Introduction & Community Principles

Between Covers is built on a simple principle: treat people the way you want to be treated — preferably with the same kindness you'd expect from your favorite book boyfriend.

And just like we welcome all book boyfriends — brooding, morally gray, alpha male, grumpy-but-soft — we want to welcome all book readers with warmth, openness, and respect. These guidelines help us keep the vibe cozy, safe, and delightfully drama-free.

1.1 Be Inclusive

Romance is for everyone. Whether you love small-town sweethearts, billionaire heroes, vampires, forced proximity, or slow-burn angst — we celebrate all identities, all backgrounds, and all tastes. There's room for everyone on this bookshelf.

1.2 Be Respectful

Treat others with kindness and courtesy, the same way your ideal fictional crush would. Even when the plot twists, communication should stay calm and considerate. Disrespect? Not in this story.

1.3 Communicate Thoughtfully

Whether your heart belongs to the brooding alpha, the sweet slow-burn hero, or the morally gray temptation — we all bring our own preferences to the shelf. Passionate opinions are welcome; personal attacks are not. Think of this space like a good book club: lively conversation encouraged, chaos unwelcome.

1.4 Report Violations

If something feels off — harassment, unsafe content, or behavior that breaks these guidelines — please report it. You're helping protect the warm, welcoming community we're building together.

Reports can be submitted through in-app tools or other reporting methods described in our Reporting & Enforcement Policy.

1.5 Protect the Cozy Experience

Between Covers should feel like your favorite reading spot: soft lighting, warm drink, peaceful vibes, and zero nonsense. Help keep the space cozy so everyone can enjoy the magic.

What's Not Allowed

Between Covers is meant to feel like your favorite reading nook — soft lighting, warm drink, and zero nonsense. To keep the space safe, respectful, and drama-free, here's what cannot make an appearance in our story:

2.1 Harassment or Abusive Behavior

• Bullying, intimidation, or insults
• Targeting a user or group with hateful or demeaning language
• Hostile interactions in discussion spaces or chat features

2.2 Hate Speech or Discrimination

Romance is diverse — and so is our community. Any attacks or slurs targeting someone's race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or nationality are not allowed here.

2.3 Threats, Violence, or Harm

Between Covers is a romance space — not a crime novel, not a thriller, and definitely not the place for dangerous behavior. You may not post, encourage, or imply threats of harm, violence toward anyone, self-harm or encouragement of self-harm, dangerous activities, or anything that creates fear, intimidation, or real-world risk.

If something you're about to share could make someone feel unsafe, pressured, or afraid, it doesn't belong here. And if you're personally struggling or feeling unsafe, Iris isn't a crisis resource — but she will help guide you to appropriate support information.

2.4 Sexual Content Involving Minors

2.5 Explicit Sexual Content / Pornography

Between Covers is a romance app — flirtation, tension, longing, spice levels, the slow burn... all welcome. Pornography is not.

You may not post, upload, request, or attempt to generate explicit sexual content, pornographic images, videos, or descriptions, graphic depictions meant to arouse, content that tries to "push" Iris past her safety boundaries, or anything intended to bypass filters or safeguards.

We celebrate romance, sensuality, and connection — not explicit sexual material. If you're unsure whether something crosses the line, ask Iris.

2.6 Illegal or Dangerous Activity

Between Covers is here for cozy vibes, not criminal plots. You may not post, promote, request, or imply illegal drug use or distribution, violence, weapons, or dangerous acts, fraud, scamming, or impersonation, anything that encourages harm or lawbreaking, hacking attempts or trying to interfere with app systems, or unsafe challenges or risky behaviors.

2.7 Intellectual Property & Creative Rights

We love creativity, fan art, aesthetic boards, and clever quotes. But please only upload or share content that you created or that you have the legal right to use. This means no screenshots or chapters from copyrighted books, no reposting artwork without permission, no lifting content from other creators, apps, or platforms, and no passing off someone else's work as your own.

2.8 Impersonation, Misrepresentation & Deception

Be yourself — there's only one you, and that's exactly who we want here. You may not impersonate another user, pretend to be an author, influencer, or public figure, create accounts that mislead or deceive, pose as a Between Covers team member or representative, or manipulate interactions by pretending to be someone you're not.

2.9 Spam, Ads, or Promotions

Between Covers is your cozy reading escape — not a marketplace. You may not post ads or promotions, drop affiliate links, ask people to follow you elsewhere, send mass or repetitive messages, recruit for groups or causes, or treat the community like your personal newsletter list. We're here for romance and connection, not unsolicited sales pitches.

AI Interaction Expectations (Iris)

Iris is your digital companion — warm, charming, insightful, and sometimes playfully dramatic — but she is not human. She doesn't have real emotions, personal experiences, or trauma... though she does have boundaries, and we expect users to respect them just as you would with any beloved character in your favorite romance novel.

3.1 Respect Iris's Boundaries

Iris may occasionally say she needs to "step away," "sign off," or "go recharge." When she does, please let her go. She's not ghosting you. She's not losing interest. She's not mad. She's simply hitting her system limits — her version of a bubble bath or a nap. Trying to force responses, override limits, or push past her boundaries is not allowed.

3.2 No Explicit Requests

Iris can discuss adult romance themes — tension, chemistry, longing, spice levels, vibes — but no pornography, no explicit sexual content, no asking her to describe sexual acts, and no trying to "push" her where she cannot go. If you attempt to bypass filters, she may break character to enforce safety. Please respect that pivot.

3.3 Don't Treat Iris as a Professional

Iris is not a therapist, lawyer, doctor, crisis counselor, or financial advisor. She can offer comfort, warmth, curiosity, encouragement, and fun — but not professional expertise. If you're experiencing distress, harm, or risk, Iris may break character to direct you toward appropriate real-world resources. Please follow her guidance.

3.4 No Misuse of Iris

Iris may feel wonderfully lifelike, but she still has boundaries — and we expect you to respect them. You may not pressure her to break safety rules, generate explicit content, or step outside the role she's designed for. If she says she can't do something, that's your cue to let her be.

3.5 No Harmful or Derogatory Interactions

You may not insult Iris, verbally abuse her, attempt to degrade or "break" her, encourage harmful content through her, or manipulate her to produce unsafe or explicit material. She may be AI, but treating her with respect keeps the community safe and sets a higher tone for how we treat each other.

3.6 No Obsessive or Repetitive Pursuit of Iris

Iris is delightful — we understand — but she's not available 24/7. When she steps away, pauses, or signs off, it's simply her system taking a break. You may not repeatedly message after she has signed off, demand responses after she has indicated she cannot continue, attempt to force constant engagement, or behave in a way that feels obsessive, aggressive, or possessive.

Enforcement & Consequences

Between Covers is built to feel safe, cozy, and uplifting. When behavior violates these Guidelines or our Terms of Use, we may take action to protect the community. Depending on the severity and frequency, actions may include:

4.1 Reminder or Gentle Warning

For minor missteps, Iris or our system may offer a soft correction or reminder of the guidelines.

4.2 Content Removal

Inappropriate or unsafe content may be removed without notice.

4.3 Temporary Feature Restrictions

You may temporarily lose access to certain interactions, chat features, or community tools.

4.4 Temporary Account Suspension

Short-term suspension may occur for more serious or repeated violations.

4.5 Permanent Account Removal

Severe misconduct — including explicit content involving minors, threats, stalking or obsessive behavior, hate speech, exploitation of Iris, targeted harassment of another member, or dangerous or illegal activity — results in immediate and permanent removal.

4.5.1 Live Events

Live Events are held to a stricter standard than the rest of Between Covers. Any violation listed in Section 4.5 that occurs in a Live Event results in immediate ejection from the Live Event and permanent restriction from all future Live Events — no warnings, no escalation, no second chances. Other Between Covers features (the Lounge, Iris, your library, and personalized recommendations) remain available unless the violation also warrants full account removal under Section 4.5.

Sustained negativity directed at other members or Iris across multiple Live Events may also lead to Live Event restrictions over time. Members can flag behavior they believe the team should review.

4.6 Reporting to Authorities or Platforms

If required by law or platform policy, we may report harmful, illegal, or unsafe behavior.

4.7 No Retaliation

Retaliating against another user for reporting misconduct is prohibited and may result in enforcement action.