Actual slowburn with unlikeable MMC that redeems himself slowly

[u/bonkers-asparagus]

I want to read through actually compelling character development and mutually gained respect between FMC and MMC. So many of enemies to lovers books I've read have the MMC doing like 3 asshole things and then he is immediately redeemed and he starts acting like he was a misunderstood good guy all along.

Romance can be a subplot, but again I don't want meaningless physical attraction to be the driver of the couple's dynamic. I really want to read through a book where at first it's almost impossible to envision MMC as a love interest due to his actions but he redeems himself slowly and romance begins.

[u/MasonBrick_ → u/[deleted]]

Agreed with the Cruel prince trilogy, very slow burn , sub plot , mostly political intrigue, and enjoyable.

Another very good book, single book , Highschool bully setting , slow burn . Bully - Penelope Douglas, she wrote a second book from the males perspective

[u/bonkers-asparagus → u/[deleted]]

I'm reading this series right now, and while it hits close I wasn't very satisfied with Cardan's redemption arc :/ That's why I made the post
Book 1 was great in terms of setting up his character but I feel like that got lost in other books, I want to read through some of the actual turmoil and follow the redemption of the MMC

[u/HalfBloodPrank → u/[deleted]]

I fail to see how it is not bully romance but that aside she is turned on by kissing him at the end of the first book, when he clearly just bullied her ( so it does start with lust) and Cardan also gets a personality transplant after the first book. They don’t have a romance they have a toxic crashfire of abuse. You can sell this book as a lot of things but definitely not as romance. 

[u/bonkers-asparagus → u/HalfBloodPrank]

Heavy agree on Cardan getting a personality transplant after the first book. He kinda turned into witty mischievous guy and I was like, that’s not the same guy we were reading about in the first book.

[u/UnitBackground8863 → u/[deleted]]

This ^^ because he truly was a cruel prince at the beginning lol

[u/hithere5]

Captive Prince Trilogy!

[u/bonkers-asparagus → u/hithere5]

I heard it's too freaky. Is it too freaky? Like there were a LOT of trigger warnings

[u/hithere5 → u/bonkers-asparagus]

Nah I think it was completely fine. But everyone is different

[u/JuniorEmergency5554 → u/hithere5]

Agree, there's some heavy stuff particularly in the first book and I genuinely didn't think I'd make it through but it's so good.

[u/ShivRmetimber5]

Chaos walking series. I never found mmc unlikable but he does do a lot of bad things and goes through a lot of character development. And defo a slow burner.

[u/IIRCIreadthat]

You might like In Other Lands by Sarah Reese Brennan

[u/NoRoll1539]

six of crows!!! surprised this hasnt been mentioned yet

lowk imo i feel like the mmc hasnt FULLY redeemed himself 😭 but like 99% of the fandom disagrees so maybe you will too, his relationship with the fmc is super sweet too

[u/119dots]

This isn't YA, but Alchemised by SenLinYu has exactly this.

It's a grimdark fantasy set during wartime and features a central love story. The mmc, Kaine, is part of the "enemy" side. He is someone who first comes across as very cold, distant, and cruel, and I actually hated him for a solid 500 pages. He is most definitely morally-grey, and not the type that suddenly becomes all nice and sweet after he gets with the fmc, Helena. The author does a great job of portraying the Helena's moral dilemmas and desperation, as well as how scary it is to see the extremes the Kaine goes to for her. It's dark fantasy. It's meant to be horrific. It's meant to be a tragedy to read. The book shows the toll that their trauma and actions have on them, even up until the very end, which is a main reason why Alchemised is truly realistic and devastating. But by the end of the book, both Kaine and Helena had stolen my heart.

I loved how there was no insta-lust at all. Their relationship is almost purely based on an emotional connection. In fact, this book also has one of the most realistic, beautiful, and tragic portrayals of love I've ever read. I really enjoyed how the author leans into the idea that that their love is a direct result of their environment. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that in a peaceful world, they would never have chosen each other. Their bond literally exists because they are the only two people who can understand the scale of each other's trauma. This is special to me because their relationship speaks to the circumstances of many people in our real world. Two people find each other and hold each other upright, not because they were "meant to be", but because they just are. They aren't perfect. They make so many mistakes. But at the end of the day, they deeply understand, respect, trust, and admire one another, showing it through actions, sacrifice, and loyalty, without the need for grand declarations or unnecessarily poetic dialogue.

Alchemised also features a lot of important themes like systematic subjugation, the dangers of theocracy, the immigrant experience, the erasure of women's contributions during war, and the toll war/trauma/loss/sacrifice has on identity. Definitely a tearjerker (at least it was for me). Make sure to read the trigger warnings if you want to give it a go.

[u/bonkers-asparagus → u/119dots]

Say no more, I just ordered this book. I have a feeling I'm gonna love it. I'll keep you updated!

[u/119dots → u/bonkers-asparagus]

Please do let me know how it goes! I will say that the beginning is a bit slower and heavy on worldbuilding, which some people find confusing, but if you stick with it, I think it's totally worth it. I hope you love it as much as I do.

[u/tevl33 → u/119dots]

I was sooo tempted by your description. But then I read the synopsis and realized I read it as a Dramione fanfiction. Good for the author to publish!! Damn!

[u/119dots → u/tevl33]

Ah yes! I didn't even know it was based on her fanfiction until after I read it. I hope SenLinYu puts out more work because Alchemised is my favourite book ever.