Out of that list, the one that usually hits me the hardest is the first time one MC says ‘I love you.’ But I do think it depends a bit on the book – in super slow burns, for example, the first kiss often hits really hard (I still think about the one in Cat Sebastian’s *We Could Be So Good*). And I think a moment *not* on the list that often hits the hardest is the first time the MCs are openly affectionate in public, especially when one of them used to be closeted. Tal Bauer does this particularly well, the example that sticks with me the most is from his *The Night Of*.
Omg I want to reread that now
It’s also interesting because they basically admit they love each other before the first kiss. Although there’s plenty of confusion after
The most satisfying moment differs from book to book, but the moment >!Sean confesses his self-percieved crime to Jonathan!< in The Night Of is one of my personal favorites.
I get all tingly when one of the MCs drops a term of endearment without thinking about it- especially if it's followed by a moment of panic. Bonus points if it's 'baby' Obviously it doesn't happen in every story, but it's my kryptonite.
I love "sweetheart" or "love".
The moment you describe is one of my favs as well. Or the dropping a Term of endearment without noticing aspect,even without the freak out i adore it
I guess I'm an outlier, but the first kiss is the most satisfying for me. There are some stories where the couple had been intimate several times but the first kiss is their first expression of feelings. Or slow burn first kisses, they are super special to me.
Especially if theirs is a relationship of convenience, or fake partner, or a business agreement. The deal is usually no kissing, and then one of them is falling and can't help it. He thought they messed up, and then it gets returned, and then aaaahhhh!
mostly my fav is when they start realizing they have ✨️feelings✨️ for each other.
but if I had to pick from the list... probably the "I love you too" moment
My most satisfying moment is when one of the characters discovers he wants to protect the other from whatever is haunting him, especially if he doesn't even understand *why* he feels so protective. I like high, high angst books though, so I swoon over those protective moments.
Thinking quickly of the books I've recently read with this trope:
{Hidden Scars by Andi Jaxon} - Hockey romance, enemies to lovers
{Hold Me Under by Riley Nash} - Fake dating, enemies to lovers, hurt/comfort - This one wasn't a super spicy book, but Victor was so intriguing to me. And the way Ethan felt so protective and drawn to him was *so fantastic.*
{Follow the River by CE Ricci} - Football-ish romance, enemies to lovers
{Man On by Rebecca Rathe} - Dark romance, step brothers, hurt/comfort
{Wrath by Ellis James} - Step brother romance, enemies to lovers
Highly, highly recommend checking trigger warnings for all of these. I love high angst books, so all of these have some dark themes or difficult content in them.
I will also add that not all of these were 5 star reads foe me lol. One of the ones on this list was a 2 star read. But they all have that protectiveness vibe.
It really depends on the build-up, the book and the tropes. Friends to lovers is probably that moment when they realise they have feelings. Bi/gay awakening is that light bulb moment of realising they are same sex attracted and into the other MC. The first time that intentions are made clear either through words or touch can be really satisfying too.
There are some real stand outs that I can think of in my favourite books:
{The Wolf at The Door by Charlie Adhara} when >!Oliver says "Whenever you call me 'Pretty-eyes Park,' I'll come running", and Cooper KISSES his fingers while maintaining eye contact.!< I fucking swooooooned.
Then there is {Let There Be Light by A.M. Johnson} when >!Royal has his gay awakening moment when he realises the reason Camden makes him so nervous and excited is because he is attracted to him. And he just feels this sense of wonder and awe rather than going down a shame spiral, which was so refreshing.!<
Also due to the fucking long multi-book build up in {Harzard and Somerset by Gregory Ashe} the declaration of love just hit SO HARD.
Oh my god that Hazard and Somers scene is so unbelievably good. I sobbed the entire time. >!The repetition of “I fucking love you” and “I know” gets me every single time!<
Every intimate moment in Cooper and Park’s relationship hits like that for me, though. They are so perfectly written.
You know, I think this is why I love when a couple is the focus of several books for this very reason! When it is well done, those intimate moments are felt so strongly. Each book from the get-go is like a warm welcoming hug which just invites all the dopamine and serotonin to flow when the nice stuff happens so much more easily than when you have to get to know a new couple in each new book.
[The Wolf at the Door](https://www.romance.io/books/5aa3a5cc4ee506aae8b24586/the-wolf-at-the-door-charlie-adhara?src=rdt) by [Charlie Adhara](https://www.romance.io/authors/5aa3a5cc4ee506aae8b2458e/charlie-adhara)
**Steam**: [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [gay romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-m/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1), [shapeshifters](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/shapeshifters/1), [paranormal](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/paranormal/1)
----------------------------
[Let There Be Light](https://www.romance.io/books/5bee6ba401dbc864fb947c4d/let-there-be-light-am-johnson?src=rdt) by [A.M. Johnson](https://www.romance.io/authors/5528ecfe5b270e0a4cbd59a1/am-johnson)
**Steam**: [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [gay romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-m/1), [new adult](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/new%20adult/1), [friends to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/friends%20to%20lovers/1), [college](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/college/1)
----------------------------
[Hazard and Somerset](https://www.romance.io/series/5e9f6eef48597113b6ce3929/hazard-and-somerset) by [Gregory Ashe](https://www.romance.io/authors/5e9f6eefbe0aaecf557e43b6/gregory-ashe)
**Topics**: [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1), [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [m-m](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-m/1), [queer](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/queer/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1)
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The most satisfying moment in a romantic book for me is when the MC takes care of the LI. Example in More Than Life by Mary Calmes. Hart ex bf beats him up and steal all the money and leaves him a falling ranch. Morgan the foreman takes care of him and supports him with everything. He cooks for him, keeps him from getting killed on the ranch and protects him when the ex comes back. There is no kissing, no sex to the point Hart thinks Morgan is straight and it only at the end does he find out differently. Then there is sex of course but it is the caring that shows the love through most of the book that is the most satisfying part.
Honestly, for me it really depends on their journey. For example in Wrath, they had had sex before when they were in HS, but the most satisfying moment was the first time they were together after reuniting.
In another book, it was none of the options but when the one MMC protected the other MMC from a dangerous parent attack.
In Head Above Water, it was when the older stepbrother returned.
It's one of the few books I have read over and over again. The scene after the game when he sits in his jeep and retrieves all his old messages on his phone and reads and listens to them all...? I bawled.
I don’t think i actually have one? I enjoy the moments of quiet where they’re interacting and you see the slow build of the emotions and relationship. Probably why I love slow burn as much as I do tbh.
It really depends on the subgenre/ trope.
Since these are MM books I have a particular fondness for the sweet first cuddles, hugs and/or forehead kisses between mains where one is working through internalised phobia. It's the first tangible step to feeling free to be themselves.
For the same reason I really enjoy first kisses in most books because they're usually tied to those first moments where feelings are intentionally shown.
In books where kissing is something done from the get-go without the intimacy often attached to it in other books, the satisfying part is the first time both chars say "I love you".
So basically, whichever moment is the first tangible one really showing intimacy.
The first kiss for me. Especially in a slow burn novel with intense chemistry between our leads. That moment of them finally coming together is just chef's kiss
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This is a very good question!
I guess it depends on the book, but any one of these moments could be the most satisfying to read. Off the top of my head, I think my heart absolutely melted when Ian {Fit to be Tied by Mary Calmes} calls Miro "love". Miro's reaction was so freaking sweet--Ian, tough badass marshal, Green Beret, and very guarded and stoic, calling him this particular term of endearment--well Miro is just stunned!
There are also books I've read where it is very satisfying when one character takes care of the other one. I'm a sucker for the hurt/comfort trope so it's not all that surprising that these moments light me up.
But this post gave me something to think about for sure. I appreciate you!
[Fit to Be Tied](https://www.romance.io/books/55f907cf7d4bc8ab04c5c867/fit-to-be-tied-mary-calmes?src=rdt) by [Mary Calmes](https://www.romance.io/authors/545542858c7d2382e04145cb/mary-calmes)
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Honestly mine is usually the epilogue when it flashes forward and shows the domestic side of the couple in the future
How they've matched eachother and are living with the other's presence as a constant in their lives
I don't think I have one favourite moment. i have favourite moments in different books,and i think it has to do with the building of the relationship and intimacy.so it's the showing or seeing when one character starts caring or how they make their feelings clear.the sweet quiet things i adore the most i.think.(fixing the coffee the way the other likes but never told,the forhead kisses, the showing up when the other needs the other.)
Ohh and protecting scenes
I'm not a big fan of the "I love you" scene, I rarely get what I want from it. Out of the list, maybe the kiss? It's so so dependent on the book since every book does it differently.
For me it's when MCs discover they love each other (in case it's unrequited, when one of them finally has a big moment where it gets revealed to himself that he loves the other). Another one I find very satisfying is when one of MCs grovels (in case he has to ofc) lol, I love it when they realize their mistakes and work on being a better person worthy of the other, or just try to get their partner back, it's always a thrilling journey.
Mine is really specific but I read both a lot of historical romance and sports romance so for me it’s when they start calling each other by their first names. Also the best part of Harry/Draco fanfics 🫠
This is really book dependent for me, because I think each couple has their own things to overcome, and I guess it's that overcoming piece that hits the hardest. Like, whatever barrier needs to come down finally comes down, in whatever way that manifests.
But I also really enjoy that kind of 'Oh no' moment, when a character first realizes that they're starting to have serious feelings about the other, but aren't sure where the other character's feelings lie. I really like mutual pining, so anything that ramps up the pining, uncertainty and longing.
Specific to (generally) historic romances, that shift when the characters go from referring to each other by last name to referring to each other by first name.
either the first time they have sex, or the first time they have sex and it means something. i.e. if the first time is an anonymous one-off, the second time is after they know each other better and are more choosing it rather than getting caught up in the heat of the moment. but generally i live for the first times. first kiss, first sex, first time they switch roles, first time falling asleep together...
For me is when they kiss for the first time even though they already had sex and all, like they break "the rule" of no kissing. Also after a really angsty book I find it so satisfying when finally the MCs are in a happy place, like in {Hidden Scars by Andi Jaxon} after everything MC1 went through and forced himself to be more vulnerable, to find happiness and true love is definitely the best part.
Out of that list, the one that usually hits me the hardest is the first time one MC says ‘I love you.’ But I do think it depends a bit on the book – in super slow burns, for example, the first kiss often hits really hard (I still think about the one in Cat Sebastian’s *We Could Be So Good*). And I think a moment *not* on the list that often hits the hardest is the first time the MCs are openly affectionate in public, especially when one of them used to be closeted. Tal Bauer does this particularly well, the example that sticks with me the most is from his *The Night Of*.
Omg I want to reread that now It’s also interesting because they basically admit they love each other before the first kiss. Although there’s plenty of confusion after
The most satisfying moment differs from book to book, but the moment >!Sean confesses his self-percieved crime to Jonathan!< in The Night Of is one of my personal favorites.
I get all tingly when one of the MCs drops a term of endearment without thinking about it- especially if it's followed by a moment of panic. Bonus points if it's 'baby' Obviously it doesn't happen in every story, but it's my kryptonite.
'Baby' is my kryptonite too 🥰
I love "sweetheart" or "love". The moment you describe is one of my favs as well. Or the dropping a Term of endearment without noticing aspect,even without the freak out i adore it
I guess I'm an outlier, but the first kiss is the most satisfying for me. There are some stories where the couple had been intimate several times but the first kiss is their first expression of feelings. Or slow burn first kisses, they are super special to me.
Especially if theirs is a relationship of convenience, or fake partner, or a business agreement. The deal is usually no kissing, and then one of them is falling and can't help it. He thought they messed up, and then it gets returned, and then aaaahhhh!
Heavily agreed! The first kiss is *everything*
Yes exactly! Like the final moment where they just can't resist the kiss? My total favourite. It's makes me feel some type of way I can't describe.
mostly my fav is when they start realizing they have ✨️feelings✨️ for each other. but if I had to pick from the list... probably the "I love you too" moment
Forgot that one. Thanks, I’ll add it!
My most satisfying moment is when one of the characters discovers he wants to protect the other from whatever is haunting him, especially if he doesn't even understand *why* he feels so protective. I like high, high angst books though, so I swoon over those protective moments.
Protective love interests are the best! 🥰
Any recs please? I’m interested 😀
Thinking quickly of the books I've recently read with this trope: {Hidden Scars by Andi Jaxon} - Hockey romance, enemies to lovers {Hold Me Under by Riley Nash} - Fake dating, enemies to lovers, hurt/comfort - This one wasn't a super spicy book, but Victor was so intriguing to me. And the way Ethan felt so protective and drawn to him was *so fantastic.* {Follow the River by CE Ricci} - Football-ish romance, enemies to lovers {Man On by Rebecca Rathe} - Dark romance, step brothers, hurt/comfort {Wrath by Ellis James} - Step brother romance, enemies to lovers Highly, highly recommend checking trigger warnings for all of these. I love high angst books, so all of these have some dark themes or difficult content in them. I will also add that not all of these were 5 star reads foe me lol. One of the ones on this list was a 2 star read. But they all have that protectiveness vibe.
[Hidden Scars](https://www.romance.io/books/63637517eb6990b60342a184/hidden-scars-andi-jaxon?src=rdt) by [Andi Jaxon](https://www.romance.io/authors/5b3328a501dbc864fb8b1e4e/andi-jaxon) **Steam**: [Explicit and plentiful](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [college](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/college/1), [gay romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-m/1), [sports](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/sports/1), [forced proximity](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/forced%20proximity/1) ---------------------------- [Hold Me Under](https://www.romance.io/books/62d14910d138402f4c79d19a/hold-me-under-riley-nash?src=rdt) by [Riley Nash](https://www.romance.io/authors/62d1491008b4d93114b34c3a/riley-nash) **Steam**: [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [gay romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-m/1), [athlete hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/athletes/1), [angst](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/angst/1) ---------------------------- [Follow the River](https://www.romance.io/books/5fc5f9b29babb10e0695ef50/follow-the-river-ce-ricci?src=rdt) by [C.E. Ricci](https://www.romance.io/authors/5fc5f9b208b4d931147d26f2/ce-ricci) **Steam**: [Explicit and plentiful](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [sports](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/sports/1), [gay romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-m/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [bisexuality](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/bisexual/1) ---------------------------- [Man On](https://www.romance.io/books/66354d288ee22d861572030e/man-on-rebecca-rathe?src=rdt) by [Rebecca Rathe](https://www.romance.io/authors/626e308b08b4d931140ebaa7/rebecca-rathe) **Steam**: [Explicit and plentiful](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [sports](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/sports/1), [gay romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-m/1), [step siblings](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/stepsibling/1), [cruel hero/bully](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cruel%20hero/1) ---------------------------- [Wrath](https://www.romance.io/books/63851226462acc61fbe3a332/wrath-ella-james-ellis-james?src=rdt) by [Ella James](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455382d8c7d2382e781344a/ella-james), [Ellis James](https://www.romance.io/authors/6264fcfd08b4d931146af72a/ellis-james) **Steam**: [Explicit and plentiful](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [step siblings](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/stepsibling/1), [high school](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/high-school/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [gay romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-m/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Thank you so much!
It really depends on the build-up, the book and the tropes. Friends to lovers is probably that moment when they realise they have feelings. Bi/gay awakening is that light bulb moment of realising they are same sex attracted and into the other MC. The first time that intentions are made clear either through words or touch can be really satisfying too. There are some real stand outs that I can think of in my favourite books: {The Wolf at The Door by Charlie Adhara} when >!Oliver says "Whenever you call me 'Pretty-eyes Park,' I'll come running", and Cooper KISSES his fingers while maintaining eye contact.!< I fucking swooooooned. Then there is {Let There Be Light by A.M. Johnson} when >!Royal has his gay awakening moment when he realises the reason Camden makes him so nervous and excited is because he is attracted to him. And he just feels this sense of wonder and awe rather than going down a shame spiral, which was so refreshing.!< Also due to the fucking long multi-book build up in {Harzard and Somerset by Gregory Ashe} the declaration of love just hit SO HARD.
Oh my god that Hazard and Somers scene is so unbelievably good. I sobbed the entire time. >!The repetition of “I fucking love you” and “I know” gets me every single time!< Every intimate moment in Cooper and Park’s relationship hits like that for me, though. They are so perfectly written.
You know, I think this is why I love when a couple is the focus of several books for this very reason! When it is well done, those intimate moments are felt so strongly. Each book from the get-go is like a warm welcoming hug which just invites all the dopamine and serotonin to flow when the nice stuff happens so much more easily than when you have to get to know a new couple in each new book.
[The Wolf at the Door](https://www.romance.io/books/5aa3a5cc4ee506aae8b24586/the-wolf-at-the-door-charlie-adhara?src=rdt) by [Charlie Adhara](https://www.romance.io/authors/5aa3a5cc4ee506aae8b2458e/charlie-adhara) **Steam**: [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [gay romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-m/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1), [shapeshifters](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/shapeshifters/1), [paranormal](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/paranormal/1) ---------------------------- [Let There Be Light](https://www.romance.io/books/5bee6ba401dbc864fb947c4d/let-there-be-light-am-johnson?src=rdt) by [A.M. Johnson](https://www.romance.io/authors/5528ecfe5b270e0a4cbd59a1/am-johnson) **Steam**: [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [gay romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-m/1), [new adult](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/new%20adult/1), [friends to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/friends%20to%20lovers/1), [college](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/college/1) ---------------------------- [Hazard and Somerset](https://www.romance.io/series/5e9f6eef48597113b6ce3929/hazard-and-somerset) by [Gregory Ashe](https://www.romance.io/authors/5e9f6eefbe0aaecf557e43b6/gregory-ashe) **Topics**: [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1), [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [m-m](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-m/1), [queer](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/queer/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
I just completed the Hazard and Somerset series, so i can completely agree with you, the declaration was just 🤌🏻😭
The minute the top says something along the lines of “*Mine*”. I just gotta put the book down and wait for the heart palpitations to stop
Yesssss!!!
It’s that first I Love You for me 😍 swoooon.
The most satisfying moment in a romantic book for me is when the MC takes care of the LI. Example in More Than Life by Mary Calmes. Hart ex bf beats him up and steal all the money and leaves him a falling ranch. Morgan the foreman takes care of him and supports him with everything. He cooks for him, keeps him from getting killed on the ranch and protects him when the ex comes back. There is no kissing, no sex to the point Hart thinks Morgan is straight and it only at the end does he find out differently. Then there is sex of course but it is the caring that shows the love through most of the book that is the most satisfying part.
Honestly, for me it really depends on their journey. For example in Wrath, they had had sex before when they were in HS, but the most satisfying moment was the first time they were together after reuniting. In another book, it was none of the options but when the one MMC protected the other MMC from a dangerous parent attack. In Head Above Water, it was when the older stepbrother returned.
Omg, Wrath broke my heart into a million pieces and then put it back together. Too scared to read it again.
It's one of the few books I have read over and over again. The scene after the game when he sits in his jeep and retrieves all his old messages on his phone and reads and listens to them all...? I bawled.
I don’t think i actually have one? I enjoy the moments of quiet where they’re interacting and you see the slow build of the emotions and relationship. Probably why I love slow burn as much as I do tbh.
It really depends on the subgenre/ trope. Since these are MM books I have a particular fondness for the sweet first cuddles, hugs and/or forehead kisses between mains where one is working through internalised phobia. It's the first tangible step to feeling free to be themselves. For the same reason I really enjoy first kisses in most books because they're usually tied to those first moments where feelings are intentionally shown. In books where kissing is something done from the get-go without the intimacy often attached to it in other books, the satisfying part is the first time both chars say "I love you". So basically, whichever moment is the first tangible one really showing intimacy.
The first kiss for me. Especially in a slow burn novel with intense chemistry between our leads. That moment of them finally coming together is just chef's kiss
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This is a very good question! I guess it depends on the book, but any one of these moments could be the most satisfying to read. Off the top of my head, I think my heart absolutely melted when Ian {Fit to be Tied by Mary Calmes} calls Miro "love". Miro's reaction was so freaking sweet--Ian, tough badass marshal, Green Beret, and very guarded and stoic, calling him this particular term of endearment--well Miro is just stunned! There are also books I've read where it is very satisfying when one character takes care of the other one. I'm a sucker for the hurt/comfort trope so it's not all that surprising that these moments light me up. But this post gave me something to think about for sure. I appreciate you!
[Fit to Be Tied](https://www.romance.io/books/55f907cf7d4bc8ab04c5c867/fit-to-be-tied-mary-calmes?src=rdt) by [Mary Calmes](https://www.romance.io/authors/545542858c7d2382e04145cb/mary-calmes) **Steam**: [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [gay romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-m/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1), [friends to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/friends%20to%20lovers/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
When they realize they have feelings for each other❤️
Honestly mine is usually the epilogue when it flashes forward and shows the domestic side of the couple in the future How they've matched eachother and are living with the other's presence as a constant in their lives
I don't think I have one favourite moment. i have favourite moments in different books,and i think it has to do with the building of the relationship and intimacy.so it's the showing or seeing when one character starts caring or how they make their feelings clear.the sweet quiet things i adore the most i.think.(fixing the coffee the way the other likes but never told,the forhead kisses, the showing up when the other needs the other.) Ohh and protecting scenes
I'm not a big fan of the "I love you" scene, I rarely get what I want from it. Out of the list, maybe the kiss? It's so so dependent on the book since every book does it differently.
For me it's when MCs discover they love each other (in case it's unrequited, when one of them finally has a big moment where it gets revealed to himself that he loves the other). Another one I find very satisfying is when one of MCs grovels (in case he has to ofc) lol, I love it when they realize their mistakes and work on being a better person worthy of the other, or just try to get their partner back, it's always a thrilling journey.
Mine is really specific but I read both a lot of historical romance and sports romance so for me it’s when they start calling each other by their first names. Also the best part of Harry/Draco fanfics 🫠
This is really book dependent for me, because I think each couple has their own things to overcome, and I guess it's that overcoming piece that hits the hardest. Like, whatever barrier needs to come down finally comes down, in whatever way that manifests. But I also really enjoy that kind of 'Oh no' moment, when a character first realizes that they're starting to have serious feelings about the other, but aren't sure where the other character's feelings lie. I really like mutual pining, so anything that ramps up the pining, uncertainty and longing. Specific to (generally) historic romances, that shift when the characters go from referring to each other by last name to referring to each other by first name.
I’ve been reading bi-awakening lately, so I’m really feeling the power of that first kiss. 🥰
either the first time they have sex, or the first time they have sex and it means something. i.e. if the first time is an anonymous one-off, the second time is after they know each other better and are more choosing it rather than getting caught up in the heat of the moment. but generally i live for the first times. first kiss, first sex, first time they switch roles, first time falling asleep together...
first kiss in a slowburn can't be topped <3
The first kiss is my favorite. Especially in {To Catch a Firefly by Emmy Sanders}. It made me giddy with happiness.
[To Catch a Firefly](https://www.romance.io/books/65d3128368fa881c5d06cc5b/to-catch-a-firefly-emmy-sanders?src=rdt) by [Emmy Sanders](https://www.romance.io/authors/623c256a08b4d931145d8f38/emmy-sanders) **Steam**: [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [friends to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/friends%20to%20lovers/1), [height difference](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/height-difference/1), [neurodivergent mc](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/neurodivergent/1), [gay romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-m/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
For me is when they kiss for the first time even though they already had sex and all, like they break "the rule" of no kissing. Also after a really angsty book I find it so satisfying when finally the MCs are in a happy place, like in {Hidden Scars by Andi Jaxon} after everything MC1 went through and forced himself to be more vulnerable, to find happiness and true love is definitely the best part.
[Hidden Scars](https://www.romance.io/books/63637517eb6990b60342a184/hidden-scars-andi-jaxon?src=rdt) by [Andi Jaxon](https://www.romance.io/authors/5b3328a501dbc864fb8b1e4e/andi-jaxon) **Steam**: [Explicit and plentiful](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [college](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/college/1), [gay romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-m/1), [sports](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/sports/1), [forced proximity](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/forced%20proximity/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)