I used to think the books I loved said something shameful about me.
That wanting darkness, obsession, intensity — meant something was wrong.
But the truth is, these stories meet parts of me that were never protected.
They sit with longing instead of dismissing it.
They let desire exist without apology.
Dark romance doesn’t teach me to want chaos —
it teaches me that my emotions were never “too much.”
They were simply never held.
Sometimes healing doesn’t come wrapped in softness.
Sometimes it comes sharp, honest, and raw.
And that’s okay.
Reading Trauma Mama: Velvet & Taboo 