Developing Dark or Villainous Love Interests in Romance Novels

If you’ve been anywhere around books in the past few years, from Bookstores to BookTok you might have noticed that one category has grown wildly and seems to always be lurking protectively nearby ready to stalk around the corner with their smirks and their famous line of, “who did this to you.”

Dark romance.

Typically you can find these containing vampires, mob bosses, and fae (Which usually makes it automatically a dark romance in my eye, those Princes are big creeps.) Though there are many others that star in these novels such as billionaires, teachers, and hockey players.

Dark romances are the new harlequin, those books with the shirtless men and the long flowing hair holding women in provocative poses.

While the men are all still big, strong, and have abs you could bounce a quarter off of — they’re just a little bit darker.

They have no problem burning the world down to ashes for your protagonist or breaking a few bones along the way.

While these books usually have their characters having to deal with a bit of trauma, it’s no different really from the damsel in distress from the typical love stories.

So how do you write your character falling for the bad guy?

Subvert Expectations

To create a dark or villainous love interest, start by subverting reader expectations. Instead of a flawless hero, introduce a character with darker qualities or conflicting motivations. They don’t have to fall head over heels in love with your protagonist right away since this genre is the perfect opportunity for one of those enemies-to-lovers tropes.

Establish Tension and Conflict

Dark and Villainous love interests thrive on tension and conflict. Develop their conflicting beliefs, actions, or motivations to create obstacles for the protagonist. These obstacles will intensify emotions and provide opportunities for dramatic confrontations, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. A bodyguard who needs to protect their charge or an assassin hired to kill them, both situations can be used to bring tension and conflict to the relationship and your novel’s plot.

Explore Moral Ambiguity

Delve into moral ambiguity within your characters. Challenge traditional notions of right and wrong, allowing readers to question their own values. By exploring the complexities of human nature, you’ll add depth and thought-provoking elements to your story. Just because they may not be all good doesn’t mean that what they’re doing is all bad. Sure he’s a mob boss, but he only kills people who threaten those in his family.

Evoke Emotional Turmoil

Emotional turmoil is essential in dark romance novels. Use the love interest to evoke intense emotions in the protagonist and readers alike. Show conflicting emotions such as love, hate, desire, and redemption, creating a rollercoaster of feelings that will keep readers engaged. They love to hate them and they hate to love them.

Craft Character Development and Redemption Arcs

Give your love interest the opportunity for growth and redemption. Peel back the layers of their character to reveal vulnerabilities, inner conflicts, and the potential for change. Develop their transformation into a well-rounded character with a redemption arc that demonstrates the power of love to overcome darkness. Your love interest needs to see the beauty behind the beast.

Embrace Unconventional Relationships

Break free from societal norms and explore unconventional relationships. Challenge readers’ preconceived notions and push the boundaries of love and attraction. One of the most recurring parts of a dark romance is the fact that the love interest holds some position of power over the protagonist, or makes it so that they do.

A billionaire boyfriend buys the school she attends so he has access to the security cameras and can watch her during class.

A mafia leader who made a deal with a local business owner that he could have his daughter to pay off his debts.

These characters may not meet in the most conventional way, but they’ve been thrown together and they’re going to have to learn to live with it. (Or not)

Leave a Lasting Impression

Just like how Christian Grey made his mark on the novel world (and Anastatia’s back end)

Give your readers an experience they won’t soon forget or leave them begging for more.

There are hundreds of dark novels out there that readers can pick up, so make sure to have yours stand out by not just having a dark romance MAKE SURE YOUR STORY STILL HAS SOME PLOT and some memorable moments for your reader.

Important reminder!

Just because it’s a dark romance this does not mean consent is not still King. Sure it can be a bit dubious at some times as these relationships are more often than not toxic, but this does not negate the need for consent.

And as always these relationships are fiction and should not be used in any way as a guide when looking for your next relationship.

Best of luck!

Now get to writing.

With love,

B. King xo xo

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