A Beginner’s Guide to Dark Rom-Coms

Macabre storylines about murder, crime, violence, evil, and dark magic. Love stories that make you laugh out loud. You can find plenty of books that have one or the other. But why not a novel that will give you both? That’s where dark romantic comedies come in.

Dark rom-coms are a relatively new subgenre of romance books that blend the appeal of dark romance novels (think twisted romances like The God of Malice by Rina Kent) with funny, light-hearted rom-coms, like Emily Henry’s Book Lovers.

Dark romance and romantic comedies have been favorite subgenres of romance readers for quite a while now, but the mash-up of the two genres just recently rose to prominence in this decade. It makes sense! As romantasy novels gain more popularity in the 2020s, romance readers are seeking out similar genre-bending romance stories that scratch multiple itches at once.

With dark rom-coms, you get stories that are gritty, boundary-pushing, and sometimes terrifying, but you also get moments of levity. Yes, there’s danger, but there’s also joy, love, and laughter. Dark rom-coms sometimes incorporate dark fantasy, and sometimes they’re based on the gritty realities of our own world. So there’s a little something for everyone.

Wondering where to start when it comes to dark rom-coms? Here are a few of the most popular dark rom-com novels and series, plus some new and upcoming ones. Read the whole list if you’re looking to become a dark rom-com pro.

Must-Read Dark Rom-Coms

Lights Out by Navessa Allen

Lights Out is the first book in one of the most popular dark rom-com series, Into Darkness. Blending funny and snarky romantic banter with a sinister stalker storyline, this novel follows trauma nurse Aly, who drunkenly posts a message about her dark fantasies of being stalked. Her message attracts the attention of Josh, a cybersecurity expert who likes to post masked thirst traps on social media. Their kinky stalking play is all fun and games until Aly becomes the target of an actual predator. The second book in the trilogy is Caught Up, followed by Game On.

Happy Hour at Casa Dracula by Marta Acosta

First published in the mid-2000s, Marta Acosta’s Casa Dracula series is a trailblazer for the dark rom-com genre. It’s funny. It’s sexy. It’s got vampires. In the first novel, Milagro de los Santos is an Ivy League graduate who falls ill after one night of passion with a mysterious man named Oswald. Milagro is taken to Oswald’s family estate, and that’s where she learns the truth about her illness and the secrets of Oswald’s family. This four-book series also includes Midnight Brunch, The Bride of Casa Dracula, and Haunted Honeymoon.

Sinners‘ Retreat by Lauren Biel

The first book in Lauren Biel’s Staycation series, this dark rom-com follows two serial killers, Kindra and Ezra, who are attending a getaway for murderers called Sinners’ Retreat. Kindra has one goal in mind: tracking down the man on the attendee’s list who is responsible for killing her brother. When Ezra first meets Kindra, he’s charmed to find a kindred spirit whom he finds so irresistible. Too bad he’s the one who murdered her brother. Each book in Biel’s dark and hilarious Staycation series (which also includes Slay Ride, Ship Happens, Slaughter Park, and the upcoming Sinners Reunion) follows a serial killer couple on themed retreats. Fun and murder!

The Contortionist by Kathryn Ann Kingsley

If you love dark fantasy and romance with a lot of humor, pick up the Harrow Faire series, which starts with The Contortionist. Cora is a bank teller whose boring life is turned upside down when the Harrow Faire mysteriously returns to town. When Cora makes a dangerous deal with the circus puppeteer Simon, she becomes entangled in a world of dark magic and morally gray characters. Following The Contortionist, check out the other books in the series: The Puppeteer, The Clown, The Ringmaster, and The Faire.

Lilith by Alexandria House

This unconventional romance between a captor and a captive is surprisingly funny. One night, when looking out of her window, 42-year-old Lilith sees something she should not have seen. Horacio “Ray” Nation just committed murder, and Lilith was the one witness. To protect his secret, Ray takes Lilith captive. The rules of their relationship are clear. Lilith belongs to him, and if she ever tries to break free, her life will be over.

Your Lonely Nights Are Over by Adam Sass

This novel promises slasher horror/comedy similar to Scream mixed with charming YA rom-com Clueless-style vibes. Dearie and Cole are best friends, and it’s a good thing they are, because to the rest of the school, they’re quite unlikeable: a couple of pretty boy snobs who look down on everyone else. So, when a slasher attacks the school’s Queer Club, all eyes turn to the two best friends. Now it’s up to Dearie and Cole to unmask the real killer. As these friends get closer to the truth, they learn to value the importance of their friendship and explore romantic interests within the Queer Club as well.

Loving a Vampire is Total Chaos by Aura Hayes

Loving a Vampire is Total Chaos is the first book in Aura Haye’s Total Chaos paranormal romance series. Celine Brennan is a rookie detective investigating a series of bizarre murders in Chicago. Zav Lockwood is a vampire who kills the most horrible people in the city in his free time. When he realizes Celine is investigating his murders, he immediately becomes obsessed with her, and a strange (and hilarious) romance begins. The second book in this series, Loving a Witch is Totally Foolish, was released in April this year. The third novel, Loving a Demon is a Total Nightmare, will be out in December.

I Punched an Alien and Now We’re in Couples Therapy by Kimberly Lemming (Berkley, August 18)

If the title alone doesn’t tell you that this new novel is going to be a quirky dark romance, then you can find out for yourself when Kimberly Lemming’s book hits shelves in August. This is the second book in the Cosmic Chaos series, preceded by I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom Com. When Blair is abducted by aliens and sent to a dangerous planet, she thinks things couldn’t get any worse. But then she’s kidnapped by an arrogant warlord, King Osid, and discovers that she’s meant to be his mate. When conflict inevitably arises between Blair and her captor, alien researchers send them to couples therapy to work out their “problems.”

Do you love romance that mixes in lots of other genres? Here are 20 genre-bending romance novels you might want to give a read!