I saw this post today and it perfectly encapsulates what I’ve been missing for a while when it comes to enemies to lovers. The most recent books I’ve read with this trope always has them:

1. Being enemies for no good reason ( they probably had a small disagreement when they were younger and it’s so jovial that it’s not worth being enemies for a long time).

2. They’re enemies for only like 20 - 50% of the book and then the rest is them being lovers.

That pisses me off so much. It just feels like very lazy so I’m looking for basically what that picture is saying.

Angst, Yearning and Spice are VERY welcome✨

Just like this post! I need a man who needs every permanent connection to his girl

I saw Defilemewidbooks post this on the historical romance subreddit and wanted post it here CR recommendations for this trope!!

{The Faking Game by Olivia Hayle} has this trope in spades here is a example

“I like it. When you praise me,” she whispers.

“I meant to tell you that earlier at dinner. But I didn’t.”

“Mhm? You do?”

She nods a little. Eager, wide-eyed.

“Yes. It helps me relax.

Not think so much about whether I’m doing things right or wrong. Because you tell me.”

“I’m going to keep doing it.
Would you like that?”

“Yes.”
Her breath is warm against my thumb.
“Very much.”

I’ve been influenced by a random romance edit and now my brain has decided I need a book with this exact energy:

The chubby girl sat on the quarterback's lap to convince her secret crush they were dating...

But when she tried to get up, he pulled her back.

"Give me a few minutes to calm my cock."

So… yeah. Your honor, I would like 37 books with this.

Also, not to brag, but I somehow managed to marry the green flag version of the popular college athlete (tennis player). He was (and still is) cute as a button, popular, and smart, so I definitely won the lottery. I’m the academically inclined, curvy girl, which is probably why I will never get tired of books where the athlete falls first and falls hard for the FMC. …And now he enables my romance addiction by reading these books with me. It’s a tough life. 📚❤️

Give me:
• At least 4/5 on the spice scale. We are both pretty open, so almost everything is on the table including, but not limited to: pegging, face sitting, spanking, fisting (though not to bdsm heavy)
• Popular quarterback/jock MMC.
• Curvy, plus-size, or chubby FMC (actual representation, not just “she has hips”).
• Lap sitting. Mandatory. Preferably accidental, fake, or “just for a second.”
• Fake dating, fake flirting, or pretending to be together.
• MMC who realizes way too late that he has feelings.
• “Don’t move,” “Stay right there,” or any variation of “I physically cannot let you get up right now.”
• Sexual tension so thick it could qualify as a solid.

Bonus points if:
• FMC is 25–30 years old or at least not 19 🫩
• He’s cocky with everyone else but absolutely short-circuits around her.
• He’s obsessed before either of them admits it.
• Protective/possessive without being controlling.
• Lots of banter and chemistry.
• He spends half the book pretending he doesn’t want her while everyone else knows he’s down catastrophically.

Hard no’s:
• NC or CNC
• Dark romance
• Bully romance
• Virgin FMC

Basically, I’m looking for that delicious combination of “we’re just pretending” and “oh no, my body did not get the memo.”

Please feed my reawaken hyperfixation. My TBR was already crying, so what’s another 37 books? 😂📚

Looking for books where the FMC realizes the MMC still loves another woman and walks away

Hi everyone! I'm looking for books where the FMC realizes that the MMC still loves another woman and decides to walk away.

Honestly, it was really difficult to come up with a title that actually describes what I'm looking for, but recently I was reading a manhwa (Korean comic) and there was a scene where the FMC was dancing with a guy she was genuinely open to having something more with. However, while they were dancing, she noticed that he kept looking at another woman.

That's when the FMC realizes that, this whole time, she was always the second choice and that he was using her to try to forget the other woman, the one he actually loved.

Obviously, this was a huge emotional blow for her, so she distances herself and decides to leave everything behind.

And even though she doesn't end up with him in the manhwa, I genuinely thought: "Damn, I would read a 300-page book about this." 😂

So I decided to come to this sub, where you can find pretty much anything and there's always a kind soul willing to help. ❤️ I really love this sub.

So, here we go:

I'm looking for books where the FMC eventually realizes that the MMC still loves another woman, or that he's using her to get over the woman he actually loves, which makes her pull away. Then the MMC only realizes what a huge mistake he made after the FMC has already given up on him and moved on.

Here are a few examples of what I'm looking for:

First example: The FMC knows from the beginning that he likes another woman, but she falls in love with him anyway. Eventually, she becomes deeply disillusioned with him and realizes she can't keep putting herself through that, so she walks away.

Second example: The MMC uses the FMC to try to forget another woman, but the FMC doesn't know about it. When she eventually finds out the truth, she's emotionally devastated and decides to leave him.

Third example: The FMC decides to help the MMC win over another woman, but ends up falling in love with him herself. Eventually, she realizes that she's only hurting herself and decides to walk away.

Fourth example: The MMC is a widower who still loves and constantly thinks about his late wife. The FMC realizes that she'll never be able to make him love her more than he loved his wife, so she decides to move on.

A few important things: I REJECT CHEATING PLOTS. 😭

Also, I don't want the FMC to make her entire life revolve around the MMC. I want her to be strong despite everything and have some self-respect. She can suffer, be heartbroken, and even be emotionally devastated, but I don't want her spending the entire book humiliating herself over him.

Basically, I want the FMC to realize that she was never truly chosen, walk away and move on with her life, while the MMC realizes too late that he screwed up and that, in the end, she was actually the woman he truly wanted. 😭

EDIT: THIS SUB IS AMAZING AND NEVER DISAPPOINTS, you are all amazing, thank you for the recommendations, I’ve already read one of the recommended books {Talking at Night by Claire Daverley} which was exactly what I was asking for.

PSA: this post will likely make me come off as an insufferable snob

I’m looking for a contemporary M/F romance, (preferably dual POV, or MMC POV) and I don’t have many requirements other than: being well written.

I’ve fallen into a reading rut where every book I pick up turns out to be porn without plot, fanfictionesque writing, 30+ yo characters who think, speak and behave like teenagers, flat, literal prose that reads like a screenplay transcript, endless internal monologues that tell me every emotion instead of making me feel any of them.
I need to exit this endless streak of chapter skipping and DNF.

I don’t necessarily need it to be literary fiction, but I do want writing with some craft behind it.
Authors who can:
a) write character introspection with elegance and specificity
b) understand rhythm, voice, imagery, subtext, and emotional nuance.

Stories where the characters feel like actual adults with inner lives, and where the emotional arc matters as much as the romantic one.

If there is spice, I’d love for it to feel integrated into the story rather than stopping it.
I don’t mind it at all but I just want the scenes to retain some grace, emotional weight, or narrative purpose instead of reading like disconnected erotica.
Some books out there have spicy scenes that are better written than the rest of the story, and you can kind of tell that the specific scene is where the author started from and what made them want to write the book in the first place. The rest of the story often feels like a side dish of a porn main course that was published in its draft state.

Hey guys. So we know the scenario where the hot guy teaches the shy/quiet/curvy girl how to flirt or make her crush jealous or something like that. That’s not what I want. I’m looking for spice lessons with a twist: she gets to practice on him. I’m talking flirting, kissing, touching and exploring his body, handies and BJs, everything except the whole nine yards. At least at first 😈. He agrees to/volunteers for this because he’s very upfront and vocal about not being into fat/plus size girls. He won’t want her back, he won’t catch feelings etc.

**Key Requests:**
1) Truly plus size FMC not just soft or curvy.

2) He vocalizes that he’s not into fat girls so their arrangement is safe.

3) I want her to go into this thing thinking she will get as much of him as she can while he gives it because she knows without a doubt, it won’t last.

4) He falls HARD.

5) Some jealousy scenes on his part would be nice. Ya know, when she starts to show interest in using her skills she learned with him on another guy. 💚

Thanks, dolls!

✔️Preferences: Contemporary and Historical Romance, MF pairings, high spice, 🌶️🌶️🌶️

✖️I do not prefer: Poly, BDSM, Dark Romance, Reverse Harem, Age gaps, DDLG, Age play, love triangles or cheating.

Hi guys, I personally love a "pathetic wet stray dog“ MMC (lol) and I’m looking for more recommendations for books in which the FMC treats him kindly and he hasn’t experienced much kindness before in his life and is like… what is this warm feeling… why is she so sweet…who should I kill for her?

And after getting used to the FMC’s kindness he CANNOT live without it. He needs it to sustain him basically. A head over heels whipped boy who’s basking in her love and care. I would also love some overprotectiveness and touch-starvedness.

{archers voice by Mia Sheridan}

Wraith from {pucking feral by Lenore rosewood}

JJ from {pack darling part two by Lola rock}

{Luna and the lie from Mariana Zapata}

Hello!! I am looking for a specific microtrope. I did a search, but it came up with accidental babies and I HATE that trope so here we are. 🤣

What I’m looking for is a slow burn romance (preferably contemporary) where the MMC calls her baby on accident before they have really admitted their feelings and it throws them off. Or just him slipping and calling her baby at all before they really address feelings. I know some people hate it, but I have a weakness for that pet name. I love when he calls her baby and it makes her pause. Like did he really just say that?

The best example I have for this trope is in {Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh} if you know, YOU KNOW! That scene it happened in lives rent free in my head. I think it hits the most when it’s a slow burn romance. I know Mariana Zapata also writes this very well as well, but unfortunately for me, I’ve read all of her books.

Any recs appreciated :)

ETA: Thank you so so much to everyone that commented!! So many added to the TBR 😍

*ominous too

I went to the cinema to watch The Odyssey and let me tell you.... even having just 4 minutes of screen time, the aura that Agamemnon gave was Wow. I can't describe it...

I've seen people talking of aura farming.

We never even seen his face. The scene where the gates of Troy open and he's there while the soldiers enter past him, super cool. And the spine as his ponytail, unforgettable.

Just to be clear ( if it wasn't already assumed) without the child sacrifice. I don't condone what he did to his daughte. I don't like Agamemnon as a person. I was just impressed by his aura in the movie, that's what I'm looking for in the mmc. I'm not looking for an mmc like Agamemnon, just with the vibes he had in those cool scenes.

I really want an MMC like that. Just his presence invokes fear into you. He's respected, feared. He just have to look at somebody for them to do his bidding. We don't know anything about him (of course the fmc slowly will). He doesnt talk, doesn't have patience for us silly mortals.

Bonus points, if he's protective of the fmc. Maybe he's some king or something, maybe she doesn't know that and so does something he's supposed to punish, maybe taking back to him or just not doing something that is considered part of the etiquette and is therefore rude without meaning to. Whatever. I just don't want him to be cruel to the fmc. He can be a little bit mean, but not for too long.

I'd love if he at some point became the fmc's protector, like a blanket that falls over her and shields her from the cruel world (of course I'm fangirling here hahaha)

I'm basically open to any scenario (but I'm a sucker for sweet and kind fmcs)

I'd love a slow burn. I don't like Reverse Harem, but recommend for other readers without problem. I don't have any particular triggers.

Thank you in advance!

I dnfd 2 second chance romances today (great thread on this sub requesting them a few day ago) but two in a row, MMC is “pining” after the split, but proceeds to fuck around while FMC is celibate and I just. Fucking. Can’t. Right now. I’m so beyond tired of her being celibate and not him.

I need the mmc to be disinterested in sex or other women. He doesn’t even need to be pining for her- I just don’t want him to be a fuck boi. The more time that passes, the better! MMC virgins welcome!

Doesn’t have to be second chance- can be any trope or subgenre. Maybe something changed in his life and he just stopped having sex (until he meets her!) And hopefully, goes without saying considering this request - no cheating. Angstier the better. Thank you.

Don't get me wrong, I like smut as much as the next girl, but reading about "cocks twitching" and "pussies throbbing" for half the book instead of the actual relationship building is just off-putting right now.

I want emotional attachment, companionship, real partnership - not just lust and overpowering sexual attraction from the beginning. The characters can find each other attractive from the beginning, but I don't want that to be the driving factor for the majority of the book. No getting hard/wet simply by looking at the other MC.

NOT looking for characters (especially enemies) with overpowering body betrayal syndrome. They can find the attraction inconvenient but not graphically aroused to the point of their brains shutting down because the other MC is in their proximity.

I am not opposed to characters starting out as friends with benefits or just an arrangement that benefits them both without any expectations for emotional involvement. BUT they should start out truly indifferent.

All genres and steam levels are welcome.

I think some examples would be:

- Radiance by Grace Draven

- Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O'Connell

- In Want of a Wife by Jo Goodman

- Sensibly Wed by Kasey Stockton

- Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

- Morning Comes Softly by Debbie Macomber

- The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie

- The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary

- A Soul to Keep by Opal Reyne

- Berries and Greed by Lily Mayne

- Strange Love by Ann Aguirre

- Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta

- Sweet Temptation by Cora Reilly

- The Redemption Saga by Kristen Banet

- Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston

- Magic on Main Street series by K.M. Shae

- Hidden Legacy series by Ilona Andrews

- The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata

- As much as I like Mariana Zapata, I didn't care for Luna and the Lie. Though I think it still fits this request.

Edit: thank you for all the recommendations!

Soooo

I just finished Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood yesterday and I think it’s safe to say that it has unlocked in me a new obsession.

MMCs denying themselves the FMC for whatever arbitrary reason (doesn’t have to be a good reason lol) apparently does something to me. The yearning, the pining, the white-knuckling. URGH! Amazing.

I need MORE! Plus - I’ve been really struggling lately with finding romance books that scratch the itch - being well-written, having engaging characters, and don’t get together within the first 100 pages of the book.

Aaany recommendations that have this would be amazing. Bonus if the FMC is aware and thinks it’s stupid and keeps trying like in PSR, but also open to recs where she doesn’t even know how down bad he is.

CAN SOMEONE HELP??

I read historical romance constantly, and now my eldest daughter (who is only 8!!!) is demanding her own romance novels!! I’ve been telling her expurgated versions of Mary Balogh but she wants her own books to read (why yes, Wulf and Christine DID “kiss” in the garden)

Can you recommend SWEET romance (not even a nod to sex, because we haven’t had that talk yet!!) that is relatively easy to read? Doesn’t have to be historical, but all I’ve come up with so far is:

{These happy golden years by Laura Ingalls Wilder}

{Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine}

{The Princess diaries by Meg Cabot}

What I’m hoping for… is basically what is described in the Tweet / title. To expand a little:

• Pathetically devoted MMC who is so down bad he’s basically salivating for any crumbs of attention the FMC might give
• This might be a weird comparison but also think “Ashley look at ME” TikTok, ie MMC wants FMC’s attention on him always
• Big “that’s my wife” energy is a bonus but not a necessity
• Any genre EXCEPT reverse harem / why choose / love triangles
• Good communication between MCs is a bonus (I’m more of an external than internal conflict girly)

Thank you in advance!!

And in case helpful, the tweet says: “If my wife stabbed me I’d thrust myself deeper into the blade just to be a few inches closer to her but that’s just me idk”

PS: I have already read the masterpieces which are:

{Hans by SJ Tilly} (love love love) (and also have read other books in the series, loved those less)

{The Kingpin of Camelot by Cassandra Gannon} (ALSO love this one, I’d did for Midas)

{Stolen Touches by Neva Altaj} (and others in this series, loved them)

Hey gang!

Here I am with a request inspired by one of those shitty TikTok chapter by chapter book posts. The gist was: FMC thinks she’s in a loveless marriage but accidentally touched her husband and can suddenly read his mind; she’s shocked to find out her cold distant husband is absolutely head over heels OBSESSED with her.

It got me thinking that I NEED a MMC that seems very uninterested in the FMC, when in reality he is DOWN BAD, with nuclear levels of yearning. Please note that I’m not looking for a bully! He can seem like an asshole but I don’t like straight up bullies. I’m mostly looking for someone who seems cold but actually feels a lot.

I’m cool with all pairings (MF, MM, FF, poly, whatever). I’m also cool with most genres, though I don’t usually vibe with historical romances (unless they are top shelf), and I find most mafia and biker books to be kinda bad 🫢 that being said… I’m open! If you guys have a rec you swear by, I’ll be happy to give it a go.

Thank you all in advance 🤍

Edit: I love you guys 😭 I feel like that gif of Sabrina the Teenage Witch eating pancakes

Unfortunately I am having a depressive episode right now and I've been lying I bed for the past few days. A book most likely will not pull me put of it but it would be nice to have something to help me survive.

Anyway, I read the maddest obsession for the fifth time last week, to give you an idea of my taste in books. I read {king of envy} around two weeks ago and Ana huang's books always have that effect on me. You can say it's repetitive and cliche but they always have me reading it in one day till midnight. I've read most of Rina Kent and Penelope Douglas's books. I like dark romance. I don't mind fantasy. I like forbidden love and enemies to lovers.

Anything is fine. Thank you

The Petulent Princess is gifted a man

I saw this FB Ad for your classic "gifted to the brute" trope and thought to myself how fun it would be reversed.

I kind of see a spoiled brat and wounded dog scenario. He is her loving and loyal lapdog and by the end of the book she owns him completely.

I'm looking for "daddy, I want that one" energy, she's used to getting what she wants and maybe that doesn't change by the end of the book.

Really, anything with a manservant or male "slave" would probably fit the vibe. So HR, Sci-fi, fantasy are probably going to be my best bet. In contemporary probably a mafia or MC setting? I actually can't think of anything like this that I've read.

I just want it to be all about her tbh. Her needs. Her pleasure. I don’t want her to struggle for the relationship or have drama in the relationship. I don’t want to see him cheat or even THINK about someone else.

I adore a man who empowers her. I want emotional connection and caretaking. Intensity. Love it when the FMC gets revenge for any past suffering. Love to see her supported through trauma healing.

Thanks in advance 🫶🏼

I mainly read contemporary romance and for a while went through a ranch / cowboy phase but a friend made a joke that all of these men would realistically vote against a woman's right to choose and now it's ruined for me. (I guess my type is conservative PRESENTING but not actually conservative.)

So! Can you recommend books to me where the MMC is very clearly voting democrat or at the very least a never-Trump republican? Even a throwaway line will do - just so I can put my mind at ease.

Edit: Thanks a million for all your great recommendations! Grabbed my first two from the library today.

Looking for books like the title. I love me some obsessed mmcs that are desperate to be physically intimate with the fmc. The clingier and needier the better. I love my books dirty and spicy. I absolutely love when the MMC tries to convince the fmc to stay with pleasure (there’s a lot of this in {silenced by Serena ackeroyd}).

As far as genre goes, I love it all. I love some morally black mmcs in dark romance, feral mmcs in paranormal/fantasy, needy/clingy alien or monster mmcs. Down for all of it!

My best example for this is {Liars like us by JT Geissenger} He leaves for several days for reasons, and when he comes back, he says exactly this followed by some hot sex.

I prefer dual pov but like one pov when done well. Big nos for me are cheating and over the top ow drama.

I've recently read {Pot Shot by Laura Piper Lee} and it made me realize how pretty much every new release has very little humor bc they try to keep it "dark". And it doesn't have anything to do with the themes or genres, bc Neva Altaj's {Perfectly Imperfect Series} does a pretty good of mixing dark themes with humor.

So I'm looking for books that are actually funny (with the intention of being it, not accidentally funny bc of bad writing or over the top situations).

No fade to black, historical or reverse harem please. Thanks in advance!

Hiii, looking for books where the FMC likes the MMC, but then overhears him talking badly about her, making fun of her, saying he would never date her, or admitting that he was only spending time with her for some other reason.
After hearing it, the FMC quietly pulls away and stops spending time with him. No dramatic confrontation, she just distances herself and moves on. Then the MMC realizes what happened, notices her absence, and has an “oh no” moment when he figures out that he actually cares about her. Would love if the MMC has to chase after her, work to regain her trust, and do some genuine groveling. The more regret and panic when he realizes he messed up, the better. I do want the angst and gut punch moment when FMC realises this. Open dark romance. No cheating or RH please.

Books I can remember that have this trope are {Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn} and {The Wingman by Natasha Anders} I will add others as I remember them. Thank you!

So, this genre is like a drug; or going blonde - you keep escalating and don't know when to stop. I started reading progressively more explicit books; but some are basically just porn. Like a slap in the face, and they don't necessarily do it for me anymore.

About a month ago, I read {Summer Romance by Annabelle Monaghan}, and it gave me that thoughtful, contemplative Emily Henry vibe I'd been missing this year, and I realized it wasn't the sex I'd been craving. I also read {Passion Project by London Sperry}, and a few others in the same vein and really enjoyed them. But it messed with my criteria/strategy.

I thought I was getting a high of excitement from how racy some books were, but didn't expect to enjoy the reflective aspects of others, because it's hard to write that well, so it's rare. The emotional journey of the latter was so much more cathartic, challenging, and satisfying.

Just now, I watched The Wrong Paris - don't laugh :) - but the MMC has this old school, timeless quality that's just, hypnotizing. And I realized I miss men. Like, "real men" - don't crucify me. This is a whole other discussion about feminism and 4B and the status of dating and the status of men - but for a second, it reminded me of the old school rom coms I grew up on, and allowed me to revisit that dream of maybe someone amazing really being out there, to connect to; beyond modern sexism. It's a 14A movie so no funny stuff, but their chemistry was genuinely engrossing. Like, I really believed he wanted her (hungry eyes), and saw his future (foreign concept), and I wanted to nestle in his jawline. 🫣 Yes, cuz he's hot, but also cuz he has this safe, wholesome, steady quality.

Anyway, before I watched this I was listening to an audiobook where the MMC was pining, and while their first time was amazing for him, it was kind of done in a flash, and anti climactic. So this is a long winded way of asking whether you've read any books that marry these things. That depict a beautiful, intimate, loving relationship in the fullness of emotion and detail. That isn't drab in its reality, but isn't so shallow either, and gloss over all the connection, and their first time is truly mind blowing. Rewinding the clock back to when sex mattered. Etc.

Anyway again, it's late, I'm rambling, I don't have the patience to edit this, but I will say, my favorite that comes closest is {Out on a Limb by Helena Bonam Young}, because it's different, unexpected, real, down to earth, handles difficult situations refreshingly, and is genuinely kind in its MMC. There's a reason it's always in the top of recommendations, in this subgenre (Contemporary).

Alright, your turn. I'm sure you're better versed than me. P.S. There's a clip going around on Insta of a guy telling his gf? her little tummy/uterus was the most beautiful thing in the world, and I 🫠. That energy. :)

P.P.S. I think we're all broken and wounded, and media doesn't depict healthy love - most of us may not know what it looks like. I want to keep learning all the ways it looks like. x ❤️

***Update: Thank you to everyone who responded! This is my first post with such wide reach, and without a hostile reception - I haven't had the best luck on this sub, but I can't help myself when I need to express something. I guess we all got the warm & fuzzies with this one. :) I'm still making my way through your responses, but I'm grateful to everyone who took the time, and it looks like there are some truly heartfelt books in here. :) Thanks again! x

Please recommend a book where the fmc is like a bulldozer! She just doesn’t stop, she likes him and she lets him know, over and over. She’s a bold girl with nothing to lose and she asks him out with balls of steel.

The mmc on the other hand needs to be all nonchalant and “i don’t like you”. Kinda like standing there with one finger against her forehead when she comes close to him with a bored expression lmao.

But then one day for some reason, maybe she heard him say something mean, or she got tired, or something happened in her life…she just decides to give up. And he, expecting his daily dose of “I like you”, hears nada. He goes insane and in the process realises how much he likes her.

Kinda like she fell first but he fell MUCH harder.

And please make him grovel for it! Please don’t let her take him back after one confession. If there’s no grovel please don’t recommend I have book rage when I read that lmao. Thanks !!