ionRomance:Â
Dark Romance: Do You Have a Favorite?
Romance is an enormous word. When I think of romance, I think of happiness, love, friendship, loyalty, and so much more. Romance is one of those words that can bend and shape itself into whatever you want it to be. That’s what makes the romance genre so amazing. There are so many books with various plots and sub-genres and we can pick and choose which romance we are in the mood for at any given moment.
However, there is one sub-genre I’ve always been hesitant about: dark romance. I remember a certain dark romance book that was the talk of romancelandia a while back. Everyone was raving about it. For many, it broke new ground and introduced readers to a whole new dimension of romance. I wanted to read it, I really did, but I was too scared. I had read reviews about how it pushed many out of their comfort zones and, while I think that’s great, some of the themes in the book I just couldn’t wrap my head around falling in love with a love story that was so dark. (To this day, I still want to read this particular book. I think it’s great to try new things. I think I may stop by the library after writing this post and pick it up)
I love angst but, for me, I need a great amount of light to balance out the angst. I need to have a HEA, swoon worthy moments, and I need the characters to love each other and not intentionally hurt each other. I think that’s what keeps me hesitant from diving into a dark romance novel. I really would like to read one, but I think I need to do some more research to find a great dark romance novel, which leads me to my question:
What is your opinion on dark romances? Do you have a favorite to recommend ?
Cathy
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cathyrambles01
Tammy Y
Do not have a favorite and rarely read dark romances
bn100
no fav and not really a fan; notice lots of authors mislabel and claim “dark” when it’s not
Teresa Williams
No favorite .I read dark and everything
Caro
Not my favorite, tbh. I understand trying new things, but whenever I read a book that has angst I’m nervous the entire time, lol. So with a dark romance I’d be way too anxious.
I love it when the characters work for their HEA, but sometimes it’s too much, lol
Nancy Luebke
Perfer not to read dark or gothic romance.
dholcomb1
I have read some gothic romances
orioles4ever
I like Gothic Romance written by authors of the past, but I personally do not read Dark Romance. Like some angst but only from a brooding Duke! LOL
Michele H
I don’t read many dark romances but the authors I go to are Molly O’Keefe, Jennifer L. Armentrout and Tiffany Reisz. They push boundaries but there’s still a solid plot and character development.
Anything O’Keefe writes will fit the bill. Armentrout’s deVincent series is Southern Gothic and is tangled and seductive. Tiffany Reisz writes dark, super complicated relationships in The Bourbon Thief, The Night Mark, and The Lucky Ones.
Amy Rickman
I’ve read a few dark romances, Pam Godwin, CJ Roberts and Pepper Winters are a few authors who I like.
jamiebeck
Hm. I’m wondering which book you are talking about, and how you define “dark.” I wouldn’t want to read about characters who are intentionally hurtful to each other, or truly terrible. That said, I do like reading about very broken characters with really serious, believable problems. Characters that struggle to become a better version of themselves. I don’t need humor and ‘sexy’ banter to believe in love–or in the power of love to convert or save a lost soul. So if you’re talking about angst and the journey from isolation and pain to acceptance, then count me in as a lover of dark romance. 🙂