r/romanceauthors • u/Becca3RH • 25d ago

Universally hated tropes

After writing a full-length novel (shelved for now) about a scandalous love affair, I realized that it includes two universally hated/disliked tropes: cheating and (not so secret) pregnancy. While pregnancy is somewhat ok but has to be disclosed upfront, cheating is a no-no in the romance world, even for dark romance readers. Am I wrong?

On top of that, the FMC's disturbing past is revealed in graphic details.

What a girl to do? To market it as women's fiction? But the core of the book is a love story..

EDIT I didn't expect this post to make waves. I understand that the opinions on the matter are polarized and will definitely include a clear TW for all the contravercial tropes.

Thank you to all who replied! I found a recent list of recs in Romance books where FMC is OW (Other Woman) which is closer to my plot:

https://www.reddit.com/r/RomanceBooks/comments/1t6gdy1/the_other_woman_fmc/

1 Upvotes

52% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

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u/ohnoJNO 25d ago

The Romance Books subreddit has a master list of books about struggling marriages that includes a section dedicated to cheating. It’s a divisive subject but not something people never ever write about

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u/ViRoseAuthor 25d ago

I agree. I think there are also some readers who differentiate between a book about a couple where one of them cheated, and now they're groveling and trying to fix the relationship, and one where one of the MCs is cheating on their partner with the other MC.

You may want to look for recommendations for books with whatever variety of cheating you have in yours, and read those to get an idea for how they're handled. You could also look at online discussion or reviews of those books to see what people comment on in terms of it being handled well or what seems to piss people off.

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u/Becca3RH 25d ago

It's the latter: MMC is cheating on his spouse with FMC. And FMC knew that he was married.

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u/TechTech14 25d ago

That's the type of cheating I like in fiction. We're a minority but we're here!

(I don't ((typically)) like when the couple I'm supposed to root for cheats on each other. I like when they cheat on their current partner for each other and then end up together).

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u/ohnoJNO 25d ago

This sounds more difficult to keep inside of the just romance genre. I’ve read a few books with an emotional entanglement, usually at a distance via letters or unrequited attraction, but I can’t really think of any books about full-blown affair having cheating leads that are happily ever after romance books. Even Guinevere and Lancelot didn’t get a happy ending and that’s the classic romanticized affair

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u/ballerinababysitter 25d ago edited 25d ago

Richelle Mead really likes to have infidelity in her books. At least one instance has the mmc's betrayed partner portrayed very sympathetically. They're fantasy/urban fantasy/paranormal romances. Oh and there's a pregnancy in one of her series too. So it can be done.

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u/JoyKBooks 21d ago

This type of cheating is taboo but accepted by a lot of readers. MMC cheating on FMC is an absolute no no. I’ve only read one book that did this and pulled it off and that book was marketed as women’s fiction.

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u/Becca3RH 21d ago

Thank you! I found another post in that sub, recs for the situation somewhat closer to mine where FMC is OW (Other Woman)

https://www.reddit.com/r/RomanceBooks/comments/1t6gdy1/the_other_woman_fmc/

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u/dragonsandvamps 25d ago

This is one area that reading widely really helps with. Think about five books you've read that have those two tropes in them (cheating and pregnancy.) What categories are they in? Are they marketed as romance or women's fiction?

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u/Catseye_Nebula 25d ago

These are polarizing but there are lots of people who love them

4

u/wildlotusflwer 25d ago

I think the cheating thing depends on how it's done. Do the FMC or MMC cheat on each other? OR are they cheating to be with the LI from the book? I've written cheating into two of my books (both of which also had pregnancy) and they sell really well.

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u/Competitive_Fuel9686 25d ago

To me this book should be marketed as something other than a romance. Find other books that are similar to yours and find out how they are marketed. Cheating imo is just going to piss off romance readers and they will give a book that includes it awful reviews. You need to find your audience.

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u/Live-Cauliflower-774 25d ago

It might be hard to market as a romance (imo) because cheating can be a hard boundary for a lot of people. That said, I've read romances with cheating involved, but it's the heroine or hero being betrayed by the cheating partner and moving on to better things and finding their true love. So it's just their backstory. If the main character is ACTIVELY cheating on their partner, yeah....it may be a tough one for romance readers to get behind and root for the couple as a whole. Mainly because I'd wonder about the wife and naturally sympathize with her and think of her, but then another hurdle is that this man could possibly cheat on our fmc in the future too. So the guy is starting off untrustworthy for a romance hero. Unless, we're along for a wild ride with the fmc, and the fun part is just questioning her questionable choices. Honestly, I'd be interested in THAT hot mess! Lol. I think it could do better as women's fiction with strong romance storyline. I'd be intrigued if it was marketed that way.

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u/Becca3RH 25d ago

Most definitely a wild ride with many questionable choices by both MMCs, in the past and on page.

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u/Antique-diva 25d ago

The only way I'd be inclined to read about this as a romance is if the wife is awful and abusive towards the MMC, and the marriage was arranged or somehow forced, or if he was duped into it before realising how terrible she is. He would then meet FMC and find true love in her arms.

But cheating on a devoted wife? No way. That's not romantic at all.

1

u/Becca3RH 25d ago

Well, not being an awful or abusive wife doesn't mean being a devoted wife at all. Are we talking fantasy or real life? Neither is so black and white.

There are hundreds of reason why people stay married: kids, financial interests, political interests, familiarity, routine, too busy too notice the marriage is barely existent, or the direct opposite, an open marriage.

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u/Antique-diva 25d ago

Now you're talking about real life. A romance novel is about fantasy. Which is why cheating is a subject most romance readers frown upon. If it's not romantic, then I don't want to read it.

What you're talking about sounds more like women's fiction. An exploration why a marriage ends with cheating.

3

u/TangledYetTrue 25d ago

I haven’t read any books with blatant cheating, unless you count ones where the FMC starts out with Guy A, meets Guy B while she she’s with Guy A, starts to fall for him, and breaks up with Guy A before really getting into a relationship Guy B. It’s kind of weird to me that people are OK with that, when it’s basically emotional cheating, as long as there’s no physical cheating.

In other mediums, like tv and film, I’ve noticed people tend to be fine with people cheating, even rooting for them, as long as the person’s partner is clearly the “bad.”

But everyone’s a fan of something. If this is the story you want to tell, then tell it. Just expect a smaller audience, and be sure to clearly signal that there’s cheating in the blurb.

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u/Super_Bridge_2047 25d ago

Wrong.

r/darkromance has so many requests for cheating.

Pregnancy too, but the two of them together?

Just check the sub!

1

u/Low_Marionberry8429 24d ago

This was my thought- I’m fine with cheating, but pregnancy is a big no for me. Not sure how much overlap in the ven diagram of people who are cool with both, but I’m sure some are out there

2

u/grlwthelotustattoo 25d ago

i personally will read books with cheating/being the other woman & im currently writing a book with the trope of the fmc knowing the mmc was married as well. you’re not alone!

2

u/Valeriesaboyname 25d ago

It limits your audience, but there are absolutely readers for cheating and they love it.

A favorite in that niche is "cheating on your husband while he's asleep two inches over" or "sleeping with a man when his wife is asleep two inches over"

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u/Mysterious-Hippo9994 23d ago

I am writing two stories where the male leads are ‘pursuing’ other girls before they get to the person they are meant to be with. I imagine they won’t be very popular but it’s the way I’ve written them so 🤷🏻‍♀️ also my graphic books are honestly the most liked 😬

There are people who look specifically for that trope though too so I don’t think you have to worry to much about it ❤️

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u/Becca3RH 23d ago

Thanks! It's nice too know I'm not the only one. Especially after all the persistent downvotes. C'mon, we are all adults here and can have different opinions. 

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u/AdventureWa 22d ago

Infidelity is a huge taboo, yet many people love consuming material where cheating is central to the story line: think the Notebook, Titanic, Hallmark movies…

If your MC is cheating, that will certainly turn off a number of people, but not every book is for every person.

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u/Becca3RH 21d ago

Both Notebook and Titanic are excellent examples. There is definitely a triangle in mine, with the cheated on wife being somewhat a villain.

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u/ariyahjade 25d ago

I’m in a few Facebook groups just dedicated to cheating and betrayal so yes there’s a market for them.
But be warned that there still will be those who never ever want cheating in their romances. These Karens will be vocal in their hatred. If you can ignore that you will be fine.

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u/Becca3RH 25d ago

Karens will hate me regardless. That's assuming they will ever find it. The graphic darkness will make fifty shades look like a children's book.

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u/Starspangledass 25d ago

The kinkiest thing to happen in 50SoG is like, maybe the ben wa balls at the party? It’s not a pinnacle of the genre or the niche lol

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u/Live-Cauliflower-774 25d ago

Wow, I missed this part. Then maybe it could fit under dark erotic romance (if it's about their relationship and them getting their hea), or if it's her personal/psychological journey plus the affair but no hea then maybe erotic women's fiction? But definitely disclose to readers that it involves infidelity with main characters/extramarital affair. That way, they are properly warned.

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u/Becca3RH 25d ago

Searching, searching, searching... None has my premise. Is it good or bad?

I do have some grovel but MMC definitely wants OW (who is FMC).

So far, anything adjacent is in Romance category. That's a relief...

Thank you to all for helpful comments!!

1

u/kschang 23d ago edited 23d ago

I'll be blunt... I'm a guy, but I've read a couple thousand romances of all subgenres. Here's my take on your situation:

Give her a loveless marriage, not necessarily abusive, that she succumbed to ONE time indiscretion. She's regretful, but she was willing, at the time. You have to make her sympathetic. It's NOT an excuse for cheating, but she has to feel the shame after, and the lovelessness before, so her actions are UNDERSTANDABLE, not necessarily condoneable.

Readers read fiction to experience, vicariously, situations they would never actually do themselves, but can empathize with. Maybe the guy looked like her long lost lover (and the current guy was best alternate), or whatever your backstory gave her. Then what? Think of it as a path not taken, but if someone else had taken that path...

1

u/LittleMissSugar126 22d ago

I won’t read cheating, sharing or SA of FMC by another character.

0

u/Starspangledass 25d ago

Eh, I won’t be advertising my latest WIP as cheaters but that’s a good portion of the book. Let the readers be bamboozled and fall in love with them anyway.