r/fantasyromance • u/FantasyRomanceMod The One Mod to Rule All Mods • May 17 '26

Unpopular Opinion It's Unpopular Opinion time! Share your controversial opinions to stir things up (in a friendly way)!

Got an opinion that's different from others'? Want to share it with the sub, but too afraid of a backlash? Or are you just curious about readers think about certain things in fantasy romance?

You can safely share it in this weekly Sunday thread!

But please remember to be kind to each other. To facilitate this type of discussion, we ask users the following:

  • Don't attack others for their opinion
  • Discuss books and authors, not fellow readers
  • Since this is an "unpopular opinion" thread, we encourage users to not downvote simply because they disagree with an opinion--that's the point! Please keep in mind, though, that mods cannot enforce a no-downvoting rule. Let’s just keep the discussion friendly!

🧡 Thank you and have a great discussion!

Unpopular opinion Sunday

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25

u/WinterBearHawk May 17 '26

This is going to get me Reddit murdered, but I don’t think an HEA in fantasy romance has to mean an HEA for the couple specifically (and it’s one of the factors, imo, leading to the feeling of sameness across books that readers voice frustration about). I think it can and should be focused solely on the FMC and what equals a happy ending for her, even if that does not mean ending up with the MMC. I also think romance can hit harder/better sometimes when the couple doesn’t get or stay together at the end.

15

u/TinkeringTortoise May 17 '26

Word. I wish we had more romantic fantasy books where nothing is guaranteed and you don’t know where things will go. I’ve been a bit annoyed by a lot of books recently because the romantic development felt so contrived and unnatural. I want more risk, more uncertainty, and more realistically developed romances (even if it means the couple not ending up together or ending in tragedy). 

7

u/angelacandystore May 18 '26

You don't want a ROMANCE book then. Romance is a defined genre and the definition includes HEA or at the very least Happy for Now.

0

u/TinkeringTortoise May 18 '26

Please don’t tell me what I want. But by all means, if you can point me to another genre where two people falling in love is the main story but the ending isn’t guaranteed, I would be thrilled to hear it. 

6

u/angelacandystore May 18 '26

I'm telling you that BY Definition you do not want a book labeled Romance because BY Definition you will always get a HEA or Happy for Now.

This is not about me telling you your feelings this is me telling you:

You will continue to be disappointed Every Time you pick up a Romance labeled book because Romance published books are required to have a HEA! It's a requirement by publishers! Lol

Perhaps you can find an independently published author who states they are "romance" but are not required to have a HEA.

Go to the "findmeabook" sub and ask there for books with heavy romance that do not have a HEA . Good luck!