Discover MYPLOTMATE, the dark romance brand bringing officially licensed book-inspired adult toys to life with a focus on safety, desire, and sexual wellness.

Did Mobsters truly love to mingle? Who am I to say. What I can say is that there was an abundance of laughter and yapping during the Author, Vendor, Influencer, Industry Meet and Mingle. The excitement bug has got everyone by its claws and this certainly will set the tone for Day 1 of the Sinners and Stardust Convention.

Looking for live coverage of Sinners and Stardust? This weekend we will be taking all of you on the journey of a lifetime as we make sure that you get the details you’re looking for. What better way to start than with an updated look at the new Consent Guides that The Dark Collective has implemented in order to ensure the safety of authors, vendors, attendees, and influencers alike!

Age is more than a number, but a mark of one’s experiences in this vast thing we call life. A stark contrast to the path of idealistic day dreams, the promising older love interest ensures security is possible while you can also explore the layers of spontaneity that comes with youth. Read Nina’s take on why age gap romances are so popular when reading romance novels!

We tend to find the same repeat of books on Booktok, with endless “This was the best book I have read in a while!” - it leaves us wondering, is it actually that good, or is it only being hyped up and said it’s amazing because Booktok has deemed it popular?

Reading characters that depict an array of rich, deep complexions with wide noses or angled bridges, unlocks a deeper level of emotional connection familiarly seen in our cultural circles. With narratives, particularly dark romance, complex emotional draws are an essential feature to endear readers to the main characters despite any unique plight—and establish empathy in the reader's mind. Remember the booger-nosed inner kid from earlier? Well think of how seeing their features being held in reverence and power, could strengthen who they become tomorrow.

Reviewed by Lebi, Heartstring Duet by Liv Zander, a dark, fantasy romance.

Tropes include: Dark Fantasy, Paranormal, Marriage of Convenience, Death/Grief

Reviewed by Aubrey, Killer of Mine by Alexis Grace, a dark, why choose romance.

Tropes include: Why Choose, Dark Romance, Found Family, Bratty Badass FMC, Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, “Who Hurt You?”, Criminal Minds Vibe

Reviewed by Laya, How to Make a Love Potion by R.A Moreau, a dark college, monster romance.

Tropes include: Fake Dating, College Romance, Monster Romance, Friends with Benefits, Spiderpunk Inspired MMC

TW: Brief discussion of depression and anxiety.

“Gotta take the good with the bad, smile with the sad. Love what you got and remember what you had” - Life We Live by Project Pat

The sunshine will come.

Booktok, Bookstagram, and Bookthreads.

And if you don’t think there is a difference, you haven’t seen how wild it can get on all sides.

Reviewed by Laya, Sick Bargain by Nordika Night, a dark MM, masked man romance.

Tropes include: Masked Man, Forced Proximity, Possessive and Obsessive, Deranged Love, Fear Kink, Primal Play, Touch Him and Die, Surprised Identity Reveal

I used to believe devotion was a soft thing.

Petal-skinned. Gentle. Something you cupped in both hands like water.

I was wrong.

It is tectonic. It rearranges fault lines beneath your ribs. It fractures what you thought was stable and calls it destiny.

A love letter from us to you, cult mama ♥ Happy birthday to you, and to Library of Angels!

Reviewed by Aubrey, Dead of Summer by A.J. Merlin, a dark enemies-to-lovers, stalker romance.

Tropes include: Enemies to Lovers, Stalking, Serial Killer, Touch Her and Die, Slasher Vibes, Summer Camp

Reviewed by Lebi, Marrow by Trisha Wolfe and Brynne Weaver, a dark enemies to lovers

Tropes include: enemies to lovers, dual pov, rival serial killers, spice with kinks, morally grey MMC

Reviewed by Jay Depraved, Crawl Space by J.N. Bamforth, an erotic horror.

Tropes include: Haunted Inheritance, Stalker MMC, Obsession/Possession, Forced Proximity, Erotic Horror, Morally Corrupt MMC

Reviewed by Talahia, Prey Drive by Jen Stevens, a dark stalker romance.

Tropes include: Serial Killer, Stalker, Secret Society, Masked Man, “Who Did This?”

Reviewed by Giorgia, The Poisoner is a gothic romance.

Tropes include: victorian era, vampires, horror, and obsession.

Why is the modern world so freaking obsessed with kinky smut? Now before you click that X and exit this article, don’t worry folks—this girl has two thumbs, loves to use them to crack open book spines, and read characters getting to the nitty gritty. This isn’t a campaign to end the reign of spice, it’s just a girl with her gentle readers trying to get to the bottom of why the community lives for freaky nasty motherfuckers. 

What is it about dark romance and the MMC’s that make us love them so much? No matter how pitch-black or taboo? Well, that’s what I’m here to debunk. I’m going to go in depth about the psychology of obsession and why us readers go feral for men we wouldn’t date in real life.

With the Heated Rivalry phenomenon taking over all forms of social media, the question of what defines the true representation of the queer demographic arises. The history of homosexuality in society and media has always been viewed as taboo, abnormal and villainous behavior, but now in the modern era of media, the continued misconceptions has put the queer community under the scrutiny and a constant battle of conforming to mainstream identity politics. It needs to be acknowledged that the queer community deserves recognition and a well deserved seat at the table of media popularity because it brings representation diverse experiences, not to be mere figures of psycho-sexual and emotional release through misinterpreted narratives.

Reviewed by Laya, Mean One is a dark, horror retelling of The Grinch.

Tropes include: Christmas Erotic Horror, Novella, Grumpy x Sunshine, Multiple POVs, Age Gap, Non-HEA

Not every reader’s journey and preferences are the same. Exploration of different genres and authors can be refreshing, especially when you tend to gravitate to the same genre and tropes out of comfort. No matter your aesthetic or image, your space belongs to you and you can make it whatever you want it to be. There’s so many amazing stories in the world to experience, all you have to do is take a step outside the box.

Reviewed by Paula, The Purge: Wicked Truths is a dark, reimagining of the movie, The Purge.

Tropes include: Enemies to lovers, Forbidden Love, Morally Gray Hero, “Love as Rebellion”, System vs Soul, Dystopian Night of Chaos, Fight the System, Fiery FMC, Latine Rep, Chicago Setting, Puerto Rican FMC, Mexican MMC