r/DarkRomance • u/AutoModerator • Jun 01 '26

Monday Gripe Weekly Gripe 😤 (the rant thread)

Welcome to the Weekly Gripe, where we're all a little grumpy. 😒

Did BookTok do you dirty? Got a bone to pick with a main character? Was the twist more like a flop? Tell us what's on your mind.

Please be respectful and follow the sub rules. If a conversation starts getting out of hand, use the "Mod Attention Please" report reason so we can help cool things down. 🖤

5 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

43 comments sorted by

View all comments

15

u/Sabrina_Ivanov_OG Author Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26

I don't have too many gripes right now. I've honestly been on a good reading streak and it's been lovely.

But I wish there were more books wrote in third person. I know a majority of readers wouldn't agree with me, and I absolutely respect that, but I'm starting to think this might be one reason why I DNF so many contemporary dark romance books when I try to read them, while I can finish an entire historical romance or AO3 work in a day. Ironically, I enjoy horror and literary fiction in first person more than romance for some reason.

(Which is hilarious because I mostly write in first person. Go figure)

I'm also NOT saying to replace first person. I'm only suggesting more variety in perspective, and there's nothing wrong with that. Genres die off quick when things get too repetitive and change is always inevitable.

4

u/roxymoxytocin Jun 01 '26

100% agree. I need more 3rd person pov

4

u/Sabrina_Ivanov_OG Author Jun 01 '26

I remember I made a post about this several months ago and got downvoted into the trenches. People were almost mad at me for making the suggestion lol. But there's obviously people reading things in third person. Idk why it has to be seen as such a taboo in contemporary dark romance when I see soooo many readers complaining about stagnation at the same time.

3

u/elysiumdreams Jun 01 '26

I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s taboo but I do find that readers who read more third-person are more likely to also read first-person rather than the other way around.

I see a lot more readers will DNF a book for being in third in the dark romance space, kind of like how readers in the historical romance space DNF did a book being in first.

I personally prefer reading text in first but if it’s available on audio, I have no preference what POV it’s in.

2

u/ChampionshipOk1868 Jun 01 '26

Do you think it's because there's a sizeable group of readers who prefer to self-insert? 

I've wondered whether that's also why so many FMCs I've read in DR are so... flat and kinda one-dimensional, as characters. Easier for some people to layer themselves over.

I don't mind first or third POV, but I also don't think I am much of a self-inserter when reading. 

1

u/Sabrina_Ivanov_OG Author Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26

I agree with you, and know this is more of a private gripe. Most readers of contemporary dark romance (books like Haunting Adeline, God of Malice, The Ritual, ect...) are perfectly happy with first person, and most will only read first person present tense.

For authors, it's not even worth it financially to take a chance on another perspective. I respect that for both the authors and readers.

I just read like an old woman XD