A Reader Lives A Thousand Lives. People Who Don't Read Live Once
- Innasya Mackenzie
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
A dark romance book to some is a romanticisation of abuse and pain, but to those who've experienced the words they read, it's a comfort. A comfort that allows us to believe our broken souls are capable of being loved.
She loved the darkness for it was a mirror of her soul.
As a sexual assault survivor myself, you may question how I can read the sinister words of a dark romance novel. How the stories of violence and danger don't send me spiralling and trigger my PTSD.
Allow me to explain. Reading a dark romance novel allows me to gain a sense of control that was once taken from me. I have the freedom to put down the book at any time and end the story. To experience assault is to experience the feeling of isolation, of feeling as though no matter how hard you try to explain, no one will ever understand. The characters in the books we read, the survivors, the women who carry the darkness of their trauma with strength and resilience, they are a reflection of ourselves. Finally someone we feel seen by.
For years I felt too deeply wounded to believe I was ever capable of feeling loved again. Like I was a cracked porcelain doll that's flaws would always be seen. The "villains" in these stories and the love they have for their women are proof that we are capable of the adoration and love we once thought unworthy of.
It's real, it's raw, it's relatable. The happily ever after created a sense of hope that I craved so deeply.
A hero would sacrifice you for the world, but a villain would sacrifice the world for you. These men written in ink love every aspect of their woman, the good, the bad, the ugly. On top of that, they teach her to love and accept those parts of herself as well, that darkness is beauty and strength and not something to be ashamed of.
It's not about romanticising trauma, its about rewriting it under your own conditions.
My love for reading began with Ugly Love by Coleen Hover. A contemporary romance that explores the difference between beautiful and ugly love, focusing on themes such a grief, unresolved trauma, vulnerability, and healing. It was a book I couldn't put down, an instant recommendation to all of my friends and a window into the world of intense love stories.
Following Ugly Love, I proceeded to read the Twisted series by Ana Huang — Twisted Games being my favourite of the series.
Then began my love for dark romance.
While I recommend you these books, I want to make one things clear; my experience with dark romance books is MY EXPERIENCE. Each of our brains processes trauma differently and what may be comforting to me might not be for you. I urge you to proceed with caution, check your content warnings and put the book down if you ever deem it too much.
H.D Carlton has quickly become one of my favourite authors, with Haunting and Hunting Adeline at the top of my list of favourites.
The books I read in 2025:
