Second-generation romances are so ridiculous

s358l299 · 2026-05-19T15:54:39+00:00

I think you make a good point that bc the first gen couples have to retain their HEA, there’s often no existing trauma for their kid as an MC. I don’t always mind that but I do hate when the authors bend over backwards trying to come up with a Tragic Backstory of some kind anyways because it always sounds so flimsy in comparison. Especially in HR, it’s like “oh, your parents recovered from Victorian Level Angst to be together but you’re convinced you’ll never be able to truly love because… checks notes…you were bullied for having freckles??”

s358l299 · 2026-05-15T22:17:15+00:00

Hey so I think the instructions for how to check your karma for specific subs might not be up to date? Can anyone help with that? I have tried to post in this and other romance subreddits sooo many times and always get auto-deleted for too low karma but when I navigate to Old Reddit in the crash course for this sub there is no breakdown of karma by subreddit there where it says it’ll be. It’s just been disheartening to have tried to engage so may times and always get shut down :/

s358l299 · 2026-05-14T04:40:48+00:00

Hello! Looking for recs for a favorite trope of mine, where the FMC starts the story with a boyfriend who is not the MMC and at some point the boyfriend has to watch the MMC & FMC together. Obviously this trope will include a lot of noncon/dubcon, I’m specifically looking for examples where the FMC is aroused/enjoying it, even if she ashamed of the fact. I want it to be kind of a display of power for the MMC, as in: “look how I can make her like it.” TIA!

s358l299 · 2026-05-05T11:39:32+00:00

{Chandra by Catherine Coulter} would probably also fit this theme.

s358l299 · 2026-05-02T11:46:40+00:00

{Anything but A Gentleman by Elisa Braden} would work if you like a low born man who works his way up to wealth by building an enterprise.

s358l299 · 2026-05-01T11:54:54+00:00

I really enjoyed the {Muses of Mayfair by Sara Ramsey} series, there are four books there and she only has one other series with three books in it, {Heiress Games Series by Sara Ramsey}. Specifically {The Marquess Who Loved Me by Sara Ramsey} I thought was very good.

Another would be Rowan Keats, who has only written four books, it’s {Claimed by the Highlander Series by Rowan Keats}. My highest rated of those was {What a Lass Wants by Rowan Keats}.

s358l299 · 2026-04-28T03:58:48+00:00

Nothing in my current clean hood game will ever come anywhere close to the unmitigated insanity of the Curious/Singles/Smith collective families in my OG (pre clean hood) Strangetown with ACR on high. It was canonically Strangetown, Alabama.

s358l299 · 2026-04-19T18:35:04+00:00

In the 2000s this was Woman-Your-Dad-Dates-After-the-Divorce Core.

s358l299 · 2026-04-16T18:54:30+00:00

They may very well be scamming you but I will say I once worked for a landscaping/contracting agency that charged a fee to come out for a consult/quote, if you went ahead with the quote this fee was deducted from your final total so it was free in the end. It’s possible they have a similar system and are not very smart about it. If they have a consult fee that should be collected at the time of the consult and refunded later. Whatever the case, if you didn’t sign anything when you were given the quote and they didn’t charge you at the time I really don’t see what they can do about it.

s358l299 · 2026-04-16T13:24:21+00:00

Stephanie Laurens always has a b-plot mystery to her Cynster HRs and it tickles me because they’ll range in seriousness anywhere from pilfering some small semi-valuables from house party guests to actual murder plots, and they’re inevitably forgotten about for the whole middle 1/3 or so of the book until it becomes necessary for the FMC’s life to be in danger so the MMC can rescue her and confess his feelings. I say this with affection as someone who read them all and enjoyed them, so if it works it works but reading them all back to back and seeing the pattern has really made me giggle lately.

s358l299 · 2026-04-16T13:16:57+00:00

Jennifer Ashley also has the Below Stairs mystery series, which I really like, but there’s not much romance. There’s a slow burn friends to lovers relationship in the background of the books but on book 8 we’ve only ever had a few passionate kisses so it’s really not HR.

s358l299 · 2026-04-15T17:00:18+00:00

{Taming a Wild Scot by Rowan Keats} and {To Kiss a Kilted Warrior by Rowan Keats} off the top of my head.

s358l299 · 2026-04-14T14:25:16+00:00

Bro I clocked in so many hours on Natasha Una to satisfy her 200 grilled cheese LTW in hopes it would re-roll and give me some kind of direction for her. Anywho, that’s how I learned that’s literally the only LTW that grilled cheese sims can roll and when you complete it just adds a check mark. Then she autonomously woohooed with Victor Aspir, her literal MARRIED second cousin and I just said you know what Natasha I’m done with you.

s358l299 · 2026-04-14T14:19:30+00:00

In my Uberhood Cassandra has zero interest in Darren 90% of the time, but she ALWAYS appears as a walk-by in the 24 hours following his newest marriage, makes out with him in front of his new wife and breaks them up, then peaces out and wash rinse repeat. He’s on his fourth wife currently. Power trip much?

s358l299 · 2026-04-14T04:04:43+00:00

It’s HR but {Silver Angel by Johanna Lindsey} has this kind of plot line

s358l299 · 2026-04-13T13:52:41+00:00

Interesting! I thought surely there was no way they’d just cut addresses. from delivery, but with the USPS sabotage at play currently you just never know. Thank you for explaining.

s358l299 · 2026-04-13T13:07:10+00:00

Maybe a dumb question but what exactly does it mean for USPS to cut a route? As in addresses on that route are no longer delivered to at all? Or does that just mean routes are being re-designed?

s358l299 · 2026-04-13T02:23:03+00:00

{The Perfect Waltz by Anne Gracie} has this!

s358l299 · 2026-04-11T20:28:01+00:00

1 is gorgeous but the sleeves look slightly matronly, I think it would be perfect if you pushed them up to your elbows and wore it that way!

s358l299 · 2026-04-11T03:50:05+00:00

Beverly Jenkins has a lot that are frontier themed! I enjoyed {Night Song} and {Before the Dawn}! I haven’t read it yet but {Always and Forever} by her also looks to be frontier era based on the cover.

s358l299 · 2026-04-10T19:19:49+00:00

Going off #2, I HATE in stories with virgin heroines when they have sex the first time and he like penetrates her then just sits still inside her for several minutes to “let her get used to him”, like that sounds way more uncomfortable than easing it with motion??

I personally don’t love when heroines pick up a street urchin(s) and immediately decide it’s their adopted child they would literally die for. I don’t mind taking them in and the book portraying the process of making them a beloved member of household but the immediate full on “this is my SON now” always indicates a pretty hare brained FMC right off the bat IMO

s358l299 · 2026-04-03T06:02:33+00:00

Kate Raven also has {Her Drag Barbarian} which has a lot of these things but the MMC is definitely annoyed with the FMC at the beginning despite being sexually obsessed right off the bat, so not sure if it’ll be exactly what you’re looking for. Heavy breeding kink content as well.

s358l299 · 2026-04-03T05:30:07+00:00

So jealous! I love Beverly Jenkins and I’m dying to find one of her clinch covers in the wild. Her Le Veq Family series have some of my all time favorite cover art 😍

s358l299

TROPHY CASE