I Think I Like “Cozy” Dark Romance
A few months ago, my IRL romance book club decided we should try reading dark romance. Instead of picking one book, we choose a theme, trope, or subgenre to discuss, so we all spent a month reading as many dark romances as we wanted to, and when we came together at the end of it, we had all discovered some interesting things about books and reading…and ourselves. Many of us had read Butcher & Blackbird (which I had also intended to pick up but just didn’t get to), so that became the center of the conversation for a while. We talked a lot about what appeals to readers of dark romance, what counted as dark romance, and what elements of dark romance we tended to prefer—versus what was a hard limit for many of us. It was at this part of the conversation that one member said the words “cozy dark romance,” and that sparked for me.
When you look at the buzzwords on BookTok and other social media, this micro-genre is called Dark Romantic Comedy. These books have clear elements of dark romance with the list of trigger/content warnings to go with it. But they also have just as much of the com as the rom, just like a good romantic comedy. What it really comes down to is not just the fact that it’s funny, but that the story also includes a good amount of consent and is relatively low stakes. That last part is what really gets me to the “cozy” part of defining this type of book, but as with all things, your miles may vary.
Here are some of the books that fall under that “dark romantic comedy” umbrella, with varying levels of me smiling, cackling, kicking my feet.
(But seriously, check content warnings for all of these; they all have plenty.)
Lights Out by Navessa Allen
This book (in particular, the audiobook) has become my gold standard for dark romance, romantic comedy, and dark romantic comedy. I was definitely not expecting to be all in from the minute the narrators started reading off the content warnings, but here we are. The main characters are a nurse and her stalker, but somehow the squick is not there when it could have been in a different writer’s hands. This comes in part from Josh’s POV, which shows us that Aly is in no danger of physical harm from him. It is also filled with incredibly fun exchanges between the characters, and you know I love some good banter. But I’m not kidding about the trigger warnings, which go on for several minutes at the beginning of the book. So if any of those things might harm you, steer clear.
(Also, if you do like this one, you better get ready for Katee Robert’s Wicked Pursuit, which is maybe not quite as fun, but is really damn good, especially considering it’s single POV.)
Lilith by Alexandria House
I had no idea what this book was when I bought it for the cover, but was delighted when it hit right when I needed to be reading it for book club. This one was less laugh-out-loud funny than Lights Out but offered that same warm cozy feeling mixed with a wild premise. Lilith sees something she isn’t supposed to, and then a very handsome man starts bringing her food. Like. In her house. And then he doesn’t leave. Of course, Ray has his own secret, and it’s a banger. The fun elements do come from the interactions between the couple, but also Lilith and her sisters, and a few other members of their greater community.
Unhinged by Onley James
This dark romance is also less laugh-out-loud funny (though there are definitely some giggly parts) and more warm cozies from how absolutely precious these unhinged people are. Unhinged is the first in a series about a group of Umbrella Academy-style adoptees who unalive people instead of saving them. But they only kill bad people, so…it’s okay? This first one is about Adam, the youngest of the siblings. He becomes a little obsessed with Noah, whose father he killed a long time ago—and who violently confronts him about it. Unsuccessfully, of course.
Demon’s Dream by Elle Kayson
One of the conversations I couldn’t help bringing up in our conversation about dark romance was why, in a category that so often includes mafiosos and murderers, we don’t talk about urban romance, or street lit. Urban/street romance is a very specific category in Black romance, and it often includes people doing illegal things like dealing drugs and gangbanging. If mafiosos and Bratva are just Italian or Russian gangbangers, why don’t we talk as much about the Black ones? (We all know the answer to that one.) Anyway. Demon’s Dream is about an enforcer in a wealthy family of many illegal avenues who is conned into an arrangement with the daughter in a rival family. The pair both have lots of hidden depths and perfect inner dialogues, and their relationship resolution might take nearly 800 pages but it is worth it. I never thought a serial killer would make me giggle so much. But here we are.
I’ve also heard that JJ McAvoy’s Ruthless People falls into this category, so I will try picking that one up soon. In the meantime, if you’re looking to read more dark romance, check out this solid list from 2023. And make sure you’re subscribed to the Kissing Books newsletter to get all the best info on old, new, and upcoming romances!
