#Single Review: Masculine Charm

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

New Audio: Mila Degray Shares Earnest and Anthemic "Masculine Charm"

New Audio: Mila Degray Shares Earnest and Anthemic "Masculine Charm" @MilaDegray @planetarygroup

Mila Degray is a Broward County, FL-born singer/songwriter and actor. Inspired by the likes of Pretty Sick, Alex G. and Melanie Martinez, Degray’s pairs brutally honest lyrics with a sound that blends elements of indie rock, alt rock, bubblegum grunge, streetgaze and pop rock. Her work reminds the listener that there’s power in self-discovery and vulnerability. As an actor, she’s appeared in…

[mitochondriaandbunnies]

Miami Vice S1E22: Evan

An estranged friend forces Sonny to confront a long buried secret.

Perhaps out of a fear of repeating myself-- I've said a lot about Evan, both in analysis and in fic-- I got a little stuck on this one, this time around. I guess I don't want to seem like a broken record, or like I'm overstating the importance of a single episode, but Evan is as much a distillation of everything that Miami Vice "is" as anything-- it's bleak, it's heartfelt, it's beautiful, it cuts to the heart of Sonny's inability to love himself, and it 's deeply, heartbreakingly queer.

It absolutely should have been the Season One finale. Lombard is a good episode, but it's not Evan good. On top of that, the last few episodes have all had a running undercurrent asking-- "hey-- what is *normal*, here, especially for Sonny? What does it mean to be vulnerable, to share your life and your secrets with someone? What do we mean when we say 'partner?'" that feels like it reaches its climax with Evan. And even further, Evan's whispered portent at the end of the episode-- that he made his choice, that Mike Orgel made his choice, and that now it's Sonny's turn to make his choice-- sets up much of the rest of the series thematically. The series finale is Sonny's answer: in the end, he chooses to step away instead of letting himself be destroyed like his friends.

BUT. I don't really think Network Television in the 80's really wanted the season for their very expensive and incredibly popular show to end on Sonny's Repressed Gay Trauma, because then audiences would've had to sit with that all summer, and frankly I suspect more people might have had an Aha Moment about Sonny's sexuality if that had been the case. So instead they ended S1 on Charming Mobster Dennis Farina, which is fine, but not quite as thematically powerful.

So what to say about Evan that I haven't said already? The episode opens with Evan selling guns; to demonstrate the power of the weapons, he shoots the hell out of a bunch of mannequins. I hadn't recalled that before he did this, he kissed the mannequins around their middles. It's super performative masculinity-- Evan is terrified of not being seen as a "real man," so his only options are, essentially, violence and (straight) sexuality, both of which he enacts on the mannequins. It's unsettling to the the point that one of Guzman's goons keeps making a face like "do we. Do we have to buy guns from him," and it signals to the audience that something is Not Right with this man.

Because this is an episode about gay men and what it means to be a man and how man treat one another, we get an interesting little moment where Larry is leaning over Stan's shoulder and reviewing case files with him. Stan seems irritated at the lack of personal space, and tells him to go look over files on his own desk. It's a bit of a throwaway gag, but it's also the kind of gentle, thoughtless repudiation of closeness that makes intimacy of any kind difficult between men of any sexual orientation. When Sonny talks about the way he and Evan and Mike Orgel used to talk to and tease one another before Mike revealed he was gay, this is the kind of behavior he's referencing.

The scene where Sonny has to go undercover as a far right gun nut to get information from a neonazi is both disturbingly still relevant and disturbing from an in-universe perspective. Sonny, still too pretty even in fatigue pants and a government-issue cap, looks like an underwear model doing military cosplay; he almost seems younger, like putting on the trappings of his Vietnam days transported him back there. In order to convince the gun seller he's serious, he says he's done with the military because the military is full of "women, half-breeds, and homosexuals" (which he says like it's four words-- HO-MO-SECK-SHUALS), but he turns away while he's saying it, and his face radiates pain and fear. He is wildly uncomfortable in this persona; we know he doesn't believe these things, but more than that, you get the sense that he's genuinely concerned his disguise as a Grade-A American Heterosexual Tough Guy is not going to hold up under any serious scrutiny.

I have a lot of questions about this painting, presumably belonging to Mr. Unfriendly Drug Lord Guzman, of an emaciated man with a railing between his ass-cheeks. Like. Is that so on the nose that it circles back to mysterious again, or is it literally a painting of an ass railing in the Let's Talk About Gay Stuff episode?

Castillo is extra recalcitrant in this one-- he argues with the ATF agent and insists he'll bust whoever needs busting, and then shortly after is just like NO when Sonny says he cannot be involved in this case

The ATF agent refers to Evan as Sonny's "old playmate," which feels uh, pointed

Rico asks Gina a favor and she sighs and says he "always needs a favor;" she still seems a bit irritated from No One Lives Forever

Guzman's manservant lifts him out of the pool and dries him off and dresses him, so perhaps the painting isn't all that odd for him

When Evan tries to convince Guzman to back off of the deal with Sonny, Guzman is eating a plate of fruit in a bathrobe, the sea over his shoulder, bathed in pinks and blues. Evan, on the other hand, eats the true breakfast of champions-- a cigarette and whiskey-- and everything around him is grey and white.

Evan smiles completely genuinely when he sees Elvis, and Elvis makes no move to attack him, which makes me cry

Like. He and Sonny were such good friends that Sonny's alligator missed him

Just throw me in the bay and forget about me as the fish chew me to death, I guess

When Sonny refuses Evan, Evan says he'll happily take Rico instead, and that's when Sonny really starts getting angry-- it's one thing for Evan, who Sonny blames for the death of an old partner and friend, to put Sonny's life in danger, it's another thing altogether for him to casually suggest Rico could be another bit of collateral in their shared history

Thank you script writers for lines like "I wouldn't have had to pull Freed's jacket if you'd been straight with me" (that really is the issue here, isn't it, Rico? Sonny can't quite do that, can he!) and "we are involved... *pause* in an operation." The gay subtext in the gay text episode is logged and noted

Evan encourages Guzman to shoot them all, himself included, and casually tells Sonny and Rico that Guzman used to "shoot people just for being left-handed," which feels like a metaphor for.... something, some kind of... human difference that has been, historically, punished and marginalized... couldn't tell you what, though

Tubbs speaks French to Michelle-- do we ever hear him doing this again? Does Tubbs speak French for real, or is he just like, repeating something he heard on a perfume ad or something?

When Sonny comes in, looking all hangdog, and tells Tubbs they need to talk, Tubbs tells Michelle he wants a rain check-- Michelle's response is "I bet you would," which is very ambiguous-- it seems equally likely that she's telling him he's got no chance or that she straight up doesn't believe he wants the rain check because she's pretty sure Crockett's his ex

I've talked at length about the gas station scene, but the fact that Rico's response to Sonny's confession about Mike is "how did you handle it" rather than anything else-- the man knoooows half of Sonny's issues here are coming from his internalized homophobia and self-loathing

I don't think Evan has changed his clothes for three days?

Logistically, it makes no fucking sense for Sonny, Evan, and Mike Orgel to all be queer men, but the episode really doesn't do any work to make Sonny or Evan obviously heterosexual, either. It's very easy to read either Sonny or Evan's guilt and trauma as coming partially from their own identities, and the way they both talk about their bad reactions to Mike's coming out reinforces this. Evan's line, "I've found more ways to hang that rap on myself than you or the devil will ever know about" mirrors Sonny's earlier insistence that Rico is not his "priest" and that he doesn't have to "bare his soul" to him; Vice is not a show that frequently has its main characters suffering from religious guilt or trauma, so it seems very meaningful that both of them are bringing their despair back to the idea not just of guilt, but sin. And perhaps even more specifically than that, sin that they refuse to let anyone-- friend, priest, or devil-- see.

Gina and Trudy show up in regular police uniforms at Guzman's arrest, which I think is the only time we see them dressed like that in the entire series

Peter Gabriel's Biko initially seemed to me like a really weird choice for the end of the episode, given the specific milieu it was written in and for (South African apartheid and the police murder of an anti-apartheid activist), but upon this rewatch it dawned on me that what they were trying to do was, a bit clumsily, tie the two ideas together. Mike Orgel died because he was part of an oppressed minority group, and if you read Evan as a closeted queer man, he has followed after him (and warns Sonny-- potentially a third closeted queer man-- that he will also need to make a choice about how to lead his own life soon enough.) I don't necessarily love slotting in one marginalized group for another there, but it's a very 80's sentiment, I think, so I'll let it stand. I think it's meaningful that the lyric "you can blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a fire" precedes Evan's warning to Sonny. Was Mike, then, the candle?

The episode ends with Sonny tenderly cradling Evan's head while Rico stands with his hand on his shoulder; he's allowed touch and intimacy with Rico (as he was at the gas station) that he could not have ever really had with Evan except under extremely extenuating circumstances and now death. Mike, Evan, and Sonny couldn't find a way to "deal with it," as Rico put it, but the implication is that maybe Sonny and Rico can.

[bleuangel88]

Shelter doesn't waste a single minute of its 55-minute-long premiere. If the rest of the season manages to keep up this type of momentum and strong storytelling, we're undoubtedly in for quite an exhilarating ride.

The series' strength is in these characters, who instantly feel thoroughly established, likely due to their being source material and a great cast who brings them to life.

Notably, Jaden Michael is a strong lead. Anyone familiar with his role in Netflix's Colin In Black & White could anticipate what to expect as he took up the role of Mickey Bolitar.

Mickey is a compelling protagonist, endearing, charming, witty, and real. There's something uniquely sympathetic about him in that he feels like a realistic teenager who behaves reasonably without veering toward the agitating or nonsensical things often used to drive the plot.

His actions and feelings make sense. As a result, the story flows organically. And it's a hell of a story unfolding before our eyes.

But the ultimate scene stealer of the hour was Adrian Greensmith's Arthur. Are we calling him Arthur or Spoon? Hit the comments and let me know which you're digging most.

Nevertheless, Arthur had that endearing unapologetic nerdy quality to him. His instant connection with Mickey has already made their dynamic the heart and soul of this series, and every second they share screen time together is a treat.

They have such fabulous chemistry, and they embody that Gen-Z buddy dynamic devoid of toxic masculinity and put a fresh spin on the buddy-cop tropes that we've come to love so much.

In the many ways that this series has a Teen Wolf tone, the central dynamic of Mickey and Spoon is top of the list.

The hour gave us a taste of what they can and most definitely will be as they embark on adventures in search of answers, and for that bond alone, I already can't wait to see the antics.

[the-celluloid-correspondent]

INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY MOVIE REVIEW

Daredevil archaeologist Indiana Jones races against time to retrieve a legendary dial that can change the course of history. Accompanied by his goddaughter, he soon finds himself squaring off against the Nazis.

Why does Kathline Kennedy continue to think that taking legendary characters and turning them into bitter, depressed, old men and only for them to be outdone and replaced by a young, British woman is a good idea. It failed spectacularly with The Last Jedi and you think she would have learned to stop self-inserting her Mary Sue characters into these stories. But nope she fails again with is massive box office bomb.

The more I have thought about the Dial of Destiny the less I enjoy it because to simply state it, it's a mess that is a piss poor excuse for spending over $300 million on. I believe it would be easier to state the positives before I delve into the negatives. This is easily Harrison Ford's best performance as Indiana Jones. He still has that charisma and charm of the iconic character decades later. But his ability to weave the grief and depression his character is facing into his performance is outstanding. Furthermore, Mads Mikkelsen delivers a great performance as the movies main antagonistic. His ability to take paper-thin characters and elevate them to the next level is worthy of much praise. Lastly, John Williams score is out of the park. Despite being in his 90s, he still delivers memorable and powerful scores. Alright that is about it for positives lets get into the negatives.

To state that this story is a mess is a massive understatement. The story is filled with numerous plot contrivances, inconsistent characters, and plot armor. For example, Jones becomes wanted for murder thus forcing him to flee the States. This conflict adds nothing to the story as it is just a device to get Indy out of his shell and for them to call the Nazi cop "trigger-happy Cracker". Not only is it a poor plot device but a very lazy political commentary on police brutality. But what is even more ridiculous is that the movie totally forgets about it by the end as Indy returns home. You think he would still be wanted, but nope they drop the conflict. Another example is during the opening train chase, Mads Mikkelsen character gets smacked in the face by a train light going over 40 MPH. In reality this would have been instant death, but Mikkelsen somehow survives without a single scratch. He should be at least somewhat deformed with a massive scar but nope he looks as handsome as ever. This is worse than surviving a nuclear blast in a fridge.

However, one of the biggest problems this movie faces is Kathline Kennedy's self inserted character of Helena Shaw, played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Now Waller-Bridge does okay job playing the character, but the issue is how she is written and how the story treat her. To state it simply, she is a sociopath that the film plays for female empowerment. She uses Indy at without hesitation to get what she wants. She disregards his feeling and belittles his character, while mocking the death of his colleges and friends. To state that Helena is a horrible person is an understatement. What is even worse is that the movie is totally oblivious to how horrible she is. As a woman I am tired of how Hollywood is writing female characters. The fact that writers believe the only way to write a strong female character is to turn them into the definition of toxic masculinity, is incredibly sexist. You think after so much backlash against these type of characters, Hollywood would finally learn, but again their egos are too big for them to learn from constructive criticism.

As it is becoming more a common practice is Hollywood writing, nostalgia is heavily used here to cover up the questionable storytelling. Whether is bring in Miriam last minute to cover the rushed and obviously re-shot ending, or bringing in Sallah for only a few seconds to cover the fact Sallah knew exactly where Indy was right when someone was about to report him to the police, the use of nostalgia is heavy. When this quality of writing is present, it really makes be question the WGA Strike.

One aspect that was somewhat good were the action pieces. I really enjoyed the opening train chase in Nazi Germany. Though the de-aged Harrison Ford with old Ford's voice was really awkward. Then the following chase during the Astronaut Parade was also really fun. However, the tuk-tuk chase was ridiculous as it was drawn out much longer than what is should have been. Furthermore, seeing an 80 year old Harrison Ford beating guys who are less than half his age, was funny to watch.

Overall, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a massive disappointment. It's an unneeded film, that is simply a cash grab that is reliant on nostalgia to cover up it's questionable story. If you are like me, then the real ending for this franchise was Indy and company riding off into the sunset at the end of The Last Crusade. Also where were the gruesome and horrifying villain deaths. That was a greatly missed opportunity.

My Rating: C-

[kummahia]

Here is my spoiler free review of the first season of Ted Lasso on AppleTV+

The show is about Theodor „Ted“ Lasso. He is an american football coach in America and gets the offer to work in England as a football/ soccer coach. The first time we meet him he is on a plane to London with his partner and friend Coach Beard (which is also the description of his job and appearance).

You quickly notice that Ted is a bit of a chatterbox. He has that southern charme to him and to every situation he has a story to tell or joke to make. At first you may be caught off guard, like the rest of the characters, with his openness and absolute resilient kindness. And you also notice that he knows nothing about the sport. And it you didn’t notice he will tell you himself. He really knows nothing about football.

But as the show progresses you get to know him (like he gets to know football) and every other character. And I have to say that every single one of them is a delight to see on screen. The characters are all unique and have a different relationship with each other. This leads to conflicts and their own kind of resolutions to said conflicts. The show mainly consists of male characters. Which is something that reflects the football industry.

There are only two female characters, Rebecca Welton and Keeley Jones, that are part of the main cast. And they also pass the Bechdel- test, which is nice to see! But not only do they pass the test they also have a great friendship that slowly builds over time. It is a female friendship that everyone wants! It’s about supporting and being there for each other. But also holding each other accountable and being honest about behavior that is hurting other people. There are very well written. They have their own ambitions, thoughts and opinions. They are complex and honestly I really would want to be friends with them in real life!

The male characters are just as complex and fun to see on screen. A big part of Ted’s task is to make the team behave like a real team. And with every episode you see a slight change in each character (some need more work than others). There is one character that is really the poster boy asshole. He is arrogant, selfish and disrespectful. But even he isn’t immune to the change that Ted Lasso brings with him. I think one moment where you really get to know him and begin to understand his behavior is in the episode „two aces“. But I’m not gonna spoil any details! You have to see for yourself.

All the changes in the characters and their behavior is started by the influence of Ted Lasso. Not only is he the main character but also the soul of the show. He is a very different male protagonist. He is kind, loving, nurturing and open with his emotions. He doesn’t portray any toxic masculine behavior. Of course he makes mistakes but the important part is that he openly apologizes and tries to do better. Not only that but he is very forgiving. He makes people around him feel safe and appreciated. And if there is anyone that needs help he is the first one to be there. Just after watching the first season I would rank him as one of my favorite characters of all time.

There is so much more to tell but I would rather you see it for yourself!

Overall the show has very positive vibe and you can’t just not like every character. Everyone has their role and is important. If you want something that makes you feel good and is funny you should definitely give it a go! ❧

If you haven’t seen it would you give it a go?

And if you have already watched it who is your favorite character?

One thing I would want from this show: the biscuits!

[monarchgarden26]

Discover Luxurious Fragrances: Find the Perfect Perfume Online

The world of perfumes is an exquisite blend of art and chemistry, designed to create memorable impressions and express individuality. Today, purchasing your next signature scent has become easier than ever with a wide array of oil-based perfumes online, catering to diverse tastes and preferences. Whether you’re exploring warm, woody undertones or crisp, fresh notes, the online marketplace offers a treasure trove of olfactory delights.

The Allure of Oil-Based Perfumes Oil based Perfumes Online have gained immense popularity among fragrance enthusiasts for their richness and longevity. Unlike alcohol-based fragrances, these formulations are gentler on the skin and offer a longer-lasting scent profile. A single application of an oil-based perfume online can envelop you in a captivating aroma that evolves throughout the day.

These perfumes often carry concentrated essence, allowing each note to shine distinctly. They are ideal for those who prefer subtle yet enduring fragrances that do not overpower the senses but instead linger softly in the background.

Elevate Masculine Charm with Unique Scents When it comes to masculine fragrances, the appeal lies in bold and refined compositions. For instance, the complex character of Black Opuim Perfume for Men is perfect for those who wish to exude confidence and sophistication. This fragrance strikes the right balance between depth and allure, making it a favorite for both formal and casual occasions.

The spicy, woody base notes of such perfumes are often complemented by fresh and citrusy top notes, creating a harmonious blend. Investing in high-quality fragrances, like those you find while shopping for Black Opuim Perfume for Men, ensures you leave an unforgettable impression wherever you go.

Oud: The Regal Ingredient of Perfumery No discussion about luxury perfumes is complete without mentioning the rich and opulent oud. Known as "liquid gold," oud is a treasured component in many high-end fragrances. Its warm, woody aroma is intoxicating, making it a sought-after ingredient in creating timeless perfumes. A bottle of Oud Eau De Parfum epitomizes elegance, offering a blend of complexity and depth that resonates with both modern and traditional aesthetics.

The beauty of oud lies in its versatility. It can stand out as the centerpiece of a fragrance or act as a complement to lighter notes. Wearing an Oud Eau De Parfum is like donning an aura of luxury, making it a staple for special occasions and celebrations.

The Convenience of Online Shopping for Perfumes Shopping for fragrances has never been more convenient than it is today. The rise of e-commerce platforms specializing in perfumes has revolutionized the way people discover and purchase their signature scents. Exploring Perfume Shop Online Sale opens up a world of possibilities, from niche fragrances to established favorites.

These platforms often provide detailed descriptions, user reviews, and even scent samples to ensure customers make informed choices. Searching for a fragrance, such as Black Opuim Perfume for Men, allows you to compare scents and find the perfect match from the comfort of your home.

Moreover, online shopping often brings exclusive deals and limited editions that might not be available in physical stores. For lovers of Oud Eau De Parfum, this is a chance to access rare blends crafted by master perfumers.

How to Choose Your Signature Fragrance Finding the perfect perfume requires understanding your preferences and exploring different scent profiles. Are you drawn to floral, woody, spicy, or aquatic notes? Do you prefer the depth of an oil-based perfume online, or are you searching for the bold statement of Black Opuim Perfume for Men? Answering these questions will help narrow down your options.

It’s also essential to consider the season and occasion. Light, fresh fragrances are ideal for daytime wear in warmer months, while deeper, richer scents like Oud Eau De Parfum shine in cooler seasons or evening events. Testing a fragrance's longevity and how it interacts with your skin’s chemistry is another crucial step.

Conclusion: Embrace the World of Fragrance Perfumes are more than just scents; they are an extension of your personality and mood. From the richness of oil-based perfumes online to the captivating allure of Black Opuim Perfume for Men, the choices are as diverse as the individuals wearing them. Adding the timeless elegance of Oud Eau De Parfume to your collection can elevate your fragrance wardrobe to new heights.

With the convenience of online shopping, discovering your next favorite scent has never been easier. Explore, experiment, and indulge in the world of luxury fragrances to create your unique signature that leaves a lasting impression.

[kannaujperfume]

The Best Men’s Luxury Perfumes Online in India: A Guide to Finding Your Signature Scent

In today’s world, wearing a fine fragrance is more than just a fashion statement—it’s a part of one’s identity. Perfumes are an extension of personality, and for men, a good fragrance can evoke confidence, sophistication, and charm. With the growing demand for luxury scents, India’s online market has exploded with options, making it easier than ever to find the perfect men’s luxury perfume from the comfort of your home.

This article is your go-to guide for navigating the world of Men Luxury Perfumes Online in India.

The Appeal of Luxury Perfumes

Luxury perfumes are crafted using the finest ingredients, often sourced from exotic locations around the globe. They are meticulously blended by master perfumers to create complex, long-lasting fragrances that evolve beautifully over time. The quality and exclusivity of these scents make them desirable among men who seek a touch of class and refinement in their everyday lives.

Unlike mass-produced fragrances, luxury perfumes are designed to linger on the skin and leave a lasting impression. They often come in elegant, artistically designed bottles that add an element of prestige to your grooming collection. A single spritz can elevate your mood and transform how others perceive you.

Popular Men’s Luxury Perfume Brands in India

India’s online stores offer a wide variety of internationally renowned luxury perfume brands. Here are some of the top names that consistently deliver exceptional quality and timeless fragrances for men:

Creed – Known for iconic fragrances like Aventus, Creed has a rich history of crafting perfumes for royalty and celebrities. Aventus is celebrated for its bold and masculine blend of pineapple, birch, and oakmoss.

Tom Ford – Tom Ford’s fragrances, such as Oud Wood and Tobacco Vanille, are synonymous with elegance and sensuality. These perfumes are perfect for the modern man who appreciates sophisticated, complex scents.

Chanel – Bleu de Chanel is a fragrance that has become a classic. Its fresh, woody scent is versatile and can be worn for any occasion, making it a must-have in every man’s collection.

Dior – With fragrances like Sauvage and Fahrenheit, Dior offers perfumes that balance boldness with refinement. Sauvage is particularly popular in India for its powerful and alluring scent, combining notes of bergamot and amber.

Acqua di Parma – Known for its light, citrus-based perfumes, Acqua di Parma offers a range of fragrances that exude Italian sophistication. Colonia is a standout, offering a refreshing scent perfect for summer.

Where to Buy Men’s Luxury Perfumes Online in India

There are several trusted platforms where you can buy men’s luxury perfumes online in India. Whether you’re looking for niche scents or popular fragrances, these websites provide a seamless shopping experience:

Nykaa – Nykaa is one of the leading online beauty retailers in India, offering a wide range of luxury perfumes for men. They frequently run sales and promotions, making it a great place to score discounts on high-end brands.

Perfume Booth – A dedicated platform for fragrances, Perfume Booth allows you to sample luxury perfumes before making a full purchase. Their curated collection includes top international brands, ensuring you find a scent that fits your style.

Sephora India – Sephora offers a premium selection of luxury perfumes from top brands like Tom Ford, Dior, and Armani. They also provide excellent customer reviews to help you make informed decisions.

Amazon India – As one of the largest e-commerce platforms in the country, Amazon India offers a vast range of men’s luxury perfumes. Be sure to check for authenticity by buying from verified sellers or directly from the brands’ storefronts.

Tips for Choosing the Right Perfume

Know Your Fragrance Family – Perfumes are generally categorized into families such as woody, citrus, floral, or oriental. Knowing which family appeals to you can help narrow down your choices. For example, if you prefer fresh and clean scents, opt for citrus or aquatic fragrances.

Consider the Occasion – Some perfumes are better suited for daytime wear, while others are ideal for evening events. Lighter, fresher scents work well for the office or casual outings, whereas stronger, more intense fragrances are perfect for special occasions.

Sample Before You Buy – If possible, always try a sample of the perfume before purchasing a full-size bottle. This allows you to see how the fragrance interacts with your skin chemistry and whether it lasts as long as you’d like.

 

The world of men’s luxury perfumes in India is thriving, and with the convenience of online shopping, finding your signature scent has never been easier. Whether you gravitate toward the fresh, invigorating notes of Acqua di Parma or the rich, opulent blends of Tom Ford, there is a luxury fragrance out there that reflects your unique style and personality. Make your pick, and let your fragrance do the talking!

[perfumania]

Dive into the Deep: Unveiling the Power of Versace Dylan Blue Pour Homme

Versace Dylan Blue Pour Homme isn't just a cologne; it's an olfactory journey into the heart of the Mediterranean. This captivating fragrance for men embodies strength, sensuality, and a touch of mystery, making it a perfect choice for the modern adventurer.

Versace Dylan Blue boasts several benefits. Its long-lasting formula ensures a scent that lingers for hours, leaving a confident and sophisticated trail. The fragrance utilizes a unique blend of high-quality ingredients, creating a complex and intriguing aroma that evolves throughout the day.  Furthermore, Versace Dylan Blue is designed to empower the wearer, exuding an air of masculinity and charisma.

Versace doesn't offer various "types" of Dylan Blue, but the single fragrance profile caters to a wide range of personalities. The top notes open with a refreshing burst of aquatic accords, invigorating bergamot, and juicy grapefruit. As the fragrance unfolds, the heart reveals a touch of spice with black pepper and papyrus, balanced by the earthy elegance of violet leaf and patchouli. Finally, the base settles into a warm, masculine embrace with musky notes, tonka bean, and a hint of saffron.

To maximize the effect of Versace Blue Cologne, apply it strategically. Target pulse points like the wrists, inner elbows, and neck. These areas naturally generate warmth, which helps the fragrance project and last longer. Pro tip: Apply the cologne right after showering onto slightly damp skin, as this allows the fragrance to better adhere. Avoid rubbing wrists together, as it can break down the fragrance molecules.

For a guaranteed authentic Versace Dylan Blue experience, look no further than Perfumania.com. This trusted online retailer offers a wide variety of men's fragrances, including Versace Dylan Blue.  Detailed descriptions and customer reviews on Perfumania.com allow you to make an informed decision before purchasing. With their secure platform and efficient delivery system, you can experience the allure of Versace Dylan Blue from the comfort of your home.

So, if you're seeking a fragrance that reflects your strength, confidence, and undeniable charm,  consider Versace Dylan Blue Pour Homme.  With its long-lasting appeal, captivating aroma, and ease of use, it's the perfect companion for the modern man.For more info please visit: -https://perfumania.com/products/versace-dylan-blue-eau-de-toilette-for-men

[rebeccaheyman]

Are you ready to feel All The Feels? (Hint: Get ready!)

Review: All The Feels by Olivia Dade (26 Oct 2021, Avon)

The hallmark of Olivia Dade's work is a powerful combination of humor, heart, emotional intelligence, and steamy, joyful, body-positive sex -- and ALL THE FEELS delivers big on all fronts. I devoured this novel in a single day (even though I didn't want it to end). While ALL THE FEELS can be read as a standalone title, foundational character work on both protagonists is worked into Dade's 2020 release, SPOILER ALERT. My enjoyment of this latest title came as much from its own merit as the feeling I was visiting old friends; Dade's use of intertext (text chains, scripts, blog posts, fanfics) neatly builds a world in three dimensions that fans new or returning will feel at home in.

Alex Woodroe's loud, loquacious charm is the ultimate challenge to Lauren Clegg's stern, self-possessed demeanor, but these two opposites find more than attraction when they're thrown together. If you love a grump/sunshine trope, this is definitely a book you'll celebrate. Alex and Lauren share a deep, innate understanding of one another that defies either's expectations -- and challenges them both to confront, at long last, the limiting beliefs that have kept them from being truly happy.

There's so much to love about Olivia Dade's writing: the rejection of toxic masculinity and normalization of cinnamon roll heroes; sex-positive representation for fat women; nuanced character histories that have abiding impacts on present-day thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes; happily ever afters that feel earned, rather than awarded. I absolutely loved this title and will listen to it on audio the moment it's available. Another five-star read from a must-read author!

[dweemeister]

Movie Odyssey Retrospective

Cinderella (1950)

In the first few decades of Walt Disney Productions’ (now Walt Disney Animation Studios) existence, the studio veered perilously between periods of feast and famine. The success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Dumbo (1941), and the modestly-budgeted films of the package era kept the studio afloat despite Walt Disney’s occasionally disastrous business instincts and rotten luck due to World War II cutting off European audiences. With WWII concluded, Disney’s propaganda commitments to the federal government and tightened budgets were no more. With the exception of the aftermath from the release of The Black Cauldron (1985), the studio’s survival has not been seriously endangered since. That is in large part because of the gamble that is Cinderella, directed by Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, and Wilfred Jackson.

Any rebirth for Disney animated features depended on Cinderella’s success. Not since Dumbo had so much been riding on one of the studio’s movies – especially now as Walt was dividing his attention between animation, live-action features, television, a preliminary plan to build a small play park, and collaborating with the FBI to root out suspected communists at his own studio. More later on Cinderella’s legacy (I think you, the reader, have an idea about what happened to the Disney studios after this), but the film was the fifth highest-grossing movie in North American theaters that year, ahead of Born Yesterday and behind Cheaper by the Dozen and Annie Get Your Gun. In various ways, Cinderella is among the most important movies in the Disney animated canon, even if it does little to nothing to elevate animation in cinema and contains issues that have metastasized in subsequent Disney animated features.

Decades before the Disney name became synonymous with fairy tales and princesses, the writing team assigned to Cinderella used Snow White as their template on this film. The opening minutes of Cinderella share much of Snow White’s alchemy: the opening of an ornate storybook, an orphaned young woman whose lot in life is to be a rag-wearing scullery maid, that same woman singing about dreams to an audience of animals that instinctively know of her kindness. What starts off too similarly like the second coming of Snow White then descends into an overstretched sequence of the animals’ tomfoolery (half the film is dedicated to the animals’ hijinks!).

Cinderella’s animals, unlike those in Snow White, are fully anthropomorphic – they wear clothes, converse with Cinderella in their high-pitched squeak-talking, tiptoe around the obviously villainous cat named Lucifer, and make fools of themselves to entertain the youngest set. In the opening minutes, Cinderella squanders its serviceable musical opening for vapid hilarity as it unlearns the lessons that began with Snow White and reached its apotheosis with Bambi (1942). In works where animals live alongside humans, animal side characters serving as comic relief are most effective and timeless when they behave like animals, not humans. Disney’s animated canon has been hampered by this development – one codified by Cinderella and, in its foulest iterations in recent decades (e.g. 2005′s Chicken Little), originates from commercial, not artistic, decision-making. The excessive screentime for the animals in the film’s opening third and especially the heavily gender-coded dialogue and behavior by the mice – “Leave the sewing to the women!” – is enough to eject Cinderella from the upper echelons of the Disney animated canon.

In my review to Snow White, I wrote that the writing of female characters in Disney’s animated canon films reflects the writers’ understanding of gendered roles in their respective times. Cinderella expressly looked to Snow White for inspiration after two decades where the Great Depression and World War II upended traditional gender norms. In the 1930s and ‘40s, thousands of American women found themselves in traditionally male occupations, altering – if only for a time – popular beliefs about what might be considered masculine or feminine behavior. Over in Burbank at the Disney studios, its departments were segregated by gender (its ink and paint department was solely staffed by women, and there were no significant clusters of women elsewhere in the studio) – insulating it from this phenomenon.

As if foreshadowing the gender-conforming atmosphere of the 1950s, it should not be a surprise that Cinderella cannot envision women beyond a vessel for marriage or a homemaker. With an eye towards a prince to sweep her away from her stepmother and stepsisters, an interesting protagonist Cinderella does not make. And with Cinderella not showcasing as much of her personality as Snow White did, she feels far more inert as a character than her predecessor. However, comparable to Snow White, Cinderella’s life has been one of deprivation and a lack of healthy human interaction – one without quarter, love from others. Knowing little else about life beyond her scullery duties, it is easy to see why she holds such retrograde beliefs for her own salvation.

Cinderella’s rough beginning is nevertheless the prelude to its visual wonderment. The visuals in animated feature films are the collaborative work of hundreds – credited or otherwise – of animators, background artists, character designers, painters, inbetweeners, cinematographers, and more. Sometimes, one particular artist wields an influence that extends across an entire feature. In the correct set of circumstances, they set an aesthetic that alters the artistic direction of animated films for an entire national film industry or a single studio. For Cinderella, its visual beauty is set by its backgrounds. Tyrus Wong’s background art defined Bambi a decade earlier; here, it is Mary Blair’s work that defines Cinderella.

Blair, a modernist whose style fit the films at United Productions of America (UPA; a breakaway studio which was founded by striking Disney animators) better than Disney, had been working at the studio since 1940. She worked through the package films era and on two live-action/animation hybrids in Song of the South (1946) and So Dear to My Heart (1948). But it is Cinderella where Blair’s style – flat, graphic, abstract – is the dominant force of the film. Blair’s buildings and their arches shoot upwards, supported by architecturally impossible reed-thin columns, making rooms cavernous and façades larger than life. The sprawl of these interiors suggests not only the fantastical atmosphere that this fairy tale inhabits, but the grandiosity of Cinderella’s story. The vertical frames of Blair’s buildings are elegant and abstract, never intimidating, as if hailing from a children’s storybook. With the exception of when Cinderella is dancing with (and fleeing) Prince Charming, blues, whites, and sometimes muted greens dominate the scenes of her regal desires – as if shimmering in moonlight.

In character design, three men – all part of the “Nine Old Men�� fraternity – served as supervising animators for Cinderella. I find Cinderella’s character design plainly uninteresting, but it is how she moves that will leave awestruck this film’s most vocal detractors. Marc Davis (the three principal animated characters in Song of the South, Alice in 1951’s Alice in Wonderland); Eric Larson (Peter Pan in 1953’s Peter Pan, Mowgli and Bagheera in 1967’s The Jungle Book); and Les Clark (1928’s Steamboat Willie, 1961’s One Hundred and One Dalmatians) made heavy use of rotoscoping in their attempts to animate Cinderella. Rotoscoping, developed by Max Fleischer (and made exclusive to Fleischer Studios by patent from 1915-1934), involves an animator tracing the movements over projected live-action footage as opposed to animating something from scratch or some other form of reference. As an animator traces over the footage, they may add a personal flourish – a delay or embellishment of movement – in the process. For animating humans, adhering completely to human movement via Rotoscope results in footage that looks stilted, as if hailing from a different universe than one created for an animated film. For Davis, Larson, and Clark, there hardly is a scene where Cinderella is not benefitting from rotoscoping. The rotoscoped animation allows Cinderella to move more fluidly than any human character drawn by the Disney animators at this point in the studio’s history. Whether she is scrubbing the floors, waltzing with her animal friends or Prince Charming, or making herself scarce before the stroke of midnight, there is a majestic grace to her movement – and yes, that includes the moment where she loses her glass slipper.

The less cartoonish a character acts in Cinderella, the more they are rotoscoped. So alongside Cinderella, Prince Charming and especially stepmother Lady Tremaine – the latter’s supervising character animator was Frank Thomas (an animator for the Seven Dwarfs on Snow White, supervising animator for Tod and Copper on 1981’s The Fox and the Hound) – are the two other characters heavily rotoscoped in the film. Lady Tremaine’s imposing posture and manner of dress gifts her a wordless authority over everyone residing in the Tremaine château. In contrast to Cinderella’s stepsisters – characters who act and look in ways that one might expect in a bawdy animated short film – her stern demeanor, realistically angled long face, and deliberate movements effuse opportunism, menace, spite. Lady Tremaine’s appearance, in respect to how much it contributes to the film, is a pronounced upgrade from the Queen in Snow White. She relates a spectacular amount of characterization in just a glance, a scowl. Yet, Lady Tremaine’s darkly charismatic character design would only be the appetizer to even more iconic villainous designs to appear later that decade.

The incidental score by Oliver Wallace and Paul J. Smith is dominated by quotations from the songs, and is not nearly as independent from the soundtrack as previous Disney animated canon scores. For the first time in a Disney animated feature, the studio looked outside its Burbank campus for its songwriters. Looking towards Tin Pan Alley, Disney hired Mack David (the title songs to 1959’s The Hanging Tree, 1963’s It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World); Al Hoffman (“Papa Loves Mambo”, “A Whale of a Tale” from 1954’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea); and Jerry Livingston (the title songs to The Hanging Tree, 1965’s Cat Ballou). Cinderella possesses a wonderful musical score, headlined by “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes”, “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo”, and “So This is Love” – ignoring “The Work Song” (squeak-sung by the mice in something that set a precedent for Alvin and the Chipmunks), of course.

One of these, obviously, is unlike the others. “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo”, sung by the Fairy Godmother (voiced by Verna Felton, who voiced the Elephant Matriarch and Mrs. Jumbo in Dumbo and, over the 1950s, became a Disney voice cast regular), is an exuberant frolic, and easily one of the best songs with nonsense lyrics in film history. Nonsense and novelty songs in Hollywood typically wear out their welcome, running a minute or more longer than they should. Clocking in at roughly one minute, the Fairy Godmother performs her magic, and promptly whisks Cinderella away to Prince Charming’s ball by song – a musical exemplar in narrative brevity.

Thirteen years following Snow White, Cinderella benefits from advances in recording technology and a richer – if not necessarily fuller – orchestral sound. Ilene Woods was primarily a radio singer, and her voice’s timbre is suited to play Cinderella. “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” parallels Snow White’s “I’m Wishing” in its exceptionally early placement and nowadays-formulaic function. But it is a serviceable introduction to Cinderella as a character, even with no specific dream mentioned in the lyrics. Sung with Mike Douglas (as Prince Charming), “So This is Love” is a dreamy duet, a waltz that musically defies a typical waltz. Waltzes, in ¾ time, usually have a pulse that even those not versed in music can “feel”. That pulse is usually on the downbeat, the “1”. Yet “So This is Love” generally begins its phrases and pulses on the “and” of the second beat (as one would count a measure as: “1 and 2 and 3 and”). The song’s frequent use of slurred notes, even fermatas, gives it its romantic flow and dramatic ebbs. This is an unconventional waltz, one that resists categorization and a song that would have been quite difficult to compose – despite its outwards simplicity.

Walt Disney appreciated the financial cushion that Cinderella provided (funding for the project met fierce resistance from his brother and the company’s CEO, Roy), and never truly worried about funding issues after the film’s release. The funds from Cinderella were injected across the company: for feature animation, live-action narrative features, the True-Life Adventures nature documentary series, Disney’s eventual television presence, and into purchasing a tract of orange groves in Anaheim. As for Cinderella itself, Walt could see the artistic shortcuts (rotoscoping included) in most every frame. It was no Snow White, he thought to himself. And though this 1950 adaptation was technologically superior in every way from the 1922 silent Laugh-O-Gram* short based on the same story, there seemed to be no artistic fulfillment for Walt in this Cinderella’s success.

Cinderella heralds the start of the Disney studios’ “Silver Age” – the second half of Walt Disney’s tenure as the creative ringleader at his namesake studio. Various film writers will provide conflicting definitions for these periods in Disney animation history. According to this blog, the Silver Age (1950-1967) is named as such due to the cessation of the package films and the return of more traditional animated features, Walt retreating from his once-omnipresent role in the artistic decision-making for those animated features, and the limited animation of the 1960s. However, the Silver Age is also the beginning of the studio consciously crafting large portions of these movies (if not the entire movie) explicitly for children. This is not to say films specifically for children are not worthwhile – Dumbo being a prime example. But to introduce characters, plot devices, and humor geared for children at the expense of the film’s storytelling or thematic resonance to viewers of all ages is the Disney studios at its most cynical and business-minded. These trends – that are not solely the fault of any single film – have persisted into modern animation, and are artistically incompatible with Disney’s Golden Age animated features. Those cynical trends are absent in the next Disney animated feature – an adaptation of a Lewis Carroll work that embraces a tsunami of colors and its own looniness.

To audiences in North America who had not seen a non-package animated feature in almost a decade and to war-weary audiences abroad reintroducing themselves to Disney films, Cinderella must have been an astonishing work after episodically-structured movies without a natural through line. In this Silver Age, Walt Disney and his animators would define the studio’s hallmarks – princesses, fairy tales, comic relief intended for children inserted for non-artistic reasons, and the distinctive visual style of artists like Mary Blair. Cinderella is the genesis for these developments. The Silver Age’s most innovative, accomplished work would still be several years away.

My rating: 7/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found in the “Ratings system” page on my blog (as of July 1, 2020, tumblr is not permitting certain posts with links to appear on tag pages, so I cannot provide the URL).

* Founded in 1921 by Walt Disney, The Laugh-O-Gram studio was located in Kansas City, Missouri, and was the short-lived predecessor of the modern-day Walt Disney Animation Studios. Alongside future animation industry stalwarts Ub Iwerks, Hugh Harman, Rudolf Ising, and Friz Freleng, the Laugh-O-Gram studios made short animated silent films. Many of these films were based on fairy tales – including Cinderella (1922).

For more of my reviews tagged “My Movie Odyssey”, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.

This is the twentieth Movie Odyssey Retrospective. Movie Odyssey Retrospectives are reviews on films I had seen in their entirety before this blog’s creation or films I failed to give a full-length write-up to following the blog’s creation. Previous Retrospectives include 12 Angry Men (1957), Oliver! (1968), and Jingle All the Way (1996).

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

New Audio: Mila Degray Returns with Confessional and Hook-Driven "Two Bridges"

New Audio: Mila Degray Returns with Confessional and Hook-Driven "Two Bridges" @MilaDegray @planetarygroup @heygroover @romainpalmieri @DorianPerron

Mila Degray is a Broward County, FL-born singer/songwriter and actor. Inspired by the likes of Pretty Sick, Alex G. and Melanie Martinez, Degray’s pairs brutally honest lyrics with a sound that blends elements of indie rock, alt rock, bubblegum grunge, streetgaze and pop rock. Her work reminds the listener that there’s power in self-discovery and vulnerability.  Last month, I wrote about…

[absolutebl]

Top 10 BLS Featuring Grown Up Characters

Here are some of my favorite BLs that feature mature characters with adult problems. Of course the definition of “mature” is pretty culturally specific but I did my best. 

1. Old Fashion Cupcake 

Japan, Viki & GaGa  

This show had me from the moment they broke the egg yolk with the chopsticks in the opening credits for episode one. It’s about a younger man with a long cherished crush on his boss (ten years older and going through a mid life crisis) who decides to save and seduce said man with pancakes. It’s wholesome, comforting, sexy, and a very necessary narrative about still having hope, interests, and openness to affection at any age. It’s coming of age/queerness packaged in a subtle critique of expectations around masculinity and love and loneliness... and it’s beautiful. Full review here. 

2. To My Star (movie) 

Korea, Viki 

It’s is a touch quirky to get into, but utterly charming once it hits its stride. This is the ultimate grumpy/sunshine pairing plus the most appealing light-filled kitchen of our dreams. Full review here. 

3. My Ride 

Thailand, GaGa 

Thai BL grew up with this pulp - a truly lovely and special little show featuring the extremely rare pairing of sunshine/sunshine AKA a cinnamon roll couple. Mature explorations of relationships using one of the softest, sweetest and most innocent friends to lovers vehicles. Kindly, overworked doctor meets broken-hearted motorcycle taxi driver in an “other side of the tracks” slow burn romance. The support cast is excellent, making for great friendship groups and family dynamics. With honest queer rep that adds to, but doesn’t impede the story, and genuine conversation about the nature of class, wealth, and classism, not to mention communication, honesty, and respect for boundaries, you can’t go wrong with this show. In other news, I am a sucker for a single dimple. Full review here. 

4. Be Loved In House: I Do 

Taiwan, Viki 

Cute classy office set BL with a few plot raised eyebrows, but no other concerns, plus ALL THE TROPES and a general sweet softness that’s pretty rare from Taiwan, who usually prefer to go hard. Full review here. 

5. Mr Cinderella 

AKA Chàng Lọ Lem - Vietnam, YT

Higher production values and experienced BL actors plus two charismatic smoldering leads with good kissing and comfortable body language makes this Vietnam’s objectively best BL to date. But it’s Vietnam, so for me the characters aren’t exactly mature. Full review here. 

6. Like In The Movies 

AKA Gaya Sa Pelikula - Pinoy, YT 

Karl runs short of funds and ends up becoming housemates with Vald an out and proud chaos gay. This leads Karl into an identity crisis and journey of self discovery. This kind of forced proximity trope is really common in BL, but what Gaya does is handle it in a messy honestly queer way. It includes Vlad’s attitude in response to Karl’s shaken behavior, and the frustration many out queers feel in this exact situation. 

7. Cherry Magic 

AKA 30 Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard AKA 30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii - Japan, Crunchyroll & Indie Subbed

The sweetest fluffiest magical realism BL, packaged as a pinning office romance, very low heat (practically chaste) but the cutest. Of all the ones on this list is dithered a bit over this one, oh it's great but it is a bit slapstic and camp and I wouldn't necessarily call the relationships grown up. A couple of the characters are pretty immature. Full review here. 

8. A Tale of Thousand Stars 

Thailand, YT 

With great casting and cinematography this drama nods at BL tropes but manages to elevate them (and itself) with a strong mature story concept about a spoiled rich kid who gets a heart transplant and becomes a teacher it order to pay out survivor’s guilt. On the way he falls in love with a local park ranger and contends with his own classism and escapist tendencies. Everyone seemed to perfectly suit their roles and GMMTV made the most out of its stable. Combined with excellent production (and post production) values, 1000 Stars is without question GMMTV’s most mature, charming, and smart BL series. I think it should go down as one of the top BLs of all time. I feel safe recommending this one to friends and non BL watchers. 

9. Wish You: Your Melody in My Heart (movie) 

Korea, Netflix

Set in the music industry featuring a talented singer and the pianist who falls in love with him (and his music), subtle and achingly adorable. 

10. Oh! Boarding House 

Korea, Viki 

Spoiled rich kid in financial straights has to manage a boarding house full of quirky characters including: bratty cousin, wacko writer, adorable bestie with a crush, and the new hot jock (love interest). All in all, this show ended up being A LOT better than I expected. It was uneven in its attempt to reconcile early sitcom style with a serious love triangle and genuine romance but the quality of the performances and the kind and honest treatment of the characters make it definitely worth watching (you just need to get through the first few eps while it finds its legs). Full review here. 

MORE FROM KOREA

Nobleman Ryu's Wedding - grey 

Behind Cut - Viki 

My Sweet Dear - Viki 

The Tasty Florida - Viki 

Ocean Likes Me - Viki 

You Make Me Dance - Viki (one character is in college but doesn’t really act that way) 

MORE FROM TAIWAN

See You After Quarantine? - Viki

Plus & Minus - Viki

MORE FROM JAPAN 

Restart After Come Back Home AKA Risutato wa tadaima no ato de - grey 

There’s actually quite a bit of Japanese office set stuff, I just don’t like most of it. 

Honorable Mention 

Love is Science? - Taiwan, Viki 

Mark and Ouwen have got to be one of my all time favorite side couples. LIS? is a noona romance with added mature het couple as well as these two, mostly interwoven. So that's a big buy in for just side BL, but this is Taiwan so everything is a touch quirky and the BL boys are beautiful, earnest, and high heat. They rep for one of Taiwan's favorite dynamics: the bisexual himbo + the confident gay, but these two are just LOVELY, plus tiny queer family! 

Word of Honor - Chinese bromance Viki & YouTube 

I don’t rec Chinese stuff often, because I believe in censoring the censors, but this show is one of my favorite of the post 2016 censored bromances. It’s two murderY assassins, and they are so effing gay for two boys who will never be allowed to kiss. 

What Zabb Man! - Thailand, YouTube 

WZM was better than we have any right to expect with decent pacing and a foodie theme threaded through the narrative as both love language and plot driver. Basically CEO falls in love with a street vendor’s food, recruits him to work in his hotel, falls in love with him, and that’s the beginning. Class struggles! Kitchen drama! Papaya pounding (not a euphemism)! Chef poaching (not literally)! Spicy scenes (yes literally)! It’s all so delicious. Full review here. 

Some More - Korea, GaGa 

One of my favorite of Korean queer house Strongberry’s shorts, one character is kinda in college (but it’s not important). It’s worth every second of your time.  

Like this?

BL’s NOT set in High School or University 

High Heat BLs list (mature content rather than mature characters) 

11 BLs with the BEST Chemistry 

from an ask from @stilessderek dated Aug 2022, not responsible for awesome maturity after that date. But you should leave a comment about it. 

(source) 

[multimetaverse]

Jamie Johnson 5x05 Review

If you were a fan of Andi Mack or Doafp you should check out the pretty great British show Jamie Johnson which just launched a coming out story line for one of its main characters and covers a bunch of other important issues. Let’s dig in!

My reviews will feature spoilers from throughout the series and if you’d like to watch the story from the start there are only 3 eps in the 1st season, 10 in the 2nd and 3rd, and 13 in the 4th and 5th with casting and writing already underway for a 6th season. All the eps are available on the CBBC website if you live in Britain or have a VPN. You can also contact @tkstrand for access to the eps (just don’t tell Scotland Yard). A big thanks to Mike for introducing me and so many others to Jamie Johnson and single-handedly starting the fandom. I highly recommend watching all the eps from the start; Jamie Johnson is a very charming show that tackles a lot of important issues in the guise of being a show about soccer and the show has gotten better each season and the writing shows no signs of stalling or declining. The acting does start off really rough in S1 but has improved markedly and some of the actors are very talented though overall the acting is closer in quality to a show like GMW or No Good Nick than Andi Mack or Doafp. In fairness, a big reason for that is that the show has to spend so much time on soccer games and practices and the kids are actually pretty good players; so good in fact that for S4 the actors actually entered the 2018 Gothia cup in Sweden and did extremely well. Jamie Johnson is in many ways a British Andi Mack but with a British Gary Marsh who is much less of a censoring shithead and a British Terri Minsky and crew who are better and more consistent writers

Tonight was a big night for reformed bully and star soccer player Dillon Simmonds. He’s the closest analogue to TJ Kippen the show has though unlike TJ he’s a main character and has been in the show right from the pilot; in some eps he even gets the 2nd credit after Jamie. 5x05 was in many ways a callback to 4x05 which was the first ep that had subtext for gay Dillon. 4x05 also introduced most of the characters who will play a big role in Dillon’s coming out story line: Ruby Osborne, her biological sister Alba, her foster moms who are a married lesbian couple, Dillon’s younger brother Liam, and Dillon’s father. S4 is really when Dillon Simmonds becomes a hashtag good boy and his arc is focused on him getting out from his Father’s incessant pressure to go pro though there is some delicious gay subtext in eps 4x11-13

The show’s always been good at setting up plot points in advance, like Dillon’s diabetes, Wozza’s ADHD, and Duncan Jones’ shadyness, but those plots were set up and then addressed all in the same season. I don’t think it’s that surprising that the gay story line is the exception. It’s very likely that the writers didn’t intend Dillon to be gay until they set out to write S4 and they likely didn’t have full permission to go ahead with it until S5. It’s also likely that their original plan for exploring Dillon’s sexuality was going to involve Ruby trying to act on her crush on Dillon; 4x13 set that up and then in 5x01 Ruby tells Zoe out of nowhere that she’s over Dillon and only sees him as a brother and wouldn’t you know it, she doesn’t even think Dillon looks at girls in a romantic way!

Thankfully the show is going in a much better direction with the introduction of Elliot. He’s already been fleshed out with a personality and hobbies like astronomy and magic (for his next trick he’s going to make Dillon’s heterosexuality disappear). I was shocked at how flirty the Delliot scenes this ep were, not just because they were gay scenes but also because the show really has not had these kind of scenes before for any of the straight characters either. Even Jamie hasn’t had more than pretty clear hints that he likes Jack and wants to be with her. I don’t know if it’s because the show is targeted towards an audience of young men or if there’s a cultural difference across the pond but there’s consistently been very little romance of any kind throughout the series. If this had been an American series, there’s no way that Jamie wouldn’t have had at least one girl he went on a date with or something, even if it was only a brief thing. It’s refreshing in some ways and it means that the show has to look elsewhere for drama and angst

Dillon is obviously drawn to Elliot and thinks he’s cool but he has quite the reaction when he learns that Elliot is gay. He runs to tell Ruby that she needs to cut it out with Elliot because he’s gay which is clumsy writing because Zoe had just told him that Ruby told her that Elliot is not in fact her new boyfriend but is her new gay foster brother. They obviously needed to show Dillon’s strong reaction to the news but also needed a way to come off as kind of homophobic but my own theory is that Dillon wanted to make sure Ruby didn’t waste her time pursuing a gay guy like Sienna Jones had wasted her time trying to pursue Dillon in S4. As the show hasn’t really focused much on romance I’m not expecting much to come of Delliot especially since they have a built in escape hatch with Elliot only being in care until his mom is out of hospital but I am looking forward to what happens with them this season and what will happen with Dillon in the remaining seasons this show has

I think this was the least that Jamie has been in any ep. One thing I really like about this show is that they’re not afraid to have main characters miss an ep or two unlike American shows that usually have to have mains appear in every ep even if there’s no actual story for them. From the S5 trailer it looks like Jamie will get really into e-gaming while his broken leg heals after he was accidentally run over on his 16th birthday by his deadbeat dad Ian Reacher. I would assume that Jamie eventually gets back into real soccer but it does promise a lot of drama between Jamie and grandpa Mike who has always been Jamie’s staunchest supporter

Duncan ‘’Big Dunk’’ Jones, former pro soccer player turned silver fox and head of Phoenix FC, took a big step forward in redeeming himself for trying to scuttle Jamie’s career with Hawkstone by appointing Jamie’s mom Karen as the new head of wellness which fits with the CBBC announcement that S5 would in part focus on mental health

Alba once again lost her cool during a game. It’s clear that a lot of her anger issues stem from feelings of abandonment as well as the constant uncertainty and rapid changes she’s experienced as a foster child. The show has always been good at showing how what’s going on with the children in their home lives affects them at school and on the pitch, like Jamie acting out because of his dad walking out on the family and Dillon being a bully to try and fit into the role his dad wants him to play. It’s very interesting that they’re now bringing back Liam Simmonds to begin his redemption arc as he was the first to make Alba lose her cool by attacking her foster moms at his father’s instigation way back in 4x05

To the show’s credit, they’ve always been firm in showing how awful bullying and homophobia are and all the soccer teams in the series have shown a zero tolerance policy for it. It’s a different world in many ways from North America, I couldn’t imagine an American show about football or even a Canadian show about Hockey that would plausibly show a zero tolerance policy for bullying and homophobia

Looking Ahead:

Next ep features Liam’s return to Phoenix FC after Alba accepts his apology for his homophobia. His redemption arc will be interesting to watch especially as it;s certain to tie in to Dillon having to face up to his father who is the avatar of toxic masculinity and homophobia. Perhaps it will take Liam defending his brother to make his father see the errors of his ways

Not sure who will take over coaching the U14′s now that Mike has said he’ll be stepping aside

Zoe faces another talented black player who she clearly does not respond well to. Zoe has always been hyper competitive and worried about losing her place to another female player which in part stems from the stress she’s under as her ill mothers primary carer. Good for Zoe for getting through to Howard Royle about Hawkstone lacking a women’s team

5x07 looks like it will be a huge ep for Dillon and Delliot and it seems likely that Dillon will snap after realizing that Ruby and Elliot think he’s homophobic and will come out to Elliot. Should be good

Until next week Jamie Johnsoner’s

[shortskirtsandsarcasm]

The Raven and the Reindeer Review

The Raven and the Reindeer is the November-December Mythtake book club read. I haven’t taken part in this book club before, but The Snow Queen, on which this book is based, is one of my favorite fairytales, so I decided to go along for the ride. The rough storyline is that two best friends, Gerta and Kay, live next door to each other, but Kay has a shard of cold, enchanted glass from a magical mirror embedded in his heart, which primes him to be susceptible to temptation from the Snow Queen. Kay follows the Snow Queen to her palace, and the community gives him up for dead, but Gerta is certain she can save him. She completes a hero’s journey style adventure to get Kay back from the Snow Queen and encounters various eccentric characters and challenges, including a talking raven. This review contains “spoilers” for the original story — don’t @ me, you have had 176 years to read it.

In preparation for reading this book, I reread The Snow Queen story in my Amazon Classics edition of Hans Christian Andersen’s stories. I think this is edition is either done by a different translator or is an abridged version, because The Snow Queen story and others in the collection were missing details that I remember from my well-loved edition that is currently residing in my parents’ garage in California. For example, the witch Gerta encounters at the beginning of her journey shrinks the rose bushes in her garden back into the ground, so that Gerta will not remember her quest to find her friend Kay, or that the rose bushes grow back, watered by Gerta’s tears when she cries about not being able to remember something important.

Similarly, the Robber Maiden character does not “tickle” Gerta with her knife, nor are there snowflake soldiers guarding the Snow Queen’s palace. The snowflake soldiers are my favorite detail from the story, and I am very sad they were not included in either this edition of Andersen’s stories or The Raven and the Reindeer. Where are the snowflake soldiers??? Bring these bad boys back.

Kingfisher takes several liberties with her retelling and the story is better for it. Gerta still believes that Kay is her soulmate, but also engages in a female-female romance somewhere along the way. The talking raven makes an appearance as well (duh, it’s in the title), and in this version, helps Gerta shape-shift. Exciting.

By expanding the parameters of the original story, Kingfisher can give the characters more depth and development. For example, in this version, Gerta thinks critically about her relationship with Kay, and how he displays toxic behavior (because of the evil glass in his heart, definitely not because of toxic masculinity and the patriarchy).

This makes Gerta reevaluate why she wants to save him in the first place, and if that will be worth it for her (and him). When they eventually do come back together, they will have a lot to talk through for their relationship going forward.

Kay is the only male character in the entire book, and he is a very passive character, so the narrative is female-driven. The exploration of old women is also a big part of the story and shows the different paths ahead for Gerta herself as she ages. The first witch she comes across (the one with, or rather without, the rosebushes) is obsessed with holding onto her relationship with Gerta and preventing her from leaving, much the way Gerta views her relationship with Kay.

Next on her adventure, Gerta meets a storyteller who agrees to help her in exchange for her story, so she can entertain her community. Gerta relays her adventure so far but warns that it is so bizarre that no one will believe it. The storyteller assures her it does not matter; that people are less interested in facts as much as feelings.

“No one wants true stories. They want stories with truth dusted over them, like sugar on a bun.”

Gerta’s entire motivation for her trek to the Snow Queen’s palace is her feelings for Kay, without regard for the realities of their relationship, including how Kay does not appreciate her as much as she deserves.

The next woman she encounters is the Robber Maidens grandmother, a grumpy woman who brags about her cannibalism like a totally normal person.

“Stop it,” said Janna, annoyed. “You ate a man once fifty years ago, and you relive it like it was your glory days.” “Everybody should eat somebody once,” said Nan. “Changes your mind about a lot of things. Aaha!”

Gerta views Nan as a “bad” person — possibly because of the cannibalism thing? Who can say — and projects her fears about her own future onto Nan. Gerta is worried she will grow to be lonely and embittered like Nan if she does not find her #soulmate Kay.

The last old woman Gerta encounters is Livli, a woman living presumably near or north of the Arctic Circle, whose secret knowledge of magic helps Gerta shapeshift. Livli is a morally neutral character who shows Gerta how to be self-reliant without being embittered, and by facilitating her literal shape-shifting, helps her “shape-shift” from childhood to adulthood. After this, Gerta can finally be comfortable with herself.

The addition of the characters of the otters who pull the Snow Queens sleigh was charming. It was almost enough to displace my displeasure about losing the snowflake soldiers…almost. The otter herd was cute and funny and was both an interesting obstacle, and eventually a helping influence. The portrayal of the otters as a single entity with many bodies enriched the “herd” vibe and enhanced the surreal comedy. Otters also sound very cute and I would love to have an otter herd as pets and travel everywhere by sleigh. Maybe “Snow Queen” is my dream job? Highly doubt I will be promoted in this economy, though.

To conclude, T Kingfisher’s acknowledgments section is possibly the best I have ever seen. I snort-laughed at the “Hans Christian Andersen was a weird dude,” opener. In continues

“Hans Christian Andersen. Wow. His idea of a happy ending is that everybody dies attended by angels (or if you are very very fortunate, in church with your feet cut off)…I have not the least doubt in the world that he would be utterly horrified at what I have done to the Snow Queen.”

LOL. I was delighted.

[shikai-the-storyteller]

WFC: Siege watch!

Part 1: Episodes 1, 2, and 3

[Part 2] (Linking because Tumblr isn’t even showing the post on my blog or on my dash 🙄)

As a side note: every single person in this fandom is horrible at tagging their spoilers, you guys really need to do a better job at that because I’ve got a bunch of blockers on and I was STILL almost spoiled multiple times. Come on you guys...it literally came out today, be better about this.

Alright going to try and keep expectations low because I feel like the target audience for this is G1 dudebros who take a series about transforming cars way too seriously, but I’m still cautiously optimistic because a friend vetted for the dudes working on this show so WE”LL SEE

Episode 1

Aw man there’s only 6 episodes??? Bummer, I wonder if they’re already working on Season 2 or if they’re going to see how this does and let it die in the water if it’s not popular enough.

Things I know going in: Skyfire / Jetfire is in this, Megatron has big lips, and Elita is in it. That’s literally it, I’ve managed to avoid spoilers thusfar (though a few of the promo images implied Skyfire’s a Decepticon, so you KNOW that’s gonna break bad eventually)

WHEELJACK Wednesday THURSDAY

OH MYG OSH IS THAT SKYWARP??? EXPECTATIONS ARE NOW SKY-HIGH

The transformation sequences look so reminiscent of those stop-motion videos people do of their Transformer toys transforming. This isn’t a dig at the animation style, I think that’s rather charming and I wonder if it’s intentional.

Wow Bumblebee sounds like a jerk. I’m instantly on-edge, please don’t make all the characters ~hyper-masculine mean guys who don’t know how to have fun or talk about their emotions~

“The Autobots aint paying you for attitude” YOU TELL HIM WHEELJACK

Yooo Velocitron exists!

Ahh so Bumblebee IS just a mercenary, not an Autobot

OHOHO HERE”S JETFIRE

Wow Jetfire you’re really going the bad dude route huh

Ayyyyyy there’s Starscream

YOOO THERE”S THUNDERCRACKER

Thundercracker I appreciate that you’re using fancy tech to identify wheeljack but his Autobot badge is literally Right There

WTF

WELL THAT DIDN”T LAST LONG HUH...that’s a bit disappointing

OH NVM THAT WASN”T A HEEL-TURN THAT WAS JUST A STRAIGHT UP “I”M THE BOSS” MOVE

huh so they’re making Skyfire the target of Starscream’s desire for power. hmm

WHY ARE YOU GUYS RUNNING JUST TRANSFORM INTO CARS unless they’re too low on energon to do it??

There he is...Mr. Big Lips

Well that’s a surprising take Megatron

Isn’t that Cybertron and Luna 1 in the sky though?? Are they on Cybertron rn or not??

Megatron’s voice is really throwing me off, if it weren’t for his helmet and color I’d really think that was Overlord

ITS TRUCK DAD

OHOHO HE SAID THE THING!!!!

Why does bumblebee have lips too

“What do you know of slavery?” Alright that line did make me go “OHHHH”

“Alpha Trion would be ashamed!” “Of us both, I think” ouch, but nice to see Alpha “Grandpa” Trion back in a series

Megatron PLEASE don’t say “I’m enjoying this, Prime” in that voice while I can hear Optimus groaning in the background

AYYY ELITAAAAAA

Why are the Seekers chasing these guys, who are running on foot, ON FOOT??? CHANGE INTO YOUR DANG ALT MODE

WHEELJACK SWORE

man I’m only like a few minutes in and I’m already bored. I’m going to watch the whole thing, but I feel like this is really lacking soul or personality so far. It very much feels like the script was written by people who aren’t familiar with these characters, so they’re writing them how they EXPECT them to sound, not writing them as they actually are. It’s more than a little disappointing, but this is only the first episode, so I’ll keep going and see if this is consistent throughout the series.

Oh man, just listening to Elita you can tell she was written by a dude. Oof.

There’s the Ark!

Dang everyone’s running low

Jeez Optimus and Elita wouldn’t just walk by all these injured Autobots!

And Optimus wouldn’t brush off his officers!! Agh!!!

YO Ultra Magnus!

Chromia!!!!!

oh my gosh is THAT Red Alert??

Hey where’s Ratchet though

Gosh the writing is so STIFF!!!! I can’t stand this, if I wasn’t a die-hard Transformers fan I would’ve bounced a few minutes ago

 It might also be the way the VAs pause between words, please speak normally, these constant pauses between words are frustrating

Ok but where the frick is Soundwave

“His arrogance I actually like” pfft

Annnnd here comes Ultra Magnus to accept the treaty on Prime’s behalf, where he’ll get held hostage and probably wind up beefing it.

Episode 2

SOUNDWAVE!!!! BABY

And Shockwave!!! 

YO SKYWARP ACTUALLY GOT A SPEAKING LINE

I want to know where Megatron got all this fabric for those stupid flags and where Ultra magnus got that cloak

Is. Is that Prowl with a weird paint job

Wow bad aim dude

Ultra Magnus you dummy....

Ok but if it was a battle then who were they fighting against???

Wow you’re really just gonna stand there and take that Magnus?

I know they’re on a time-crunch because they only have 6 episodes, but they have to do more to make me care about the characters. I’m inclined to care about them already because I’m familiar with the series and because as a stand-alone, even I’m like “Ok. So?” whenever new problems come up for them. I’m not invested!

Not to compare the two, because I feel like this entire liveblog will turn into a comparative essay, but Cyberverse got me invested in characters within the first episode! They were on an even TIGHTER time-crunch because their episodes were only 10 minutes, and yet they did a great job weaving a tight narrative and making good use of their time to tell a story and have characters charm the audience.

Optimus: Til All Are One Rodimus, coming out of nowhere: TIL ALL ARE ONE

WELL THAT”S NOT THE VOICE I WAS EXPECTING FOR SHOCKWAVE he sounds a bit reminiscent of his TFA version

What does de-rez mean

Ok but that’s assuming that this thing will automatically reprogram them?? Reformatting doesn’t automatically mean someone will turn into a Decepticon!

You know, there’s a lot of talking in the show but the dialogue doesn’t actually say a lot. It doesn’t reveal much about the characters or tell me who they are.

YOOO THERE”S SOUNDWAVE

AUDIO BOOB

It really annoys me that characters always pause after saying “I”. It’s always “I.........[long pause] rest of their sentence.”

what do you mean “Teams” Optimus there’s like 5 of you guys

I love you Soundwave!!!

Whoa wait was that Impactor in the background?

ughHHHHHH I HATE THAT MY BIGGEST PET PEEVE IS “what have you done?” SAID UTTERLY MONOTONE WHEN IT’S NOT EVEN A BIG DEAL!!! YOU CAN”T FLIP THAT LINE OUT WITHOUT ACTUALLY PUTTING IN THE FOOTWORK TO EARN IT!!! AGH!!!

Again, it feels very much like the writers read the wikipedia page for Transformers and maybe the first sentence of each character’s bio page and then wrote the entire script from there. It’s frustrating. I hate being so severe in my reviews because I hate dunking on my fellow writers because they don’t always have final say in what happens, but this is astonishingly poor writing.

Like, I can see what they’re TRYING to accomplish, but it feels like they whiff so badly.

YO IT IS IMPACTOR

oh thats Barricade that’s why I thought that was Prowl

Chromia!!!! My darling!!!! I can’t believe there’s only two girls in this show so far

Oh that’s Cog, I wasn’t sure if that was Beachcomber or what

Nice one Chromia

Oh is that Mirage?

Ugh ANOTHER WRITING PET PEEVE: Constantly having characters start to say something but then then their dialogue gets cut off. It’s fine if it’s once in a while but over and over it’s annoying

I also feel like a lot of the VAs lack...emotion. They don’t emphasize the lines. Like, “Get him into the repair bay” is one example. Depending on how you emphasize certain words in that sentence, you can infer a lot! Emotion, the state of mind of the character, etc. But when it’s delivered in such a bland way, it’s a bit like “ok whatever”, which is how I’m starting to feel about this whole show. This doesn’t go for all the VAs or all lines, but it’s consistent enough that my mind’s wandering.

RAVAGE??? RAVAGE???? RAVAGE?!?!?!??!?!

It was probably Bumblebee.

Not to be nitpicky but it should be “Neither we nor the Autobots”

The idea of reformatting is so stupid!!! It implies that Autobots and Decepticons are inherently different, which is stupid!! It’s so dumb WHY DO YOU GOTTA GO THAT ROUTE IT”S SO STUPID (ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY”RE TACKLING THE TOPIC OF OPPRESSION??? THEY”RE SAYING THEY”RE LITERALLY DIFFERENT SPECIES AND USING IT AS A PLATFORM TO SAY ONE GROUP IS INHERENTLY BETTER THAN THE OTHER. THAT SUCKS)

Episode 3

RATCHET!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lmao love your lipgloss Megatron

Ohh is Ratchet going to fix Impactor??

PROWL??? HE”S SO SHORT

Gosh please, please don’t have humans in this show

lmao Skyfire called Starscream a tool

RATCHET!!! :D

I’d like to see who was on the writing team of this show

Isn’t that Mirage?

YEAH THAT IS MIRAGE

Again with the sentences consistently being cut off....

Is that Sunstorm?

Points to Chromia and Mirage for showing the first bitof personality in this show.

Yooo Ratchet! Oof he’s not chummy with Prime huh

YOO CAMINUS EXISTS TOO

LMAO FEISTY GRANDPA

Oh Mirage come on

Actually no, don’t shut Impactor up he’s right

“I didn’t patch you up just so you could blow a valve here” *snorts*

Wouldn’t it be frickin hilarious if Magnus just popped open a panel and Minimus came out and just dipped outta there

lmao nice lightsaber Jetfire

LMAO “PULL THE TRIGGER MAGNUS”

JEEZ JUST PUNCH HIM RIGHT IN THE FACE WHY DON”T YOU 

Ratchet is the ONLY character they’ve given personality in this show so far.

Jeez Mirage cool your jets

Oh for frick’s sake Optimus be cool

Megatron please stop torturing your ex boyfriend

Ok but who did they rise against??? Were there Quintessons in this universe too?

oh come on you guys

Oh boy something tells me Skywarp isn’t going to survive the rest of this episode

Oh jk, Skyfire just let him go. Well alrighty then

I’m not sure how they found the Autobot base, they implied that it was because of Impactor but that doesn’t make sense

This post is getting long so I’m going to spit it between two posts

[christinaroseandrews]

Shy and scholarly William has been in love with the now newly-widowed Amelia since they were children. He wanted to make an offer for her when he was still at University but for whatever reason didn't and she married a man old enough to be her grandfather. Now that she's come out of her mourning, he has his chance... assuming his awkwardness and preternatural ability to say just the wrong thing at the wrong time don't get in his way. Maybe dressing up as a dashing highwayman at a costume ball will do the trick?

Beautiful and brilliant Amelia has always loved William. She finds his scholarly bent and love of antiquities charming rather than off-putting, it's why at Lord and Lady Melbourne's masquerade ball in 1794 she decides to dress as Cleopatra. Unfortunately, too many other men get the wrong idea setting the stage for misunderstanding and conflict.

This is a short read with charming characters which unfortunately suffers from a bit of a pacing problem and a historical easter egg problem. Like seriously I spent much of the book trying to pin down the time period since it definitely wasn't typical regency which the cover suggests. Like when I first thought it had been pinned down, it wasn’t. The author kept dropping easter egg after easter egg to the point where it became a fourth wall break because I had to readjust my thinking each time a new tidbit of information was added. JUST ADD THE DATE AT THE BEGINNING AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE!!!

It was only in the author's note at the end when I got an actual date. The book suffers from too much name dropping of various highwaymen, prominent historical figures, and places. In fact there's a whole section in the beginning where William and his friends argue over which highwayman they are which goes on for way too long and is way too confusing.  Like I get it, you want to include all of the research that you did into your novel. But take it from me, don’t. First off, if you make one little mistake it throws the whole of the book into disarray. And the author did make a mistake (mostly related to the first Lord and Lady Melbourne) as well as stating that it was alternatively hot and cold at night. It’s only hot at night in England in July and August... and the season is well over then. (Pro-tip to authors: The London Season generally took place January to mid-June and followed when Parliament was in sesson. It rarely ran later. The Little Season ran from Late September to November. It didn’t take place over the heat of summer (because plague and sickness) and it didn’t happen in December. This has been your random info portion of the review.)

There were things I liked in this.

I really really liked William with his perpetual foot-in-mouth syndrome. He was adorable. And sweet. And I wanted to pet him on the head like the confused puppy that he was. I got hints that William might be on the Autism spectrum but considering that the diagnosis didn't exist in the Late Georgian Period there's no clear way to be certain. I also liked that he was most definitely a beta hero. No alpha asshole posturing and toxic masculinity from him.  It was a refreshing change of pace.

Seriously. I am so sick of alpha assholes. Can we please chuck toxic masculinity out of romance in 2020? Please?

I also really loved Amelia. She's fun and intelligent and kind. I loved that she generally got herself out of her predicaments and didn't need a man to save her. She was quick-witted and a lovely foil to the many TSTL heroines who populate regencies. Like trust me, I love it when women get themselves out of predicaments. I love it when they solve problems that the hero creates. Can we get more of this please?

Frankly I wanted more of William and Amelia's story.

Unfortunately while things end happily, the story doesn't feel complete. The whole thing takes place over a single night but there's a lot that goes on. (To the point where the timing doesn’t work but I’m going to let it go.) The ending was rushed. It’s implied that the leads are going to get together, but it’s a solid happy for now and not a true HEA. Worse, a secondary conflict was introduced but not resolved (I suspect it will carry over the rest of the series) which led to the feeling of incompleteness.

In all, this is a decent novella with a few rough spots. It's not a bad read. And I really really loved the leads. And for that I give this:

Three Stars

If this is your jam, you can get it here.

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