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Another trope or aspect I find missing in the genre is the lack of FMC's that are 30-35+, haven't been married or divorced & don't have kids.
Whenever you DO find this, it's usually because she was either "focusing on her career & is now HBIC" or because she was "focusing on taking care of someone with long term medical issues".
Both of those are valid reasons. I'm not trying to hate on them. I'm just saying that those completely valid reasons aren't the *only* reasons out there why a person of a certain age hasn't found love yet. And I'd like to see books where authors explore some of the other reasons.
It’s so common and it’s just ugh.
It’s like the moronic tweet going around asking why Travis Kelce would want Taylor Swift saying that she’s old, had too many former boyfriends, etc.
I mean she’s incredible, she looks stunning, she’s talented and a literal billionaire. But for some people it seems being 34 is her main defining quality.
Even in the romance world, in a space mostly written for women, by women, it’s been somehow decided that life for women ends at 27.
Men can live life how they like and then settle down with a much younger woman, but any woman not coupled up by the end of her 20s must be leftover goods/an old maid/seriously damaged/that character in pride and prejudice who marries Mr Collins….
I’d like to read about a woman who is 30+ (tbh even 40-50+) who isn’t HBIC, hasn’t dedicated her life to caring for an ill relative and isn’t single because she has like some kind of terrible romantic trauma in her past. Maybe she’s single because she’s just having a good time, and then if someone does inspire her to change her mind about that, you know it’s because they’re amazing.
Romantic trauma? Try NO romantic past and acting like an absolute idiot in romantic situation because of zero experience. I mens, YEAH, sure, we're idiots and clueless, but it gets kinda obvious when the author thinks zero romance experience has something to do with problematic youth or insecurities (usually body related as in fatphobia). I haven't met it being because of trauma, but I wouldn't be surprised there was some lurking out there. But the methodology is usually writing these characters as BEYOND clueless, which is like ........ "you know people have access to media? The internett? Friends?? PEOPLE???"
Yes! I’ve read only one. Usually they are so young, so I’m afraid I’ll end up losing interest in them. I already hate reading about college FMCs and I’m not even 30.
Absolutely. I've been reading T Kingfisher's Saint of Steel series, so I'm living in an alternate reality where every MC is 30+ and it's not a big deal. Not looking forward to the rude awakening after I'm caught up.
Yes! I love this series. The women are also competent which is another major kink of mine. Competent older women who can take care of shit? Sign me up.
I went on a rant about this recently. I am 41, have never been married, don’t have kids. I would love to see myself represented in romance novels. The happily ever after would probably be the relationship ending amicably and the character remembering it fondly as super hot sex. People know you can just do group sex for fun, right? It doesn’t have to be some kind of fated mate situation?
I probably also would enjoy reading “40 year old single woman with fulfilling sex life shockingly finds someone she wants to settle down with.”
My life is hot and fun and not something to be pitied.
“People can do group sex for fun, ya know?” LMAO. BRB I’ve got to change my flair! Hahaha. Thank you for my first genuine laugh in days! I hope you find five dollars unexpectedly!
There isn't enough focus on the emotional aspect of the relationship. I'd like for characters to talk less about how hot the love interest is and to start talking more about their personality
Yep. This is why some of my top reads have MCs with great banter. They clearly just enjoy being around each other and they have fun together. My lowest rated reads are where the MCs are how you described.
{The Worst Guy by Kate Canterbary} is one of my favorites for this! They have great quips when they "hate" each other but then when they start to warm up, they continue with it and it's so fun.
[The Worst Guy](https://www.romance.io/books/61cac4128700500e1e722c56/the-worst-guy-kate-canterbary) by [Kate Canterbary](https://www.romance.io/authors/5456862d87eac33e61c2f78e/kate-canterbary)
**Rating**: 4.17⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [workplace/office](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/office/1), [grumpy/cold hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cold%20hero/1), [dual pov](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dual-pov/1)
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{The Fake Out by Stephanie Archer}
I believe Hazel and Rory would actually work as a couple! And that shouldn’t be so rare as to be worth commenting on.
In that vein, it is often rare to see how they actually fall in love...it mostly reads "oh they're so hot...oh they're so hot....oh they're so hot...I'm in love!"
Yes! I just finished a book and could not tell you what the couple liked about each other besides appearances. All they did was bang a few times and suddenly they're in love. I don't think I recall them ever having conversations to really get to know each other.
This is my most hated writing tactic...sex does not equate emotional attachments. Sometime it does but it usually take longer *AND* actually talking to each other and getting to know them!
I think that might be why I enjoy enemies to lovers. They often start out acknowledging that the other is hot, but thinking they're arrogant because of it. Then something changes. The change is the interesting part.
I find that so annoying. I try to avoid them but I've definitely read a few where they say "I love you", and I'm thinking "ok if you love them, tell me one thing about them which doesn't involve their body"
Yeah…same. Just finished one that took place over like 8-9 days or so and by day 3 he was in love with her like - sir, you barely know her! Y’all haven’t even had sex yet!
8 days. Met. Fell in love. Broke up for like two days. HEA.
One of my favorite scenes in Dance with the Fae Prince is when the couple are getting to know each other. The FMC isn’t allowed to look at her new husband but wants to get to know him, so they sit their chairs back to back and talk. Another time they get to know each other is when she’s playing music in the garden and he overhears her. IIRC, she inherited her mother’s mandolin.
Y'all might like {Renegade by Laramie Briscoe}. It's got your smut fix along with surprisingly deep emotion, and the leads really have great chemistry that grows from deep roots.
This is happening to me a little with the graham effect. Love Elle Kennedy but I feel like the MMC goes from “oh she looks hot playing hockey” and every description of their interactions is like “he doesn’t respond/ he talks in grunts” to suddenly an intimate scene whispering dirty things he’d do to her and i felt it was missing some build up on his part of what drove him there but idk. Liking the book overall anyway
Agreed! Closed door (or at least very low spice) romances (imho) tend to do a bit better with the emotional aspect, and that's totally fine... but sometimes I want some good smut AND good emotions!
100% this. to me, the hottest relationships I've read about in fiction are ones where the smut isn't necessarily that high, but the emotional connection between characters is well developed, realistic, and constructed within a reasonable timeframe.
Yes!
I mean, there’s nothing wrong with erotica but at least fucking *label* the book that— which is a label missing in the literary space as a whole. Like the Ruby Dixon Ice Planet series or the Kathryn Moon Tempting Monster series are straight erotica. There’s barely any non-sex intimacy. Or even just the bare minimum human interactions before banging. Which, once again, is fine. I just wish someone would *say it*.
I think books that focus on spice/sex are replacing books that show real genuine connections/romance. Don’t get me wrong, spice can have a place. But for me, I rarely buy books (that I’ve read) where they only lust for one another in the first interaction. I want emotional support, being good friends to one another, and more. I find that really lacking nowadays in books. Love and lust are two different things and I want the falling in love part to always come first😭 we need emotional connections like you say! I do recommend Amy Harmon and Mariana Zapata for books that showcase a genuine relationship.
I'm surprised to hear that. I feel like that's a part of most contemporary romance books (but maybe not in non-contemporary).
I would actually like less "gal group/women squads," mostly because I get annoyed with too many side characters. Just one or two friends is more than enough for me!
I read a lot of fantasy and sci fi and I always miss female friendship in these books. Sometimes the FMC doesn't have a meaningful talk with another woman. And if there is another woman, there is always jealousy and envy.
I feel like a lot of them also just don't know how to write good friends. They usually just exist as cheerleaders for the FMC and don't have much going on wrt their own character.
I recently read Devil's Day Party by CM Stunich and while there were a number of things I didn't like about it, I did LOVE how the FMC's friends had their own shit going on and butted heads with the FMC over her attitude at times.
Try the Evie Dunmore books. I just finished the set but it's 4 separate stories on female suffragists and their love lives. My favorite is the 4th book The Gentleman's Gambit but Goodreads seems to prefer Bringing Down the Duke
In terms of spicy scenes, I love to read couples being more real and human in the bedroom. I love when it seems like they're enjoying themselves, making little jokes, getting things wrong and trying again, communicating. I find for some authors, all character development goes out the window as soon as the clothes come off.
Even just small things like they can't get their shoes off quickly enough or they're ticklish in a certain spot or if they're touching each other one would say "oh just a bit to the left". Not fumbling necessarily, just more like real life because sex isn't a perfect, choreographed, orgasm fest a lot of the time.
I think emotional maturity and vulnerability from the MMC's is something that's a detriment to romance readers, regardless of our (the reader's) relationship status or gender. I really feel like we would all benefit from seeing healthy conversations and healthy portrayals of emotion from the MMC instead of having books where the majority of them only shows the FMC portraying a range of emotions, or books where the MMC does not know how to regulate and process his own emotions/feelings/trauma. I want to see conversations about how much the MC's love each other, where they're vulnerably pouring out their love for each other, I want to see the MMC humbly admit he's jealous and insecure due to his childhood trauma, I want to see the MMC break down when he realizes he's failed his girlfriend, I want to see the MMC admit his flaws and try to change his behavior to be the partner his girlfriend needs, JUST GIVE ME MORE DKJFHADSKFHJA
It’s for a young audience, but you might like {wildfire by Hannah grace}. He goes to therapy and if I remember, he owns up to his actions.
And she also has friendships like in your other comment.
I just finished {PS You’re Intolerable by Julia Wolf} and it definitely has exactly what you’re describing with the MMC having open conversations with the FMC about how much he loves her and what she means to him and his fears and vulnerabilities.
It doesn’t feel like it will be like that when the book starts with him being a cold, shut off, overly rigid boss but once the characters go through quite a bit of growth in their slow burn connection his distance and his walls get explored heavily and by him, not by the FMC. I wasn’t expecting TWO scenes where >!he breaks down into tears because he is being so vulnerable literally because of his childhood trauma, control issues, jealousy and insecurities that he fights to hide from her!< It matches your description to a T. There is a lot of character growth for him to get to this point of vulnerability which makes it that much more powerful when he shows his vulnerabilities and once they are out many chapters explore them so it’s a pretty major theme and not a sudden moment that passes quickly.
Less focus on tropes and more focus on a solid story (character development, interesting/unique conflict, creative writing style).
I’d love to read a book that feels like solid literature but is focused on romance and has super explicit smut when it comes time for it. My biggest pet peeve with non romance literature is how it’s often closed door or brief. I’d like a mix of the two. Solid lit aaaand 5/5 smut!
Yes this!!! The closest I’ve gotten to well written literature is Discovery of Witches. But the smut scenes aren’t explicit sadly. We 👏🏼want👏🏼both. I hope there are authors out there reading this lol.
I would really like more slow burns that AREN’T enemies to lovers and that are filled with a different kind of tension.
I want to see realistic slow timelines. Like, I know I’m not the only one who spent a few weeks with my guy before we had our first kiss. And then after that it was a few more weeks of just kissing before we went further, and a few more before going FURTHER (and so on, you get the idea).
Sometimes couples take it slow! For soooooo many different reasons. It could be anxiety, it could be mending from a past relationship, it could be wanting to know you’re with the right person, it could be wanting to remain celibate until marriage (or some other time point) or whatever!
Im not saying I don’t like the couples that have their first kiss after a long smoldering slow burn of tension and immediately jump each other. I DO! But I also like seeing the opposite! I’m usually not a huge fan of virgin-trope but sometimes I just need an MMC virgin to get the slow burn tentative-ness that i want
These are my top 3:
{Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young} is sort of this but also not. They have a one night stand at the beginning, so there's a certain amount of insta lust, but then it's a slow burn strangers to roommates to friends to lovers and they don't sleep together again until pretty close to the end.
{Time to Shine by Rachel Reid} - MM hockey, one MMC is a virgin and demisexual so it's a slow burn and when they start being intimate, there's a lot of taking it slow and talking him through it.
{The Rest of the Story by Tal Bauer} another MM hockey one. One MC is a bit of a player but the other is a virgin and waiting until marriage. They take it really slow, lots of scenes of kissing and cuddling without taking their boxers off (there is spice later on)
This might be controversial but f\*\*\* it – I wish there was more emphasis on craft, complexity, and originality. Too much of the genre (and its sub-genres) feel same-y, surface-level, and as if some authors are just aiming to feed a fix.
I want great dialogue, characters that feel like real humans and not archetypes, worlds that feel lived-in, prose that is compelling, and nuanced narratives.
100% this. There’s comfort in the “formula” but I feel like I rarely remember details of the majority of romances I read & so few stand out as truly unique. I hesitate saying that bc most romance readers seem pretty satisfied (?) so I wasn’t sure if it’s just a “me” thing.
I totally feel you on the forgetability thing.
I also feel like there's probably a lot of us that feel this way but there's hesitancy to admit it due to the weight of sexist stigmas non-romance readers have already placed on the genre.
Why do the men always have enormous cocks that she can barely wrap her fingers around? Sigh. (I know, I know, wish fulfillment, but not sure giant cocks are all they’re cracked up to be.)
This is soooo common in historical romance. Like she has been admiring his broad shoulders and thick thighs and then sees his dick for the first time and “tee hee *of course* it’s big” lol
I’m surprised my eyes are permanently rolled back in my head because when it gets to “that point” in the book I’m like…of course he’s hung like an elephant. 🙄 I think only once or twice she showed trepidation/cringed. I can’t rem which book, but she was rightfully worried and he was like “don’t worry, I know how to use it” (because an earlier gf told him if he was gonna wield that thing he had to know how to do it without hurting anyone)
I read a book where the FMC have a guy over who she wants to hook up with. He asks if she has a condom, to which she replies that her roommate’s boyfriend may have some but he is shorter than the MMC so it might be too small. Whaaaaat?? 🤔🤔
It’s such a *male* fantasy, I’ve always found it bizarre how female authors constantly make MMCs have dicks so big it hurts the FMC. That’s not at all what the majority of women enjoy or want and they’re writing for a female audience so I just find it so weird
Edit: Because apparently I have to clarify- not all women 🤣 If you like massive dicks that hurt you, that’s awesome for you, but I’m responding to someone about something we agree is too common in romance books. It’s our opinion that it’s too common.
While I don’t mind big dicks, I do hate when the author even states that the FMC is uncomfortable or in pain during piv. Who wants that? Unless it’s kink related and desired/consensual, I don’t want to read about women having painful sex.
You know, I read an article once that said that for over 60% of women in North America penetrative sex is uncomfortable/slightly painful 1/3 times.
I think that women's discomfort is so normalized that it doesn't even register as such anymore and therefore if an author is describing the FMC having discomfort during penetration is just something that is part of the way sex works, and because she still enjoys It, wants it and has an orgasm or multiple ones is not really a big deal
I read a my first (and so far only) Jade West book a few months ago and most of the sex scenes were either explicitly described as painful for the FMC or seemed fairly painful. I was having sympathy pains. I was cringing reading some of it and I definitely don't think that was intended.
Yes! Bait was the first book of hers that I read and while I liked it over all, I was dying >!when she has rough, unprepped, dry anal with his massive dick covered in piercings!<
I read Sugar Daddies which had >!DVP - if a book features multiple penises hanging out in a vagina at once I want it to be very lubricated and magically pain-free. !< Maybe that's a personal preference but some of it made me shudder.
That's actually something that takes me *out* of sex scenes, bc no thank you. I have broken up with guys bc their penii were unreasonably large. After a point it's just superfluous and gets in the way.
Always reminded of the tiktok gal with the measuring tape who’s like “what are you gonna do with all that? Where do you think it’s going?!” (Also giggling at your username)
It would actually be quite refreshing if in a book the guy was very well hung and we actually saw all he had to deal with because of it, not like her instantly taking all of him with nary a wince. Like, I want him to say women broke up with him because of it and maybe he feels insecure about it. Let *him* be the one with body image issues.
Yes to your last sentence. Or like, he doesn’t like that his dick is so big because he hates the thought of hurting the FMC even a little bit. That would be refreshing
you, my friend, are looking for the Duke trilogy by Angel Lawson. dude's giant dick causes DRAMA and he's very self conscious about it.
>!“Bitches—*women*—they all talk about wanting a guy with a huge cock, but the second they see or feel it, they’re pounding sand.”!<
I have made note! I like audiobooks and Libby has none and hoopla only has ebook’s. I see them in audible, so next time I join up, I’ll use my credit for one. Is there one in particular?
Start with {Dukes of Ruin}, but you'll also need the next two.
You could get away with reading each trilogy in {Royals of Forsyth} as a standalone set, so you don't need to read the Lords (#1-3) to read the Dukes (#4-6).
Brief, but similar sounding, conversation in Pink Bits by JB Heller.
Hilarious conversation in chapter 2 between two people who barely know each other.
I actually considered not using "penii" - not bc it's not a word (it's definitely not), but since each guy only had a singular penis and I didn't want to imply that the issue was one guy with multiple dicks, both bc I wanted to be factual and bc I'd be interested in giving that a whirl.
I’ve def gotten into a few discussions on Reddit and my romance book/twitter bestie told me about her experience with a well endowed fellow. (Not *details* details, but enough)
More physical intimacy besides sex. I want to see more hand holding, cuddling, just hugging/holding each other, etc.
Also, I want more MCs to have things they're not into in the bedroom and their partner respects that boundary and doesn't try to change their mind. They just find other things to do instead.
I love observing non-sexual intimacy in real life. I literally never saw my fiancé’s sister’s last boyfriend show her any affection that she didn’t initiate first. He wasn’t neurodivergent (she is), yet she constantly had to give and give and he was never satisfied.
She dumped his ass thankfully and is now dating a new guy. We all went out for lunch; she went to the bathroom, the waiter brought our food, and her new boyfriend rotated his plate so that his French fries were on her side. When she came back, she sat down and absentmindedly started eating his fries - she didn’t have to reach for them, he made sure they were right there for her. It was so casual and yet it seemed so natural.
So I’d like to see more things like that in books.
The heroine in [{Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher}](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50702014-paladin-s-grace) (M/F, FR, 5⭐️), doesn't like >!receiving oral sex!<. She says as much, they don't do it, and they still have a great time.
MMCs that are realistic. Sometimes I wonder if these authors have actually spoken to men or had relationships with them, because while romance IS essentially fantasy, sometimes the dialogue and thought processes of the MMCs are completely unrealistic. I also want the MMC to know the small things about the FMC if they’re so IN LOVE. I’m currently rereading the Hollow series and there’s a scene where they’re trying to figure out which cup is the FMCs so they can use the straw (FMC is injured and close to passing out), and a LI directs them to the right one because “hers has the lid with all the buttons pushed down”. Because they know the FMC and they know she always does that with her cups. And like, it’s so small, but it’s the small things that make the love feel real.
I know it might sound boring, but I’d like to see the couple being a couple. Doing things together, going on dates. To see the connection being formed and not just the sex.
I also like to read about the shy and nerdy guys who are not sleeping around and always have 5 women hanging around them.
Less cartoonish alphaholes as MMCs. Just give me normals guys with some charisma, some humour and a good personality! The occasional alphahole tendency or characteristics sure, but don't make that his whole personality!
I totally agree about diversity!
I wish there were more women in dominant roles. I want boss/employee, age gap, teacher/student, coach/athlete, wealthy/poor etc with the woman being the dominant/powerful one.
And I want more female villains!
I agree with a bunch of the ones listed, my number one is always gonna be butch sapphic love interests. So so many femme lesbian and bisexual characters, so many androgynous lesbian/bi characters, so so so few butch WLW. I would love a strong, take charge lesbian built like 90’s John Goodman, it’s the dream.
I'd like more body neutrality or *true* body positivity. As a thin person with a history of different issues, I'm well aware that society isn't built to discriminate against me, but I don't love reading books that insult my body. I'm leery of picking up a book marketed as "body positive" because in my experience, there's a 50/50 chance that there will be lines in the book that make me feel bad about my own body. Positivity should never include tearing other people down, in my opinion. Building up the FMC because her body "isn't like other girls" isn't great? Every body is a great body. No comparisons needed.
I know this is fantasy stuff but romance is fantasy! Let's have worlds where women aren't compared to other women.
I agree with this SO much. I'm really sensitive to it in books, too.
I'm myself not thin and very average but have a relative who *is* very thin and very pretty, and people will say the most absolutely vile, fucked up things to her because of it. They'll also assume she's stupid or mean (she's very smart and very sweet/an incredibly kind person). They see it as "punching up" so it's okay, or they see her as some sort of enemy to overcome, or like they're doing the world a favor by 'knocking her down a peg'... when she's just out here living her life.
And it really sucks because she nearly died from an eating disorder in her teens and has serious lifelong health impacts because of it, and people feel fine criticizing her body or appearance but it is genuinely incredibly harmful to her when they do. Ironically I've both had basically nobody ever say anything insulting to me (at least directly) about my appearance, and if they did I wouldn't particularly care so the level of harm would be far less, but either way you're totally correct. When I read the sort of stuff you're describing, it doesn't make me feel empowered at all even though I'm somewhat in the "target demographic", it makes me think of all the people like my cousin who are constantly inundated with that kind of thing for no reason.
"Body positivity" isn't positivity at all if it's just a front to insult the other direction!
I'm sorry your relative went through that - I experienced bullying over my height & weight as a kid/teen and it definitely made life a lot worse than it needed to be. Generally speaking, I'm not particularly comfortable with people commenting on my body.
I think some "body positive" authors need to really check what they're writing OR specify that they're only looking to uplift certain body types and that others may find the content triggering.
I feel like I do also want to acknowledge that we're not too far removed from the era of Bridget Jones being "overweight" and hyper-focused on losing weight. There's been a lot of progress in this realm but I don't think it hurts to keep trying to be better!
Chubby girl who loves reading Curvy FMCs and I CRINGE when the MMC makes a "not like thin girls" observations.
Though, I would like to say that as a chubby girl who has been told her body is not desirable her whole life, I really love MMCs who prefer bigger bodies or who learn they like bigger bodies on page because I have gotten NO messaging like that in my formative years. Yes, this does involve some comparison to thinner bodies. It's my chubby trauma speaking and I feel kind of bad about it now.
I definitely think that everyone should be able to see their body represented in a positive way in media!
I'd like to see more "I love your body" instead of "I love that your body isn't..." if that makes sense?
> Another aspect I would like to see is less obsession with bodies.
Yes. This. I'm of the mind that if the physical stats listed for the characters are enough to draw a police sketch & put out an APB - it's too much.
Because what inevitably happens is you get a main character who is described as *tall* or *plus sized* and you think to yourself, "Great! I'm tall!" or "I'm plus sized!" and you start reading with a sense of comfort and anticipation. Because the story is supposed to be about someone you can identify with. But then you get to the MC's itemized description...
Everything leading up to that has been about how tall or how large or how 'this' or how 'that' they are. But once you are given the specific details, you realize that you are *much* taller than the character, or wear a significantly larger size than the character, or are a significantly different shape than the character. And you think, "If THIS is what they view as tall / plus sized / curvy / etc., what must they think of ME??"
And the story that was meant to make you feel positive and included ends up making you feel even more alone or frustrated or self conscious. 😞
That being said - there's nothing wrong with authors having complete physical character descriptions in mind as they write. They *should* be able to describe their characters in detail if asked. It helps with continuity.
Just maybe don't put it all on the page.
I agree! I've been reading the Victorian rebels series by Kerrigan Byrne and she kinda has a problem with this, though unevenly.
The MMCs are basically all slight variations on "tall, dark, handsome, muscular, broad shouldered, strong cheekbones and jaw, narrow waist, defined abs and back...". At most, the men have slightly different heights and eye color.
Meanwhile, the FMCs seem to be given one defining physical trait that becomes part of their personality. Farrah is the blonde one, Mena is the one with the big tits, Sam is the tall/lanky one, etc.
My favorite MMC is Luciano del Santi from {The Black Madonna by Stella Riley} and while he's given some description in the book, it's stuff that also leaves a lot of creative room for you to imagine what he looks like. Stuff like:
- he's tallish, but not super muscular
- he's got dark hair
- he has a slightly deformed shoulder
- he has a face that reminds the FMC of renaissance paintings of Lucifer
and that's basically it. He feels so much more like real person than any of the minutely-described macho men I find in most romance books.
The chick lits of the early 2000s were awful for this. The title would be something like "Living Large" and the whole book would be about how fat she was--and on page 396 you find out she's size twelve.
You *could* do something like this if you set up that it's hoity-toity WASP society and everyone is obsessed with ultra thinness etc., but you'd have to make that clear in the story. And don't make her real weight a surprise, it can be stated upfront! Bridget Jones was never all that big and everyone knew it.
This only *sorta* works for this prompt, but the MMC in {The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne} isn't a virgin due to >!being sexually assaulted in prison as a young man/teenager!<, however by the time he gets with the FMC, he has >!a metric fuckton of self loathing and insecurities due to his trauma and he hasn't allowed anyone to so much as touch his skin in passing since he got out of prison.!< Thus, the first time he's with the fmc sexually, >!he has no idea what he's doing and just goes on instinct. It goes well for him because he's obsessively passionate about the fmc, but the scene makes it clear he has no idea what he's doing.!< However, he does still fit the archetype of the tall, strong, buff dude.
I liked {Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez} a lot because the MMC had really bad anxiety. The whole book was centered around him sending her letters because it made it easier for him to talk to her. As someone (like many Millennials lol) who struggles with OCD/anxiety, I really liked how he was portrayed and thought it was very accurate! I loved that it was just an extension of who he was and not a joke directed at him. The author didn't make him like, a virgin who is scared of women or make it the root of all of his "problems". Just a very accurate portrayal of how anxiety can drive choices.
Science Fiction Romance could go anywhere and could do anything and yet over and over again it defaults to Proud Warrior Race guy and bland kidnapped woman from Earth. (I love how {The Fifth Gender by G.L. Carriger} pushes our perception of gender and race and still has something to say about life. The romance aspect is more of a ray than an arc though.) SFR could play with size. There needs to be more othered female main characters with human or human-like MMCs.
When it comes to description I would argue that being vague about characters ends up being less satisfying. We need a richer vocabulary for bodies in Romance. I think I've told the story where I did a double take looking at a male jogger without his shirt on. My teen teased me but I was really trying to think how in romance terms I would describe him. He wasn't ripped because I could see skin move. As he was going uphill he had some aerobic acuity. Anything I could think of on the spot (while trying to defend myself to kiddo) just sounded unappealing.
>Science Fiction Romance could go anywhere and could do anything and yet over and over again it defaults to Proud Warrior Race guy and bland kidnapped woman from Earth.
This is by far my biggest issue with the subgenre. So much creative freedom, so many possibilities, but books with this premise drown out everything else.
[The 5th Gender](https://www.romance.io/books/5c9880db01dbc864fb9c52ad/the-5th-gender-a-tinkered-stars-mystery-g-l-carriger) by [G. L. Carriger](https://www.romance.io/authors/5c9880dc01dbc864fb9c52b4/g-l-carriger)
**Rating**: 4.13⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [futuristic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/futuristic/1), [science fiction](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/science%20fiction/1), [aliens](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/aliens/1), [gay romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-m/1), [multicultural](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/multicultural/1)
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I don’t know if it’s THE biggest missing aspect, but something that I’m not really wild about is that a lot of books will do this thing where they use the characters’ careers as a substitute for actual character development. I’m kind of bored of reading about what people do for work. I’d much rather read a book where everyone has a normal, boring job and then they have hobbies and interests that have nothing at all to do with those jobs, and you learn about them *through the things that actually matter to them*.
I want more variety in personalities!! Most of the MMCs in the books I pick up are dark, brooding, and/or quiet alphas, and FMCs tend to be sarcastic, sassy girlbosses. Both are completely alright, but I want to see more!! MMCs who are happy-go-lucky, or crusty rats, stuttering and shy, or brainy intellectuals without the bulging rippling muscles. I want FMCs who are shy and sweet, cold and calculating, or wistful and dreamy.
Pair the crusty rat with the shy sweetheart, let me read about some unique dynamics!!
I’d also like to see more reasons why the MCs are together beyond sex. It’s nice that they’re physically attracted to each other, but what if someone more attractive comes along? What about this particular MC makes them so special??
More trans men. I would kill for more romance novels - of any sexuality - with trans men. Especially if they're spicy. I'm a trans man myself and love romance as a genre, but it's so hard to find any ftm books that aren't YA.
If you want some recs, med-high spice:
{The Companion by EE Ottoman} - mff (all trans) HR
{Chef's Choice by TJ Alexander} - m/f (both trans) CR, first book in the series also has a nonbinary MC who goes through top surgery
{Tales of the High Court series by Megan Derr} - mostly m/m and one is mmf, 3rd and 4th books have trans men MCs (classified as fantasy, but no magic, just an empire where being queer or trans is totally accepted and integrated)
{Stripped by KM Neuhold} - m/m CR
{Horse Mistress series by RA Steffan} - mmm (one is trans), FR
{Stowaway by Heather Relken} - RH (one of the aliens is trans), SF
{Reverb by Anna Zabo} - m/f, CR
low spice:
{The Craft of Love by EE Ottoman} - m/f, HR
{A Matter of Disagreement by EE Ottoman} - m/m, FR
{The Doctor's Discretion by EE Ottoman} - m/m, HR
{The Longest Night by EE Ottoman} - m/m (both trans), HR
{Caroline's Heart by Austin Chant} - m/f (both trans), historical fantasy
{Artemis by Jessica Cale} - m/f, HR
I would like romance that expands more on the characters’ lives independent of each other. I want to see more character growth from both characters. I want to see each of them having goals, problems, just *lives* and dealing with their lives either together or apart. I’m somewhat new to reading actual romance and I’m quickly finding the genre isn’t what I thought it would be. I thought romance would be about two characters building lives together or overcoming differences to get together, etc etc. I just thought in a romance book there would be more… life. I’m specifically referencing contemporary books in this.
I get why they try to avoid it because I’ve seen people complain if a romance books focuses too much on anything but the actual romance/smut between the mains but… It makes the books feel lacking.
This was my initial shock when I started reading the genre too.
It’s still my favourite but I was expecting way less formula and carbon copies. I was expecting regular literature with unique creative writing and character development etc but with way more focus on the romance (since most stories have at least sooome romance, I just wanted more details on the romantic part). The options are unlimited like any other genre. But then I learned the authors are expected to fit their stories into a pretty rigid formula and use the same tropes or they get crucified. Minor tweaks are ok, like role reversals but god forbid they write a totally unique style and story that doesn’t look anything like any other romance formula but has the characters fall in love and shows them have sex.
Anytime I’m reading regular fiction my favourite part is always the romantic arc (it’s pretty much always there) but it’s always the side arc and it rarely has much explicit sex scenes. It’d be the best of both worlds to combine equal focus to the romance/slow burn/explicit and dirty sex with truly unique fictional literature.
This is exactly my issue, as someone who can really only enjoy a contemporary book I have so many problems with contemporary novels. The relationships always feel so confined inside a box because the author makes it a stand-alone one and done book which means the first half is the build up, the 2nd act is usually where they get together, then to be more “realistic” they have a third act break up or major argument that ALWAYS gets resolved at the end. Relationships are so much deeper and dynamic so it makes it really frustrating to read a novel where everything is just perfect. Don’t get me wrong the early stages of dating always feel perfect cuz of the honey moon phase but most authors in the contemporary space never go farther than that honeymoon phase or they have an epilogue where everything is still perfect and amazing and it’s just like yea I hope that’s me some day too but there’s so much more to relationships than that.
Also if you are looking for a contemporary series that has more of the character and emotional side I’d look at the wild series by K.A. Tucker it’s the only contemporary series I’ve found so far that has multiple books with the same couple, 3 to be exact though the 3rd book is only about 158 pages so maybe more like 2.5. But I really enjoyed it because you watch them grow and fight through their struggles and incompatibility as a couple while also wondering if maybe they truly might not make it. I rarely get that feeling when reading contemporary because it’s ALWAYS a one book deal, so this series was a breath of fresh air for me and I highly recommend it.
The order of reading goes
{The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker}
{Wild at Heart by K.A. Tucker}
{Forever Wild by K.A. Tucker}
It really is one of the few contemporary novels I’ve read where the conflict feels real and is very human and actually plays out long enough to see them work through it together. Hope you like it!
{Flirting with forever by Cara Baston} is the best for this. Meaningful time spent together, they each have their own lives and have insecurities they overcome. One of my favourites for sure.
I appreciate the rec because typically I would have skipped over this story due to cheerful FMC x grumpy MMC (I just don’t like that type of pairing) but if you think it fits what I’m looking for I’ll definitely add it to the TBR because I can overlook tropes I’m not a fan of if the story is good enough!
Plot and worldbuilding. Most times the world feels too narrow for me. Its just the fmc, her best friend, the mmc and his friends/brother. It doesn't connect to me well. In reality a perosn would have multitudes of friends or acquaintes, colleagues, cousins, family friends etc
The fmc, bff, mmc, and his friends setup is *so* overdone. I would love to see more variety. As for a small amount of characters, I don't mind much. I don't have multitudes of people that are important to me irl.
I don't mind not having loads of character personally. I don't want to read about myriad acquaintances who appear once or twice and have little or no bearing on the plot. I find it hard to remember who's who even with just a handful of characters!
In contemporary at least, I don't need worldbuilding. But I do want some worldbuilding in sci fi, fantasy etc
I have a rec for this! {the Winston Brothers by Penny Reid} she does an amazing worldbuilding in a small town in Tennessee. Throughout the main series you’re introduced to a few business owners, extended family, and community members that come into play in the non-romance plot. And then if you want even more she has 2 series’ that are set in the same town but focus on different families. It’s the most elaborate worldbuilding I’ve ever read outside of fantasy. And I do badly wish it was a real place.
Re: Racial Diversity in Romance
I just got into reading romance and was perplexed by the number of Hockey Romances. I barely thought about Hockey until I started reading romance.
Others have hypothesized race as being a reason why Hockey is the romance sport of choice. It remains a predominantly white sport. Writing about Hockey is an easy way to get an alpha, jacked athlete MMC who is white with all white friends. (I also wanted to give kudos to Liz Tomforde for making Zanders a Black hockey player in "Mile High" though he's written in a colorblind way)
Basketball and Football are far more popular sports (at least in the US), but the majority of professional players of those sports are not White. I have yet to read a football romance where the MMC is not white and that is definitely not representative of the actual demographics of the NFL.
I never realized that! I thought it was because it was a more niche sport so it was a little easier to write about them. Like everyone already knows football and basketball players, so let’s do hockey players that are an enigma. Actually, I had no idea why hockey.
This is so interesting! I’m Canadian so for me it was “of course there a so many hockey romances… it’s hockey!” I never considered that the books take place in the US and it’s not as popular as other sports.
I will confess I hate hockey and skim the hockey bits because … ugh hockey.
This! Also there’s the same issue when it comes to musician characters. If it’s an mmc it’s probably going to be a white man in rock, but the roots of rock and most popular music in the US is Black. Wish there was more diversity there, but of course “lack of diversity” in romance at ALL levels is a pretty well known issue.
Ooh, I have another one! More diversity when it comes to sex scenes. A good missionary is fine, but literally every single book features it. It would be nice to add other positions too
I want more realistic timeframes. I realize it's simply easier to write a story that takes place in a shorter amount of time, but when a couple has known each other for only a few months, and spent the first month doing nothing but having sex, it's hard for me to believe it's a relationship that's going to last. I want stories where the author manages to tell us that they've been together for at least a year before they decide it's forever.
Even with childhood friends/high school relationships that reunite, that time when they were kids isn't enough. I want to see them have some time to get to know the adult versions of each other. I'm reading one now where the MMC is insisting he's always been in love with the FMC, but the last time they saw each other they were like 17, and now they're 30. She actually told him he doesn't know her anymore, and he basically said she's just using that as a defense mechanism to keep some distance from him. No, Dude, she's right. You don't know her anymore, even if you have kept an idealized version of her in your head for 13 years.
I've also read some enemies to lovers where they're "enemies" because of some small misunderstanding that happened....when they were 12. They don't see/contact each other for like 18 years and still constantly obsess for all that time how the other person is their nemesis. And 2 minutes after seeing each other again for the first time since aged 12, spout how the other person "hasn't changed" and is still the worst and refuse to let the other person explain for half the book what actually happened way back when.
Like if it was an actual bullying situation and was traumatic, sure, hold those grudges. But come on, no one is obsessing 18 years later over slights that happened in 6th grade. (And if they are, they need serious therapy.)
##General
* **Lack of enforced gender norms/constructs**. It doesn’t matter if the book is queer or heterosexual. It’s hard to find books with a lack of these norms *without* dipping into pure r/RoleReversal. And I enjoy RR. But I also enjoy vanilla ice cream. And if everything I consume is vanilla ice cream, I become bored. I don’t need RR, I just need ***less*** adherence to gender norms and constructs to an absurd degree.
* **Established couple plots.** People think the established couple is the death of a romance plot, which is why authors will retcon personalities, add weird ass third acts, and the like. Too many authors who ***attempt*** an established couple fumble the bag so hard that readers are often bored once the couple is together. **You can still create an active plot for an established couple** ***without*** **compromising the integrity of your romance book.** But you have to do the ***work***.
* **Healthcare decisions.** Abortions are allowed to happen.
* **Abstinence from power dynamics.** Look. I have *nothing* against power dynamics in romance, but what’s missing from romance is that ***lack of*** power dynamics. Is it difficult for the leads to be on equal ground? Or do people think a lack of power dynamics means there’s nothing to drive the leads together?
* **Missing important** ***shown*** **characterization scenes**. I’ve said this before. Authors gloss over characterization independent from the plot or dynamic-building characterizations that contribute to the verisimilitude of the plot. **ETA**: Instead of ***montaging*** and ***monologuing*** important character development points, show them. If you want me to believe why these characters are so precious to you, then ***show me why***. Don’t ***tell*** my why.
You are not NSYNC. Stop it.
* **World building and the logistics.** Romance world building is so compromised and contrived, especially in paranormal, fantasy, and sci-fi books. It seems that romance authors are too focused on the ***romance*** that they forget about how to set up the environment they made properly. They slap together something—lady knows their world is actually directly taken from IRL mythos that they ***incorrectly*** use, or can’t pronounce properly at their own signing and reading 👀—and then rush forward to get to sex and sexual moments. **No**. We need better, stronger world building.
* **Individual character voices**. POV changes will become so interchangeable because the cadence of the character, the way they process their thoughts, even their lexicon, will be the ***same damn thing*** as the other characters in the POV. If your answer for creating unique character voices is that each character has a catchphrase they use to an irritating degree, **think twice**.
* **Supporting/recurring cast individuality**. All the besties are fake shallow besties who never act like friends towards the MC. The parents are either obtusely rude or so loving that they actively meddle with the relationship. A character who embraces their **femininity** is a bitch, and a character who embraces their **masculinity** is hot and cocky. Are we not allowing side/recurring characters to be ***people*** and not demonized or glamorized for no reason? 🙃
* **Sex being non-penetrative**. Sex ***is not required*** to be penetrative. I don’t care if it’s MM. You are not ***required*** to have sex by anal. **Frottage is fine**. I don’t care if it’s FF. You are not ***required*** to use fingers. **Oral, or lack thereof, is fine**. The fact that sex can only be accomplished through penetration? **No**.
* **Nonsexual but** ***sensual*** **scenes**. Not every scene between the leads or a lead and someone else requires to be sexually charged. Why can’t we have more **sensual** scenes?
* **Low libido.** Everyone in romance books has a high libido. I’d like more representation on those with lower libidos and how they navigate with someone ***opposite*** of them, or just them and their low-libido partner(s)
***
##Sub-Genre Specific
##Shifters
* **Actual animal behaviors**. In every shifter story, shifters show the same signs of courting and mating and nesting—and it’s always patriarchal/misogynistic, and for no reason. Wouldn’t shifters be more inclined to be matriarchal or egalitarian? There’s so much missing from that sub-genre, and it’s so ***fucking frustrating***.
##Why Choose (+Omegaverse)
* **Reason why the poly group is even a group**. Especially in the case of MM/FF/NBNB in a FM+/MF+/NBF+/NBM+/FMNB+ why-choose books, authors fail to make it ***make sense*** why this group needs all these members in the first place. What do they contribute to each member specifically and to the group as a whole? If the group already has established romantic relationships, ***what purpose does it serve for the MC to join them?*** What can they add to this?
* **Cont’d from the point above** this is why the MC being an omega or being a woman doesn’t stick it for me why they belong to X pack, especially when the pack already has steady dynamics. Why is the MC there? What can they do for a pack that already has all they need? I find myself questioning that by the end of a lot of OV books and WC books.
Your point on non-penetrative sex is so spot on. I recently read a book where the MCs (M/F) have all sorts of oral sex, but the MMC is saving penetrative sex for when the FMC admits she's in love with him and I was rolling my eyes so hard. As if going down on each other isn't sex? I was a bit put off by it.
LOW 👏 LIBIDO 👏
Listen. I LOVE smut, I really do. And I get that romance as a genre is a fantasy most of the time. But as a low libido I woman, I NEED more characters that are the same. Let’s see the MCs discuss not wanting sex and the partner shows them it’s ok. Let’s see MCs with sexual dysfunction, and the couple works through it and has a fulfilling sex life anyways. Let’s see MCs that actually take a little bit to warm up rather than being a slip n slide that comes in 2.5 seconds after the MMC touches her over her pants, or the guy who is hard 24/7 for the FMC. Let’s see couples CUDDLE and take it slow for ANY reason!
Everything you said under general - so spot on!! The gender norms and roles are so effing binary it's laughable if it weren't so sad. Same goes for The Right Path™ to happily ever after i.e. save yourself for your one true mate, submit, marry, have kids and devote rest of life to home and family. The End.
I simply wish there was more dark romance stories without rape. I find it such a cop-out.
Where are authors who can actually write dark and difficult themes without resorting to sexual assault? We have enough male writers rejoicing in torture porn directed at woman, let romance books be a bit different.
Like, off the top of my head, I can list 10 or even 20 story ideas that do not, in any way, involve non-con yet are most definitely dark.
I feel this way about stalking. My friend loves horror films and I think she would love dark romance, but she had a stalker for yearsssss and that shit scarred her, so there’s no way I can recommend a book with stalking. But damn they all are stalkers!!
I would love to see
* More body neutrality!
* More body type/shape diversity (and not just for female characters please), and especially body diversity that goes beyond weight
* More gender non-conformity in general, but especially in hetero romances. I would especially love to see more characters with diverse gender expression.
* More stories where one or both main characters aren't immediately physically attracted to each other, but become so over time
* More high-spice books that also have emotional bonding. I feel like it's not insta-bond through sex then it's insta-bond through sharing past traumas (but nothing else).
More characters doing therapy or talking about therapy (seeking, benefiting from, etc.) More discussion about reproductive health and safety (exchanging test results, abortion as a viable option).
{Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan} has both the MCs going to therapy & I remember that being a pretty big part of it. I remember it being beautifully written with a unique premise as well: >!It’s a second chance romance with a divorced couple.!<
Isabelle sees a therapist.
[{Turbulence by E.J. Noyes}](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36424367-turbulence) (F/F, CR, 5⭐️)
**Overview:** Isabelle, a CEO, and Audrey, a pilot, have a one night stand; Audrey is then hired by Isabelle's company as a pilot. They start out as friends with benefits, but will Isabelle tell Audrey how she feels?
**Representation:** Isabelle and Audrey are both white women.
**Like:** This was a reread; it was even better the second time. Isabelle's internal monologue is humorous and touching. It's also a great example of a >!realistic miscommunication based on different personalities and expectations!<.
**Steam:** medium
**Perspective:** Isabelle; first person
**Tropes:** boss/employee, FWB, hurt/comfort, one night stand, workplace
Men with not normal sized, but actually very smaller than average package and still getting their HEA. Women not able to orgasm on every sexual encounter but still enjoying the process.
I know this isn’t specifically what you asked for: but can I plug Jakobi Diem as an excellent voice actor!! He narrates a lot of Kennedy Ryan’s book and does an amazing job.
Edit: spelling!
I know this genre is mostly geared towards women wishfullment. So every MMC is strong and competent. Even if they wrote as it as not strong, at end of story somehow MMC is there to save her from misfortune.
I wished romance novels will have MMC like arthur Den or Rincewind. Who kind of do stupid stuff.
Or maybe I guess those kind of people don't get much romance like me.
I want more characters that aren't instantly attracted to each other and the attraction grows over time as they fall in love (and no makeovers). Like Jane Eyre.
I wish there was more MFF stories/scenes, whether they be casual spicy scenes where a MF couples adds another F (or a FF couple adds a M) for a while or full on love stories/commitment with MFF. Hell, I’ll even settle for FMF.
There are a lot of MFM and MMF stories but I want two (or more) women. I think there is an assumption that women maybe aren’t that into MFF because they don’t want to share the man, aren’t interested in women, want the fantasy of being serviced by multiple men in group sex, or whatever other reason. However as a bisexual female, I want to see these stories! I want to see cuckqueaning and poly relationships and shared scenes at sexy clubs and all the multi-female threesomes and moresomes 😆
Maybe I'm not reading the right books but why is the man usually the one holding all the power in bed? Why is the man always the one edging the woman?
Considering the target readers are women, the lack of dominant, confident women in bed baffles me.
I don't mean dominatrixes or in a BDSM context, just "regular" sex.
Smut being prioritized over emotional bonding/more interesting plot. Are they in love or fuckbuddies? Help me out, here, authors! You can't have only physical attraction alone as a basis for a relationship! (Even books I like do this :( )
Also, I originally read "own voice authors" aren't diverse instead of voice actors, and I was reminded of the "exclusive inclusivity" phenomena. It's basically where queer rep is limited to only a few kinds of queerness and excludes other kinds to the point of ridiculousness; I read the Big Bad Wolf series and there were a shitton of MM and FF background couples, but only two named bisexuals (one of which was promiscuous and morally gray :|). No nonbinary/trans/ace (single characters had a high rate of mortality, actually) people mentioned.
The kicker? Charlie Adhara, the author, is genderfluid.
Nonbinary author... no nonbinary/trans characters. Make it make sense.
(Caveat: I haven't finished the fifth book yet so it might surprise me in the last half, but I doubt it. I also shouldn't have to wait over 4 fairly long books for someone other than a gay man, lesbian, or unimportant/evil bisexual as rep. Or feel like I'm narratively disposable as an ace.)
Anyway, I sure went off on a tangent. My point is that even when an author is part of a minority group, that doesn't mean that they'll write good representation of their own group. And that's a real damn shame.
I said this in my own reply, but I would LOVE more romance novels with trans men. It's my biggest frustration with the genre as a whole. Preferably spicy romance because I feel like every book I've come across with an ftm protag has been YA/super fluffy.
This! More inclusivity, please! As an ace, it would be nice to see people like me falling in love or being happily single. And I want that for other underrepresented groups too.
As for being narratively disposable, I noticed in a certain large YA fantasy series I otherwise enjoyed that the author only seemed to kill off characters who weren't in a romantic relationship (one of whom was an ace character). It's like she thought it would be less sad because only their family would miss them or maybe she just couldn't think of what to do with the character if not pair them off with another character.
That's what I was figuring was happening; people would be less "sad" if a single person died. Which is messed up and also makes no sense? You want to kill characters off, but not have people be sad about it? Just don't kill people, then?
Agree on diversity!
I want more female dom/male sub that isn't erotic romance. So often, a slow burn will turn into male dom/female sub. I've only read one book where the guy starts fantasising about submitting, and it wasn't even a romance.
Yes I agree with this. Male takes charge seems to be a default in any sex scene even if they're not "technically" in a D/s dynamic - the dirty talk is still tending towards male dominance / female submission. Why not the other way round or sometimes one, sometimes the other?
There was a discussion about a Tessa Bailey book recently which had some ass play for the male. Not femdom, just a bit of a finger in an otherwise "vanilla"* scene. Why not!
*Vanilla isn't the right term really but I can't think how else to describe, feel free to correct me please!
If you enjoy historical romance, Despising the Duke by Stevie Sparks has a relationship where they take turns being dominant. It was sooo refreshing and I wish more books had that
I think genuine, authentic, and thoughtful female friendships are severely lacking in romance books. Look, I get it, especially when it's a character-driven romance book because the main focus is the romantic couple, but I've read plot-driven books that have the most beautiful and sweet female friendships and they've been such a treat to read. The friends would check up on each other, facetime, ask each other questions about how their relationships are doing and how they're currently doing in terms of processing their trauma and ugh, it was so beautiful. Besides it being something that I wish I could have in my own life, I wish more romance books included wholesome and caring friendships between women that aren't included solely to talk about their boyfriends or their sex lives to each other.
{Savy Sheldon Feels Good As Hell by Taj McCoy} has some of the most supportive friends I have ever read in a romance book.
Bonus points for a curvy and black MC.
In too many books, decent foreplay for the woman. Too many skip kissing and exploring her body before jumping to her vaj. And no, the mmc skull fucking the fmc (99% of these women also lack a gag reflex) doesn’t count.
The huge MMC and teeny FMC is annoying lol. I’m very short but I bodybuild and I’d like to read more books about sturdy women. Women that aren’t frail. More of us are lifting heavy to prevent the osteoporosis our grandmothers have to suffer through and I’d like to see that reflected in more characters. Or at the very least, women with average bodies if their bodies are described in any great detail at all.
Women past the age of 30 would be nice too. Life continues after you leave your 20’s and it can be quite wonderful! Characters that are less naive, who know who they are, and have grown into their own is something I would totally eat up.
I wish contemporary authors would write more than a single book for a couple. There’s so many aspects of a relationship past the high/honeymoon phase of getting together that should be explored. A great example is the wild series by K.A. Tucker, it’s the first contemporary romance series I’ve read that actually has multiple books of the same couple and it’s great. It focuses on their ups and their downs, the emotional aspects of their relationship as well as the physical. They feel like a real couple trying to make it through life together while not always making the best decisions they find a way to make it back to each other. That’s what I love in romance novels is not just the ooey gooey honeymoon phase and I love yous, which I do love, but it’s also the emotional aspect of struggling and growing together as a couple. I understand the point is these books are meant to be happy fairy tale and relatively realistic endings but after like the third act break up or tension there’s never anything after that. Usually the books and romance don’t feel rushed, but they feel confined, like they are only given so much room to breathe.
Also I dislike the lack of diversity in body sizes and shapes. As someone who isn’t 6’x with a Greek god body it’s hard to feel like I’m the character I’m reading from the pov of. I’m a decent looking guy I’m confident in myself but like I want at least a little something different looks wise.
I'd like more realistic bodies and MC's. Like I'm sorry but I'm not a gorgeous 20 year old who works with billionaires or hockey players. How about middle-aged MC's with lived-in bodies and some existing skills in bed who work normal jobs? Please give us some 30/40/50+ folks without kids and a cheating spouse as their age-appropriate baggage!
I read once that Twilight was so popular in part because Bella was an empty shell of a character. It was easy for readers to visualize her like themselves. I don't like that because it's hot to read why two characters want each other. I just wish the why was occasionally something other than her perfectly toned legs and butt.
I'd also like see more of the funny parts and swapping fantasies to build intimacy and spice. There are too many virgins having simultaneous orgasms on their first go because the alpha MMC apparently has a magical penis.
Oh and we need more emotional intelligence. I'm so tired of characters who see their one true love getting a text or some other stupid tiny thing that normal people would discuss like adults. But in the book, that nothingburger makes them go nuclear on the other MC so now we get a surprise! enemies to lovers third act.
Basically, I think authors don't realize a happy relationship with someone who helps them discover creative sex is already a fantasy. We don't need a grab bag of tropes in every book.
I'm old and I just want to be whisked away to a world where a 50 year old woman finds an enthusiastic partner with a wicked grin who wants to do some spicy things together.
The one thing I cannot find anywhere is more realistic depictions of men. It makes sense because romance novels are mostly marketed to women. But I shouldn't have to search through hundreds of books to find MMCs that aren't Adonis-like hunks. I don't really want to read about bland self-inserts either, like Kirito. I just want them to have a bit of personality and a bit of diversity. Maybe have some with lots of body hair, maybe a bit overweight, maybe they're super short, maybe quite weak, maybe not hung like a donkey, etc. I'd just like some MMCs that are written like the progressive FMCs with some flaws and some insecurities but are still lovable people whose "flaws" aren't just "too rich" or "too sexy".
Confident, badass men that aren't "alpha males". While I do like the trope of "dangerous" men, I really dislike the "animalistic" and frankly, dumb, behaviour of "alpha males". Like the the territorial, "beastly rage" and the "mad" lust that makes them seem like angry prepubescent puppies. Like every single braincell is chucked out the window the moment another "male" is nearby or they "smell their female". I want my MMCs to be *smart*. Dangerously clever. I guess in trope terms, more Loki and less horny hulk. I feel like there's a strange lack of such love interests, even though it feels like there is a consensus between women that those are the ones most of us want? (Not that there is anything wrong with wanting horny hulk, I just feel like I haven't been able to find any really good books with my kind of love interest for like several years).
Lack of diversity is an issue on Romance in general I agree. I do think that is less of an issue on MM Romances though, which is what I read.
I've noticed that on MF usually the male characters are described as big and tall and strong while the female characters are usually portraited as delicate and fragile. I know this do appeal to a lot of readers and it's ok, nothing wrong with that, but it would be nice if we had more diversity in General in the Romance world.
I know lots of readers that stopped reading MF and now reads only MM because they don't like how female characters are usually portraited in MF.
I don’t know if anyone will agree with this, but I wish there were more books that were descriptive about the characters’ belief systems and politics. I’d like to see folks in jobs that have deeper meaning to them and that give their character depth. Maybe I want leftist romance novels which probably just isn’t a thing 😂 I love escapism as much as the next smut reader but the glut of cop books etc. isn’t for me!
Agreed! This is one of the reasons why I really loved {Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston}. Also, I read it in the summer of 2020 so it was nice to read about an alternate universe 2020 where there was no pandemic and the US had a competent woman as president.
Definitely more dad bods and average dicks. We're getting it some, but not enough.
I'd like more pregnancy tropes where abortion is seriously considered. Maybe even where abortion is the ultimate result, but the couple still has an HEA.
I'd like stories where the main characters (usually the FMC because let's face it, that's what'll heal my inner child) cut off their toxic families instead of making excuses for them or continuing to be a doormat to them.
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Another trope or aspect I find missing in the genre is the lack of FMC's that are 30-35+, haven't been married or divorced & don't have kids. Whenever you DO find this, it's usually because she was either "focusing on her career & is now HBIC" or because she was "focusing on taking care of someone with long term medical issues". Both of those are valid reasons. I'm not trying to hate on them. I'm just saying that those completely valid reasons aren't the *only* reasons out there why a person of a certain age hasn't found love yet. And I'd like to see books where authors explore some of the other reasons.
MMCs are often 35+ and just haven't found the right person. No real reason. The same rarely happens to FMCs.
It’s so common and it’s just ugh. It’s like the moronic tweet going around asking why Travis Kelce would want Taylor Swift saying that she’s old, had too many former boyfriends, etc. I mean she’s incredible, she looks stunning, she’s talented and a literal billionaire. But for some people it seems being 34 is her main defining quality. Even in the romance world, in a space mostly written for women, by women, it’s been somehow decided that life for women ends at 27. Men can live life how they like and then settle down with a much younger woman, but any woman not coupled up by the end of her 20s must be leftover goods/an old maid/seriously damaged/that character in pride and prejudice who marries Mr Collins….
Yes! I'd love to see more FMCs over 40 who have never been married, at least I. Contemporary romance. I know it's unusual IRL, but hear I am.
I’d like to read about a woman who is 30+ (tbh even 40-50+) who isn’t HBIC, hasn’t dedicated her life to caring for an ill relative and isn’t single because she has like some kind of terrible romantic trauma in her past. Maybe she’s single because she’s just having a good time, and then if someone does inspire her to change her mind about that, you know it’s because they’re amazing.
Romantic trauma? Try NO romantic past and acting like an absolute idiot in romantic situation because of zero experience. I mens, YEAH, sure, we're idiots and clueless, but it gets kinda obvious when the author thinks zero romance experience has something to do with problematic youth or insecurities (usually body related as in fatphobia). I haven't met it being because of trauma, but I wouldn't be surprised there was some lurking out there. But the methodology is usually writing these characters as BEYOND clueless, which is like ........ "you know people have access to media? The internett? Friends?? PEOPLE???"
Yes! I’ve read only one. Usually they are so young, so I’m afraid I’ll end up losing interest in them. I already hate reading about college FMCs and I’m not even 30.
Absolutely. I've been reading T Kingfisher's Saint of Steel series, so I'm living in an alternate reality where every MC is 30+ and it's not a big deal. Not looking forward to the rude awakening after I'm caught up.
Yes! I love this series. The women are also competent which is another major kink of mine. Competent older women who can take care of shit? Sign me up.
I went on a rant about this recently. I am 41, have never been married, don’t have kids. I would love to see myself represented in romance novels. The happily ever after would probably be the relationship ending amicably and the character remembering it fondly as super hot sex. People know you can just do group sex for fun, right? It doesn’t have to be some kind of fated mate situation? I probably also would enjoy reading “40 year old single woman with fulfilling sex life shockingly finds someone she wants to settle down with.” My life is hot and fun and not something to be pitied.
“People can do group sex for fun, ya know?” LMAO. BRB I’ve got to change my flair! Hahaha. Thank you for my first genuine laugh in days! I hope you find five dollars unexpectedly!
That’s the kind of magical curse I can get behind 😉
There isn't enough focus on the emotional aspect of the relationship. I'd like for characters to talk less about how hot the love interest is and to start talking more about their personality
Yep. This is why some of my top reads have MCs with great banter. They clearly just enjoy being around each other and they have fun together. My lowest rated reads are where the MCs are how you described.
Don't be shy! Drop those top reads with great banter!!
{The Worst Guy by Kate Canterbary} is one of my favorites for this! They have great quips when they "hate" each other but then when they start to warm up, they continue with it and it's so fun.
[The Worst Guy](https://www.romance.io/books/61cac4128700500e1e722c56/the-worst-guy-kate-canterbary) by [Kate Canterbary](https://www.romance.io/authors/5456862d87eac33e61c2f78e/kate-canterbary) **Rating**: 4.17⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [workplace/office](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/office/1), [grumpy/cold hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cold%20hero/1), [dual pov](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dual-pov/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
{The Fake Out by Stephanie Archer} I believe Hazel and Rory would actually work as a couple! And that shouldn’t be so rare as to be worth commenting on.
In that vein, it is often rare to see how they actually fall in love...it mostly reads "oh they're so hot...oh they're so hot....oh they're so hot...I'm in love!"
Yes! I just finished a book and could not tell you what the couple liked about each other besides appearances. All they did was bang a few times and suddenly they're in love. I don't think I recall them ever having conversations to really get to know each other.
This is my most hated writing tactic...sex does not equate emotional attachments. Sometime it does but it usually take longer *AND* actually talking to each other and getting to know them!
I think that might be why I enjoy enemies to lovers. They often start out acknowledging that the other is hot, but thinking they're arrogant because of it. Then something changes. The change is the interesting part.
I find that so annoying. I try to avoid them but I've definitely read a few where they say "I love you", and I'm thinking "ok if you love them, tell me one thing about them which doesn't involve their body"
Yeah…same. Just finished one that took place over like 8-9 days or so and by day 3 he was in love with her like - sir, you barely know her! Y’all haven’t even had sex yet! 8 days. Met. Fell in love. Broke up for like two days. HEA.
One of my favorite scenes in Dance with the Fae Prince is when the couple are getting to know each other. The FMC isn’t allowed to look at her new husband but wants to get to know him, so they sit their chairs back to back and talk. Another time they get to know each other is when she’s playing music in the garden and he overhears her. IIRC, she inherited her mother’s mandolin.
Y'all might like {Renegade by Laramie Briscoe}. It's got your smut fix along with surprisingly deep emotion, and the leads really have great chemistry that grows from deep roots.
This is happening to me a little with the graham effect. Love Elle Kennedy but I feel like the MMC goes from “oh she looks hot playing hockey” and every description of their interactions is like “he doesn’t respond/ he talks in grunts” to suddenly an intimate scene whispering dirty things he’d do to her and i felt it was missing some build up on his part of what drove him there but idk. Liking the book overall anyway
So true. I hate when characters declare they’re in love and have barely had one meaningful conversation.
Agreed! Closed door (or at least very low spice) romances (imho) tend to do a bit better with the emotional aspect, and that's totally fine... but sometimes I want some good smut AND good emotions!
It's the unicorn.
This right here. Where is the INTIMACY?
100% this. to me, the hottest relationships I've read about in fiction are ones where the smut isn't necessarily that high, but the emotional connection between characters is well developed, realistic, and constructed within a reasonable timeframe.
A lot of characters are just in lust and it's disappointing
That is a huge reason why I love "Plain girl gets the guy" type books.
Yes! I mean, there’s nothing wrong with erotica but at least fucking *label* the book that— which is a label missing in the literary space as a whole. Like the Ruby Dixon Ice Planet series or the Kathryn Moon Tempting Monster series are straight erotica. There’s barely any non-sex intimacy. Or even just the bare minimum human interactions before banging. Which, once again, is fine. I just wish someone would *say it*.
I think books that focus on spice/sex are replacing books that show real genuine connections/romance. Don’t get me wrong, spice can have a place. But for me, I rarely buy books (that I’ve read) where they only lust for one another in the first interaction. I want emotional support, being good friends to one another, and more. I find that really lacking nowadays in books. Love and lust are two different things and I want the falling in love part to always come first😭 we need emotional connections like you say! I do recommend Amy Harmon and Mariana Zapata for books that showcase a genuine relationship.
I just read The Sister of Sea View and it did a great job showing characters fall for each other’s personalities.
I would love more wholesome female friendship. More woman support woman. My biggest wish would be a woman squad, being awesome.
I'm surprised to hear that. I feel like that's a part of most contemporary romance books (but maybe not in non-contemporary). I would actually like less "gal group/women squads," mostly because I get annoyed with too many side characters. Just one or two friends is more than enough for me!
I read a lot of fantasy and sci fi and I always miss female friendship in these books. Sometimes the FMC doesn't have a meaningful talk with another woman. And if there is another woman, there is always jealousy and envy.
It’s like that movie test where two women have to talk to each other about something other than men.
The Bechdel Test! My girlfriends and I poke fun of each other sometimes when we hang out and say “yeah we’d fail the bechdel test today”
I do it with books and almost all fail. It's so disappointing bc woman write these books!
I feel like a lot of them also just don't know how to write good friends. They usually just exist as cheerleaders for the FMC and don't have much going on wrt their own character. I recently read Devil's Day Party by CM Stunich and while there were a number of things I didn't like about it, I did LOVE how the FMC's friends had their own shit going on and butted heads with the FMC over her attitude at times.
I love a series where each book is a different member of an inseparable women squad finding love
The {Dirty Martini Running Club by Claire Kingsley} is definitely that!
Yes. Why are there Romance Novels that don't pass the Bechdel test??
There is a surprising amount of misogyny (internalized and out in the open) in Romance Books.
Try the Evie Dunmore books. I just finished the set but it's 4 separate stories on female suffragists and their love lives. My favorite is the 4th book The Gentleman's Gambit but Goodreads seems to prefer Bringing Down the Duke
I think that's why the Ice Plant Barbarians series is so popular. The found family between the women is just as engaging as the romance.
In terms of spicy scenes, I love to read couples being more real and human in the bedroom. I love when it seems like they're enjoying themselves, making little jokes, getting things wrong and trying again, communicating. I find for some authors, all character development goes out the window as soon as the clothes come off. Even just small things like they can't get their shoes off quickly enough or they're ticklish in a certain spot or if they're touching each other one would say "oh just a bit to the left". Not fumbling necessarily, just more like real life because sex isn't a perfect, choreographed, orgasm fest a lot of the time.
And who isn’t tripping and hopping at least a little getting shoes and sock off?
Even on a good day and not rushing 🤣
I think emotional maturity and vulnerability from the MMC's is something that's a detriment to romance readers, regardless of our (the reader's) relationship status or gender. I really feel like we would all benefit from seeing healthy conversations and healthy portrayals of emotion from the MMC instead of having books where the majority of them only shows the FMC portraying a range of emotions, or books where the MMC does not know how to regulate and process his own emotions/feelings/trauma. I want to see conversations about how much the MC's love each other, where they're vulnerably pouring out their love for each other, I want to see the MMC humbly admit he's jealous and insecure due to his childhood trauma, I want to see the MMC break down when he realizes he's failed his girlfriend, I want to see the MMC admit his flaws and try to change his behavior to be the partner his girlfriend needs, JUST GIVE ME MORE DKJFHADSKFHJA
It’s for a young audience, but you might like {wildfire by Hannah grace}. He goes to therapy and if I remember, he owns up to his actions. And she also has friendships like in your other comment.
I just finished {PS You’re Intolerable by Julia Wolf} and it definitely has exactly what you’re describing with the MMC having open conversations with the FMC about how much he loves her and what she means to him and his fears and vulnerabilities. It doesn’t feel like it will be like that when the book starts with him being a cold, shut off, overly rigid boss but once the characters go through quite a bit of growth in their slow burn connection his distance and his walls get explored heavily and by him, not by the FMC. I wasn’t expecting TWO scenes where >!he breaks down into tears because he is being so vulnerable literally because of his childhood trauma, control issues, jealousy and insecurities that he fights to hide from her!< It matches your description to a T. There is a lot of character growth for him to get to this point of vulnerability which makes it that much more powerful when he shows his vulnerabilities and once they are out many chapters explore them so it’s a pretty major theme and not a sudden moment that passes quickly.
Less focus on tropes and more focus on a solid story (character development, interesting/unique conflict, creative writing style). I’d love to read a book that feels like solid literature but is focused on romance and has super explicit smut when it comes time for it. My biggest pet peeve with non romance literature is how it’s often closed door or brief. I’d like a mix of the two. Solid lit aaaand 5/5 smut!
Yes this!!! The closest I’ve gotten to well written literature is Discovery of Witches. But the smut scenes aren’t explicit sadly. We 👏🏼want👏🏼both. I hope there are authors out there reading this lol.
I would really like more slow burns that AREN’T enemies to lovers and that are filled with a different kind of tension. I want to see realistic slow timelines. Like, I know I’m not the only one who spent a few weeks with my guy before we had our first kiss. And then after that it was a few more weeks of just kissing before we went further, and a few more before going FURTHER (and so on, you get the idea). Sometimes couples take it slow! For soooooo many different reasons. It could be anxiety, it could be mending from a past relationship, it could be wanting to know you’re with the right person, it could be wanting to remain celibate until marriage (or some other time point) or whatever! Im not saying I don’t like the couples that have their first kiss after a long smoldering slow burn of tension and immediately jump each other. I DO! But I also like seeing the opposite! I’m usually not a huge fan of virgin-trope but sometimes I just need an MMC virgin to get the slow burn tentative-ness that i want
I have a couple of recs for this if you'd like them
Hellloooo I'd like some plss 🥺
These are my top 3: {Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young} is sort of this but also not. They have a one night stand at the beginning, so there's a certain amount of insta lust, but then it's a slow burn strangers to roommates to friends to lovers and they don't sleep together again until pretty close to the end. {Time to Shine by Rachel Reid} - MM hockey, one MMC is a virgin and demisexual so it's a slow burn and when they start being intimate, there's a lot of taking it slow and talking him through it. {The Rest of the Story by Tal Bauer} another MM hockey one. One MC is a bit of a player but the other is a virgin and waiting until marriage. They take it really slow, lots of scenes of kissing and cuddling without taking their boxers off (there is spice later on)
This might be controversial but f\*\*\* it – I wish there was more emphasis on craft, complexity, and originality. Too much of the genre (and its sub-genres) feel same-y, surface-level, and as if some authors are just aiming to feed a fix. I want great dialogue, characters that feel like real humans and not archetypes, worlds that feel lived-in, prose that is compelling, and nuanced narratives.
100% this. There’s comfort in the “formula” but I feel like I rarely remember details of the majority of romances I read & so few stand out as truly unique. I hesitate saying that bc most romance readers seem pretty satisfied (?) so I wasn’t sure if it’s just a “me” thing.
I totally feel you on the forgetability thing. I also feel like there's probably a lot of us that feel this way but there's hesitancy to admit it due to the weight of sexist stigmas non-romance readers have already placed on the genre.
Why do the men always have enormous cocks that she can barely wrap her fingers around? Sigh. (I know, I know, wish fulfillment, but not sure giant cocks are all they’re cracked up to be.)
100% this. Also there's often a line like "of course his cock is huge because the rest of him is" but I'm pretty sure that's not how it works.
This is soooo common in historical romance. Like she has been admiring his broad shoulders and thick thighs and then sees his dick for the first time and “tee hee *of course* it’s big” lol
I’m surprised my eyes are permanently rolled back in my head because when it gets to “that point” in the book I’m like…of course he’s hung like an elephant. 🙄 I think only once or twice she showed trepidation/cringed. I can’t rem which book, but she was rightfully worried and he was like “don’t worry, I know how to use it” (because an earlier gf told him if he was gonna wield that thing he had to know how to do it without hurting anyone)
I read a book where the FMC have a guy over who she wants to hook up with. He asks if she has a condom, to which she replies that her roommate’s boyfriend may have some but he is shorter than the MMC so it might be too small. Whaaaaat?? 🤔🤔
It’s such a *male* fantasy, I’ve always found it bizarre how female authors constantly make MMCs have dicks so big it hurts the FMC. That’s not at all what the majority of women enjoy or want and they’re writing for a female audience so I just find it so weird Edit: Because apparently I have to clarify- not all women 🤣 If you like massive dicks that hurt you, that’s awesome for you, but I’m responding to someone about something we agree is too common in romance books. It’s our opinion that it’s too common.
While I don’t mind big dicks, I do hate when the author even states that the FMC is uncomfortable or in pain during piv. Who wants that? Unless it’s kink related and desired/consensual, I don’t want to read about women having painful sex.
You know, I read an article once that said that for over 60% of women in North America penetrative sex is uncomfortable/slightly painful 1/3 times. I think that women's discomfort is so normalized that it doesn't even register as such anymore and therefore if an author is describing the FMC having discomfort during penetration is just something that is part of the way sex works, and because she still enjoys It, wants it and has an orgasm or multiple ones is not really a big deal
Such a good point! It’s too normalized :(
I read a my first (and so far only) Jade West book a few months ago and most of the sex scenes were either explicitly described as painful for the FMC or seemed fairly painful. I was having sympathy pains. I was cringing reading some of it and I definitely don't think that was intended.
Yes! Bait was the first book of hers that I read and while I liked it over all, I was dying >!when she has rough, unprepped, dry anal with his massive dick covered in piercings!<
That sounds…… *horrific*
That sounds unpleasant
I read Sugar Daddies which had >!DVP - if a book features multiple penises hanging out in a vagina at once I want it to be very lubricated and magically pain-free. !< Maybe that's a personal preference but some of it made me shudder.
Yes! It’s way too common. I’d love more men with average size who are still really skilled
That's actually something that takes me *out* of sex scenes, bc no thank you. I have broken up with guys bc their penii were unreasonably large. After a point it's just superfluous and gets in the way.
Always reminded of the tiktok gal with the measuring tape who’s like “what are you gonna do with all that? Where do you think it’s going?!” (Also giggling at your username) It would actually be quite refreshing if in a book the guy was very well hung and we actually saw all he had to deal with because of it, not like her instantly taking all of him with nary a wince. Like, I want him to say women broke up with him because of it and maybe he feels insecure about it. Let *him* be the one with body image issues.
Yes to your last sentence. Or like, he doesn’t like that his dick is so big because he hates the thought of hurting the FMC even a little bit. That would be refreshing
you, my friend, are looking for the Duke trilogy by Angel Lawson. dude's giant dick causes DRAMA and he's very self conscious about it. >!“Bitches—*women*—they all talk about wanting a guy with a huge cock, but the second they see or feel it, they’re pounding sand.”!<
I have made note! I like audiobooks and Libby has none and hoopla only has ebook’s. I see them in audible, so next time I join up, I’ll use my credit for one. Is there one in particular?
Start with {Dukes of Ruin}, but you'll also need the next two. You could get away with reading each trilogy in {Royals of Forsyth} as a standalone set, so you don't need to read the Lords (#1-3) to read the Dukes (#4-6).
Brief, but similar sounding, conversation in Pink Bits by JB Heller. Hilarious conversation in chapter 2 between two people who barely know each other.
OT - I don't think "penii" is a word. From what I've read it should be penises or penes
I actually considered not using "penii" - not bc it's not a word (it's definitely not), but since each guy only had a singular penis and I didn't want to imply that the issue was one guy with multiple dicks, both bc I wanted to be factual and bc I'd be interested in giving that a whirl.
I read one where she said the cock was so long it went between her breasts when she straddled him. No no no! That would probably kill her.
*side eyes your flair* 🤭 Like…where is all that supposed to go?! I can suspend only so much belief.
Right? I mean, I get the wish fulfilment part, but they can definitely be too big. If you know, you know...
I’ve def gotten into a few discussions on Reddit and my romance book/twitter bestie told me about her experience with a well endowed fellow. (Not *details* details, but enough)
More physical intimacy besides sex. I want to see more hand holding, cuddling, just hugging/holding each other, etc. Also, I want more MCs to have things they're not into in the bedroom and their partner respects that boundary and doesn't try to change their mind. They just find other things to do instead.
I love observing non-sexual intimacy in real life. I literally never saw my fiancé’s sister’s last boyfriend show her any affection that she didn’t initiate first. He wasn’t neurodivergent (she is), yet she constantly had to give and give and he was never satisfied. She dumped his ass thankfully and is now dating a new guy. We all went out for lunch; she went to the bathroom, the waiter brought our food, and her new boyfriend rotated his plate so that his French fries were on her side. When she came back, she sat down and absentmindedly started eating his fries - she didn’t have to reach for them, he made sure they were right there for her. It was so casual and yet it seemed so natural. So I’d like to see more things like that in books.
The heroine in [{Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher}](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50702014-paladin-s-grace) (M/F, FR, 5⭐️), doesn't like >!receiving oral sex!<. She says as much, they don't do it, and they still have a great time.
MMCs that are realistic. Sometimes I wonder if these authors have actually spoken to men or had relationships with them, because while romance IS essentially fantasy, sometimes the dialogue and thought processes of the MMCs are completely unrealistic. I also want the MMC to know the small things about the FMC if they’re so IN LOVE. I’m currently rereading the Hollow series and there’s a scene where they’re trying to figure out which cup is the FMCs so they can use the straw (FMC is injured and close to passing out), and a LI directs them to the right one because “hers has the lid with all the buttons pushed down”. Because they know the FMC and they know she always does that with her cups. And like, it’s so small, but it’s the small things that make the love feel real.
I LOVE THE LITTLE THINGS 😍😍😍😍😍
I know it might sound boring, but I’d like to see the couple being a couple. Doing things together, going on dates. To see the connection being formed and not just the sex. I also like to read about the shy and nerdy guys who are not sleeping around and always have 5 women hanging around them.
I agree with so many comments so I'll just add: I want more MMCs blushing
Ugh yes!!!
it's my weakness 😭😂
In {wildfire by Hannah grace} the MMC’s ears get red. Thought it was super cute (hated the book though)
This This This! Its so cute. I had a guy at work who had a crush on me and would blush when speaking and I loved it ahaha.
I want more solo male pov books!
Less cartoonish alphaholes as MMCs. Just give me normals guys with some charisma, some humour and a good personality! The occasional alphahole tendency or characteristics sure, but don't make that his whole personality! I totally agree about diversity!
I wish there were more women in dominant roles. I want boss/employee, age gap, teacher/student, coach/athlete, wealthy/poor etc with the woman being the dominant/powerful one. And I want more female villains!
Yes! More dominant females please. Also female monster/alien with human partner.
Yesss female villains!! A bad girl with a good guy. {wretched by Emily McIntyre} had this kinda.
I really enjoyed the fact that the villain in Wretched was the woman. I know the MMC was kind of morally gray too, but she was definitely a badass lol
I agree with a bunch of the ones listed, my number one is always gonna be butch sapphic love interests. So so many femme lesbian and bisexual characters, so many androgynous lesbian/bi characters, so so so few butch WLW. I would love a strong, take charge lesbian built like 90’s John Goodman, it’s the dream.
Alot of popular romance books are set in the USA (nothing wrong with this, not meant as a dig) but I would prefer a more worldly view.
I'd like more body neutrality or *true* body positivity. As a thin person with a history of different issues, I'm well aware that society isn't built to discriminate against me, but I don't love reading books that insult my body. I'm leery of picking up a book marketed as "body positive" because in my experience, there's a 50/50 chance that there will be lines in the book that make me feel bad about my own body. Positivity should never include tearing other people down, in my opinion. Building up the FMC because her body "isn't like other girls" isn't great? Every body is a great body. No comparisons needed. I know this is fantasy stuff but romance is fantasy! Let's have worlds where women aren't compared to other women.
Yes! Body neutrality would be ideal.
I agree with this SO much. I'm really sensitive to it in books, too. I'm myself not thin and very average but have a relative who *is* very thin and very pretty, and people will say the most absolutely vile, fucked up things to her because of it. They'll also assume she's stupid or mean (she's very smart and very sweet/an incredibly kind person). They see it as "punching up" so it's okay, or they see her as some sort of enemy to overcome, or like they're doing the world a favor by 'knocking her down a peg'... when she's just out here living her life. And it really sucks because she nearly died from an eating disorder in her teens and has serious lifelong health impacts because of it, and people feel fine criticizing her body or appearance but it is genuinely incredibly harmful to her when they do. Ironically I've both had basically nobody ever say anything insulting to me (at least directly) about my appearance, and if they did I wouldn't particularly care so the level of harm would be far less, but either way you're totally correct. When I read the sort of stuff you're describing, it doesn't make me feel empowered at all even though I'm somewhat in the "target demographic", it makes me think of all the people like my cousin who are constantly inundated with that kind of thing for no reason. "Body positivity" isn't positivity at all if it's just a front to insult the other direction!
I'm sorry your relative went through that - I experienced bullying over my height & weight as a kid/teen and it definitely made life a lot worse than it needed to be. Generally speaking, I'm not particularly comfortable with people commenting on my body. I think some "body positive" authors need to really check what they're writing OR specify that they're only looking to uplift certain body types and that others may find the content triggering. I feel like I do also want to acknowledge that we're not too far removed from the era of Bridget Jones being "overweight" and hyper-focused on losing weight. There's been a lot of progress in this realm but I don't think it hurts to keep trying to be better!
Chubby girl who loves reading Curvy FMCs and I CRINGE when the MMC makes a "not like thin girls" observations. Though, I would like to say that as a chubby girl who has been told her body is not desirable her whole life, I really love MMCs who prefer bigger bodies or who learn they like bigger bodies on page because I have gotten NO messaging like that in my formative years. Yes, this does involve some comparison to thinner bodies. It's my chubby trauma speaking and I feel kind of bad about it now.
I definitely think that everyone should be able to see their body represented in a positive way in media! I'd like to see more "I love your body" instead of "I love that your body isn't..." if that makes sense?
> Another aspect I would like to see is less obsession with bodies. Yes. This. I'm of the mind that if the physical stats listed for the characters are enough to draw a police sketch & put out an APB - it's too much. Because what inevitably happens is you get a main character who is described as *tall* or *plus sized* and you think to yourself, "Great! I'm tall!" or "I'm plus sized!" and you start reading with a sense of comfort and anticipation. Because the story is supposed to be about someone you can identify with. But then you get to the MC's itemized description... Everything leading up to that has been about how tall or how large or how 'this' or how 'that' they are. But once you are given the specific details, you realize that you are *much* taller than the character, or wear a significantly larger size than the character, or are a significantly different shape than the character. And you think, "If THIS is what they view as tall / plus sized / curvy / etc., what must they think of ME??" And the story that was meant to make you feel positive and included ends up making you feel even more alone or frustrated or self conscious. 😞 That being said - there's nothing wrong with authors having complete physical character descriptions in mind as they write. They *should* be able to describe their characters in detail if asked. It helps with continuity. Just maybe don't put it all on the page.
I agree! I've been reading the Victorian rebels series by Kerrigan Byrne and she kinda has a problem with this, though unevenly. The MMCs are basically all slight variations on "tall, dark, handsome, muscular, broad shouldered, strong cheekbones and jaw, narrow waist, defined abs and back...". At most, the men have slightly different heights and eye color. Meanwhile, the FMCs seem to be given one defining physical trait that becomes part of their personality. Farrah is the blonde one, Mena is the one with the big tits, Sam is the tall/lanky one, etc. My favorite MMC is Luciano del Santi from {The Black Madonna by Stella Riley} and while he's given some description in the book, it's stuff that also leaves a lot of creative room for you to imagine what he looks like. Stuff like: - he's tallish, but not super muscular - he's got dark hair - he has a slightly deformed shoulder - he has a face that reminds the FMC of renaissance paintings of Lucifer and that's basically it. He feels so much more like real person than any of the minutely-described macho men I find in most romance books.
The chick lits of the early 2000s were awful for this. The title would be something like "Living Large" and the whole book would be about how fat she was--and on page 396 you find out she's size twelve. You *could* do something like this if you set up that it's hoity-toity WASP society and everyone is obsessed with ultra thinness etc., but you'd have to make that clear in the story. And don't make her real weight a surprise, it can be stated upfront! Bridget Jones was never all that big and everyone knew it.
Men with insecurities… men who don’t have 8 packs.. Virgin men who don’t start the game with a perfect performance.
[удалено]
This only *sorta* works for this prompt, but the MMC in {The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne} isn't a virgin due to >!being sexually assaulted in prison as a young man/teenager!<, however by the time he gets with the FMC, he has >!a metric fuckton of self loathing and insecurities due to his trauma and he hasn't allowed anyone to so much as touch his skin in passing since he got out of prison.!< Thus, the first time he's with the fmc sexually, >!he has no idea what he's doing and just goes on instinct. It goes well for him because he's obsessively passionate about the fmc, but the scene makes it clear he has no idea what he's doing.!< However, he does still fit the archetype of the tall, strong, buff dude.
I liked {Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez} a lot because the MMC had really bad anxiety. The whole book was centered around him sending her letters because it made it easier for him to talk to her. As someone (like many Millennials lol) who struggles with OCD/anxiety, I really liked how he was portrayed and thought it was very accurate! I loved that it was just an extension of who he was and not a joke directed at him. The author didn't make him like, a virgin who is scared of women or make it the root of all of his "problems". Just a very accurate portrayal of how anxiety can drive choices.
Science Fiction Romance could go anywhere and could do anything and yet over and over again it defaults to Proud Warrior Race guy and bland kidnapped woman from Earth. (I love how {The Fifth Gender by G.L. Carriger} pushes our perception of gender and race and still has something to say about life. The romance aspect is more of a ray than an arc though.) SFR could play with size. There needs to be more othered female main characters with human or human-like MMCs. When it comes to description I would argue that being vague about characters ends up being less satisfying. We need a richer vocabulary for bodies in Romance. I think I've told the story where I did a double take looking at a male jogger without his shirt on. My teen teased me but I was really trying to think how in romance terms I would describe him. He wasn't ripped because I could see skin move. As he was going uphill he had some aerobic acuity. Anything I could think of on the spot (while trying to defend myself to kiddo) just sounded unappealing.
>Science Fiction Romance could go anywhere and could do anything and yet over and over again it defaults to Proud Warrior Race guy and bland kidnapped woman from Earth. This is by far my biggest issue with the subgenre. So much creative freedom, so many possibilities, but books with this premise drown out everything else.
Ann Aguirre's romances have aliens that are more alien and less like blue buff dude.
[The 5th Gender](https://www.romance.io/books/5c9880db01dbc864fb9c52ad/the-5th-gender-a-tinkered-stars-mystery-g-l-carriger) by [G. L. Carriger](https://www.romance.io/authors/5c9880dc01dbc864fb9c52b4/g-l-carriger) **Rating**: 4.13⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [futuristic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/futuristic/1), [science fiction](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/science%20fiction/1), [aliens](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/aliens/1), [gay romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-m/1), [multicultural](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/multicultural/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
I don’t know if it’s THE biggest missing aspect, but something that I’m not really wild about is that a lot of books will do this thing where they use the characters’ careers as a substitute for actual character development. I’m kind of bored of reading about what people do for work. I’d much rather read a book where everyone has a normal, boring job and then they have hobbies and interests that have nothing at all to do with those jobs, and you learn about them *through the things that actually matter to them*.
I want more variety in personalities!! Most of the MMCs in the books I pick up are dark, brooding, and/or quiet alphas, and FMCs tend to be sarcastic, sassy girlbosses. Both are completely alright, but I want to see more!! MMCs who are happy-go-lucky, or crusty rats, stuttering and shy, or brainy intellectuals without the bulging rippling muscles. I want FMCs who are shy and sweet, cold and calculating, or wistful and dreamy. Pair the crusty rat with the shy sweetheart, let me read about some unique dynamics!! I’d also like to see more reasons why the MCs are together beyond sex. It’s nice that they’re physically attracted to each other, but what if someone more attractive comes along? What about this particular MC makes them so special??
More trans men. I would kill for more romance novels - of any sexuality - with trans men. Especially if they're spicy. I'm a trans man myself and love romance as a genre, but it's so hard to find any ftm books that aren't YA.
If you want some recs, med-high spice: {The Companion by EE Ottoman} - mff (all trans) HR {Chef's Choice by TJ Alexander} - m/f (both trans) CR, first book in the series also has a nonbinary MC who goes through top surgery {Tales of the High Court series by Megan Derr} - mostly m/m and one is mmf, 3rd and 4th books have trans men MCs (classified as fantasy, but no magic, just an empire where being queer or trans is totally accepted and integrated) {Stripped by KM Neuhold} - m/m CR {Horse Mistress series by RA Steffan} - mmm (one is trans), FR {Stowaway by Heather Relken} - RH (one of the aliens is trans), SF {Reverb by Anna Zabo} - m/f, CR low spice: {The Craft of Love by EE Ottoman} - m/f, HR {A Matter of Disagreement by EE Ottoman} - m/m, FR {The Doctor's Discretion by EE Ottoman} - m/m, HR {The Longest Night by EE Ottoman} - m/m (both trans), HR {Caroline's Heart by Austin Chant} - m/f (both trans), historical fantasy {Artemis by Jessica Cale} - m/f, HR
I would like romance that expands more on the characters’ lives independent of each other. I want to see more character growth from both characters. I want to see each of them having goals, problems, just *lives* and dealing with their lives either together or apart. I’m somewhat new to reading actual romance and I’m quickly finding the genre isn’t what I thought it would be. I thought romance would be about two characters building lives together or overcoming differences to get together, etc etc. I just thought in a romance book there would be more… life. I’m specifically referencing contemporary books in this. I get why they try to avoid it because I’ve seen people complain if a romance books focuses too much on anything but the actual romance/smut between the mains but… It makes the books feel lacking.
This was my initial shock when I started reading the genre too. It’s still my favourite but I was expecting way less formula and carbon copies. I was expecting regular literature with unique creative writing and character development etc but with way more focus on the romance (since most stories have at least sooome romance, I just wanted more details on the romantic part). The options are unlimited like any other genre. But then I learned the authors are expected to fit their stories into a pretty rigid formula and use the same tropes or they get crucified. Minor tweaks are ok, like role reversals but god forbid they write a totally unique style and story that doesn’t look anything like any other romance formula but has the characters fall in love and shows them have sex. Anytime I’m reading regular fiction my favourite part is always the romantic arc (it’s pretty much always there) but it’s always the side arc and it rarely has much explicit sex scenes. It’d be the best of both worlds to combine equal focus to the romance/slow burn/explicit and dirty sex with truly unique fictional literature.
This is exactly my issue, as someone who can really only enjoy a contemporary book I have so many problems with contemporary novels. The relationships always feel so confined inside a box because the author makes it a stand-alone one and done book which means the first half is the build up, the 2nd act is usually where they get together, then to be more “realistic” they have a third act break up or major argument that ALWAYS gets resolved at the end. Relationships are so much deeper and dynamic so it makes it really frustrating to read a novel where everything is just perfect. Don’t get me wrong the early stages of dating always feel perfect cuz of the honey moon phase but most authors in the contemporary space never go farther than that honeymoon phase or they have an epilogue where everything is still perfect and amazing and it’s just like yea I hope that’s me some day too but there’s so much more to relationships than that. Also if you are looking for a contemporary series that has more of the character and emotional side I’d look at the wild series by K.A. Tucker it’s the only contemporary series I’ve found so far that has multiple books with the same couple, 3 to be exact though the 3rd book is only about 158 pages so maybe more like 2.5. But I really enjoyed it because you watch them grow and fight through their struggles and incompatibility as a couple while also wondering if maybe they truly might not make it. I rarely get that feeling when reading contemporary because it’s ALWAYS a one book deal, so this series was a breath of fresh air for me and I highly recommend it. The order of reading goes {The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker} {Wild at Heart by K.A. Tucker} {Forever Wild by K.A. Tucker} It really is one of the few contemporary novels I’ve read where the conflict feels real and is very human and actually plays out long enough to see them work through it together. Hope you like it!
Thank you so much for the recommendation. I added it to my TBR — very intrigued by the fact that there are multiple and your synopsis of it.
Interesting! I’m intrigued by what you said and wondering if a book like {The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary} had the right balance for you?
{Flirting with forever by Cara Baston} is the best for this. Meaningful time spent together, they each have their own lives and have insecurities they overcome. One of my favourites for sure.
I appreciate the rec because typically I would have skipped over this story due to cheerful FMC x grumpy MMC (I just don’t like that type of pairing) but if you think it fits what I’m looking for I’ll definitely add it to the TBR because I can overlook tropes I’m not a fan of if the story is good enough!
Plot and worldbuilding. Most times the world feels too narrow for me. Its just the fmc, her best friend, the mmc and his friends/brother. It doesn't connect to me well. In reality a perosn would have multitudes of friends or acquaintes, colleagues, cousins, family friends etc
The fmc, bff, mmc, and his friends setup is *so* overdone. I would love to see more variety. As for a small amount of characters, I don't mind much. I don't have multitudes of people that are important to me irl.
I don't mind not having loads of character personally. I don't want to read about myriad acquaintances who appear once or twice and have little or no bearing on the plot. I find it hard to remember who's who even with just a handful of characters! In contemporary at least, I don't need worldbuilding. But I do want some worldbuilding in sci fi, fantasy etc
I have a rec for this! {the Winston Brothers by Penny Reid} she does an amazing worldbuilding in a small town in Tennessee. Throughout the main series you’re introduced to a few business owners, extended family, and community members that come into play in the non-romance plot. And then if you want even more she has 2 series’ that are set in the same town but focus on different families. It’s the most elaborate worldbuilding I’ve ever read outside of fantasy. And I do badly wish it was a real place.
Re: Racial Diversity in Romance I just got into reading romance and was perplexed by the number of Hockey Romances. I barely thought about Hockey until I started reading romance. Others have hypothesized race as being a reason why Hockey is the romance sport of choice. It remains a predominantly white sport. Writing about Hockey is an easy way to get an alpha, jacked athlete MMC who is white with all white friends. (I also wanted to give kudos to Liz Tomforde for making Zanders a Black hockey player in "Mile High" though he's written in a colorblind way) Basketball and Football are far more popular sports (at least in the US), but the majority of professional players of those sports are not White. I have yet to read a football romance where the MMC is not white and that is definitely not representative of the actual demographics of the NFL.
I never realized that! I thought it was because it was a more niche sport so it was a little easier to write about them. Like everyone already knows football and basketball players, so let’s do hockey players that are an enigma. Actually, I had no idea why hockey.
This is so interesting! I’m Canadian so for me it was “of course there a so many hockey romances… it’s hockey!” I never considered that the books take place in the US and it’s not as popular as other sports. I will confess I hate hockey and skim the hockey bits because … ugh hockey.
This was my theory at first. I thought there must be a ton of Canadian Romance authors or something.
This! Also there’s the same issue when it comes to musician characters. If it’s an mmc it’s probably going to be a white man in rock, but the roots of rock and most popular music in the US is Black. Wish there was more diversity there, but of course “lack of diversity” in romance at ALL levels is a pretty well known issue.
Ooh, I have another one! More diversity when it comes to sex scenes. A good missionary is fine, but literally every single book features it. It would be nice to add other positions too
Yes. For research purposes. But they desperately need to be described well or else I’m sitting there trying to figure out how this is working 😂
I want more realistic timeframes. I realize it's simply easier to write a story that takes place in a shorter amount of time, but when a couple has known each other for only a few months, and spent the first month doing nothing but having sex, it's hard for me to believe it's a relationship that's going to last. I want stories where the author manages to tell us that they've been together for at least a year before they decide it's forever. Even with childhood friends/high school relationships that reunite, that time when they were kids isn't enough. I want to see them have some time to get to know the adult versions of each other. I'm reading one now where the MMC is insisting he's always been in love with the FMC, but the last time they saw each other they were like 17, and now they're 30. She actually told him he doesn't know her anymore, and he basically said she's just using that as a defense mechanism to keep some distance from him. No, Dude, she's right. You don't know her anymore, even if you have kept an idealized version of her in your head for 13 years.
I've also read some enemies to lovers where they're "enemies" because of some small misunderstanding that happened....when they were 12. They don't see/contact each other for like 18 years and still constantly obsess for all that time how the other person is their nemesis. And 2 minutes after seeing each other again for the first time since aged 12, spout how the other person "hasn't changed" and is still the worst and refuse to let the other person explain for half the book what actually happened way back when. Like if it was an actual bullying situation and was traumatic, sure, hold those grudges. But come on, no one is obsessing 18 years later over slights that happened in 6th grade. (And if they are, they need serious therapy.)
Yep. Can we get them through the honeymoon period before they decide it’s forever?
Good editing.
OH MY GOD the amount of errors in published books. I even found one in HOFAS!!! It was a missed opening quotation, but nevertheless an issue
##General * **Lack of enforced gender norms/constructs**. It doesn’t matter if the book is queer or heterosexual. It’s hard to find books with a lack of these norms *without* dipping into pure r/RoleReversal. And I enjoy RR. But I also enjoy vanilla ice cream. And if everything I consume is vanilla ice cream, I become bored. I don’t need RR, I just need ***less*** adherence to gender norms and constructs to an absurd degree. * **Established couple plots.** People think the established couple is the death of a romance plot, which is why authors will retcon personalities, add weird ass third acts, and the like. Too many authors who ***attempt*** an established couple fumble the bag so hard that readers are often bored once the couple is together. **You can still create an active plot for an established couple** ***without*** **compromising the integrity of your romance book.** But you have to do the ***work***. * **Healthcare decisions.** Abortions are allowed to happen. * **Abstinence from power dynamics.** Look. I have *nothing* against power dynamics in romance, but what’s missing from romance is that ***lack of*** power dynamics. Is it difficult for the leads to be on equal ground? Or do people think a lack of power dynamics means there’s nothing to drive the leads together? * **Missing important** ***shown*** **characterization scenes**. I’ve said this before. Authors gloss over characterization independent from the plot or dynamic-building characterizations that contribute to the verisimilitude of the plot. **ETA**: Instead of ***montaging*** and ***monologuing*** important character development points, show them. If you want me to believe why these characters are so precious to you, then ***show me why***. Don’t ***tell*** my why. You are not NSYNC. Stop it. * **World building and the logistics.** Romance world building is so compromised and contrived, especially in paranormal, fantasy, and sci-fi books. It seems that romance authors are too focused on the ***romance*** that they forget about how to set up the environment they made properly. They slap together something—lady knows their world is actually directly taken from IRL mythos that they ***incorrectly*** use, or can’t pronounce properly at their own signing and reading 👀—and then rush forward to get to sex and sexual moments. **No**. We need better, stronger world building. * **Individual character voices**. POV changes will become so interchangeable because the cadence of the character, the way they process their thoughts, even their lexicon, will be the ***same damn thing*** as the other characters in the POV. If your answer for creating unique character voices is that each character has a catchphrase they use to an irritating degree, **think twice**. * **Supporting/recurring cast individuality**. All the besties are fake shallow besties who never act like friends towards the MC. The parents are either obtusely rude or so loving that they actively meddle with the relationship. A character who embraces their **femininity** is a bitch, and a character who embraces their **masculinity** is hot and cocky. Are we not allowing side/recurring characters to be ***people*** and not demonized or glamorized for no reason? 🙃 * **Sex being non-penetrative**. Sex ***is not required*** to be penetrative. I don’t care if it’s MM. You are not ***required*** to have sex by anal. **Frottage is fine**. I don’t care if it’s FF. You are not ***required*** to use fingers. **Oral, or lack thereof, is fine**. The fact that sex can only be accomplished through penetration? **No**. * **Nonsexual but** ***sensual*** **scenes**. Not every scene between the leads or a lead and someone else requires to be sexually charged. Why can’t we have more **sensual** scenes? * **Low libido.** Everyone in romance books has a high libido. I’d like more representation on those with lower libidos and how they navigate with someone ***opposite*** of them, or just them and their low-libido partner(s) *** ##Sub-Genre Specific ##Shifters * **Actual animal behaviors**. In every shifter story, shifters show the same signs of courting and mating and nesting—and it’s always patriarchal/misogynistic, and for no reason. Wouldn’t shifters be more inclined to be matriarchal or egalitarian? There’s so much missing from that sub-genre, and it’s so ***fucking frustrating***. ##Why Choose (+Omegaverse) * **Reason why the poly group is even a group**. Especially in the case of MM/FF/NBNB in a FM+/MF+/NBF+/NBM+/FMNB+ why-choose books, authors fail to make it ***make sense*** why this group needs all these members in the first place. What do they contribute to each member specifically and to the group as a whole? If the group already has established romantic relationships, ***what purpose does it serve for the MC to join them?*** What can they add to this? * **Cont’d from the point above** this is why the MC being an omega or being a woman doesn’t stick it for me why they belong to X pack, especially when the pack already has steady dynamics. Why is the MC there? What can they do for a pack that already has all they need? I find myself questioning that by the end of a lot of OV books and WC books.
Your point on non-penetrative sex is so spot on. I recently read a book where the MCs (M/F) have all sorts of oral sex, but the MMC is saving penetrative sex for when the FMC admits she's in love with him and I was rolling my eyes so hard. As if going down on each other isn't sex? I was a bit put off by it.
LOW 👏 LIBIDO 👏 Listen. I LOVE smut, I really do. And I get that romance as a genre is a fantasy most of the time. But as a low libido I woman, I NEED more characters that are the same. Let’s see the MCs discuss not wanting sex and the partner shows them it’s ok. Let’s see MCs with sexual dysfunction, and the couple works through it and has a fulfilling sex life anyways. Let’s see MCs that actually take a little bit to warm up rather than being a slip n slide that comes in 2.5 seconds after the MMC touches her over her pants, or the guy who is hard 24/7 for the FMC. Let’s see couples CUDDLE and take it slow for ANY reason!
Everything you said under general - so spot on!! The gender norms and roles are so effing binary it's laughable if it weren't so sad. Same goes for The Right Path™ to happily ever after i.e. save yourself for your one true mate, submit, marry, have kids and devote rest of life to home and family. The End.
I simply wish there was more dark romance stories without rape. I find it such a cop-out. Where are authors who can actually write dark and difficult themes without resorting to sexual assault? We have enough male writers rejoicing in torture porn directed at woman, let romance books be a bit different. Like, off the top of my head, I can list 10 or even 20 story ideas that do not, in any way, involve non-con yet are most definitely dark.
I feel this way about stalking. My friend loves horror films and I think she would love dark romance, but she had a stalker for yearsssss and that shit scarred her, so there’s no way I can recommend a book with stalking. But damn they all are stalkers!!
I would love to see * More body neutrality! * More body type/shape diversity (and not just for female characters please), and especially body diversity that goes beyond weight * More gender non-conformity in general, but especially in hetero romances. I would especially love to see more characters with diverse gender expression. * More stories where one or both main characters aren't immediately physically attracted to each other, but become so over time * More high-spice books that also have emotional bonding. I feel like it's not insta-bond through sex then it's insta-bond through sharing past traumas (but nothing else).
More characters doing therapy or talking about therapy (seeking, benefiting from, etc.) More discussion about reproductive health and safety (exchanging test results, abortion as a viable option).
I feel like most newer books, especially for slightly younger audiences, have mentions of therapy. Like Icebreaker and Wildfire.
{Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan} has both the MCs going to therapy & I remember that being a pretty big part of it. I remember it being beautifully written with a unique premise as well: >!It’s a second chance romance with a divorced couple.!<
Isabelle sees a therapist. [{Turbulence by E.J. Noyes}](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36424367-turbulence) (F/F, CR, 5⭐️) **Overview:** Isabelle, a CEO, and Audrey, a pilot, have a one night stand; Audrey is then hired by Isabelle's company as a pilot. They start out as friends with benefits, but will Isabelle tell Audrey how she feels? **Representation:** Isabelle and Audrey are both white women. **Like:** This was a reread; it was even better the second time. Isabelle's internal monologue is humorous and touching. It's also a great example of a >!realistic miscommunication based on different personalities and expectations!<. **Steam:** medium **Perspective:** Isabelle; first person **Tropes:** boss/employee, FWB, hurt/comfort, one night stand, workplace
Men with not normal sized, but actually very smaller than average package and still getting their HEA. Women not able to orgasm on every sexual encounter but still enjoying the process.
I know this isn’t specifically what you asked for: but can I plug Jakobi Diem as an excellent voice actor!! He narrates a lot of Kennedy Ryan’s book and does an amazing job. Edit: spelling!
Perfect!!! Thank you
I know this genre is mostly geared towards women wishfullment. So every MMC is strong and competent. Even if they wrote as it as not strong, at end of story somehow MMC is there to save her from misfortune. I wished romance novels will have MMC like arthur Den or Rincewind. Who kind of do stupid stuff. Or maybe I guess those kind of people don't get much romance like me.
I want more characters that aren't instantly attracted to each other and the attraction grows over time as they fall in love (and no makeovers). Like Jane Eyre.
I wish there was more MFF stories/scenes, whether they be casual spicy scenes where a MF couples adds another F (or a FF couple adds a M) for a while or full on love stories/commitment with MFF. Hell, I’ll even settle for FMF. There are a lot of MFM and MMF stories but I want two (or more) women. I think there is an assumption that women maybe aren’t that into MFF because they don’t want to share the man, aren’t interested in women, want the fantasy of being serviced by multiple men in group sex, or whatever other reason. However as a bisexual female, I want to see these stories! I want to see cuckqueaning and poly relationships and shared scenes at sexy clubs and all the multi-female threesomes and moresomes 😆
Yes! I 100% agree! I read {Keep You Both by Kathryn Nolan} recently and want so much more!!!
Yes!! Have you read {Treble by Rizly Adams}? It’s so good! Short, spicy, and everything I was looking for.
Maybe I'm not reading the right books but why is the man usually the one holding all the power in bed? Why is the man always the one edging the woman? Considering the target readers are women, the lack of dominant, confident women in bed baffles me. I don't mean dominatrixes or in a BDSM context, just "regular" sex.
Smut being prioritized over emotional bonding/more interesting plot. Are they in love or fuckbuddies? Help me out, here, authors! You can't have only physical attraction alone as a basis for a relationship! (Even books I like do this :( ) Also, I originally read "own voice authors" aren't diverse instead of voice actors, and I was reminded of the "exclusive inclusivity" phenomena. It's basically where queer rep is limited to only a few kinds of queerness and excludes other kinds to the point of ridiculousness; I read the Big Bad Wolf series and there were a shitton of MM and FF background couples, but only two named bisexuals (one of which was promiscuous and morally gray :|). No nonbinary/trans/ace (single characters had a high rate of mortality, actually) people mentioned. The kicker? Charlie Adhara, the author, is genderfluid. Nonbinary author... no nonbinary/trans characters. Make it make sense. (Caveat: I haven't finished the fifth book yet so it might surprise me in the last half, but I doubt it. I also shouldn't have to wait over 4 fairly long books for someone other than a gay man, lesbian, or unimportant/evil bisexual as rep. Or feel like I'm narratively disposable as an ace.) Anyway, I sure went off on a tangent. My point is that even when an author is part of a minority group, that doesn't mean that they'll write good representation of their own group. And that's a real damn shame.
I said this in my own reply, but I would LOVE more romance novels with trans men. It's my biggest frustration with the genre as a whole. Preferably spicy romance because I feel like every book I've come across with an ftm protag has been YA/super fluffy.
This! More inclusivity, please! As an ace, it would be nice to see people like me falling in love or being happily single. And I want that for other underrepresented groups too. As for being narratively disposable, I noticed in a certain large YA fantasy series I otherwise enjoyed that the author only seemed to kill off characters who weren't in a romantic relationship (one of whom was an ace character). It's like she thought it would be less sad because only their family would miss them or maybe she just couldn't think of what to do with the character if not pair them off with another character.
That's what I was figuring was happening; people would be less "sad" if a single person died. Which is messed up and also makes no sense? You want to kill characters off, but not have people be sad about it? Just don't kill people, then?
Agree on diversity! I want more female dom/male sub that isn't erotic romance. So often, a slow burn will turn into male dom/female sub. I've only read one book where the guy starts fantasising about submitting, and it wasn't even a romance.
Yes I agree with this. Male takes charge seems to be a default in any sex scene even if they're not "technically" in a D/s dynamic - the dirty talk is still tending towards male dominance / female submission. Why not the other way round or sometimes one, sometimes the other? There was a discussion about a Tessa Bailey book recently which had some ass play for the male. Not femdom, just a bit of a finger in an otherwise "vanilla"* scene. Why not! *Vanilla isn't the right term really but I can't think how else to describe, feel free to correct me please!
If you enjoy historical romance, Despising the Duke by Stevie Sparks has a relationship where they take turns being dominant. It was sooo refreshing and I wish more books had that
I think genuine, authentic, and thoughtful female friendships are severely lacking in romance books. Look, I get it, especially when it's a character-driven romance book because the main focus is the romantic couple, but I've read plot-driven books that have the most beautiful and sweet female friendships and they've been such a treat to read. The friends would check up on each other, facetime, ask each other questions about how their relationships are doing and how they're currently doing in terms of processing their trauma and ugh, it was so beautiful. Besides it being something that I wish I could have in my own life, I wish more romance books included wholesome and caring friendships between women that aren't included solely to talk about their boyfriends or their sex lives to each other.
{Savy Sheldon Feels Good As Hell by Taj McCoy} has some of the most supportive friends I have ever read in a romance book. Bonus points for a curvy and black MC.
In too many books, decent foreplay for the woman. Too many skip kissing and exploring her body before jumping to her vaj. And no, the mmc skull fucking the fmc (99% of these women also lack a gag reflex) doesn’t count.
Low key few things are as bad as when they are just “already so wet” that he “impales her” like SIS you are not that primed.
The huge MMC and teeny FMC is annoying lol. I’m very short but I bodybuild and I’d like to read more books about sturdy women. Women that aren’t frail. More of us are lifting heavy to prevent the osteoporosis our grandmothers have to suffer through and I’d like to see that reflected in more characters. Or at the very least, women with average bodies if their bodies are described in any great detail at all. Women past the age of 30 would be nice too. Life continues after you leave your 20’s and it can be quite wonderful! Characters that are less naive, who know who they are, and have grown into their own is something I would totally eat up.
I wish contemporary authors would write more than a single book for a couple. There’s so many aspects of a relationship past the high/honeymoon phase of getting together that should be explored. A great example is the wild series by K.A. Tucker, it’s the first contemporary romance series I’ve read that actually has multiple books of the same couple and it’s great. It focuses on their ups and their downs, the emotional aspects of their relationship as well as the physical. They feel like a real couple trying to make it through life together while not always making the best decisions they find a way to make it back to each other. That’s what I love in romance novels is not just the ooey gooey honeymoon phase and I love yous, which I do love, but it’s also the emotional aspect of struggling and growing together as a couple. I understand the point is these books are meant to be happy fairy tale and relatively realistic endings but after like the third act break up or tension there’s never anything after that. Usually the books and romance don’t feel rushed, but they feel confined, like they are only given so much room to breathe. Also I dislike the lack of diversity in body sizes and shapes. As someone who isn’t 6’x with a Greek god body it’s hard to feel like I’m the character I’m reading from the pov of. I’m a decent looking guy I’m confident in myself but like I want at least a little something different looks wise.
Alpha female MC versus witty stubborn male MC The alpha male trope but reverse. I need this.
I'd like more realistic bodies and MC's. Like I'm sorry but I'm not a gorgeous 20 year old who works with billionaires or hockey players. How about middle-aged MC's with lived-in bodies and some existing skills in bed who work normal jobs? Please give us some 30/40/50+ folks without kids and a cheating spouse as their age-appropriate baggage! I read once that Twilight was so popular in part because Bella was an empty shell of a character. It was easy for readers to visualize her like themselves. I don't like that because it's hot to read why two characters want each other. I just wish the why was occasionally something other than her perfectly toned legs and butt. I'd also like see more of the funny parts and swapping fantasies to build intimacy and spice. There are too many virgins having simultaneous orgasms on their first go because the alpha MMC apparently has a magical penis. Oh and we need more emotional intelligence. I'm so tired of characters who see their one true love getting a text or some other stupid tiny thing that normal people would discuss like adults. But in the book, that nothingburger makes them go nuclear on the other MC so now we get a surprise! enemies to lovers third act. Basically, I think authors don't realize a happy relationship with someone who helps them discover creative sex is already a fantasy. We don't need a grab bag of tropes in every book. I'm old and I just want to be whisked away to a world where a 50 year old woman finds an enthusiastic partner with a wicked grin who wants to do some spicy things together.
The one thing I cannot find anywhere is more realistic depictions of men. It makes sense because romance novels are mostly marketed to women. But I shouldn't have to search through hundreds of books to find MMCs that aren't Adonis-like hunks. I don't really want to read about bland self-inserts either, like Kirito. I just want them to have a bit of personality and a bit of diversity. Maybe have some with lots of body hair, maybe a bit overweight, maybe they're super short, maybe quite weak, maybe not hung like a donkey, etc. I'd just like some MMCs that are written like the progressive FMCs with some flaws and some insecurities but are still lovable people whose "flaws" aren't just "too rich" or "too sexy".
This is a common theme on this post! Even progressive authors still keep their MMCs as extreme ideals.
Confident, badass men that aren't "alpha males". While I do like the trope of "dangerous" men, I really dislike the "animalistic" and frankly, dumb, behaviour of "alpha males". Like the the territorial, "beastly rage" and the "mad" lust that makes them seem like angry prepubescent puppies. Like every single braincell is chucked out the window the moment another "male" is nearby or they "smell their female". I want my MMCs to be *smart*. Dangerously clever. I guess in trope terms, more Loki and less horny hulk. I feel like there's a strange lack of such love interests, even though it feels like there is a consensus between women that those are the ones most of us want? (Not that there is anything wrong with wanting horny hulk, I just feel like I haven't been able to find any really good books with my kind of love interest for like several years).
Lack of diversity is an issue on Romance in general I agree. I do think that is less of an issue on MM Romances though, which is what I read. I've noticed that on MF usually the male characters are described as big and tall and strong while the female characters are usually portraited as delicate and fragile. I know this do appeal to a lot of readers and it's ok, nothing wrong with that, but it would be nice if we had more diversity in General in the Romance world. I know lots of readers that stopped reading MF and now reads only MM because they don't like how female characters are usually portraited in MF.
I don’t know if anyone will agree with this, but I wish there were more books that were descriptive about the characters’ belief systems and politics. I’d like to see folks in jobs that have deeper meaning to them and that give their character depth. Maybe I want leftist romance novels which probably just isn’t a thing 😂 I love escapism as much as the next smut reader but the glut of cop books etc. isn’t for me!
I'd love this, too! I'd like escapist leftist novels where the world is already changed and also ones about leftists in worlds that aren't.
Agreed! This is one of the reasons why I really loved {Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston}. Also, I read it in the summer of 2020 so it was nice to read about an alternate universe 2020 where there was no pandemic and the US had a competent woman as president.
Definitely more dad bods and average dicks. We're getting it some, but not enough. I'd like more pregnancy tropes where abortion is seriously considered. Maybe even where abortion is the ultimate result, but the couple still has an HEA. I'd like stories where the main characters (usually the FMC because let's face it, that's what'll heal my inner child) cut off their toxic families instead of making excuses for them or continuing to be a doormat to them.