Unwintering My Mind
Balancing dark romance with light*ish* trigger warnings
The University of Texas found that around 10 million Americans are affected by seasonal depression. Shorter days mean less sunlight, mean less Vitamin D, mean weaker mental health in a lot of cases. I am definitely 1 in 10 million.
I don’t like the cold. It doesn’t get too icy in Southeast Tennessee, but the beauty of our Summer nights are severely missed when the temps drop and the sun sets at 5 pm. The lightnin’ bugs are asleep and I feel like I should be too.
On the literal bright side, the days are getting longer and the temperature has been high enough the last week that I’ve been able to open my windows and let in some fresh air. And that, my friends, is the sound of my seasonal depression slowly slipping away.
One thing I’ve learned after many a winter spent chastising myself for not being able to surface from my seasonal rut, is to be gentle with myself when I need it. I tell myself it’s okay to cancel plans when I need to and gently push myself to get out and socialize when I know it will do me the most good. I’ve also learned to be careful with my book choices. I have a wide taste, but have a tendency to lean on the darker side when it comes to romance. When my mental health is at a high, I skip right past the trigger warnings and dive right in. When I’m battling the *saddies*, I look for clues like ‘HEA,’ ‘no cliffhangers,’ ‘no cheating.’ I still prefer it if one or more of the MCs have a proclivity for stalking and are totally obsessed, but I’m not too picky. ;)
If you’re being gentle with yourself, but still looking for a little bit of darkness and/or *spice,* might I suggest:
1. The Eternally Series By January Rayne
I was introduced to January Rayne with her Monster Stalker series (also known as Shallow Cove Dark Dimension) which was absolutely delicious (and a little bit darker, but safe enough I would still read it when I’m being gentle with my mind). The Eternally series talks about what happened in Shallow Cove before the Monster Stalkers. I am readying to start the 3rd book in this series. The first two were amazing. A bit longer than what I normally read mid-depressive rut, but they were so good I didn’t even realize. Typically, two books in, I have a pretty good idea of what’s coming next, but I’ve cheated and read the summaries for the rest of the series and I have to say, I have no idea what’s going on AND I LOVE IT. Not many authors get the vote of confidence I give this one, but she has my full trust. I’m locked in and ready for the ride.
2. Mated to the King Series By Lola Glass
I’ve talked about this series in a previous post, and I’m gonna keep talking about it because I love everything Lola Glass. Gimme obsessed beasties and their fated mates all day. And I’ve said it before, I’ll say it a thousand times, I need more Sirens in my books please. Lola is a really real one for providing that for me with this series. <3
3. Lights Out By Navessa Allen
I’m not big into audio books, but I actually listened to this one and, good gravy, it was so worth it. It’s dark and twisted without being triggering *in my opinion.* (Blood and gore in moderation are not issues for me). It was sexy and hilarious and dark enough to satisfy that craving without darkening my mood.
4. Kozlov Empire series by Monica Kayne
If you like mafia drama with a dash of spice, this series hits! The Kozlov siblings are morally dark and demented while proving they’re totally capable of love. Honestly, I downloaded the first one to my Kindle and then let it sit for a while because I was scared it would hurt real bad (which is great sometimes, but like I said, I’ve been careful lately). After I finally dove in, the rest was history and I devoured the whole series immediately and then quickly went to find more Monica Kayne to read!
5. The Monster Stalker Series by January Rayne
I know, I know. If you’ve read my other posts, you’ve probably seen this one already as well, but it was EVERYTHING I WANTED AND MORE. And yes, January Rayne already has one series on this list, but she has my full trust. Her monsters are dark and dangerous without hitting my triggers, and Holly and her submissive mechanic are *heart-eyes*.
Of course, every reader is different. It’s important to know your own triggers and be gentle with yourself when you need it. If you’re like me and still embrace the darkness while looking toward the light, I hope you found something you can sink your literary teeth into. <3