5 Dark Romance Books for Beginners
Have you ever wished that you knew where to start when exploring a new subgenre of romance? More specifically, dark romance?
It can be tough to gauge where you’d like to start or what aspects of the subgenres and tropes you might be into. Personally, I love dark fantasy romance. There is nothing hotter than reading about a super unhinged and morally-gray character with wings other than maybe a sunny summer day in Arizona.
If you’ve ever taken on the excruciating task of doing any kind of research to find a beginner friendly dark romance read, you’ll find that everyone has a different opinion. I’ve been reading dark, taboo, and forbidden romances before I even knew that there were labels for what I was reading. I would like to share with you all some of the more digestible easy dark romance reads that I loved that you may have seen come across your timeline in the last year or so!
Paranormal Romance: Pestilence by Laura Thalassa.
We have a post-apocalyptic world that has been ravished by the plague brought on by none other than Pestilence himself. Pestilence here is not just some mist-like figure sweeping through the land. He is a buff, blonde, fabio look alike riding the horse of death. One of the more memorable dark aspects of this story is that she tries to kill him and fails. Obviously. And in return, he drags her behind him on his monster horse. And yes, you did in fact read that right - HE. DRAGS. HER! She does still fall in love with him and so will you along the way but it was a jaw dropper for me. The transformation from monster to man is undeniably heartwarming and this is a book I might consider a “dark romance comfort read” if that ever becomes a thing.
Sports Romance: The Pucking Wrong Number by C.R. Jane
Ever thought that a text from the wrong number could lead to an NHL player stalking you and arranging everything in your life behind the scenes so that he gets the girl by any means necessary? No? Well, C.R. Jane did and boyyy this was a wild ride! This man truly does not know any boundaries, but we can get behind fictional red flags as dark romance girls, guys, and people! Am I right? He does pay off her skeevy landlord to evict her with a hefty check so that she moves in with him. This was kinda NUTS but also very thoughtful in the grand scheme of things. This is truly just the tip of the iceberg for Lincoln's obsession with Monroe and you will have to read the story to find out if you enjoy a stalker-ish hockey player vibe.
BDSM Romance: Praise by Sara Cate.
I promote this book at any opportunity that I get. Sex Club? Ex-Boyfriend’s Dad? BDSM? Yes. Yes. Oh and YES. This follows Charlie and Emerson and their VERY unique love story. The story explores the nuances of both a taboo and forbidden relationship that thrives very successfully in a dominant and submissive setting. If you are new to stories that include aspects of BDSM, this series is a great place to start. You don’t nose dive right into a world of kink and smut, but rather instead you are eased into it as if you’re Charlie herself. BDSM can be done so many ways in dark romance novels that in order to give that sub-subgenre of dark romance a fighting chance, you should start small. Especially, if you have triggers or are still figuring out what your triggers are. Again, this is a great place to start.
Mafia Romance: No Sweeter Poison by Leonora Mendez Castillo.
The love I have for this book will never be measurable because it is truly so grand. I have never consciously considered how much Latina characters represented in the stories I read would impact how I felt while reading about them. I truly saw myself in the female main character who is a Nuyorican like me! The Spanish setting adds a picturesque and dreamy outlook to the story while still giving us darker themes like kidnapping. See how I tried to slide that in there? The upside to the kidnapping is taking the Mafia Boss’ credit card on an unlimited shopping spree with his sister. This is absolutely one of my favorite tropes in Mafia romances. This book leaves us on a cliffhanger, but book 2 is already out for a quick follow-up!
Mythology Retelling: Neon Gods by Katee Robert
There’s a reason that everyone is obsessed with this book. This is a Hades x Persephone retelling that is quite possibly my favorite retelling of their story that I have ever read. Hades comes off as the villain to the world however, he is anything but that to Persephone. There are aspects of exhibitionism and voyeurism which adds a splash of fun and intrigue to the storyline. Reading this story makes you feel like you can be worthy of a divine love in every lifetime. There is a man, woman, or person out there for you that wants nothing but all your dreams to come true. It also didn’t hurt that Hades had a filthy mouth!
Any dark romance reader will have a completely different list of advice for you when jumping in. Here is my advice for those of you looking to dive into the genre:
Check the trigger warnings. These are often found in the beginning or end of the book and if not, they can typically be found on the author’s website
Stick what you know just to ease yourself in until you’re ready to branch off. For example, if you are a fan of cowboy romances and are looking for something dark you can read Sovereign by Raya Morris
Know that it is OKAY to not like the stories we see on mainstream booktok/ bookstagram. Find what works for you! This may take some time, but it’s so worth it in the end!
If you are a dark romance reader that has recommendations for beginner friendly dark romance books, please submit a comment below with the book title and author!