Content Warning: disturbing themes
This article discusses taboo/erotic topics in contemporary “monster romance” fiction. Reader discretion is advised.
“They’re Reading That Now?” Inside the Viral Obsession with Monster Romance & Morning Glory Milking Farm
From BookTok to Goodreads, a subculture pushes romance to its strangest edge. Why are readers, especially women, drawn to demons, minotaurs, and mythic lovers?
The book that split the room
Published independently and boosted by BookTok, Morning Glory Milking Farm vaulted from oddity to cult phenomenon. The premise is intentionally provocative; the execution, surprisingly tender in places. Readers describe a push-pull between curiosity and discomfort, shame and desire a friction that, paradoxically, keeps them turning the pages.
“It’s absurd and tender at once. I kept asking why I was reading it… and why I couldn’t stop.”
The video below critiques the surge of extreme smut on BookTok citing titles like Morning Glory Milking Farm and arguing that a new, obsession-like reading culture is forming.
Popularity snapshot (This is live data at the moment of publishing this article)
| Platform | Avg. Rating | Ratings Count |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon (Kindle) | 4.1/5 | 21.515 |
| Goodreads | 3.7/5 | 61.000 |
| BookTok trend | N/A | Millions of views (aggregate) |
Why are readers drawn to monster romance?
Similar Viral Titles
Ensnared (The Spider’s Mate #1) by Tiffany Roberts
A monster romance featuring a human heroine bound to a spider-type monster mate. Frequently shelved under “monster romance” on Goodreads.
Deceived by the Gargoyles (Monstrous Matches #2) by Lillian Lark
A gargoyle-human romance. The “Monstrous Matches” series is popular in monster romance circles.
Reading risks to keep in view
- Desensitization: Extreme content can shift baseline expectations, making ordinary intimacy feel flat by comparison.
- Boundary blur: Some works handle consent clumsily; the non-human context may mask coercive dynamics.
- Emotional overload: Readers with trauma histories may find intrusive imagery or anxiety triggered by taboo scenes.
- Isolation & stigma: The more unusual the fantasy, the harder it may be to discuss openly; secrecy can amplify shame.
Dreams, demons, and archetypes
Reports of readers dreaming about demonic or mythic encounters aren’t proof of contagion they’re a reminder that the subconscious rehearses what the mind consumes. In analytic terms, the “monster” can be shorthand for the Shadow taboo longing, repressed power, or the desire to be transformed without consequence. Stories like Morning Glory Milking Farm offer a script; dreams borrow that script to stage emotional conflicts where the stakes feel real, but the outcomes are symbolic.
Monster romance isn’t really about monsters. It’s about our appetite for intensity shame, surrender, and the fantasy of being remade.
Final thought
Yes readers are consuming stories about demons, minotaurs, and mythic lovers. But beneath the shock lies a more ordinary hunger: permission to feel intensely, to test boundaries in a safe fictional arena, and to confront the parts of ourselves that everyday life teaches us to hide. Whether the trend fades or evolves, it’s already told us something unignorable about desire in the algorithmic age.