🖤 Dark Romance Books That Are Taking Over BookTok This July
🥀 If your idea of a perfect summer night includes a stormy sky, a glass of red wine, and a book that gives you emotional whiplash — welcome. You're in the right place.
BookTok is buzzing this month with dark romance recs that are intense, obsessive, and totally unputdownable. These aren’t your sunshine-and-rainbows love stories — they’re morally gray, sometimes twisted, and always unforgettable.
Here are the dark romance reads dominating BookTok this July, and why they’re worth the obsession:
🗡️ Court of Lies and Deceit
Flame and Thorns, Book 3
By Rina Kent
Trust no one. Love even less.
The court is a viper’s nest of secrets, and Seraphina is done playing nice. As betrayals unravel and alliances crumble, she must navigate deadly politics, hidden magic, and a prince whose kisses taste like promises—but carry the weight of lies.
This isn’t a fairytale. It’s war. And only one crown will survive the flames.
Perfect for readers who crave knife-to-throat tension, slow-burn betrayal, and a heroine who learns to become her own weapon.
🔥 Enemies become lovers. Lovers become liars.
👉 Grab your copy now
🥀 “King of Wrath” by Ana Huang
🖤 Tropes: Arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, billionaire anti-hero
Technically a contemporary romance, but the energy is chef’s kiss dark. Think: spicy power games, slow-burn obsession, and designer suits with secrets. Ana Huang never misses.
🥀 “Does It Hurt?” by H.D. Carlton
🌊 Tropes: Stranded at sea, unreliable narrator, primal vibes
Ocean. Mystery. Madness. This book feels like a fever dream. If you loved Gone Girl and wish it had more kissing (and chaos), add this to your TBR now.
👉 Add it to your cart
🎧 Also great on audio — super immersive.
🥀 “The Mindf*ck Series” by S.T. Abby
🖤 Tropes: Vigilante serial killer heroine, FBI love interest
You will root for a killer. And you will question everything. This binge-worthy five-book series is short, addictive, and constantly trending for a reason.
👉 Full box set on Kindle Unlimited
⚠️ Dark, violent, but strangely romantic? Yep.
BONUS
👑 Crown of Light and Ashes
Kingdom of Shadows, Book 1
By S.M. Gaither
A cursed crown. A reluctant queen. A kingdom on the brink of ruin.
When a ruthless enemy razes her homeland, Elara is forced to claim a throne bound by shadow magic—and a blood pact with a dangerously seductive king she cannot trust. Torn between duty and desire, light and darkness, she must awaken a power long buried… or lose the realm forever.
Perfect for fans of enemies-to-lovers, forbidden magic, and slow-burn fantasy romance that bites back.
🖤 Court intrigue, ancient curses, and one morally gray king await.
👉 Add it to your TBR or shop now
✨ Dark Romance, But Make It Hot Girl Summer
Dark romance isn’t just spicy — it’s cathartic. It’s messy, emotional, and a little dangerous. And that’s exactly what makes it perfect for late-night reading under the stars (or doom-scrolling your Kindle at 2am).
Which one are you picking up this July?
Drop your faves in the comments or tag me on Instagram if you post a reading update — I live for your reactions!
📌 P.S. Want more recs like this? Subscribe to my monthly Dark & Delicious Book Club below. We don’t do light and fluffy here. ;)