Along with categories and tropes, many readers also seek out romances with a specific tone or vibe. Sometimes they want something dark and dangerous, with obsessive, morally gray characters. Other times, they want a warm, comforting romance set in a close-knit community.
What Is Dark Romance?
Dark romance explores dangerous, taboo, morally gray, or intense situations. Common elements include:
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- morally gray protagonists
- obsession and/or possessiveness
- dangerous power dynamics
- violence or criminal worlds
- revenge
- captivity or coercion
- trauma
- taboo relationships
- blurred lines between love, desire, and control
It’s important to note that a romance containing murder, violence, or trauma isn’t necessarily a dark romance. What matters is where the darkness manifests in the romance.
What Is Cozy Romance?
A cozy romance offers a warmer and lighter experience. Common elements include:
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- comforting settings
- strong community
- everyday stakes
- humor and warmth
- characters helping or caring for one another
- common rituals (e.g., coffee shops, bookstores, holidays, small towns, etc.)
- conflict that creates tension without feeling scary or threatening
It’s Not Either Or
Your romance isn’t necessarily dark or cozy. Tone and emotional experience within a story sit on a spectrum:
Cozy > Light > Emotional/Angsty > Gritty > Dark
And even that isn’t set in stone. Stories can borrow qualities from different parts of the spectrum, such as a morally gray hero paired with a funny, optimistic heroine, à la Carnal Urges. Or morally complicated characters in a rom-com-style voice. Think Butcher and Blackbird
So, what’s the point of “dark” and “cozy”? Why are they a thing now?
Because they’re two sides of a spectrum that many readers are actively seeking. Readers might be looking for paranormal or contemporary, but also something comforting or something intense. Some readers now use the words “dark romance” or “cozy romance” when searching for books.
That said, your book may not fit dark or cozy, in which case you’ll want to avoid those terms. If your story falls in the middle of the spectrum, give cues that help readers understand that.
Here are examples of books in each level of the spectrum:
Cozy Romance
Light Romance
Emotional/Angsty Romance
Gritty Romance
Dark Romance
Dark vs. Cozy Isn’t the Same as High Stakes vs. Low Stakes
Many definitions of cozy romance suggest it has low stakes, but I argue that isn’t necessarily the case. The truth is, cozy romance can have meaningful stakes such as saving the family bookstore, finding belonging, and risking one’s heart. There can even be light danger, such as solving a mystery.
Conversely, dark romance can carry smaller stakes beneath the violence or danger.
The difference is how the reader experiences those stakes.
Dark romance might offer:
- He’d burn the world for me.
- Everyone fears him except me.
- His obsession with me is absolute.
- We shouldn’t want each other, but we can’t stop.
Cozy romance might offer:
- I’ve finally found where I belong.
- Someone sees me and chooses me.
- Love can feel safe.
- I don’t have to face life alone.
- I found my person and maybe my home too.
How Conflict Works in Dark vs. Cozy Romance
Conflict exists in all romance stories, even in cozy ones. It’s where the story lives. The difference is partly in where the conflict comes from and the intensity or stakes.
Dark romance conflict comes from danger, control, secrets, betrayal, revenge, violence, moral boundaries, or forbidden desire.
Cozy romance conflict comes from competing goals, vulnerability, misunderstandings, past hurt, family/community complications, career choices, fear of change, or fear of risking the relationship.
What About Spice?
As someone coming from cozy mystery, I was surprised to learn that cozy romance doesn’t follow the same expectations of no violence, no sex, no swearing. And dark romance doesn’t necessarily have spice.
Spice level is a different element that isn’t included in the dark vs. cozy description. Dark/cozy describes tone, conflict, and emotional experience.
The reality is that a cozy romance can be extremely steamy, and a dark romance can contain less explicit sex (think slow burn).
Dark vs. Cozy Marketing
Whether your romance is dark, cozy, or somewhere in between, your marketing should help readers understand the experience they’ll get. This is especially important with dark romance, which often depicts troubling scenes that could upset readers. Accurate packaging will help the right readers find the story while helping others recognize that it may not be for them.
Cover: Color, typography, imagery, and overall design can communicate warm and comforting, dangerous and seductive, gothic and mysterious, or light and playful. (See cover examples above.)
Blurb: Reinforce your promise through language and focus. A cozy romance might emphasize belonging, connection, humor, or community. Dark-romance copy might emphasize danger, obsession, forbidden desire, power, or moral conflict.
Categories, tropes, and social media: Don’t just advertise “enemies to lovers.” Show readers what kind of enemies-to-lovers story this is. Is it playful rivalry and banter, or does one character genuinely pose a danger to the other?
For darker books, include content notes or trigger warnings to provide additional information about potentially disturbing material to set reader expectations, and allow them to make informed choices.
You don’t have to make your romance darker because dark romance is selling, or cozier because readers are craving comfort. You do need to understand the emotional experience your story provides. Once you do and give clear clues in your packaging and marketing, it becomes much easier for readers looking for that experience to find you.
