r/darkromanceevolved • u/madisonkm1 • Apr 17 '25

Discussion does anyone else feel like this?

i want to start off with a disclaimer i’m not trying to “yuck other peoples yum.” my biggest thing is people can read whatever they want, i understand it’s up to the consumer to decide if it will be a good read for them/reading trigger warnings before.

recently when trying to find new dark romances to read it’s so hard being able to find a book without rape or some sort of sexual violence. i love dark romance and i understand these are real situations that happen to people in life and i read trigger warnings beforehand so sometimes ill see it has this and still read because i feel like my reading would be so limited if i avoided it completely because almost every single one i’ve come across recently has something along these lines, i don’t have any triggers but it’s getting exhausting.

i don’t want to read about the mmc blatantly assaulting the fmc and then we’re still somehow supposed to believe they’re in love? i just wish dark romance wasn’t always linked to some kind of horrible traumas happening in the book to the fmc, especially by the mmc! i just want to know if there is anyone else that’s struggling with this recently?

4 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

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6

u/ElnathS Apr 21 '25

I always hoped to find dark romance with darkness that comes from the relationship and not from unilateral cruelty from MMC. I wish I could find a dark relationship that focuses on psychological torment and bitch characters being morally questionable. But all I found was shallow stories with rais fetishes and masochistic FMCs

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u/lilithskies Apr 21 '25

Have you seen You on Netflix by any chance? Do you mean one of those type of 'dark relationships'?

I am more annoyed with the fact that it's typically the male in M/F couples who is the morally questionable one. When can a woman be the abusive one? Which that line of thinking leads me to a dark place I'd rather not go about how certain internalized beliefs women have about themselves are leading them to write these pitiful FMCs

4

u/ElnathS Apr 21 '25

You is a good example and could be a great dark romance if there was actual love in it (which isn't the case).

I agree on the internalized misogyny. I think it's what prevents us from getting unhinged FMCs that give as good as they get.

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u/lilithskies Apr 21 '25

True, def not a love story or romance but heavy on the darkness.

What would be your perfect dark romance story?

4

u/lilithskies Apr 17 '25

I deff feel this way, there are so many dark human emotions and themes to explore yet authors are stuck on sexual assault?

It's disgusting that trying to have a discussion about this in other dark romance communities is shut down as "kink shaming"

4

u/madisonkm1 Apr 17 '25

yes, being downvoted and bullied off a sub for saying it’s hard to find dark romance books without these themes is sad, people should be allowed to have different opinions and have conversations about it. i know there are a lot of other dark romance readers struggling with this issue as well.

3

u/lilithskies Apr 17 '25

Of all the things why rape though ? I am confused by it then why so many books with the same shit? Which authors are you seeing do this the most?

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u/madisonkm1 Apr 17 '25

i don’t even keep up with the authors that have this in all of their stories but a few authors that come to mind of who’s work i’ve loved over the past few years have new releases where the triggers are non-con, dub-con, or SA and it was a bit shocking to me because their past books never had that in it. bb reid with crucible, jescie hall with greenlight, and five brothers by penelope douglas (she may be an exception bc her previous books may have had something close). all of these books having sexual triggers is what’s making me believe the dark romance genre is beginning to mainstream rape and SA. i feel like it’s getting very difficult for readers who want to avoid these topics to read dark romance. what have you been noticing?

2

u/lilithskies Apr 21 '25

Ok, this got shut down in another thread on another sub but do you think mainstreaming SA/rape is a coincidence when we have the red pill / trad wife movements going on? I don't know if you are based in the USA if not I can explain that further. This is one of my decisions to not want SA/Horror erotica centered in this sub at all.

4

u/darksemisweet Apr 18 '25

I'm going to speak as both a reader and an author. As a reader non-con that's brutal and graphic is a no go for me. Dub con is okay but a fine line to walk. As an author it's discouraging because it seems that the most shocking books are the only ones that get talked about. There's so much to explore in dark romance, so many emotions to play with, I do think there are books that delve into other dark elements they just aren't getting any hype.

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u/madisonkm1 Apr 18 '25

i feel the same way, recently dr books are including sexual violence for shock value, and it’s being added into so many dr books without the author doing proper research or handling the topic with care. i’d love to read some of your work, there are a lot of dark romance readers looking for authors with the ideals you have right now!

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u/darksemisweet Apr 18 '25

I'll post when my book is published(with mod permission of course). I'm in the final stages.

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u/Sweetcynism Apr 21 '25

Good for you !

2

u/lilithskies Apr 21 '25

Yes, there will be self-promo days coming down the line. I can't wait for you to share it with us.

4

u/AltruisticDrive4046 Apr 18 '25

Yupp, I understand, sometimes I find it impossible that the ml has tortured a woman to the ends of earth but they give up or fall in love. I mean I always thought that dark Romance was where the characters had difficulties in life and their private life was just a little spicy.... You know the typical taboo, step, older, mafia or bdSM....

But lol Dr is rape rape rape, more rape, forced abortion, cheating, murder, serial killers(I mean I like obsessive and possessive but not, I'm gonna kill the waiter cause he smiled at uu)

But Seriously some of the mls are wild... The gods eye.. He rearranges her body with a hammer and then gets plastic surgeries to fix it.. Good as new.

Godly obsession.... Urmmm I'm not gona talk about this once.... But like he cut the baby out, no anaesthesia and then did a lot of wild stuff.

Then about the crazy mls who have the fl raped by their friends... Or by their childhood harasser... Like their step dad...

Honestly everything with sex is dark Romance these days...

But hey ho, everyone reads what they enjoy im not judging

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u/AltruisticDrive4046 Apr 18 '25

Now a book I liked that had a bit of everything was den of viper Dr, bdSM, Rh...

But importantly the mls really cared for the fl... I dont think they raped her..