Punk 57

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of sexual content, sexual violence and harassment, emotional abuse, rape, and bullying.

Since the 2010s, and particularly in the last decade, the dark romance subgenre of the larger romance genre has gained significant traction thanks to the influence of social media like TikTok and the changing of cultural norms and expectations when it comes to what makes it to the page in a romance novel (Bigey, Magali. “Reading dark romance: The ambiguities of a fascinating genre.” The Conversation, 19 Nov. 2024). The dark aspect to the genre’s name refers to the inclusion of specific tropes like dubious consent, arranged marriage, forced proximity, and abuse, among others. The relationships explored in dark romance novels are often tumultuous and antagonistic, either before or throughout the courtship. Dark romance novels employ many elements that would be considered problematic outside of a fantasy situation, and the subgenre has received criticism by some for perceptions of fetishizing sexual violence against women or glorifying emotional or physical abuse. However, many believe the dark romance subgenre creates a safe place for the literary exploration of these fantasies. As dark romance author Ana Huang explains: