#Lydia Osborn

[elisabethdeep-blog]

When you innocently read a book of poetry and are assaulted with Feelings. I wish My brother had been captured by Indians.

[bo-kryzze]

THE HANDMAID'S TALE 3.06 "Household"

[abovethegaragepodcast]

Happy Valentine’s Day from The Handmaid’s Tale 106!! 🔥♥️🔥

[astro-tag-9]

The Handmaid’s Tale Astrology

June Osborne - Capricorn Sun, Sagittarius Moon, Aries Rising

Serena Joy - Scorpio Sun, Aries Moon, Taurus Rising

Moira - Aquarius Sun, Pisces Moon, Leo Rising

Nick Blane - Gemini Sun, Scorpio Moon, Capricorn Rising

Luke Bankole - Virgo Sun, Virgo Moon, Gemini Rising

Rita - Taurus Sun, Taurus Moon, Sagittarius Rising

Aunt Lydia - Libra Sun, Cancer Moon, Aries Rising

Fred- Leo Sun, Leo moon, Virgo Rising

Emily - Pisces sun, Capricorn moon, Capricorn Rising

Janine - Cancer Sun, Libra Moon, Leo Rising

[arionaleilani]

i feel like the characters i relate to most in media should say something about me but i can’t figure out what it says

[glasskey]

THT Redemption Arcs

I’m going to be running through some story and character analysis for THT in the weeks to come and I’m going to start out by talking a little bit about the difference in redemptive arcs. For those of you who aren’t clear about what a redemption arc is, it’s essentially a story line woven into your characters narrative to enable them to redeem themselves from previous questionable actions. There are some great examples in The Handmaids Tale, almost 100% of our characters are morally grey and they’ve all got a vivid history with a bit of baggage, so we’ve got a lot to choose from. Whenever a character performs a redemption arc, essentially 2 things need to happen for it to be considered complete: Firstly, your character has to truly be sorry and try and make amends. Secondly, other characters have to acknowledge that they are truly sorry and in some respects forgive them. We also have 2 different types of redemption arcs; slow and sudden. Basically, the character will either have an epiphany of all the crappy things that they have done and suddenly beg for forgiveness (usually at the last minute) OR said character will see the error of their ways through slow observation and work to be a better individual. With that in mind let’s take a look at some of our characters and see what kind of redemption arc they have.

Fred: Fred is one of the primary reasons that Gilead even exists, from the word go he was never getting a free pass no matter he did. For Fred, his Achilles heel is his quest for power which is constantly undermined by the impotence he feels at not being able to father a child. Freds desire for power fosters a sense of self entitlement that seeks to enslave June, while his impotence breeds an anger that alienates him from the woman who once loved him. His ego is ultimately his downfall and we see it in all its forms almost to his dying breath. While Fred may have acknowledged what he did was wrong, his attempt at redemption was driven purely by selfish motives and as a result the other characters did not forgive him. Fred attempted a sudden redemption arc and ended up doing an epic face plant. Instead of forgiveness he got an incredibly satisfying smack in the mouth and a “you had this coming” from Nick, and was hunted down and torn to shreds by the object of his desire. Redemption arc: Epic Fail. Result: some serious poetic justice.

Serena: Serena was Freds’ co conspirator so she’s responsible for some pretty heinous stuff, not to mention personally torturing the protagonist. She’s truly Machiavellian and consistently falls into the “sorry, not sorry” camp depending on what day of the week it is, making her attempt at a serious redemption arc difficult to swallow for anyone. Characters with the capacity for this much malice will generally perform a sudden redemption arc toward the end, finally achieving forgiveness, but sacrificing themselves as payment. Oddly the writers have chosen to engage Serena in a slow redemptive arc over the course of season 5, having swallowed some of her own poetic justice. I remain unconvinced, all this bonding with the protagonist, pouting and tears wont erase seasons of cruelty. Serena is a monster who's only sorry she lost her monster pal. Redemption Arc: still in progress, most likely successful. Most likely fatal

Aunt Lydia: Oh Dear. It’s hard to come back from shit this bad, but we know from The Testaments that our favourite super cuddly Aunt with a cattle prod, is due for a redemption arc. Watching The HMT and judging by The Testaments, it appears that she will be performing a slow redemption arc, which serves her purposes as she’s going to be busy working for the resistance. Ultimately the scales of justice demand balance and there’s no way the average viewer / reader would think that it’s a fair deal that she goes back to an ordinary life, once she’s served her purpose. Like Serena its justified she sacrifice herself as payment and there’s also the small matter of Aunt Lydia not being able to forgive herself. This brings me to Janine, I can definitely see Janine being a catalyst for Aunt Lydia’s break with Gilead. The nature of the protagonist in The Handmaids Tale is that she is a lone voice and as such June is what we refer to as “The Final Girl”, the last one left to tell the tale. This does not bode well for Janine. Redemption arc: Ultimately successful (in some respects).

Luke: Let’s face it, no matter which way you slice it, he’s no angel. He cheated on his wife and he left June and Hannah in Gilead because he was scared. What do these two things have in common? Leaving when the chips are down. From the description in Atwood’s text, Luke was always intended as a character who portrayed the casual misogyny that exists in the world. He’s been toned down somewhat for the show but it’s still there, lurking under the facade of our devoted “nice guy”. This is absolutely intentional, he’s described as a “good man” and he is, but there are plenty of times that he falls short and just doesn’t get it. He’s been performing a slow redemption arc over season 5 and it reached a crescendo in episode 10 at the train station when he sacrificed himself for the good of the protagonist. Most notable was the instance where he acknowledged her independence by using her maiden last name. He’s going to have to pay penance for the times he left though and thus the incarceration by Gilead forces. Redemption arc: Still in progress but promises to be successful.

Nick Blaine: I want to be honest about Nick, I love him but he’s done some bad shit. The writers have hinted as much and there’s plenty of evidence. Far from a clean well-mannered lawn boy, Nick Blaine is in fact, shady as fuck. This isn’t a mistake, after all, what good would a clean cut boy be to June when what she actually needed was a dodgy rebel to help her get things done in Gilead? When June says “he helped me to survive”, what she really means is that Nick was a navigator around all the dark dangers of Gilead and you don’t know about those unless you’ve seen them first hand. Nicks been performing a slow redemption arc since the end of season one. He was always good hearted, demonstrating loyalty to a broken family and looking openly distressed over the death of a handmaid. He’s also a bit of a rebel, he doesn’t follow the rules and doesn’t seem to quite fit in, all of this making him ultimately easier to welcome back to an ordinary life when he finally reaches the end of his journey. Nicks redemption arc is interesting because it not only requires other characters to forgive him, but he also needs to forgive himself. He’s been referred to as “a good man in Gilead” for a few seasons now, Tuello also called him “an honourable man”, but the reality is he’s still going to have to prove his loyalty by doing some time undercover. It's his penance. Ep 10 S5 saw Nick Blaine refer to himself as “Nothing”, he feels worthless and he’ll need to forgive himself before he can come home. For Nicks redemption arc to be considered complete he needs to step across the border and stay there. He needs to hold his daughter. Slow redemption arcs generally involve one last battle against your foe and Ep 10 S 5 saw Nick make preparations for his final battle against Gilead.  The walk across the bridge in ep 10 and the deal with Tuello signified a redemption arc construct now fully fortified and nearing completion. Redemption arc: In progress. Promises to be successful. Promises to be fucking epic.

The majority of redemption arcs in THT are slow, the only time I’ve seen a sudden redemption arc attempted, it failed miserably. This says a lot about what the writers actually believe about the nature of redemption; anything less than something that you work towards every day, is an illusion. The writers have worked hard to maintain a level of reality and in the real world, people don’t just immediately forgive you because YOU decided to apologize. You need to earn their trust back and work hard to repair that wound. Sudden redemptive arcs are like the kiss of death, I can’t count the amount of times I’ve watched a character weep with remorse only to die seconds later. Slow redemptive arcs are a bit trickier, your character may survive it or not and this decision is based ultimately on how deep the wound they inflicted is.

[spockvarietyhour]

[swiftedittland]

THE HANDMAID'S TALE | s5ep2

[mayangelus]

“—I guess you get used to things being one way”.

The Handmaid’s Tale: season 1, episode 6.

[the-osborn-way]

Just realizing that almost all of my favorite fictional characters are INFPS

Or INFJs

Plus, the wonderful human Gerard Way, they're not fictional though-

HOW did I not realize that a lot of my favorites were my MBTI type-

[lycanth0t]

Of Lambs and Cigars (Handmaids Tale Oneshot)

Nick watched as Lieutenant Stan rubbed his hands in anticipation - he doubted the cold blooded fuck was sensitive to the cold - before slapping his fist twice against the door. A terrified, high pitched scream emitted from the inside, and for some reason the tenor of it made Nick’s blood turn to ice.

Stan swung open the door, and it took an eternity for Nick’s eyes to adjust to the thick blackness of the truck until he regained focus, and saw her.

He would have known Hannah Bankole’s face anywhere.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Set in Season 4 when June is tortured for information about the missing handmaids, it follows how Agnes was brought to the prison, and Nick’s role in protecting her

Since he wasn’t permitted to oversee June’s torture, Nick forced himself to watch through the multiple twelve inch screens of the control room. The air in the room was thick with cigar smoke; the scent of which trickled to the back of his throat to the very base of his chest.

Naturally, June wasn’t the only prisoner being tortured - just the only one that he cared about. Still his eyes flickered to the screen slightly to the left, where a man was having his face branded with an iron poker; screaming so loudly it was as though his face would split in two. In the screen above from him, a woman was in the grips of starvation; being fed just enough to stop her internal organs from shutting down, but not enough to stop her hair from completely falling out. She’d taken to gnawing at her forearm like a feral animal; blackened teeth splinting against alabaster skin. Nick’s hand twitched ever so slightly before he instantly regained composure.

Composure, afterall, was his only asset.

“It’s like liveleak” a male voice chuckled beside him.

Nick turned; one of the head guards - who he knew to be called Marcus - sat slumped in a desk chair, haphazardly throwing an apple from hand to hand.

“Excuse me?” Nick said quietly, and Marcus laughed; he was a tall, wiry guy with narrow features, and his dark hair was kept inches longer than protocol allowed.

“Come on man, from before? Don’t tell me you’d never browsed on it before. Used to be able to see cartel shootings, or people offing themselves. Nothing on this though, this is some high def shit”

The glint in his eye made Nick want to punch the man straight in the face, but before he could; the sound of a glass door sliding open redirected his attention and the scent of cigar smoke and sweat was now accompanied by a sickly sweet aftershave.

“Ah, Commander Blaine, just the man I was looking for” Lieutenant Stan’s silhouette was obscured by the red hue of the corridor, “I was hoping you would accompany me in unloading a delivery”

“Of course Lieutenant” Nick responded, suspicion curled in the pit of his stomach as he followed the older man through the windowless corridor. He knew that Stan wasn’t referring to a last minute import of linen and scotch.

“Is it another Martha to testify for the missing Handmaids, sir?” he asked, his words were punctuated by the echoing screams of prisoners.

“Is it another Martha to testify for the missing Handmaids, sir?” he asked, his words were punctuated by the echoing screams of prisoners.

Lieutenant Stan scoffed, “Have you really that little faith in me, son? Once you’ve met one Martha you’ve met them all, frankly bringing two was an indulgence. I’m confident this is a far more effective tool to relieve our dear June”

As the men descended the concrete steps into the loading bay Nick pondered, not for the first time, what a cold blooded psychopath like Lieutenant Stan did before The Fall. Judging by the 80’s style glasses and Cheshire cat grin, Nick pictured him as a pastor in a sleepy little town in Utah, preaching purity to ten year olds while his porn stash was buried beneath the pews. He wouldn’t be entirely surprised if he’d chosen the vocation of torture for his own sexual satisfaction. Instead of voicing these thoughts, however, Nick dutifully responded;

“Praise be, Lieutenant”

As the shutters drew upwards, it let in a stream of ice cold air that howled furiously around them, beams of sharp white light permeated Nick’s vision, so he could barely make out the military grade truck that roared down the slope.

Nick had lost count of how many trucks he had unloaded over the years; how many people he’d assisted out of the back and straight to their death, like cattle being slaughtered. On one occasion, a Handmaid had sliced open her wrists and gone into rigor mortis by the time he’d arrived. It was therefore with a dulled, morbid curiosity that he watched the truck park in front of them.

He watched as Lieutenant Stan rubbed his hands in anticipation - he doubted the cold blooded fuck was sensitive to the cold - before slapping his fist twice against the door. A terrified, high pitched scream emitted from the inside, and for some reason the tenor of it made Nick’s blood turn to ice.

Stan swung open the door, and it took an eternity for Nick’s eyes to adjust to the thick blackness of the truck until he regained focus, and saw her.

He would have known Hannah Bankole’s face anywhere.

He’d spent hours studying her picture, listening to June describe in painful detail the curl of her daughter’s eyelashes, the freckle just below her right eyebrow, the plumpness of her lips. Nick knew she’d liked oranges, the colour yellow, and that her first word had been “cat”. He also knew that if June saw her in the state she was in now, it would plunge her head first into insanity.

Her heart shaped face was streaked with tears, and wide brown eyes filled with such terror that Nick felt as though a punch had been landed to his stomach. She was dressed in just a soft pink night dress, meaning that she’d been snatched straight from bed by the Guards.

“Oh my dear Agnes! We are so glad you made it here safely” Lieutenant Stan said theatrically, “come, come my dear let's get you inside” he beckoned, reaching out his hand.

Tentatively, Agnes edged forward, one hand desperately clutching at a stuffed animal of a soft white lamb.

“Why isn’t an Aunt or Martha with her? She shouldn’t be here unaccompanied” Nick said, his voice harsh. He only realised his mistake when Hannah flinched away from him and closer to Stan.

“We tend to find that women get a little over emotional when it comes to handling the children, and I’m sure our dear Agnes is brave enough to be here, aren’t you Agnes?” he cooed.

“Yes sir” Agnes replied obediently, teeth chattering against the cold air. “We should get her inside, it’s freezing” Nick said decisively.

Without waiting for the other man to respond, he shed his jacket and stepped towards Agnes, who fortunately did not shy away from him as he draped the jacket over her narrow shoulders. Nick’s chest began to ache; she was too young ot be here, too small, too vulnerable.

“Of course! You’ll be perfectly safe here Agnes, now that your Bilhah isn’t out hunting for you”

At the mentioned of her Bilhah, Hannah flinched violently, and her head whipped around as though she expected a monster to materialise from thin air.

“Is my Bilhah here?” she asked in a terrified whisper. Bilhah was a term used by children who were old enough to remember life Pre-Gilead, and came from the all important bible verse that had founded so many policies of the republic. It referred to the woman who carried them in their earthly shell and gave them to their “true” mothers as ordained by God. God of course being a group of fifty or so aged white men in a conference room, deciding which children belonged with which family.

“I’m afraid so, but there’s no need for you to be worried my dear, she’s all chained up and has Guards watching her all the time, and you have Commander Blaine to protect you” Lieutenant Stan said with a conspiratorial wink, “Isn’t that right Commander?”

Nick looked over at Hannah, and saw June’s almond eyes staring back at him, in the face of a terrified child.

“Yes” he answered firmly, still holding her gaze, “I’m here to protect you Agnes”

“Excellent, let’s make our way in, shall we?” the Lieutenant announced, he offered out a hand for Hannah to take, but Nick pretended not to see and promptly hoisted her into his arms, ensuring to wrap his jacket tighter around her against the bracing cold.

“After you, Lieutenant” Nick said, as he followed the old man straight into hell. —--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Sir, we can’t question her until we have the necessary paperwork in order” Nick said. They had been walking for a solid five minutes through the maze of corridors and staircases, he’d told Hannah not to look, and she had promptly closed her eyes shut and buried her face against his shoulder, while he pretended not to notice the drops of tears that spilled onto his shirt.

“Am I in trouble?” Hannah queried suddenly, lifting her head abruptly. “No” Nick replied instantly.

“We’ll have to see about that, dear,” Stan replied in a sickly sweet voice. “Look at her Lieutenant, she can barely keep her eyes open” Nick argued, trying to ensure no venom bled into his tone.

He watched the Lieutenant consider this for a moment, taking in the child’s dark under eyes and pale skin. It took every ounce of self control Nick had not to pull away when the old man reached out his large hand and cup Hannah’s face. To her credit, she didn’t flinch.

Nick was going to be sick.

“I suppose you’re right” the old man said after an age, “we can begin in the morning, I’ll send a guard to - “

“That won’t be necessary” Nick said firmly, “I’ll see to her myself”. He would rather have his eyes plucked out than leave Hannah alone with any of the depraved men that worked in the building.

The lieutenant raised his eyebrows at this, but subsided. “Very well son, then this is the room for our treasured guest”

The room in question was more of a squalid cell; there was a fold out bed on the far right corner - devoid of a pillow or duvet - and a sink on the left wall, letting out tiny droplets of water that bounced against the metal basin. Above them, the fluorescent lights hummed with electricity.

Every fibre of Nick’s being shrieked in protest; it was wrong to have Hannah here, but he had no other choice. He didn’t even wish to set her on the ground; knowing that the place was infested with rats, and that human blood had been shed in the very same room.

The Lieutenant must have spotted the resistance in Nick’s eyes, or the way Hannah recoiled against the harsh light.

“Say Agnes, why don’t you recite a passage for this blessed night” Stan began, “how about, Peter 3:14?”

With barely a moment’s hesitation, Hannah dutifully resited the passage in a distant, almost robotic voice.

“But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats and do not be frightened”

The seriousness of her tone disturbed Nick greatly, as it reminded him all too well of Eden.

“Praise be Agnes! You may wish to pray on your suffering tonight” Stans advised. He took a step towards them, and it took all of Nick’s self control to not shove the man away. Instead he focused his mind on Hannah’s trembling form. “I’m afraid I’ll have to take Mr Lamb into custody, until you’ve shown us what a good girl you can be”

Sick fuck.

June would tear that man apart piece by piece, if she saw him snatch the stuffed toy from her daughter - the only comfort she had in the world - before turning on his heel and marching out.

Hannah’s bottom lip began to tremble, and Nick watched in growing despair as she choked back the tears that were desperate to fall.

“You’re okay” he said quietly, “you’re going to be okay, here” he set her down on the metal bed and crouched in front of her. He wished more than anything that June was here, or Rita, or anyone with experience in comforting a distraught child because he was completely out of his depth. His mind flickered again to Luke Blankole, caring for a baby he knew wasn’t his, without the help of his wife.

“I’m scared,” Hannah uttered.

“What are you scared of?” Nick asked, knowing there could be a thousand answers. She could easily turn to him that she’s afraid of him; a strange Commander she’d never met who had taken her to a grimy little cell and asking her questions.

“I’m afraid that by Bilhah is going to escape and - and she’s going to hurt me” Hannah whispered.

Nick forced himself not to think of June, which was near impossible given the likeness she shared with her daughter. He had to remain composed.

“Do you remember her from before?” he asked genuinely. He saw her freeze, sas this was clearly a subject she had been taught never to speak of, “it’s okay, you can tell me” he encouraged.

“Yes sir, I remember a little” she answered eventually. “And did she ever hurt you then?”

She paused again, and he saw her genuinely consider his question, trying to distinguish her actual memories from what she had been told. After a moment, she shook her head, and ringlets of curls bounced around her face.

“Your Bilhah” the word stuck in Nick’s throat, “would never hurt you. Sometimes she gets confused, but that’s because she misses and loves you, and people sometimes do strange things when they love someone”

“But Aunt Sabine says she’s a godless woman and - and she wants to drag me to Hell with her” Hannah said in a horrified whisper.

To the children of Gilead, hell was a very real place. Nick had heard complaints from countless Commanders that their young ones were having nightmares about a burning inferno. They would never change the curriculum though, as fear was the most powerful method of control.

Nick paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. He didn’t stand a chance at undoing years indoctrination in one night, all he could hope to do is release her from the sheer terror with which she thought of June.

“Do you want to know what I think?” he asked, and Hannah nodded dutifully, “I think that only God gets to decide who goes to heaven and who goes to hell, and that frightens grown ups, because grown ups want to be the ones to make decisions and to know everything, so sometimes they pretend that they do”

He watched her attempt to process his words, the cogs turning in her exhausted mind, though she said nothing.

“I used to live in the same house as your Bilhah, did you know that?”

Hannah’s eyes snapped at him, “was she your Handmaid?” she asked innocently.

“No” Nick replied instantly, “I was just the driver of the house”

“Oh” Hannah said, mulling it over, “was she always upset? When I saw her in the woods she was crying?”

He remembered that day too, and how long June had wept after she’d left.

“Why don’t you get ready for bed, and I’ll tell you what I remember” he promised.

Hannah shuffled back onto the bed, and Nick adjusted his jacket as a make-shift duvet, before settling himself back down onto the damp concrete floor. He was fully aware of the girl’s eyes on him, soaking in every word he spoke like gospel. He breathed in deeply, trying to quieten his fears of saying the wrong thing. It was important that Hannah knew about her mother.

And so Nick spoke.

He didn’t lie, either, he didn’t tell her that her mother was a meek and pious woman, fulfilling her godly duty. He told her how good she was to her friends; that she looked out for those in need, that she was brave - and would take out wayward spiders even when the Commander was too scared to go near. He told her she sang a lot, when she thought no one could hear her, her favourite season is Spring.

The next time Nick glanced at Hannah, she was asleep, and looked as peaceful as he had ever seen her.

It was surprising even to him; the burning protectiveness that bloomed within hin when he looked at the child, and he made an oath to himself that for as long as his heart was still beating; no harm would come of Hannah Bankole.

He wasn’t naive enough to think he could do it entirely himself, and only one other name sprung to mind.

Commander Joseph Lawrence.

[weirdesplinder]

Lista di Dark historical romance, ma non troppo

Mi è stata richiesta una lista di romanzi Dark romance, ma storici. In realtà io non amo molto il genere, non lo leggo e quindi non lo conosco in modo approfondito, ma ho comunque preparato uina lista di romance storici in cui il protagonista machile, specie all'inizio, non è proprio una brava persona e avvicina l'eroina con fini nefasti o secondi fini, spesso per usarla per una sua vendetta privata. 

Per altri protagonisti maschili di romance ancora più odiosi di quelli citati in questa lista potete scorrere la mia lista intitolata Romance con protagonisti non proprio simpatici o proprio cattivi: https://weirdesplinder.tumblr.com/post/652161438615486464/romance-con-protagonisti-non-proprio-simpatici-o 

Con lei, protagonista femminile, odiosa mi vengono in mente invece solo due titoli: Shanna, di Kathleen E. Woodwiss, e La magia di un abbraccio (I Romanzi Classic) (Serie Westcot Vol. 2) di Mary Balogh

 Link affiliati dei romanzi citati in questo video:

1. Mio Duca (What I Did For a Duke) di Julie Anne Long

Link acquisto: https://amzn.to/3nfdFlv

Trama: Per anni Alexander Moncrieffe, duca di Falconbridge, ha suscitato paura e al contempo fascino, ma di tutto ciò che si mormora una cosa è certa: solo un pazzo oserebbe mettersi contro di lui. E quando Ian Eversea ignora questa cautela, Moncrieffe sa come vendicarsi: sedurre l’innocente sorella Genevieve per poi abbandonarla, rovinandole così la vita per sempre. Tuttavia la giovane lo sorprende per la passione e il temperamento, anche sapendo che Moncrieffe nasconde un passato oscuro. Così come sa che cedere al desiderio che lui ha risvegliato significa giocare col fuoco. Ma quando a comandare è il cuore…

La mia opinione: Tipico romanzo in cui tutto parte per vendetta e poi tutto cambia. Il Duca di Falconbridge forse non sarà il Duca più affascinante di tutti, ma il modo in cui scopre cosa significhi essere innamorati nonostante si creda troppo esperto e troppo maturo e troppo cinico è veramente dolcissimo e realistico.

2. La pedina scambiata (These old shades) di Georgette Heyer

Link acquisto: https://amzn.to/3rTJfIY

Trama: Nell'aristocrazia inglese del secondo Settecento un solo uomo può fregiarsi del soprannome di Satana: Sua Grazia il Duca di Avon, bello, acuto, elegante e assolutamente privo di scrupoli… soprattutto nei confronti del sesso femminile. Ma il ruolo che impersona con tanta convinzione comincia a stargli stretto quando, per una serie di incredibili circostanze, prende al proprio servizio un giovane paggio… che presto si rivelerà essere un'affascinante e imprevedibile fanciulla, minacciata da un crudele personaggio. Satana si trasforma così nell'Angelo vendicatore, compiendo con grande astuzia le sue mosse su un'infida scacchiera.

La mia opinione:  Il Duca di Avon  è  il prototipo a cui tutte le autrici di romance dopo la Hayer si sono in parte ispirate per i  loro duchi libertini e debosciati. Lui così maturo, cinico, debosciato, che ha provato ogni vizio sulla  faccia della terra, alla fine si scopre affezionato a una ragazza giovane e  vibrante che lo ama così innocentemente e totalmente, e senza timore, nonostante  tutti lo temano. E così Pigmalione si innamorò della sua creazione.

3. L'ultimo libertino (The last hellion) di Loretta Chase

Link acquisto: https://amzn.to/3rY4Ako

Trama: Vere Mallory, duca di Ainswood, il più grande libertino d’Inghilterra, ha dissipato la giovinezza fra alcol e belle donne in una spirale che sembra condurlo al baratro. Finché un giorno due occhi di ghiaccio trafiggono i suoi: sono quelli della bellissima Lydia Grenville, indomita giornalista che si è messa al servizio dei più bisognosi, donne e bambini dei bassifondi. A Vere è sufficiente rubarle un bacio per percepire la passione che si cela in lei, in apparenza fredda e misteriosa. Ma Lydia non può permettersi di cedere alla seduzione di quell’uomo impossibile, fermamente intenzionato a vincere la dura corazza che si è costruita nel corso degli anni. Se solo riuscissero a superare i loro intimi turbamenti, potrebbero finalmente schiudere insieme la porta della felicità…

La mia opinione: Il Duca di Ainswood, è il classico libertino che verrà riformato dalla donna giusta, ma che libertino!

4. Le malizie di un Duca (The Wicked Ways of a Duke) di Laura Lee Guhrke

Link acquisto: https://amzn.to/3ogmRr5

Trama: Prudence Bosworth conduce una vita modesta ma dignitosa, lavora come sarta e interviene ai balli dell’alta società solo per realizzare i piccoli rammendi dell’ultimo momento. È durante una di queste serate che incontra Rhys de Winter, l’affascinante duca di St Cyres, l’uomo più bello che abbia mai visto: l’uomo dei suoi sogni. Ma irraggiungibile per una ragazza come lei. Tutto però cambia quando Prudence, alla morte di quel padre che non ha mai conosciuto, si ritrova unica erede di un’immensa fortuna. E la corte che Rhys comincia a riservarle sembra solo una coincidenza…

La mia opinione: Anche qui lui ha secondi fini per corteggiare lei, quindi all'inizio è bastardello.

5. Duca dei miei peccati (The Duke of sin) di Elizabeth Hoyt

Link acquisto: https://amzn.to/2Xiy6TP

Trama: Bridget, figlia illegittima di lady Caire cresciuta in una famiglia di contadini, si è fatta assumere come governante a Hermes House dove intende cercare le prove per incriminare il padrone e famigerato duca di Montgomery, Valentine Napier. Val, affascinante e privo di scrupoli, tiene sotto ricatto buona parte dell’alta società londinese, tra cui la madre di lei. Sorpresa a rovistare nella sua camera, Bridget riesce a esercitare sul duca il fascino della sua purezza e bontà d’animo, e sceglie di rimanere al suo fianco per redimerlo. Nel turbinio della passione, anche l’inflessibile duca scopre sentimenti capaci di sfidare tutte le convenzioni…

La mia opinione: Poteva mancare un Duca veramente bastardo in lista? Certo che no. Valentine è privo di scrupoli e pieno di difetti, ma super hot e il libro è veramente avvincente. Passionale.

6. Magnifica preda (So worthy my love) di Kathleen E. Woodiwiss https://amzn.to/3v1ydCY

Trama: E’ un epoca d'intrighi e tradimenti. Nell'Inghilterra turbolenta di Elisabetta I convivono i lussuosi balli a corte, la miseria degli stati più bassi della popolazione e gli orrori perpetrati dentro la Torre di londra. Una notte la giovane, bella e innocente Elise Radborne scompare dalla proprietà dello zio. Si ritrova prigioniera in un tetro castello di pietra e il suo rapitore è Maxim, un uomo affascinante e ipnotico che ha molti motivi per detestare la famiglia di origine del suo tenero ostaggio. Nonostante l'ostilità che sulle prime caratterizza il loro rapporto, tra Elise e Maxim nasce ben presto un sentimento che troverà molti ostacoli…

La mia opinione: Uno dei miei preferiti della Woodwiss. Forse il più divertente e piacevole. Mi ricorda a tratti La bisbetica domata di Shakespeare. La protagonista, una ragazza giovane ma con un bel caratterino viene rapita per sbaglio al posto della cugina (o sorella ora non ricordo). Il rapitore poverino non sa che farsene della donna sbagliata e pensa di ospitarla per un pò per poi restituirla ma senza secondi fini. Quindi anche se è di fatto un rapitore non è poi malvagio, ma ciò che lo spinge è comunque sempre la vendetta come vale per molti protagonisti di questa lista.

7. Il lupo e la colomba (the wolf and the dove) di Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

https://amzn.to/3rthu9K

Trama: Inghilterra, 1066. La colomba è Aislinn, la bella e fiera figlia del signore di Darkenwald. Il lupo è l'uomo che l'ha fatta prigioniera: Wulfgar, un valoroso guerriero di Guglielmo il Conquistatore. L'unico sentimento che una schiava può provare per il suo padrone è la vendetta. Ma fra i due giovani sorge una passione travolgente, che non si fermerà nemmeno davanti a ostacoli che sembrano insormontabili.

La mia opinione: che un conquistatore abbia pietà per chi tiene prigioniero non esiste, specie nell'epoca in cui è ambientato il libro, quindi tutte le prevaricazioni di lui sono realistiche purtroppo e coerenti. E il romanzo resta un gran bel romanzo con un ottimo approfondimento dei personaggi.

8. Il fiore e la fiamma (The flame and the flower) di Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

https://amzn.to/3l1ZW25

Trama:  Londra, 1799. La giovane e bella Heather è in fuga dopo avere commesso un efferato crimine per difendere la propria virtù. Troverà rifugio sulla nave del capitano Birmingham, in partenza per le Americhe, dove l'aspetta una nuova vita. Ma prima di approdare nel Nuovo Mondo, Heather dovrà difendersi dalla torbida passione del capitano e dai travolgenti sentimenti che le ispira.

La mia opinione:  Questo romanzo presenta senza dubbio due personaggi principali ben caratterizzati anche se Heather è forse un pò troppo debole all'inizio, ci sta che sia così visto l'epoca. Meno digeribile per me è invece il Capitano Birmingham all'inizio molto duro e chiuso. E anche la scena d'amore non …consensuale…della prima parte mi è ostica.  La protagonista ne subisce davvero troppe nelle prime pagine per poter leggere il libro con animo sereno. Almeno questo vale per me, ma ripeto è un bel romanzo, scritto bene. E forte come carattere. E poi il protagonista maschile si fa perdonare…..peccato che io al contrario della protagonista femminile non perdoni facilmente….ma passiamo oltre.

9. TUTTO CAMBIERA’ (Silver lining) di Maggie Osborne https://amzn.to/3uZatzc

Trama: La corsa all'oro è stata un abbaglio che ha colpito molti uomini , ma anche qualche donna. Una di queste è Low Down, che è finita sulle Rockies, ad estrarre il prezioso minerale vestita di stracci e ridotta ad un essere che definire femminile sarebbe alquanto difficile. Non c'è spazio su quelle aspre montanee per bei vestiti o dolcezza, solo duro lavoro dalla mattina alla sera, ma l'animo generoso della donna è sopravvissuto a quella dura vita e quando il piccolo gruppo di disperati cercatori viene colpito dalla malattia è lei che si prende cura di loro instancabilmente salvandoli tutti. Quelli sono uomini cinici e duri, ma pur sempre umani e concordano tutti che l'abnegazione di Low Dow deve essere premiata., perciò si riuniscono e le chiedono quale sia la cosa che più desidera al mondo. Sorprendendoli tutti la donna non nomina l'oro o qualche altra cosa materiale, ciò che vuole è un bambino. Poichè fra gli uomini c'è anche un ministro di Dio viene deciso che per avere un bambino Low deve avere un marito e tirano a sorte per decidere chi tra loro sarà lo sfortunato, visto l'aspetto non proprio pulito e affascinante di Low. La sorte decide che tocchi a Max McCord l'onore di sposarla. Proprio Max che a casa sua in pianura ha ad attenderlo una fidanzata. Poichè gli altri lo minacciano di morte non ha altra scelta che sposare Low, ed entrambi concordano che sarà solo un matrimonio temporaneo….

La mia opinione: Di questo libro mi è piaciuto molto l'inizio, la prima parte sulle montagne, meno la parte centrale, e abbastanza la parte finale. Il giudizio è positivo, intendiamoci, ma il personaggio maschile mi è stato abbastanza antipatico poichè tratta la protagonista femminile malissimo. Ok lei non è bellissima, ma gli ha salvato la vita, caspita, un pochino di gratitudine all'inizio sarebbe apprezzata. Poi anche in seno alla sua famiglia le cose non migliorano molto, ci vuole molto tempo affinchè lui apra gli occhi sulle qualità della moglie. Non parliamo poi della sua fidanzata che all'inizio mi è stata odiosa. ….. Il libro mi è piaciuto, ma meno di altri per colpa di alcun personaggi, e alla fine lui si sarebbe meritato di perdere Low perchè non la meritava! O almeno doveva strisciare e scusarsi per un anno!

10. PRINCIPE DI SPADE (Prince of swords), di Anne Stuart https://amzn.to/3tZ04lr

Trama: Jessamine Maitland legge i tarocchi e, notte dopo notte, predice il futuro nei salotti di Londra. Finché una sera “scopre” l’identità del Gatto, il temerario ladro che da mesi ruba gioielli e preziosi dalle case più ricche della città: Alistair MacAlpin, conte di Glenshiel. Intuendo di essere stato smascherato, Alistair vede una sola via d’uscita: sedurre Jess.

11. Il velo della notte, di Lydia Joyce

Trama:  1800. Inghilterra. Un conte misterioso vive quasi recluso nel suo maniero. Una nobildonna va a trovarlo per salvare dai debiti il fratello. Il conte le propone un patto. Lei accetta e così due vite segnate dal dolore e dalla solitudine si incontrano. Entrambi non più giovanissimi, entrambi pieni di ricordi dolorosi e di rimpianti. Riusciranno a guarirsi a vicenda?

La mia opinione: il protagonista maschile ha una malattia che lo costringe a rifuggire la luce del giorno ma questo non scusa il fatto che ricatti la protagonista per avere la sua compagnia. L'inizio del romanzo quindi non è molto lusinghiero nei suoi confronti, ma poi scopriremo che non è una cattiva persona.

Per altri protagonisti odiosi potete anche consultare la mia  Lista di Romance con protagonisti maschili che si fanno odiare: https://youtu.be/_ytDrPfCbRY?si=fThg0kBMj8B7ZqDP

[bo-kryzze]

THE HANDMAID'S TALE 3.13 "Mayday"

[abovethegaragepodcast]

The way Nick looks at June as he reads the Corinthians verse about love in front of the whole household 💗

[meu-fragil-miocardio]

O melhor livro e série!

[theshadowrealmitself]

It’s my sis’ birthday this week and I’m visiting, so per her request, we’re watching Teen Wolf cause she’s recently gotten super into it, and despite it always being in my peripheral, I absorbed nothing about the actual plot before this apparently, so here’s my thoughts so far (on episode 9):

• That’s Stiles?? I knew there was a Stiles Stilinksi, but I thought he’d look different?

• I actually apparently only knew what Derek looked like, and thought they all looked like that

• I do not give a fuck about Allison, like I don’t hate her, but I don’t like her, and the fact that there’s so much of her is making me hate her, like when you just can’t escape a pop song you’re indifferent to, also I hate her family even tho that’s not her fault

• They didn’t really do a lot to establish much before Scott became a werewolf, so it’s not as engaging as it could’ve been, like Jackson and Lydia suddenly hanging out with them, just because they befriended Allison and she likes Scott??

We should’ve gotten way more of just anything beforehand?? Like his relationship with his mom, who claims it’s deteriorating, even tho we’ve only seen it strained the whole time

• Derek is hilarious just because he’s so intense and so, so unhelpful, I love that he just makes me think of a character who’s destined to be a vampire, but got turned into a werewolf, but still stuck to the vamp vibes

• Jackson is growing on me because he reminds me of James Franco as Harry Osborn in a way

• These teachers are so weird, I love it

• Really thought Stiles was the main character, didn’t know shit about Scott

• I wanna know so badly who the alpha is but my sister refuses to tell me and I’m not allowed to look it up so it better be a great reveal

I have more thoughts but my sister is glaring at me so I have to put my phone down and focus on the show