who belittled the FMC, no co-worker trying to undermine her, no bros of the MMC who give him bad, sexist advice. I realize that there’s so often a “bad guy” in romance novels and it can leave me more angry than anything after reading.

Recently I watched “Off Campus” and I was struck by how often I expected the characters to do one thing and then they did the opposite. Every time I was expecting them to be gross — to try to sabotage or manipulate or whatever — they just didn’t. They were all people who, while still young and figuring it out, were trying to be good people. I want to believe that’s how most people are but I think a lot of books create “villains” for the drama. I don’t mind drama but I don’t want that kind.

I read {Dutch and Penelope by GroveltoHEA} a few days ago and I really liked the premise but it was too short for me and now I‘m looking for something similar.

It‘s about the FMC who overhears the MMC talking with an ex hook up who he actually wanted to ask out but it was a misunderstanding at the time and he asked the FMC and he didn‘t want to hurt her feelings and went to the date and then immediately fell in love with her and everything was real between them but she overhears that and now thinks it was all a mistake.

So now I‘m looking for a book where FMC overhears that she was kind of a second choice or no choice at all and questions everything that happened between them, while the MMC actually really loves her and it was all real for him and he has to show her that.

Bonus points if the FMC is not conventionally attractive and is insecure but MMC loves everything about her.

Hard no‘s: cheating, love triangle, poly, OWD is okay but I want it only one sided from the OW and not the MMC, grief or death of loved ones or animals

Thanks in advance!

Hola everyone!!!! I am back with another request (y'all must love me by now lol). Specifically, I'm looking for:

- spicy fairytale retellings that aren't beauty and the beast related.
- I'm fine with contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, historical.
- Preferably M/F.
- No why choose/reverse harems, please.

If you've got any that fit:
- the villains pov,
- after happily ever after
- an alternate universe
- major plot point change

it doesn't matter. I did request something similar over in the fantasyromance thread over a year ago (here), if you want to see what I've already looked into.

I’m looking for if all, except anything with SA.

Thank you very much

Specifically, I'm looking for a bubbly, whimsical, slightly naive FMC who's genuinely kind and optimistic paired with a grumpy, emotionally unavailable MMC who can barely tolerate her at first. I want him to find her exhausting, ridiculous, or way too cheerful.

I'm looking for scenes where he's constantly losing his patience with her, saying things like:

"Do you ever stop talking?"

"Can you please take something seriously for once?"

"Why are you smiling? This isn't funny."

"Has anyone ever told you you're exhausting?"

"Can you stay out of my way for five minutes?"

Or he's always pinching the bridge of his nose, sighing whenever she's speaks, rolling his eyes at her antics, or wondering how someone can be so oblivious. I want the FMC to slowly wear him down without even trying. He goes from thinking she's too much to realizing he can't stop thinking about her and eventually falling completely head over heels. He has an "I can't stand her... so why can't I stop thinking about her?" moment. He also becomes completely obsessed and protective once he falls. The FMC must stay bubbly and doesn't lose her personality throughout the book. You know, like that Enchanted Disney movie... I want that kind of vibe.

Bonus points if (Not a requirement):

- The MMC is engaged, married, or already in a relationship with someone else when they meet, and gradually realizes he's falling for the FMC.

- The other woman isn't written as a villain.

What I don't want:

-Historical

-RH/Poly

-FF/MM

I've read:

{Look the part by Jewel E. Ann}

Any recommendations?

I really want a contemporary romance with action and gun fighting, but I don’t want it to be dark or bdsm related. Bonus if it’s MM!

I read the {Forest Grove series by Ames Mills} and that had exactly what I was looking for.

Likes: Who hurt you?, Only one bed, Hurt/comfort, Contemporary, College, Paranormal, Praise.

Dislikes: Hate Love, Friends with Benefits, One night stands, flings, forbidden love, miscommunication, Degradation, dark romance, BDSM, cheating.

I always thought if this happened to me in real life and suddenly I smelled someone who would love me forever guaranteed because some wild cosmic shit I’d be like “AHHHHH HOLY FUCK IT’S YOU!!! OH MY GOD FINALLY WOW HELLO HI, DO YOU LIKE YOUR PARENTS? SIBLINGS? HAVE A STALKER? ANYTHING I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT??? LETS GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD, KIDS, YOU WANT KIDS? YOU HAVE ANY???“ I’d not have it in me to be like sorry bear living inside me she is of the human variety and therefore I must wait 7 months to tell her. I would be thinking so irrational immediately the bear or dragon or whatever would probably panic and be like oh my god calm down please you’re going to ruin this in record time. So I’m curious if there’s a book with a reaction, not exactly like this obviously because I exaggerated but where the person has a more unhinged can’t help it reaction finding their mate.

Just finished {Stray Omega by Mary Magdalyn} and I’ve got the same itch that I had after reading tormented omega. I know it’s not everyone cup of tea but I am a big fan of a wounded bird FMC and the way those books are written just make me a puddle of emotions every time. I think the second book was actually quite ass so I don’t expect much from the 4th to come after stray.

I loved {Crown Me Dead by Liv Zander} and {Still beating by Jennifer Hartman}, they gave me the same heart wrenching feeling and a constant stream of tears and I looooooved it.

Super cool with any genre 🙂‍↕️

Hi! I'm looking for a MF romance between MMC who breaks up with his girlfriend and starts hooking up in secret with her mom.

Basically a book like {Birthday Girl} or {Praise} but the reverse of that trope, where the MMC and the mom become a couple.

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SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME FIND SOMETHING LIKE THIS!! 😭

Okay, I'm dying to read a book where the MMC is emotionally detached, cold, and completely uninterested in relationships. I'm not talking about the typical intimidating, ruthless MMC who can kill someone without feeling anything. That's not what I'm looking for.

I want an MMC who genuinely doesn't care about romance, sex, or even casual conversations. He just wants to live his life in peace. Maybe he's completely focused on his work, his goals, or something else, and he's never considered romance important enough to pursue.

Of course, everything changes when he meets the FMC. 🤭

I don't want insta-love where he sees her once and suddenly falls head over heels. Not at all! I want to watch him slowly experience emotions he always dismissed as pointless, ridiculous, or unnecessary. Seeing those feelings gradually bloom because of the FMC sounds so satisfying to me. Just imagining a story like that already has me excited!

I'll gladly take any recommendations with this kind of dynamic, or even something similar.

One book that gave me a somewhat similar feeling was Pestilence by Laura Thalassa. Since the MMC is one of the Horsemen, he has never experienced romantic or sexual feelings and sees no purpose in them... until he spends time with the FMC. And once he finally experiences those feelings... let's just say he becomes completely obsessed. 😂

Thank you in advance!

I’m looking for recs with a gothic vibe or at least a goth/alt MMC. If it’s not contemporary, then he has to give that moody depressed vibe, with an artistic sensibility, hopefully. ✨ I need a book that feels like listening to The Cure’s Desintegration. ✨

The FMC has to be nice, not bitchy.

I’m open to any genre, as long as the focus is the romance. I’ve struggled with Romantasy, because it often focus on politics, world-building, mysteries, whatever. Fantasy can be the setting, but not the focus.

Please, don’t recommend books with Sports, pregnancy, cheating, toxic exs or love triangles. No insta lust either, I don’t like horny FMC.

Thank you 🙏

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

Hello fellow romance lovers!

I’m looking for book recs of series where the timelines overlap across books. I love piecing things together or getting insight from other characters on the same events and I’m looking for some more books to add to my TBR.

Examples that come to mind or that I’ve already read are:

{The Undone series by Peyton Corinne}
{Leighton U series by CE Ricci}
The last two Off Campus book

I’m not picky about gender pairings or genres.

Thanks!

I love a praise kink, and I love some degradation, but what I love is when they get mixed together like the chocolate and vanilla of a swirl soft serve ice cream cone.

Some examples (not drawn from any sources in particular) would be:

“You’re such a good little fuck toy.”

“You’re quite the anal whore, taking my [phallic object] so well.”

“Be a good slut for me, baby, and I’ll give you a reward.”

FF preferred, MF, acceptable