#I loved this book so much I bought 5 other romance novels

[this-love-is-delicate]

Crying while reading the romance novel at 4am

[howlsmovinglibrary]

You mentioned in the tags of a recent post what you’d change about Funny Story to make it a different book. Would you mind elaborating on what you meant by that? I’m curious!

hey anon, thank you for being a massive enabler bc this has in fact been my special topic for the last 48hrs.

I want to state off the bat that I still gave this book 4.75 stars. I really, really enjoyed it. That being said, I'd literally rewrite the entire thing to get it to 5.

Answer under the cut to avoid spoilers! (also shout out to @eldritchcow bc these ideas are not formed alone but through a series of ranting voice notes lmfao)

The premise of Funny Story is that two exes move in with each other after their partners run away together - the main character, Daphne, has her wedding cancelled as a result, and Miles, the love interest, also gets a pretty crap deal bc his girlfriend literally breaks up with him via A NOTE ON THE KITCHEN COUNTERTOP, before running off on holiday with another man (after they hook up AT HIS BACHELOR PARTY. DAPHNE AND MILES DESERVED TO DO VIOLENCE). Miles and Daphne move in together, a series of circumstances means that Daphne tells her ex they are now dating, and that Miles will be her plus to the NEW WEDDING that they have been INVITED TO.

Personally, I think this - two exes move in, fake date, develop feelings - is such a juicy set up for a novel, that it could carry the whole plot. But at about the halfway mark, a bunch of other stuff - family drama, friendship drama - is bought in for the third act conflict. The exes and all their drama fades to the background, and its no longer about this Very Juicy Set Up, which I think is a shame. I think that the premise could've carried the entire plot and that there was no need to bring in additional conflict... except that Emily Henry is known for adding conflicts outside of romance to her novels (creating well-rounded, 'feminist' characters - I'm not being mean, that is just the perception of it and what she is known for) and that this is thus more brand appropriate. By the same logic, it is 'less feminist' of me to argue that the book should've been more about the romance.

But it should've been more about the romance.

If I rewrote/re-edited this book, I would do the following.

Make Daphne and Miles be messier people. These two characters behave like FUCKING SAINTS, while their exes are awfully and affably evil. I've had multiple friends say that Daphne should've hit Peter (her ex) with a car. I don't necessarily think that would've been the way, but I think she should've made much more spiteful decisions. I think Henry is very concerned in stressing that these are Two Very Goody and Utterly Blameless main characters, but I think they should've gotten a little spite as a treat, actually.

And the spite they should've gotten as a treat is - fucking each other.

As is the way with romance books, there are certain 'acceptable thresholds' for smut/romance scenes. So I get it, I really do. But Daphne and Miles only bang once it's a healthy decision... and I'll be honest, it would've been sexier if they had had sex in an unhealthy place. (for the people who've read the book: kiss at the drunk night out with Gil, sex at the truck or before the truck, then Sex With Real Feelings at the point where they actually have sex)

If they had had sex out of spite/petty revenge first, then the entire plot of the book could've been around 'catching feelings' and this would still have been a totally valid character arc. I would've liked to have seen more questionable decisions that are still somewhat about the exes - more of the 'are we doing this for them or for ourselves?' conflict which is microdosed at the midway point - and then feelings developing, and then making the 'no I actually really like you so we can't do this for the wrong reasons anymore' be the final sex scene before the third act conflict

Two things would be vastly improved by this change: 1. a weird scene where Miles sees Daphne in her former wedding dress, and they really should've fucked? but they don't? because that would be the tiniest bit weird??? (like, slightly weird and messy, in such the smallest way, but I think it was sanitised down for that reason) 2. the fact that their exes break up and call-off their wedding off screen. Have them break up at the rehearsal dinner that Miles/Daphne are attending, actually. Then you have your third act conflict.

The third act conflict of Funny Story is insane, convoluted, and unrelated to the story, IMO. Is it still well written? YES. Emily Henry, you will always be famous. But my favourite parts of it were 1. both Miles and Daphne get caught in their exes' orbit as they break up, and this causes them both to doubt their relationship (shout out to Miles having such low self esteem that he automatically thinks they're back together, I understand you king) 2. Daphne fucks up a promise she made to a friend (but bc she's not allowed to be a bad person - see the first point - it's for totally understandable reasons), leading her to wonder if she's just become part of another couple, where she's swapped one man and his house for another man, and his house. I personally think that these VERY MINOR FOOTNOTES in what is ACTUALLY the third act conflict... are a third act conflict in and of themselves. And... if we go back to what I said about Emily Henry being known for Feminism™, the second part of that is a totally valid trope/feminist critique to dig into in depth that would, if given time to breathe, be 'on brand'.

In this book, Miles drives 2hrs to try and get Daphne's shitty dad to come back to her. Where is this energy, for Peter? I think, Miles should've punched Peter, as a treat. And Petra should've had more scenes, so that she actually had a personality beyond 'being hot'.

I think we should've had a messy wedding scene. Daphne and Miles are each others plus ones, but they never get to attend bc the wedding is called off. But that wedding?!!! or that rehearsal dinner?!!! IS THAT NOT THE STUFF THAT THIRD AT CONFLICTS DREAM OF???

TLDR - I think Funny Story should've had more sex, and been more about the romance premise and the kind of fucked up, messy choices and weird feelings that premise engendered. I think the third act should've been connected to pre-existing conflicts, instead of creating new ones. I think Miles and Daphne could've had a little revenge, as a treat. They should've allowed to be sexy and weird about it.

[typingwithmyhandstied]

a love letter to the Realm Breaker trilogy

I am losing my mind over the Realm Breaker trilogy again, and I can't wait for Fate Breaker next week. To my knowledge, only one of my mutuals has read it (@crowgenius <333), but I will probably not be shutting up about it. Here is my little love letter to Realm Breaker because it may not be my absolute favorite, but it does mean a lot to me. (I did not mean for this to get this long sorry)

I first read Realm Breaker around the time it first came out in paperback. It was one of the last (if not the last) fantasy books that I found in the bookstore by chance and picked up. I had never heard of it before. It wasn't one I'd seen recommended somewhere or something. I did vaguely know who Victoria Aveyard was (I owned Red Queen but had never read it). It was facing out on the bookshelf, and I could see the cover. I think that's what caught my eye first, and then I noticed how the back listed characters (i.e. "a squire forced to choose between home and honor, an immortal. . .). It reminded me of Six of Crows which I had loved, so I bought it.

I looked it up on Goodreads that night (which I had just recently joined). I remember cursing when I saw that it was an incomplete series. I didn't do those. I had never done those except a select few (the Fairy Tale Reform School series by Jen Calonita which I'd been obsessed with and KOTLC). I am surprised I even read it after that to be honest. I did not want to be left on a cliffhanger, but I did. I read it. I wasn't even thrown off by the length, only excited.

It was more intense and LOTR-esque than anything I'd ever read. It was also probably the first book that I couldn't just memorize the worldbuilding for (I had learned the Grishaverse backwards and forwards as well as everything that came before it). It was the first book that I mostly had to go with the flow and be immersed in it and learn as I went along. There was no info dump at the beginning. I loved it. It is also to this day one of the most descriptive books I have ever read but not suffocating. I also really loved how Corayne was handled as if not the classic chosen one character then something adjacent (I love her with my whole heart).

I feel slightly ashamed saying it, but I was a lot like every other person I knew in the sense that I really liked romance. I remember specifically not reading things because they didn't have a romantic focus. I am not saying that Realm Breaker did not have hints of romantic potential and building (my favorite), but it is in no way portrayed to be a main, driving factor of the story. It is there, but it is not the reason to read it as much as even some less romantic heavy books (Six of Crows, etc). (To give credit where credit is due, ADSOM was also something I read before that and doesn't have romance as the main reason to read it, etc, but I do not think that I realized how it was done before.) I was new to that. It challenged me to return to the mindset of romance not being the most important factor that I had had before with other books like Percy Jackson, etc. It was good for me. It helped push me on my journey to understanding that romance was not the most important thing in books to me, and that really that was just the characters and their dynamics in general. I had just been presented with many books where the majority of the notable characters and relationships were displayed in a romantic sense. (A quick caveat---I still absolutely adore a good romance with my whole heart. I love my romance novels. I also do enjoy many fantasies where romance IS the driving factor.)

Upon finishing Realm Breaker, I instantly wanted more. It was a masterpiece in my mind even if it never had that feeling I got with many other books that meant it would be one that stuck with me forever. (Realm Breaker had been 4/5 stars for me the first time. Upon rereading, I realized that it was even better than I remembered and actually was a favorite and a 5 star read. Was I just too stupid to appreciate it fully the first time? Jury is still out on that one.) It was only a few months until Blade Breaker came out. I was resolute. I could wait, and I would be able to wait until the third book came out as well.

"I cannot wait" had to have been among the first thoughts I thought upon finishing Blade Breaker. I had looked forward to books in the past (the aforementioned prior incomplete series), but those books had been ones I'd patiently waited to have the mail carrier bring them. I could not wait that long for Blade Breaker. I had to have it. So on a hot summer day, Blade Breaker became the first book that I went to the bookstore on the release day to purchase. I went with my mother. I ran into my friend in the parking lot. Life was good, at least until I finished.

I had brought Blade Breaker with me on my family's annual camping trip. I usually spend the whole time sitting in a hammock and reading. I had already finished Geekerella by Ashley Poston on the trip. (I needed light reading for the car.) I read Blade Breaker sitting in a hammock looking out onto the lake. When I looked up, I could see tall pine trees and a bright blue sky. I could have been in some of the forests the Companions traveled through. I read for as long as there was light. I read in the tent with a flashlight. I read as bugs bit me. I finished it days before the trip was done.

I remember that I finished it just as it got dark one night. My parents were making a fire. I walked over, and I sat down on the big rock in the dimming light. I was flabbergasted. I was awestruck. I was heartbroken. I was so close to tears. I remember telling my mother that all of my favorite characters might be dead, and I remember it hitting me that I'd probably have to wait over a year to see if they were alive. Little did I know that it would be even longer than that. So long that I managed to completely block out the ending for my own emotional survival probably.

I waited and waited. I understood why I had to wait of course. I in no way expected instant gratification. I knew it probably wasn't even written. I knew writing and publishing took pressure time, so I persisted. Then, in December of 2023, I decided that I would have to reread. I needed to remember the worldbuilding to be able to appreciate the intricacy and nuance of Fate Breaker, but also because I happened to read a horrible book (which I will not name) that did everything Realm Breaker had done so well so badly. I needed to remind myself that good books existed.

I accidentally opened Blade Breaker to the last page first. It is then that I realized I'd completely blocked out the last few pages and what happened on them. I knew that I thought many of my favorites could be dead, but I did not remember that. I did not remember the specifics. I did not remember the last paragraph. I was crushed, but I kept rereading. I listened to the audiobooks while I did everything when February hit to finish on time. I looked at the map. I got my bearings back in this fantasy world I loved so dearly, and the best part was that I loved it even more the second time.

Then, yesterday exactly a week before Fate Breaker releases, I read the ending of Blade Breaker a second time. This time, I was not just close to tears, but they did fall. This time I was terrified not just for the characters in that moment but for all they were yet to encounter. All of the possible foreshadowing of their imminent deaths. I am still terrified today, but I am mostly excited because I know that Victoria Aveyard will at least write it well no matter how cruel.

Next week, I will be buying Fate Breaker on Tuesday, February 27th 2024 when it comes out in a bookstore just like I did for Blade Breaker. I will most likely scream and cry and be my overdramatic self. One thing is new though. I will be spending every moment up until then scheming up what I think the plot will be to that book. I have developed new habits (thank you secret shanghai fandom).

I am excited. I am terrified. I am ready to have my heart broken. Thank you, @vaveyard, for writing such a beautiful book series. It has been something I never knew I needed until I had it. Please don't kill my favorite characters. Please. If Andry Trelland dies, it will be my villain origin story. 

[jadejedi]

Fantasy Book Review: The Tarot Sequence (Books 1-3) by K.D. Edwards

JJ’s rating: 4.5/5

How feral did it make me: 5/5 

My book reviews

Okay, I read these kind of randomly, not really sure what I was getting into, and oh my god. Oh my god!! Okay, so most of the sci-fi/fantasy books I have read other than these were written by AFAB authors in their 20s and 30s. Which is great, and fine, but that’s a fairly limited perspective. These novels were written by an asexual man in his forties (sorry Keith, just sort of guessing on your age here lmao) and is it weird to say that it’s kind of refreshing to read a mlm romance actually written by a queer man? No, I don’t think so. These books, despite the dark topics they sometimes cover, feel like warm coziness to me. Reading these books feels like following along with a group of your beloved friends. God. I love them. 

Summary time! In a world in which Atlantis was a secret society of demigods called the Arcana (all named after tarot cards) before being destroyed in a civil war with humanity, the remaining Atlantean society has relocated to the island formerly called Nantucket. Rune St. John is the last son of the Sun Court, the rest of the Sun Court destroyed in a mysterious attack that left Rune with emotional, mental, and physical scars. Rune and his Companion (think platonic soulmate meets bodyguard), Brand, hire out their work essentially as mercenaries to scrape by. When a son of Lady Justice goes missing, Rune and Brand are hired to find him. Also, they acquire an orphaned teenager? Are they fathers now? They might be fathers now. 

These characters guys. Holy shit. They are perfect to me. K.D. Edwards was really out here like, what if I just… smash every toxically masculine stereotype out there? What if I make a snarky bodyguard character who unabashedly loves his best friend? What if these two men who have known each other all their lives are not afraid to be open about how important they are to each other and how much they genuinely LOVE each other? What if I make a romantic interest who is patient and kind and loving and not at all threatened by the relationship between his boyfriend and his boyfriend’s oldest and most important relationship? What if I create a relationship between these three men that blurs the lines between romantic and platonic?? What if I create an urban fantasy society in which queerness is normal and accepted, and where polyamory is normal and accepted? What if I make a group of characters who need a family and then FIND ONE WITH EACH OTHER???? WHAT. THEN????? (then we all cry, that’s what)

FUCK! 

These books are fun, witty, full of monsters and villains, but also some of the most heartwarming characters and relationships I’ve ever read??? Like, god. These are some of the few books that I have bought both audio book and e-book copies because I could not put them down. I *had* to be reading them, if I were at home, or at work, or in the car. And as soon as I finished them, I picked up the first one and reread them. 

This series is planned to be a trilogy of trilogies, with books 1-3 currently finished, and book 4 being written right now. I am so excited for more of this series, I can’t even tell you. Dear god. 

There is some dark content covered in these books, specifically based around what happened to the Rune on the night when his father’s court was destroyed, so if you have any questions about trigger warnings, don’t hesitate to ask. 

These books are an absolute DELIGHT. They are the queer fantasy I’ve always wanted to read, because Edwards understands that what makes the queer community special is the COMMUNITY. It’s about finding and CHOOSING your family, bitch!

Here’s a meme I made a while back to convince people to read these books (yes I spelled dinosaur wrong. oops):

READ THEM!!!

[authortango]

Book Review - How to Win a Wager &  Bite Your Neighbor by D. N. Bryn

I recently finished reading How to win a Wager & Bite Your Neighbor by D. N. Bryn ( @brynwrites ), and I wanted to write a review to show my support and share my thoughts about this fantastic book.

Though my review touches on key themes and plot points from the book, there are no big spoilers in it. I’ve still put it under the cut though in case you’d like to read the book before reading this. Review TL;DR - 5/5, I can’t wait for the next one. You can purchase a copy off Amazon or through one of the other options on @brynwrites website here.

How to Bite Your Neighbor & Win a Wager is a slow-burn romance novel by D.N. Bryn, that also happens to include side-plots regarding vampire rights and committing espionage against an evil pharmaceutical company.

“Wesley didn’t tell his legs to move, but neither did he tell his lungs to breathe or his heart to beat. They did so because they were born to, and he was born to run into Vincent’s arms.”

This quote occurs very late in the book, but I feel it perfectly describes the dynamic chemistry and slow burn relationship Wesley has with Vincent. Also, I didn’t think it was possible for two characters to be so horny and yet so wildly oblivious.

This book was fantastic. I got the horny, vampire fantasy that I bought the book for, but I also received the gradual build to a true, romantic relationship between Wesley and Vincent, as well as an enthralling mystery about the shady pharmaceutical company, Vitalis-Barron, that pretty much owns the town. 

Without spoiling anything, I want to touch on some key things I really liked about the book. For example, I really liked how morally grey Wesley’s character is, as Kendall, his best friend, describes it. His whole character arc as well is very satisfying as he comes to terms with a lot of his trauma and learns to redeem himself. 

I liked all of the meta/self-referential moments in the book in the form of comics and video games, and how it was made a part of the world-building instead of being too jokey or fourth wall breaking. The same thing about the true villains, Vitalis-Barron - it wasn’t too jokey, no “dur-hur evil pharmaceuticals” - no man these people are evil and have a deep rooted history in being evil, as most corporations do. 

The world-building and the politics about being a vampire in general and how vampires live on thin, marginalized lines on the edge of society was also incredibly well done. I love books that take classic vampire myths and decide what to keep and kill from them, as well as recontextualizing them with what it may look like today in a more modern society. Vincent’s experience being a vampire and a semi-closeted gay man explores a lot of what that would look like, but also draws an excellent parallel that gives poignant insight on what it is like to be disabled and LGBTQIA+ in today’s society. I’m sure this was an on-purpose parallel done by the author, and it was incredibly well done.

One more excellent thing D. N. Bryn does with the storytelling is how the miscommunication as a romance trope is executed in a way that is believable and moves the story along. Each character has an incredibly valid, albeit dubiously ethical reason to not tell each other what they really want to. I never once felt taken out of the romance, the intrigue, or the suspense of the plot by the miscommunication issues. It was so well done, I had to put the book down and calm down at the blowup/reveal point, because of how stressed out I was about it.

Overall this was a fantastic book! I give it 5/5, and I can’t wait to read D.N. Bryn’s sequel to this, How to Sell Your Blood and Fall In Love, when it comes out. You can purchase a copy of How to Bite Your Neighbor and Win a Wager from Amazon, or you can check out their website at www.dnbryn.com to find more places to purchase their book.

[aurorawest]

Reading update

The Haunting Season: Ghostly Tales for Long Winter Nights - 5/5 stars

Again, bought this solely for Natasha Pulley's story, The Eel Singers, which is about Thaniel and Mori from The Watchmaker of Filigree Street. It's set between Watchmaker and The Lost Future of Pepperharrow. I loved it, obviously. The rest of the stories were also really good—a few of them were genuinely really disturbing.

Teacher of the Year by MA Wardell - 3.75/5 stars

This is the first book in Wardell's Teachers in Love series (the second being Mistletoe & Mishigas, which I read last week). I didn't like this one as much, though tbh I'm chalking that up to the fact that it's Wardell's first novel. He uses some very strange descriptors sometimes that really throw me off ('matte' was used once to describe dialogue, which I still can't really make sense of). I also got kind of frustrated with Marvin's freakouts over Olan's alcoholism—not really the fact that they happened, but just like...the pacing of them, I guess? After it happened once, it didn't really feel like there was any escalation of that conflict, just sort of the same conflict happening repeatedly.

That said, I did like the book! The characters are all great, and I really loved how Marvin has to take responsibility for how he can't move on from how his mother's alcoholism affected him, and how he's actually quite unfair to his mother and Olan when they both take recovery incredibly seriously. There was a nuance to that that felt really refreshing.

Fallow by Jordan L Hawk - 4.5/5 stars

Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton - 3.5/5 stars

Only the Brightest Stars by Andrew Grey - 3.25/5 stars

Beautiful Undone by Melissa Polk - 3.5/5 stars

Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee - 5/5 stars

Adorable book and read it made me so hungry. I need to try a mooncake next fall.

Keeping Christmas: Yuletide Traditions in Norway and the New Land by Kathleen Stokker - 5/5 stars

I've had this sitting around for a few years now and figured I should read it around Christmas. It was super interesting—not only did I learn a lot about Norwegian Christmas traditions, I actually learned a lot about American Christmas traditions. Also it gave me an idea for a Christmas ghost story/romance.

The Winter Knight by Jes Battis - 5/5 stars

This book had a dreamy quality to it that was perfect for the subject matter. This is a murder mystery and kinda/sorta a retelling of Gawain and the Green Knight...I think? It's been way too many years since I've read Gawain and the Green Knight. The premise is that all the characters of Camelot are reincarnated over and over and stuck living out their myth cycles.

Death by Silver by Melissa Scott and Amy Griswold - 5/5 stars

Soooo much yearning. Two school friends reconnect over a murder case. Both of them think they're the only one in love with the other. If you're a Freya Marske or KJ Charles fan, this is very much up your alley.

Doc by Mary Doria Russell - 4.25/5 stars

The King's Delight by Sarah Honey - DNF at pg 72

[howtobecomeadragon]

hello!! this is perexcri because tumblr is dumb and doesn't let sideblogs send asks :) anyway!! for the book asks: 32, 38, 103, 129, and also 71!! i need some good lgtbq+ book recs and am always open to suggestions :] 💜💜💜

hello hello!!!! :)

32: your favorite nonfiction novel

i don’t read much nonfiction, but of what i’ve read, Know My Name by Chanel Miller stands out from the rest. not only was it really emotionally impactful, but also really informative about the criminal justice system (and its many failures to protect victims of sa). very very heavy though, and look into trigger warnings going into it!

38: your favorite series

this is a very hard question. i can’t… i can’t narrow it down. i’ll share a few.

Inkheart: a childhood favorite that i still revisit often. characters come out of books. it’s magical :)

Six of Crows: this duology is so popular for a reason. they’re just amazing. amazing plot, characters that will stick with you forever, and every romance is perfect (there is a queer relationship in here!). there is scheming, heists, magic, found family, revenge.

In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad): i’ve only read two of these so far, but they’re detective books! they really pull you in and make you feel disoriented in the best way. they just totally transport you somewhere else.

The Foxhole Court (All for the Game): it feels insane and ridiculous to include this book on this list, but this book series was all i thought about for a week as i read them, and i still think about them all the time, three years later??? they’re ridiculous, it’s about a made up sport and the mafia, it’s so outside of what i usually read, and yet i was captivated. and i’m not alone, there’s like a very small dedicated following to the series, it’s like a little cult classic. it’s self-published so they’re not extremely polished, but it’s not too bad at all. i got them all as ebooks for like $5, but i loved them so much, i bought them all in print too. a bunch of crazy stuff happens, definitely check tw if needed! there’s also an extreeeeeemely slow burn queer romance in here, but like, it’s slooow.

103: a book that deals with heavy topics

Neverworld Wake is one of my favorites. it’s kind of like dealing with grief in a limbo time loop.

Sadie was a devastating book, about big sister’s love for her little sister, and made me sob. check out trigger warnings as needed!

also, i don’t own this one, but My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell. this book isn’t for everyone, but it’s an exploration of csa and grooming from a teacher, with flashes forward to the narrator’s experience confronting what she thought to know to be true about that relationship within a 2017 context when that teacher has been accused of abuse. check out trigger warnings as needed.

129: a book with beautiful prose

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender. beautiful but definitely check out trigger warnings!

71: your favorite LGBTQ+ fiction

i’m going to give you lots of recs bc it seems like you want a lot, and i have read a lot :)

In Other Lands: one of my favorite books of all time. silly YA fantasy, bi mc, amazing characters that stick with you.

Red, White & Royal Blue: goofy little son of the president x prince of england romance

Autoboyography: kinda insta-lovey, but explores a lot of IH and religious homophobia (love interest is mormon)

Charm Offensive: it’s like the BACHELOR, but he’s ANXIOUS, and he doesn’t fall for any of the CONTESTANTS, but rather a GUY CREW MEMBER with DEPRESSION. 5/5, amazing.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe: a classic!!! a couple teens figuring things out.

A Dowry of Blood: not my favorite, but it’s Dracula and his brides, it’s queer and poly.

Song of Achilles: a classic!!!! the fall of troy and everything that came before that.

Wolfsong: it’s a whole series about gay werewolves. what more can you ask for??

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue: not my favorite, but fun. an adventure!!!

Every Heart a Doorway: first in a series of novellas, so much great rep. people find doors to other worlds that they slip into, but the story picks up once they’re back and homesick.

I’ll Give You the Sun: one of those like… early queer books that i read before i knew i was queer, but it made me feel so much at the time. permanently imprinted in my brain.

Fence: there are graphic novels, and then a couple novels. it’s fencing at a boarding school, and everyone is so so so gay. the novels are hilarious too, written by the same author as In Other Lands.

some books that i don’t own and didn’t love, but were pretty good: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales, Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales (explores biphobia and attachment styles, which was really interesting!), History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera (oh my GOD this book made me sob, it’s so much heavy grief), She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen (fake dating), Her Name in the Sky by Kelly Quindlen (wlw but a lot of IH and religious homophobia)

i’ve read more that were just so-so, and have a ton of unread queer books, so if you want more ideas, let me know! i have a lot more i can give you, just without my personal stamp of approval :)

book rec asks here!

[karatam]

Read recently (August-September 2022)

The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang. A war orphan from a tiny village tests well enough in the national exams to be invited to the most important training facility in the empire, and discovers that the gods aren't really dead. An interesting first book in a trilogy, set in an alternate early 20th century China. Lots of tigger warnings for the violence/depravity of war (message me if you'd like to know more details). I have the sequel on hold at the library, though I'm not 100% sure I'll be reading it to be honest. I started off quite liking the characters, but by the end I was a bit 'meh'.

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri. Oh I loved this. Set in a fantasy world based on India, a disgraced princess is jailed by her emperor brother at a cursed former temple, left to wither away. A servant girl (with magic) who survived the massacre at that same temple years ago is drafted into the princess' service. Together they'll bring down a empire. Finished it in two days, immediately bought the sequel. Love me some morally grey lesbians. Gay and great.

The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri. This one hurt so good. Picks up a few months after the end of The Jasmine Throne, with our morally-grey lesbians still in power and still in love and still unable to be together due to politics and also magic. Malini is on her path to depose her brother and become empress, Priya is struggling to understand what her magic can really do and what it will cost. The old gods are coming back and they want their pound of flesh. Eagerly anticipating the final installment.

Red Sister by Mark Lawrence. I tore through this book in literally 24 hours because I just couldn't stop reading it. I then immediately went out and bought the next two in the trilogy bc my library didn't carry them. Holy shit this was awesome. A peasant girl is taken from the gallows to study as a novice in a convent that trains warriors, assassins, and witches (she's fairly young in this first novel, so not a lot of romance, but it's very obvious that a bunch of these nuns are gay as hell, including the main character). I'll just leave the first sentence of the book here: "It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size."

Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence. I started reading this literally 5 minutes after finishing the first one. Just found family feelings all over the place. A girl who thinks she's a monster and all the people who love her. Also lots of political intrigue and violence and dashing rescues and scheming and also gay nuns. Fantastic.

Bound by Mark Lawrence. This is a little short story set between books 2 and 3 and mainly consists of poor Nona's head exploding bc the two people she has crushes on go on an undercover mission together. Unexpectedly sweet for this series.

Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence. Reader, I cried. Takes the political intrigue of the first two books and dials it up a few notches. I love all these women so much, and the family they've forged together. Split between two timelines, one set directly after the end of the previous book with Nona and company scrambling to escape, the other set a few years later where war is looming and the moon is falling. Loved it.

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèli Clark. This book was so much fun to read. The world-building, the characters, the mytery, the romance, all so great. Set in an alternate Egypt 1912, a world where 40 years ago the barrier between worlds was broken and now djinn and other beings walk in our world. There's a gruesome murder and Agent Fatma is assigned to the case, where she'll have to deal with a new (unwanted) partner, an old romance, and a lot of secrecy. (Be sure to read the short story "A Dead Djinn in Cairo" first if you can. It's included in some copies of the book and gives some context, since it came first). Definitely hoping the author writes a sequel.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon. I picked this up because I loved Priory, but I didn't love this. I didn't really like any characters, the magic system was overly confusing and seemed inconsistent, and the romance felt.... icky to me. There are glimpses of what would make Shannon a better writer later, but this was slow and weirdly textbook-y at times when describing things. Won't be continuing the series.

The Dawnhounds by Sascha Stronach. This was super interesting. Set in a sort of post apocalyptic future where most of the old gods have died, a disgraced cop is murdered but doesn't die and instead wakes up with some unusual new powers. Queer and weird and touching and hopeful and inventive, I'm hoping for a sequel. (and if you're worried about the mc being a cop, the book does meditate on how policing is so often just about perpetuating injustice on those without power)

[rebelrayne]

James One Shot

Title: The Other Side - AO3 or under the cut

Rating: T - Teen

Pairing: James x OC

Was it really happening? He had to have been dreaming. He wasn’t big, rugged and buff like Hazeem. He couldn’t be cool and collected like Kobi. He’d never be as handsome as Dylan. There was no way he could ever be charming or suave like Youcef… He was just… him?

@mrsbsmooth I expect my payment to arrive in 3-5 business days (joking - mostly because I couldn't make it smutty for the life of me...)

James groaned at his keyboard. How could his agent expect him to write a love story with more romance? Uh, not that he’d openly like to admit that it was something he lacked in real life… Romance, that is. He’d had a few girlfriends but they never went anywhere. James would lie to you though, he would tell you it was because he was too inexperienced and shy. He was just much too self-conscious to put himself out there like other guys, like his best mate, Bruno. But no, this wasn’t the case. He knew it was because of Estee.

Who was Estee? Oh my God, who was Estee? You couldn’t ask James a question like that, not unless you wanted to see his eyes light up as he gushed over how amazing his best friend was. Estee was something. No, no, wait. Estee was everything. She was beautiful, she was brave. She was so smart. Her coffee and cream colored eyes hung the moon and the stars. The way she demanded attention with just a smirk in a crowded room? Or what about the way she giggled even when things were barely funny?

That was all beside the point. He was meant to be writing a novel, he was meant to be accepting his fate as being ‘friendzoned’. He would never be anything more than the best friend, the guy who inevitably watched these terrible boyfriends come and go like a revolving door. First there was the landscaper, Hazeem. His jokes were so terrible that James could still see the wrinkles he’d caused on his own face by forcing a smile. The guy was bland, he was boring. James could still hear the suppressed groans in his mind lingering around, and that was two fucking years ago.

Then of course, we could never forget the barber. Oh, man… The barber. Did Kobi have a backbone? No. No, he did not. He would laugh about something, or he would talk to James about football for hours. He’d clasp James’s shoulder like they’d been best mates forever then his eyes would spot a pretty girl in the crowd and stare for too long. He was fine, it was fine, but needless to say, James wasn’t upset when he was kicked to the curb.

Who else? Oh! The “professional” volleyball player, of course. Dylan the Villain, as James had dubbed him (at least internally). Thank heavens that guy was only around for a hot minute, even if that minute was still 60 seconds too long. He wore his shirts too tight, and his brain was most certainly two sizes too small to match it.

Oh, but now? Now, he has the privilege to deal with the narcissistic French model. ‘Oui, I’m Youcef, bonjour. I’m a model.’ The guy was a damn intern for a fashion magazine. You walk in one runway show because they need a filler at the last minute and suddenly, you’re a professional fashion model. “Le loser,” James muttered under his breath.

He still hadn’t written another word in his document. He was wasting time, he knew he was avoiding the task. He placed both hands on the edge of his desk and pushed himself away softly. He sighed, leaning his head back on the back of the chair for a moment before picking himself up and rising to his feet. He stretched his arm out to shimmy his long sleeve up and checked his watch. Dammit, he had to be at work in thirty minutes. And he got nothing written for his book. Again. “Why am I like this?” he asked himself out loud.

He shuffled over to the front door and snatched his keys off the side table. The very side table Estee promised him he’d use all the time. He never did, but she looked really happy when she picked it out for him so he bought it. He really was in deep. Not that he’d ever admit it to her but… in the safety of his own mind, he knew. He knew he had it bad.

--

He wrapped an apron loosely around his waist behind the bar. He’d told himself this was temporary a thousand times over but here he was… Five years later and the best damn veteran bartender there was at Hattrick’s. It wasn’t something he was particularly proud of… Especially at parties. He hated parties. Not that he didn’t want to be social, or anything, but um… Well, he didn’t want to be social but he also really hated being in charge of making everyone’s drinks, too. It was just work without the tips. Wouldn’t that be called free labor?

“Hey James!” Cora yelled over the music as she leaned herself over the bar. “Didn’t know you were working tonight. How’s Estee doing?” Oh how his friends loved to ask him. It almost felt like they were teasing but the pitying look on Cora’s face… Well, that almost made it worse.

James grabbed a white bar mop from the shelf closest to the floor and whipped it over his shoulder as he stood up straight again. “Uh, good, I guess,” he said with an unsure shrug. “Same as always.”

Cora’s eyes widened, almost in horror. “Oh my gosh,” she said, “you didn’t know?”

“Huh?” He pulled out a glass and placed it on the counter. “What didn’t I know?” He grabbed the soda gun and started to fill the glass with water.

“Hello?” Cora leaned back and placed one hand on her hip in a sassy motion. “Estee and Youcef? They broke up yesterday? Geez, I thought you two were best friends.”

“What?!” He hadn’t even noticed he moved his arm… Which caused him to clumsily spray water all over the surface of the bar. “Dammit.”

Cora shook her head. “You know she’s going to come here, right?”

James knew it all too well. She did this thing, this thing where she would date assholes then cry on his shoulder about it. No, no. He couldn’t think that way. He needed to be supportive, right? That’s what best friends do, right? God, why was he so pathetic… “Yeah, I guess I do…” He grabbed a few more bar mops and started tossing them onto the bar. “It’s a shame I’ve got Find My Friends on for her,” he said. “She’s definitely coming for a few free shots.”

“Maybe you should take your shot,” Cora answered sternly. She was right, he knew she was but he couldn’t do that. No, she liked this guy. She was entranced by this man… He wouldn’t hit her with his feelings now, not like this.

“It’s not the right time I don’t think…”

“Then when will it be the right time? Come on! Live a little. Tell her how you feel!”

“I just think–”

“Who is James telling how he feels?” Both Cora and James snapped their neck to find Estee placing her purse on the bar and sliding onto a barstool.

“Nothing!” James exclaimed. “I mean, no one! No one, there’s no one.”

“Smooth,” Cora muttered. “Uh, well, I better get ready for my set. I’ll catch you two later.”

Great, now she’s going to keep asking me about it. Thanks a lot, Cora. James grabbed the now-soaked mops from the bar and threw them into a hamper. He grinned, but he knew it looked forced. Oh, she was not going to let up on him. Not at all. “So,” he said, “What can I get you?”

Estee sighed loudly as she placed her elbows on the bar. “Patron,” she answered, “double shots. Four of them.”

Oh boy. “Uh, that bad, huh?” He grabbed three double shot glasses and spun on his heels to grab the bottle from the top shelf. “So what happened with Youcef then?”

“First of all, how do you know something happened?” Estee sat up straight and rolled her eyes. Why did she have to look so perfect? Even when she was frustrated with James, she looked flawless. “Second of all, I asked for four. Having trouble with basic counting there, Barker?” Even when she was sassing him, she was downright exemplary.

James poured the tequila into the glasses carefully, ensuring he gave her every bit plus a bit more in each of the glasses. “If I remember correctly,” he said, “it was you cheating off my math exams and I was mediocre at best in that subject.” Yes, he’d been in love with her since they were 16-years-old. No, he’d never had the damn courage to tell her. Not even once. Or, no, actually he did have it one time when they were drunk one night but she passed out while he was talking… Even though he was the only one there that remembered it, it was still quite embarrassing. “And I see you’re avoiding the question…”

He pushed the three shots her way. He reached under the bar and flipped the lid on the fruit tray. “Normally, I would charge for the bartender therapy session,” he laughed, “but for you, I’ll discount it.” He placed three limes on a plate for her then handed her a salt shaker.

“Won’t be needing those,” Estee answered as she pushed the plate away. She grabbed one of the shots and threw it back quickly. James hadn’t even stopped to look at her yet. Why hadn’t he stopped and looked at her yet?! She wore her hair in long beach waves, her signature look. But tonight, she did her makeup differently. It almost looked… It looked like she went for an understated look. He found it odd, she always did herself up. Maybe the breakup was bad… “It’s one of those nights, I guess.”

“Ah,” he mumbled. “Want to talk about it?”

“No.” She took another shot then cleared her throat. God, she looked beautiful even when she was making that face every time she took a shot. “Yes.” She wrapped her fingers delicately around the last glass, but she just kept her eyes fixated on it. “Broke up with Youcef.” She looked over at James. “Yeah, yeah, I know, he was a jerk. Go on then.”

“I don’t think I need to rub it in,” James said. He grabbed one of the empty glasses and poured another. “This is the last one you’re getting, by the way. I know how you get when you drink tequila.”

“Thanks for looking out for me, dad,” Estee answered with a hint of sarcasm. She removed her elbows from the bar and reeled them back into her. She was even wearing something that didn’t quite look like her; Estee was a pretty fashion-forward type. She loved anything glittery but tonight? Tonight, she wore a simple black dress with spaghetti straps. “Don’t think I forgot about the conversation you and Cora were having.” She looked down at the bar, seemingly staring at the two shots filled with liquid gold. “What’s her name?”

She seemed… Sad? Why would she be sad? James tilted his head and scrunched his nose. No, it couldn’t be because of him. She was so clearly upset that yet another relationship hadn’t worked out. James knew she was excited about this one. Youcef was just so ‘worldly’ according to Estee. “Oh, um…” he trailed off. He had to think of something, anything to get her off his back. “Uh, no one. Cora was just teasing me.”

Estee nodded solemnly. James had never seen her so docile before. All this over some French guy? No, something else had to be up. This wasn’t like her. “Oh, I see.” She met his eyes, the smallest and most heartbreaking looking smile on her face. “When are you done here?”

He grabbed one of the glasses from under the bar, which was still wet, then started to dry it off with his bar mop. “Um,” he paused and looked back at the clock on the wall then back at her, “it’s a slow night so I can probably get away with leaving after Cora’s band is done playing… I mean, if you need me to…” He placed the glass down. “Is everything alright?”

“Oh! Yeah,” she nodded her head like a bobble head. “Yeah, everything’s great! Peachy even. Uh, what are you doing tomorrow then?”

She’s acting weird… Maybe this breakup was worse than the others? “Hanging out with you?” He said it like a question, almost like he was asking permission in a way. Why am I like this?

But her golden eyes sparkled at the response. God, what he wouldn’t do to see that smile. He’d go to the ends of the world if she asked him to, all she had to do was mutter the question. No, that wasn’t completely true. She just had to start the question, he’d jump up and do it before she even finished the sentence. Yes, he was in that deep, he was all in that much.

“Yeah! You could come to my place,” she said.

“Your place?” He frowned. “No, your neighbor hates me.”

“She does not hate you.” Estee laughed, that gorgeous laugh. He felt himself falling further as she carried on with that laugh. “Angie’s just rough around the edges and to be fair, you did wake her up pretty late…”

James groaned. “I tripped and hit the shared wall by accident! It’s not like I meant to do it!”

“Yeah, but it was like two o’clock in the morning, James.”

“Uh, I guess you’re right…” He threw the bar mop over his shoulder again and placed the glass under the bar. “Tomorrow at um, what time?”

Estee pushed her two shot glasses forward, the two James should have damn well known she wasn’t going to finish. “Maybe like eleven? In the morning, I mean,” she said, “I know you like to write in the evening and it’s when you do the best work. Plus, I mean, um, I’d like to talk with you about some things.”

“You’re making me nervous,” he said as he grabbed the two empty glasses and placed them onto a tray to be cleaned. “Did I do something wrong or–”

“No! The opposite actually,” she said but her eyes widened, “uh, no not like, opposite but… Wow, I’m talking in circles. Must be the tequila, huh?” She giggled nervously, but he knew she was trying to pass it off. She had this habit, this habit trying to make herself seem calm but she ended up in a fit of awkward giggles. Normally he would find it adorable, his palms would sweat and his heart would race but in a good way… Not tonight though. Tonight his heart sank hearing that nervous giggle. Oh God, what could have possibly happened? What could he have possibly done? Did he forget her dog’s birthday? No, no. That’s next week. You’re fine, it’s fine. Calm down. 

“It doesn’t sound like something that can wait,” he said. “Let me talk to the other bartender and I’ll meet you at your place. Are you alright to walk there by yourself? You could aways–”

“That’s sweet, James but you know my place is only one block over. I mean, um, if you don’t mind coming now…” She stood up from her seat and smirked. But… This smirk… He’d never seen her give him that smirk. He gulped. There was no way. “I could use the company.” She flipped her hair as she turned on her heels. She glanced over her shoulder, giving him a sweet wave as she headed off. Of course, she left without paying but she knew she didn’t need to. Oh, she had to know with him behind the bar, she would never need to. But he couldn’t help but wonder… What was that about?

--

James had somehow talked his boss into letting him go early. The man wasn’t happy about it, he cursed under his breath and complained the whole time while James tried to explain that he needed to help out his friend. The compromise, of course, was that James would be working all weekend as compared to his Friday and Saturday only schedule. James didn’t have the desire to push back on it. Sure, he could have stood and argued about it but what good would it have done? It would have only caused him to stay at the bar later and he didn’t have time for that. He was too busy overthinking, too overcome with the thoughts of what Estee could possibly want to speak to him about.

It couldn’t actually be what I hope it could be, could it? Wow, did that even make sense? He shoved his hands into his jacket pocket as he rounded the corner on the street. Estee swore that she didn’t pick this place because it was close to James’s work, but she always seemed to stop by when he was working. He would actually be able to count on one hand the number of times she didn’t wander into the hole-in-the-wall establishment, it would be easier than counting how many times she did come in to visit him. I’m thinking in circles now.

He took a deep breath as he lifted his hand and knocked on the door. Being Thursday night, it was quiet out on the street. He glanced around but saw no one else around. He put his hand back into his pocket, shrugging his shoulders as if it would help him warm up.

The door flung open and Estee was smiling ear to ear. What the– Did she change her clothes? She had. She had definitely changed but… into something less comfortable? She was now wearing a lacy red tank top with tiny jean shorts. James felt his jaw drop, he knew he was staring… But he couldn’t quite figure out if it looked like he was entranced or if it looked like he was confused.

“Hey! Come on!” She grabbed his arm, which caused him to pull his hand from his pocket as he followed her inside. She practically led him to the couch, finding that there were already two glasses of ice water on the table. What is going on? “Sit. I need to… We need to talk.”

“Those words are usually not good when strung together in a sentence like that,” James answered. He sat down next to her on the couch, his knee bounced uncontrollably and he fiddled with his fingers. “Um, what’s up?”

She sighed then shifted her eyes, seemingly glancing at something right behind him rather than keeping her eyes on his. “I just… I just can’t be friends with you anymore, James.”

Wait… Wait… No, what? “I don’t… I don’t understand. Is this because of Youcef? I mean, I get it, I guess… If that’s what you want…”

“No, it’s not because of Youcef,” she said. Her brows were furrowed, her lips parted but would open and close the gap as if she was searching for the right words. “I just… I need to get over this, I think.”

Get over… this? “What do you need to get over?” James tilted his head but then it finally clicked. It couldn’t be happening, could it? No way. Him? James? Estee was perfect, she was exciting and she was interesting. God, why couldn’t he think straight? “Are you saying…” he paused, because he wasn’t exactly sure if he was correct, “are you saying you like me? I mean, like… like me?”

She met his eyes but her cheeks were flushed bright red. “This is awkward,” she answered. “But it’s… it’s more than that, James…” She looked down at her lap, chunks of her golden brown hair falling to hide her face.

Was it really happening? He had to have been dreaming. He wasn’t big, rugged and buff like Hazeem. He couldn’t be cool and collected like Kobi. He’d never be as handsome as Dylan. There’s no way he could ever be charming or suave like Youcef… He was just… him? “Estee,” he whispered. He watched her twitch her head, almost looking a bit frantic, like she was contemplating on the reason why she chose to even speak up. It was now or never, he told himself. If he wanted her, he had to do something. Now.

He grabbed her face with both hands and lifted her head. Her eyes looked glossed over, they looked regretful. Oh God, did she regret saying something? Did she want to press rewind and pretend like this hadn’t happened? He couldn’t let that happen, he couldn’t let her think that. “Estee, I–” He had to be brave. Say it, just say it so she knows. “I’m in love with you.”

Her eyes grew wider, her lips gapped. There wasn’t really much else to say… He felt the magnetic pull as they leaned closer to one another. His heart flipped and leaped with each inching movement. Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God. He was a nervous wreck. The second their lips met, the moment they crossed the line… Nothing could ever be the same.

And that… That made him move quicker. He felt his hands trembling but he never wavered, he didn’t move them from her face. He’d imagined what it would be like to kiss her so many times but nothing he conjured up in his mind could have ever measured up to this. How was she so perfect? Why did her face fit so perfectly in his hands? Why was it so effortlessly easy to fall into rhythm with her at that moment?

She threw her arms around his neck. “I’m in love with you.”

He rested his forehead on hers, breathless and dumbstruck. She could have anyone, anyone in the entire fucking world. And she was choosing to have him? He couldn’t believe his luck. She was staring back with that infamous, flawless signature smirk of hers and this time… This time she was looking at him. Not a buff gardener, not a barber. She wasn’t throwing a glance the way of a handsome French model. She was looking at him. Maybe he’d be able to finish writing that book after all. With her by his side, he could do anything. He was sure of it.

[harley-michaels-main]

BOOM ANOTHER TIER LIST

Time for my top Romance Webtoons

I love a lot of webtoons so I decided to do this by genre because there's so many that I love and read

#5: Freaking Romance

This series is amazing. One of the few romance series I kept up with on the weekly updates.

I love the idea of the story as well as the characters. Don't even get me started on the art it's literally so gorgeous I'm so obsessed with it. (I just bought the graphic novel today and I'm in love with it)

However, that does not mean it doesn't have its flaws. The creator seemed to have fell out of love with this story, which I do not blame them for. It happens. They had other things they were invested in and I still support them. Yet, because of that, I thought the ending was very weak. I got the ending I wanted but it felt a bit rushed compared to the other series on this list.

#4: Not So Shoujo Love Story

This story is so fucking cute. I am so obsessed with all fo the characters. They're all so amazing and the development between the two??? It's so fucking cute.

The story is not at all what you would expect. It's so funny and so cute. I love the art style as well, it's the perfect mixture of goofy and breathtaking.

There has been some recent developments with the new chapters that has made me a bit confused with the way that the story is going. It isn't unwelcome, I love a good plot twist. However, this is just something that confused everyone because it came out of no where and no one knew what was happening.

I'm super excited to see where this story goes though.

#3: Eaternal Nocturnal

THIS. IS. SO GOOD.

I'm obsessed with it.

A lot of people who read webtoons may recognize this art style and that's because it's by the same creator of Sirens Lament! I loved Sirens Lament and it was one of my favorite webtoons, until now.

IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, I love where this story is going much more. Everything about this webtoon is so good even though by webtoon standards, it's still fairly new. I love the characters and the world building.

AND THE ART??? Just look at the cover again. Did you look? Look again. ITS SO AMAZING???? I'm in love with this so much.

The length is actually why it is not higher on this list. The plot is just starting to thicken and I am just so here for it.

#2 Night Owls and Summer Skies

This is a webtoon based on an actual book so I highly recommend yall go and read it!! Its so good.

I love this story sm and I was ecstatic when I found out that it was being turned into a webtoon.

The characters are so incredible and the diversity is actually mind blowing. EVEN THE REDEMPTIONS MAKE SENSE. I'm so obsessed with this and the main character is so relatable.

The art is also so adorable. I love literally everything about this webtoon.

Now a quick break to do a couple honorary mentions. These are either webtoons that I loved, but didn't make the list, or graphic novels that were posted on webtoon.

Heartstopper

Sirens Lament

Gourmet Hound

Always Human

Castle Swimmer

Mage and The Demon Queen

ALRIGHT TIME FOR THE NUMBER 1

#1: Nice To Meet You!

This is one of my favorite webtoons of all time. I love everything about this from the characters to the art to the story to the setting.

Everything about this is so good. This is the first romance I recommend to my friends.

ESPECIALLY IF YOU WANT TO SEE A LOVE TRIANGLE DONE CORRECTLY!!!

So yeah, that's my list. If you agree, yay! If you don't, yay! If you don't know what any of these are, yay! Go read them.

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC Review: There Are No Saints by Sophie Lark

3.5/5. Rereleases 10/3/2023.

Vibes: serial killers, cat and mouse, enjoythesilence.mp3, the glorious pretentiousness of the contemporary art world.

Cole Blackwell and Alastor Shaw are rivals in the high-end art scene. They are also rival serial killers. When Mara Eldritch falls into their mutual line of sight, she's attacked by Shaw--and unexpectedly mentored by Cole.

This book... befuddled and bemused me. I'm not sure how I feel about everything. Like, it's camp, and I do love camp, but--there are a couple of specific areas that crossed a certain line for me. Not the murdering, I don't super care about the morality issues in this novel (though I should acknowledge that there are valid arguments made against serial killer romance novels, and while I'm not sure I agree with them 100%, points have been raised). But the dips into the silly.

Quick Takes:

--In terms of writing quality, for much of this book I found it stronger than Brutal Prince. Brutal Prince was a book in which the 21st century mobsters talked like they were closer to West Side Story. In this one, everyone seems... suitably over the top for the subject matter, but not, for the most part, a caricature. I mean, Cole got pretty close at times, but this is a man who butchered an art critic who dogged him, filed his bones down, dipped them in gold, and used them for a sculpture.

I would also add that, as someone not-unfamiliar with the contemporary art scene, I think setting this book in the art world helped its tone immensely. Because honestly? If anyone is going to believably be ridiculously pretentious and incredibly serious about the most ludicrous shit, it's an artist. Shaw and Cole's rivalry gives HARD "Dynasty" vibes, the champagne is SUPER burnt, and it works because these are men who make art that honestly sounds not great and sell it to other men with bad taste for $750K a pop. I believe it.

--One thing that similarly sells the tone of this book is fact that Mara is completely fucking insane. The name "Mara Eldritch" really clues you into this from the jump, and I do love it. And please understand, when I say she's insane, that's a compliment. I really expected a girl who'd be kind of horrified by her serial killer stalker, but Mara's like "I wanna fuck it", with the kind of enthusiasm with which a horny teenage boy approaches any vaguely cylindrical object. Mara's inability to demonstrate basic survival skills beyond worrying about money (and still renting a studio space for $200 a month, which contextually was a steal but if Mara shouldn't spend $12 on dinner, should she really be adding $200 to the monthly bill...?) was kind of charming to me.

Like, by all means this girl should be dead. But for one, like a cockroach, she refuses. For two, I got the impression that Cole was just so fucking confused by how not correctly she handled everything that he just couldn't really kill her. And I'll admit, "local pretentious serial killer is so gobsmacked by woman repeatedly running headfirst into wall that he must have her" is a fun dynamic.

--Like I said, Alastor and Cole are basically Alexis and Dominique, and I support that. I honestly could've used more of Shaw dipping into Cole's path and both of them agreeing that virgins are hella boring.

--Now... where this crossed from camp into ludicrousness for me, to a point where I had to go "okay, some restraint could've been and needed to be shown"... was with tattooing. I know this sounds ridiculous, seeing as these are Art Murderers. But there is a scene in which two people who are very much not experienced with tattooing execute ELABORATE freehand tattoos on each other (and I know they were elaborate, because the book has illustrations--more on that in a minute) and I just. Couldn't. You know, it may be because it's so minor compared to the overall camp of the main plot. It didn't need to happen. I bought into the bone sculpture, but the flawless freehand tattoos done by people who aren't tattoo artists just couldn't pass for me.

I'm not like, mad, but it was so distracting. Freehand tattoos aren't something experienced artists do lightly. It's so easy to fuck up a tattoo. So, seeing as these two characters are nutjobs, I just kind of pictured them walking through the world with the most ridiculous tattoos for the rest of the book, and I couldn't deal.

--As with Brutal Prince, this book is illustrated. I'd say they look a bit better in this copy than the Brutal Prince illustrations did. I'm not mad, I'm good with an illustration.

I'm not as big a fan of the playlist accompanying the novel (complete with a QR code), along with the songs and artists peppered throughout the text. Sophie Lark explains in the note that she's very into music when writing. Respect that. However, I feel that not only supplying a soundtrack for your book but telling readers when to appreciate the songs is... distracting, for one thing. But for another, it takes the reader out of the story and tells them how to feel and when. Your writing should do that. Overall, I think Sophie's writing is capable of doing that. I don't like this method of telling me what to think of a scene or moment.

--On to the content warnings. Yes, Cole and Shaw (Alastor) are serial killers. No, Cole is not a vigilante killer. He just goes "I wanna" and kills people. There is graphic murder on the page. Shaw targets women. Cole does not seem against killing women, but does not have a taste for it as of yet. Mara is attacked by Alastor earlier in the novel; aside from general violence, I would call what happens to her most definitely a sexual assault. She and Cole later have sex in the novel, and during the encounter she tells him "no wait stop" before he moves on to a new experience, and he does not stop. This is not discussed after. The tone of the book is generally dark, though I personally found it more "Evanescence" than "Dexter".

The Sex:

It was fine. It actually take a lot of time for Cole and Mara to start hooking up--and I found multiple scenes in which she teases him and he watches hotter, to be honest, than their sex scene.

It's not because there wasn't interesting stuff going on there. It's because there is an intensely ridiculous anal sex scene. I don't expect anal to be portrayed with perfect accuracy in romance novels. You only have so much time. But this scene was just... beyond. Again, I couldn't deal.

So--if you're curious and not bothered by the subject matter, I'd say give it a shot... provided you have a high tolerance for silliness. Which I do! I didn't have a bad time with this one, I just...... again, was confused. It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger and is part of a duology, so keep that in mind. I'm on to the next book, because I do in fact need to know what happens, so that's a win for Sophie.

Thanks to Bloom Books and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[lovevalley45]

my top books of 2023

i said i would maybe do a post like this and decided to actually bite the bullet n make one. i don't have a goodreads so i gotta get my thoughts about the books i read out there somewhere. warning that i technically did this in reverse order, so the reviews somehow get more hinged from the beginning. enjoy!

5. Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth

so generally, my rating of books is not totally quality based, but based on my personal rating of “how fucking rooted in my brain did this book end up for me”. this is one of those where i could sit and do a whole english major ass analysis on many aspects of the book if i didn’t have other essays to write. this is a strange book (affectionate) following abby in the wake of her mother-in-law’s death. it’s got everything: mommy issues, food as a love language in a fucked up way, women’s wrongs. it’s hard to describe why exactly it stayed in my head without spoiling the end, but i will slap my “for lovers of the locked tomb” label on here.

4. Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake

i usually prefer fiction to nonfiction books, but i made an expectation for this book about fungi. those who know, know. it made me rethink how i view fungi, a worldview i thought didn’t need challenging. i don’t have much to say on this one, mostly by virtue of it being nonfiction, but as with most of the books on this list in one way or another, i have a story to go with it. this is the only book on this list i read while attending my current college, mostly because i didn’t have much time to devote to other books. but when i bought this from the bookstore off campus, i left the store and immediately got told how good this book was from a random person from the cafe outside. and it did live up to the hype, which is saying something.

3. Chef’s Choice by TJ Alexander

often, i am a very big romance novel person, yet this year i didn’t get around to reading too many. this book was one i had anticipated since reading the book that came before it, chef’s kiss, which i also highly recommend. the protagonist luna pretends to date the grandson of a famous chef, jean-pierre, and the two have to prepare for his grandfather testing his knowledge of his recipes while they are both hopeless at cooking. they are very cute, and it’s the first romance novel i’ve read involving two trans people, which also meant that it presents two very different experiences of being trans that i enjoyed seeing explored in this book. all in all, worth me having to find this book in reno to buy, of all places.

2. How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

i commonly deem this book as “the one that gave me a temporary fear of puppets”, which i count as a compliment given it is a horror novel. but the heart of the book lies in the protagonists, siblings louise and mark as they attempt to sort through their childhood home after their parents die unexpectedly. in packing up their things and preparing to sell the house, they unearth forgotten trauma and, as alluded, deal with more supernatural threats. if you love grady hendrix and somehow haven’t read this book, this is a great one. (but maybe not if you’re afraid of puppets).

1. Origin in Death (Book #21 in the …in Death series) by J.D. Robb

i read nearly half of the books in the …in death series this year, so it’s expected that one of them would end up on my top books of the year. this book starts with the series’ main protagonist, eve dallas, investigating the deaths of an infamous plastic surgeon and his son and falling into a conspiracy into their more dubious affairs. if you were around for my famed clone spiral of may this year, you can probably guess how that ends up. while that book did indeed send me into a spiral, it’s also an important case for the rest of the series, marking it as crucial reading to understanding the story of eve dallas and an interesting exploration into the implication of cloning humans.

[elenajohansenreads]

Books I Read in 2023

#10 - Beyond This Dark House, by Guy Gavriel Kay

Rating: 4/5 stars

I've always struggled to write reviews of poetry collections, much the same way I do about short story volumes. Inevitably, I like some poems/stories and don't like others, and sometimes the difference between quality and likeability from best to worst (or favorite to least favorite) is so vast that rating the work as a whole seems meaningless.

When I was a teenager, my mother was going through some of her old notebooks and found one where she had copied out her favorite poems from a wide variety of poets, back in college. Before that I knew my mom was a voracious reader (I got that from her) but I hadn't known she had ever been interested in poetry, so that's when I got into it, too. I read it, I wrote it (usually poorly), I bought a blank book from a bookstore and copied out my own favorites, and ended up taking a few college courses on it despite my science-based major.

I tell this story to say, I'm not sure if I still had that book that any of these poems would get copied. (I don't have it, and I think it was full anyway.) But I did enjoy many of them, and as a collection divided into parts with clear thematic links, this might be the most successful grouping of poetry I've had the pleasure of reading.

Some of the themes didn't speak to me: there's a vibrant sense of place, as many of the poems noted the location where they were written, and while I have traveled a fair bit in my life, it's not a strong drive I have. (I generally travel to visit people, and incidentally get to a be a tourist where they live.) There's also a great deal about broken passion and what sound like long-distance relationships, which might lead me to assume some things about Kay's life that I haven't made and wouldn't make any attempt to verify; the tone of many poems is clearly autobiographical and I'll leave it at that, but little of it reflects anything in my life.

But what I did find here was something I'd been missing from modern free-verse poetry: a sense of the poet caring how the words sounded together, rather than just spilling feelings onto a page without meter or form to contain them. I didn't read any of these out loud, but I spoke them in my head, because that's how I've always read poetry, and they generally sounded good, while still having the clarity and sincerity of the feelings-spilling poets. A handful of poems were less clear, more deliberately obscure in their meanings, and those tended to be the ones I liked less, but even those didn't feel like I'd peeked into some angsty teen's diary (like my own, before anyone thinks I'm throwing stones, I wrote very bad poetry in those years.)

What I also found was inspiration. In the last week, I've roughed out two poems about aspects of myself in a similar style to Kay's, which are the first two poems I've written in probably fifteen years. I thought about my poetry professor from college and wondered if she'd be pleased or horrified to find out I've written romance novels in the years since her classes. I dredged up memories I hadn't visited in quite some time to see how I feel about them as an adult looking back. I thought a lot about what an autobiography in poetry form would say about me, and how that might differ from the person I want to be going forward. And I still want to write more poetry about that, though as I continue I hope to develop my own style again, possibly even ditching free-verse for structured forms as I revise. I did use to love the challenge of fitting meaning into those forms with careful word choice, it was like a puzzle I created for myself, and I love puzzles.

I can't give this work five stars because I don't love it the way that rating implies, but any poetry that served me as both entertainment and an invitation to reflect on myself is good poetry.

[zephfair]

Thank you so much for tagging me @mychemicalrachel You made me really think about this one! 😘💖💖💖

Rules: in a text post, list ten books that have stayed with you in some way. don’t take but a few minutes, and don’t think too hard — they don’t have to be the “right” or “great” works, just the ones that have touched you.

I’m cheating because I’m procrastinating, these are mostly series, and I feel like babbling.🤣

1. The Black Stallion series by Walter Farley. 🐴🐎🐴 I was that crazy horse girl growing up and I re-read most of these books so many times, especially The Black Stallion Mystery, I could’ve quoted them. Except for the weird end-of-the-world one. That one scared me so badly, I never could finish it.

2. Man O’ War by Walter Farley. 🐴🏇🏇 Same reason, I was a horse-obsessed kid and this one about the real-life, famous racehorse moved me and made me cry and I told everyone for years that I wanted to be a jockey when I grew up. SPOILER: I did not achieve this dream. But I still remember the book and story very fondly.

3. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. 🌸💮🌸 I read this as a kid and thought it was lovely and sad and very moving. I listened to an audiobook of it a couple years ago, and it held up.

4. Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy. As a teenager I got into the Tom Clancy novels (idk how; I think Mom bought me some used because they were very long and she thought it’d slow down my book consumption🤷), and I remember carrying this one to school for months because I would read it (656 pages!) in hidden snatches during study halls or free time. When I finished it, I did a book report on it and got an A.😂

5. Agatha Christie’s novels. I started reading them young and I think they convinced me that I and everyone I knew was eventually going to be poisoned to death or, alternatively, accused of poisoning someone to death.☠️🕵️🧐 She made me love mystery novels! I’ve started listening to her works on audiobooks and they’re still fun—overly convoluted and chock-full of dated red herrings—but fun!

6. The Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters. 💖💖💖💖💖 I love these books so much. I stumbled upon the first one just browsing in the library as an adult, and I read the series as quickly as possible. They’re fantastic, and some of the best first-person, unreliable narrator books I’ve ever read. They’re funny and full of adventure because Amelia and her family are Egyptologists in Victorian times. The later ones don’t hold up quite as well because of one relationship I will never like, but they’re still better than most other mysteries. The author was an Egyptologist so she gets all that right. The audiobooks with Barbara Rosenblat are amazing—she is fantastic!

7. Die for Love by Elizabeth Peters. 💀💖 Her standalone novels are definitely dated, but still more fun and entertaining than most other authors. I just love her style of writing, and she crafts characters that make me care because they feel like fully realized people. This one is in another of her series featuring Jacqueline Kirby who might be a stand-in for the author, but as I approach middle-age, I appreciate her a lot more. 🤣 This one pokes gentle fun at the romance novel industry—not the novels because the author literally wrote romance novels under another name—but the publishing industry as a whole. I have no idea if things have improved, but I hope so.

8. The Discworld series by Terry Pratchett.🐢🐘❣️❣️❣️ I can’t even pick out my favorites, or the ones who’ve influenced me the most, because they all have. Finding Terry Pratchett’s works changed my life, and specifically, changed my ideas about writing and storytelling. I could talk forever about everything I love about his writing--because even the books I don’t love the most still have made me think and analyze things about life and myself--but I won’t. Just go read them. If anyone wants a specific recommendation, hit me up. There are different sagas within the series, and you can start with one of them.

9. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich was really interesting to me because her writing style is so spare and her characters are complete caricatures, but it worked for, like, five or six fun books. By the time I found her books, I was in my 20s and analyzing writing styles, and I still don’t want to write like her, but it’s okay for a really quick, action-packed read.

10. The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. The first four books are incredible. The best fantasy I’ve ever read, and I will fight about this.😂🤣 I was introduced to them in college, and I read those 7 or 8 available, but especially the first four over and over. I loved his writing style, I was in awe of his world-building abilities, I adored his characters because even the ones I loathed felt like real people. I waited for years to read the final three, and I’m sorry and all apologies to Brandon Sanderson fans, but I was majorly, extremely disappointed. The change in style, the huge changes in characters, all of it was too much. I only read them once, cried a lot at the fate of some of my favorites, and was done. 😢

[aurorawest]

Reading update

Just Like That by Cole McCade - 2/5 stars

So I started reading this age gap romance about two professors at a boys boarding school expecting it to be different than the last Cole McCade romance I read. It...wasn't. The emotions are turned up to 11 all the time, from the very first page, and that means there's nowhere emotionally to go. It also felt rushed and like the characters didn't really have room to breathe. So...I might retract what I said about the first Cole McCade novel I read needing to be shorter, because this one was shorter, and it didn't work.

Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell - 4/5 stars

Bought this for the SnowBaz story, ended up reading the whole thing and quite enjoying it. The SnowBaz story was definitely still the best though.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo - 4/5 stars

In my last reading update I said I wasn't going to read any my Leigh Bardugo books, totally forgetting this one was sitting very near the top of my TBR pile. I liked it a lot, but I have been informed that Hellbent involves a glowing, fully erect demon penis in multiple scenes (and not even for demon sex) soooo yeah. I think I'll give it a miss.

The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting by KJ Charles - 4.75/5 stars

Drama! by AJ Truman - 4.25/5 stars

Bloodline by Jordan L Hawk - 4.75/5 stars

Wanted, A Gentleman by KJ Charles - 5/5 stars

Oh I loved this one so much. I love when KJ Charles writes books with a twist because I never see them coming. And it's not like the clues aren't there. This is a super quick read but so good. I definitely could have read a full length novel about Martin and Theo.

The Klockwerk Kraken by Aidee Ladnier - 5/5 stars

You look at this book and you think, tentacle porn. And yeah, there's some sex with tentacles. But??? This book??? It kind of wrecked me. It's two connected novellas about trauma, healing, family, memory, love...really really good. Highly recommended.

Pack of Lies by Charlie Adhara - 5/5 stars

And then I read a werewolf book and loved it! Not that I expected to hate this or anything, but I definitely went into it feeling a bit iffy, because werewolves are really not my thing. This book is romantic suspense and really good, and I loved Julien and Eli so much. This is a spinoff of Adhara's other werewolf series, which I want to read, but it's only available as an ebook, and I don't do ebooks.

Seven Tears at High Tide by CB Lee - 4/5 stars

Cute little YA mermaid book. Mermaids also aren't my thing so I liked this more than I thought I would. Much better than Jason June's Out of the Blue, imo.

A Restless Truth by Freya Marske - 4.75/5 stars

Again, my toxic trait is I don't really enjoy reading books about women or f/f romances. But not surprisingly at all, this book was really good. Though, you know. I inhaled all references to Robin and Edwin (of which there were many) and was sorta/kinda more invested in the hints of romance between Hawthorn and Alan. Obvs excited for the third book.

The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths and Magic by FT Lukens - 3.5/5 stars

Just Like This by Cole McCade - DNF

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. I put this one down before I got through chapter 2.

Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales - 5/5 stars

I tore through this book in a single day. It was SO funny and sweet. It's considered YA but quite honestly I'd call it New Adult. Or if you don't like New Adult, straight Adult. Sophie Gonzales is the author of one of my top reads of last year, but of course, since this is an f/f romance, I was wary. But ugh, so good. Highly recommend this one.

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard - 5/5 stars

Apparently the idea for this came from the author posting polls on twitter for what would happen next, which is...unspeakably lame, honestly. But the book that came out of it is great. Loved the world, loved Winnie and her family (especially her brother and his boyfriend).

Beguiled by Joanna Chambers - 5/5 stars

Loved the first one, loved this one more.

This Census-Taker by China Miéville - 3.25/5 stars

What was this even about? Pretty sure Miéville was high on peyote when he wrote this.

Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman - 3.75/5 stars

Picked this up because it was 20% off at Target and was actually pleasantly surprised by how much more adult it is than the series. Then of course started watching season 2 of the series and found it to be as sanitized as season 1.

The Henchman of Zenda - KJ Charles - 3.5/5 stars

He Bears the Cape of Stars from Duck Prints Press - 4.5/5 stars

Glitterland by Alexis Hall - 3.75/5 stars

This is a re-release of one of a novel Hall wrote like a decade ago. It's not a romcom (which I knew going in), but I didn't expect it to be quite so rough. Similar in ways to Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble, only that was funnier. The fact that he wrote out the Essex accent really grated, but I guess it kind of made sense. My bigger issue with this book was the absolutely shit editing. There were repeated paragraphs, formatting issues, and places where it seemed like there had to be something missing because it made no sense.

The new edition is annotated by Hall, which was pretty fun. Not a bad read, but it's not Boyfriend Material.

Part 2

[readingwithgenie]

Summary:

As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships--but her best friend does, and that's what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees. That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor--and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding... six-pack abs. Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.

Plot Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 Character Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 Romance Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ /5 Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 Would I Recommend? YES, especially to Reylo fans.

What I Liked:

Well-paced plot with many chapter cliff hangers that turned this novel into a page-turner.

Many toe-curling romantic moments that would make anyone who enjoys the fake-dating trope squeal with giddiness.

Smut that lasted chapters 💀

What I Didn't Like:

The writing made this novel feel more like fanfiction, understandably so since it began as a fanfiction. However I had hoped since it was being written into a novel it would feel more mature than fanfiction.

The characters felt very solid to me but only because of who they were heavily based on. Throughout the story there are many subtle references to who Olive and Adam are inspired by, to the point they don't necessarily feel like their own characters but shelled out versions of Rey and Ben Solo. As much as I love the Star Wars couple, the characters have little originality.

Although being written in third person it heavily leans on Olive's perspective. We don't have any insight on Adam's thoughts or feelings until they're expressed.

My Thoughts:

I'll have to apologize in advance because I am reviewing from a very biased perspective. I enthusiastically bought this book after hearing rumors of it once being a Reylo fanfiction. I love the paring Ben Solo and Rey from the Star Wars Trilogy and couldn't pass on a published book inspired by their characters and romance.

Throughout the book I was constantly reminded of who Olive and Adam were based on; Adam's powerful yet distanced family and Olive's lack of family, Adam's brooding personality and Olive's optimistic attitude, even Adam's favorite color being black and Olive's favorite color being white. The more I learned about the characters the more they stood out as carbon copies of Rey and Ben Solo.

This contemporary romance is the author's first published work and it shows. A few of her writing decisions feels very amateur. For example, describing the character's anxiety with a full paragraph of italicized thought that continually circled around the same concern. After a while I skipped over these paragraphs knowing they didn't offer anything useful for the situation or plot. They were just there to illustrate how nervous the character was by making their thoughts run rampant. Skipping them didn't make me lose any precious details that furthered the story.

However she brilliantly pulled off interesting plot twists that I couldn't see coming. Even when I had a feeling something wasn't right and would probably turn for the worse, I couldn't predict what would happen. I really enjoyed the direction of the story until the last page.

It was also very refreshing to read about a woman in STEM. Science and math is not my strong suit so I couldn't relate to her responsibilities but it was still really nice to see a woman so intelligent and independent.

Olive is a fun relatable character. She strives for deals, coupons and any free food to aid a poor graduate student. She looks forward to the little things that would brighten the dull monotonous day of labs like buying her favorite bag of chips from the vending machine. She is focused on her goals and has learned how to make herself happy despite her many limitations and heavy work loads.

Adam is an interesting character in the sense that he's socially awkward and frustratingly technically correct with his opinions and convictions. His strict standards for his students make him appear heartless and the way he enforces these standards makes him seem like a jerk but after understanding how he thinks he's a lot more sympathetic. His field demands the most motivated and the very best which forces him to weed out the ones who won't last a year after graduation. Knowing this helps me like him more than the typical "bad boy with a soft spot" vibe and makes it easier for me root for his happiness.

Overall, my love for the original pairing that inspired Olive and Adam is what drove my fascination for this book. If I weren't a Reylo fan I probably wouldn't have liked it as much since there were many cheesy cliques scattered throughout that made the fanfiction writer inside me cringe. However, because I strongly believe that Rey and Ben Solo deserved a happy ending I was able to push aside the cringe and enjoy this au version of their happily ever after.

-end of review-