So I'm an avid reader, but the one genre I can't get into is romance. I really want a good romance that resonates with me, though. the reason why I haven't gotten into the genre is because I usually can't get behind the 'typical' romance stories to begin with. so to explain, I have an unfortunate history with trauma. and because of this, I know that the way I experience and look at relationships in general is a bit different than someone who hasn't been through what I've been through. I prefer contemporary romances where it focuses more on the emotional intelligence aspect of it all rather than romantic gestures or how much tension characters have. I've been drawn to fanfiction in the past and even now because characters in popular media (video games, movies, shows) tend to have trauma that isn't easily relatable in most of our daily lives, and subsequently into a lot of contemporary romance books. it's always that fated emotional hurt/comfort tag and found family tag that I read.
I'm also asexual, but I still like romance, and that also goes hand in hand with what I'm saying. I really really really cannot STAND tropes like love at first sight, or when two ppl meet and are automatically into each other. I can understand fascination with each other, but dating purely because of that turns me off of romance as a genre. also I genuinely cannot stand cringy flirting or pet names, either. all of these kind of sound like pet peeves with the genre of romance, and it might come off like I'm complaining, but I'm trying not to. I'm just looking for romance books that aren't typical romances, is all. just romances that exclude these types of things I'm mentioning, or romance books that revolve more around the emotional intelligence aspect of relationships, like I mentioned.
one trope I love love love is friends to lovers.
sorry if this came off like the meme of the guy gesturing manically to his whiteboard that looks like it's been vomited ideas on!
by lots_of_fandoms