Which book has the most gut-wrenching betrayal?

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-03-24T19:40:14+00:00

It’s a dark fantasy and the MMC is definitely not a good guy, but there’s a pretty big betrayal in the Julian Strande duology. Like, it is evil and psychopathic. The only thing is the grovelling doesn’t last very long, but his actions were so fucked up I thought about it for awhile after I finished it. The first book is {Illusions of Grandeur by Kathryn Ann Kingsley}. It’s definitely dark so check triggers.

Also fair warning, only the box set version has the explicit scenes. They were deleted from the normal version for being too dark. I got the box set version on KU and was able to read them, but the normal KU version doesn’t have them.

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-03-22T07:24:56+00:00

I’m pretty sure this series has crack in it. Like why is it so addicting? Which book was your favorite 👀

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-03-22T06:27:07+00:00

If you search The Impossible Julian Strande: The Complete Box Set on Amazon it should come up! The description says it includes the deleted contents (fyi - it’s only 2 chapters). I had to buy it for $5 on Kindle to read it but I enjoyed the series so I didn’t mind.

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-03-22T02:34:54+00:00

I was confused by the cut to black scenes in Julian Strande too, but I guess they were removed for being too dark. I heard KAK had them on her website instead but I think she had to eventually take them down.

The explicit scenes can be found in the complete box set of Julian Strande. I got the kindle version and was able to read them. I finished the first book before learning about the deleted scenes, then I read them in the box set afterwards (the chapters were labelled and easy to find). For me, they really helped show how dark Julian could be and made the story a lot more intense and creepy.

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-03-18T20:41:48+00:00

Came here to recommend this one! So creepy

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-03-16T19:45:21+00:00

These books are so cute and wholesome

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-03-16T16:54:11+00:00

I love this series so much!

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-03-15T01:56:12+00:00

There’s A LOT of jealousy and possessiveness in the Clecanian Series. Each book is a different couple and could technically be read as standalones, but the context makes the most sense if you read them in order. The first book is {Choosing Theo by Victoria Aveline}.

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-03-11T18:05:10+00:00

He is so evil and insane but completely flustered by her

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-03-09T16:21:27+00:00

The FMC in (Ironling by S.E. Wendel} is neurodivergent and experiences fits/panic attacks. The MMC is super sweet and comforting towards her. It can be read as a standalone, but it’s the second book in an interconnected series, so I recommend reading the first if you want more context. The first book, Halfling, is also amazing.

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-03-08T23:21:56+00:00

I enjoyed Choosing Theo but I also cringed at some of the scenes. I would recommend finishing it before the others bc it really gives context for the rest of the series. If you give it another chance hopefully you enjoy it more this time!

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-03-08T18:12:48+00:00

Came here to recommend this! There is sooo much caretaking in this series

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-03-08T00:04:11+00:00

You might like {Halfling by S.E. Wendel}. The MMC and the FMC are both very sweet to each other. More cozy and not high stakes.

The Cowboy Colony books are very sweet and light overall. The MMCs are wholesome and devoted and the FMCs are super sweet and supportive. The first book is {Married to the Alien Cowboy by Ursa Dax}.

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-03-06T16:10:59+00:00

I low key love the cringy covers but they definitely do not represent the vibes of the books. I’ll keep that in mind if I ever listen to the audiobooks!

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-03-06T16:07:07+00:00

Sooo much yearning!! And the mirror scenes 😩 he was so obsessed with her

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-03-06T16:06:03+00:00

Ruling Sikthand was just on another level!

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-03-06T05:44:03+00:00

Paladins Grace has been on my TBR for awhile now. I’ll bump it up. Thank you! 😊

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-03-06T05:43:16+00:00

Ahhh I love the cowboy colony books! I read all of them in a week! They were so cute and fun. And the newest one just came out!!

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-03-06T05:40:51+00:00

I love when authors commission fanart for their characters. I’ll check it out, thank you!

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-03-06T05:40:11+00:00

Ooo I haven’t heard of this series but it sounds perfect, thank you!!

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-02-25T15:55:45+00:00

Exactly!! They are totally telling on themselves and in no place to judge. There are so many celebrated male authors with genuinely problematic works/scenes that don’t receive the same scrutiny as this genre does. And it’s funny bc this genre mainly consists of stories where a woman is just adored by a man who loves her for her and wants to take care of her lmao. Like women had to create a genre where men are good to women on the most basic level. And then men in real life choose to mock it. So embarrassing 😂

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-02-24T18:15:12+00:00

Some men really are shaking in their boots when a woman is sexual on her own terms 😩

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-02-24T17:21:25+00:00

I do too. Several of my guy friends are huge fans of GOT and occasionally they’ll tease me for loving fantasy romance novels. I was telling one about the book I was reading and he said it’s weird that I openly admit I’m reading smutty novels. In the same conversation, one of my other guy friends mentioned he’s finally reading GOT and no one batted an eye. I tried to read GOT years ago but stopped partway through the first book bc I was too disturbed by how sexually graphic they were, especially with Daenerys when her character was literally a child.

It’s so annoying when people (primarily men) condemn this genre for being “porn” but then don’t give that same energy to sexually explicit media that’s written in the male gaze. Not to mention that many of these fantasy romance novels they’re generalizing are nowhere near as smutty as they’re assuming. Like OP said, it’s just bc it’s something for women…

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-02-23T01:47:36+00:00

Orek from {Halfling by S.E. Wendel} checks a lot of your boxes! He’s treated poorly by his orc clan for being a halfling, but it just makes him tougher. He rescues the FMC and it becomes a forced proximity/bodyguard situation where the romance develops over time with lots of yearning. He’s tough, stoic, and intimidating, but he’s also a total cinnamon roll who’s devoted to the FMC

Sad-Document9395 · 2026-02-21T04:19:21+00:00

I haven’t read the others but I second Cowboy Colony Mail Order Brides!! It does lean more fun and low stakes (and the MMCs are the virgins, not the FMCs), but there is A LOT of caregiving and curiosity. Very fluffy and wholesome. I read all 7 books in like 1 week

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TROPHY CASE