This is very specific cause I REALLY REALLY liked it when this happened on {Call Me Irresistable by Susan Elizabeth Phillips} and oh boy was it executed well which I really enjoyed.

Like it was done in public and the reactions was fun to read about including the FMC going "wow that was stupid

So yes something like this. My only example is the call me irresistable book

Contemporary is preferred but historical or fantasy romance is fine. No cheating and HEA !

PS. if it has 3rd act breakup just let me know.

People always say, "That's great in fiction, but it would never work in reality." And sure, some romance tropes are unrealistic or unhealthy to expect from a real partner.

But I'm curious about the opposite.

What's something from romance novels that made you realize, "That's the new bare minimum for me now".

Basically, this:

MMC: "Your father put you up as collateral in case he couldn't pay back his debts. Now you must marry me."

FMC: "Why?"

MMC: "...What do you mean, why? It's in writing. You have no choice." (shows her a contract) "See?"

FMC: (reads it, tears it up)

MMC: "What the fuck?! That's a binding contract!"

FMC: "Not for me. I'm not bound by a contract to which I wasn't a party."

MMC: "Yes, you are! Your father even signed it in a solution of your mother's menstrual blood and the liquefied vomit of a magical space unicorn!"

FMC: "Okay, first of all, ew. Second of all, the fact that I never signed anything already rendered this thing null and void. Third of all, even if it hadn't, the attempt to compel me into marriage would have. And, finally, even if it were legally enforceable, what were you gonna do? Sue me for breach of contract? Expose your whole thing in front of a room full of lawyers?"

MMC: "THE MAGICAL SPACE UNICORN WAS NAMED BUCKY!"

FMC: "Cute, but still no. Are we done here?"

MMC: "NO! No, we're not!" (holds a gun to her father's head) "Marry me or he dies!"

FMC: (shrugs) "Go ahead. He might have sucked at selling me out, but he sure gave it a try. I don't need to care what happens to him anymore. Hell, give ME the gun. I'll do it myself. Also, you just admitted that you have to resort to blackmail because your contract isn't actually worth shit."

MMC: "But I've been secretly lusting after you for years! I'd want to marry you regardless!"

FMC: "Amazingly, that doesn't make any of what just happened better."

MMC: (sighs) "All right. You leave me no choice." (walks over and looms over her)

FMC: "Um, what are you doing?"

MMC: "I am making you wet and pliable by summoning the power of dominant alpha hotness."

FMC: "Your tie is in your zipper."

MMC: "Motherf--" (fixes it) "Okay, now."

FMC: (waits) "Yeah, I'm drier than Death Valley right now. I'm leaving."

MMC: "Not unless Frankie over by the door stops you."

FMC: (not even turning around) "Hey, Frankie, there's some nice gabagool in the kitchen."

FRANKIE: "Gabagool?!" (runs out)

FMC: "Anything else?"

MMC: "Student loans."

FMC: "Fully funded 529."

MMC: "Fleabag apartment."

FMC: "No, it's pretty clean."

MMC: "Unfulfilled dream of opening a bakery."

FMC: "Why would I want to get up that early every day?"

MMC: "THIS. NECKLACE."

FMC: "I hate peridots."

MMC: (defeated) "Can I offer you a ride on Bucky?"

FMC: "Not if he's still vomiting. See ya."

Heyyy readers 👋 I desperately need books where the FMC herself uses the MMC as a shield to protect herself!

I don't want the MMC stepping in front of her first. I want her to be the one who runs behind him and uses him as a human shield.

Like maybe she's scared of a lizard, rat, cockroach or literally anything and just grabs the back of his shirt and presses herself against his back while he's standing there confused or amused! Like in {till summer do us part by meghan quinn}

I NEED scenes where she's clutching his clothes for dear life and doesn't even realize how close she's gotten until later. Maybe he's annoyed or maybe he's laughing at her but I want him to be aware of the contact and maybe he looks over his shoulder and they've an intense eye contact 😭

Or it can be a serious scene too. She's scared, nervous, overwhelmed, uncomfortable, and her first instinct is to move behind him and use him as a barrier between herself and whatever's bothering her.

The important thing is that SHE does it first. Not him.

I want the MMC ready to step up, but before he can even move she's already hiding behind him like protect me!! make it go away!!

Bonus points if this happens multiple times throughout the book and eventually becomes her automatic response whenever she's scared or startled. Pls pls pls give me book recommendations also I think {fractured souls by neva altaj} fits partially because she was scared to do anything but it was her trauma response.

The way I ran here after seeing this!

Some of you might remember my emotions thread after I read {Pen Pal by J. T. Geissinger} and the twist at the end ruined me because I wanted them to get their HEA dammit! … well, looks like they are finally going to! I can’t wait for this book 😍😍

The new book is called Pen Pal: Afterlife and releasing Nov 24

You know how we’re always reading about MMCs who’ve slept with half the city, only to toss women aside like they meant nothing?

I need the role reversal.

Give me an FMC who’s the player. She sleeps with many men with zero strings attached. Commitment and clinginess makes her sick, and the only guys she’s willing to keep around are reliable booty calls with good dick. She can be a nice whore (non-derogatory) or an egotistical menace, I genuinely don’t care.

As for the MMC, he doesn’t necessarily have to be meek or shy (which, it’s fine if he is). I just want him to be inexperienced and/or someone who genuinely believes in love. And if he’s neither of those, I’ll happily take a tall, muscular grump who’s never cared enough about sex to bother with it…until he meets our FMC, of course.

I also want the MMC so down bad, it’s not even funny. I want him relentlessly pursuing her, doing literally anything he can to get her to give him a real chance.

I’m so tired of sexually liberated women getting the worst representation in romance. The “slut” is always the groupie, the side piece, the puck bunny, or the MMC’s unhinged former hookup who refuses to leave him alone. Meanwhile, the MMC who’s slept his way through his entire country gets a heartfelt redemption arc. I’m so over this trope. 😭

Bonus points if the FMC annoyingly does literally *ANYTHING* in her power to avoid her feelings for him once they start creeping in. Denial, self-sabotage, emotional constipation, pushing the mmc away, trying to get the mmc out of her mind by linking with her past-hookups. I mean ANYTHING.

It MUST be STRANGERS TO LOVERS. I don't want them to have any shared history, childhood connection, past romance, or secret relationship. They should be COMPLETE STRANGERS.

Bonus points if it's a workplace/office romance.

The heroine is misunderstood by everyone. She's cold, aloof, intimidating, and generally disliked, but beneath that icy exterior she's deeply lonely. Her coldness is simply a defense mechanism born from past trauma. (She is not neurodivergent).

The hero is her complete opposite. Everyone likes him - he's charismatic, confident, sociable, and effortlessly charming. He's genuinely kind, not a playboy or womanizer. He's also highly intelligent, observant, and emotionally perceptive.

He's always been intrigued by the ice queen and may have even developed a small, secret crush on her from afar, but never approached her because of how intimidating and prickly she is.

When they finally begin interacting, he's patient, gentle, and quietly persistent. He loves teasing her just enough to get a reaction, and he finds her fiery, prickly side incredibly attractive. Meanwhile, she tries to hide how flustered he makes her by becoming even colder and more defensive.

I want a true slow burn, where every wall he helps her tear down only makes him fall deeper in love with her. Once he learns about the trauma she's been carrying, he becomes fiercely protective of her.

Please recommend romance novels that match this dynamic as closely as possible. I've been searching for this kind of romance for a long time. 🥹

Hiii, I’m specifically, I’m looking for scenes where the MCs aren’t officially together yet or it’s benefits situation, or the MMC is still denying his feelings), and they’re at a club, party, bar, wedding, or some other social event. Any variation works where the MCs aren’t officially not officially together yet or if one of the MC believes they are not together.

An OM starts flirting with or trying to pick up the FMC, and the MMC. I want him to swoop in with major “back off, she’s mine” energy. The more over-the-top, and irrational his reaction is, the better. Bonus if this leads to angst afterwards because the FMC is confused and calls him out. They’re not together, so what right does he have to act like that? I’d love for the MMC to have to confront his own feelings after being so possessive. Open to contemporary, sports, mafia, dark romance, paranormal, fantasy, and omegaverse. No cheating or RH please.
Thank you!

I’m looking for books like Ain't She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

I love the "it girl comes home" trope — the popular, beautiful FMC who left her high school heartthrob and the town she swore she’d never return to. Rich, spoiled princess energy. Broke hearts. Ruined reputations. Comes back years later broke and desperate.

But here’s the twist I need:
She’s the one who dumped the popular MMC in high school, and he moved on. Now she’s back and he’s already with another woman he doesn’t love. I don’t mind OW/OM drama as long as there’s angst, jealousy, and both of them pining.

In Ain't She Sweet, Sugar Beth and Ryan don’t end up together. I want the opposite — FMC and MMC DO get their happy ending, despite everything.

Hi r/RomanceBooks! It's time for a TBR Binge or Bin (yes, we used to call it TBR Round Up, but alliteration is fun).

So, what books have been languishing on your TBR? Anything you've wondered "Is this worth reading?" or "Does this get better?" Want to know if Booms and Bangs, Book 2 in the Fireworks Forever series should be your next read or if the new Sandra Sunshine is right for you?

Post here and let someone convince you to binge 'em or bin 'em.

Lots of books today couldn’t scratch the itch for me due to the lack of the art of subtlety in the writing and the characters were always OTT and immature brat.

If anyone have any recommendations for mature characters with subtle writing and dialogue, please point me and tell me what the book is about and what the characters are like. Thank you 🙏

I prefer M/F, contemporary, historical, dark romance .

I just feel like reading about someone who is maybe a bit of a psycho, but in a quiet way, not OTT and cringey.

Hey y’all! So I’m really craving a book (maybe femdom? But not necessarily) where the dynamic between the FMC and MMC is that the MMC absolutely WORSHIPS the FMC’s body. The MMC is absolutely devoted to the FMC’s pleasure and gets off when she gets off. I want an MMC who eats out the FMC like nobody’s business and where the FMC’s pleasure is centered in most all the sex scenes. I’m talking MMC who would eat the FMC out for hours or finger her for hours until she comes. I am completely okay with femdom and would love to see books where the FMC is sexually dominant, open about her desires, and assertive about what she wants. The MMC should be receptive to this and enjoy the dynamic. I do not want an MMC who is resistant or critical of the FMC’s sexual openness. I don’t want any alphaholes, MMCs who use sexist nicknames, MMCs who act as though they own the FMC’s body, MMCs who try to control the FMCs life/choices, or authors who describe other female characters in super negative ways (like criticizing, other female characters in the book for being sluts, ugly, etc.).

Please help!!

I want to read something where a character was rich but now is working class. I want the MMC to be the former rich one, when these tropes apply to women they usually have to humble the arrogant woman and I don't like that.

The FMC takes pity on him and helps him budget and grocery shop adding rice/oats to stretch ground beef "brilliant" putting a meal in the slow cooker before work so you won't be tempted to eat out "genius".

And I would prefer for him not to be a billionaire at the end.

I am currently at 70% into the book and thinking to DNF but at the same time thinking maybe I should just finish it. I was wondering if you have any limit

Hello!!!! I’ve been thinking about this specific trope? For a while, and I’ve yet to sadly come across any books that may have it.

There’s a sort of specific scene/moment/storyline where it’s rooted in found family and the mmc needs to appear as if he had died and everyone in his friend group or close family is aware of it except for the fmc, and she can’t know, maybe for her safety I’m not sure just a very good reason.

And it takes his family and friends to comfort her in ways and then to give the mmc updates and he’d emotionally dying from the hurt the situation is causing her. She’d start to close off or just not be herself.

And then obviously it’ll be relieved mmc is actually alive but fmc goes ballistic because like whaaat?

Anyways, recommendations are greatly appreciated! (No RH, HR, omega verse or paranormal please!)

Might be weird, but I want a story where the plot is around marine animals, the main characters are scuba divers, maybe in a live in boat, or an island.

Could be marine biologists or scuba instructor / student, I don't know haha

I just want them to dive in the ocean and see beautiful animals and then bond over the exhaustion after a dive 😅

I went into Bad Bishop expecting to DNF it because I usually stay far away from dark romances, mafia romances also the books with trigger warnings for rape and violence. They are just not my thing. But every now and then a book comes along with such an interesting plot that I can't resist and this was one of those books.

The reason I picked it up in the first place was because I came across an excerpt where the MMC was helping the FMC sleep by giving her orgasms because it was the only thing that calmed her enough to rest. What made that scene even sweeter (also kinda funny lol) was that he was completely inexperienced so he actually sought advice from a professional sex therapist. That little detail made me curious enough to start the book.

Romance wasn't the only thing that kept me hooked, I genuinely wanted to know what had really happened. The ending completely blindsided me. That plot twist had me staring at the page with my mouth hanging open.

One character I don't see people talking about enough is the mother. The story tries to paint her as selfish at one point but I never hated her. I could understand why she made the choices she did. She wasn't perfect but everything she did came from wanting to protect her daughter the best way she knew how.

Overall this wasn't an easy read and I would definitely tell people to take the trigger warnings seriously. But if you're someone who enjoys a dark story with emotional depth, morally gray characters and a twist that genuinely catches you off guard I would say it's worth picking up.

book recs that is similar to {A Girl by any other name by M.k schiller}

she’s in the witness program, she relocated, then met MMC, childhood frenemies, but then she has to move (again) so faked her death.

I searched amnesia recs but it doesn’t hit quite the same. Romantic suspense fits the later part of the book but not all of it. Rlly like the fact that she is presumed dead but not bcs of amnesia. Also, MMC is sad but dedicated his life for her and never lost hope.

i am good with anything except RH, and poly

anyone can help in pinpointing the tropes and book recs?

{A Girl by any other name by M.k schiller}

Liam motherfucking Black is the Irish mob topdog in this series from Geissinger which precedes her Monsters and Queens series. I blatantly fkd this series reading order up. My ignorance knows no bounds! In Beautifully Cruel, we meet characters like Diego, Declan and Killian, to name a few, all of whom either guest star in other novels or actually get their own novel. That's something I love about Geissinger, her interconnecting series and characters which give the reader an easter egg moment. I picture Geissinger in her opulent office, manically guarding a detective board with red string connecting to characters' faces. All part of her evil plan to dominate the reading market!!

In this novel we meet the utterly brilliant Truvy, our FMC who does not take shit from anyone, especially Liam Black. She is so true to herself, has a methodical way of thinking and actually decides against entering potentially dangerous situations. Shocking!! A FMC who says to herself, ya know what? This guy is maybe not worth the trouble. I loved that about Truvy. Liam had to go to some seriously morally grey lengths to prove himself to her. I quite enjoyed that too. For those that have not read this novel, it’s about a gorgeous southern waitress living in the big smoke, when a certain hot stranger begins to frequent the diner she works at, only sitting in her section. This song and dance lasts quite a while before the two really get to talkin’, and even then, Liam is very much the tortured soul type who must keep himself away from her, for her own safety. He fails miserably at that though.

When Truvy is brutally attacked in the alley next to her work, Liam comes to her rescue and eventually makes her an offer to spend 30 days with him. This is his compromise considering he can’t have a committed relationship in his line of work. I’ll leave it there so I don’t spoil anything, but I must say, Truvy is one of the best FMCs Geissinger has created. Although to be fair, Geissinger creates pretty damn solid FMCs most of the time. I fall in love again and again with each woman I get to read about. I loved Truvy’s mannerisms, her confidence, her strength and her sense of humour. A woman after my own heart! Yes, yes, Liam is also fabulous. He’s hot, he’s Irish, and he’s obsessed with Truvy. What more could I ask for in a mafia romance? I am positively foaming at the bit to listen to Killian’s novel.

Love, R&R

- Forced proximity

- Mafia romance

- Irish MMC

- Slow burn

- 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

I recently read A Darkness So Sweet by Emma Hamm which then lead me to a re-read of Radiance by Grace Draven (similar vibes) and now I just need more! I also think that Luxuria from Colette Rhodes kind of fits this for anyone in the same boat as me.

Basically the commonalities here that I love are:
- MMC and FMC from two very different worlds or different races and basically find each other repulsive, scary, and/or weird in appearance.
- They get married to bring their kingdoms together or for similar reasons (arranged marriage)
- fall in love with who the person is, which then makes them physically attracted to them
- FMC is going to a culture better than hers (ie. treat women better, people are kinder, etc)
- wholesome romance that also has spice
- found family aspects

Thanks so much in advance! :)

I had an interesting time knowing how my fellow reader friends of this sub handle book length from my last post.

It sparked another curiosity to know how you guys deal with episodic fiction. To be clear, novels that get released chapter by chapter or a set of chapters get released at once and we get the next set once it's released rather than the traditional book series that we get. These are usually web native. If they're offline they're usually released as a part in daily or weekly magazines.

Excluding all kinds of TV and web series, I've read a few episodic novels and comics. I've been on three the sides, patiently reading all of it and loving it by the end, dropping it somewhere in the middle as it was a drag or I don't like where the plot goes or any other reason, also reading it eagerly and loving it only for the author to stop continuing the story.

Third one is the worst that I wouldn't wish for an enemy. I'm still sulking for the stories that didn't get an ending.

What are your thoughts? Such a pleasure to read them. I'm loving to see how other romance reading friends are doing things.

Finding bully romances very cathartic at the moment. I’ve just finished Untouchable by Sam Mariano and I found it gripping and really enjoyed the time and attention devoted to the psychological deep dive in the MMC.

One line that the FMC says to the MMC about how she views relationship and dating however really stuck out to me, and I started considering the capacity for demisexual representation and a whole new craving was born!

Book genies, I’m looking for a bully romance with a popular/golden boy MMC with that fixated pursuant energy, and the FMC being more aloof. Well developed characters is a must! I really enjoyed the time devoted to character psychology in Untouchable, and I’m told that can be common in Dark Romance storylines. I’m open to that, too (just please give me a heads up with the TWs! I can handle non-con as long as it’s treated *realistically* as a survivor (i.e Untouchable handled the coping strategies survivors often employ REALLY well and made it clear this was what was happening) and not minimised/reframed by the FMC and the MMC never gaslit her with “you liked it” nonsense 🙏🏽). Setting wise I’d prefer it have that community/peer pressure setting: college or high school, or a workplace in a field that’s got that hierarchical element e.g attorneys in a law firm, or healthcare workers in a hospital.

I listened to this series on Audible probably close to 10 years ago.

The series is about a family of brothers who have a cattle ranch in I think Montana? And they have angel names like Gabriel but goes by Gabe.

The first book is the oldest brother with the “girl next door” and her name is Jax. There’s also a set of twins and a brother who ends up in a poly relationship. Another brother ends up with a woman with kids who escaped a cult and can’t have standard penetration sex and he goes to the poly brother for advice.

Narrators are Tatiana Sokolov or Tanya Eby.

I remember so much about this series but scrolling through my reading history I cannot find it! There was a request recently and the book with the woman who escaped the cult fit the brief exactly but I could not for the life of me find it.

I KNOW you ladies can help me. Please and thank you!!!

I want rockstar/popstar but not JUST that. I want specifically the OTHER partner not knowing that they’re famous when they first meet and begin to fall in love.

❌ {If you don’t love me we both die by CM Stunich}
She knows he’s a pop star before they meet, so not like this!

✅ {The Comeback by Lily Chu}
She doesn’t know he’s famous at all!!

✅any pairing m/f, m/m, f/f etc

❌no cheating

❌no poly OR RH

❌no real people!!

Thank you!