A beginner’s guide to dark romance
You might have noticed the books in the romance section have taken on a different look, with many sporting dark blue covers and skulls or snakes surrounded by roses. These covers are testament to the rise of a new subgenre of fiction: dark romance.
Dark romance is now more popular than ever. Search interest in the literary subgenre has grown 1,800% in the past year, compared to the year before, according to Google Trends data. It’s hardly surprising: there are 2.4 million TikTok posts with the hashtag #darkromancebooks alone (not to mention the 6.6 million posts tagged #darkromance).
But what actually is dark romance, and is it worth reading? If you’re new to the subgenre, fear not: we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide, using expertise from Penguin colleagues in both editorial and marketing, to explain the key tropes of the genre, content warnings to watch out for, trending titles, and the best dark romance books for beginners.
What is dark romance?
Dark romance is a subgenre that explores the angsty, and sometimes taboo, side of love in a fictional setting. These stories often feature morally grey characters, obsessive relationships and high emotional stakes to “push readers outside their comfort zones while delivering an unforgettable romantic journey,” according to Phillipa Walker, Commissioning Editor at Penguin division Michael Joseph.
The blueprint for dark romance can be found in Gothic fiction like Wuthering Heights (see: the single-minded, obsessive Heathcliff who goes to extreme lengths for both love and revenge). However, the subgenre saw a resurgence in the early 2000s with books like Fifty Shades of Grey and other initially self-published titles.
But we are now in the heyday of dark romance, with BookTok, the pandemic, and the runaway success of the 2021 novel Haunting Adeline inspiring a love of the genre, and many more books being published in this space. As a result, dark romance is a subgenre that is constantly expanding and evolving.
The short answer
Why is dark romance so popular?
Dark romance is so popular because it is “the perfect way to escape reality”, according to Rosie Grant, Marketing Manager at Penguin division Cornerstone.
The high-concept plots of sleeping with your mysterious professor, for instance, or being (consensually) chased in the woods, are unlikely to happen to you in real life. In this way, dark romance is a cathartic way to explore sexual fantasies.
Phillipa Walker, Commissioning Editor at Michael Joseph, agrees. “What makes the genre so compelling is that it allows readers to explore darker desires and fantasies through fiction, while authors provide clear content warnings so readers can make informed choices.
“Dark romance isn’t about endorsing harmful behaviour,” Walters adds. “It’s about exploring complex characters, emotional intensity, and love stories in a way that’s immersive, compelling, and sizzling, all within a safe, consensual, and well-signposted reading experience.”
What are common dark romance tropes?
Within the dark romance subgenre, there are a number of recurring themes and tropes that readers can expect. We’ve rounded up some of the most common tropes below.
Morally grey protagonist
This is common in most dark romance books. The love interest is often involved in some sort of shady activity – they might be in a motorcycle gang or even the mafia, for instance (more on that in our next point). There’s a recurring ‘good girl/bad boy’ dynamic, too, with the female main character often more inexperienced or naive than the romantic hero.
Mafia and cartel romances
There has been a boom in dark mafia romances, with RuNyx’s The Predator and Danielle Lori’s The Sweetest Oblivion two of the biggest titles in this category. In these books, the love interest is morally grey and involved in organised crime but has a soft spot for the protagonist.
Power imbalance
One of the biggest tell-tale signs that a book falls into the dark romance category is that there is a power imbalance between the main character and the love interest. This is taken to the extremes in dark romance, and the following are common:
- Bullying, with the love interest targeting the main character.
- Dominance and submission.
- Controlling behaviour.
- Abduction and kidnapping.
- ‘Dub-con’ (dubious consent).
Always be sure to check the content warnings in the author’s note before reading a dark romance.
Spicy scenes
It’s not exactly a ‘trope’, but explicit sex scenes are a common feature in most dark romance books. Often, these scenes are integral to the plot, or they’re used to show the power dynamics between the main couple or their character development.
Some of the ‘spiciest’ dark romance books of recent years include God of Malice by Rina Kent, Haunting Adeline by H. D. Carlton, and Den of Vipers by K. A. Knight.
Secret societies
Some dark romance books overlap with dark academia and are set within schools or higher education. But within these elite institutions, there are suspicious activities, often involving secret societies and a morally questionable love interest. Enigma by RuNyx is a great example of this trope in action.
Enemies to lovers
Nothing beats the tension between two rivals – except, perhaps, when that loathing turns into love. The ‘enemies to lovers’ trope is popular in most contemporary romance (we even have a book bundle of our favourite titles) as well as fantasy romance (or ‘romantasy’), so it’s no surprise that it’s a popular trope in dark romance, too.
Foxx by Paisley Hope and Sinners Anonymous by Somme Sketcher are two great examples of enemies-to-lovers titles within the dark romance subgenre.
Revenge plots
The main character in a dark romance often has a strong motive: revenge. This often means avenging an injured or murdered loved one, where their desire for revenge clashes with their desire for the love interest, as in Rina Kent’s God of Ruin.
Stalking and obsession
In every dark romance, the main character and their love interest have an intense relationship where they are each other’s whole world. However, this can spiral into obsession and even stalking, as in the case of H. D. Carlton’s Haunting Adeline, Paisley Hope's Dove, and Navessa Allen’s Lights Out.
Fantasy elements
As romantasy continues to expand as a subgenre, it’s no surprise that some of the fantasy love stories have turned darker. Gild by Raven Kennedy and Anathema by Keri Lake are popular examples of this hybrid subgenre.
What are the best dark romance books for beginners?
If you're feeling overwhelmed by the dark romance subgenre and looking for a place to start, we've got you covered: the below books have been selected by Penguin staff as being the perfect entry points to dark romance.
What are the most popular dark romance books?
Once you’ve gone through our recommendations of dark romance books for beginners, you might want to add the below trending titles to your TBR pile.
The following are the five most popular dark romance titles of 2026 so far, according to Media Control’s TikTok book charts for the UK. The rankings were compiled by Media Control exclusively for Penguin, using verified UK retail sales data from NielsenIQ BookData alongside engagement signals from the #BookTok community. Rankings cover January–June 2026, and start with the most popular dark romance title of 2026.
1. Lights Out by Navessa Allen (2024)
In this spicy stalker romance, Aly asks a stranger on the internet called Josh to fulfil her darkest sexual fantasy: breaking into her home and waiting in her bedroom. But what starts out as purely pleasure turns into something more intense when someone else has Aly in their sights, and it becomes Josh’s job to protect her.
Content warnings: stalking, home invasion, mention of sexual abuse, sexually explicit scenes.
2. Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver (2023)
Despite being published three years ago, Butcher & Blackbird is still heavily discussed on TikTok in 2026. In the story, Sloane and Rowan are two serial killers who enjoy hunting the most ruthless killers in the country. But their friendship turns into something deeper, with plenty of spicy scenes along the way…
Content warnings: explicit sex scenes and BDSM, references to past sexual abuse, violence, cannibalism.
3. Haunting Adeline by H. D. Carlton (2021)
Haunting Adeline was the book that kick-started the dark romance trend back in 2021, so it’s unsurprising that it’s still popular on TikTok. The book, which became an instant New York Times bestseller when it was re-released in paperback in 2024, tells the story of Adeline, who is disturbed by a series of break-ins and notes left in her home – and even more disturbed by her growing feelings towards her stalker…
Content warnings: sexual violence, non-consensual situations, stalking, trafficking, violence, trauma.
4. Voracious by Leigh Rivers (2025)
In Voracious, the second book in the Edge of Darkness series, Kade and Stacey have been separated and are now at the hands of different abusers. Kade will go to extreme lengths to find Stacey and protect her, in this emotionally heavy and intense love story.
Content warnings: sexual violence, physical abuse, emotional abuse, child abuse, gore, drug abuse, suicide.
5. Nightshade by Autumn Woods (2025)
Nightshade leans more heavily towards dark academia than dark romance, but it does contain some of the latter’s core tropes: murder, the mafia, and revenge. In the story, Ophelia gets a scholarship to a prestigious Scottish university, where she intends to investigate the suspicious death of her parents who died on the grounds. Her closest confidante is the son of her prime suspect – and soon her quest for revenge clashes with her desire.
Content warnings: death, violence, mental illness, stalking, explicit sexual content.