I have been seeing a lot of discourse regarding book cover preferences lately. I wonder if anyone has ever gotten the ick from a book cover? If so, did you still read the book, or was it an immediate no thank youuuu?

It's coming up to my favourite time of year....Hallmark Season!!

Now I'm a horror/high fantasy type of gal, but as soon as October hits I just want to dive into the cheesy, cozy, predictable, sickeningly sweet worlds of Holiday Romances. I have the hallmark channel on 24/7 once November hits all the way to Christmas Day. I would LOVE to know some of your favourite must read holiday romances, the cringier and cheesier the better. If I get enough recs, I'll make a list of them all so anyone who wants to see them can, or if you already have a list, I'd love to follow it!

everyone look away…

I’ll just be over here….heartbroken and crying, crying and heartbroken. In a dark little corner. 🥲. Waiting a whole year I guess.

because here’s the thing. when dark romance hits?? when it’s done RIGHT??? IT’S EVERYTHING. it’s addictive. it’s raw, messed-up, healing, violent, tender, and literally made to make you feel unsafe but understood.

but when it’s BAD… oh we’re entering the trenches of wattpad wattpaddery. the type of books that make u want to call CPS on the author.

🌶️ THE SPICE VS THE STORYLINE BATTLE

let’s just get this out the way: spice ≠ plot.

“he choked her against the wall” is not character development. I am BEGGING.

i want twisted, obsessive, dangerous love, YES — but i want it to mean something. if you’re gonna give me a stalker, give me one who journals about it. if you're gonna give me a killer, give him existential guilt and a soft spot for dogs (*cough AARON WARNER) or something .

like I do NOT want to read 300 pages of two people having hate-$egs. sir that’s ✨just✩ NOT ENOUGH. give me the angst. the longing. the unearned loyalty. the twisted logic of “i know he’s bad but he’s only bad for me 😩.”

if he’s morally grey and lwk unhinged but he breaks when she cries?? i’m sold. if he says “i’d burn the world down for you” and then actually does it??? THAT’S LITERATURE RIGHT THERE. OBSESSEDDDDD

do i need therapy? probably. but also: fictional red flags don’t count. i’m not defending serial killers irl, i’m reading about them being soft for ONE (1) emotionally unavailable woman in fiction. there’s a difference. (*cough AARON WARNER—again)

also can we talk about the ✨MELTDOWNS✨ these men have when the girl they’ve been threatening with a knife to her throat suddenly gets hurt and they realize they have a heart??

like bro u had her tied with chains in chapter 3 and now ur crying because she has a scratch on her hand?

tbh idk if i love or hate it…

💀 THE DARK ROMANCE THAT ISN’T DARK, IT’S JUST ILLEGAL

and now. my 13th reason.

we need to talk about the books that pretend they’re “dark” but really they’re just 🚩🚩🚩 and a lawsuit waiting to happen.

if ur story involves: —teacher/student “romance” (EXCEPT ZODIAC ACADEMY AS THE ONLY EXCEPTION) —a grown man “falling for” a 17-year-old who acts 12 —SA played off as “tension” (girl…rape is not hot, get a grip on urself) —a man being emotionally abusive and calling it “dominance” —stalking and isolation being “protectiveness” with no consequences

CONGRATS. THAT’S NOT DARK. THAT’S JUST DISTURBING.

i’m not saying every dark romance needs to be morally perfect but you can’t just write trauma and never actually unpack it. not every boundary being crossed is spicy. and if the “romance” feels more like a crime scene, you’ve gone too far.

🥹 DARK ROMANCE THAT FEEDS MY SOUL THO??? OBSESSION FUEL.

give me: —complicated men with violent hands and soft hearts —women who are unafraid, messy, morally grey THEMSELVES (WE STANDD) —unhealthy beginnings that turn into loyalty and trust and healingggg (MANIFESTING) —real consequences. real change. real growth.

when a dark romance gives me the full arc — the pain, the slow burn 🔥 , the internal conflict, the oh my god do i deserve love??? monologue — i’m OBSESSED. cuz we LOVE A BROKEN MANNN. (*cough AARON WARNER—again)

like YES KING. FEEL SHAME. NOW GO BE SOFT. I LOVE GOLDEN RETRIEVER ENERGY SM. ♥️

👏 STOP CALLING IT “ALPHA” WHEN IT’S JUST ANGER ISSUES

i’m so tired of the “dominant alpha male” being code for raging narcissist who can’t communicate and punches walls like BROV, ARE U GOOD, DO I NEED TO BOOK U A THERAPIST TO HELP U FIND A DIFFERENT COPING MECHANISM??? what happened to tension without making the love interest a villain for no reason?

we need more dark roms mmc’s who know how to ask “is this okay?” BECAUSE CONSENT IS HOTTTT 🥵

we need less “i’ll punish you for breathing” and more “i’m obsessed with the way you exist and it terrifies me” (*cough AARON WARNER-AGAIN)

like i’m not asking to rewrite the whole character. i still want the morally unwell men. i just want them written by authors who understand that power should feel hot — not predatory.

and totally not judging u if u don’t agree with all these points because sometimes i gotta admit i luv my tortured mafia kings, — but only if they’re written with depth. with nuance. with humanity. (STILL CAN’T BEAT AARON WARNER ANDERSON CHIEF COMMANDER AND REGENT OF SECTOR 45, SON OF THE SUPREMEME COMMANDER OF NORTH AMERICA THO)

and if they beg on their knees? even better 😌

if u have a rec that made u feel feral, unwell, and morally compromised, drop it. i’m ready to spiral again.

#DarkRomanceRecsPlsss #KissMeOrKillMeIDontCare #BurnItAllDownForMeDaddy #PageboundConfessions #iloveaaronwarnerandersonchiefcommanderandregentofsector45sonofthesupremecommanderofthereestablishment

Who was your first book boyfriend and where did you find him? Did you find him in the depths of KU or did you find him on the covers of a penguins publishing co book?or If you're like me, you found him on wattapad. My first book bf was Blake Eaton from the book "i sold myself to the devil for the vinyls, pitiful i know". He was everything and more I could ask for, still one of my top book bfs of all time🥺🫶 So, who was yours?

Also can we get a moment for adult main characters that act and sound like adults 😌 (at least so far 🙈)

The vibes are immaculate

Roman 🥺

because here’s the thing. when dark romance hits?? when it’s done RIGHT??? IT’S EVERYTHING. it’s addictive. it’s raw, messed-up, healing, violent, tender, and literally made to make you feel unsafe but understood.

but when it’s BAD… oh we’re entering the trenches of wattpad wattpaddery. the type of books that make u want to call CPS on the author.

🌶️ THE SPICE VS THE STORYLINE BATTLE

let’s just get this out the way: spice ≠ plot.

“he choked her against the wall” is not character development. I am BEGGING.

i want twisted, obsessive, dangerous love, YES — but i want it to mean something. if you’re gonna give me a stalker, give me one who journals about it. if you're gonna give me a killer, give him existential guilt and a soft spot for dogs (*cough AARON WARNER) or something .

like I do NOT want to read 300 pages of two people having hate-$egs. sir that’s ✨just✩ NOT ENOUGH. give me the angst. the longing. the unearned loyalty. the twisted logic of “i know he’s bad but he’s only bad for me 😩.”

if he’s morally grey and lwk unhinged but he breaks when she cries?? i’m sold. if he says “i’d burn the world down for you” and then actually does it??? THAT’S LITERATURE RIGHT THERE. OBSESSEDDDDD

do i need therapy? probably. but also: fictional red flags don’t count. i’m not defending serial killers irl, i’m reading about them being soft for ONE (1) emotionally unavailable woman in fiction. there’s a difference. (*cough AARON WARNER—again)

also can we talk about the ✨MELTDOWNS✨ these men have when the girl they’ve been threatening with a knife to her throat suddenly gets hurt and they realize they have a heart??

like bro u had her tied with chains in chapter 3 and now ur crying because she has a scratch on her hand?

tbh idk if i love or hate it…

💀 THE DARK ROMANCE THAT ISN’T DARK, IT’S JUST ILLEGAL

and now. my 13th reason.

we need to talk about the books that pretend they’re “dark” but really they’re just 🚩🚩🚩 and a lawsuit waiting to happen.

if ur story involves: —teacher/student “romance” (EXCEPT ZODIAC ACADEMY AS THE ONLY EXCEPTION) —a grown man “falling for” a 17-year-old who acts 12 —SA played off as “tension” (girl…rape is not hot, get a grip on urself) —a man being emotionally abusive and calling it “dominance” —stalking and isolation being “protectiveness” with no consequences

CONGRATS. THAT’S NOT DARK. THAT’S JUST DISTURBING.

i’m not saying every dark romance needs to be morally perfect but you can’t just write trauma and never actually unpack it. not every boundary being crossed is spicy. and if the “romance” feels more like a crime scene, you’ve gone too far.

🥹 DARK ROMANCE THAT FEEDS MY SOUL THO??? OBSESSION FUEL.

give me: —complicated men with violent hands and soft hearts —women who are unafraid, messy, morally grey THEMSELVES (WE STANDD) —unhealthy beginnings that turn into loyalty and trust and healingggg (MANIFESTING) —real consequences. real change. real growth.

when a dark romance gives me the full arc — the pain, the slow burn 🔥 , the internal conflict, the oh my god do i deserve love??? monologue — i’m OBSESSED. cuz we LOVE A BROKEN MANNN. (*cough AARON WARNER—again)

like YES KING. FEEL SHAME. NOW GO BE SOFT. I LOVE GOLDEN RETRIEVER ENERGY SM. ♥️

👏 STOP CALLING IT “ALPHA” WHEN IT’S JUST ANGER ISSUES

i’m so tired of the “dominant alpha male” being code for raging narcissist who can’t communicate and punches walls like BROV, ARE U GOOD, DO I NEED TO BOOK U A THERAPIST TO HELP U FIND A DIFFERENT COPING MECHANISM??? what happened to tension without making the love interest a villain for no reason?

we need more dark roms mmc’s who know how to ask “is this okay?” BECAUSE CONSENT IS HOTTTT 🥵

we need less “i’ll punish you for breathing” and more “i’m obsessed with the way you exist and it terrifies me” (*cough AARON WARNER-AGAIN)

like i’m not asking to rewrite the whole character. i still want the morally unwell men. i just want them written by authors who understand that power should feel hot — not predatory.

and totally not judging u if u don’t agree with all these points because sometimes i gotta admit i luv my tortured mafia kings, — but only if they’re written with depth. with nuance. with humanity. (STILL CAN’T BEAT AARON WARNER ANDERSON CHIEF COMMANDER AND REGENT OF SECTOR 45, SON OF THE SUPREMEME COMMANDER OF NORTH AMERICA THO)

and if they beg on their knees? even better 😌

if u have a rec that made u feel feral, unwell, and morally compromised, drop it. i’m ready to spiral again.

#DarkRomanceRecsPlsss #KissMeOrKillMeIDontCare #BurnItAllDownForMeDaddy #PageboundConfessions #iloveaaronwarnerandersonchiefcommanderandregentofsector45sonofthesupremecommanderofthereestablishment

What are your favorites books with a "friends to lovers" vibe? I'm tired of seeing the same "enemies to lovers" popular books that are not even proper enemies to lovers, barely rivals/dude I fancy but pretend I don't to lovers.

WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA