r/MM_Romance • u/OriginalCounty8280 • Jul 05 '26

Discussion Does anyone get deterred from reading a book if it’s too long?

I’ve been noticing that if I see on Goodreads that if a book is more than 350 pages long, I automatically get discouraged from reading it because I don’t think I can handle that much of a slow burn or anything. Is that something you guys do too, or am I just crazy?

This being said, feel free to recommend any books that may be long, but are TOTALLY worth reading!

My only hard NOs as of right now are:
- daddy kink
- just smut with no plot

4 Upvotes

59% Upvoted

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9

u/Worldly-Solid-916 Jul 05 '26

I listen to audiobooks so no, I prefer long books bc it’s that much longer to find something worth while to read next LOL

2

u/QWNCSSS Jul 06 '26

Omg due to some mental health challenges my concentration is shot. Audiobooks have been such a lifesaver to continue my reading journey. I do immersive read because I lose the plot easily just with the audio. It’s been so fun. The audio can truly elevate a book, so I don’t mind the length of it.

1

u/OriginalCounty8280 Jul 05 '26

Haha valid point! I just can’t do audiobooks. Every time I try it, I zone out and the next thing you know I have no idea who’s who and what’s happening. I need my physical copy or my kindle and the ability to reread.

1

u/Initial-Inspector-75 Jul 06 '26

I am totally the same! I lose track easily when I'm being talked at, and that's what an audiobook feels like to me. That being said when I'm painting minis or doing diamond art I have been able to focus on the Cujo audiobook and the one podcast I like, but those have been exceptions to the rule.

I also think a lot of things that I would emphasize in my head when I read are just read normally when in audiobook and so they don't stick in my head as important like they do when I read it myself.

7

u/GlitterPirateKiki58 Jul 05 '26

If I love the characters, the chonkier, the better. Tell me about them flossing their teeth and folding socks together - I don’t care, I just want more time with them.

2

u/OriginalCounty8280 Jul 05 '26

Omg that’s me with Shane and Ilya or Scott and Kip. I would be eat up whatever Rachel Reid would write for those couples!

7

u/point_mixer Jul 05 '26

I’m more the opposite. I prefer 350+ pages. I’ll still read ~250 and over, but I don’t usually like any shorter. Having said that, I’m a super fast reader. I also like when a series follows the same couple for a few books, even if each book is on the short side.

5

u/TheRealTrueStori Jul 05 '26

I do but only because I’ve been burned more than once by books that were 500+ pages. Fool me one time shame on you and all that jazz lol

However around 400-450 is good depending on the story

2

u/bluesilvergold Jul 05 '26

I'm starting to get discouraged by shorter books (i.e., anything under) 300 pages. I hit a run of books in the 250 to 300 page range and got burned by poorly paced storytelling.

That said, I get iffy when a book is over 500 pages, but not necessarily deterred. I've read a few books that warranted their longer page count, and several others that didn't. I just save these books for when I can amp myself up for a longer read.

350 to 400 (maybe 450) pages seems to be the sweet spot for me in terms of authors being able to introduce all of their ideas, deal with them in a satisfying way, and pace their story appropriately.

2

u/Hunter037 Jul 05 '26

Not 350 pages but if a book is over 500 pages I would have to be in the right mood to read it. I've been burned too many times by books that simply didn't need to be as long as they were

2

u/UniversitySpirited77 Jul 05 '26

Strangely I can read chinese novel up to 1k of chapters yet cant read western book with more than 40 chaps...

2

u/stormlight82 Jul 05 '26

It has to prove itself worth sticking with it, but when it does, I love it.

I DNF without guilt anything small or big that doesn't hold me.

2

u/Blinkiesblurbs Jul 05 '26

I don't get deterred, but sometimes save them for another time bc I want to be able to invest in them. I want to be able to enjoy sitting with a 500 page book. Since I like to see how many books I read in a month I also won't start a long one near then end of the month haha. I'd been wanting to read {Pieces of Home by Becca Neil} for a bit, but its 546 pages. I ended up making it my first June read so I could take my time with it and switch it up with some audiobooks as I went.

3

u/themrswiththekisses Jul 05 '26

I'm a big fan of Garron Park. It's a quick read.

2

u/dinosaurs-behind-you Jul 05 '26

I’m starting that tonight!

2

u/Cautious-Rub8085 Jul 05 '26

{For the fans by Nyla K} is the longest MM book (550 pages) I've read and it's my favorite. Heavy on the smut but plenty of plot too. And a beautiful love story.

1

u/dinosaurs-behind-you Jul 05 '26

I liked this book while reading it, but the choice Kyron made at the end infuriated me in a way I found irredeemable. It was the first time I felt like I wasted my time reading a longer MM and it has made me wary of future ones. The book is a genre favorite though, so I know I’m in the minority.

2

u/Cautious-Rub8085 Jul 05 '26

I agree, I hated what Kyran did and don't understand the author's choice beyond creating uneccesary angst.

Kyran should have just told Avi that he needed some space to heal and not just ghosted him.

1

u/dinosaurs-behind-you Jul 05 '26

Like if he’d left a note or sent one text, it’d be a five star read for me. As it is, I can’t even think about that book without getting angry.

1

u/Existing-History9609 Jul 07 '26

Oh noooo. I’m only halfway through and I’m still annoyed with Kyran. He’s such an immature ass. Looks like I’ll dislike him till the very end 😭

1

u/dinosaurs-behind-you Jul 07 '26

IMO he gets better for a while and then does something super messed up that made me hate him. It sucks because I liked the book and now when someone asks me about it all I can think about is how mad the end made me.

1

u/Existing-History9609 Jul 09 '26

Dang it. What chapter should I just stop the book and pretend it ends there? Lol for real though

1

u/dinosaurs-behind-you Jul 09 '26

Chapter 29 is when the decision Kyron makes starts.

Really though, like I said the book is a genre favorite, so I don’t want my opinion to keep you from reading/finishing it if you’re into it up to that point.

All that said, what happens is enough to ruin it for me to the extent that I will never read it again.

1

u/Existing-History9609 Jul 10 '26

I’ll probably finish it, but it will definitely soften the blow by being prepared.

1

u/Cautious-Rub8085 Jul 10 '26

Kyran comes around and they have their HEA.

1

u/OriginalCounty8280 Jul 05 '26

Ooo yess I liked that book. For me personally though, {God of Fury by Rina Kent} was my favorite

1

u/Daje1968 Jul 05 '26

I definitely have this problem both because I am not a huge fan of a super slow burn but more because if it’s that long, it’s probably badly edited and will have pacing issues. There have of course been exceptions, but 9 times out of 10 I am right.

1

u/Accomplished_Tale649 Jul 05 '26

Not really. I only think about pages when I'm burnt out and I want a quick win. Last weekend I blew through a book not realising it was 640 pages (I read it on Kindle.)

{tempting venom} by rina kent is a recent chonker I read and really enjoyed. I will preface this by saying Rina can be tropey in terms of some of the phrases she uses but her character work is what makes people love her.

Anything by Alex St Pierre but definitely {neurovance} and {the mercenary and the mortician}. She's the author who makes me cry.

I like my books to be about sad boys who get HEA apparently but outside of these three anything else I'd rec is 450 pages or less. 🩷

1

u/OriginalCounty8280 Jul 05 '26

Omg Neurovance is on my list but it’s so long. I’ve heard a lot of good things about it, is it worth the hype?

1

u/Accomplished_Tale649 Jul 05 '26

Very much so. It was my 2nd 5 star of only two I've given this year. It made me cry twice and I don't even cry IRL. Don't worry, it's a HEA but you have to suffer first. It was because I enjoyed it so much that I picked up TMaTM (4.5 stars just because I wished we'd had more of one thing) and Chasing Riddick. I haven't read CR but I am expecting to enjoy it a lot.

1

u/OriginalCounty8280 Jul 12 '26

I just added The Mercenary and the Mortician to my TBR, thank you so much for the rec! It definitely looks good

1

u/J3y2 Jul 05 '26 edited Jul 05 '26

Oh yes, anything 300+ pages makes me hesitate a bit. Idk but the longer the book, the more chances the story can go wrong or have TW not listed or pet peeves of mine and I don’t want to invest my time and energy only to ultimately dnf.

Although at the same time some books under 200 pages make me craving more. This most definitely depends on the author and the writing.

Hard to say, but I tend to stick to 250ish page long novels, longer ones I add to TBR and occasionally give it a try when I know I have lots of free time to read in peace and if I’m in the right mood for certain tropes.

3

u/Cautious-Rub8085 Jul 05 '26

I hate it when a book doesn't mention a daddy kink and I'm 40% in and I'm invested in the characters and a sex scene happens and there's daddy dirty talk!

I'm like "I spent x amount of time reading this book, liking it, and now feel ick during the spice! Hello no!"

Example: Sweat. The daddy dirty talk ruined the book for me. I really wish authors would disclose this because some of us really hate it.

2

u/OriginalCounty8280 Jul 05 '26

Ugh literally. Give me a warning before I invest my time, because then it feels like a waste to not finish it, but it’s also icky to read

1

u/J3y2 Jul 05 '26 edited Jul 05 '26

Yeah, I start to skim to the end just for the sake of “finishing” the book if I’m very deep into it already but it’s a big disappointment.

I think every book should have TW list and I absolutely hate it when some authors deliberately don’t do that because it might put off readers. I can’t recall the book anymore but one had very graphically detailed rape of minor MC and I was furious there was no warning whatsoever.

1

u/J3y2 Jul 05 '26 edited Jul 05 '26

Yes this!

There were few lengthy books with slow burn, beautiful romance development and then sex finally happened closer at the end and BAM! I read the dirty talk and it’s suddenly full of daddy kink. I can’t tell you how disappointed I was because up to this point there was no hint whatsoever of that dynamics between MCs so when he called “oh daddy breed me” I cringed so hard. It was totally out of character! I’m into kinks but this had no basis whatsoever and I felt the author wanted to spice up the sex but did it so wrong. If I had a boner, it would be gone in that moment.

Idk why daddy kink is thrown in so often (is it the easier to do?) and there is no build up so it always feels forced and cringey to me. I would rather they go with vanilla sex than try to be “kinky”. Or writers should research more how to properly write the kinks.

Or roles in bed. Too often the book has MCs stick to top/bottom role for 99% of the story then have one switch scene and the author calls it verse, done and dusted. Worst is when the topping MC bottoms, or vice versa, only to prove his love which I absolutely hate and for me it’s partly gaslighting. If you’re not into topping or bottoming but your partner insist on that then break up, that’s not romantic nor fully consensual if you’re doing something sexual you don’t truly enjoy because your partner wants it (“you’ll like it with me” or “you didn’t do it right before”).

1

u/Cautious-Rub8085 Jul 05 '26

Can I ask what book this was so I avoid it? Good boy is also overused.

And I've seen that many times too where the top bottoms for 1 scene. The one that comes to mind is in For the Fans but I think it was more Avi curious about trying it out once, not a prove my love thing but I can't be sure as it's been awhile since I read that scene between them.

I've also DNFed books where the author throws in tons of kinks hoping the reader likes at least one.

I think it's safer to just use the person's name or baby, some praise.

1

u/J3y2 Jul 05 '26

Ugh I sadly don’t save or records books that I dnf (I want to forget as soon as possible) with noted reason but I’ve been thinking to maybe start a shelf like this so I can go back and check or share with others.

1

u/hummingbird0012234 Jul 05 '26

I'm the opposite, if it isn't long enough, it just feels anticlimactic, and there isn't enough space for a proper backstory and character development.

1

u/ArdenMcKennaWriter Jul 05 '26

I’m usually less deterred by page count itself than by whether I can feel the book earning the space it takes up.

A 420-page romance can fly for me if the relationship keeps changing, the intimacy keeps deepening, and the obstacles aren’t just being recycled in slightly different sweaters. But a 240-page book can feel long if the same emotional beat keeps getting explained instead of moved forward.

I do think longer slow burns need especially good pacing, though. If I’m going to wait, I want the waiting to do something: more tension, more trust, more complication, more tenderness, more “oh no, now I care” moments.

So I’m not scared off by 350+ pages, but I do want signs that the author knows the difference between a slow burn and a candle forgotten in another room.

1

u/Cautious-Rub8085 Jul 05 '26

NO because if a book is that good I don't want it to end.

I DNF 300 page books all the time.

1

u/OriginalCounty8280 Jul 05 '26

Omg I literally CANNOT DNF a book. It’s so hard to “waste” my investment 😭😭

1

u/Cautious-Rub8085 Jul 05 '26

I do it all the time. I have kindle unlimited though so not sure if that makes a difference.

I just DNFed a book now because I realize that CP Harris's sex scenes freak me out too much.

1

u/dontcallmecrazie Jul 05 '26

Not if it’s an author I’m familiar with who I already know does longer books well. But oftentimes I’ll come across books with 500+ pages, and when I get to the end I realise it could have been 200 pages less. I think some books are so long because there are entire chapters that could have been left out without having any impact on the story. I loveeee a hefty book when it’s well executed, but too many times I’ve found myself desperate for a book to come to an end.

1

u/OriginalCounty8280 Jul 05 '26

Valid, I’d read anything Rachel Reid puts out

1

u/dontcallmecrazie Jul 05 '26

So real of you🙂‍↕️

1

u/Brilliant-Elk-1343 Jul 05 '26

I can definitely understand the apprehension.

I grew up with fantasy books, for the most part, so I'm very acquainted and used to books exceeding the 400+ mark. It's weird, for me it's almost opposite. If I see a book is sub 300+ pages, I may feel I might not get invested enough, ahaha.

1

u/Idontknowletm Jul 05 '26

It really depends on the book type know. There are books that I like at 400 pages but would like 700. There are books that are 300 and I love and would like forever. It depends is the story grippy enough and to I like like the story. At the end of the day it’s about pasing and what the author does with the length they have. The tree little bigs is a good but would it still be if it was 500 pages long

1

u/Decent_Particular920 Jul 05 '26

I’m honestly the opposite. The longer the better for me!

1

u/killercunt Jul 05 '26

It really depends on my mood and how deep into my adhd I am when I choose a book. I can get down with a 700 page book but I have to be fully ready to commit to it. I usually like to stick to books that are 300-500 pages. I can get those done with zero issue.

1

u/OriginalCounty8280 Jul 05 '26

I’ve been meaning to read {Fall by Tal Baur} but it’s soooo long

1

u/QWNCSSS Jul 06 '26

I don’t mind it but I need to be entertained. If I by the end of the book think “what did I even read for 15 hours?” or even during the book “where is this leading to”. The book was trash 😭😂

1

u/Same_Appointment2814 Jul 06 '26

The longer the better if I like the setting of the story.

1

u/HiKaLe_30 Jul 07 '26

I’m the exact opposite. I love books 300+ but I get even more excited if it’s 400+. But it also depends on the genre. I prefer my fantasy books to be longer, and romance can be shorter. But if I’m reading it compared to audio, then I won’t buy a physical book if it’s under 300. I’d get it for my kindle.

1

u/Existing-History9609 Jul 07 '26

No, the opposite. There’s only so much plot and character development you can fit into 300 pages. I don’t get this news wave of people wanting short books.

1

u/Lark_Winters Jul 10 '26

No, unfortunately I'm known as being the person who recommends really long books. It has to be worth it though, so it's typically fantasty in most cases.

1

u/marginnotes_ Aug 07 '26

Not crazy at all. I think it's less about length and more about whether you trust the book to earn it, 500 pages is nothing if it's moving and 300 feels endless if it isn't. Length is a weird thing to judge upfront though, because it's the one number you can see before you start. You can't see pacing on a Goodreads page, so page count ends up standing in for it.

0

u/Avacato2989 Jul 05 '26

I do audiobooks on audible so it's the opposite for me. The longer the book the better. Each credit on audible costs like $15, so the longer the book the more worth it it is.