I go pretty feral for a good love story, but I struggle to find the same "I am going to be unable to talk about anything other than this for atleast a week" level of hit in romance books.
TL;DR To love and to be loved is to be changed, the power of love, and complex characters that have fairly grounded development of their relationship.
- Don't Toy With Me Miss Nagatoro: Alot of their relationship after the first few chapters is exploring each other's main interest and helping each other achieve their dreams. Nagatoro practices drawing and volunteers to model nude for the art waif MMC, and the MMC goes running and goes to Nagatoro's judo matches, for example.
- Most of the time in books it seems like this is one sided. Icebreaker has the MMC practice with the FMC and go to atleast one of her competitions, but I don't think she ever goes to one of his games. It just feels uneven
- Swolemates: The MMC has been a shitty person, but meeting the FMC is alot of what gets him to realize this and start working on fixing himself. And this is part of what kicks the FMC into addressing her own past. And after they start dealing with their own shit, they start helping and supporting the other.
- I think the closest I've seen to "the relationship is the reason broken people fix themselves" is The Rehearsals, but the book seems to completely ignore the shitty things the FMC did to the MMC during the time loop.
- A Sign of Affection: Listen, I'm a big sucker for "popular person adopts lonely person, then they kiss" stories and this is my favorite version because it makes so much sense. It makes sense that the FMC would feel lonely and want to connect with people and it makes sense the the MMC would seek to connect with her.
- Ingary Trilogy: Mostly the first book, Howl's Moving Castle. Alot of books seem to either have the couple be perfect for each other but kept apart by poor communication, or exist only as a reward for completing a plot. Howl straight up ignores Sophie for weeks and the two generally spend most of the book fighting each other. They have to learn and grow into their relationship.
- Your Name: Guys, it's literally about the power of love. Literally. That is canon. This movie and the two novelizations are honestly a large part of my personality now and forever.
Some other thoughts:
- I don't think I've ever "bought" enemies to lovers. Seems like either one character is just jumping to conclusions or not enough is done to get me to believe they'd be willing to change "sides". Katara and Zuko, maybe. Otherwise, never once in any medium.
- I generally hate love triangles/harems. It always seems there's one clearly right option and everyone else is just here for drama. There's a few exceptions, but not alot.
- I'm open to any subgenre. I read a lot of SF&F, but I'm always skeptical of series. I'll also say that I like sports, and I get irritated when I read a sports romance where it seems like the author doesn't give a shit about the sport in the book.
- Dark romance freaks me out. The minute we get noncon, abuse, manipulation, I'm out. If you're into it, I'm happy for you, but it freaks me out. If the story is about the abuser fixing themself or the victim escaping the situation, maybe, but I don't see that much
- I'm a guy. I wouldn't mention it, but it does mean I don't usually enjoy "reader insert FMC and god of sex and money MMC." Again, happy for you, but if I wouldn't want to be bros with the MC's, I'm probably going to be having no fun. Third person or split POV is not required.
by IvankoKostiuk