Dark Romance is a sub-genre of Romance that explores aspects of what can go wrong in romantic and sexual relationships. Often, Dark Romance novels combine elements of love stories with elements of horror stories and/or psychological thrillers. Other times, Dark Romance novels may not contain horror or thriller elements, but still explore the “dark side” of love or attraction, including topics like stalking, domestic violence, revenge, obsession, financial troubles, secrecy and dishonesty, forbidden love, love triangles, abductions or kidnappings, dominance and submission, murky consent situations, and infidelity. Many Dark Romances feature protagonists who are murderers, assassins, criminals, or paranormal beings—characters whose jobs, hobbies, or identities cause their romantic endeavors to become complex, taboo, and/or potentially dangerous. Some Dark Romance novels feature an innocent heroine who falls in love with a Byronic hero (or antihero), but more recent iterations of the genre also include heroines who are Byronic heroes in their own right. Contemporary Dark Romance novels often feature complex, multidimensional characters who have a tender, loving side as well as a “dark” side.

Despite Dark Romance’s exploration of the darker side of love and attraction, these novels still typically follow the convention of the romance genre as a whole and end with two main characters getting together, either through marriage or the establishment of a relationship.