The Al Gore Rhythm got me. Recently, I’ve been receiving algorithmic ads for serial romances, where you pay to unlock chapters. Typically, Instagram or Facebook will show you the first few chapters to hook you and then send you to one of the gazillion romance novel apps out there. The excerpt grabbed me, but I was not about to pay per chapter for a serial that, while thankfully completed, was over 150 chapters. Lucky for … Continue reading The Wrong Obsession by E.L. Sparrow →
If you’re curious about this book, please check triggers. The author has a more comprehensive list on her website. Hooked is a dark, contemporary mafia romance with lots of winks and nods to Peter Pan. It’s the first book in the Never After series, which is a reimagining of known fairytales and House of Mouse movies, but with villains as the love interests. This is your common revenge story of a man wanting revenge against … Continue reading Hooked by Emily McIntire →
Ed. note: We’ve been asked to increase our coverage of and discussion of Dark Romance a few times by some of you, so to start, we have a guest review from Kimberly. If you’re a reader of Dark Romance and would like to talk about some of your favorites, please get in touch! This guest review is from Kimberly! Kimberly works as a student support specialist at a small university where she endeavors to instill … Continue reading Guest Review: Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton →
CW: I’m going to include the entire note from the start of the book: “Dark Restraint is an occasionally dark and very spicy book that contains abortion (off-page, historical), elements of dubious consent, non-consenual drugging, biting without prior negotiation/conversation, guns, violence, blood, child abuse and assault (historical, off-page, referenced briefly).” Gentle reader, this is a dark romance; the darkest of the series. I am, in fact, a very gentle reader and so for me this … Continue reading Dark Restraint by Katee Robert →
CW: Graphic violence, blackmail, sexual harassment, and mind control If I had to pick one word to describe Throne of the Fallen, it would be ✨ decadent ✨. A second choice would be indulgent. It has the seven deadly sins in corporeal form, a journey through a seductive fantasy world, and it’s incredibly horny. It also reminded me delightfully of early 2000s paranormal romances, with its borderline corny details and powerful supernatural hero and plenty … Continue reading Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco →
Y’all, this book is kinda bananas, but I also think it will definitely be some people’s catnip, so I have to Alert the Bitchery. I mentioned Velvet in Watcha Reading a while ago (like, a really long while ago before I was sucked into the vortex that was nursing school). I described it as having fanfiction vibes then, and I stand by that assessment. Like, it’s not obviously veiled fanfiction of anything in particular; it … Continue reading Velvet by Lisette Marshall →
This book is not going to be for everyone because it’s an erotic romance with a boss/employee scenario, although if that pairing is your jam, you will almost certainly love it. I totally understand and respect that not everyone is comfortable with that power dynamic in fiction. Personally, I like it, and I particularly enjoyed how this book handles it because it addresses and challenges that dynamic head on, rather than brushing past it (more … Continue reading The X Ingredient by Roslyn Sinclair →
If you ever just need to turn your brain off for a sec, might I suggest Toxic Desire by Robin Lovett. It’s an erotic science fiction romance where two enemies are stranded on a sex planet. There are some pacing issues and the pages given to all of the sex scenes may have been better utilized, but it’s so over the top and campy that you just have to settle in for the ride. Before … Continue reading Toxic Desire by Robin Lovett →
(TW/CW: dubious consent, statutory rape, coercion) Way back when, I started the Masters Unleashed series by Sparrow Beckett. The first book, Finding Master Right, got a B+ grade. I went on to read the next two books, which follow the initial hero’s two best friends. Each book was less enjoyable than the last. When I saw that the co-writing Beckett team would be returning to Masters Unleashed, I felt this was a great opportunity to … Continue reading Master in Shining Armor by Sparrow Beckett →
Sweet Agony by Charlotte Stein is an erotic romance with a Gothic twist, and it is pure unadulterated Elyse-bait. Please prepare for Squee. We have Squee inbound, so take cover and bring snacks. We might be here awhile. We have a recluse hero with an unbearably sexy voice and impressive lexicon, we have a Gothic mansion, and we have lots of sexy times that turn into something poignant. More than that, we have a Dom … Continue reading Sweet Agony by Charlotte Stein →
NB: We have another lesbian romance guest review! If you like your romances more on the erotic side, you might like this one! This review is from Reader Tara Scott! If you want to read her previous guest reviews (and we highly recommend that you do), you can see them all here. Tara reads a lot of lesbian romances. You can catch her regularly reviewing at The Lesbian Review and Curve Magazine and hear her talk about lesbian fiction … Continue reading Guest Review: Her Best Friend’s Sister by Meghan O’Brien →
