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First it was r*pe. Now it’s torture? Dude. What the hell is going on in the dark romance genre? Wasn’t it something like falling in love a criminal or arranged marriages to seemingly-but-not-really malicious men, or overprotective captors romances?
#formerdarkromancegirliebtw#likeididntreadforyearsbcofschool#thegenreneedsareformation
76 upvotes, 21 comments. Yik Yak image post by Anonymous in Book Club. "First it was r*pe. Now it’s torture? Dude. What the hell is going on in the dark romance genre? Wasn’t it something like falling in love a criminal or arranged marriages to seemingly-but-not-really malicious men, or overprotective captors romances?"
upvote 76 downvote

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Anonymous 22h

I can’t with these “mating bond” omegaverse werewolf bullshit. It’s always an excuse for the FMC to be forcefully attached for the rest of her life to one or more incredibly toxic and abusive men. And I’ve never read a single one of these, but I know the trope.

upvote 46 downvote
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Anonymous 9h

obviously what floats your boat and whatever but my biggest issue is just the sheer amount of books like this and their popularity right now. it’s letting very dark themes float around with little to no content warnings or restrictions for younger audiences. it glorifies toxic relationships and dangerous behavior to readers who are more impressionable. write what you want but be responsible about it, y’know

upvote 16 downvote
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Anonymous 15h

I miss when people actually had some shame about having these fucked up fetishes

upvote 12 downvote
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Anonymous 12h

I miss OG dark romance which was touch her and die and men who are morally grey bc they kill for the people they love now it’s just abusive slop

upvote 9 downvote
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Anonymous 17h

Who is this creator so I block lmao

upvote 6 downvote
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Anonymous 17h

(replying to OP’s comment below bc YikYak is glitched) some people have fantasies about being eaten, anything can be a fetish. the books are still awful because they’re advertising toxic relationships to underage girls

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Anonymous 22h

How is being tortured a fetish??

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Anonymous replying to -> #2 22h

I hardly read into this subgenre of romance. Thanks for letting me know. Fortunately, Bride by Ali Hazelwood does feature a mating bond and it doesn’t feature a toxic, abusive man. I just wish there were more werewolf romances like it, especially given that wolves in nature are monogamous, howl for each other from great distances, and are said to make great playful, loving pairs. I just wish more werewolf romances with mating bonds reflects the love wolf couples have.

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Anonymous replying to -> #5 15h

you can control a fetish, it’s about what you do with it. the fetishization of torture isnt inherently problematic, it’s the fact these books are commonly read by younger girls & are teaching them that abusive relationship dynamics are normal and okay.

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Anonymous replying to -> #4 15h

can’t control what fetish you have*

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Anonymous replying to -> #4 14h

Ok. But isn’t it normalizing self-harm. That’s why I find it problematic. And there are some methods of torture that involve burning and mutilation.

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Anonymous replying to -> OP 13h

where’d self harm come from? and I’m confused, do you mention the torture methods because you think portraying them is inherently problematic? fiction is meant to explore dangerous scenarios you wouldn’t want to experience irl, and in no way does it “normalize” a fetish just by including it. again, this fiction is a problem when it markets violent & abusive relationships to literal minors. adults can read whatever tf they want.

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Anonymous replying to -> #4 11h

So, I really do find it problematic if there is a romance book where the FMC is tortured by the MMC and falls in love with him in the end and they stay together because this could desensitize women stuck in abusive relationships with toxic men.

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Anonymous replying to -> #4 11h

Ik you technically can’t control fetishes but they should still have a little shame

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Anonymous replying to -> #5 9h

why should you have shame for something you can’t control 💀

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Anonymous replying to -> #7 9h

exactly!! felt like I was going crazy with these other comments 💀

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Anonymous replying to -> OP 9h

there’s nothing wrong with exploring dark, fucked up themes in media. that’s the ONLY appropriate way. it’s only when these topics aren’t treated with the appropriate weight that they become “problematic.”

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Anonymous replying to -> #4 9h

Because it’s obviously a pretty fucked up fetish to have? They gotta keep that shit in the appropriate spaces, not the mainstream by marketing it as “dark romantasy” instead of just fetish porn

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Anonymous replying to -> #5 9h

not sure why you’re taking issue with the fetish rather than, idk… abusive, violent relationships being marketed to minors? adults can read whatever tf they want and shouldn’t feel shame about it lmao

upvote 5 downvote
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Anonymous replying to -> #4 9h

I don’t think you realize that that’s the issue I have with it

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Anonymous replying to -> #5 9h

you misspoke but ig we’re on the same page 👍

upvote 3 downvote