Recs if you like The Mindf*ck Series...

| 2026 | verity: october 2 sense & sensibility: october 16 sunrise on the reaping: november 20 dune messiah: december 18

| 2027 | children of blood & bone: january 15 the nightingale: february 12 beach read: may 7

| 2028 | cinder: november 3

tortured/traumatised MCs where the love interest endeavours to eliminate the root cause of their trauma by any means necessary (some may eventuate in death) ⚔️ protective mode, activated ⚔️

⚠️ CHECK YOUR TRIGGERS

Love that lurks in the shadows — obsession, stalking, and desire that won’t let go 👀 • i̲ o̲n̲l̲y̲ a̲d̲d̲ 1̲s̲t̲ b̲o̲o̲k̲ o̲f̲ t̲h̲e̲ s̲e̲r̲i̲e̲s̲,̲ s̲o̲ k̲e̲e̲p̲ o̲n̲ m̲i̲n̲d̲ t̲h̲e̲ r̲e̲s̲t̲ o̲f̲ t̲h̲e̲ s̲e̲r̲i̲e̲s̲ i̲s̲ a̲l̲s̲o̲ d̲a̲r̲k̲ r̲o̲m̲a̲n̲c̲e̲ • this list includes: dark romance in every way, dark gothic, dark academia, dark romcom, horror romance, halloween romance • 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐝

black cat x golden retriever vibes but darker and more unhinged 🐈‍⬛ i want to cheer on an absolute Bad Bitch and pretend i do not see the red flags 🥵 both MCs morally grey also welcomed. she may be stabby but its all in the name of love

❗️CHECK YOUR TRIGGERS❗️

For those who read the knife handle scene in Lights Out and went "why do I wanna try it?"

Just books I thought helped show the primal feminine rage we are all experiencing right now in the dumpster fire 🔥 of a planet

Need dark romance recs? 🖤🔥

Obsessive love. Toxic tension. Betrayal that tastes like devotion.

Enemies who touch like lovers. Soulmates who destroy.

Slow burns that scorch. Fast flames that consume.

If you want romance that hurts so good…
We got you 🫶🏻

*** Only the first book of the series have been added ***

Crime, obsession, feminine rage etc 🩷

Give me more badass FMCs who don’t wait for someone else to save the day!! Quick with a blade, quicker with a comeback, these bad b*tches take on monsters, villains, and terrible life choices with equal ferocity. If you’re looking for women who break rules, break hearts, and occasionally break a few bones, this is the ultimate list for you.

Suspense & Thrillers

💀 Think: summer camp slashers, cults, sweaty obsession, monster boyfriends, demon bargains, serial-killer romance, haunted lust, cursed vacations, blood under porch lights.

🧡 These recommendations range from zero romance and spice to scorching summerween smut.

🔞 Big warning label: a lot of these are very adult, dark, taboo, kinky, violent, or horror-heavy. Definitely check trigger warnings before diving in.

list inspired by olivia rodrigo’s new album🎀 includes love stories laced with a little melancholy ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ (iykyk)

Contains books that are romantic thrillers or romantic mysteries

Every single person in this book could benefit from some professional help

there are wayyyy too many to keep track of so i’ll leave them here until they go into production/release

A little bit of dark romance doesn’t hurt to read. Leave a book in the comments you think I should add to the list.