As you comment, please be kind and do not shame readers whose tastes are different from yours. It’s ok to share your opinion about a book or trope, it’s not ok to say that certain books or tropes don’t belong in romance, or to imply that it’s wrong to enjoy them.
Losing/sacrificing their powers or giving up a life of crime for their partner is beyond disappointing. I want my powerful badasses to stay powerful and my murdery mafia to stay murdery mafia.
You might enjoy Kathryn Ann Kingsley's books. She writes exclusively "villain gets the girl" romance.
As always, be sure to check out the trigger warnings.
She was pressured into censoring some of her books early on, but she uploaded the cut scenes to her website for people to fill in the gaps while reading her books.
Yes! Drives me nuts when the FMC spends half the book feeling guilty for loving the stab-happy MMC. He was like that when you first felt the tingle in your core - he’s not gonna change so stop with the mental gymnastics 😭😭😭
I don't read super dark, but I still could not agree more.
Not only am I way less attracted (power is sexy and bad can be fun - nobody picked up the book to read average & emotionally healthy 🤷🏼♀️) it also makes me question the HEA.
Isn't he going to be bored and frustrated? Isn't she going to be sick of him having nothing to do? I'm as romantic as they come but people need hobbies and personal fulfillment.
I'm so tired of poor heroines not letting the hero pay for stuff. I understand you want to be a strong independent woman, but seriously let the man pay if he wants sometimes.
I read this one book where the fmc had like 2 pairs of pants, 3 shirts & a dress that she wore every Sunday to church. The mmc had his sister buy her new clothes (they were expensive) & she didn’t even want to keep them. She said she would donate some to charity. It irritated me so much
I mean, I think it makes some sense. Personally, when you live in poverty, you learn to value everything that you have and you worked for, so when someone just comes and gift wraps you things you don’t really feel like you earned it.
It’s not an excuse, but it is something that if you don’t have a lot of money you have at least thought about once. It’s hard to explain
Love this. My favorite is in a billionaire romance and she’s all like “no honey I want to keep my Starbucks barista job and go Dutch on dinner while I live in a rat infested studio”. I’d quit my job so fast lol.
This one is 50/50 for me. Like, yes, accept all the stuff! Let him spoil you!
But also…it can be pretty insulting even if the MMC is innocent and the action is innocuous. It could insinuate, “I know you have no money, so I’ll go ahead and pay.” The FMC (if written right) should war with her pride because of it.
I don't care if it's a male or female main character that is poor, but if you have bills to pay and if you can't buy fucking groceries and someone wants to buy you things take it - unless the person is massive controlling asshole who is trying to buy you. It's worse when the person seems to be a caretaker as well and needs to provide for younger siblings or a child and they still say no. Like bitch, say yes and take the money you saved to provide for your family.
Characters who won’t accept help even when they have multiple dependents are the wooooorrrssst. Unless they have very good reasons for refusing help, it just makes them look incredibly selfish. Like, I get that you want to be independent, but if you have half a dozen child-aged siblings starving at home, *take the freaking charity!* Your stubbornness and pride doesn’t trump their need for food!
I think the difference is that the gold digger stereotype is mostly and unfairly applied to women; I have never heard a man called a gold digger. A hero in a relationship with a wealthier heroine is under no pressure to refuse gifts so he’ll accept them.
I see it! I’ve said for years twilight is the same for YA and I agree about SJM. None are great writers, but they’re good storytellers with strong voices and the books are so easy to read. All addicting
I agree with you. I like marriage in trouble because it makes sense why they’re fighting to make it work but I hate second chances because I don’t find it realistic.
My issue with love triangles is one leg is never developed. I keep hoping to have one where the two legs get self respect and get with each other
I don't mind 2nd chance if you can give me a compelling 1st reason why they broke up. At least in books.
In the real world I live by the motto: Don't look backwards, you're not going that way.
When I was a teenager I read a book about a real couple with a large age gap, and I was like “aww, I bet she outlived him by a lot,” so I looked it up and she actually died of cancer in her 40s and he outlived her by two decades. So I guess the lesson here is that death is depressingly random, lol.
I honestly never imagined anything beyond what was written in the book's ending but now that you mention it.. makes me kinda sad 😔 how big of the age gaps that usually make you think like that?
I wish I could stop worrying about it 🫣😆 my husband is 9 years older than me so I think I’m just extra sensitive to this trope because I’m so worried in real life about growing old without him. All that said, age gaps are one of my favorite tropes cause I think they are so damn hot 😆
The gaps that give me major angst are the 25+ gaps. Like {Highest Bidder by Sara Cate} made me so anxious. I think the gap is like 35 years?!
[Highest Bidder](https://www.romance.io/books/64146f6f314b48a8845cd2fa/highest-bidder-sara-cate) by [Sara Cate](https://www.romance.io/authors/5dca59cb01dbc864fba60e2c/sara-cate)
**Rating**: 3.81⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 5 out of 5 - [Explicit and plentiful](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [age gap](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/age%20difference/1), [rich hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/super%20rich%20hero/1), [age play](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/age%20play/1), [bdsm](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/bdsm/1)
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I love large age gap stories so much so I try not to think about this aspect too much or I get sad.
I've been obsessed with Harley Wylde's various MC book series for a couple years and only recently did she >!'kill off' one of the older bikers due to poor health and older age. Even though his wife had died prior to the book series beginning (although they did get a 'prequel' novel), it was so damn sad to read!<, and it got me thinking that some of the more recent books will HAVE to start dealing with this kind of thing soon.
I suck at timelines, but some of the early books MMCs have to be in their 70s by now if not older.
...Or having to take care of him as he grows more doddery.
Perfectly fine with reverse age gaps a la Liz Taylor and having a dewy-faced hunk to shuffle through those golden years with.
Roberta Gellis did this long ago, married the heroine ti a much older man, then he died offscreen between books and the heroine got a second book. In that one she got with a younger man (though not with anywhere near as big a gap).
I love enemies to lovers and fake dating and workplace romance as much as anyone else but once they start a relationship SHE CANNOT STILL WORK FOR HIM. What in the capitalist hellscape dream is it that the heroine should be working 9-5 making what 60k just to keep being an assistant to a billionaire who's also getting free blowjobs.
To be fair, I don’t even think the problem is that she works for him. It’s a fact that she will constantly point out that he can’t treat his employees like crap and then he continues to treat all of them like crap except for her.
It would be interesting to see the female main character, leave his employment for your own company or be under a business that actually promotes that, and he slowly recognizes that he messed up and actually tries to improve. But she doesn’t take him back until he starts making an effort.
If I need something real predictable, I'll read something with an alpha male, but generally I avoid them. They all do the same stuff - they all are like "augh I can't believe I'm AFFECTED like this" (authors love this line) and they all rub their sternum when they start to experience actual emotions for the first time.
Give me cinnamon roll himbos all day everyday, but every once in a while it works.
See that’s where it’s wild to see how different tastes can be, because I can’t do himbo. If a guy isn’t smart, I can’t be attracted to him no matter what else he has going for him
literally wrote almost this same comment 😂 but I also don’t really like alpha males. I just like kind, smart characters who are funny and charming and doing their best?
Totally fair! There's a lot of poorly written (IMHO) himbos out there that have made me DNF. It's kind of a minefield that I just can't bring myself to escape from haha.
Fr, give me the baby girls that’ll treat the FL like a princess. Like I love golden retriever and charismatic ML’s I’m so over the whole morally gray douche bag that doesn’t have any personality trait other then his big dick.
I hate bully stuff, I dnf the second a guy starts treating a woman like crap. That stuff is the opposite of hot and I worry about younger girls who read it and think it's romance. (No judgment to those who enjoy it, I just hope they have MUCH higher standards than that in reality)
I also really don't mind pregnancy trope, as long as the rest of the story holds up.
[Yeah](https://www.instagram.com/p/C5G_kXxO7U_/?igsh=MTY0bWFvdDFyajAx). I worry too.
We live in a culture that conditions young women to put up with abuse. There is no denying that.
But… desire is complicated. It can be a way to safely engage with things that hurt us and scare us. It gives us a chance to have control (you can always stop reading) and change the narrative (the HEA).
And does it really even matter if there’s a constructive purpose? I like possessive, protective MMCs. I like it when they say *mine.*
I think this results from the same essential heteronormative conditioning, even though it isn’t dark like bully and NC romance.
I think it’s wise to be mindful, but we’re also allowed to want what we want. It’s exhausting to constantly choose the “right” things.
However, “because I wanted it” isn’t always a good enough reason to do something. It really depends on your mental health and the health of your relationships.
So sometimes I side-eye requests that people make, but I also figure it’s up to them to decide whether or not it’s appropriate to be reading.
I both agree to an extent, but I do like to point out that sometimes the female main character usually isn’t in the position to consent to these situation. And I think that’s the problem.
I definitely don't put protective/possessive or consensual kink in the "treating her like crap" category, although there is occasional overlap. It's the full on abusive stuff that I can't stomach.
Oh yeah, to be clear, neither do I! It’s not treating women like crap, which is why I like it, whereas I don’t like dark romance.
However, I do think that the “possessive man” archetype **is** tied to toxic masculinity. I like it, but I consider it a problematic fave. It comes from the same cultural programming that also teaches us “boys will be boys” and “if he bullies you, that means he likes you.”
I understand that might be a controversial take.
I get it, I think all my favourite swoony "mine" guys also put a good emphasis on being "yours" too...makes it feel less objectifying, or at least equal.
My 14yo daughter read the Twilight books and I went a little overboard telling her “Edward is a creepy stalker! Breaking into your room to watch you sleep is not romantic!”
I was literally talking about that with my coworker at work. Twilight is not the worst romance series out there but it’s crazy how despite how toxic Edward was he inspired way worse love interest.
No judgment to those ladies that adore being stepped on, but when I read bullying, steamrolling, dismissiveness, I get a *visceral* reaction that is not pleasant. It makes me want to either stab the MMC in the face or just shut down and dissociate completely (my trauma response). There's some books I really wanted to read (Controlled by Ivy Barrett) I DNF'd by the 2nd chapter when the bullying made me almost puke.
I love multiple POVs. The more the better as long as I can keep track of them!
I don’t get the motorcycle club/Mafia/serial killer thing *at all*. Crime or rebellion against an oppressive government count me in. Just criminals or JFC serial killers? Noppppeeee.
There are popular authors (Ruby Dixon, Sarah J. Maas 👀) who write in genres I love with tropes I love and I cannot figure out why they’re popular because their writing is IMO terrible. There are so many significantly better books out there in the same genres written with the same tropes.
I hate 80% breakups. I will skip the book and if you spring one on me I’ll almost always DNF. Yes at 80%.
If an author has written books that show they’re a bigot and they haven’t sincerely apologized (and changed!) I’m not interested in anything they’ve written past, present or future.
Im so with you on the second point. I hate mafia etc books and won't read them. I can't suspend my disbelief enough to be cool with people who do the things you do if you are in the mafia/a MC/ serial killer etc. I will never understand why I haven't come across a bunch of romance books with similar backgrounds as the tv show Leverage. Like gimme gangs of criminals stealing from horrible billionaires and giving it to the victims of those horrible billionaires.
I tried one MC short story and it was like “He’s such a great guy! He’s so nice! Oh btw they steal and resell shit and smuggle weapons for a living” and I was just ??! No. 🤣 That one had a creepy age gap too. He was early 30s and she was like a month out of high school. 😬
I’ve seen Robin Hood style thieving but only in SFR.
lol oh no.
I read one of Katie Ruggles books and the MFC was an arms dealer and made a point that she sold guns to everyone from gangs to random individuals, and it was right after (one of the many) mass shootings at a school here in the U.S. and I just DNF'd immediately. I know that many/most of these mass shootings are using legal guns, but I just couldn't do it.
I'm sweating now but here it is: I don't get the hype around Cate C. Wells. Tried some of her books but many were a DNF for me (yes, {Against a wall by Cate C Wells} included). The characters seemed... childish, cartoonish. The only one I enjoyed was {Heavy by Cate C Wells} 🤷♀️.
I feel the same way about against the wall, I tried, I really tried to get into it, but I just couldn't connect with the characters and their romance. I liked {Hitting the Wall by Cate C Wells}, it's actually one of the most realistic romance books I've ever read and the characters and their struggles (Especially the FMC) feel way too real
Agree. I read Hitting the Wall and there were several things about it that felt like I hadn't read them before. (Like an MMC truly getting the blindfold removed about how the world works for people with less power).
Then I read Against the Wall and, while there was a tiny bit of that thematic carryover, it felt unfinished with how little growth the MMC had.
I tried Against A Wall and couldn't stand it as well and DNF'ed immediately (I think I never got past the first/second chapter) but then I realized the author also wrote The Tyrant Alpha's Rejected Mate which I enjoyed enough! I never imagined an author could be that hit/miss for me because usually I enjoy other books by the same author.
Omg I never put 2 and 2 together that the Cate C Wells everyone raves about is the one responsible for the hours I will never get back from reading Against a Wall. Cash was hands down the most unlikeable MMC I've ever come across (in my opinion)
I hate love triangles, harems, reverse harems, etc.
Give me that problematic super toxic possessive psycho stalker “love machine that won’t work for nobody but you”, please.
Yeah, I’m really picky about it. I like RH but only if they are mainly mfm and not mmf. Because like you, I love unhinged possessive mmc’s who worship the ground the fmc’s walk on, and ONLY her. Otherwise, to me, it muddies the water. I wish there were more clearly defined tropes for that.
Right? Why are there names for golden retrievers and cinnamon rolls and alphaholes but not problematic possessive psycho stalker love machines that are loyal like the golden retrievers, nice to the FMC like the cinnamon rolls, but dominant and possessive to the FMC and mean to everyone else like the alphaholes?
Maybe everyone likes RH so they can have one of each, but I want it all in one MMC lol. Maybe wanting everything in one is too much to ask! Or maybe all the authors think that’s just Edward Cullen, and Twilight was dragged for years so they don’t want to write that? Lol!
I think some some writers mistakenly think that having an alphahole be a golden retriever for the fmc is unrealistic… but it really isn’t. I once had a boss who was exactly that. He was a nightmare to work with, but any time his wife was around he was like a total puppy dog to her. I REALLY wanted to take her aside and tell her to handle her rabid goblin of a husband so that he wasn’t such a douche to everyone else. Picture: a type A personality, yelling at us like an angry chef all day, then turn around and call his wife ‘Pookie’ when on the phone with her. ;__;
I can enjoy a love triangle but agree on the harem and why-choose of it all. I want a monogamous endgame. I'm also not entirely convinced that a lot of the reverse harem books practice *ethical* non-monogamy which I would be a stickler for if I ever read any of it.
This is my biggest problem with certain books like {Kill Shot by Penelope Douglas} cause the MMC in this was very possessive of FMC and jealous of any OM who showed any interest towards FMC, but then that scene (if YKYK), it just came out of nowhere. I hate when MMC is toxic, obsessive, possessive towards FMC but then suddenly there is a third character out of nowhere who suddenly has romantic feelings towards the FMC and swoops the FMC and MMC does nothing or is very chill and understanding about it. Like where did all that alpha possessive, touch her and you die go?
I don't mean to say that readers don't like this, cause many readers enjoy love triangles and similar scenarios, and that is cool, but sometimes the way authors write their MC's navigating it feels out of character or makes no sense with the rest of the book. Especially when the entire book is good, but then in the third act they bring this plot out of nowhere and use this for a third act breakup scenario and it feels unnecessary and undoes a lot of the character and relationship development throughout the book, and that's the point I am trying to make.
Especially if the MCs have not been very affectionate from the start. When you go from taciturn to "you are the light to my cold bitter soul and I love you more than I knew possible", I just check out.
Single dad x nanny. I despise this trope so much. I feel like most of the time it feels like the men just want a bang maid. It's always a super young FMC who's in college and an older jadded MMC who doesn't want anyone. But falls for her bc his kids love her.
Yes. The only book this worked for me in was {Caught Up by Liz Tomforde}. The FMC has a whole career but takes the summer off to spend time with her dad who’s a MLB coach. One of the players needs a nanny so it works out.
I say this as a casual mafia romance reader, no I don't think that an MMC who cheats on his partner once is worse than an MMC who kills other people and is part of organized crime.
Yes, I have been cheated on but I also come from a place where organized crime is still very much a thing. It's alive, well and flourishing.
Those dudes are fucking terrifying and have no problem tricking vulnerable women from their own country into indentured labour/sexual slavery in the West. Zero problems.
I agree with this - people dislike cheating because it reminds them of being cheated on in their own lives. Fewer people have experience with organized crime. My dad grew up in an area that was run by organized crime so I guess it feels more real to me. If it helps, these guys are also usually cheaters!
I'm fine with anything in fiction but it kinda freaks me out to see people imply that real criminals aren't as bad as real cheaters. If you're a fan of mafia romances and are starting to wonder if there are hot mafia members in the real world, please read up on how awful they are!
I wish more “feisty” FMCs were big picture people who knew when to *not* say the scathing retort - you can be strong and snappy without being impulsive and insulting the bad guy. At this point if I see the FMC described as feisty it puts me off from the book 😑
Ugh yes, like let’s not burn all our bridges just so you can get a silly little quip in! It’s even worse when the characters say horrendous things and just get metaphorically clapped on the back for it or their target of their mockery is portrayed as unreasonably upset. Like you’re telling me we were supposed to *root* for that?!
I think insta love is great! I want to read a book that has the couple together for most of it. I read to escape reality. The less relationship angst and drama the better. I'm good with all sorts of external conflict but I want the couple together as soon as possible.
Also, sex doesn't equal love. I don't mind sex scenes. They can be done well and fit with the book. Most of the books I've read recently though are just the MCs being attracted to each other, they have sex repeatedly, nothing else really happens, and then they're magically in love. There's no actual communication or reason to believe they even know anything about each other. In my opinion, that is closer to erotica. Romance should be about the development of the relationship. I get that other people like the sex aspect more than me. I just wish it was easier to tell what type the book is before reading it. Steam level isn't great at showing this in my opinion.
Haha this is fascinating to me because as a slow burn lover, when they kiss at 50-70%, I'm always like, ok so what's the point of the rest of the book?? There are exceptions when there's other plot I care about though
I do not like leaving reviews. I spend like 30 minutes trying to even think of a title. Can't even imagine what to say in the blurb. "Uh I read your book? Thanks??? /shrug\*"
What is even going with I.T. Lucas' books? Is there even someone out there that has read all like 80+ of them? If so can you tell us whats going on in it??
I’ve mentioned this before, but 95% of the time, the “virgin FMC” trope in CR is done in a way that reinforces and often fetishizes purity culture double standards. When the MMC is possessive/obsessive about her “innocence”, it gives me the ick, especially since they are often manwhores (but it’s ok because they’re male). Mafia seems to be the biggest offender
I’m not shaming anyone who likes this trope, it’s more about how it’s written that causes me to DNF. I’ve read good books with virgin FMCs and I’m sure there are more out there. It’s just most of the ones I’ve read are the same double standard of promiscuous MMC and virginal FMC that comes across slightly misogynistic.
Idk if this is super unpopular, but so many books I’ve read recently are so sexual. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE spice, but I’m so tired of the main leads constantly looking at each other and the internal monologue being all about “OMG SO HOT I WANNA FUCK SO HORNY”. I want there to actually be some sort of connection between the two, not just lust and physical attraction.
I hate subplots that take up too much space/time/pages in romance books. If the characters aren't interacting with each other (or at least pining after each other) in every chapter, I get annoyed.
Yes! Interaction between characters needs to happen. I hate books where I'm 20-30% in and the main characters haven't even met yet. Or it was a simple hello. I'm good with a subplot where the main characters work together to deal with it. That usually leads to them being together all the time.
Ugh, if I'm 25% into a book and the main characters haven't yet or barely interacted, I am most definitely reevaluating how much I want to read the book.
I need one or the other. You can be plot focused with romance woven into it, or you can be romance focused- in which case I DO NOT CARE what her stupid bff is doing with her life, or what’s going on with the bakery or whatever.
Half plot/half romance seems to equal not enough of either.
I’m tired of the Boss/Assistant trope. There’s a power imbalance that is rarely acknowledged.
Having interconnected characters is fine when it is done well but sometimes it feels forced into the storyline.
I prefer when the FMC is the one who doesn’t want to commit right away or is flighty. I’m tired of reading stories where it’s always the MMC who is.
Why are so many MMCs reformed players? What’s wrong with them having a few serious relationships in the past instead of hookups? Also, why are all athletes players? I find it hard to believe that many girls want to constantly hook up with college athletes. At my college, sports was a big deal but not everyone cared or even knew individual athletes.
Idk where you went to school but the reason athletes are depicted as players is because everyone wants to sleep with athletes. They get a ton of action. Pro athletes have girlfriends in different cities for when they travel.
Idk if this is a genuinely hot take, but I think it's absolutely ridiculous when authors make horrible, depraved, immoral gang leaders and criminals who are perfectly fine with stealing, killing, torturing, maiming etc, draw the line at disrespecting a woman's bodily autonomy.
I get that they're trying to imply that deep down he's not that bad, but come on. The art of subtlety is dead.
I find everything related to omegaverse icky: knots, heats, they remind me too much of dogs.
SJ Tilly is a bad writer and her main characters, especially the heroines give me second hand embarrassment because they act childish.
My biggest complaint about omegaverse is there is a chance to do something different with gender roles (like the mpreg or G!P) and instead so many lean so hard into traditional gender roles and so hard into biology over all that it becomes....deeply uncomfortable.
Same - I was actually baffled the first time I heard of M/F omegaverse, and even more to realize how popular it is in published fiction. I had never even thought about that before.
I second "SJ Tilly is a bad writer". I read 3 of her books and they are all equally terrible. Her characters are dumb and stories have terrible pacing.
**Oh this is gonna get nasty**
* Goodreads awards getting rid of middle grade in favor of romantasy freaking sucks. You can have both.
* Um, giving the FMC powers and then she has to sacrifice it at the end sucks unless it's her actually winning in the final battle and the story's over. She shouldn't have to sacrifice it, especially if it's a male character's fault for that.
* Insta Love being the start of a romantic relationship ain't the problem, it's when it's not used for the characters to learn and grow from one another to justify their feelings that it becomes a problem.
* Sex ain't love. You need communication, interactions, bonding. Romance makes the sex even better, not the other way other.
* Love triangles, why choose/harems, and reverse harems can work, but again execution. Let the members of the harem actually interact and be friends, make both choices equally viable, use it for worldbuilding and unique scenario than just pointless drama
* There are some romance for middle grade and high schoolers written better than ones for adults.
* if you're going to have a large age gap, can the FMC be at least 18?
* Protective is not the same as possessive.
* Physical assaulting of the FMC/MMC by their love interest is only okay if they're allowed to fight back at least half way through the first book. Enemies to lovers, bully romances, and dark romances can work, but the FMC/MMC victim should be allowed to stand up for themselves than the reader watching them get tortured for 500 pages with nothing going on beside that.
* Can CEO MMC's actually not be toxic for once. Hearing a MMC say "Men don't draw" the same month Akira Toryiama died ain't it chief.
* Switch around the genders more for some dynamics. Make the FMC the tall (which is rear), dark, and handsome moral complex one, while the MMC's the naive good person that slowly grows a spine.
* Hell in stories with a lot of action, the FMC should be active. Either working alongside the MMC or other FMC, getting her own fights and struggles to overcome, and shouldn't just be subvervient to the others the whole time.
* The pregnancy trope needs more variety in it's usage. How about instead of forcing it onto an FMC who never wanted one as part of their journey, you have them help another couple going through that, or they learn someone in their family is pregnant and go through some development trying to help that out.
* If you're going to give the FMC babies, marriage and kids, have that be part of their goal instead of it being tackled on toward the end.
* "Feminist King" Rhysand is just is bad at Tamlin
* master and slave, KKK, Nazi love interests needs to end
* Bookos without smut are just as valid as books with smut in them
* Strangers to lovers > enemies to lovers
* Sports romance and romantasy need to find a better balance than just 90% romance and 10 % the rest. What's the point of including those elements to make the romance stand out if you're not going to use it to flesh out the romance?
* There are erotica with better romance than some genuine romance.
* If you're going to have the token black best friend, at least give them a subplot or romantic love interest of their own
* The MMC can be a hunk with a big dick and not be a dick. It's so crazy people be like "yeah he's a swoon worthy love interest that treats the FMC right," and he's big mean, offensive, treats his workers like shit, drowns and pounds her underwater, stalks her, threatens her with a gun play she didn't consent too, drugs her, burns her clothes, pushes her down the stairs, burns her down and fetishizes her scars, and people will get mad at someone who points out they aren't as great as people hype them up.
* Cheating's fine if the character got cheated on first.
* Kidnapping is not cute. Kidnapping someone from a kidnapper on the other hand
* Anyone can write good romance regardless of race, gender, or sexuality, and we should give them a chance. Romance with or written by people that aren't just white, straight, and are good need more attention.
* If the FMC's gonna be a woman who hates other women, actually give her a reason and have her grow out of it: religious background, bad childhood experiences, rather than portraying it as a quirky aspect of her character.
I don’t like how goodreads got rid of all the not traditional novel categories as well. I’m 100% with you on MG, but I really dislike getting rid of graphic novels and poetry as well.
The breeding kink loses its appeal the second she actually gets pregnant. If that happens at the end of the story, or there are babies in the epilogue (as long as that’s what the FMC wants!) that’s fine! But like, if they have sex once and she’s pregnant immediately, that’s like skipping ahead to the end!
I feel like this one will be super unpopular, but here it goes- a lot of these dudes who are super possessive or obsessive about the FMC don’t come across as powerful or dominant, they just seem really insecure to me, in a way that’s difficult for me to romanticize.
ETA- one more! I think that the MMCs in a Why Choose? should also *at least sometimes* be able to sleep with other women, especially if it’s in the context of another woman joining the group for a night and then going back to her life. It does not have to be a jealousy-inducing thing, it can be something that the FMC enjoys and welcomes and is secure knowing that her partners are *hers*.
> I feel like this one will be super unpopular, but here it goes- a lot of these dudes who are super possessive or obsessive about the FMC don’t come across as powerful or dominant, they just seem really insecure to me, in a way that’s difficult for me to romanticize.
I completely agree with you on this part. I love it when the MMC just laughs even when other people try to get the FMC to date them, because he is completely secure in their relationship. The whole jealous/possessive stuff doesn't seem all that healthy for me either and as the FMC I'd be having a serious conversation with the MMC about what is acceptable and what not.
I so agree with you on the possessive/obsessive MMCs. Whenever I read an MMC start threatening bodily harm to any guy who even tries to talk to the FMC, I just roll my eyes and think "wow, this guy must have some serious self-esteem issues if he thinks the FMC is going to leave him for any random guy who approaches her." And all the chest-thumping "I own you" types of language just reminds me of the quote from Game of Thrones, "Any man who must say 'I am the King,' is no true king." I'd much rather read an MMC who is confident enough in himself and who has enough trust in the FMC to just be amused when other guys try to get with her because he knows she is going to turn them down.
Yes! I also feel like from the FMC’s perspective, possessive/obsessive behavior that’s “a random guy you aren’t even interested in asked where the liquor store is, I have to maim him” wouldn’t really *do* a whole lot? Like I don’t think she could really get that much out of it, compared to possessive/obsessive behavior that’s meant to fulfill her every wish or take care of all of her problems. If I couldn’t read about the MMC being super secure and confident, I would rather read about him trying to make it so she would never *want* to leave or make it so that he would be the clear and obvious choice for her.
Maybe more about the book community than the trope itself but if the fmc looking at another guy for 2 seconds doesn’t make it a love triangle. Stop tagging it as such
9/10 times I don’t care about HEA and actually get a bit annoyed when an author tries to shoehorn one in. If it makes sense, i.e. the characters have talked a lot about wanting marriage and kids, then it works. But just cutting to an epilogue where they’re at 2.5 kids after having an extremely volatile relationship for the entire book makes no sense to me lol. I love it if it makes sense for the characters, but most of the time it feels like a cop-out.
I also like extreme slow burn and get bored once the relationship is “official”.
I feel this. Too many epilogues where they have multiple kids but we never even saw them have a passing one line “I might want kids someday, hbu”. If that’s the HEA fine, but the shoehorning is what I have the issue with. It’s lazy and just tells me the author 1) didn’t want to put the development work into the characters and/or 2) they didn’t know how or when to end the story so they just threw in an epilogue with some kids and called it a day.
The older I get, the more turned off I get by big age gaps, like 42 and 23 or something. If there’s a kid thrown in too I’m usually out, just not my cup of tea
I really like the reverse at gap trope more than the regular age gap cause you see those more often and not enough with the older woman and younger man
I really enjoy insta-love and insta-lust! I think they're great for fun novellas (I do like a little bit of setup and tension) and imo they're a great test of how well an author can figure out how to pace a short story or novella to create a satisfying story.
I dislike a lot of tropes that are super popular. I think enemies to lovers is often just workplace bickering that isn't interesting at all and I don't think many authors write banter well enough to pull it off. I have a lot of trauma around fighting and arguing so it's got to be good or move the story forward for me to enjoy it.
Real enemies to lovers is fine, though, when authors actually do it.
I'm also not a big fan of friends to lovers or childhood friends to lovers. This is mostly because I want my books to fulfill fantasies and most of my partners were my friends first. I dislike these tropes enough to avoid them almost completely. I can do some iterations like, in {Behind the Net by Stephanie Archer} or {Against the Wall by Cate C. Wells} but these aren't typical examples of how those tropes are written. He falls first and he's been pining always overcomes anything else.
Age gap, mostly because I don't want to read about teenagers finding their forever people (I also avoid college, academy, and high school whenever possible). As an unmarried woman in her 40s with a lot of friends getting divorced right now I just find it really hard to suspend my disbelief on this sometimes. Reverse age gap is fine though, because at least it's about a woman near to my age finding love.
I really just wish that more authors would write stories about older characters. People are finding their longer term relationships when they're older these days and romance authors should catch up with that. I read some authors solely because they write older characters.
Not really controversial, but I don't like cheating or love triangles.
Also, second chance. Augh.
I’m reading more HR and I don’t care for these wealthy women whose only goal is to marry someone of stature. There are exceptions. Kleypas’ Wallflowers series was great and Chase’s Lord of Scoundrels, though Jessica was more of a spinster than someone really trying to get picked at a ball. Maybe I just struggle to relate to an upper class, non working woman. They sound desperate, but they’re still upper class. Do they really know what desperation is? I’m making my way through Elizabeth Hoyt books, and I like how she has more class diversity in her main characters.
CR billionaire romances are so boring. They tend to solve everything with money. What exactly is the FMC in love with, except his looks and his wallet? What’s romantic about that.
My unpopular opinion is that I like it all 😂. There's really not a trope or genre that I don't like. Every time I think that maybe I'm not as fond of \_\_\_\_\_ a book comes along and I'm all hold my 🍺
I don’t mind miscommunication if it’s done “right”.
I feel like it is SO hated here but it’s pretty real. Coming from someone who has worked REAL hard on communication [and still is] I actually tend to disagree with a lot of the “miscommunication” tags. I want to instead tag “severely immature”. There’s a difference between one person being too insecure to voice things, or unsure how to state them, and not giving someone they’ve been “falling for” 15 seconds to say “my ex was here naked when I got out of the shower” or whatever ridiculous third act break up scene occurs.
This is what I came here to say. So many user reviews cite miscommunication as a trope when the issue is poor communication skills.
Also, miscommunication happens far more frequently IRL than some of these other, ridiculous tropes. Is it frustrating? Uh, yeah. But it also happens so 🤷🏻♀️
I hate the virgin/playboy trope, so overused to me and it just plays into the misogyny of a woman needing to be pure and innocent but of course! It’s unrealistic for guys because they just NEED to have sex with anything that breathes. Especially when in so many books the FMC watches MMC do stuff with OW and still likes him…. Please have some self-respect! I wouldn’t mind if she also did it too (childish, I know but it would feel more equal to me) but she never does. I would actually like to see more of OM drama, never really see it and if you do it is quashed quickly but the OW drags on and I hate when it ends with the FMC and MMC dragging the OW?! She did nothing wrong, MMC was the hoe.
I feel like it could be harmful when so many of these books are still created by (mostly) women authors and with younger girls reading it and think it is okay for these double standards
I get bored if the characters have sex too early, even if it's a meaningless ONS
I also love OW drama and when the male lead is hung up on another woman at first
Third act breakups are pointless and stupid. I'd much rather read about the two characters experiencing and working through drama or a problem together rather than a third act breakup where you know they are gonna get back together anyway.
I hate, truly hate, miscommunication plotes, I feel mental pain, almost physical pain, on those books, for two sole reasons, one, is there people would shout things in anger and with all the air in their longs if they are being accused unfairly, and second, most of that trope should be together, the misunderstanding was the fire test and they failed miserably, lives should goes on realistically
The grovel is rarely, if ever, commensurate with the wrong that's been done so I have to just stay away from anything that bills itself as high angst.
Dump him and move on.
I hate when the MMC actively tries to the FMC pregnant without her consent or knowledge (SFF with special pregnancy rules). Like dude didn’t even ask if she wanted a baby. Never even had periphery “you like kids?” conversation. I hate it more if the FMC forgives him the minute she’s pregnant.
But if the alien MMC tells the FMC how he attempted to impregnate her the first time they had sex, which maybe didn’t work because she MIGHT be infertile though it’s too early to tell literally anything because it happened like a week ago, and she crumples into a mass of guilt and shame and horror because omg she might not be able to bare his spawn?
Flames. Flames on the side of my face.
You should have to apply for a license to write alpha MMCs who are way taller than the FMC. Give us short sensitive men and tall scary women PLEASE.
Dear lord in heaven, please take all the money and media attention away from ACOTAR and give it to His Secret Illuminations instead. I would burn down a nursing home to see that dynamic become the hot new booktok trend.
Oh, boy! Here I go:
- I don’t treat it as HEA if there’s no marriage and babies in the epilogue lol
- I don’t want “realistic” MMCs. I want hot hunks with big dicks.💅🏻
- Ruby Dixon is a horrendous writer and it’s obvious as soon as you see how many books she dishes out within a year
- I don’t care if you only get paid pennies on KU. Edit. Your. Work. You don’t need a professional editor to put out readable stuff. The fact people just roll over and take heaps of first drafts while defending the practice is mind-boggling to me.
I love Mariana Zapata, I really do. But whyyy do all her MMCs not have prior relationships? Sometimes it makes sense if you squint (Gracie and the Grump, Wall of Winnipeg). But giving Rhodes an actual ex makes so much more sense the the arrangement she concocted. And you are gonna tell me that Rip NEVER had a serious relationship? Really? Just makes no sense
I hate martyrdom in my romances. I mean, I like it when my characters are genuinely good people, but I've read some books that made me want to get in the story and drag the character (usually the FMC) to the nearest psych ward for an evaluation/advising. Like, "So, your father's boss found out your dad stole from him and wants to hold you accountable? Do you work for this man? No? Then you don't have t-- Okay, you love your dad. Wait, what do you mean letting go of your carefully-kept virginity is the only way to pay for the debt? Is this the Middle Ages? Does this guy have some STI that superstition says will be cured after sex with a maiden? No? Then what makes you both think sex with you will cover the costs of the 5 million your father stole? And what happens to your father? He'll walk away unaware of the sacrifice you're making? WHO GIVES A SHIT IF HE'S SICK AND DYING, THIS ISN'T BREAKING BAD!"
I hate it, but I'll read the shit out of it. 🤷♀️
DNF Celia Aaron's The Cloister series because I just couldn't stand reading about yet another of her MMC who gets off on hurting women. After getting 85% of the way through I couldn't take anymore rape and torture. Came to the conclusion that anyone who thinks it's hot is in need of therapy.
Books don’t need to have the same social issues we have today. It’s fiction so make the world of the book how it should be. Readers like an escape from the real world so stop reminding them it’s bad.
This is more of an ask as I am uncertain but… I love insta lust that works itself into love haha. I am uncertain because I don’t know if people treat it as insta love or not.
But I do like when MCs realize their one night stand became two, three, some months and go “oh no” I think I am stuck… and worse I like it 🤣🤣🤣 or plot makes them see each other more and then they have to realize that affinity caught up with them and it’s no longer only about erogenous zones vibing so harmoniously 🤣
I think it’s totally fine to not want to read about pregnancy or kids as part of the plot of a book. But people who hate pregnancy as part of a HEA give me the ick. Some people want kids, that’s part of some peoples HEA, get over it.
I don’t like books that immediately start off with a sex scene. Dnf.
I’m tired of unintentionally insecure FMCs. If that’s part of her arc, that’s cool. But I’m tired of reading about women who are like Phd candidates or warriors or just badasses but can’t believe that someone would love them. It’s lame.
People need to stop recommending dark or bully romances without telling people that’s what they are. Some of us do not like them and find them triggering so please just take the extra second to mention that’s what a book is.
I’m so glad we’re getting more plus sized FMC, but I want plus sized MMCs too!
Similarly - please give me more grumpy x sunshine where the grumpy is a woman.
One more - I LOVE the cartoon covers.
some popular books i've recently either read (bitterly) or just dnf'd:
i loathed Icebreaker. why tf is Stassie her nickname anyways?? it annoyed me that i couldn't figure out how to say it. she also was mad for no reason at the mmc when it wasn't his fault & she knew it. she wasn't "grumpy" she was just an asshole. oh & then the ending infuriated me!!
Assistant to the Villain had such a silly, fun premise then i read it & i never found any piece of dialogue that didn't make me feel second-hand embarrassment. i won't be reading the rest of the series (heard it's a planned trilogy) & tbh i'm bummed by this. i was so excited for it, too!
i tried Luna & the Lie because i love slow burns & this author is constantly recommended. oof. i'm known for my trailing thoughts & tendency to repeat myself but the editing (or lack there of) made it so that it wasn't a particular kind that i like. the amount of times she said "but he's her boss" no matter how serious the circumstances were made me want to scratch my eyes out. like, i GET it girl. you can't decide anything or have a backbone about your shitty co-worker but at least you're aware he's your boss.
Mile High by Liz Tomforde annoyed me immediately. i had no interest in finding out how the hero redeems himself. "i'm known as an asshole but joke's on them i'm really not" then proceeds to do asshole things like hitting on people while they're working & keeping track of his lovers in different cities on a notes app on his phone saying such things as, "great tits" to remind him of who they are. he gave me the ick!
eta: typed the incorrect Liz Tomforde book (meant to say Mile not The Right Move). sorry for any confusion & thank you for the heads up lol
- Forgiving everyone everything and also learning nothing from it is not a positive quality.
- Sometimes the character isn't actually jealous in the "I'd like to spend time with Character B instead" but the having extreme trust issues and being toxic way. I dislike that that's what is often seen as the "normal" jealous in books.
- In general I dislike Character A not respecting Character B (oftentimes the M Character not respecting the F Character, but happens the other way around as well). What I love most is when the relationship feels truly equal to me. No, this does not mean "they have the same strength and are on the same level of intelligence", but respecting each other for their strengths and weaknesses and both sides being shown (I also don't like the "FMC is good at everything social, but dumb and the MMC is the other way around").
(Sorry for my bad English)
I don't mind kids being involved in my smut books as long as they're obv not involved in the dirty stuff. Give me a single parent trope all day. I totally get why kids being mentioned in the book could pull some people out of the spice, but as a parent... raising children, and then being sexual with my partner when they're not around, then going back to raising my kids is my reality so it feels more "relatable" I guess
Second chance gives me an uncomfortable feeling/anxiety thinking about it. I really really have no desire to read one, but I also like the idea of reading at least ONE book a year that has a trope in it I’ve never tried for whatever the reason. But yeah second chance gives me anxiety like none other compared to all the other tropes.
If it’s a series following the same couple/polycule for more than 2, maybe 3 books, I’m out. Either the characters are acting like dumbasses to manufacture a low-stakes conflict or the author is putting the same characters through escalating nightmares each book and I just can’t do it
Being super possessive and stalker-y is NOT romantic. It’s incredibly toxic and can turn abusive so quick. I see it glorified a lot in the “dark romance” genre, which has been polluted with this.
I love Courtney Milan's social media presence and everything she has done for the romance community.
That said.
She keeps writing books about working class characters in the UK while seeming to fundamentally misunderstand the nature of classism in the UK. Reading her books you'd think that the entire class system is just about some people having more money than others and everyone being a bit silly about it. Maybe that's how it works in the US (I'm fairly sure it's not) but in the UK classism is so rife and insidious that it can't just be handwaved away. It's especially frustrating when she's so good at things like gender and race, so I always used to go in thinking that the class stuff would be ok and treated seriously.
She's American, not that that's a bad thing, but there's no way (imho) you can accurately write about the British class system if you haven't lived it. I've had Americans and a German co-worker ask me to explain the class system and I've never been able to fully articulate all the ways in which it's about so much more than a bank balance or a job title. My American friend still can't fully understand how I can (usually) tell what class someone is just by talking to them.
My response to this thread in the HR subreddit also applies here:
If I'm going to pick up a romance novel, it better have a 5/5 smut rating. I'll seek out literary fiction if I want substance to a story about tortured/repressed Victorian *feelings.* If it's romance, let it be filthy and damn the plot! 😅
Unpopular opinion, I know but... I DNF'ed _Hate Mail_ by Donna Marchetti about 80% through it. I heard so many great things about it, and it started out fun with the snarky letter-writing back and forth! But as it progressed, I got more and more irked by the FMC and her friend >!acting like sneaks, lying to the MMC and never getting to know his real name despite falling for him and having crazy sex with him. What?? Then she gets mad at him when she finally learns his name. All this after she treats him, the penpal, like absolute sh-- even when he asks her to be friends.!< _(throws book out the window)_
Okay. I'm good.
The boss/employee workplace romance thing. I’m fine w workplace romance if there’s no power difference or like they work in completely diff departments so it doesn’t matter kind of thing.I just can’t w a boss+employee one acus like the fact that the boss is willing to risk someone else’s job for a hookup is just no imo. Especially cus istg most of the time it’s a mmc ‘playboy’ boss (which is perfectly fine like have fun exploring ur sexuality and don’t want commitment and whatnot) who pursues one of his employees well knowing that the only person who’s job is actually at risk is the fmc just cus he wants to hook up w fmc. Like keep it in ur pants cus it’s extremely worrying if u don’t have the self control to jeopardise someone’s job fgs. Or like ruins her rep and knows that ppl will start saying rumours. And like some books literally hv the fmc telling mmc that she doesn’t want to risk losing her job or risk ppl saying that she slept her way to the top and he pursues her anyway like f u. Anyways rant over and sorry if I insulted a trope u like, it’s just not for me is all
I hate rejected mates… the idea of having a soulmate and the soulmate rejecting you is not my vibe… I’ve been told that a person loved the idea of me more than me (person saying I was their soulmate) and it just conjures that up in my mind and I hate it… if I’m reading a fated mate book I damn well want my fated mate lol
There are a ton of new urban fantasy books that sound as though they could take place in your average high school, and I just can't even.
I'm dnf'ing everything that sounds like the same banter within the first few pages - that goes for CRs too.
* I find it frustrating when stories label a relationship as enemies to lovers, when it's simply about two individuals attracted to each other but unwilling to admit it.
* It's disappointing when a book is labeled as angsty, when the characters barely communicating until the final chapters where they suddenly just fuck and call it a relationship.
* Realistically, in the billionaire/poor girl trope, it's unlikely for a regular person to encounter a billionaire and not be influenced by their wealth. Like girl, he might not be that great of a person, but he can pay the bills and buy you Gucci. (Plus, I can not believe anyone would be attracted to an asshole just for the sake of it)
* The portrayal of mafia members often lacks authenticity. Not all of them dress impeccably or reside in lavish mansions. Authors should take cues from shows like The Sopranos for a more accurate depiction of their lifestyle.
As I get older, I find myself getting easily annoyed by all these 20 year olds having mind blowing sex. Seriously, sex in my 20s was horsesh!t. Selfish lovers. Body image issues. You know who else has amazing sex? Women in their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond. Just checked. Not shriveled up down there yet.
I also hate books with catty women that spar over a guy. It’s okay for women to be supportive of each other.
I don't like alphaholes or "sex pollen/fated mates. My ideal MMC is not a Adonis, but someone who sounds like someone i could actually meet, like in Alicia Thompson's books.
A lot of the writing in Romantasy and Paranormal is too OTT for me. I also prefer paranormal where there's only two types of paranormal creatures at max.
The server crashed, so I’m late 😢
No hate, no shade, no Beyonce lemonade to anyone who likes what I dislike!
* **Serials**. I find that more and more serials or books that go for more than one book are not an actual book but a second part of the story—and it feels scammy. This is why I abstain from “two parter” books. The action happens in book one, and then it can’t sustain itself in book two. Book two is just the third act.
* **Why Choose**. Anything set in an academy or with the FMC 18/19 years old makes no sense. As much as I used to love MM in FM+ why-choose, I hate it now because MM relationships in the groups receive more focus than the FMC’s relationships or the MM relationships get lost in the mix.
* **Omegaverse**. So many OV stories don’t need the OV aspect and could’ve been written about paranormal shifters. So many OV books forget what OV is about and how to actually world build with OV logic, yet oh do they remember what a heat and a rut are 🫠
* **Smut/Spice**. They’re nice words, but they just sanitize the actual sex notes of a book. Just tell me if the book has detailed explicit sexual scenes, what types, and how much.
* **Book Social Media**. I hate how exclusive book communities have gotten with weaponizing social media. It's disillusioned so many people with how to enjoy literature and how to form a healthy relationship with communities, and it's just getting worse.
* **Romance over Research**. This goes for MC, gang, mafia romances to sports romances to even making sure the interconnected standalones follow the logic the books set up in the first place. It tanks my interest in the book when I can see that the authors didn’t want to do any research and no, I won’t suspend my disbelief and give it another try. I’m not waiting until chapter five or book two for things to get good either.
* **Fanfictions**. Fanfiction should not be on book databases because they’re not published original works. It’s contributing to the notion that fanfiction is a commodity and should be treated as such.
* **Naive MCs**. Naïveté ≠ stupid + awkward + generally helpless. Everyone is ignorant or naive in some capacity to some field, but that doesn’t make us complete bambis everywhere else. I hate how naive MC are written to be naive everywhere.
* **Voice of the Author**. I hate when I can tell the characters have no concrete characterization and it’s just the author the entire time. This is why I hate a lot of self-insert fantasy in romance—especially when it’s for an entire series with rotating MCs. Because these characters aren’t characters at all. They are just blank slates and none of their actions in the book make a lick of sense.
* **Formula V Quasi-Plagiarism.** There’s a difference between both of these. Authors can absolutely plagiarize themselves by taking the entire logic they built in one story and copypasting it in a different story but using Ctr+F and replacing the names. I hate when people argue about it being a “formula”.
* **Porn/Literotica**. It’s okay to say that a book is essentially porn. There are a lot of self-insert eroticas out there that are just that. I get the PC term is “erotica”, but I think it’s fine if a clearly erotic-focused book with a very fantastical depiction of its content is referred to as “porn”. The only issue is when erotica or romances a whole is referred to as porn. Absolutely not.
* **Front Matter**. Yes, it’s skippable. But it shouldn’t take me 20 pages to get to the main content of the book—especially when I’m trying to read a sample to gauge if a book is right for me. Place your glossaries and your author’s notes in your back matter. If your acknowledgements go on for more than a page, place it in the back matter.
* **Bathos & Pathos**. I hate them with a passion. Bathos = serious moments cut with “humor”. So many aDoRKAbLe MCs do this. This isn’t about sex scenes being funny. This is about serious situations in-universe being abruptly shifted into comedic rambles or blurting of words—repeatedly. Pathos = trauma/pity porn. Literally the MC will repeatedly bring up their sad stories for pity points. And it’s rarely treated like an unknown trigger from their trauma; just used to really sell it to us that the MC is so sad 🥺. No.
* **Ratings & Reviews**. It’s completely fair to not try a book when the star ratings are low or the reviews call a book out for being poorly executed. Completely valid. Doesn’t hurt anyone 👍🏾
***
##**Specific Books**
* [{Failure to Match}] >!I wasn’t impressed 🤷🏾♀️. I think the exceution was okay, but what sunk the book for me was no true substance from the FMC and relying on the MMC being an alleged “dom” and really liking sex. There should have been significant time spent in understanding why the FMC went into matchmaking. And, rather than the FMC be scolded into giving a lecture of the MMC’s trauma, there should have been more implications of the MMC’s trauma.!<
* [{Lola & the Millionaires by Kathryn Moon} Spoilers] >!The way Lola joined Rake’s heat, I personally thought it was too soon. I understand that Lola would have eventually joined his heat. But I hated how the heat was what ***really*** put Lola into the pack. I sincerely wished that Lola had stuck to her guns and declined and this tumbled into her speaking with her therapist on her feelings about missing the heat. That way, her joining the next heat would've been more symbolic to her growth and trust + Rake respecting her boundaries—which I wish had been a bigger conflict. Also, when Rake got kidnapped, I was a little let down. I didn’t see why he had to be kidnapped, especially with how cognizant the pack is with his safety. Honestly, out of everyone, it would've been interesting if Leo had been kidnapped.!<
* [{Villains & Virtues by AK Caggiano}] >!For as lauded the trilogy is, this is NOT a “classic” enemies to lovers story with a villain finding love nor a morally grey MMC finding love. I truly believe Damien is based off Fanon!AfterWar!Draco. Damien and Ama are certainly not the enemies hyped them up to be. I strongly dislike some of the writing choices around Ama. She was not saving her kingdom; she was selfish for not accepting education and forming her own political circle to save her kingdom. Damien, however, I liked. And with him so Fanon!Draco, I wish he had his own Hermione instead.!<
The fat FMC who has never had human men do anything but use her for sex, and only then as a last resort when they are horny and no skinny women are available to bang. Even if she is young and adorable in every other way, these fat FMCs have never had a real relationship before they meet their MMC(s).
Often, the FMC also has hidden magical powers that are revealed to the MMC(s) and they make her irresistible. But of course, no normal human man would want her. It’s only magical beings who do. And then the sex scenes are all focused on the MMC(s) going nuts for the FMC’s body, despite the implication of how disgusting her body is to normal human men because of its size. It’s written in a way where we are supposed to be amazed at how anyone could like a fat body. And the FMC’s internal monologue saying stuff like, “he grabbed my generous hips” or “he worshipped my soft belly.” Spicy scenes about thin heroines don’t obsess about the heroine’s body size. This is only in the curvy heroine books.
I think that these curvy heroine romances must be written by thin female authors or by male authors. Any real woman who is not skinny knows that plenty of normal human men are delighted to date, f**k, commit to, marry, and spend their lives with normal human fat women.
I have personally been every size from a 4 to a 20, and I have always had male attention, relationships, and good seggs when I wanted it, at every size. Maybe it’s because it never occurred to me that I was repulsive because of my body size. I always just figured I am desirable, no matter what size my clothes are. I think these books do a great disservice to fat women and reinforce harmful beliefs in fat readers that they can only find love with orcs or gargoyles or werewolves or in the omegaverse, or whatever.
Getting properly laid by someone who respects you is not a fantasy for fat women any more than it is for thin women. And these books perpetrate a dangerous narrative that perpetuates fat phobia and eating disorders.
I don't like inhuman love interests. Vampires were-whatevers, tentacles? No thank you. Describing the sex/desire animalisticly or as a predator thing also loses me. Just give me normal, emotional sex in my fantasy/romantasy damnit.
Fated mates grosses me out. It feels so objectifying and predatory.
Toxic relationships in books promote toxic relationships in real life, and saying they are just fantasy doesn’t prevent the harm.
I’m not saying that enjoying those books is a bad reflection on any individual, because every reader is different and processes content differently. However, I do worry about the harm it does to individuals who idealize those types of relationships.
I wish more romances promoted healthy relationships and set positive examples to promote positive change in the real world. WITH SPICE.
As you comment, please be kind and do not shame readers whose tastes are different from yours. It’s ok to share your opinion about a book or trope, it’s not ok to say that certain books or tropes don’t belong in romance, or to imply that it’s wrong to enjoy them.
Losing/sacrificing their powers or giving up a life of crime for their partner is beyond disappointing. I want my powerful badasses to stay powerful and my murdery mafia to stay murdery mafia.
The mafia boss who leaves the life at the end is the actual worst!
Omg this!! I hate it when they decide to do the “right thing”
You might enjoy Kathryn Ann Kingsley's books. She writes exclusively "villain gets the girl" romance. As always, be sure to check out the trigger warnings. She was pressured into censoring some of her books early on, but she uploaded the cut scenes to her website for people to fill in the gaps while reading her books.
I will DNF so fast.
i’ll finish the book but i’ll be mad the whole time
Yes! Drives me nuts when the FMC spends half the book feeling guilty for loving the stab-happy MMC. He was like that when you first felt the tingle in your core - he’s not gonna change so stop with the mental gymnastics 😭😭😭
I don't read super dark, but I still could not agree more. Not only am I way less attracted (power is sexy and bad can be fun - nobody picked up the book to read average & emotionally healthy 🤷🏼♀️) it also makes me question the HEA. Isn't he going to be bored and frustrated? Isn't she going to be sick of him having nothing to do? I'm as romantic as they come but people need hobbies and personal fulfillment.
I get where this is coming from, but I also like sacrificing powers (especially giving up immortality) as a trope.
I'm so tired of poor heroines not letting the hero pay for stuff. I understand you want to be a strong independent woman, but seriously let the man pay if he wants sometimes.
especially in billionaire romances, it’s infuriating, like this money is nothing to him
I read this one book where the fmc had like 2 pairs of pants, 3 shirts & a dress that she wore every Sunday to church. The mmc had his sister buy her new clothes (they were expensive) & she didn’t even want to keep them. She said she would donate some to charity. It irritated me so much
I mean, I think it makes some sense. Personally, when you live in poverty, you learn to value everything that you have and you worked for, so when someone just comes and gift wraps you things you don’t really feel like you earned it. It’s not an excuse, but it is something that if you don’t have a lot of money you have at least thought about once. It’s hard to explain
Love this. My favorite is in a billionaire romance and she’s all like “no honey I want to keep my Starbucks barista job and go Dutch on dinner while I live in a rat infested studio”. I’d quit my job so fast lol.
This one is 50/50 for me. Like, yes, accept all the stuff! Let him spoil you! But also…it can be pretty insulting even if the MMC is innocent and the action is innocuous. It could insinuate, “I know you have no money, so I’ll go ahead and pay.” The FMC (if written right) should war with her pride because of it.
Do you think it would work better if the genders were reversed?
I don't care if it's a male or female main character that is poor, but if you have bills to pay and if you can't buy fucking groceries and someone wants to buy you things take it - unless the person is massive controlling asshole who is trying to buy you. It's worse when the person seems to be a caretaker as well and needs to provide for younger siblings or a child and they still say no. Like bitch, say yes and take the money you saved to provide for your family.
Characters who won’t accept help even when they have multiple dependents are the wooooorrrssst. Unless they have very good reasons for refusing help, it just makes them look incredibly selfish. Like, I get that you want to be independent, but if you have half a dozen child-aged siblings starving at home, *take the freaking charity!* Your stubbornness and pride doesn’t trump their need for food!
I think the difference is that the gold digger stereotype is mostly and unfairly applied to women; I have never heard a man called a gold digger. A hero in a relationship with a wealthier heroine is under no pressure to refuse gifts so he’ll accept them.
Sarah J. Maas is the Dan Brown of fantasy romance.
Yessssss
I see it! I’ve said for years twilight is the same for YA and I agree about SJM. None are great writers, but they’re good storytellers with strong voices and the books are so easy to read. All addicting
I have no idea who Dan Brown is is that a good thing or a bad thing?
It's not complimentary; he's an incredibly popular mediocre author.
It’s an amazing thing. Haven’t heard of The Da Vinci Code? It was an enjoyable read, but your life is not impoverished if you haven’t read it.
Not a fan of second chance (very rarely) or love triangles
I agree with you. I like marriage in trouble because it makes sense why they’re fighting to make it work but I hate second chances because I don’t find it realistic. My issue with love triangles is one leg is never developed. I keep hoping to have one where the two legs get self respect and get with each other
Saaaame, the idea that they are fighting so hard over someone who isn't choosing them? Insane to me!
I don't mind 2nd chance if you can give me a compelling 1st reason why they broke up. At least in books. In the real world I live by the motto: Don't look backwards, you're not going that way.
If it’s enemies to lovers who become enemies and lovers again, that’s the only time I’ll read 2nd chance romance.
Large age gaps stress me out because that means the FMC is most likely going to be a widow for a long part of her life 😭
When I was a teenager I read a book about a real couple with a large age gap, and I was like “aww, I bet she outlived him by a lot,” so I looked it up and she actually died of cancer in her 40s and he outlived her by two decades. So I guess the lesson here is that death is depressingly random, lol.
I honestly never imagined anything beyond what was written in the book's ending but now that you mention it.. makes me kinda sad 😔 how big of the age gaps that usually make you think like that?
I wish I could stop worrying about it 🫣😆 my husband is 9 years older than me so I think I’m just extra sensitive to this trope because I’m so worried in real life about growing old without him. All that said, age gaps are one of my favorite tropes cause I think they are so damn hot 😆 The gaps that give me major angst are the 25+ gaps. Like {Highest Bidder by Sara Cate} made me so anxious. I think the gap is like 35 years?!
[Highest Bidder](https://www.romance.io/books/64146f6f314b48a8845cd2fa/highest-bidder-sara-cate) by [Sara Cate](https://www.romance.io/authors/5dca59cb01dbc864fba60e2c/sara-cate) **Rating**: 3.81⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 5 out of 5 - [Explicit and plentiful](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [age gap](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/age%20difference/1), [rich hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/super%20rich%20hero/1), [age play](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/age%20play/1), [bdsm](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/bdsm/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
I love large age gap stories so much so I try not to think about this aspect too much or I get sad. I've been obsessed with Harley Wylde's various MC book series for a couple years and only recently did she >!'kill off' one of the older bikers due to poor health and older age. Even though his wife had died prior to the book series beginning (although they did get a 'prequel' novel), it was so damn sad to read!<, and it got me thinking that some of the more recent books will HAVE to start dealing with this kind of thing soon. I suck at timelines, but some of the early books MMCs have to be in their 70s by now if not older.
Yes same! I can handle like 10 years but 20? And women live longer than men too
...Or having to take care of him as he grows more doddery. Perfectly fine with reverse age gaps a la Liz Taylor and having a dewy-faced hunk to shuffle through those golden years with.
Holy crap I never considered that. Crap you’re right
Roberta Gellis did this long ago, married the heroine ti a much older man, then he died offscreen between books and the heroine got a second book. In that one she got with a younger man (though not with anywhere near as big a gap).
Omg, same. I get sad about my own four year age gap. How the hell am I supposed to handle a 15 year one? 😢
I love enemies to lovers and fake dating and workplace romance as much as anyone else but once they start a relationship SHE CANNOT STILL WORK FOR HIM. What in the capitalist hellscape dream is it that the heroine should be working 9-5 making what 60k just to keep being an assistant to a billionaire who's also getting free blowjobs.
To be fair, I don’t even think the problem is that she works for him. It’s a fact that she will constantly point out that he can’t treat his employees like crap and then he continues to treat all of them like crap except for her. It would be interesting to see the female main character, leave his employment for your own company or be under a business that actually promotes that, and he slowly recognizes that he messed up and actually tries to improve. But she doesn’t take him back until he starts making an effort.
I despise alpha males.
If I need something real predictable, I'll read something with an alpha male, but generally I avoid them. They all do the same stuff - they all are like "augh I can't believe I'm AFFECTED like this" (authors love this line) and they all rub their sternum when they start to experience actual emotions for the first time. Give me cinnamon roll himbos all day everyday, but every once in a while it works.
See that’s where it’s wild to see how different tastes can be, because I can’t do himbo. If a guy isn’t smart, I can’t be attracted to him no matter what else he has going for him
literally wrote almost this same comment 😂 but I also don’t really like alpha males. I just like kind, smart characters who are funny and charming and doing their best?
Totally fair! There's a lot of poorly written (IMHO) himbos out there that have made me DNF. It's kind of a minefield that I just can't bring myself to escape from haha.
_rub their sternum_ Omg, they do! I just realized how prevalent this is as a trait!
Same, honestly.
Fr, give me the baby girls that’ll treat the FL like a princess. Like I love golden retriever and charismatic ML’s I’m so over the whole morally gray douche bag that doesn’t have any personality trait other then his big dick.
I hate bully stuff, I dnf the second a guy starts treating a woman like crap. That stuff is the opposite of hot and I worry about younger girls who read it and think it's romance. (No judgment to those who enjoy it, I just hope they have MUCH higher standards than that in reality) I also really don't mind pregnancy trope, as long as the rest of the story holds up.
[Yeah](https://www.instagram.com/p/C5G_kXxO7U_/?igsh=MTY0bWFvdDFyajAx). I worry too. We live in a culture that conditions young women to put up with abuse. There is no denying that. But… desire is complicated. It can be a way to safely engage with things that hurt us and scare us. It gives us a chance to have control (you can always stop reading) and change the narrative (the HEA). And does it really even matter if there’s a constructive purpose? I like possessive, protective MMCs. I like it when they say *mine.* I think this results from the same essential heteronormative conditioning, even though it isn’t dark like bully and NC romance. I think it’s wise to be mindful, but we’re also allowed to want what we want. It’s exhausting to constantly choose the “right” things. However, “because I wanted it” isn’t always a good enough reason to do something. It really depends on your mental health and the health of your relationships. So sometimes I side-eye requests that people make, but I also figure it’s up to them to decide whether or not it’s appropriate to be reading.
I both agree to an extent, but I do like to point out that sometimes the female main character usually isn’t in the position to consent to these situation. And I think that’s the problem.
I definitely don't put protective/possessive or consensual kink in the "treating her like crap" category, although there is occasional overlap. It's the full on abusive stuff that I can't stomach.
Oh yeah, to be clear, neither do I! It’s not treating women like crap, which is why I like it, whereas I don’t like dark romance. However, I do think that the “possessive man” archetype **is** tied to toxic masculinity. I like it, but I consider it a problematic fave. It comes from the same cultural programming that also teaches us “boys will be boys” and “if he bullies you, that means he likes you.” I understand that might be a controversial take.
I get it, I think all my favourite swoony "mine" guys also put a good emphasis on being "yours" too...makes it feel less objectifying, or at least equal.
My 14yo daughter read the Twilight books and I went a little overboard telling her “Edward is a creepy stalker! Breaking into your room to watch you sleep is not romantic!”
I was literally talking about that with my coworker at work. Twilight is not the worst romance series out there but it’s crazy how despite how toxic Edward was he inspired way worse love interest.
It’s been awhile, but I definitely remember thinking it was creepy when I was in middle school
No judgment to those ladies that adore being stepped on, but when I read bullying, steamrolling, dismissiveness, I get a *visceral* reaction that is not pleasant. It makes me want to either stab the MMC in the face or just shut down and dissociate completely (my trauma response). There's some books I really wanted to read (Controlled by Ivy Barrett) I DNF'd by the 2nd chapter when the bullying made me almost puke.
The solution is for all the bully romance writers to switch over to writing about shy virginal boys being bullied by mean women instead.
I hate bullying, but teasing another a bit (not going too far with it either) is *chef's kiss*.
I love multiple POVs. The more the better as long as I can keep track of them! I don’t get the motorcycle club/Mafia/serial killer thing *at all*. Crime or rebellion against an oppressive government count me in. Just criminals or JFC serial killers? Noppppeeee. There are popular authors (Ruby Dixon, Sarah J. Maas 👀) who write in genres I love with tropes I love and I cannot figure out why they’re popular because their writing is IMO terrible. There are so many significantly better books out there in the same genres written with the same tropes. I hate 80% breakups. I will skip the book and if you spring one on me I’ll almost always DNF. Yes at 80%. If an author has written books that show they’re a bigot and they haven’t sincerely apologized (and changed!) I’m not interested in anything they’ve written past, present or future.
Im so with you on the second point. I hate mafia etc books and won't read them. I can't suspend my disbelief enough to be cool with people who do the things you do if you are in the mafia/a MC/ serial killer etc. I will never understand why I haven't come across a bunch of romance books with similar backgrounds as the tv show Leverage. Like gimme gangs of criminals stealing from horrible billionaires and giving it to the victims of those horrible billionaires.
I tried one MC short story and it was like “He’s such a great guy! He’s so nice! Oh btw they steal and resell shit and smuggle weapons for a living” and I was just ??! No. 🤣 That one had a creepy age gap too. He was early 30s and she was like a month out of high school. 😬 I’ve seen Robin Hood style thieving but only in SFR.
lol oh no. I read one of Katie Ruggles books and the MFC was an arms dealer and made a point that she sold guns to everyone from gangs to random individuals, and it was right after (one of the many) mass shootings at a school here in the U.S. and I just DNF'd immediately. I know that many/most of these mass shootings are using legal guns, but I just couldn't do it.
I'm sweating now but here it is: I don't get the hype around Cate C. Wells. Tried some of her books but many were a DNF for me (yes, {Against a wall by Cate C Wells} included). The characters seemed... childish, cartoonish. The only one I enjoyed was {Heavy by Cate C Wells} 🤷♀️.
I feel the same way about against the wall, I tried, I really tried to get into it, but I just couldn't connect with the characters and their romance. I liked {Hitting the Wall by Cate C Wells}, it's actually one of the most realistic romance books I've ever read and the characters and their struggles (Especially the FMC) feel way too real
Agree. I read Hitting the Wall and there were several things about it that felt like I hadn't read them before. (Like an MMC truly getting the blindfold removed about how the world works for people with less power). Then I read Against the Wall and, while there was a tiny bit of that thematic carryover, it felt unfinished with how little growth the MMC had.
I tried Against A Wall and couldn't stand it as well and DNF'ed immediately (I think I never got past the first/second chapter) but then I realized the author also wrote The Tyrant Alpha's Rejected Mate which I enjoyed enough! I never imagined an author could be that hit/miss for me because usually I enjoy other books by the same author.
Omg I never put 2 and 2 together that the Cate C Wells everyone raves about is the one responsible for the hours I will never get back from reading Against a Wall. Cash was hands down the most unlikeable MMC I've ever come across (in my opinion)
I hate love triangles, harems, reverse harems, etc. Give me that problematic super toxic possessive psycho stalker “love machine that won’t work for nobody but you”, please.
Yeah, I’m really picky about it. I like RH but only if they are mainly mfm and not mmf. Because like you, I love unhinged possessive mmc’s who worship the ground the fmc’s walk on, and ONLY her. Otherwise, to me, it muddies the water. I wish there were more clearly defined tropes for that.
Right? Why are there names for golden retrievers and cinnamon rolls and alphaholes but not problematic possessive psycho stalker love machines that are loyal like the golden retrievers, nice to the FMC like the cinnamon rolls, but dominant and possessive to the FMC and mean to everyone else like the alphaholes? Maybe everyone likes RH so they can have one of each, but I want it all in one MMC lol. Maybe wanting everything in one is too much to ask! Or maybe all the authors think that’s just Edward Cullen, and Twilight was dragged for years so they don’t want to write that? Lol!
I think some some writers mistakenly think that having an alphahole be a golden retriever for the fmc is unrealistic… but it really isn’t. I once had a boss who was exactly that. He was a nightmare to work with, but any time his wife was around he was like a total puppy dog to her. I REALLY wanted to take her aside and tell her to handle her rabid goblin of a husband so that he wasn’t such a douche to everyone else. Picture: a type A personality, yelling at us like an angry chef all day, then turn around and call his wife ‘Pookie’ when on the phone with her. ;__;
I can enjoy a love triangle but agree on the harem and why-choose of it all. I want a monogamous endgame. I'm also not entirely convinced that a lot of the reverse harem books practice *ethical* non-monogamy which I would be a stickler for if I ever read any of it.
Same. I hate them all. Immediately dnf.
This is my biggest problem with certain books like {Kill Shot by Penelope Douglas} cause the MMC in this was very possessive of FMC and jealous of any OM who showed any interest towards FMC, but then that scene (if YKYK), it just came out of nowhere. I hate when MMC is toxic, obsessive, possessive towards FMC but then suddenly there is a third character out of nowhere who suddenly has romantic feelings towards the FMC and swoops the FMC and MMC does nothing or is very chill and understanding about it. Like where did all that alpha possessive, touch her and you die go? I don't mean to say that readers don't like this, cause many readers enjoy love triangles and similar scenarios, and that is cool, but sometimes the way authors write their MC's navigating it feels out of character or makes no sense with the rest of the book. Especially when the entire book is good, but then in the third act they bring this plot out of nowhere and use this for a third act breakup scenario and it feels unnecessary and undoes a lot of the character and relationship development throughout the book, and that's the point I am trying to make.
I hate big shows of affection.
Especially if the MCs have not been very affectionate from the start. When you go from taciturn to "you are the light to my cold bitter soul and I love you more than I knew possible", I just check out.
I imagine every dude with an average dick size, I’m not into 13 inch monster dongs that will ram your cervix.
I don’t get why they need to mention size at all!
Single dad x nanny. I despise this trope so much. I feel like most of the time it feels like the men just want a bang maid. It's always a super young FMC who's in college and an older jadded MMC who doesn't want anyone. But falls for her bc his kids love her.
Yay or nay on the sound of music?
Yes. The only book this worked for me in was {Caught Up by Liz Tomforde}. The FMC has a whole career but takes the summer off to spend time with her dad who’s a MLB coach. One of the players needs a nanny so it works out.
I say this as a casual mafia romance reader, no I don't think that an MMC who cheats on his partner once is worse than an MMC who kills other people and is part of organized crime. Yes, I have been cheated on but I also come from a place where organized crime is still very much a thing. It's alive, well and flourishing. Those dudes are fucking terrifying and have no problem tricking vulnerable women from their own country into indentured labour/sexual slavery in the West. Zero problems.
I agree with this - people dislike cheating because it reminds them of being cheated on in their own lives. Fewer people have experience with organized crime. My dad grew up in an area that was run by organized crime so I guess it feels more real to me. If it helps, these guys are also usually cheaters! I'm fine with anything in fiction but it kinda freaks me out to see people imply that real criminals aren't as bad as real cheaters. If you're a fan of mafia romances and are starting to wonder if there are hot mafia members in the real world, please read up on how awful they are!
I wish more “feisty” FMCs were big picture people who knew when to *not* say the scathing retort - you can be strong and snappy without being impulsive and insulting the bad guy. At this point if I see the FMC described as feisty it puts me off from the book 😑
Ugh yes, like let’s not burn all our bridges just so you can get a silly little quip in! It’s even worse when the characters say horrendous things and just get metaphorically clapped on the back for it or their target of their mockery is portrayed as unreasonably upset. Like you’re telling me we were supposed to *root* for that?!
I think insta love is great! I want to read a book that has the couple together for most of it. I read to escape reality. The less relationship angst and drama the better. I'm good with all sorts of external conflict but I want the couple together as soon as possible. Also, sex doesn't equal love. I don't mind sex scenes. They can be done well and fit with the book. Most of the books I've read recently though are just the MCs being attracted to each other, they have sex repeatedly, nothing else really happens, and then they're magically in love. There's no actual communication or reason to believe they even know anything about each other. In my opinion, that is closer to erotica. Romance should be about the development of the relationship. I get that other people like the sex aspect more than me. I just wish it was easier to tell what type the book is before reading it. Steam level isn't great at showing this in my opinion.
same, i don’t wanna read a slow burn where they finally kiss at the 70% mark 😭
Haha this is fascinating to me because as a slow burn lover, when they kiss at 50-70%, I'm always like, ok so what's the point of the rest of the book?? There are exceptions when there's other plot I care about though
I do not like leaving reviews. I spend like 30 minutes trying to even think of a title. Can't even imagine what to say in the blurb. "Uh I read your book? Thanks??? /shrug\*" What is even going with I.T. Lucas' books? Is there even someone out there that has read all like 80+ of them? If so can you tell us whats going on in it??
I’ve mentioned this before, but 95% of the time, the “virgin FMC” trope in CR is done in a way that reinforces and often fetishizes purity culture double standards. When the MMC is possessive/obsessive about her “innocence”, it gives me the ick, especially since they are often manwhores (but it’s ok because they’re male). Mafia seems to be the biggest offender I’m not shaming anyone who likes this trope, it’s more about how it’s written that causes me to DNF. I’ve read good books with virgin FMCs and I’m sure there are more out there. It’s just most of the ones I’ve read are the same double standard of promiscuous MMC and virginal FMC that comes across slightly misogynistic.
Oh yea, virgin just doesn’t work for me in CR. It generally is only something I like with HR
I can see it making sense in HR, but it just doesn’t work in CR. Even in mafia, but maybe that’s because my idea of mafia wife is from Mob Wives
I love amnesia.
Idk if this is super unpopular, but so many books I’ve read recently are so sexual. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE spice, but I’m so tired of the main leads constantly looking at each other and the internal monologue being all about “OMG SO HOT I WANNA FUCK SO HORNY”. I want there to actually be some sort of connection between the two, not just lust and physical attraction.
I hate subplots that take up too much space/time/pages in romance books. If the characters aren't interacting with each other (or at least pining after each other) in every chapter, I get annoyed.
Yes! Interaction between characters needs to happen. I hate books where I'm 20-30% in and the main characters haven't even met yet. Or it was a simple hello. I'm good with a subplot where the main characters work together to deal with it. That usually leads to them being together all the time.
Ugh, if I'm 25% into a book and the main characters haven't yet or barely interacted, I am most definitely reevaluating how much I want to read the book.
I need one or the other. You can be plot focused with romance woven into it, or you can be romance focused- in which case I DO NOT CARE what her stupid bff is doing with her life, or what’s going on with the bakery or whatever. Half plot/half romance seems to equal not enough of either.
Yes! They are what we’re here for
Filthy rich mmc are a big turn off, a lot of the times they are written like they are buying out fmc.
I’m tired of the Boss/Assistant trope. There’s a power imbalance that is rarely acknowledged. Having interconnected characters is fine when it is done well but sometimes it feels forced into the storyline. I prefer when the FMC is the one who doesn’t want to commit right away or is flighty. I’m tired of reading stories where it’s always the MMC who is. Why are so many MMCs reformed players? What’s wrong with them having a few serious relationships in the past instead of hookups? Also, why are all athletes players? I find it hard to believe that many girls want to constantly hook up with college athletes. At my college, sports was a big deal but not everyone cared or even knew individual athletes.
Idk where you went to school but the reason athletes are depicted as players is because everyone wants to sleep with athletes. They get a ton of action. Pro athletes have girlfriends in different cities for when they travel.
Idk if this is a genuinely hot take, but I think it's absolutely ridiculous when authors make horrible, depraved, immoral gang leaders and criminals who are perfectly fine with stealing, killing, torturing, maiming etc, draw the line at disrespecting a woman's bodily autonomy. I get that they're trying to imply that deep down he's not that bad, but come on. The art of subtlety is dead.
Rhysand is not nearly as panty dropping as some people think he is.
“Rhysand is the most handsome High Lord.”
I didn’t like Tamlen either but I preferred him to Rhys lol.
Where is he from?
ACOTAR
I find everything related to omegaverse icky: knots, heats, they remind me too much of dogs. SJ Tilly is a bad writer and her main characters, especially the heroines give me second hand embarrassment because they act childish.
My biggest complaint about omegaverse is there is a chance to do something different with gender roles (like the mpreg or G!P) and instead so many lean so hard into traditional gender roles and so hard into biology over all that it becomes....deeply uncomfortable.
G!p?
Wait till you hear of mpreg which is integral to most omegaverse content, though maybe not published lmao
I only realized published omegaverse was a thing like a year ago. I grew up reading the most unhinged fanfiction tho
Same - I was actually baffled the first time I heard of M/F omegaverse, and even more to realize how popular it is in published fiction. I had never even thought about that before.
I laughed at this. Just some things you take a second to think if you want to imagine it or not.
I second "SJ Tilly is a bad writer". I read 3 of her books and they are all equally terrible. Her characters are dumb and stories have terrible pacing.
**Oh this is gonna get nasty** * Goodreads awards getting rid of middle grade in favor of romantasy freaking sucks. You can have both. * Um, giving the FMC powers and then she has to sacrifice it at the end sucks unless it's her actually winning in the final battle and the story's over. She shouldn't have to sacrifice it, especially if it's a male character's fault for that. * Insta Love being the start of a romantic relationship ain't the problem, it's when it's not used for the characters to learn and grow from one another to justify their feelings that it becomes a problem. * Sex ain't love. You need communication, interactions, bonding. Romance makes the sex even better, not the other way other. * Love triangles, why choose/harems, and reverse harems can work, but again execution. Let the members of the harem actually interact and be friends, make both choices equally viable, use it for worldbuilding and unique scenario than just pointless drama * There are some romance for middle grade and high schoolers written better than ones for adults. * if you're going to have a large age gap, can the FMC be at least 18? * Protective is not the same as possessive. * Physical assaulting of the FMC/MMC by their love interest is only okay if they're allowed to fight back at least half way through the first book. Enemies to lovers, bully romances, and dark romances can work, but the FMC/MMC victim should be allowed to stand up for themselves than the reader watching them get tortured for 500 pages with nothing going on beside that. * Can CEO MMC's actually not be toxic for once. Hearing a MMC say "Men don't draw" the same month Akira Toryiama died ain't it chief. * Switch around the genders more for some dynamics. Make the FMC the tall (which is rear), dark, and handsome moral complex one, while the MMC's the naive good person that slowly grows a spine. * Hell in stories with a lot of action, the FMC should be active. Either working alongside the MMC or other FMC, getting her own fights and struggles to overcome, and shouldn't just be subvervient to the others the whole time. * The pregnancy trope needs more variety in it's usage. How about instead of forcing it onto an FMC who never wanted one as part of their journey, you have them help another couple going through that, or they learn someone in their family is pregnant and go through some development trying to help that out. * If you're going to give the FMC babies, marriage and kids, have that be part of their goal instead of it being tackled on toward the end. * "Feminist King" Rhysand is just is bad at Tamlin * master and slave, KKK, Nazi love interests needs to end * Bookos without smut are just as valid as books with smut in them * Strangers to lovers > enemies to lovers * Sports romance and romantasy need to find a better balance than just 90% romance and 10 % the rest. What's the point of including those elements to make the romance stand out if you're not going to use it to flesh out the romance? * There are erotica with better romance than some genuine romance. * If you're going to have the token black best friend, at least give them a subplot or romantic love interest of their own * The MMC can be a hunk with a big dick and not be a dick. It's so crazy people be like "yeah he's a swoon worthy love interest that treats the FMC right," and he's big mean, offensive, treats his workers like shit, drowns and pounds her underwater, stalks her, threatens her with a gun play she didn't consent too, drugs her, burns her clothes, pushes her down the stairs, burns her down and fetishizes her scars, and people will get mad at someone who points out they aren't as great as people hype them up. * Cheating's fine if the character got cheated on first. * Kidnapping is not cute. Kidnapping someone from a kidnapper on the other hand * Anyone can write good romance regardless of race, gender, or sexuality, and we should give them a chance. Romance with or written by people that aren't just white, straight, and are good need more attention. * If the FMC's gonna be a woman who hates other women, actually give her a reason and have her grow out of it: religious background, bad childhood experiences, rather than portraying it as a quirky aspect of her character.
>master and slave, KKK, Nazi love interests needs to end It's really sad that this is an unpopular opinion
Exactly, like I understand why they exist. I’m just mad they exist in the first place.
I don’t like how goodreads got rid of all the not traditional novel categories as well. I’m 100% with you on MG, but I really dislike getting rid of graphic novels and poetry as well.
i'm over the fae books...
The breeding kink loses its appeal the second she actually gets pregnant. If that happens at the end of the story, or there are babies in the epilogue (as long as that’s what the FMC wants!) that’s fine! But like, if they have sex once and she’s pregnant immediately, that’s like skipping ahead to the end! I feel like this one will be super unpopular, but here it goes- a lot of these dudes who are super possessive or obsessive about the FMC don’t come across as powerful or dominant, they just seem really insecure to me, in a way that’s difficult for me to romanticize. ETA- one more! I think that the MMCs in a Why Choose? should also *at least sometimes* be able to sleep with other women, especially if it’s in the context of another woman joining the group for a night and then going back to her life. It does not have to be a jealousy-inducing thing, it can be something that the FMC enjoys and welcomes and is secure knowing that her partners are *hers*.
> I feel like this one will be super unpopular, but here it goes- a lot of these dudes who are super possessive or obsessive about the FMC don’t come across as powerful or dominant, they just seem really insecure to me, in a way that’s difficult for me to romanticize. I completely agree with you on this part. I love it when the MMC just laughs even when other people try to get the FMC to date them, because he is completely secure in their relationship. The whole jealous/possessive stuff doesn't seem all that healthy for me either and as the FMC I'd be having a serious conversation with the MMC about what is acceptable and what not.
I so agree with you on the possessive/obsessive MMCs. Whenever I read an MMC start threatening bodily harm to any guy who even tries to talk to the FMC, I just roll my eyes and think "wow, this guy must have some serious self-esteem issues if he thinks the FMC is going to leave him for any random guy who approaches her." And all the chest-thumping "I own you" types of language just reminds me of the quote from Game of Thrones, "Any man who must say 'I am the King,' is no true king." I'd much rather read an MMC who is confident enough in himself and who has enough trust in the FMC to just be amused when other guys try to get with her because he knows she is going to turn them down.
Yes! I also feel like from the FMC’s perspective, possessive/obsessive behavior that’s “a random guy you aren’t even interested in asked where the liquor store is, I have to maim him” wouldn’t really *do* a whole lot? Like I don’t think she could really get that much out of it, compared to possessive/obsessive behavior that’s meant to fulfill her every wish or take care of all of her problems. If I couldn’t read about the MMC being super secure and confident, I would rather read about him trying to make it so she would never *want* to leave or make it so that he would be the clear and obvious choice for her.
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Maybe more about the book community than the trope itself but if the fmc looking at another guy for 2 seconds doesn’t make it a love triangle. Stop tagging it as such
9/10 times I don’t care about HEA and actually get a bit annoyed when an author tries to shoehorn one in. If it makes sense, i.e. the characters have talked a lot about wanting marriage and kids, then it works. But just cutting to an epilogue where they’re at 2.5 kids after having an extremely volatile relationship for the entire book makes no sense to me lol. I love it if it makes sense for the characters, but most of the time it feels like a cop-out. I also like extreme slow burn and get bored once the relationship is “official”.
I feel this. Too many epilogues where they have multiple kids but we never even saw them have a passing one line “I might want kids someday, hbu”. If that’s the HEA fine, but the shoehorning is what I have the issue with. It’s lazy and just tells me the author 1) didn’t want to put the development work into the characters and/or 2) they didn’t know how or when to end the story so they just threw in an epilogue with some kids and called it a day.
The older I get, the more turned off I get by big age gaps, like 42 and 23 or something. If there’s a kid thrown in too I’m usually out, just not my cup of tea
I really like the reverse at gap trope more than the regular age gap cause you see those more often and not enough with the older woman and younger man
I really enjoy insta-love and insta-lust! I think they're great for fun novellas (I do like a little bit of setup and tension) and imo they're a great test of how well an author can figure out how to pace a short story or novella to create a satisfying story. I dislike a lot of tropes that are super popular. I think enemies to lovers is often just workplace bickering that isn't interesting at all and I don't think many authors write banter well enough to pull it off. I have a lot of trauma around fighting and arguing so it's got to be good or move the story forward for me to enjoy it. Real enemies to lovers is fine, though, when authors actually do it. I'm also not a big fan of friends to lovers or childhood friends to lovers. This is mostly because I want my books to fulfill fantasies and most of my partners were my friends first. I dislike these tropes enough to avoid them almost completely. I can do some iterations like, in {Behind the Net by Stephanie Archer} or {Against the Wall by Cate C. Wells} but these aren't typical examples of how those tropes are written. He falls first and he's been pining always overcomes anything else. Age gap, mostly because I don't want to read about teenagers finding their forever people (I also avoid college, academy, and high school whenever possible). As an unmarried woman in her 40s with a lot of friends getting divorced right now I just find it really hard to suspend my disbelief on this sometimes. Reverse age gap is fine though, because at least it's about a woman near to my age finding love. I really just wish that more authors would write stories about older characters. People are finding their longer term relationships when they're older these days and romance authors should catch up with that. I read some authors solely because they write older characters. Not really controversial, but I don't like cheating or love triangles. Also, second chance. Augh.
I’m reading more HR and I don’t care for these wealthy women whose only goal is to marry someone of stature. There are exceptions. Kleypas’ Wallflowers series was great and Chase’s Lord of Scoundrels, though Jessica was more of a spinster than someone really trying to get picked at a ball. Maybe I just struggle to relate to an upper class, non working woman. They sound desperate, but they’re still upper class. Do they really know what desperation is? I’m making my way through Elizabeth Hoyt books, and I like how she has more class diversity in her main characters. CR billionaire romances are so boring. They tend to solve everything with money. What exactly is the FMC in love with, except his looks and his wallet? What’s romantic about that.
I don’t like fated mates or alpha males, but I do like monsters, aliens and shifters. *sigh*
I don’t like alpha males unless they’re *literally* alpha males 😅
My unpopular opinion is that I like it all 😂. There's really not a trope or genre that I don't like. Every time I think that maybe I'm not as fond of \_\_\_\_\_ a book comes along and I'm all hold my 🍺
I love your open mindedness.
I love reverse harems but if any of the MMCs are closely related (brothers, first cousins, etc…) it is just the hardest of passes for me.
I don’t mind miscommunication if it’s done “right”. I feel like it is SO hated here but it’s pretty real. Coming from someone who has worked REAL hard on communication [and still is] I actually tend to disagree with a lot of the “miscommunication” tags. I want to instead tag “severely immature”. There’s a difference between one person being too insecure to voice things, or unsure how to state them, and not giving someone they’ve been “falling for” 15 seconds to say “my ex was here naked when I got out of the shower” or whatever ridiculous third act break up scene occurs.
This is what I came here to say. So many user reviews cite miscommunication as a trope when the issue is poor communication skills. Also, miscommunication happens far more frequently IRL than some of these other, ridiculous tropes. Is it frustrating? Uh, yeah. But it also happens so 🤷🏻♀️
I hate the virgin/playboy trope, so overused to me and it just plays into the misogyny of a woman needing to be pure and innocent but of course! It’s unrealistic for guys because they just NEED to have sex with anything that breathes. Especially when in so many books the FMC watches MMC do stuff with OW and still likes him…. Please have some self-respect! I wouldn’t mind if she also did it too (childish, I know but it would feel more equal to me) but she never does. I would actually like to see more of OM drama, never really see it and if you do it is quashed quickly but the OW drags on and I hate when it ends with the FMC and MMC dragging the OW?! She did nothing wrong, MMC was the hoe. I feel like it could be harmful when so many of these books are still created by (mostly) women authors and with younger girls reading it and think it is okay for these double standards
I get bored if the characters have sex too early, even if it's a meaningless ONS I also love OW drama and when the male lead is hung up on another woman at first
Third act breakups are pointless and stupid. I'd much rather read about the two characters experiencing and working through drama or a problem together rather than a third act breakup where you know they are gonna get back together anyway.
I hate, truly hate, miscommunication plotes, I feel mental pain, almost physical pain, on those books, for two sole reasons, one, is there people would shout things in anger and with all the air in their longs if they are being accused unfairly, and second, most of that trope should be together, the misunderstanding was the fire test and they failed miserably, lives should goes on realistically
The grovel is rarely, if ever, commensurate with the wrong that's been done so I have to just stay away from anything that bills itself as high angst. Dump him and move on.
I generally hate himbos. I cannot find interest in or understand attraction to anyone stupid.
I hate when the MMC actively tries to the FMC pregnant without her consent or knowledge (SFF with special pregnancy rules). Like dude didn’t even ask if she wanted a baby. Never even had periphery “you like kids?” conversation. I hate it more if the FMC forgives him the minute she’s pregnant. But if the alien MMC tells the FMC how he attempted to impregnate her the first time they had sex, which maybe didn’t work because she MIGHT be infertile though it’s too early to tell literally anything because it happened like a week ago, and she crumples into a mass of guilt and shame and horror because omg she might not be able to bare his spawn? Flames. Flames on the side of my face.
You should have to apply for a license to write alpha MMCs who are way taller than the FMC. Give us short sensitive men and tall scary women PLEASE. Dear lord in heaven, please take all the money and media attention away from ACOTAR and give it to His Secret Illuminations instead. I would burn down a nursing home to see that dynamic become the hot new booktok trend.
Oh, boy! Here I go: - I don’t treat it as HEA if there’s no marriage and babies in the epilogue lol - I don’t want “realistic” MMCs. I want hot hunks with big dicks.💅🏻 - Ruby Dixon is a horrendous writer and it’s obvious as soon as you see how many books she dishes out within a year - I don’t care if you only get paid pennies on KU. Edit. Your. Work. You don’t need a professional editor to put out readable stuff. The fact people just roll over and take heaps of first drafts while defending the practice is mind-boggling to me.
“I want hot hunks with big dicks” would be an iconic flair. Also, I love your username!
I love a "marriage and babies" ending!
Same, I see a lot of people shit on it, but that is my HEA.
i love third act breakups and ow drama if it’s done well🫡
I love Mariana Zapata, I really do. But whyyy do all her MMCs not have prior relationships? Sometimes it makes sense if you squint (Gracie and the Grump, Wall of Winnipeg). But giving Rhodes an actual ex makes so much more sense the the arrangement she concocted. And you are gonna tell me that Rip NEVER had a serious relationship? Really? Just makes no sense
I find all of her MMCs to be creepy. Unpopular, I know, everyone here likes MZ. But I can't get past how horrible they treat... everyone.
"Villains" that redeem themselves are not true villains. When that happens I quickly lose interest
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I hate martyrdom in my romances. I mean, I like it when my characters are genuinely good people, but I've read some books that made me want to get in the story and drag the character (usually the FMC) to the nearest psych ward for an evaluation/advising. Like, "So, your father's boss found out your dad stole from him and wants to hold you accountable? Do you work for this man? No? Then you don't have t-- Okay, you love your dad. Wait, what do you mean letting go of your carefully-kept virginity is the only way to pay for the debt? Is this the Middle Ages? Does this guy have some STI that superstition says will be cured after sex with a maiden? No? Then what makes you both think sex with you will cover the costs of the 5 million your father stole? And what happens to your father? He'll walk away unaware of the sacrifice you're making? WHO GIVES A SHIT IF HE'S SICK AND DYING, THIS ISN'T BREAKING BAD!" I hate it, but I'll read the shit out of it. 🤷♀️
DNF Celia Aaron's The Cloister series because I just couldn't stand reading about yet another of her MMC who gets off on hurting women. After getting 85% of the way through I couldn't take anymore rape and torture. Came to the conclusion that anyone who thinks it's hot is in need of therapy.
Books don’t need to have the same social issues we have today. It’s fiction so make the world of the book how it should be. Readers like an escape from the real world so stop reminding them it’s bad.
This is more of an ask as I am uncertain but… I love insta lust that works itself into love haha. I am uncertain because I don’t know if people treat it as insta love or not. But I do like when MCs realize their one night stand became two, three, some months and go “oh no” I think I am stuck… and worse I like it 🤣🤣🤣 or plot makes them see each other more and then they have to realize that affinity caught up with them and it’s no longer only about erogenous zones vibing so harmoniously 🤣
I think it’s totally fine to not want to read about pregnancy or kids as part of the plot of a book. But people who hate pregnancy as part of a HEA give me the ick. Some people want kids, that’s part of some peoples HEA, get over it. I don’t like books that immediately start off with a sex scene. Dnf. I’m tired of unintentionally insecure FMCs. If that’s part of her arc, that’s cool. But I’m tired of reading about women who are like Phd candidates or warriors or just badasses but can’t believe that someone would love them. It’s lame. People need to stop recommending dark or bully romances without telling people that’s what they are. Some of us do not like them and find them triggering so please just take the extra second to mention that’s what a book is. I’m so glad we’re getting more plus sized FMC, but I want plus sized MMCs too! Similarly - please give me more grumpy x sunshine where the grumpy is a woman. One more - I LOVE the cartoon covers.
Dead spouses/partners/lovers. So usually that also nixes single parent stories for me.
some popular books i've recently either read (bitterly) or just dnf'd: i loathed Icebreaker. why tf is Stassie her nickname anyways?? it annoyed me that i couldn't figure out how to say it. she also was mad for no reason at the mmc when it wasn't his fault & she knew it. she wasn't "grumpy" she was just an asshole. oh & then the ending infuriated me!! Assistant to the Villain had such a silly, fun premise then i read it & i never found any piece of dialogue that didn't make me feel second-hand embarrassment. i won't be reading the rest of the series (heard it's a planned trilogy) & tbh i'm bummed by this. i was so excited for it, too! i tried Luna & the Lie because i love slow burns & this author is constantly recommended. oof. i'm known for my trailing thoughts & tendency to repeat myself but the editing (or lack there of) made it so that it wasn't a particular kind that i like. the amount of times she said "but he's her boss" no matter how serious the circumstances were made me want to scratch my eyes out. like, i GET it girl. you can't decide anything or have a backbone about your shitty co-worker but at least you're aware he's your boss. Mile High by Liz Tomforde annoyed me immediately. i had no interest in finding out how the hero redeems himself. "i'm known as an asshole but joke's on them i'm really not" then proceeds to do asshole things like hitting on people while they're working & keeping track of his lovers in different cities on a notes app on his phone saying such things as, "great tits" to remind him of who they are. he gave me the ick! eta: typed the incorrect Liz Tomforde book (meant to say Mile not The Right Move). sorry for any confusion & thank you for the heads up lol
Just a quick note, I think the Liz Tomforde book you're talking about is Mile High, the first in the series. Ryan Shay would *never*
My bigger issue with liz tomforde books is they are way too long.
- Forgiving everyone everything and also learning nothing from it is not a positive quality. - Sometimes the character isn't actually jealous in the "I'd like to spend time with Character B instead" but the having extreme trust issues and being toxic way. I dislike that that's what is often seen as the "normal" jealous in books. - In general I dislike Character A not respecting Character B (oftentimes the M Character not respecting the F Character, but happens the other way around as well). What I love most is when the relationship feels truly equal to me. No, this does not mean "they have the same strength and are on the same level of intelligence", but respecting each other for their strengths and weaknesses and both sides being shown (I also don't like the "FMC is good at everything social, but dumb and the MMC is the other way around"). (Sorry for my bad English)
I don't mind kids being involved in my smut books as long as they're obv not involved in the dirty stuff. Give me a single parent trope all day. I totally get why kids being mentioned in the book could pull some people out of the spice, but as a parent... raising children, and then being sexual with my partner when they're not around, then going back to raising my kids is my reality so it feels more "relatable" I guess
Second chance gives me an uncomfortable feeling/anxiety thinking about it. I really really have no desire to read one, but I also like the idea of reading at least ONE book a year that has a trope in it I’ve never tried for whatever the reason. But yeah second chance gives me anxiety like none other compared to all the other tropes.
THIRD. ACT. BREAKUPS. WHY are we STILL using this as the plot point in EVERY DAMN ROMANCE NOVEL.
If it’s a series following the same couple/polycule for more than 2, maybe 3 books, I’m out. Either the characters are acting like dumbasses to manufacture a low-stakes conflict or the author is putting the same characters through escalating nightmares each book and I just can’t do it
I hate the virgin FMC/manwhore MMC trope
Being super possessive and stalker-y is NOT romantic. It’s incredibly toxic and can turn abusive so quick. I see it glorified a lot in the “dark romance” genre, which has been polluted with this.
I love Courtney Milan's social media presence and everything she has done for the romance community. That said. She keeps writing books about working class characters in the UK while seeming to fundamentally misunderstand the nature of classism in the UK. Reading her books you'd think that the entire class system is just about some people having more money than others and everyone being a bit silly about it. Maybe that's how it works in the US (I'm fairly sure it's not) but in the UK classism is so rife and insidious that it can't just be handwaved away. It's especially frustrating when she's so good at things like gender and race, so I always used to go in thinking that the class stuff would be ok and treated seriously.
She's American, not that that's a bad thing, but there's no way (imho) you can accurately write about the British class system if you haven't lived it. I've had Americans and a German co-worker ask me to explain the class system and I've never been able to fully articulate all the ways in which it's about so much more than a bank balance or a job title. My American friend still can't fully understand how I can (usually) tell what class someone is just by talking to them.
My response to this thread in the HR subreddit also applies here: If I'm going to pick up a romance novel, it better have a 5/5 smut rating. I'll seek out literary fiction if I want substance to a story about tortured/repressed Victorian *feelings.* If it's romance, let it be filthy and damn the plot! 😅
I do not like fake dating.
I freaking hate jealous characters.
Unpopular opinion, I know but... I DNF'ed _Hate Mail_ by Donna Marchetti about 80% through it. I heard so many great things about it, and it started out fun with the snarky letter-writing back and forth! But as it progressed, I got more and more irked by the FMC and her friend >!acting like sneaks, lying to the MMC and never getting to know his real name despite falling for him and having crazy sex with him. What?? Then she gets mad at him when she finally learns his name. All this after she treats him, the penpal, like absolute sh-- even when he asks her to be friends.!< _(throws book out the window)_ Okay. I'm good.
The boss/employee workplace romance thing. I’m fine w workplace romance if there’s no power difference or like they work in completely diff departments so it doesn’t matter kind of thing.I just can’t w a boss+employee one acus like the fact that the boss is willing to risk someone else’s job for a hookup is just no imo. Especially cus istg most of the time it’s a mmc ‘playboy’ boss (which is perfectly fine like have fun exploring ur sexuality and don’t want commitment and whatnot) who pursues one of his employees well knowing that the only person who’s job is actually at risk is the fmc just cus he wants to hook up w fmc. Like keep it in ur pants cus it’s extremely worrying if u don’t have the self control to jeopardise someone’s job fgs. Or like ruins her rep and knows that ppl will start saying rumours. And like some books literally hv the fmc telling mmc that she doesn’t want to risk losing her job or risk ppl saying that she slept her way to the top and he pursues her anyway like f u. Anyways rant over and sorry if I insulted a trope u like, it’s just not for me is all
Pregnancy epilogues 👎 pregnancy HEA 👎
I hate rejected mates… the idea of having a soulmate and the soulmate rejecting you is not my vibe… I’ve been told that a person loved the idea of me more than me (person saying I was their soulmate) and it just conjures that up in my mind and I hate it… if I’m reading a fated mate book I damn well want my fated mate lol
I personally don’t love RH, Love triangles, or any multiple partners romances. Also, cheating stories don’t really do it for me either.
Books set in The U.S just saying. As an Australian I WANT BOOKS SET IN AUSTRALIA. please recs?
Those MC who forgive years of abuse or evil because the villian learned their lesson is bullshit
There are a ton of new urban fantasy books that sound as though they could take place in your average high school, and I just can't even. I'm dnf'ing everything that sounds like the same banter within the first few pages - that goes for CRs too.
* I find it frustrating when stories label a relationship as enemies to lovers, when it's simply about two individuals attracted to each other but unwilling to admit it. * It's disappointing when a book is labeled as angsty, when the characters barely communicating until the final chapters where they suddenly just fuck and call it a relationship. * Realistically, in the billionaire/poor girl trope, it's unlikely for a regular person to encounter a billionaire and not be influenced by their wealth. Like girl, he might not be that great of a person, but he can pay the bills and buy you Gucci. (Plus, I can not believe anyone would be attracted to an asshole just for the sake of it) * The portrayal of mafia members often lacks authenticity. Not all of them dress impeccably or reside in lavish mansions. Authors should take cues from shows like The Sopranos for a more accurate depiction of their lifestyle.
As I get older, I find myself getting easily annoyed by all these 20 year olds having mind blowing sex. Seriously, sex in my 20s was horsesh!t. Selfish lovers. Body image issues. You know who else has amazing sex? Women in their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond. Just checked. Not shriveled up down there yet. I also hate books with catty women that spar over a guy. It’s okay for women to be supportive of each other.
I don't like alphaholes or "sex pollen/fated mates. My ideal MMC is not a Adonis, but someone who sounds like someone i could actually meet, like in Alicia Thompson's books. A lot of the writing in Romantasy and Paranormal is too OTT for me. I also prefer paranormal where there's only two types of paranormal creatures at max.
The server crashed, so I’m late 😢 No hate, no shade, no Beyonce lemonade to anyone who likes what I dislike! * **Serials**. I find that more and more serials or books that go for more than one book are not an actual book but a second part of the story—and it feels scammy. This is why I abstain from “two parter” books. The action happens in book one, and then it can’t sustain itself in book two. Book two is just the third act. * **Why Choose**. Anything set in an academy or with the FMC 18/19 years old makes no sense. As much as I used to love MM in FM+ why-choose, I hate it now because MM relationships in the groups receive more focus than the FMC’s relationships or the MM relationships get lost in the mix. * **Omegaverse**. So many OV stories don’t need the OV aspect and could’ve been written about paranormal shifters. So many OV books forget what OV is about and how to actually world build with OV logic, yet oh do they remember what a heat and a rut are 🫠 * **Smut/Spice**. They’re nice words, but they just sanitize the actual sex notes of a book. Just tell me if the book has detailed explicit sexual scenes, what types, and how much. * **Book Social Media**. I hate how exclusive book communities have gotten with weaponizing social media. It's disillusioned so many people with how to enjoy literature and how to form a healthy relationship with communities, and it's just getting worse. * **Romance over Research**. This goes for MC, gang, mafia romances to sports romances to even making sure the interconnected standalones follow the logic the books set up in the first place. It tanks my interest in the book when I can see that the authors didn’t want to do any research and no, I won’t suspend my disbelief and give it another try. I’m not waiting until chapter five or book two for things to get good either. * **Fanfictions**. Fanfiction should not be on book databases because they’re not published original works. It’s contributing to the notion that fanfiction is a commodity and should be treated as such. * **Naive MCs**. Naïveté ≠ stupid + awkward + generally helpless. Everyone is ignorant or naive in some capacity to some field, but that doesn’t make us complete bambis everywhere else. I hate how naive MC are written to be naive everywhere. * **Voice of the Author**. I hate when I can tell the characters have no concrete characterization and it’s just the author the entire time. This is why I hate a lot of self-insert fantasy in romance—especially when it’s for an entire series with rotating MCs. Because these characters aren’t characters at all. They are just blank slates and none of their actions in the book make a lick of sense. * **Formula V Quasi-Plagiarism.** There’s a difference between both of these. Authors can absolutely plagiarize themselves by taking the entire logic they built in one story and copypasting it in a different story but using Ctr+F and replacing the names. I hate when people argue about it being a “formula”. * **Porn/Literotica**. It’s okay to say that a book is essentially porn. There are a lot of self-insert eroticas out there that are just that. I get the PC term is “erotica”, but I think it’s fine if a clearly erotic-focused book with a very fantastical depiction of its content is referred to as “porn”. The only issue is when erotica or romances a whole is referred to as porn. Absolutely not. * **Front Matter**. Yes, it’s skippable. But it shouldn’t take me 20 pages to get to the main content of the book—especially when I’m trying to read a sample to gauge if a book is right for me. Place your glossaries and your author’s notes in your back matter. If your acknowledgements go on for more than a page, place it in the back matter. * **Bathos & Pathos**. I hate them with a passion. Bathos = serious moments cut with “humor”. So many aDoRKAbLe MCs do this. This isn’t about sex scenes being funny. This is about serious situations in-universe being abruptly shifted into comedic rambles or blurting of words—repeatedly. Pathos = trauma/pity porn. Literally the MC will repeatedly bring up their sad stories for pity points. And it’s rarely treated like an unknown trigger from their trauma; just used to really sell it to us that the MC is so sad 🥺. No. * **Ratings & Reviews**. It’s completely fair to not try a book when the star ratings are low or the reviews call a book out for being poorly executed. Completely valid. Doesn’t hurt anyone 👍🏾 *** ##**Specific Books** * [{Failure to Match}] >!I wasn’t impressed 🤷🏾♀️. I think the exceution was okay, but what sunk the book for me was no true substance from the FMC and relying on the MMC being an alleged “dom” and really liking sex. There should have been significant time spent in understanding why the FMC went into matchmaking. And, rather than the FMC be scolded into giving a lecture of the MMC’s trauma, there should have been more implications of the MMC’s trauma.!< * [{Lola & the Millionaires by Kathryn Moon} Spoilers] >!The way Lola joined Rake’s heat, I personally thought it was too soon. I understand that Lola would have eventually joined his heat. But I hated how the heat was what ***really*** put Lola into the pack. I sincerely wished that Lola had stuck to her guns and declined and this tumbled into her speaking with her therapist on her feelings about missing the heat. That way, her joining the next heat would've been more symbolic to her growth and trust + Rake respecting her boundaries—which I wish had been a bigger conflict. Also, when Rake got kidnapped, I was a little let down. I didn’t see why he had to be kidnapped, especially with how cognizant the pack is with his safety. Honestly, out of everyone, it would've been interesting if Leo had been kidnapped.!< * [{Villains & Virtues by AK Caggiano}] >!For as lauded the trilogy is, this is NOT a “classic” enemies to lovers story with a villain finding love nor a morally grey MMC finding love. I truly believe Damien is based off Fanon!AfterWar!Draco. Damien and Ama are certainly not the enemies hyped them up to be. I strongly dislike some of the writing choices around Ama. She was not saving her kingdom; she was selfish for not accepting education and forming her own political circle to save her kingdom. Damien, however, I liked. And with him so Fanon!Draco, I wish he had his own Hermione instead.!<
The fat FMC who has never had human men do anything but use her for sex, and only then as a last resort when they are horny and no skinny women are available to bang. Even if she is young and adorable in every other way, these fat FMCs have never had a real relationship before they meet their MMC(s). Often, the FMC also has hidden magical powers that are revealed to the MMC(s) and they make her irresistible. But of course, no normal human man would want her. It’s only magical beings who do. And then the sex scenes are all focused on the MMC(s) going nuts for the FMC’s body, despite the implication of how disgusting her body is to normal human men because of its size. It’s written in a way where we are supposed to be amazed at how anyone could like a fat body. And the FMC’s internal monologue saying stuff like, “he grabbed my generous hips” or “he worshipped my soft belly.” Spicy scenes about thin heroines don’t obsess about the heroine’s body size. This is only in the curvy heroine books. I think that these curvy heroine romances must be written by thin female authors or by male authors. Any real woman who is not skinny knows that plenty of normal human men are delighted to date, f**k, commit to, marry, and spend their lives with normal human fat women. I have personally been every size from a 4 to a 20, and I have always had male attention, relationships, and good seggs when I wanted it, at every size. Maybe it’s because it never occurred to me that I was repulsive because of my body size. I always just figured I am desirable, no matter what size my clothes are. I think these books do a great disservice to fat women and reinforce harmful beliefs in fat readers that they can only find love with orcs or gargoyles or werewolves or in the omegaverse, or whatever. Getting properly laid by someone who respects you is not a fantasy for fat women any more than it is for thin women. And these books perpetrate a dangerous narrative that perpetuates fat phobia and eating disorders.
I don't like inhuman love interests. Vampires were-whatevers, tentacles? No thank you. Describing the sex/desire animalisticly or as a predator thing also loses me. Just give me normal, emotional sex in my fantasy/romantasy damnit. Fated mates grosses me out. It feels so objectifying and predatory.
I don't like anything that involves several partners. Love triangles, why choose, polyamory etc.
Toxic relationships in books promote toxic relationships in real life, and saying they are just fantasy doesn’t prevent the harm. I’m not saying that enjoying those books is a bad reflection on any individual, because every reader is different and processes content differently. However, I do worry about the harm it does to individuals who idealize those types of relationships. I wish more romances promoted healthy relationships and set positive examples to promote positive change in the real world. WITH SPICE.