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Dark romance guide

Where to start with dark romance

You've heard about dark romance and you want to try it without being thrown in the deep end. These are the books readers most often start with: dark enough to show you what the genre feels like, with a way back if it isn't for you. Every book lists its spice and its warnings, so you choose how far in you go.

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  1. Hooked by Emily McIntire

    01 · Dark romance

    Hooked

    Emily McIntire

    Explicit
    RetellingVillain gets the girlMorally grey heroForbidden love

    Peter Pan, but Hook is the hero and Neverland is a city run on crime. Wendy Darling walks into James's bar, and he sees the perfect way to get revenge on her father. Villain gets the girl, high spice, and a gentler entry into dark romance than most; still check the warnings.

    Content warnings
  2. The Sweetest Oblivion by Danielle Lori

    02 · Contemporary romance

    The Sweetest Oblivion

    Danielle Lori

    Explicit
    MafiaArranged marriageForbidden love

    Elena is the good daughter of a mafia family, and Nicolas Russo, the man engaged to her sister, can't stop looking at her. Then the engagement changes. Forbidden, slow, high spice, happy ending, and much softer than most mafia romance.

    Content warnings
  3. Twisted Love by Ana Huang

    03 · Contemporary romance

    Twisted Love

    Ana Huang

    Explicit
    Brother's best friendGrumpy / sunshineProtective heroAge gap

    Ava's brother asks his best friend Alex to look after her, and Alex is cold, brilliant and very much not supposed to touch her. Brother's best friend with a dark edge, high spice, happy ending. A good first step if you want darker heroes without darker books.

    Content warnings
  4. Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

    04 · Dark romance

    Butcher & Blackbird

    Brynne Weaver

    Scorching
    Serial killersRivals to loversMorally grey heroMorally grey heroine

    Two serial killers who only hunt other killers keep bumping into each other, so they start a rivalry: who can take out the worst monster first. It is funny, gory and genuinely sweet, the hero falls first and hard, and the spice is very explicit. The best place to start if you want dark with a grin.

    Content warnings
  5. Corrupt by Penelope Douglas

    05 · Dark romance

    Corrupt

    Penelope Douglas

    Scorching
    RevengeMasked menObsessed heroMorally grey hero

    Three years ago Erika helped send Michael Crist's friends to prison. Now they're out, it's Devil's Night, and Michael and his masked friends want her to pay. Revenge, obsession and a lot of very explicit scenes; this is where Penelope Douglas goes dark, so check the warnings first.

    Content warnings
  6. Credence by Penelope Douglas

    06 · Dark romance

    Credence

    Penelope Douglas

    Scorching
    TabooForced proximityAge gapForbidden love

    After her parents die, Tiernan is sent to live in the mountains with her late father's stepbrother and his two sons, cut off from everything for the winter. It's taboo, isolated and very explicit, and it doesn't stay with one man. Read the content warnings before you go in.

    Content warnings
  7. Neon Gods by Katee Robert

    07 · Dark romantasy

    Neon Gods

    Katee Robert

    Scorching
    RetellingGods and mortalsMorally grey heroForbidden love

    Persephone runs from an arranged marriage to Zeus and straight into the lower city, where Hades makes her an offer: his protection, in exchange for helping him take revenge. Hades and Persephone in a modern city, very explicit, happy ending. Check the warnings before you start.

    Content warnings