#my own book series is my favorite series and I think that's pretty sexy of me

[lost-in-beacon-hills]

I think at this point everyone has different opinions on each of the Districts and honestly I love that. It's so fun to read people's thoughts.

(I'm sure I'm not the first person to think or say this but) I have a theory on why District One/Two win so many of the games beyond just being Volunteers in a game full of people going in blind.

It's something I've thought heavily about and even incorporated into my own fanfics.

But District One, I think, they win by raising their volunteers to be pretty. They train them to fight, yes, but I think they pull sponsors by making their kids "sexy." In both the book and movie, Glimmer is heavily sexualized. In the book, she's in a sheer gown that shows everything. In the movie, they tone it down but still show quite a bit of her body during the interview. Even the two victors we get to hear a little more about (Cashmere and Gloss) are mentioned to be pretty. Despite being a sibling duo, they're incredibly popular within the Capitol.

But even after they get 'popular' they don't turn down their attractiveness. She still dresses pretty with make up and smiles like she's been taught to do. He's still beefy and hot. You would think if they had any bodily autonomy they would start to tone themselves down in order to get away from the sex slavery.

I think sex appeal is what makes them a victor. Literally. People 'sponsor' them in the hopes of getting to fuck them. They get told that these people are who they're indebted to and most likely are forced into sex as a way to 'repay' them. Everyone says if Glimmer had won she would become the next Cashmere. Which is true. But no one points out how this is planned and a tactic that one consistently uses. Once they win they realize how fucked they are. They don't know they shouldn't want to win until it's over. It's too late to back out. Part of why Cashmeres life is devastating is because Gloss knew what was coming and he wanted better for her. But it happened away. And now they're stuck repaying the Capitol with their bodies.

In Two I think they raise fighters. They put all their effort into skill, endurance and survival. Out of all of the districts I think they do the best at giving them a chance. They make sure they send the best trained, the most skilled and the smartest. Clove is such a good example of this. She never missed her target. (Except for when Katniss moved the backpack making her miss). She was brilliant. Cato too. He was strong and a fantastic fighter. They only lost because the story demanded Katniss win. Hell there's so many moments where Katniss almost dies at their hands only to **magically** get away. (Thresh owing her, tracker jacker nest, not seeing her a few feet away) all of it. They weren't stupid meat heads. They were warriors. Children raised to kill.

I think they delbrately send plain victors. They don't want want to send "pretty" kids. They tone down any sort of beauty their tributes have. One of my favorite examples is Enobaria. She's pretty. And I think that's her downfall. It's mentioned in the series that she wins by ripping another tributes throat out with her teeth. (A popular theory is she was raped and used the very last thing she had in order to get away.) But she ends up getting her teeth filed down. While a lot of people think it was the Capitol, I believe it was her mentors. They filed them down, knowing she wouldn't be able to be raped again. I mean, who would have sex with her knowing one wrong move and you could be dead? She can bite your dick off in seconds if she wanted to. (Not to say she doesn't get booked) It would sway a lot of people away. I think much like Haymitch fighting against Katniss's breast implants, her mentors fought to get her teeth sharpened.

If they're able to I believe Two will alter the victors in order to make them less desirable. One plays it up, Two tones it down winning off skill and merit alone. Any sponsors they get isn't driven by sex.

It's why they win so much, and why the other districts have such a hard time getting sponsors.

I also think that District Four, the last of the career pack, has it's own way of creating victors. They send tributes like the rest but I think they do something different from the rest. My own headcanon is that they send orphans. It's fucked up but if I remember correctly they never mention Finnick having family.

I think they take the kids with nowhere else to go and put them in a training center. Whoever scores the best goes that year. Unluckily for Finnick, he was picked at 14. He was attractive, and part of me thinks Mags played into that to give him the advantage, thinking he didn't have family to leverage. It would have been fine, but then Annie happened. They use her as a control tactic.

I also think Finnick is the reason it was a one and done on leaning into the sex appeal. It fucked him over. Annie was pretty too but she wasn't used. (No one has ever said ah yes she's crazy let's just not rape her, fuckwads do it anyways.) But I think Mags learned from her mistake and played Annie down. Made her less pretty like they do in Two.

It's fucked. The entire system is fucked. But I think each 'career' district creates winners any way they can. No one in Four would volunteer they're disillusioned unlike one and two. So why not send the kids who have nothing, no one to come back to? In Two why not train them and maim them after to keep them safer? In One why not make them fuckable to win? They won't understand until its too late?

Maybe I've overthought this. Probably have. Idk. Just a thought.

[mermaidsirennikita]

So You'd Like to Fuck a Villain: Romance Novel Recommendations

Have you gotten caught up in a villain ship? Are you, perhaps, what might be called a villainfucker?

The issue with stanning for villains and wanting them to have romantic love and happiness and possibly group sex, is that they often don't. At least, not onscreen. Some of the most popular romantic ships, obviously, have been villain ships--Reylo spawned a wave of romance novelists (though, I might add, many do not actually write villain-centric romance novels, which is fine), Darklina powered no small part of Shadow and Bone's publishing success... and let's be real, the success of the soon-to-be-ill-fated-from-what-I'm-hearing TV show. On a darker level, Interview with the Vampire took off in no small part because people love the tainted love that is Louis and Lestat, where maybe? They're both villains? (Definitely more Lestat, but you know.)

You know what the great thing about a romance novel is? The villain has to get a happy ending. They just must. It's a rule. If a villain is a lead, the HEA is guaranteed (rhymes), or it's not a romance novel.

So, for Cupid's birthday, I'm recommending some of my favorite villainfucking romance novels. I just think that we deserve it.

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Wicked Villains by Katee Robert.

As you might guess, this series is in fact about villains getting their happy ending, full stop. And it does so by adapting Disney villain ships and placing them in a contemporary setting full of organized crime, sex clubs, and deals gone wrong. It is fun, it is campy, and it is very, very sexy. Check the trigger warnings (which Robert typically lists for each book on her website)--some of these do feature heavy BDSM and CNC.

The diversity of the pairings is so appreciated--while my favorite thus far is the first, Desperate Measures (Jafar/Jasmine with a mob wife "you killed my father" spin, for those curious) you get several triads (Hades/Hercules/Meg, Beast/Gaston/Belle, Ursula/Ariel/Eric, to name a few) and the ever-coveted sapphic Maleficent/Aurora moment. I don't think there's a straight person in this collection of characters. Contemporary romance can be a hard sell for me, especially in terms of villainy... But these are just a ride.

HISTORICAL ROMANCE

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas.

Obviously, if you haven't read Devil in Winter yet, you need to read Devil in Winter. It's a classic--not just of historical romance, but romance in general. Though, pro-tip: I would recommend reading the preceding It Happened One Autumn first, as that's where the villainy takes place. Devil in Winter is about a recovering villain--a rake who did a very, very bad thing (kidnapping his best friend's lady love) simply because he did not want to get a job. I mean.....

Sebastian St. Vincent is a soft touch villain, and not just because he's super good at touching. You know he's going to roll over and beg for it with his seemingly-gentle, secretly-iron-willed heroine; but it's watching him get there that's so fun. His bark is worse than his bite, but he does deliver quite a bark (and quite a bite). If you like 'em snarky and slutty, read this book.

Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt.

If you like a blond villain who seems better at lounging about than doing manual labor, Valentine Napier takes what St. Vincent was doing to another level of insanity. St. Vincent is sane; Valentine is not, and he's a lot less fun about his kidnappings. Fortunately, his heroine (dispatched to spy on and steal from him) does not take any shit.

This is a book for those who like them loony, because I really don't think Valentine reforms in the least. He just falls in love, all while running around naked in bedazzled, open robes and brandishing a knife. At least he's good in bed and keeps giant, nude portraits of himself in his own house. Keep in mind that this book does delve into some pretty massive childhood trauma, including all kinds of abuse.

Villain I'd Like to F...

This anthology of novellas delves into five stories of historical romance villainy, by five great authors. I'm going to list each novella and its author, as these collections typically disband after a period of time, allowing the authors to sell the novellas individually (though you often can find the collections in online libraries like Libby). In the brackets!

[ Lady Viper and the Bastard by Eva Leigh.

Do you enjoy Dangerous Liaisons? Try this delightfully sexy Georgian-era novella about a widowed vamp and an illegitimate libertine, teaming up to break apart two young lovers (for a price). Except what happens when these two assholes start to catch feelings? Notable in that these characters are in their forties, know themselves, and do engage in some fun role-playing.

Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson.

Our young-but-ready widowed heroine is toiling in the service of her dickish in-laws... Until the owner of the local gambling hell (who isn't above murder and torture, and does enjoy dominating a bit) shows up demanding payment for her brother-in-law's debts. Those who love an innocent heroine lured by the darkness will love this one, a she very much goes willingly to her "doom" of being his mistress for a week, and loves every minute of it. It's sexy, it's sweet, she also loves a torture moment, there's some exhibitionism.

The Gangster's Prize by Joanna Shupe.

A Gilded Age gangster is thrown off balance by the young woman who comes to him demanding help in finding her missing father. But wait... who's in his dungeon as we speak? Could it be? Her dad? Joanna doesn't pull her punches here, and it's delightfully wacky. Watching our hapless villain hero be like "uhh, what screams from the dungeon" while our heroine looks for her father... who he has captive.. is hilarious.

The Bootlegger's Bounty by Adriana Herrera.

Did someone say sort-of pirates? Our heroine is a nightclub singer, and she books passage to New York with a dangerous rum runner. There's a lot of sex in this one, and--delightfully--a triad, as there happens to be a young gentleman who catches the eye of both our singer and our rum runner...

The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone.

Hedonistic nuns? A Norman invader (in more ways than one) who turns out to be a lady conqueror? As in, a conqueror who is a lady and conquers ladies? I think yes. Our proud abbess Tate is ready to stand up to the Wolf, but what happens when the Wolf is very sexy and cruel in the best possible way? ]

The Prince of Broadway by Joanna Shupe.

If there's one thing Joanna Shupe loves, it's a hero (or a villain turned hero) who hates your dad. This book opens with our casino-owning hero beating the shit out of someone, and when he meets the headstrong spoiled rich girl who wants to open a casino for ladies and needs mentorship... He takes her up on it. All while planning to take down her father (as revenge!!!).

While Clay isn't a super hardcore bad guy, he is pretty violent and pretty diabolical. What makes this book is, of course, his dynamic with Florence, and her defiance of norms that quickly has him completely besotted. This book has a very good grovel, and it should. Does anyone deserve Florence?

... and after reading this one, you can mosey over to Shupe's next book, The Devil of Downtown, in which a bad, bad gangster gets his ass emotionally kicked by Florence's goody goody angelic sister.

The Dragon and The Pearl by Jeannie Lin.

This is another one that benefits from reading its previous book, Butterfly Swords, first. In that novel we're introduced to the treacherous warlord our heroine is fleeing--Li Tao. Lin doesn't shy away from his intimidation factor: he even gets into a sword fight (that turns into an outright brawl, lmao) with the hero. In this novel, Li Tao gets full focus, kidnapping a former emperor's concubine to get information out of her.

What follows is a match of wits that gradually gives way to two manipulative, emotionally closed off people falling madly in love with each other while being unable to say it. Li Tao is a cold, seemingly-unfeeling villain-as-hero, and he really pushes how far he's willing to go to reach his end goals in this book. Also, there's a sex deal. If that matters to you.

Daring and The Duke by Sarah MacLean.

Again, one that does in fact benefit from reading the two preceding books, Wicked and The Wallflower and Brazen and The Beast (fortunately, they're both good!). Ewan, our titular duke, is the villain of both--and he is completely batshit insane in his pursuit of his childhood sweetheart, Grace. Who, for reasons relating to villainy, wants absolutely nothing to do with him.

This is a book-long grovel the way Sarah MacLean does it best--with abject shame and humiliation. Ewan is put through the ringer: and he should be, because he did a really bad thing! And was legitimately a nutjob of a villain! But that's what makes it so, so good.

PARANORMAL/FANTASY ROMANCE

The Four Horsemen by Laura Thalassa.

This series has the rather bold take of "what if the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Fucked". Starting with Pestilence, bleeding into War and Famine, and ending with Death, this series is a bit bonkers. But it doesn't let up on the extent of the villainous heroes' determination to lay waste to the world. There is a lot of gore. There is a lot of moral ambiguity.

But it's also legitimately funny. Pestilence discovers the joys of a bathtub. Death receives his first blowjob and is like "I don't know, maybe the apocalypse is bad". It's campy, and it's fun, and it leans the fuck in to the concept. I would recommend reading these in order, as the love stories stand alone but the overall arc leads to a big finish (and there are lots of finishes in between, if you know what I'm say--)

The Tenebris Trilogy by Kathryn Ann Kingsley.

If you're interested in the occult and some Lovecraftian vibes set in a pseudo-1920s world, this is it. Our heroine is on the search for her brother, and who is to assist but his stuffy-hot professor who happens to be a cult leader and has perhaps merged his body with that of a Cthulu monster?

What's interesting about this series (which cannot be read as standalones, and must be read in order) is that our hero is legitimately loony tunes, and our heroine is into it. She falls in love with him and his monsters, and that does... extend to the physical. (Tentacles, everyone! Shadow tentacles! Think Venom.) I will add that there's a lovely secondary romance with a trans heroine (with a hero that's not a villain) and it is excellent, but at one point an antagonist is transphobic towards her. An attempted off-page forced detransition occurs. The main heroine is totally supportive of the secondary heroine and stops it, but read with caution.

Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole.

This rare villainess/hero romance sees a sorceress heroine take a deposed demon king captive to coerce him into impregnating her so that she can bear his heir (all for villainous purposes, of course). Yes. So this book is heavy on the dubcon--lots of edging, lots of people chained to beds--but to be frank? He is into it. We have a stern, morally upright hero being driven to the brink by the baddest of bad girls, and it's great.

This book is a bit controversial because of the content, and I do recommend checking out my IAD Cheat Sheet before reading for a full list of triggers/details about the world of Immortals After Dark. But it reads fairly well on its own, and I personally adore it. The sex is hot, the romance is angsty, he gets back at her in every possible way, and it's so fun to see a villainess take center stage and bring out the dark side of such a noble hero.

Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole.

Here, we focus on an immortal valkyrie heroine who's had centuries of near-misses with her would-be Berserker love--every time she kisses him, he remembers his past lives with her and promptly dies in increasingly gruesome ways. He's always be good and loving to her... which is why she's so shocked when he returns to her, this time in the form of an immortal-hating torturer who's taken her captive.

This one is dark--yes, he does torture her (not that badly, but there are other scenes of torture at the hands of different villains which are... bad). But if you can hang in there, I think you'll find a very compelling romance with a legitimately troubled, intense hero and a woman he can't get out of his head. There's also a very, very good bathtub scene that turns into "let me blindfold you so you can't see my hideous scars".

Lothaire by Kresley Cole.

The villain romance to end all villain romances (best read after Dreams, so you get the one-two punch of a pair of very different villainous heroes). What happens when you mix a 3,000-year-old megalomaniacal vampire with a 24-year-old whip-smart human woman he believes houses the soul of the goddess he's supposed to wed? A fucking ride, and possibly my favorite romance ever, that's what.

Lothaire goes HARD. It goes hard on the villainy (this is a story of a villain falling in love, not a villain finding redemption), it goes hard on the sex (with possibly one of the most infamous sex scenes in romance, and I love every word of it), and it goes hard on the angst. As much as Lothaire fucks with Ellie's head and is determined to deny his love for her, she's determined to one-up on him and will never, ever break. I think this book is always best summed up in a scene early on where he kisses her, bites her lip, and draws back, smugly expecting horror--only to find her grinning through the blood and pulling him in for another kiss. Tell me that isn't villain romance perfection.

Sworn to the Shadow God by Ruby Dixon.

Not so much a super hard villain romance as it is a "falling in love with Death himself" book, this wacky romance finds our gamer girl heroine falling through a portal to another land and... yes, sworn as the mortal companion of the God of Death as he attempts to complete a trial set before him by the father god. It is funny, it is sexy, it's adventurous, and it is for the Reylos.

You think I'm joking. No. He is very clearly modeled after Kylo Ren, and he sweeps around in dark cloaks and emo smashes about being the God of the Death, and it is glorious. He's less bad than he is detached and uncaring, but, you know... Death. By the end of the book, though? He cares very much about one particular person.

Look, man. Check your triggers always, especially with romance novels about villains. These won't work for everyone. But I imagine... if you like a villain... some of these are for you.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

every single book I read in 2022. all 129 of them.

jesus christ

let's start with the best of the best; everything else will get listed beneath the read more because I'm not an animal. even just picking out my favorites is honestly probably going to get pretty lengthy, even though I'm trying to keep the synopses short.

batmanisagatewaydrug's noteworthy books of 2022

Complaint! (Sara Ahmed, 2021) - necessary for anyone doing diversity work in higher education, tbh

America is Not the Heart (Elaine Castillo, 2018) - achingly gorgeous novel of heartbreak and healing.

The School for Good Mothers (Jessamine Chan, 2022) - honestly? I feel very good calling this my favorite book of the entire year. sensitive, smart, chilling.

Black Feminist Thought (Patricia Hill Collins, 1990) - truly ashamed to say I didn't read this sooner. Collins' clear-eyed analysis remains crazily spot-on 30+ years later.

Hurts So Good: The Science and Pleasure of Pain on Purpose (Leigh Cowart, 2021) - I read this book so early in 2022 and literally have not stopped thinking about it since.

Batman: King Tut's Tomb (Nunzio DeFillippis, Christina Weir, José Luis García-López, and Kevin Nowlan, 2009) - dare I say the most fun I had with a comic all year.

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty (Akwaeke Emezi, 2022) - a romance unlike any other. queer, fun, sexy, bold as hell, and joyfully life-affirming.

The Dangers of Smoking in Bed (Mariana Enríquez, trans. Megan McDowell, 2021) - DELICIOUSLY creepy short stories that will lurk in your brain forever.

Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century (Kim Fu, 2022) - if a more perfect short story collection exists I am yet to find it.

The World We Make (N.K. Jemisin, 2022) - I normally hesitate to include sequels on a list like this, but god DAMN Jemisin is the queen of modern spec fic for a reason.

We Do This 'Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice (Mariame Kaba, edited by Tamara K. Nopper, 2021) - excellent collection of Kaba's abolitionist writings, drawing on years of organizing experience and wisdom.

Jade City (Fonda Lee, 2017) - look out! new favorite doorstopper fantasy series alert!

Priestdaddy (Patricia Lockwood, 2017) - about the best damn memoir I've ever read. heartbreaking and hysterical in turns, poetry the whole way through.

Batman: The Long Halloween and Batman: Dark Victory (Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, 1996 and 1999) - it's always so exciting when something much-hyped lives up to the hype in every way. Batman at his grim and moody Batmaniest with a Gotham that’s deliciously bleak.

Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel, 2014) - I didn't think I'd like this book much at all, then ended up proposing on the second date. oops!

I'm Glad My Mom Died (Jennette McCurdy, 2022) - you will also be glad McCurdy's mom died, and also experience every other known human emotion along the way.

Kaikeyi (Vaishnavi Patel, 2022) - SPLENDID mythology retelling + political fantasy.

My Body (Emily Ratajkowski, 2022) - haunting haunting haunting personal essays about Ratajkowski's life as a model and subsequent alienation from her own body.

Batman: Bruce Wayne, Murderer? (Greg Rucka et al, 2002) - genuinely what can I say I'm a messy bitch and I love when the Bats are having a terrible time.

The Batman Adventures Vol. 2 #1-17 (created by Dan Slott, Ty Templeton, Rick Burchett, Terry Beatty, and Bruce Timm, 2003) - a continuation of the Batman: The Animated Series universe that frankly just fucking rules.

Little Rabbit (Alyssa Songsiridej, 2022) - a potent and erotic adult coming of age story.

The Right to Sex: Feminism in the Twenty-First Century (Amia Srinivasan, 2021) - thorny, difficult, vital essays.

Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia (Sabrina Strings, 2019) - jaw-droppingly thorough research into the role of fatpobia played and plays in the project of race-making.

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous (Ocean Vuong, 2019) - yeah so it turns out no one was REMOTELY exaggerating. Vuong really is That Good.

Hench (Natalie Zina Walschots, 2020) - wild fun with a ruthless protagonist and her sex villainous beetle man boss; what more could you ask for?

Love Your Asian Body: AIDS Activism in Los Angeles (Eric C. Wat, 2021) - learning about queer history makes me feel like I’m holding something so vibrant and fragile and precious right in my little queer hand. this book is an emotional journey in such a shining way.

Never Have I Ever (Isabel Yap, 2021) - EXCITING short story collection centered on girls having Just The Weirdest Time.

and everybody else:

fiction:

Light From Uncommon Stars (Ryka Aoki, 2021)

Our Wives Under the Sea (Julia Armfield, 2022)

A Tiny Upward Shove (Melissa Chadburn, 2022)

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy (Becky Chambers, 2022)

Disorientation (Elaine Hsieh Chou, 2022)

The Laws of the Skies (Grégoire Courtois, trans. Rhonda Mullins, 2019)

The Monster Baru Cormorant (Seth Dickinson, 2018)

The Tyrant Baru Cormorant (Seth Dickinson, 2020)

Greenland (David Santos Donaldson, 2022)

Dead Collections (Isaac Fellman, 2022)

The Halloween Moon (Joseph Fink, 2021)

A Dowry of Blood (S.T. Gibson)

Nightmare Alley (William Lindsay Gresham, 1946)

The Vegetarian (Han Kang, trans. Deborah Smith, 2015)

The Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka, trans. William Aaltonen, 1915)

Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Toshikazu Kawaguchi, trans. Geoffrey Trousselot, 2019)

Woman, Eating (Claire Kohda, 2022)

Long Division (Kiese Laymon, 2014)

Jade War (Fonda Lee, 2019)

No One is Talking About This (Patricia Lockwood, 2021)

Portrait of a Thief (Grace D. Li, 2022)

Elatsoe (Darcie Little Badger, 2020)

A Snake Falls to Earth (Darcie Little Badger, 2021)

Glitterati (Oliver K. Longmead)

Gideon the Ninth (Tamsyn Muir, 2019)

Harrow the Ninth (Tamsyn Muir, 2020)

Nona the Ninth (Tamsyn Muir, 2022)

The Memory Police (Yoko Ogawa, trans. Stephen Snyder, 2019)

Even Though I Knew the End (C.L. Polk, 2022)

100 Boyfriends (Brontez Purnell, 2021)

Flowers for the Sea (Zin E. Rocklyn, 2021)

Any Way the Wind Blows (Rainbow Rowell, 2021)

Interview with the Vampire (Anne Rice, 1976)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Benjamin Alire Sáenz, 2012)

Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World (Benjamin Alire Sáenz, 2022)

Into the Riverlands (Nghi Vo, 2022)

Siren Queen (Nghi Vo, 2022)

Strange Beasts of China (Yan Ge, trans. Jeremy Tiang, 2020)

short story collections:

The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer (Janelle Monáe, Yohanco Delgado, Eva L. Ewing, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Danny Lore, and Sheree Renée Thomas, 2022)

Walking on Cowrie Shells (Nana Nkweti, 2021)

Terminal Boredom (Izumi Suzuki, trans. Polly Barton, Sam Bett, David Boyd, Daniel Joseph, Aiko Masubuchi, and Helen O’Horan, 2021)

nonfiction:

Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity (Judith Butler, 1990)

How to Read Now (Elaine Castillo, 2022)

Playing the Whore: The Work of Sex Work (Melissa Gira Grant, 2014)

What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat (Aubrey Gordon, 2020)

White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color (Ruby Hamad, 2020)

Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness (Da'Shaun L. Harrison, 2021)

Some of My Best Friends: Essays on Lip Service (Tajja Isen, 2022)

One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter (Scaachi Koul, 2017)

How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America (Revised Edition) (Kiese Laymon, 2020)

Sister Outsider (Audre Lorde, 1984)

Conversations with People Who Hate Me: 12 Lessons I Learned from Talking to Internet Strangers (Dylan Marron, 2022)

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism (Amanda Montell, 2021)

World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments (Aimee Nezhukumatathil)

Histories of the Transgender Child (Jules Gill-Peterson, published as Julian Gill-Peterson, 2018)

Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance (Jessamyn Stanley, 2021)

A Queer History of Fashion: From the Closet to the Catwalk (edited by Valerie Steele, 2013)

Transgender History: The Roots of Today's Revolution (Revised Edition) (Susan Stryker, 2008)

The End of Policing (Alex S. Vitale, 2017)

The Trouble With Normal: Sex, Politics, and the Ethics of Queer Life (Michael Warner, 1999)

Read My Lips: Sexual Subversions and the End of Gender (Riki Wilchins, published as Riki Anne Wilchins, 1997)

poetry:

Short Talks (Anne Carson, 1992)

Content Warning: Everything (Akwaeke Emezi, 2022)

Prelude to Bruise (Saeed Jones, 2014)

Alive at the End of the World (Saeed Jones, 2022)

Bright Dead Things (Ada Limón, 2015)

Motherland Fatherland Homelandsexuals (Patricia Lockwood, 2014)

Nature Poem (Tommy Pico, 2017)

Night Sky with Exit Wounds (Ocean Vuong, 2016)

Time Is a Mother (Ocean Vuong, 2022)

comics:

Batman: One Bad Day - Mr. Freeze (Gerry Duggan, Matteo Scalera, and Dave Stewart, 2022)

Spandex - Fast and Hard (Martin Eden, 2012)

Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour (Tee Franklin, Max Sarin, and Marissa Louise, 2022)

Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert, 2009)

The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes (Neil Gaiman, Sam Keith, Mike Dringenberg, and Malcom Jones III, 1988)

The Sandman: In the Doll's House (Neil Gaiman, Michael Zulli, Mike Dringenberg, Chris Bachalo, Malcolm Jones III, and Steve Parkhouse, 1989)

The Sandman: Dream Country (Neil Gaiman, Kelley Jones, Malcolm Jones III, Colleen Doran, and Charles Vess, 1991)

The Sandman: Season of Mists (Neil Gaiman, Kelley Jones, Malcom Jones III, Mike Dringenberg, Matt Wagner, P. Craig Russell, George Pratt, and Dick Giordano, 1992)

The Sandman: A Game of You (Neil Gaiman, Shawn McManus, Colleen Doran, Bryan Talbot, Stan Woch, and George Pratt, 1993)

Run, Riddler, Run (Gerard Jones and Mark Badger, 1992)

Catwoman: When in Rome (Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, 2005)

Batman: Year One (Frank Miller and David Mazzicchello, 1986)

Batman: One Bad Day - Penguin (John Ridley, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Cam Smith, and Arif Prianto, 2022)

Batman: Bruce Wayne - Fugitive (Greg Rucka et al, 2002)

Batman: One Bad Day - Two-Face (Mariko Tamaki, Jaiver Fernandez, and Jordie Bellaire, 2022)

Batman & Robin Eternal Vol 1 & Vol 2 (James Tynion IV and Scott Snyder, 2015 and 2016)

Batman: Their Dark Designs (James Tynion IV, Guillem March, and Tomeu Morey, 2020)

The Joker War Saga (James Tynion IV and Jorge Jiménez, 2021)

Papergirls Vol. 1-6 (Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang, 2016-2019)

Real Hero Shit (Kendra Wells, 2022)

Poison Ivy #1-6 (G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara, 2022)

and some gaming guides!

Monster of the Week (Michael Sands, 2012) - great game. so cool. cannot wait to actually play it someday.

Thirsty Sword Lesbians (April Kit Walsh, 2021)

special shame zone because I want you to know how bad this sucked, do not read this:

Rethinking Sex: A Provocation (Christine Emba, 2022). patronizing, puritanical, reductive, painfully cisheteronormative. weirdly afraid of group sex. not actually that provocative, just aggressively Catholic.

and last but most certainly least, a comic that I want to remind you all fucking sucked just one more time before the year is done.

Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler (Tom King and Mitch Gerads, 2022)

Tom King, go fuck yourself. Mitch is cool though, the art slapped.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Sort of answer to your other anon, but feel free to add to it if you want hehe. For now I only know the show and only ship loustat, but that's because I think it's the most developed pairing so far. I kind of need a little time to get into ships, but I'm down for any and everything. I agree ships don't necessarily need to be moral, but I do believe they need to be compelling and help each other in a way, even if it isn't with every single thing. I have OTPs that had terrible moments, but grew into their best selves together. Loustat is usually a dynamic that I hate, because it happened too fast, it got problematic and dark pretty fast (in terms of number of episodes, not the years they spent together), they had other people, they spent a whole season apart... Reminds me in a way of those toxic, even abusive on-and-off couples, that always treated each other poorly, made each other worse, could never work it out, but for some reason kept going back together because "it's sexy" or whatever networks tried to sell. But Loustat subverted my expectations. They're not entirely like that, but I do think they have some of those characteristics. But in their case, it's explained because they both lived shitty lives. And the series show why they're that way and that they're sort of at war with themselves too and genuinely regret their actions. And unlike those other ships, they're a differently species that don't completely function like us and have forever to redeem themselves. Those other couples just felt like a repetitive waste of time without any depth. But the writers really do a great job. And we did see Loustat bounding, Louis trusting Lestat in a way he didn't with anybody else, smiling, having fun and a happy life as well, so we know the connection is there and it isn't just angst and sex. And there's the actors, who have some of the best chemistry I've ever seen anywhere. I'm down for any ship if they have that too, because I trust the writers and so far every duo seems to have amazing chemistry. Will the writing and chemistry be on Loustat's level? I don't know, but I'll have fun with whatever they give me for however long it lasts. This is the first time I feel like I don't even need to think or worry too much, I'm just waiting for more and to be surprised because they always exceed my expectations and I hope that never changes. I was pretty into Loumand at the beginning, I thought they had an ease, sensual, flirtatious vibe and it was exciting to see. But that was mostly the actors than the script and, after the first kiss, we don't see much of it anymore? No scene laughing, comforting each other, going out etc... We have the museum and bar scenes, but I wouldn't call them a Loumand moemnt because they were most about Armand's backstory and betrayal. I never shipped them as much as Loustat, I could have, but before it got to a point I could, it turned cold and distant so I moved on. On the other hand, Lesmand, is something I don't ship yet, but I'm excited because of 1) simply curiosity, everything I hear from the books sound like that's a pretty heated relationship, for better or worse 2) I also hear they're kind of mirrors and understand each other in ways others can't, so even with all the bad history they still sort of care for each other? And if that's true, it's a really interesting and unique dynamic to explore that we don't see that often 3) Sam and Assad really sold their chemistry to me on that scene they shared blood 4) relationships that are extreme as theirs seem to be, tend to result in great, intense, emotional, explosive acting and that's my favorite type... My favorite scenes on the show are the church scene and the hug and those are very intense moments as well. So if they can do something like that in their own flavor because I wouldn't want a Loustat copy, it should be fun to see. Even if it turns out to be like "omg, they're so terrible and I don't want them together not even for one episode" and I won't ship, I'll probably still enjoy it for the writing and acting.

:))

As said, shipping is a personal preference (thank you for detailing yours 🥰).

I am very sure the show will do something very distinctive for each pairing, and this is the only thing I‘d add here now - all these “ships“ are actual relationships in the VC, with their own history, and importance.

Personally I think that is amazing ^^ and I cannot wait to see them.

If I will write and/or read them? We‘ll see. But I think we‘re blessed that way, whether it fits personal preference, or not. 🥰

[brave-and-gentle]

how would you describe jean's ideal type? what sort of personality do you think he gravitate towards?

Hello anon!! <3 Oooo I love this question. I could write about this for hours, I fear.

Before I launch head first into this, a disclaimer that these are my own thoughts based on my OC and jean x readers fics I've written - I welcome other's ideas and head canons! I'm going to write this response in a jean x reader style.

First off, Jean is our bi king - man or woman doesn't matter to him, as long as they're pretty. So that being said, I think Jean is superficially attracted to you at first. He's only human, after all. But what pulls him in deeper is your shy nature. Jean is a social butterfly, so he loves a chance to make someone else feel at ease. It means a lot to him that he becomes your "safe person" at parties or other social events. He can't help the massive grin on his face when you make a bee line to him because you're overwhelmed!

Now what *really* gets Jean going is when you reveal your hyper fixations to him. He loves a freaky one, by that I mean he'll listen to you prattle on about your favorite book series, show, video game, whatever it is that has captivated your mind. Even if he has no idea what you're talking about, Jean is completely entranced by you and your obsessions. He asks really good questions to learn more about what you love. If you ever let him see your Tumblr or ao3 account, he'd be your number one fan. Jean reads all your favorite books and watches your shows so he can keep up - he finds your variety of interests so endearing and he learns a lot from you.

Jean also loves someone with a little bite. Literally and figuratively. Figuratively: Jean loves that you can talk mad shit. He's so fucking nosy, he loves to debrief with you after a hangout with friends or a family gathering. Spilling the tea with you is the best! ALSO, he definitely gets a little turned on when you tag team on Eren when he's being a little shit. Jean loves someone that loves to hate on Eren as much as he does! You don't do it often because of previously said shy nature, but goddamn when you do, he's right there with you. When you let out a rare sarcastic/dry comment, he's laughing so hard he's crying.

Literally (warning for sexual content!): Jean is an Aries, so of course he loves someone that's a little aggressive in the bedroom. Ultimately Jean is a bit vanilla, but he likes someone that isn't afraid to bite (again, literally) or be the top. He thinks it's quite sexy when you're on top of him, but it usually doesn't last too long because he gets really turned on and flips you back over.

Our Jean boy is quite adventurous, so he loves that you tag along with him, even if you're scared or unsure. In fact, that's a huge turn on for him - seeing you conquer your fears and/or try something new with him. Having someone around that's so loyal means a lot to Jean.

FINALLY, this is so specific, but Jean considers himself a wine connoisseur, and unintentionally finds himself gravitating toward someone that doesn't have a clue about wine. It breaks his heart to see you drink box wine, but he actually loves the chance to take you to wine bars and school you.

IN CONCLUSION: Jean loves someone that's a little on the shy side, opens up to him about their hyper fixations, talks mad shit with him, is a little fiery, sticks with him even in scary/new situations, and has terrible taste in wine.

[fereldanwench]

Questions for Writers

I was tagged by @corpocyborg! Thank you, bb!! ♡

Last book I read: I still haven't finished There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job Kikuko Tsumura I started back in January, lmao. Not for any reason other than I just haven't been in the right headspace to sit down and read for the past few months--What I have read of it is great, so hopefully, I can make the time to pick it up again.

Greatest literary inspirations: I like the female protags in Karin Slaughter novels, and I love Tanya Huff's Torin Kerr from her Confederation series--I'm sure they've inspired me on some level. Oh, and Phedre from Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel books, too, although it's been ages since I read those. But I think most of my inspiration actually comes from other forms of media. I love the action babes of the late 90s/early 00s: Lara Croft is the number one inspo here, and pretty much all of Michael Turner's comic girls but especially Sara from Witchblade. And I think Better Call Saul is easily one of the best-written shows ever made--That's one I always go back to when I feel like I need to refill the inspo well.

Things in my current fandoms I want to read but I don't want to write: I have a confession: I usually only read a ton of fic when I first get into a fandom and I can't get enough and I just want to soak it all up, but after a certain point, I just don't have a lot of headspace for other people's stories. 😬 I feel bad about it sometimes, and it's not like I never read anything after that point, but 90% of the time, what I wanna write is what I wanna read. It's kind of a closed loop, I guess.

Things in my current fandoms I want to write but I think nobody would be interested in them but me: Well, I'm not at all deterred by being the only person interested in something I write, haha. One of my favorite one-shots I've ever written is between my Cousland and Hawke meeting briefly at Ostagar, and it's probably my least popular fic on AO3 by a big margin. But I do like deep-diving into my own OCs, and it generally is harder to get an audience for fic that doesn't have canon characters. Ain't gonna stop me, though!

You can recognize my writing by: Lots of pining and banter; obvious thesaurus abuse

My most controversial take (current fandom): Yeah, no, not gonna be sharing my actual most controversial takes, lmao.

But I do also love the Devil ending! I don't think there's one objectively "best" ending--What's good for one V isn't necessarily good for another--But for my Valerie, it suited her story the best. I love the poetry of her going back to Arasaka after getting fired by them, I love storming Arasaka Tower with Goro, I love the conflict with Johnny, I love making Goro confront how fucked up the Arasakas are, I love the possibilities of Mikoshi--The only way it would have been better for me is if this nixed idea had actually been put into action.

And I wish we could roleplay a V that is actually more "pro"-corpo in the game, especially if we had the corpo lifepath. Sticking it to the man is sexy and all, but I just love delving into characters that align themselves with shitty institutions and exploring different motivations (I personally like cynical pragmatism/self-preservation and delusional idealism) that lead a person there.

Top three favorite tropes: 1) Rivals to friends to lovers 2) Mutual pining 3) Forced proximity

What’s your current writing mood (10 – super motivated and churning out words like crazy, 0 – in a complete rut): Like, 0.5, lmao. I've been rereading and organizing my WIPS, so there's some effort being put in there, but I'm very much in one of my "ummmm, how do I even write fiction?" phases.

Share a random frustration: I have ZERO discipline when it comes to writing. I need to be in a fully feral, totally isolated from distractions place or I just can't get shit done. When I'm in the zone, I'm in the fuckin' zone, but I get like 3 months of that every 5 years, lmao.

Tagging (with no pressure, as always) @ur-friendly-nbhd-cardassian, @dread-red-queen, @vorchagirl, and @aceghosts <333

[steddie-island]

20, 32, 43 for the book asks!!

20 - Where and how do you find new books to read?

Honestly everywhere. I follow authors on instagram and tiktok and a couple here, plus I have a friend who is super into books and we're always talking about books we're excited for. I also peruse the book aisle at the grocery store just to see what's new because I'm a goblin who is constantly adding to the stack of books beside my bed. 😂 32 - Name your favorite author(s).

Number one, hands down, Katee Robert. They're a nonbinary author who primarily writes romance. She has a Disney villains series (Wicked Villains) that is *chef's kiss*. There's also an ongoing Greek Gods series (Dark Olympus) that I've really enjoyed. PLUS! They have a monster series if you're into that (Deal with a Demon). All of their books (that I've read, anyway!) are queer. They have plus size MCs who are seen as sexy (I just finished Electric Idol which is Eros and Psyche and holy shit the way Eros thinks about Psyche is. Whoo. Hoo boy.) They're diverse and they're badass and I love them. ANYWAY Katee is fantastic and I could talk about them for literally hours.

43 - Title of a book you own that's in the worst physical condition you have. Explain what happened to it. Post a picture if you want.

Honestly most of our books are in pretty good condition, so I don't have a fun answer for this. 😅 I have second hand books that have been written in, and a couple of books with some water damage (that's what happens when you read in the tub lol) but for the post part, any books that have been in bad shape I just replace if it's a book that was important to me.

Thanks for asking!! 🥰

[ladylike-foxes]

Get to Know Me

Thank you for the tag, my beloved @solverne-02 ! It has been actual years since I've done one of these, I think 🤣

Favorite color: Pretty much anything on the Purple-Violet spectrum, but especially a deep, rich aubergine color.

Last Song: MAMMAMIA by Måneskin. God, they are so sexy good...

Currently Reading: In no particular order... The Carrying by Ada Limón, The Simarillion by Tolkien (again), Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland, The Sins On Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin, aaand a few more less noteworthy or that I can't be bothered to look up the title &/or author. Yes, I read multiple books/poetry in overlapping concurrence. I know this is blasphemous to some people, but sometimes I just need a mood-shift or palate-cleanser immediately, and can't just push through. It's for my own mental health, I assure you. Though, I will admit it's the reason I frequently can't remember the titles or authors without a little work.

Currently Watching: IWAV season 2, Critical Role Campaign 3, and I'm alternating between WWDITS and Futurama for Emotional Support Series that I know by heart and often keep on in the background.

Currently Craving: ...Surprisingly, nothing comes to mind at the moment, except for perhaps @wrenbee 's physical presence? I am greatly looking forward to Mae & my mini-vacation to the woods in a couple weeks, but not with any particular urgency. I suppose I'm rather content, just now.

Coffee or Tea: Both, and also, neither. Which one, when, and what kind is contingent on a multitude of variables that can only be determined in the moment.

Tagging: And no pressure... @wrenbee @redinkofshame @timeforelfnonsense @fatale-distraction @ellstersmash @thevikingwoman @thejabberwokk @shift-shaping @new-girl-in-thedas ....aaand anyone else who'd like to?

[choicesficwriterscreations]

CFWC Writer of the Month: Takeharryandgo

Each month CFWC highlights one of our talented fanfic writers, and this month’s writer of the month is @takeharryandgo ​! We hope you will enjoy learning more about her and her work below! Writer is selected at random. More info can be found on the navigation page.

Quick Links: 

Tumblr Blog: takeharryandgo Tumblr Masterlist

How do you want to be known on Tumblr? Kelsey

1- When did you start playing Choices? What's the first book you played? 

What is time? I literally have no sense of the time that has passed since the pandemic, but I do know I started playing Choices shortly before, so it must have been 2019. My first book was Perfect Match, and it set the bar pretty high!

2- When and why did you join Choices fandom?

After a massive betrayal by my bestie @jamespotterthefirst . . . no, jk, I just discovered that she had a secret side-blog dedicated to Choices, for which I had never even considered there might be an entire fandom! I don’t know why I didn’t go looking for one, but I’m very glad I found it! First, I joined because I am contractually obligated to read everything Bree writes, but I’ve stayed for the opportunity to post my own fics and interact with the lovely people here.

3- How did you pick your url name? 

Ha, well, I don’t run a Meghan Markle hate blog, contrary to what some may believe ;)  I joined Tumblr in 2011 or 2012 and was active in the Lily/James/Marauders-era corner of the Harry Potter fandom. There were a LOT of us, so it was difficult to find a url that wasn’t already taken. I had to get obscure, lol. So, my url name is a reference to James Potter shouting “Lily, take Harry and go!” before Voldemort kills him, in honor of my favorite tragic idiot.

4- Go back to your archive and tell us about the first post on your Choices blog. 

Well, since this is a blog that I’ve had for over a decade...I decided to go back to my first post tagged #Choices as a close proxy. No surprise, it was a fic by @jamespotterthefirst (Adore You). That was Book 2-era, though, so obviously, I must have posted something before then. No doubt it was also Open Heart-related!

5- How long have you been writing fanfiction?

Since college. Ah, the fanfiction.net days....

6- What is your favorite Choices book to write about?

Open Heart, since it is the ONLY one I’ve written about!

7- Share the first fanfic you wrote with us. Do you still like it or would you change anything about it?

Choosing to interpret this as the first Choices fic, because I don’t even want to think about how cringe my VERY first fanfic was.

The first one I posted was Irresistible (nsfw). I’m still happy with it, but if I could change anything, I would make it sluttier 😏

8- What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?

My first Sherlock AU series will always have a special place in my heart 😊 Although I did also feel quite proud about tackling the logistical challenges of writing an actual “choices” fic with The Night Shift.

9- Do you have a fic that you didn’t expect to be well received, but it was? What about one you expected to be but could use a little more love?

I guess I never really go in with any particular expectations, because I know that isn’t the healthiest approach to writing (easier said than done of course!) But I am always surprised and grateful for how many people are willing to stick with series-length fics and see them through to the end!

10- If you could write only angst, fluff, or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why? 

This is like a really tough FMK! For Ethan and Meredith, though, it would have to be smut. I can’t imagine never writing another sexy fic for them again 😔

11- Do you ever recognize yourself in any of your MCs or in your writing?

Oh, definitely! Not necessarily in the major personality traits, but I’ve given Meredith several life details similar to mine (like the fact that she grew up in MN, some of her likes and dislikes, etc.) It makes them easier to remember for one lol, but I also think it felt natural for a Choices MC where the stories are told from the second person point of view. I think she has a bit of my sense of humor, too 😉

12- What element of writing do you struggle with most?

Scene-setting, and emotional descriptions. I’m terrible at finding metaphors that don’t sound cheesy or like I was trying too hard. Writing dialogue flows naturally for me, while the rest is something I have to put more intentional work into. I actually get so caught up in the dialogue sometimes that I have to go back and write narrative or scene transitions after the fact!

13- Do you have any neglected work you really want to finish?

I’m really weird and rarely have multiple WIPs going at once, nor do I have any abandoned fics. I do owe people the third part of my Lawyers AU though!

14- If someone you know in real life (who isn’t involved in fandoms) asked to read your work, would you let them? If yes, what would you recommend they read first? 

NOPE

15 - Are there any writers (published authors and/or fanfic writers) who influenced your writing? 

I’m not sure! I tend to like mystery/thriller/crime writing, but cannot write those genres to save my life lol. I don’t think I’ve explicitly tried to model any particular kind of author. For much of my life I probably would have said JKR, but.... 😬

As far as fanfic writers, I always try to channel Bree’s brilliant use of metaphors, but usually fail miserably lmao.

16- Which one of your stories would you most like to see as a movie/series? 

Gotta go with the Sherlock AU again! That would be brilliant.

17- Do you write original stories? 

Only when I was younger. My best friend in middle school and I had a whole series planned, where we were each writing about characters in the same invented universe who would eventually meet. The premise was two sisters separated at birth who end up being raised in separate countries that go to war with each other. Each sister disguises herself as a boy to join the army (we were both really into the Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce at the time), and naturally end up marrying the princes of their respective countries, as well as discovering the connection to each other. They are then the key players in bringing peace between the two nations 😂. We had full, detailed timelines planned out and everything. And I’d written a good part of a first book, all by hand in a notebook with different colored gel pens 😆. I transcribed it into Word at one point and it was over 100 pages! But 100 pages of extremely terrible, pre-teen writing.

18 -  What other hobbies do you have?

Is watching Netflix a hobby? 😆

Between working full-time and taking care of a house (which I am very privileged to have, and don’t take for granted, but I’ve also discovered that being a homeowner is a LOT of work), I don’t really feel like I have the energy for much else! When I do have free time, I like taking walks with my dog, going on bike rides with my husband (summer) or snowshoeing (winter), playing piano, baking, and spending time with friends or family.

19 - What’s your favorite emoji? 

I think I use this one a lot 🥰

20: BONUS - tell us anything you’d like (if you want to).

I’m so grateful for @jerzwriter and @lucy-268 and the many others who go WAY above and beyond to keep this fandom engaged and connected! I honestly don’t know where you find the energy (see my answer to 18 lol), especially since some of you are also raising kids! I know I do the bare minimum to stay engaged here, and I’m so in awe of those who take the time to do much, much more.

[blueberryshelves]

_______________________________________________

Book Review

Title: The Modern Girl's Guide to Magic Author: Linsey Hall

Series: Charming Cove, book #1

No. of Pages: 356

ISBN: 9781648820311

Synopsis:

So here’s the deal—I’m a magical disaster. A witch from a family of witches, and the only one whose magic blows up in her face. Which is why I came up with my rules…

1. Never get involved with magic

2. If you must get involved, do not enter a competition to win the biggest magical fortune in England

3. And definitely don't fall for Callan Hawthorne, the sexy billionaire mage who you've hated for years

So how the heck do I end up in a situation that promises to break all those rules? It's the only way to save Seaside Spells, my family’s magical potion shop.

But it’s cool. When I go back home to Charming Cove—a village of ancient pubs and foul-mouthed familiars—I will totally ignore Witch Weekly’s Sexiest Man of the Year. I’ll win the competition, and if I’m lucky, I won’t turn myself into a toad in the process.

This'll be fine. It’ll all be fine.

Riiiight. The Modern Girl’s Guide to Magic is a fun, frothy romantic comedy full of laughter, love, and magical hijinks. It’s the first in a series of stand alone romances set in the seaside village of Charming Cove.

_______________________________________________

What did I think of the book?

The Modern Girl's Guide to Magic by Linsey Hall My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 of 5 stars Romance Rules for Werewolves left me in a mood to read some more witchy stories, so I decided to pick up the first book of the Charming Cove standalone series. This is a very chill, cozy, and wholesome book with a neat concept. The beginning was funny and seemed like a stronger start than the werewolf story in the series, it just made more sense and didn’t feel as rushed. I enjoyed all the stuff about the plants in the book, the way the MC came into her own as the story went on was great, and I immediately fell in love with Boris the badger familiar just as much as I did with Poa from the third book. These familiars are so wonderful! Though I enjoyed this book a bit more than the third one, and the pacing was a lot better, the climax of the story sort of fizzled and didn't hold enough impact for me. But in saying that, there are enough twists and turns to keep things fun, so this would still be a great book to pick up to have a leisurely read on the weekend and relax with. Favorite character/s: Boris, the badger familiar. The little guy was a treat, along with Catrina. That girl's scenes were always fun to read, and her confidence in her own magic was inspiring. Callan and Aria, for how sweet they were when they worked together to accomplish things. What drew me to this book? The beautiful cover and the witchy concept. Stars: 4/5 stars because the dialogue was a bit rough, and sometimes the perspectives didn't seem optimal for the part of the story at times (as in, some scenes could have been better from Aria's perspective but were instead told from Callan's and vice versa, not always but sometimes), but other than that, it was a pretty nice read. View all my reviews

Check out my review for: Romance Rules for Werewolves, Charming Cove book #3!

Review for book #2 coming soon...

[mendimore]

The Danmei Series 01: Tf is Danmei?

Note: This is an effort to convert more unsuspecting fandom children into danmei because I need more people to talk to about this. Enjoy!

Danmei.

If you haven't heard of it before, HAHAHA, you are in for a ride.

Basically, Danmei is a Chinese fiction genre (the name directly translates to indulging in beauty)that features m/m relationships.

Mendi, isn't that just bl? Yes, but specifically Chinese.

Well, Mendi, what difference does that even make? It's all the same thing.

No. It is not.

...Okay, it is a little bit.

BUT, danmei is its own genre for a reason. China, just like any other country is rich in culture. I acknowledge this may be a bit biased, but I am overjoyed that Danmei is flourishing. But, anyway, let's talk about it.

If you have heard about Danmei media in the West, even just a little, It's pretty likely that you came across one of MXTX's works. MXTX or Mo Xiang Tong Xiu is the pseudonym for a popular Danmei author on Jin Jian Wen Xue Cheng (jjwxc) a popular web novel site(a whole lot of Danmei authors publish their work on this site).

MXTX has three novels, and if you hear about the MXTX fandom, it refers to the enjoyers of all three of her novels. These three works consist of Scum Villain's Self Saving System(svsss), The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation(aka Mo Dao Zu Shi, or mdzs), Heaven Official's Blessing(aka Tian Guan Ci Fu, or tgcf). The first of their works to become very popular was mdzs, which has several adaptations(basically any adaptation you can think of). If you were into cdramas at all around 2019, you might have heard of The Untamed. The majorly successful live-action adaptation of mdzs. Or maybe if you are in the anime/donghua community, you heard about the mdzs donghua adaptation. And if you were a fandom child who found Ao3 at the right time, you might know of "Sexy Times with WangXian" which broke Ao3 with the number of tags it had and forced Ao3 to have a tag limit, or a fanfic of the lead actors of The Untamed making Ao3 illegal in China.

Have I scared you? Sorry. Truly, the mdzs fandom is not as problematic as it sounds. I started my own Danmei journey with mdzs, and it holds a soft spot in my heart. I also have way too many opinions on the adaptations and how new viewers of mdzs should approach it to get the maximum emotional value, but that is a discussion for another time.

Anyway, Heaven Official's Blessing, also skyrocketed in popularity when it came out. It has its own donghua that you can find on Netflix with a fully English dub. As well as an extremely beautiful manhua and audiodrama. But of course, I encourage you to read the novels first, especialy because these adaptations are not finished, unlike mdzs.

Scum Villain is the heavily underrated middle child as far as adaptations go. It absolutely does not mean that it is bad. It isn't. I don't wanna get into the debate about how someone isn't a true mxtx fan if they haven't read it, and how it's so much better than the other books. I personally disagree with the last statement. I do also hold a lot of love for Scum Villain, Shen Qingqiu is one of my favorite MCs of all time, the premise is a lot more relatable than the other two, but it's pretty clear that svsss is Mxtx's oldest work. She has definitely been improving. Obviously. go read it, especially if you enjoy her other two works.

But, before you come at me for only talking about one author out of ALL the Danmei out there, I would like to point out that MXTX works are probably the most accessible in the West in regards to Danmeis. They were the first to get a full English translation and along with 2ha (The Dumb Husky and His White Cat Shizun, another very popular danmei written my an author under the name Meatbun), I was able to see them perching on their own little stand in Barnes and Noble.

So, you may have noticed something. I talk a lot about the web novels. maybe if you're into bl or yaoi, you will notice that a lot of those adaptations are in the form of graphic novels. Why is it that there is more emphasis on the actual novel? I know I know, why do these people want to make us actually just READ words instead of look at pretty pictures of pretty people. Disgusting. I understand your pain. I actually do not have anything largely conclusive to tell you why this is, but based on my observations here are two contributing factors: 1. it's easier to hide subtext, specific cue words, and satire in text media(I mean it's pretty clear when a character is desperately holding on to another character, yelling "My, love, when will you return," when you skim through a manhua, then if there are just a bunch of words), this also means its easier to hide from censorship; 2. the Chinese language itself is very poetic and if you have interacted with Chinese people, the number of references and idioms will drive you nuts as a language learner, in manhua form it can lose some of its humor and imagery, particularly with Danmei because a lot of the subject matter and the nature of the romances is kind of idealized and poetic; 3. Danmei is actually very plot-centric, the romance is often like a little cherry on top of the mounds of story, drama, and character, and so when you see even manhua or donghua adaptations of the stories, I would say that often quite a bit of the depth gets lost for the characters and the story, it's the same as what happens with a lot of blockbuster films. I'm sorry but book >>> movie almost every time.

Of course, there are options for you if you are stuck on graphic novel-style stories. Chinese manhua generally has a distinctly pretty and clean style. It does depend on the artist, obviously, but if you are a huge fan of pretty art, I tell you Manhua knows what's up, just give it a shot.

Anyway, all this yammering and I haven't talked about the actual content.

Many things set a lot of Danmei apart, content-wise. Chinese fiction has its own fantasy genres of wuxia and Xianxia. Wuxia, translating directly to martial hero, is a low fantasy genre that centers around martial arts in a historical au including sects, master-apprentice relationships, cool fights, etc. It has a lot less supernatural or magical elements, and instead often focuses on what is feasible with the human body alone. Xianxia on the other hand(translating directly to immortal Hero), can vary with very cool magic systems and worldbuilding based on Daoist and/or Buddhist influences. Xianxia is high fantasy and often includes supernatural themes, immortality, spiritual cultivation, etc. It may include mentions of the three realms. where you can ascend to godhood, haunt the mortal realms being unable to find the land of the dead, or go through the cycle of reincarnation.

Danmei can be based in some Chinese historical settings as well, separate from wuxia and can be from ancient times or during the more recent period of militant china, often with some emphasis on Peking opera.

Of course, Danmei has plenty of works set in contemporary or futuristic timelines as well that are similarly unique in their own way.(right now I just started Little Mushroom, and I really enjoy the futuristic worldbuilding so far)

Additionally, I mentioned before that Danmei is in fact very plot and character-centric.

Ha, yeah right, Mendi. Plot. The plot is romance, that is the genre, what plot could there possibly be.

Well. A whole lot.

I gave you a little taste with the mentions of some cool worldbuilding, but you will get a taste of insurmountable joy and boundless despair, reading some of this stuff. Many of your favorite tropes appear often, from enemies to lovers to pretty guys with long hair falling down cliffs(ok that is just an MXTX thing, I don't care if you think my taste is basic because i love MXTX, the stories are good). Also, you get a dose of east asian ideals and culture. For Asian Americans like me, it was very refreshing to feel somewhat understood in a way that I didn't see in Western media. The emphasis on family relationships, age hierarchies, reputation, and the way your asian aunties will gossip about you both right in front of you and behind you and have no sense of boundaries, and dramatic-ass idioms(iykyk). The way that these relationships are built is through the plot, and that is something I miss sometimes with a lot of the romances I've read. There are plenty of points of interest, from being do-gooders trying to be a good person and then getting roped into and wrongfully blamed for some elaborate scheme, or a hefty, intricate revenge plot based on some deep hatred and a not so healthy does of body horror. You will have a blast.

So, now that I have sold you on danmei content. Let's talk about another factor why you may not already be a Danmei enjoyer.

Danmei is enjoyed by many women in China and internationally, which also means there is a lot of controversy regarding the fetishization of m/m relationships. While I agree that this is a problem, I disagree that enjoying a gay romance is fetishization. it can be, but it more than often is not. Just like how I can enjoy a poetic, well-set-up, straight romance, I enjoy a lot of really beautiful Danmei stories in much the same way. For a lot of Chinese women, Danmei allows them to remove the societal constraints put on women in a relationship. it's a way of escapism, this might also be a reason as to why a lot of these romances are so poetic, even if tragic at times. Having the stigmatism of fetishization might push more heteronormativity into media. As long as you can enjoy the romance healthily, appreciating the characters as characters, and the plot as plot, and not specifically enjoy the fact that the relationship is between two gay men, you should be in the clear. The fact that some people are driven away from these stories because of the stigmas around boy's love saddens me. You don't have to be a connoisseur or anything, but if the sole reason you reject a piece of media is because it has a gay pairing in it, that is pretty homophobic. Although I will say, there is a difference between not wanting to read it because it's gay and not wanting to read it because you don't want to read smut. I understand some Danmei has smut, and some people aren't comfortable reading that, ok. But if you are intrigued by the premise, I would say just do your best to skip the smut scenes, if you really don't wanna, ok, but I think for things like smut, you can really get away with not reading it usually. Also if you think all danmei has smut, you are sorely mistaken. There are plenty of Danmei fics with no smut, and a lot of the adaptations sometimes don't even have real romance, which is sad, but if that is your concern, seriously don't. Also, in regards to censorship, if that is your issue. Unfortunately yes, it is an issue, but, there are plenty of options in the Danmei world, I'm certain you will find something.

Anyway, some of this is just my opinion, I am still actually relatively new to Danmei, I have read my fair share, but if this encouraged you to get into some Danmei, I have fulfilled my mission.

I will be back, probably talking about mdzs adaptations next time or some recs or working on some reviews, but I hope you enjoyed!

NOTE: About MXTX official translations, I have heard some mixed reviews. I, personally, read all three of the works as popular fan translations online, so I have not reread the full official translation. I have heard there are some distinct changes, including smushing some of the chapters together, which is something I am not sure about. it's unfortunate, but its only something to keep in mind. The novels should still be faithful to the original story.

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC REVIEW: The Wedding Witch by Erin Sterling

4.5/5. Releases 10/8/24.

vibes: "are we friends or have we always wanted to bone (the second one)", TIME TRAVEL!!!, sexy hilarity punctuated with emotional gutpunches, and Lite Christmas (Yule)

Heat Index: 6.5/10.

The Basics:

Powerful but reclusive witch Bowen Penhallow hires the chaotic human Tamsyn Bligh to be his personal magical-item-finder... for reasons that may have a lot to do with redemption. After months of a slowly-building working relationship that becomes genuine friendship (albeit with a lot of sexual tension) the two accidentally end up at the same wedding. Tamsyn is out to steal a million-dollar find for a mystery item. Bowen... is coming face to face with the darkest part of his past. But when a witch accidentally sends the two of them back to the 1950s, they're stuck trying to right what went wrong long ago--otherwise, they just might be trapped there (or worse) forever.

The Review:

I've really enjoyed Sterling's previous books about, you know, witches, kissing, a good bit of romcom-ery. But as soon as I learned that there was a Penhallow brother who looked like a craggy werewolf, I was like "THAT ONE". And God, his book did not disappoint. Easily my favorite of the series, The Wedding Witch takes us to a different place both physically and emotionally, while at the same time maintaining the things I loved about the previous books--a lot of humor, a lot of chemistry, and the friction two people who really wanna fuck but don't want to confront their feelings.

And the magic is kicked up a good bit, too. The series has always been pretty paranormal. Like, this isn't Immortals After Dark, but it's also far from Bewitched. You have ghosts, curses, some actual factual spookiness. Here, we go to another level with a grief-stricken witch throwing Bowen and Tamsyn to a different decade... and I fucking loved the way the time travel was done.

Like, instead of getting up its own ass about How Time Travel Works, this novel goes full camp in the best way. Oh my gosh, that's that old lady we saw at wedding, but she's a YOUNG LADY now. That's the crazy father of the bride as a little, crazy boy! Those are my grandparents? Young and hot and bickering at each other?

Which is really one of my favorite things about the novel. Bowen and Tamsyn are actually thrown back to shortly before his grandparents' wedding... and they've just broken up. So it's a PARENT TRAP SITUATION. Or rather, a GRANDPARENT TRAP SITUATION. Bowen and Tamsyn (apparently) need to get his grandparents back together before the solstice! Aaaaah!!!!

Like, it gives hard Christmas movie in a lot of ways, even though the holiday is less Christmas and more Yule. For the record, though--I can be a little iffy on consuming Christmas content this far ahead of the holiday, but honestly? While there are some Christmas-y moments, the sense is more... Christmas media than Christmas, if that makes sense. I mean, I've definitely seen my fair share of time travel Christmas romcoms.

And in many ways, this was my IDEAL Christmas time travel romcom. Because first off... this is a fuckton hotter. Like. The Wedding Witch doesn't end on a chaste kiss. There are several sex scenes, and each one fully goes for it. (It's never a bad thing when the hero is all "I'm worried that I won't be gentle enough for you" and the heroine is like "PROMISE?"). The sexual tension between these two is heavy from their first meeting, and while I do think this one could fall under friends to lovers... Were they ever really friends? Did they ever see each other in a truly friendly way? Or were they just slow-motion falling in love the whole time?

While by no means is this a heavy book, there is also a kind of emotional resonance that you won't find in most Hallmark Christmas movies. I was really fucking sad about The Thing driving Bowen (and his guilt). There's one aspect of the plot here that's really bittersweet--not in any way that directly affects our romance, don't worry, this is very much an HEA, but in a way that injected some seriousness. I kind of wanted everyone to get everything they wanted in the end, but by withholding that indulgence, Sterling ensured the book hit harder.

I don't know if she'll write in this world again, but if she doesn't, she went out on a high note and didn't tie every single thing up with a little bow, which I appreciate. But to be clear: this is, overall, a very funny, adventurous book. You have a snarky teenager who actually isn't annoying, the horror of realizing your grandparents were hot and also had a fiery sex life (Elspeth and Harri were QUITE the secondary couple, and I loved every bit of pagetime they got), and some truly classic tropes. (Only one bed, sexy bathtime, very MUCH opposites-attract shenanigans.)

I read 80% of this in one sitting, and that's kind of hard for me to do at the moment. But it was just so fun! And I really wanted to see what happened next the entire time. Which is when you know a book is really good, right?

The Sex:

Like I said, you get several sex scenes, and while there's one other thing I would've liked to see on the page (it happens, it's just not directly on the page), what we do get is so good. Like. It gets hot up in this romcom. Tamsyn fantasizes a lot about Bowen before they get together, and she lets him know exactly what she does when she fantasizes (in total darkness... with him becoming QUITE responsive). There's some mirror action. There's some tree action. Look, you'll be happy with this shit.

It's always great when a book not only lives up to your expectation but surpasses them. Full of whimsy and heat and FEELINGS, The Wedding Witch is one to catch!

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[autisticempathydaemon]

the redacted matches are so cool, thank you for doing them!!

- i dont have a particular lyric for it but ive been really liking cherry wine by grentperez lately

- i dont really know my enneagram type, i think its a 5? not sure though only because i havent looked at it recently enough to know if its still accurate

- my go to way to fall asleep is to listen to redacted videos lol

- when i picked a new name for myself, i chose it because i liked the sound of it (and im pretty sure i subconsciously got it from a candle on my desk)

- my favorite redacted audio would probably be aarons morning audio where smartass is trying to keep him in bed, its very cute and he just sounds so happy

- i dont get the hype for caelum, i can appreciate that other people like him but he’s just never been it for me

- my go to thing to ramble about would absolutely be astrology

- my go to gas station combo would be one of those bottled starbucks drinks and chocolate covered pretzels

- a playlist ive been listening to a lot lately is a spotify generated one called “chill mix”

- i have a few guilty pleasure fantasy romance book series, theyre not very good but i always have a fun time reading them lol

Okay, but the fantasy romance thing is so funny- not funny because those books aren’t fun, we’re among friends here but because Vincent would lovingly, adoringly give you so much shit.

Literally, can you imagine how a charming little dickhead he’d be? He’s constantly insisting that shifters don’t actually have knots, that demons don’t orchestrate deals with the devil and certainly don’t seal them with a kiss. You’d come home, and he’s on the couch, not working, nose in one of your books, telling you that the position being he’s reading isn’t possible, supernatural creature or otherwise, but goddamn he’d be willing to try wink wink nudge nudge.

Also, after that last Vincent audio, the one with the fancy date, he could totally strike me as a chocolate-covered pretzel man. Vincent’s a prince, but he’s also just a dude, and I think he’d be more than happy sitting on that gas station curb, trying to throw snacks into your open mouth.

Song:

I need a man who'll take a chance/ On a love that burns hot enough to last/ So when the night falls/ My lonely heart calls/ Oh, I wanna dance with somebody

As the theoretical youngest of our vampires, Vincent is so literally a boy misplaced in time. I really, inexplicably love this song for him for that reason. Like, a cheesy eighties love ballad that he’d adore covered by a mid 00’s emo band? For some reason, I think he’d love that.

Runner-ups:

Vega, I actually like for you the same reason as Vincent. He would also be incredibly amused by your romance novels but in a much meaner yet still sexy way. Anton, I just think he loves an astrology babe; he adores listening to you talk about signs and constellations and houses even if he doesn’t believe any of it.

Note: I hope you enjoy it, anon 🧡 I actually finally listened to his spicy date audio today before I looked at your entry, so I think it was fate

Want a match-up of your own? Read this post, and tell me about yourself! 💌

[little-de-vil]

Look, I know I’m a day late and I don’t really contribute much, but 🥳Happy 10th Anniversary to Hannibal🥳. If it weren’t for this silly little romcom of a show I wouldn’t have met one of my greatest friends, @xxgothchatonxx.

I got into the show for very superficial reasons, at first it was because of Gillian Anderson and how she fit into this world and her relationship with Hannibal. But very quickly, I realized how much bigger this show is. I like to joke that it’s a comedy most of the time, and it is, but it is just truly teeming with romance. It is a desire, a need, a want for acknowledgment, and for understanding without being questioned too harshly. I like to argue that each season does completely different things, even the A and B are very different from each other, but they all hold those sort of through lines very consistently. season one is not only our starting point in terms of our introduction to the world that we’re in, and the characters, but it is the beginning of a friendship that shifts into a betrayal that then morphs into what it was ultimately in the beginning, way in the back of everyone’s head, as a romance. Season two, my favorite season, is the betrayal and then the acceptance. There is so much betrayal, but it’s not like that gets swept under the rug once will gets out, he is very slowly returning to his own world of normal, with the addition of Hannibal by his side less as a guiding light and more of a companion (as indifferent is that relationship may seem to either side). Season three, arguably the most superficial of the seasons, is beautiful and gaudy, and definitely feels more of a distraction, especially the first two episodes. Not to say that it isn’t leading the plot forward, but Hannibal just went through a really bad break up and he is recuperating with wine, men who look like his ex, and being rash (and also pushing police officers out of windows that have a 20 year vendetta against you, bowls out). The first half of the season is pretty, a little bit slow, but as it goes on continues to draw our two leads closer together into being complete full characters (biting cheeks off and everything that that entails)! The second half of the season is bad ass. Hannibal won’t ever let go over the break up, sitting in a sexy glass cell, thinking he’s the shit with his little haircut and books and desserts with blood and chocolate. and I love sexy glass cell Hannibal, and it was fun to watch him squirm a little bit after he was caught, but to see him and his true form at the end with a man he loves killing the dragon that he helped create, it was beautiful! Will was in peace, there was a true normalcy, and there was a family, and there was no want, let alone need, to return to his old world. The dragon forces him back, back to the world he wanted nothing to do it from the very beginning, and back to the man who was his guide, but who almost killed him, twice. Power dynamics change, outfits get switched around, color schemes evolve, in the end we have a dead dragon and a cliff.

This feels stupid. I just re-told the entire fucking series, and I don’t even know why. I think I’m just a little out of it. I don’t know if I wanna go back in, and I haven’t even touched on my silly little characters that mean absolutely nothing to everyone, and mean everything to me. I’m sure I’ll be back to those two at some point, but for now I will just like every post I see, and I apologize for the spam.

Also, shout out to Eddie Izzard‘s Abel Gideon specifically! What a wonder she is!

[worrywrite]

Apparently my vampire media journey was normal? I mean... I *am* a product of very controlled mass media marketing and for-profit media/storytelling.

Let's see... Sesame Street's The Count, I feel like that's everyone first vampire character. Then there was that Disney channel movie... What was it. All I remember is vampire cows. And that one villain from the Buzz Lightyear animated series (okay, so weird stuff does stick to my brain and I have a weird range of media I absorbed as a child... And I absorbed a significant amount of media). I don't think there was a vampire in Halloween Town, but around the time that became a thing I started getting really into Halloween (I was probably six or seven) and I do recall there being vampire characters in the Scary Godmother animated movies and that reinforced it. Around the same time I happened across Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which I acknowledge I was far too young for) and I was... Entranced with vampires. Parents didn't like that, didn't really catch much Buffy because of it. But my interest in the occult in general got *piqued* and from there on out, it was witches and vampires and werewolves and demons and djinni (burned through the original Bartimaeus books before 6th grade). So when I hit puberty proper... Okay, yeah, I was into monsters which explains why I was functionally asexual until I was 17; because monsters aren't real and are therefore inaccessible characters of desire.

ANYWAY.

By the time I was 11, my mother had started reading the Twilight books. And because she is incapable of not talking about everything she's obsessed with to literally everyone she talks to, she talked about the books to me a lot. Because I liked books. And this backfired for her. A lot. Because she liked the intensity of it and lack of general swearing (this woman is a hyper-conservative Christian, which also explains the oversharing interests things because proselytizing). It backfired because I went "oh, my parents are okay with this now" and I went deep into vampire/werewolf lore on the internet (not exactly fiction or media proper, but I became part of my early social media interactions with message boards and forums and RPGs and such).

I also saw Underworld, Van Helsing, and Hellboy around that time (13-14). Those movies are all over the place, but yeah. You know what, I'll throw The Matrix in there too. I'm gonna call this my leather and spandex phase of vampire experiences. Good times. This led to the writing of my first vampire and werewolf novels (two different novels, both hot garbage). And then I saw the twilight movie (which I liked because of the soundtrack and general attractiveness of all the actors portraying vampires) and read the books and got really into Supernatural which I regret because it didn't have enough vampires and werewolves to be honest. And then the Vampire Diaries on CW happened. And then Teen Wolf.

And then I kind of burned out on most media, went to college, learned and played d&d, and now I'm back on my vampire bs. I run a 5e campaign where my players have a vampire frienemy who they accidentally unleashed on the setting; she is one of my favorite NPCs to portray. And now I am getting into Discworld and the vampires there are refreshingly silly.

Anyway, I feel like this is pretty normal? Maybe not. I went all in on pretty much everything occult (partially because of my own experiences which I haven't really talked about) when I was young. It never scared me; probably because I was taught from a young age that the only things I had to be afraid of were the devil and minorities--because, again, hyper-conservative household. I find this very funny now because now I know that that is basically what spurred the creation of these mythical sexy creatures that I love so much.

[triviareads]

I'm happy people are still reading Harlequin and Mills & Boon. I read my mom's old paperbacks when I was younger and they get a bad rep. Or maybe I thought they were good because they were spicy and I was young. Do you have any newer M&B Harlequin suggestions?

I love that! I think Harlequins were probably the first adult romances I read back in the day and honestly, the dream would be to write something for them someday (it has been... a slow work in progress). So from my understanding Mills & Boon is the British romance imprint of Harlequin so idk how much overlap there is for the books I'm gonna recommend. I've sorted them by author mostly, and they all fall under Harlequin Dare (super hot, now defunct 😔), Harlequin Presents (the fun international ones inevitably with some kinda billionaire/prince/sheikh), or Harlequin Desire (mostly rich Americans):

Caitlin Crews: Here is a list of my absolute favorites by Caitlin, and to add to that, The Secret That Can't Be Hidden (ft. my favorite insta-sex scene during which he basically beckons her forward and fingers her on the spot... no conversation necessary), Crowning His Lost Princess (warlord touches down in a field in.... Kansas? and tells a farm girl she's a lost princess and he's gonna marry her), and Her Deal with the Greek Devil (he has hella beef with the heroine who's his stepsister so he makes her go around his house naked— don't ask me how he gets to that point but it makes for some great tension).

Jackie Ashenden: On the Harlequin Dare front I'd recommend, King's Ransom (ft. the world's biggest kidnap girlie who also has sex for the first time after she's caught sniffing her kidnapper's clothes), Dirty Devil (A heist story that takes a delightful "can I seduce him into letting me free?" turn), Sexy Beast (the only kind of friends-to-lovers I condone, namely the kind that begins with her taking him up on his offer to give her an orgasm) and In the Dark (brother's best friend except she's filling in for her escort friend and he's the client). On the Presents side, I really like Promoted to His Princess (he's a playboy prince and she's the elite soldier meant to guard him).

Naima Simone: Naima writes diverse romances with really hot sex scenes. My favorites include Black Tie Billionaire (they have anonymous sex during a blackout and it turns out he wants to ruin her brother... by getting fake engaged to her), Secrets of a One Night Stand (another anonymous encounter, and it turns out he's her boss, and she's pregnant), and Vows in Name Only (they're both blackmailed by her dad into marrying each other and the hero is suuuuuper resentful of her... until he isn't). Honestly, I'd recommend everything Naima has ever written, even outside Harlequin.

Tara Pammi: Tara writes great Indian-forward Harlequin Presents. I'd recommend Claiming His Bollywood Cinderella and The Secret She Kept in Bollywood. This post has a more in-depth description of both.

Lauren Hawkeye: Lauren wrote a modern series based on Little Women under the Harlequin Dare imprint. They're all pretty good but my favorites are Beth's book, Playing Dirty (she's a mechanic, he's a rich man who's *ashamed* of his bedroom proclivities) and Meg's book, Sweet Temptation.

Jadesola James: She writes lovely Harlequin Presents set in Africa; Here is me gushing about The Royal Baby He Must Claim, and that heroine's sister has her own book in The Princess He Must Marry (ft. marriage of convenience... until they actually need to be together).

Miscellaneous:

The Greek Billionaire's Innocent Princess by Chantelle Shaw: She's a princess but she's so "frumpy" he thinks she's waitstaff, but then he sees her skinny-dipping and they have sex in a cave on the beach.... and the next time he sees her, surprise! she's a princess.... and she's pregnant. This one was basically my Harlequin awakening.

The Prince's Forbidden Virgin by Robyn Donald: The first vineyard-based book I ever read; he's the king of a small Mediterranean country and she's his cousin (at least they think.... until the near-end) who's back to rescue the vines from blight.

The Cost of the Forbidden by Carol Marinelli: The first Russian hero to really do it for me; she's his PA and she's given her notice (because she's too attracted to him) so now he basically thinks she's fair game. What a smooth man.

Hold Me by Anne Marsh: The greatest and most seamless roleplaying I've read (until very recently). Here's a hint at what it includes.

Pure Satisfaction by Rebecca Hunter: I'm a sucker for a shame-boner because "she's too young for me" and this book really delivers (especially when she makes him say "you're too young for me" while she's in his lap with her top off lolol).