The surge in dark romance in which possessiveness and obsession are synonymous with love reminded me of this mindblowing take by Racheline Maltese, which splits romance into 2 wings, liberation vs. compliance, as well as a subset of compliance called enforcement: avian30.com/2020/12/05/about-that-liberation-vs-compliance-thing-in-more-than-280-characters/

April 11, 2026 - 02:28 UTC

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I read very limited cishet romance these days precisely bc this trope is so common. Giving a damn & wanting to help & problem solve with the love interest? Yes! Dictation of terms + stalker vibes + overpowering love interest's agency? No thanks!
Still in my queer + niche romance phase (7yrs so far).
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Another important aspect is how a lot of the enforcement subwing kinks hard on traditional gender roles but is completely unself-aware about it and presents it as a good and normal way to be. Why yes all men should be growly and possessive. This is how it's been and how it should always be
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One day I'm gonna write an absolutely hideous giant fucking essay about the prevalence of rape, captivity, and nullifying the heroine's consent in cishet romance and why so many people find it irresistible because there's so much to unpack and a lot of different factors. But alas, not today!
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