That is not a fantasy of abuse. That is a fantasy of earned, hard-won, world-shattering love.
Now, the protagonist is the threat. The romantic storyline forces them to unlearn dominance and embrace vulnerability. This is equally compelling, as it forces the reader to identify with the aggressor and question their own assumptions about power. That is not a fantasy of abuse
This trope occurs when an adult protagonist is thrust (literally and figuratively) into an alien, hostile, or hierarchical world (an "XWorld") and finds themselves entangled in a romantic storyline defined not by gentle courtship, but by power struggles, coercion, survival-driven intimacy, and raw, undeniable chemistry. The romantic storyline forces them to unlearn dominance
The best stories in this genre are not about the force itself, but about what happens when the cage door swings open—and both people step out together, holding hands, back into a world they now choose to share. The best stories in this genre are not
For the writer, the challenge is immense: build a world harsh enough to justify the force, craft a lover dangerous enough to be believable, and then—most importantly—write a protagonist strong enough to win their own freedom before giving their heart away.