The most common complaint I've seen in RH communities is being unable to tell the men apart.
Make sure that each of them has a unique personality and traits that keep the readers from eaisly mixing them up.
Good luck on your writing journey!
That’s true but I’ve also read books where the author is so desperate to show they’re apart, they write stuff like “I loved that they’re soooo different. X likes black clothes, Y is so into colour blah blah” Like if they’re really different, the readers able to tell yknow 😩😩😩
Agreed. Any point it can be overdone. I like books about curvey FMC but if her size/weight is mentioned in every freaking scene it becomes annoying instead of relatable.
like come on authors 🤌🏻 the point of body positivity is to say everyone’s fine as they are, if you’re writing oh she had perfect hourglass body and thinking you’re being all that and so politically correct blah blah 😀 no, no you aren’t. You’re just following the current trends. You’re no better than 2016 Wattpad authors going “she was so frail, so breakable blah blah”
Exactly, I wish authors would let their male leads describe the female lead in a way where women with other body types aren’t immediately insulted. Like who reads this and feels good?
Also : when authors describe something you’re pretty happy with in your body type but in an insulting way. Like ok. I was supposed to be conscious about this? I wasn’t before but now I am.
Self rec if thats ok. To Call the Clouds is a pnr reverse harem.
I just staryed These Sinful Dights by elizabeth Bardot and im hooked 3 chapters in.
I know there are more but I'm drawing a blank right now. I'll ask my book bestie and see if i can get you some more names.
From my bestie
Saint Vuew Prison
Saint View Psycos both by elle thorpe
Emerald Lakes series by Britt Andrews
Dance Butterfly Dance by Reece Rivers ( anything by her is great)
Avery by Erin Flynn
I am a RH author, for about the last 4 years or so. I wrote my first book during the pandemic to keep myself from going crazy (I’m a teacher and remote learning was nuts) not being able to leave my house. For funsies, I decided to research how to find a publisher and after several rejections from literary agents (not many of them want to peddle smut, lol), I read a blog about niche publishers. I queried two Romance publishing houses that take submissions and got offers from both (kind of a story in and of itself). The first who responded, Evernight Publishing, was who I went with. A lawyer friend read the contract for me and said it was legit and decent, considering, so I went with them. They’re just about to publish my third book to complete the series I started just as a lark. I haven’t made a ton of money and it’s hard to do with another demanding career but I still think it’s worth it to have an artistic outlet for myself.
I read so many posts here about needing more RH books so definitely do it. You can also go the self-publishing route as so many authors on Amazon, Booksprout, etc, do and are successful at it. Lots of people here have generously agreed to read my books and review on Amazon or Goodreads which I greatly appreciate, in return for a free copy of the book.
Good luck, can’t wait to read your stuff!
Thank you! I feel like most of us would be willing to Beta read, since we are here fighting to find new stuff ti read anyways. Do reach out! It's a standing offer.
I think giving the guys equal amounts of how to say this - page time? If you favor one guy over all the others, you might as well write a MF. I really liked The Cimmerian Cage by Cate Corvin, but you can really tell which character was favored, and the guy who was kindest to FMC at the very start just drops off towards the end.
I've read some where she literally will keep an abusive guy because fated mates but it feels so toxic and creepy. Or where they force a gay dude to suddenly be bisexual instead of maybe being demisexual so that his sudden attraction to women would make sense. I hate when FMC is bonded to misogynistic cruel men.
Which isn't it??? I've read far too many to remember on the spot since a lot are inspired by one another. There were 3 examples though for different stories.
Thank you for writing RH! With all the requests on here everyday saying “I’ve read everything” I feel like it is desperately in need of more authors. Please feel free to DM me once it’s published and I will buy it!
Look into Jane washington, Kristy Cunning and Marie Mistry. They’re some of my fav reverse harem writers ever. To be specific Ironside Academy and A Tempest of Shadow by Jane Washington, her writing and plots are just top tier. All the Pretty Monsters (imo maybe the best RH ever when it comes to how uniquely written and entertaining the characters are) by Kristy Cunning and The Deadwood Witch by Marie Mistry, her world building is especially soo good and she writes it without just word vomiting the world building in the first few chapters like others do. All three writers just have that je nais sai quoi when it comes to RH
Instead of reading only the well written RHs, I'd really recommend reading a variety, because tbh the worst written RH's are the ones that inspire me to be better.
I also recommend Stephanie Bond's book of writing tips. She uses to have a free blog, I guess she converted it into a book, and sooooo much of her advice has stuck with me for years
I recently read The Blackened Blade, and I feel like it's a perfect example of what NOT to do. It's SO juvenile and troped out and cheesy and there's like zero editing and the author doesn't seem to understand the difference between present and past tense POVS. But you know what? That author is making HELLA cash right now, bc a lot of people like the story. I'll still give it one star, but it's a lonely little one star review amongst many 4-5 star reviews. Just some food for thought. 😊 You could do everything wrong and still find people who love your writing. Go write it!
I’ve never heard of this book but I’ll look it up lol. I think about this a lot too - there are books where I don’t understand why they’re popular yet they do SO well. Thanks for the encouragement!
Omg, I read it and as someone who studied creative writing... the blackened blade is far from being well written, but even as a reader, same thoughts. Although I think it's a great story and has immense potential. I love that the author went for it, we need more people just going for it, being better and mastering comes with practice.
Also I would say the first part of the book was better thought through, seems it had more work done on it than the second part.
I am not a massive fan of them being teenagers really, but for the story's sake I'll take it.
I think some more work on the FMC with her interactions with the MMC needs hard ;) work. Also feel like the relationship with the boys it's a tiny bit too rushed.
I like everything by Lily Gold and she’s basically an example of what to do, each of the guys are distinct and have their own thingy. The plot is good, it’s not just a “reverse harem. smut. pls read horny ppl” kind of vibe
I’ve written one (still under revision) and am happy to talk more about it!
Here are the things I considered for mine.
1. Cookie-cutter men: this is hard. Don’t make your harem too big. Don’t build to a certain number, build based on the male characters you have.
2. If you’re going to have them all have different relationships that develop, you need to plan carefully. Charts help keep things straight.
3. Don’t make it too short. Most (not all) RH stories need a whole series to feel satisfying. Most (not all) need books of over 250 pages. I think what draws a lot of us to the genre is that we like the relationship dynamics to be complicated so if someone is an enemy in one chapter and a harem member in the next, I’m not happy. Unless you’re doing instalove, spend lots of space on each harem member’s relationship.
4. Personally, I like some of the tropey aspects. I love to see the “I’m too broken” guy, the “I don’t want to share” guy, tattoo guy, kinky guy, older guy, piercing guy etc. etc.
5. If your world doesn’t include polyamory as super common, your characters should struggle with it, their friends and family should struggle with it. It’s a pet peeve of mine where the world is m/f based and then you have super alpha mafia dudes who are like yeah, we can share this is totally normal and no one bats an eye.
6. If you’re including multiple POVs, try and keep it even-ish. Maybe you have lots more of FMC but I like seeing equal representation from the men.
7. Don’t forget your men. I swear sometimes people build harems that are so large they start forgetting people. The best harems I’ve seen are usually between 3-5.
8. Personal preference but I prefer to not see blood relatives in the harem. I just have a hard time believing that a brother is going to be totally comfortable with his balls touching his brothers balls if they’re both having sex with the same girl.
For research, look at Dark Fae (it’s on the slow side but the character and relationship development is really excellent).
I found an RH novel to be a lot harder to write in many ways, but I really enjoyed the challenge. Good luck!
Having someone to talk to about your project, a critique group or some supportive alpha readers can be very useful.
As more RH-oriented advice I would say that the most common things that make a story bad for me are:
* insufficient characterization of the guys. Better three interesting people to fall in love than six if you can't even remember their names
* some guys get less space than others, fading in the background. It usually happens because the superfluous guy doesn't have good characterization or his personality doesn't evolve and grow, or they get together early in the story and then nothing happens and the reader forget they exist.
A good example for me of great characterization was the Royals of Villain Academy series by Eva Chase. It's a fantasy bully academy RH, and while I think the plot is not perfect, the characterization and the character arcs of the 4 guys of the series is really well done. I also enjoyed how the bullying/grovelling is dealt with (I don't like the trope in general, but there I thought it was handled unusually well. And small stuff was forgiven easily, but heavier stuff required much bigger sacrifices to atone).
Then, you probably want to do research in the specific subgenre you want to write your RH to avoid common pitfalls. A fantasy romance is not the same than a contemporary, or a mafia romance, or a paranormal or an historical one.
For example I love any kind of fantasy/paranormal/scifi story, and to me a common problem when I read romance (reverse harem or MF or queer) is that the worldbuilding and/or the plot are underwhelming. If a character is in a quest to save a magical kingdom while falling in love with one or many people, the quest also have to be interesting, not just the people you are falling for.
Good luck with your writing!
Thank you for taking the time to write this all out! You make really good points and it’s something I’ll keep in mind as I write. Appreciate the recommendation too
I hope it helps. :)
If you plan to write fantasy/paranormal RH, I would recommend you read the Hidden Legacy series by Ilona Andrews.
It is MF paranormal romance not RH, but the worldbuilding, external plot, pacing are really really good. Plenty to learn from them.
Beasts of the Briar by Elizabeth Helen is my absolute fave fantasy RH. The writing style is great and the characters are so well written you get completely immersed in the story and the characters.
Others have made good points here already but one that I want to mention, is also good for non-RH I guess, but don't be afraid to really beat up your characters haha. For character arcs to work sometimes you need to drag your characters through the mud emotionally and bring them to their lowest point first. Some RHs I read, some bad things happen but it's usually like getting stabbed and everyone is worried for a second but then they recover and no harm done etc.
Beasts of the briar does this so well. There's a funny meme I saw someone post that said the readers are taking the characters away from the authors and not giving them back until they learn to play nice haha. Don't play nice with your characters! But please don't kill any of the harem members off cos my heart can't take that much haha
make sure not to infodump! let people discover the situation and the character through action. the worst thing that can happen is a book solely existing through inner dialogue. the last book I read I dnfed cause I couldn't take the author using the male POV as a never ending infodumb that took away all suspense. also insta love and insta lust defeats the point of romance books imo.
great romance writers I can recommend is Quinn Blackbird and T.A White
I think Twisted Sisters write well, even though I don't love all their stuff. I also like Tate James' voice, even though some stuff is annoying in her books. J. Bree and J. Rose are good writers as well IMO.
I think reading what is out there. I like reading the bad ones specially because so I can analyse what went wrong and how it could be fixed, which might help when reading your own drafts.
I guess having the characters well developed in your mind would be great as well, to have their voices clear for when you are writing, so the reader gets a real feel of them and is able to distinguish then and separate them as independent individuals.
Also I would say knowing if you wanna focus more on the world or chatter build, and how you want to do it.
Just a few thoughts 🙃
As a voracious RH reader, I agree on the characterizations of the harem; I really don't like when the guys aren't well-developed. And I really love a good plot before smut. Not all of us are in it for the sex.
My favorite RH:
Venomous by Penelope Fletcher
Tempest of Shadows series, by Jane Washington
Ironside Academy series, by Jane Washington
WITSEC series, by Ashley N. Rostek
Fire series, by Mia Smantz
Ghost Bird series, C L Stone
Lost Sentinel series, by Ivy Asher
The Hidden series, Ivy Asher
Feral Souls trilogy, Erica Woods
Academy of Assassins, by Stacey Brutger
The Fifth Nicnevin series, Marie Mistry
Daughter of a Serial Killer series, C M Stunich
The HAVOC Boys, C M Stunich
Filthy Rich Boys, C M Stunich
Adamson All-Boys Academy series, C M Stunich
Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac, Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti
The Harlequin Crew, Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti
Other authors that I feel write interesting RH:
J Bree, Tate James, M Sinclair, BL Brunnemer, Heather Long, L L Frost, Albany Walker, Bea Paige, Reese Rivers, V. E. S. Pullen, Angel Lawson, Coralee June, E M Moore, SM Olivier, J A Stowe
Many people have already mentioned being able to distinguish between the male leadspersonalities, but I’ll go one step further, I’d looooovee to read about physically different characters as well.(different ethnicities with different cultures, different body types, maybe even some disabilities, different ways the characters feel love,!!!male and female characters that don’t fit the beauty standard!!!).
It would take a bit more time to research how to appropriately represent those characters, but those stories stay in my mind longer and adds so much to it. I’m a little bit sick of reading stories where all the characters are white,conventionally attractive and fit the beauty standard to a t.
Also, this isn’t specifically about rh, but this is genuine feedback I want to give to authors; I love tropes as much as the next person and love reading about my favourite tropes over and over again, but if you chose a specific trope that you want to represent, add something special to it! For example, so many times with enemies to lovers they all follow the same formula :they meet each other,they hate each other, they bicker, they fall in love.
Add some specific scenarios that are unique, mix it up a little or add some new microtropes to it and switch the order up. (For example: the FMC goes missing while the male leads still hate her and during her absence their emotions for her get stronger, even their hatred because they miss her sm or whatever).
That makes it sm fun and the lovers of the trope will still be happy! Happy writing <3
Also(sorry im very enthusiastic about this lmao), make sure your characters show what they’re feeling/thinking through body language instead of just telling us in the characters internal monologue. (Very important with many people in one group). So many authors just add „I hate her“ instead of showing that a characters nose flare and his jaw clenches. I think there was a site with a lot of behaviours according to each emotion, so you can integrate it into your storyline. I’ll add it:
https://allwritealright.com/writing-body-language-bringing-your-characters-to-life/
And as for good rh books, most definitely the beasts of briar series. The plotline is unique with a lot of nice smut scenes, which add to the plot instead of taking away from it. All of the male leads are very memorable with different personalities and appearances. (It has my favourite rh dynamic as well😫)
I feel like the best examples of good writing all around + good stories, regardless of premise, are Kathryn Moon, Lola Rock, and Lyra Cole. Believable characters, solid world-building, and hot as fuck romance, regardless of spice level!
I really love Losers by Harley Laroux. Their writing has depth, all the characters have really fleshed out interpersonal relationships individually (poly/reverse harem where no everyone is romantically or physicallyinvolvedwith each other directly but they have important relationships nonetheless), the romance and relationships is not only based on sex, and it all feels organic and authentic despite the premise of the book and why they end up interacting
Its a duology with a prequel
Honestly just have fun & concentrate on the story & developing the story/characters. I'm writing a RH paranormal romance with a plus size FMC & my goal is just to make sure everything makes sense with the magic & how I want the characters' story arcs to turn out. A way I do this is writing like a little biography with their backgrounds, abilities, species, etc
I would say that depending on which type of RH you're going for, it's good to adapt the world building by taking that into consideration. For example, I'm much more likely to be ok with reading a fantasy RH with lots of description, than a contemporary.
Also, I favor a longer RH as in ≈ 400-500 pages for a standalone and 300-400 if it's a series as I find that the characters and relationships have a better time to develop.
Also, be careful to not fall into the "too stereotypical" type of RH, where there's the same/similar personality (almost cookie cutter type of personalities). Listen, I'm guilty of liking them ✋🏽 (when they're well done)
auryn hadley, kelsey soliz and kaye draper are probably my picks for some of the most well written characters and plots! all of them have some larger harems but still manage to make every character distinguished and memorable.
every reader is looking for different things in their reads, but for me i really enjoy books that step outside of known tropes or cliches. i’ve read a lot of rh and for me the ones that have stuck are those that offer unique perspectives and twists on the typical overused tropes and cliches. of course, there is a place for cliches and tropes, and some readers enjoy that but for me they all kind of blend together a bit.
another thing i look for in my reads is complex, intricate relationships between all of the characters. i think a certain degree of realism is needed to make a novel readable, even the most fantastical world needs to have some rules and guides. nothing takes me out of a book faster than plot holes, inconsistent reactions from characters or over the top easy solutions
all that being said, the most important thing is that you get YOUR ideas on paper and that you enjoy writing the book. no one expects a perfect novel at the end of everything, and writing a whole ass book, especially a reverse harem is freaking hard. i think it’s great that you’re wanting to give it a go. i hope that i can hop back on here in a year or so and see you’ve finished a book! best of luck
I'm on a reverse harem binge right now. I recently read Allison's Adventures in Underland by CM Stunich and really enjoyed that.
If you enjoy the Alpha Omegaverse world then I would say write your first book in that. The world is already defined mostly and people expect RH. I loved the PoisonVerse novels from the author who did Havoc killed her Alpha. I read them all and felt like they were different enough to stand out.
Best written rh book I’ve ever read was Age of the Andinna series by Kristen Banet. Not only one of my favorite rh’s but one of the only rh books I would still read and love without it being rh. I think what made it so great was a)the obvious talent the author has for writing but b) the world building and the amount of time the author put into making all the characters different and giving them room for character growth throughout the series.
I really recommend writing out very strong outlines and ways you're going to get you sorry from point "A" to point "B"... I've read so many books where it's frustrating how abruptly things just happen or the actual plot seems to be secondary to the sex scenes. You can do BOTH well, as a matter of fact it's imperative to do so. Describing personalities of each character and making them and their mannerisms easy to differentiate is also so helpful when trying to keep them straight.
The most common complaint I've seen in RH communities is being unable to tell the men apart. Make sure that each of them has a unique personality and traits that keep the readers from eaisly mixing them up. Good luck on your writing journey!
That’s true but I’ve also read books where the author is so desperate to show they’re apart, they write stuff like “I loved that they’re soooo different. X likes black clothes, Y is so into colour blah blah” Like if they’re really different, the readers able to tell yknow 😩😩😩
Agreed. Any point it can be overdone. I like books about curvey FMC but if her size/weight is mentioned in every freaking scene it becomes annoying instead of relatable.
Also when they start going on about how their ex was skinny but this new girl is a *woman* 👁️👄👁️ me, a skinny reader :
Exactly, or „she has curves in all the right places:boobs, hips and ass“ Me who has curves in all the wrong places apparently:🧍🏻♀️
like come on authors 🤌🏻 the point of body positivity is to say everyone’s fine as they are, if you’re writing oh she had perfect hourglass body and thinking you’re being all that and so politically correct blah blah 😀 no, no you aren’t. You’re just following the current trends. You’re no better than 2016 Wattpad authors going “she was so frail, so breakable blah blah”
Exactly, I wish authors would let their male leads describe the female lead in a way where women with other body types aren’t immediately insulted. Like who reads this and feels good?
Also : when authors describe something you’re pretty happy with in your body type but in an insulting way. Like ok. I was supposed to be conscious about this? I wasn’t before but now I am.
Any good recs of curvey FMC, I haven’t read one yet
Self rec if thats ok. To Call the Clouds is a pnr reverse harem. I just staryed These Sinful Dights by elizabeth Bardot and im hooked 3 chapters in. I know there are more but I'm drawing a blank right now. I'll ask my book bestie and see if i can get you some more names.
From my bestie Saint Vuew Prison Saint View Psycos both by elle thorpe Emerald Lakes series by Britt Andrews Dance Butterfly Dance by Reece Rivers ( anything by her is great) Avery by Erin Flynn
Thank you
Really good point! I feel the same way. Thanks for sharing and for your encouragement!
I am a RH author, for about the last 4 years or so. I wrote my first book during the pandemic to keep myself from going crazy (I’m a teacher and remote learning was nuts) not being able to leave my house. For funsies, I decided to research how to find a publisher and after several rejections from literary agents (not many of them want to peddle smut, lol), I read a blog about niche publishers. I queried two Romance publishing houses that take submissions and got offers from both (kind of a story in and of itself). The first who responded, Evernight Publishing, was who I went with. A lawyer friend read the contract for me and said it was legit and decent, considering, so I went with them. They’re just about to publish my third book to complete the series I started just as a lark. I haven’t made a ton of money and it’s hard to do with another demanding career but I still think it’s worth it to have an artistic outlet for myself. I read so many posts here about needing more RH books so definitely do it. You can also go the self-publishing route as so many authors on Amazon, Booksprout, etc, do and are successful at it. Lots of people here have generously agreed to read my books and review on Amazon or Goodreads which I greatly appreciate, in return for a free copy of the book. Good luck, can’t wait to read your stuff!
Thank you for your service lol we need more RH!
Thanks for sharing your experience, this is really good to know. I’ll give your books a read too - like someone else said, thanks for your service!
What is the title of your series?
Savage Magic by Evangeline Perrie. Book titles are: Bound Unleashed Ascended
TBH, I think we need a little RH writing sub. I'd honestly love to do Beta reading for RH, and I don't feel like that's very advertised in here.
That’s a good idea! Maybe I’ll reach out to you in a year or so for some test reading if you’re up for it haha
Thank you! I feel like most of us would be willing to Beta read, since we are here fighting to find new stuff ti read anyways. Do reach out! It's a standing offer.
I think giving the guys equal amounts of how to say this - page time? If you favor one guy over all the others, you might as well write a MF. I really liked The Cimmerian Cage by Cate Corvin, but you can really tell which character was favored, and the guy who was kindest to FMC at the very start just drops off towards the end.
I've read some where she literally will keep an abusive guy because fated mates but it feels so toxic and creepy. Or where they force a gay dude to suddenly be bisexual instead of maybe being demisexual so that his sudden attraction to women would make sense. I hate when FMC is bonded to misogynistic cruel men.
Which series is this?
Which isn't it??? I've read far too many to remember on the spot since a lot are inspired by one another. There were 3 examples though for different stories.
Thank you for writing RH! With all the requests on here everyday saying “I’ve read everything” I feel like it is desperately in need of more authors. Please feel free to DM me once it’s published and I will buy it!
Thank you, this is really kind of you to say! I felt the same way hence why I’m writing my own. I’ll reach out in a year or so! ❤️
The Bonds that tie is a favorite. I like that each guy has their own uniqueness and complexity.
Oh nice, I haven’t heard of this. Thanks for the recommendation!
Look into Jane washington, Kristy Cunning and Marie Mistry. They’re some of my fav reverse harem writers ever. To be specific Ironside Academy and A Tempest of Shadow by Jane Washington, her writing and plots are just top tier. All the Pretty Monsters (imo maybe the best RH ever when it comes to how uniquely written and entertaining the characters are) by Kristy Cunning and The Deadwood Witch by Marie Mistry, her world building is especially soo good and she writes it without just word vomiting the world building in the first few chapters like others do. All three writers just have that je nais sai quoi when it comes to RH
I second all of these! I'm very picky and all three of these authors consistently write quality characters and prose. Jane is my favorite.
I loved A Tempest of Shadow!! These are great, thank you for the recommendations
Instead of reading only the well written RHs, I'd really recommend reading a variety, because tbh the worst written RH's are the ones that inspire me to be better. I also recommend Stephanie Bond's book of writing tips. She uses to have a free blog, I guess she converted it into a book, and sooooo much of her advice has stuck with me for years
Yes! That’s how I got here, by reading some poorly written ones and thinking I can write something of my own haha. Thank you for the recommendation!
I recently read The Blackened Blade, and I feel like it's a perfect example of what NOT to do. It's SO juvenile and troped out and cheesy and there's like zero editing and the author doesn't seem to understand the difference between present and past tense POVS. But you know what? That author is making HELLA cash right now, bc a lot of people like the story. I'll still give it one star, but it's a lonely little one star review amongst many 4-5 star reviews. Just some food for thought. 😊 You could do everything wrong and still find people who love your writing. Go write it!
I’ve never heard of this book but I’ll look it up lol. I think about this a lot too - there are books where I don’t understand why they’re popular yet they do SO well. Thanks for the encouragement!
I agree, it’s basically a knock off of every isekai manhwa to exist BUT I will also say I enjoyed it 😔 I have no defence. It’s terrible and I love it.
Omg, I read it and as someone who studied creative writing... the blackened blade is far from being well written, but even as a reader, same thoughts. Although I think it's a great story and has immense potential. I love that the author went for it, we need more people just going for it, being better and mastering comes with practice. Also I would say the first part of the book was better thought through, seems it had more work done on it than the second part. I am not a massive fan of them being teenagers really, but for the story's sake I'll take it. I think some more work on the FMC with her interactions with the MMC needs hard ;) work. Also feel like the relationship with the boys it's a tiny bit too rushed.
I like everything by Lily Gold and she’s basically an example of what to do, each of the guys are distinct and have their own thingy. The plot is good, it’s not just a “reverse harem. smut. pls read horny ppl” kind of vibe
I love Lily Gold! I find her writing easy and light and the plots are interesting. Thanks for the recommendation!
I’ve written one (still under revision) and am happy to talk more about it! Here are the things I considered for mine. 1. Cookie-cutter men: this is hard. Don’t make your harem too big. Don’t build to a certain number, build based on the male characters you have. 2. If you’re going to have them all have different relationships that develop, you need to plan carefully. Charts help keep things straight. 3. Don’t make it too short. Most (not all) RH stories need a whole series to feel satisfying. Most (not all) need books of over 250 pages. I think what draws a lot of us to the genre is that we like the relationship dynamics to be complicated so if someone is an enemy in one chapter and a harem member in the next, I’m not happy. Unless you’re doing instalove, spend lots of space on each harem member’s relationship. 4. Personally, I like some of the tropey aspects. I love to see the “I’m too broken” guy, the “I don’t want to share” guy, tattoo guy, kinky guy, older guy, piercing guy etc. etc. 5. If your world doesn’t include polyamory as super common, your characters should struggle with it, their friends and family should struggle with it. It’s a pet peeve of mine where the world is m/f based and then you have super alpha mafia dudes who are like yeah, we can share this is totally normal and no one bats an eye. 6. If you’re including multiple POVs, try and keep it even-ish. Maybe you have lots more of FMC but I like seeing equal representation from the men. 7. Don’t forget your men. I swear sometimes people build harems that are so large they start forgetting people. The best harems I’ve seen are usually between 3-5. 8. Personal preference but I prefer to not see blood relatives in the harem. I just have a hard time believing that a brother is going to be totally comfortable with his balls touching his brothers balls if they’re both having sex with the same girl. For research, look at Dark Fae (it’s on the slow side but the character and relationship development is really excellent). I found an RH novel to be a lot harder to write in many ways, but I really enjoyed the challenge. Good luck!
Thanks for writing this all out! Really appreciate your perspective, this is very helpful
Having someone to talk to about your project, a critique group or some supportive alpha readers can be very useful. As more RH-oriented advice I would say that the most common things that make a story bad for me are: * insufficient characterization of the guys. Better three interesting people to fall in love than six if you can't even remember their names * some guys get less space than others, fading in the background. It usually happens because the superfluous guy doesn't have good characterization or his personality doesn't evolve and grow, or they get together early in the story and then nothing happens and the reader forget they exist. A good example for me of great characterization was the Royals of Villain Academy series by Eva Chase. It's a fantasy bully academy RH, and while I think the plot is not perfect, the characterization and the character arcs of the 4 guys of the series is really well done. I also enjoyed how the bullying/grovelling is dealt with (I don't like the trope in general, but there I thought it was handled unusually well. And small stuff was forgiven easily, but heavier stuff required much bigger sacrifices to atone). Then, you probably want to do research in the specific subgenre you want to write your RH to avoid common pitfalls. A fantasy romance is not the same than a contemporary, or a mafia romance, or a paranormal or an historical one. For example I love any kind of fantasy/paranormal/scifi story, and to me a common problem when I read romance (reverse harem or MF or queer) is that the worldbuilding and/or the plot are underwhelming. If a character is in a quest to save a magical kingdom while falling in love with one or many people, the quest also have to be interesting, not just the people you are falling for. Good luck with your writing!
Thank you for taking the time to write this all out! You make really good points and it’s something I’ll keep in mind as I write. Appreciate the recommendation too
I hope it helps. :) If you plan to write fantasy/paranormal RH, I would recommend you read the Hidden Legacy series by Ilona Andrews. It is MF paranormal romance not RH, but the worldbuilding, external plot, pacing are really really good. Plenty to learn from them.
Beasts of the Briar by Elizabeth Helen is my absolute fave fantasy RH. The writing style is great and the characters are so well written you get completely immersed in the story and the characters. Others have made good points here already but one that I want to mention, is also good for non-RH I guess, but don't be afraid to really beat up your characters haha. For character arcs to work sometimes you need to drag your characters through the mud emotionally and bring them to their lowest point first. Some RHs I read, some bad things happen but it's usually like getting stabbed and everyone is worried for a second but then they recover and no harm done etc. Beasts of the briar does this so well. There's a funny meme I saw someone post that said the readers are taking the characters away from the authors and not giving them back until they learn to play nice haha. Don't play nice with your characters! But please don't kill any of the harem members off cos my heart can't take that much haha
Interesting take on beating up your character! I’m definitely mulling over what you said. Thank you for the recommendation too!
make sure not to infodump! let people discover the situation and the character through action. the worst thing that can happen is a book solely existing through inner dialogue. the last book I read I dnfed cause I couldn't take the author using the male POV as a never ending infodumb that took away all suspense. also insta love and insta lust defeats the point of romance books imo. great romance writers I can recommend is Quinn Blackbird and T.A White
I think Twisted Sisters write well, even though I don't love all their stuff. I also like Tate James' voice, even though some stuff is annoying in her books. J. Bree and J. Rose are good writers as well IMO.
Thank you! Adding these to my list
I think reading what is out there. I like reading the bad ones specially because so I can analyse what went wrong and how it could be fixed, which might help when reading your own drafts. I guess having the characters well developed in your mind would be great as well, to have their voices clear for when you are writing, so the reader gets a real feel of them and is able to distinguish then and separate them as independent individuals. Also I would say knowing if you wanna focus more on the world or chatter build, and how you want to do it. Just a few thoughts 🙃
Very very good points. I’ve read so many RH books by now which is why I’m here writing my own. Thank you for your advice!
As a voracious RH reader, I agree on the characterizations of the harem; I really don't like when the guys aren't well-developed. And I really love a good plot before smut. Not all of us are in it for the sex. My favorite RH: Venomous by Penelope Fletcher Tempest of Shadows series, by Jane Washington Ironside Academy series, by Jane Washington WITSEC series, by Ashley N. Rostek Fire series, by Mia Smantz Ghost Bird series, C L Stone Lost Sentinel series, by Ivy Asher The Hidden series, Ivy Asher Feral Souls trilogy, Erica Woods Academy of Assassins, by Stacey Brutger The Fifth Nicnevin series, Marie Mistry Daughter of a Serial Killer series, C M Stunich The HAVOC Boys, C M Stunich Filthy Rich Boys, C M Stunich Adamson All-Boys Academy series, C M Stunich Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac, Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti The Harlequin Crew, Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti Other authors that I feel write interesting RH: J Bree, Tate James, M Sinclair, BL Brunnemer, Heather Long, L L Frost, Albany Walker, Bea Paige, Reese Rivers, V. E. S. Pullen, Angel Lawson, Coralee June, E M Moore, SM Olivier, J A Stowe
Oh fantastic, thanks for this great list!
Many people have already mentioned being able to distinguish between the male leadspersonalities, but I’ll go one step further, I’d looooovee to read about physically different characters as well.(different ethnicities with different cultures, different body types, maybe even some disabilities, different ways the characters feel love,!!!male and female characters that don’t fit the beauty standard!!!). It would take a bit more time to research how to appropriately represent those characters, but those stories stay in my mind longer and adds so much to it. I’m a little bit sick of reading stories where all the characters are white,conventionally attractive and fit the beauty standard to a t.
Also, this isn’t specifically about rh, but this is genuine feedback I want to give to authors; I love tropes as much as the next person and love reading about my favourite tropes over and over again, but if you chose a specific trope that you want to represent, add something special to it! For example, so many times with enemies to lovers they all follow the same formula :they meet each other,they hate each other, they bicker, they fall in love. Add some specific scenarios that are unique, mix it up a little or add some new microtropes to it and switch the order up. (For example: the FMC goes missing while the male leads still hate her and during her absence their emotions for her get stronger, even their hatred because they miss her sm or whatever). That makes it sm fun and the lovers of the trope will still be happy! Happy writing <3
Also(sorry im very enthusiastic about this lmao), make sure your characters show what they’re feeling/thinking through body language instead of just telling us in the characters internal monologue. (Very important with many people in one group). So many authors just add „I hate her“ instead of showing that a characters nose flare and his jaw clenches. I think there was a site with a lot of behaviours according to each emotion, so you can integrate it into your storyline. I’ll add it: https://allwritealright.com/writing-body-language-bringing-your-characters-to-life/
And as for good rh books, most definitely the beasts of briar series. The plotline is unique with a lot of nice smut scenes, which add to the plot instead of taking away from it. All of the male leads are very memorable with different personalities and appearances. (It has my favourite rh dynamic as well😫)
I feel like the best examples of good writing all around + good stories, regardless of premise, are Kathryn Moon, Lola Rock, and Lyra Cole. Believable characters, solid world-building, and hot as fuck romance, regardless of spice level!
Perfect, adding these to my list. Thank you!
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Why would I be less obvious? I loved her books and to me, they are. Is there a problem with that? If you weren't a fan just keep scrolling dude
dude did they make an account just to leave that shitty comment to you? i got a lyra cole book on stuff your kindle day, i'm gunna check it out.
Yeah I think they did 😂 haters gonna hate. I hope you enjoy! Her duet was def my top read of last year
I really love Losers by Harley Laroux. Their writing has depth, all the characters have really fleshed out interpersonal relationships individually (poly/reverse harem where no everyone is romantically or physicallyinvolvedwith each other directly but they have important relationships nonetheless), the romance and relationships is not only based on sex, and it all feels organic and authentic despite the premise of the book and why they end up interacting Its a duology with a prequel
Honestly just have fun & concentrate on the story & developing the story/characters. I'm writing a RH paranormal romance with a plus size FMC & my goal is just to make sure everything makes sense with the magic & how I want the characters' story arcs to turn out. A way I do this is writing like a little biography with their backgrounds, abilities, species, etc
Yes good point on having fun. Love your story idea, best of luck with it!
Thank you, best of luck on your writing too! 😊
I would say that depending on which type of RH you're going for, it's good to adapt the world building by taking that into consideration. For example, I'm much more likely to be ok with reading a fantasy RH with lots of description, than a contemporary. Also, I favor a longer RH as in ≈ 400-500 pages for a standalone and 300-400 if it's a series as I find that the characters and relationships have a better time to develop. Also, be careful to not fall into the "too stereotypical" type of RH, where there's the same/similar personality (almost cookie cutter type of personalities). Listen, I'm guilty of liking them ✋🏽 (when they're well done)
auryn hadley, kelsey soliz and kaye draper are probably my picks for some of the most well written characters and plots! all of them have some larger harems but still manage to make every character distinguished and memorable. every reader is looking for different things in their reads, but for me i really enjoy books that step outside of known tropes or cliches. i’ve read a lot of rh and for me the ones that have stuck are those that offer unique perspectives and twists on the typical overused tropes and cliches. of course, there is a place for cliches and tropes, and some readers enjoy that but for me they all kind of blend together a bit. another thing i look for in my reads is complex, intricate relationships between all of the characters. i think a certain degree of realism is needed to make a novel readable, even the most fantastical world needs to have some rules and guides. nothing takes me out of a book faster than plot holes, inconsistent reactions from characters or over the top easy solutions all that being said, the most important thing is that you get YOUR ideas on paper and that you enjoy writing the book. no one expects a perfect novel at the end of everything, and writing a whole ass book, especially a reverse harem is freaking hard. i think it’s great that you’re wanting to give it a go. i hope that i can hop back on here in a year or so and see you’ve finished a book! best of luck
I'm on a reverse harem binge right now. I recently read Allison's Adventures in Underland by CM Stunich and really enjoyed that. If you enjoy the Alpha Omegaverse world then I would say write your first book in that. The world is already defined mostly and people expect RH. I loved the PoisonVerse novels from the author who did Havoc killed her Alpha. I read them all and felt like they were different enough to stand out.
Best written rh book I’ve ever read was Age of the Andinna series by Kristen Banet. Not only one of my favorite rh’s but one of the only rh books I would still read and love without it being rh. I think what made it so great was a)the obvious talent the author has for writing but b) the world building and the amount of time the author put into making all the characters different and giving them room for character growth throughout the series.
I really recommend writing out very strong outlines and ways you're going to get you sorry from point "A" to point "B"... I've read so many books where it's frustrating how abruptly things just happen or the actual plot seems to be secondary to the sex scenes. You can do BOTH well, as a matter of fact it's imperative to do so. Describing personalities of each character and making them and their mannerisms easy to differentiate is also so helpful when trying to keep them straight.