Renee Rocco

Hey there, beautiful dark souls! I'm Renee Rocco, and I write the kind of romance that makes your mama clutch her pearls and your book club raise their eyebrows. (Don't worry – those are exactly the reactions we're going for.)

Let me tell you, my journey into writing dark romance wasn't exactly a straight path. I've always been the one telling stories that made people simultaneously uncomfortable and unable to look away. You know that friend who always takes things just a little too far? Yeah, that was me. Still is, if we're being honest.

When I started writing "Jester," I knew I was breaking pretty much every rule in the traditional romance playbook. But here's the thing – some of the best stories come from coloring outside the lines. Way outside. Like, throwing-the-coloring-book-out-the-window outside. I write about villains who refuse to be reformed, about the darkness that lives in all of us, and about the kind of love that's more like an addiction than a Hallmark movie.

Speaking of "Jester" (my dark little baby that somehow became everyone's guilty pleasure), I poured every twisted thought I'd ever had into those pages. It's a second chance romance that asks the question: What if the bad guy isn't just misunderstood? What if he's exactly as dangerous as everyone says... and that's precisely why you can't resist him? Set in a world where morality is more of a suggestion than a rule, it follows a criminal who's perfected the art of being bad. (And trust me, he's very, very good at being bad.)

My characters aren't your typical romance novel leads. They're complex, morally ambiguous, and sometimes downright problematic. But isn't that more interesting than another perfect billionaire with a six-pack? (Though don't get me wrong – my villains can definitely rock a suit... when they bother to wear one.)

When I'm not writing scenes that make my beta readers send me concerned text messages at 3 AM, I'm probably binge-watching true crime documentaries, collecting oddities for my cabinet of curiosities (yes, I actually have one), or plotting my next book while drinking way too much coffee. My writing cave looks like a cross between a Victorian library and a Hot Topic store, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Here's what you can expect from my books: raw emotions, complicated relationships, characters who definitely shouldn't be together but absolutely can't stay apart, and endings that might not be traditionally "happy" but are always satisfying. I write about the kind of love that burns everything in its path – and sometimes, that's exactly what my characters need.

To my readers (my beautiful, twisted family): thank you for joining me in this dark little corner of romance. Your messages about staying up all night to finish "Jester," about falling for characters you know you shouldn't, about finding beauty in the darkness – they mean everything to me. You get it. You get me. And there's nothing better than that.

Fair warning: my books aren't for everyone. If you're looking for sweet, safe romance where everything works out perfectly and nobody gets hurt... well, you might want to look elsewhere. But if you're ready to explore the shadows, to question what makes a true villain, to fall in love with characters who might destroy you... welcome home, darling. You're exactly where you belong.

I'm currently working on new stories that push even more boundaries (because apparently, that's my brand now), and I can't wait to share them with you. Until then, you can find me on social media, where I post way too many dark aesthetic pictures and probably overshare about my writing process. (Sorry not sorry about all the late-night rambling posts – that's when the best ideas happen!)

Remember: sometimes the most beautiful stories bloom in the darkest places. And I'm here to help you find them.

Welcome to the dark side. We have cookies... and complicated anti-heroes.

XOXO, Renee