#tristan ballentine

[corporalicent]

LUCINDA 'LUCIE' TEDBURY & TRISTAN BALLENTINE

A Rogue of One's Own by Evie Dunmore

[darcytaylor]

My favourite book is The Song of Achilles. If you haven’t already read it, I’m not sure I’d recommend it to get out of a funk because I was so moved and broken by the love story that I couldn’t do anything for a full day afterwards. My favourite genre is historical fiction but I have read a lot of historical romance lately (the wait for s3 was loooooong). I’d recommend Evie Dunmore’s series, A League of Extraordinary Women. My favourite book in the series is the second, A Rogue of One’s Own. I love both of the main characters. I need to know why there isn’t fan art for Tristan Ballentine everywhere I turn. The series just makes me feel a lot of gratitude for my circumstances. For modern romance, I like Sophie Cousens. I like that her main characters are a bit of a mess. It makes me feel better. (Note: I haven’t yet read all of her books so it might not always be the case.) My favourite pick me up movies are Legally Blonde, The Parent Trap (1998), and The Fast and The Furious. I never understood Jim from the Office scoffing at Legally Blonde as a “desert island movie”. Not only is it one of the best, it’s motivational, funny, and lifts your spirits. I truly love both the 1994 and 2019 Little Women movies, but those aren’t great recommendations to get out of a funk. Although there is a fandom to get yourself lost in? I turn to junk MTV when I need a distraction. My favourites are Geordie Shore and Are You The One. You can watch them on the CTV app. Most recently, I liked My Lady Jane to help me get over my Bridgerton s3 disappointment. No niche recommendations, I like all the popular things lol

Thank you so much for all of the recommendations!

I do have The Song of Achilles on my TBR shelf. But since you said you wouldn't read it to get out of a funk, maybe it will stay there for a little while longer.

I am very intrigued by A League of Extraordinary Women, so that is going on my book list for sure.

I feel like I have read something by Sophie Cousens. I'll have to take a look at my goodreads account. I do love characters that are a bit of a mess as well. I like living vicariously through fictional people at times!

Legally Blonde is a classic, and a classic that I haven't watched in a while, so it's going on my movie rewatch list. I love Reese Witherspoon.

The Parent Trap and the 1994 version of Little Women, bring me back to being a kid. My older sister and I know the Parent trap word for word! I also like the Hayley Mills version of it as well.

Jersey Shore is my go to reality show that I tend to rewatch. But that reminds me that I haven't watched the most recent season of it!

My Lady Jane is another that I have heard a lot of people talk about. That's also getting added to my list!

Thank you again for all of the recommendations. I appreciate you!

[saturdaynightmatinee]

CALIFICACIÓN PERSONAL: 7 / 10

Título Original: The Dark and the Wicked

Año: 2020

Duración: 94 min.

País: Estados Unidos  

Dirección:  Bryan Bertino

Guion: Bryan Bertino

Música: Tom Schraeder

Fotografía: Tristan Nyby

Reparto: Marin Ireland, Michael Abbott Jr., Xander Berkeley, Lynn Andrews, Julie Oliver-Touchstone, Tom Nowicki, Ella Ballentine, Mel Cowan, Mindy Raymond, Chris Doubek, Michael Zagst

Productora:  The Travelling Picture Show Company, Unbroken Pictures, Shotgun Shack Pictures, Inwood Road Films

Género: Horror

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10229558/

TRAILER:

[howlljenkins]

A League of Extraordinary Women Fancasts

Danielle Galligan as Annabelle 

Alexander Skarsgård as Montgomery

AnnaSophia Robb as Lucie 

this random dude as Tristan cause I couldn’t find an actor I liked

Assaad Bouab as Lucian/Blackstone

this pretty lady as Hattie cause again I couldn’t find an actor I liked

[accidental-rambler]

read in 2020 📖 A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore

“Your stubborn courage humbles me. Your rage inspires me. You are like a storm moving through, rearranging whomever you touch in your wake - imagine the trouble we could cause if we joined forces. But I digress. When you look at me, I know you look right into me, because it is what you do - you look deeply. You prefer truth over comfort. And believe me, I’m in need of a woman who laughs in the face of ugly, for there is some darkness in my soul. But my heart, blackened as it is, is yours, and only yours, until you stop desiring it. And it shall be yours even then.”

[starry-sky-stuff]

I was talking with @missbrunettebarbie about my favourite parent-child relationships in HR, so here's my list. For some of the parents I can't remember their names, and spoiler warning.

Georgiana Pearson and Caroline (Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover): unlike the rest on this list, the lead is the parent in the relationship. I love how much Georgiana loves her daughter and everything she does is for Caroline, but she's also allowed to be a flawed and imperfect mother.

Griffin and the Dowager Duchess (Any Duchess Will Do): I love this meddling mother, and how she really does just want the best for her son. Their relationship really grows, especially after he reveals the death of his daughter to her, and the healing of their relationship goes hand in hand with his character growth

Juliana Fiori and The Marchioness of Ralston (Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart): mother-daughter relationships are often neglected in HR and I do like how this is an example of a toxic mother who really did a number on her daughter

Annabelle Peyton and Philippa Peyton (Wallflowers series): I mean, Philippa literally resorts to sex work in order to keep a roof over her children's heads and protect her daughter from having to become a mistress. I wish they got more pagetime

Blake Vanderlin and the Duke (Confessions From an Arranged Marriage): this is a very complicated father-son relationship, filled with misunderstanding. I like how you can see that they both love each other, but there's so much hurt between them. And there's tragedy in the implication that the Duke would've been understanding if he knew of Blake's learning disability, but he never got to tell him.

Tristan Ballentine and his mother (A Rogue of One's Own): literally Tristan's entire motivation is to get enough money so he can help his mentally ill mother escape his abusive father

Sebastian St Vincent and his children (of whom Gabriel, Phoebe and Keir are leads) (The Ravenels series): I just find it hilarious that Sebastian is such a meddling mother type

[newathens]

tristan ballentine. my blorbo

[morgan--reads]

A Rogue of One’s Own - Evie Dunmore

Summary: Suffragist Lucie Tedbury has managed to purchase half of a publishing company with the aim of using it to release a report detailing the sufferings of married women. Standing in her way is the owner of the other half of the shares, her childhood menace who has grown into a famous rake, Tristan Ballentine. Then Tristan makes her an offer: majority ownership of the company in exchange for a night in her bed.

Quote: “I’m afraid the idea that a woman is a person, whether married or not, is so inherently radical no matter which way I present it I shall be considered a nuisance.”

My rating: 3.0/5.0  Goodreads: 4.03/5.0

Review: The cover and the description of the book led me to expect something a lot lighter than it ended up being. The constraints that women faced in the Victorian period, the exhaustion of continual activism, the abuse of upper class power, and other serious themes are prominently featured in the story. There’s nothing wrong with a romance exploring those themes (Courtney Milan does so with aplomb), but the romance largely gets left behind in the process, along with several intriguing plot lines. Tristan’s involvement in an imperialist war, his genuinely kinky sex life, the day-to-day operations of the publishing company (including any potentially fun displays of office rivalry), and other interesting threads are never explored. Instead, too much space is given to an unnecessary love triangle and a boring house party. The chemistry between Tristan and Lucie is there, but their well-orchestrated happy ending didn’t feel like it had been earned yet.

[thethrobbingmembers]

THE THROBBING MEMBERS REVIEW: A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore

0 stars because a cat died. -Rae

 I feel like this woman wears spectacles. Not sexy. -Catherine

Again, I am asking: where was the editor? -Lily

The main character didn’t seem to like anyone. -Margo

I can’t believe Oscar Wilde based his OC on Evie Dunmore’s OC. -Sarah

Dream Cast

Lucie

Tristan

Summary

Lucie is a suffragette. Tristan is a rogue. They own equal shares in a publishing company, and Tristan offers to exchange his shares for a night in Lucie’s bed. 

Review

After a disappointingly supportive and unproblematic romance novel about two women in love, we decided to search for a book that made us question our ethics. You know, the kind of book that makes you go, I’m a feminist but also, sometimes, messy fictional guys who don’t know always know women are people are hot. And oh boy did “A Rogue of One’s Own” deliver.

At its heart, A Rogue of One’s Own is a feminist manifesto on the struggle to remain loyal to the cause (that is, white feminism) but also wanting to get banged by morally questionable men. Lucie and Tristan’s “will-they-or-won’t-they-relationship” takes us on some new twists and turns we hadn’t seen in romance novels up until now, which mostly means that both of the characters had lives and depth outside of each other (actually fleshed out complex family relationships with nuance???), and the conflict keeping them from being a happy, successful couple actually lasted for the whole novel. There was also a plot (rare) and multiple subplots (even rarer???) which sometimes dragged on but were still overall pretty fun to read.

Lucie is great, and it’s fun to watch her go off on multiple people. But the star of the novel by far is Lord Tristan Ballentine, a Byronic hero who also enjoys kittens, prefers writing erotic short stories and poetry over war memoirs, and secretly just really wants to be valued for more than his body, you know? He’s also bisexual, though the author hedges around confirming this fact. But. C’mon. When you insert Oscar Wilde into your novel to comment on how hot your male protagonist is, and also devote a one hundred page subplot to him getting kind of homophobically pined after by a guy who he just wasn’t that into - but not because he’s a guy - there’s really only one message you can send.

At its best, the novel focuses on swapping gender dynamics (we love a man who tries to blackmail a woman into sex and then gets offended when she only loves him for his /body/) and subverting some classic romance tropes that we were happy to see overturned, especially at the end. At its worst, it glosses over British imperialism for the sake of sexy tattoos and an over-devotion to historical accuracy of the suffragist movement that is painful to read sometimes when that means the exclusion of issues such as race. But if you just want to turn your brain off for a while and enjoy reading about a couple who support each other’s questionable morality and living peacefully in sin until justice can be had, then this is definitely the novel for you!

-Smurf

5.5/10 stars

Additional Ratings

Historical Accuracy: 4/10 

It had all the trappings of historical accuracy but felt like modern people playing pretend. 

Sexy Sex: 3/10

They had so many opportunities to have hot office sex and they didn’t. If you’re going to describe a character as really kinky, you better deliver. 

Nicknames: 5/10

They didn’t nickname each other but they both had mean nicknames that other people called them. A beautiful way to bond. 

Notes: Loved the ending where like, two separate people tried to trap Tristan into marriage while he was trying to baby trap Lucie. 

[joaquimblog]

No tengo dudas al respecto, esta representación ha sido la mejor de las que se han ofrecido hasta ahora esta temporada cinematográfica desde Nueva York y eso que el intendente del Met, Peter Gelb anunció antes de comenzar que Eric Owens estaba resfriado y pedía comprensión. Porgy and Bess es una ópera que me entusiasma, una obra maestra que es verdad que en en algún momento decae la intensidad dramática con un exceso de escenas costumbristas que seguramente pretendían no concentrar tanta tensión dramática y ofrecer un cuadro de la comunidad negra en América del sur a principios del siglo XX. El MET estrenaba una nueva producción de James Robinson, con una casi única escenografía giratoria de Michael Yeargan, muy efectiva que enmarca muy bien las situaciones en Catfish Row. David Robertson que hace ya muchos años nos dejó dos espectaculares recuerdos en el Palau de la Música en las temporadas del Liceu en el exilio tras el incendio, con el mozartiano Mitridate Re di Ponto y el wagneriano Tristan und Isolde, (incluso se llegó a decir que sería el nuevo director titular del teatro), dirigió la genial partitura de Gershwin con mucho vigor dramático y extrayendo lo mejor de la espectacular orquesta neoyorquina. Quizás su dirección no es tan contrastada como la de Rattle o sorprendente como la de Harnoncourt, pero en él recae gran parte del triunfo de esta maravillosa representación. Ya he dicho que Eric Owens estaba resfriado y efectivamente se ha reservó mucho para llegar sano y salvo al final de la representación. No sólo por motivos del resfriado, ya que su voz ha perdido intensidad y firmeza, pero aún estando en una situación vocal inestable, me ha gustado mucho más que en octubre pasado en la retransmisión radiofónica también desde el Met, donde la voz fluctuaba mucho y de manera desagradable. Ayer, a pesar de la cautela estuvo más firme. Vocal y por registro es un Porgy de manual, lástima que el resfriado o el desgaste de los años hizo que no se impusiera en los grandes momentos.

Angel Blue es una Bess prodigiosa y gigantesca. Su presencia escénica impone y su voz, dúctil y generosa en extensión y color, se adecua maravillosamente al rol. Alrededor de los dos protagonistas se ha reunido un cast prácticamente ideal, donde sobresalen Frederick Ballentine como Sportin 'Life, Alfred Walker como Crown y Donovan Singletary como Jack en la parte masculina, mientras que en la femenina, casi sin ningún pero, Latonia Moore (Serena) aplaudidísima por su espectacular plegaria a su difuntom marido, Golda Schultz (Clara) y Denyce Graves (María). Sensacional y a ratos imponente el coro con muchos miembros externos para hacerlo íntegramente negro y también magníficos los miembros perfectamente integrados en el conjunto, del cuerpo de baile. La producción no es nada rompedora, pero de manera aparentemente sencilla tiene un movimiento dramático muy efectivo, gracias una vez más a aquel l tópico que dice que los negros llevan el ritmo en la sangre y hay que añadir, el genio y el arte. Absolutamente extasiado.

[packernet]

New Post has been published on https://www.packernet.com/blog/2020/01/23/2020-nfl-mock-draft-3-0-with-trades/

2020 NFL Mock Draft 3.0 - With Trades

This mock is done using the latest news and rumors as well as my very own proprietary consensus big board, which aggregates all the top big boards around the internet into one board. To see the board, sign up as a Patreon for as little as a dollar per month here.

Cincinatti Bengals Joe Burrow QB LSU

This is essentially already a done deal. The Bengals haven’t had meetings so discussions will take place but from everything I’ve heard, you can lock this in.

Washington Redskins Chase Young EDGE Ohio State

This is also essentially a forgone conclusion. Not much to really debate. Chase is the top prospect this year. We all saw what Bosa did for the 49ers. The Redskins are taking Young.

TRADE: Miami Dolphins Tua Tagovailoa QB Alabama Lions receive Dolphins picks 5 and 26

There is a lot of talk that the Dolphins will want to load up and ensure they get their guy, Tua. The Lions are an ideal team to trade back just 2 spots. It ensures they still get an elite player and secures a 2nd 1st round pick.

As for Miami, they can ensure they get a QB and still have their 2nd 1st round pick to help build the team around Tua.

New York Giants Jeffrey Okudah CB Ohio State

As much as I’d love to go in another direction, our trio of Sam Beal, Corey Ballentine, and Deandre Baker might be the worst in all of football. All 3 are 1st year guys and Beal and Ballentine missed a combined 13 games so there could be some progress there but this unit is straight up garbage. We need help badly.

Detroit Lions (Via MIA) Derrick Brown DL Auburn

Picking up an additional 1st round pick means we can go BPA here and that would be Derrick Brown, a guy that will help out a struggling DL and a line that will likely lose Mike Daniels and possibly Damon Harrison who is said to be contemplating retirement.

LA Chargers Justin Herbert QB Oregon

Rivers has already packed his stuff and moved to Florida so a reunion with the Chargers is very close to 0. There is some talk they may sign a veteran like Cam or Mariota but that still wouldn’t rule out a QB pick here.

Carolina Panthers Andrew Thomas OT Georgia

Simmons makes some sense with Luke leaving but Thomas is being talked about as one of the best tackles in the last decade. This is a pure talent pick.

As a side note, if I had a QB in reach I would go QB, but I don’t.

Arizona Cardinals Jedrick Wills OT Alabama

Again I was looking hard at Simmons but we need to help our QB and the OL is sub par and aging. Let’s actually get a top tier blind side blocker.

Jacksonville Jaguars Isaiah Simmons LB Clemson

The Jaguars are the beneficiaries of the two tackles that went and can now get a top LB. Assuming they put him at LB… the guy does everything.

Cleveland Browns Tristan Wirfs OT Iowa

The Browns OL colapsed in on itself like a dying star in 2019. The right side of the line is the worst part of it which is exactly where Wirfs will slot in.

TRADE: Indianapolis Colts Jerry Jeudy WR Alabama Colts offer up Picks 112 (4th) and 171 (6th)

Tony Pauline said he expects the Jets to trade back. A likely partner, with Jeudy on the board, would be a WR hungry team that wants to jump the Raiders who 100% would take him.

TY Hilton is 30 as spent half the year hurt, Funchess is on the way out, and Chester Rodgers and Dontrell Inman are also free agents.

Las Vegas Raiders Ceedee Lamb WR Oklahoma

It might seem insignificant with the Raiders getting a WR anyway but I’m willing to bet the Raiders are seething. Happy, but seething.

New York Jets (Via IND) A.J. Epenesa EDGE Iowa

There’s some talk about an Epenesa slide due to him being a better 3-4 DE than 4-3 DE but 13 is slide enough and the Jets are a 3-4 defense so it works out however we choose to use him. Which is great cause we need some pass rush help.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Javon Kinlaw DL South Carolina

Suh will likely be a cap casualty for the Bucs and finding a replacement will be a high priority. They may look to QB like Eason later but not here and I would also keep my eye on RB if they don’t go after Lev Bell… but again not at 14 overall.

Denver Broncos Kristian Fulton CB LSU

Even if Chris Harris stays (unlikely) he’s beginning to fall off at 30 years old. Behind him is no real talent at all. Fangio needs his guy.

Atlanta Falcons K’Lavon Chaisson EDGE LSU

The Falcons have to find a way to get to the QB and Tak McKinley doesn’t seem to be the solution.

Dallas Cowboys Grant Delpit S LSU

The Cowboys have been scratching and clawing for safeties so I’m going to stay the course here. How FA goes for the Cowboys though makes a big difference, especially the guys they choose NOT to keep, but for the information I have now I’m going with Delpit.

Miami Dolphins (Via PIT) Mekhi Becton OT Louisville

I don’t know why they traded away their OT but now they need one to protect their new QB. Enter Becton who should be an upgrade over Davenport.

Las Vegas Raiders (Via CHI) Kenneth Murray LB Oklahoma

The linebackers are a mess in Oakland. We tried Burfict but that ended exactly how you would expect. We need to make an effort to get talent at LB.

TRADE: Green Bay Packers Henry Ruggs WR Alabama Jaguars receive picks 94 (3rd) and 172 (6th via Ty Montgomery)

I promise this isn’t just because I’m a Packers fan. The Jags have needs that fit much better later in the round so a trade back makes sense. Henry Ruggs is 13th on the board so the value is ridiculous. The Saints make sense but they have no draft capital. The Ravens already have a burner so Ruggs makes no sense, so the next logical team is the Packers who give up a 3rd and their extra 6th to move up and get a legit deep threat but one that’s also a talented receiver, unlike the Janis, MVS, and Davis squad.

Ruggs has legitimate Tyreek Hill upside.

Philadelphia Eagles Trevon Diggs CB Alabama

The eagles are going heavy after corners and are rumored to be looking in FA but until they actually pull the trigger, I’m looking for a corner in the draft.

Buffalo Bills Tyler Biadasz IOL Wisconsin

It’s a bit of a reach on my board which usually means I’m looking to trade back but I don’t want to lose Biadasz here. our OL needs help and Quinton Spain is a 28 year old free agent that I have no intention of paying to stick around.

New England Patriots Laviska Shenault WR Colorado

The Pats took a WR in the first round last year but still need help there. They were also the only team with the ability to make Cordarrelle Patterson look like a legitimate weapon and could probably do some special things with a guy like Shenault.

New Orleans Saints C.J. Henderson CB Florida

I would love to get a WR2 but we can get that later. Right now I’m looking at a CB group who, outside of Lattimore, are made up of 31 year old Janoris Jenkins, and 3 corners that are currently FAs (Apple, Williams, and Badermosi). The only other guy is Patrick Robinson who spent about as many weeks injured as he did on the field.

TRADE: Kansas City Chiefs D’Andre Swift RB Georgia Vikings receive pick 95 (3rd)

Trading up for a RB seems silly but think about the lack of talent at RB the Chiefs have, how good they would be with an elite RB, and the fact that Swift is our 19th overall player and it becomes somewhat of a no brainer.

The Vikings were pretty desperate to move back to be able to get a player of need at a better value.

Detroit Lions (Via MIA, via HOU) Xavier McKinney S Alabama

I wanted so badly for someone to trade up and take McKinney, who is an unbelievable talent, to make it to 26 but nobody could or would be willing. Instead the Lions let him fall. To think they turn their 1 pick in 2020 into Derrick Brown and Xavier McKinney is pretty remarkable.

They do have a decent pair in Walker and Wilson but Wilson is a 29 year old FA. We’ll probably keep him and look to use one of our safeties to help our garbage LBs.

If you still aren’t sold call him a Quandre Diggs replacement and know that several scouts now have him above Grant Delpit.

Seattle Seahawks Yetur Gross-Matos EDGE Penn State

Trading up for McKinney was a thought but we are on the verge of a pass rush crisis. Even if we can afford to keep Clowney; Ansah, Jackson, Watson, and Jefferson are all free agents in addition to Clowney and Jarran Reed on the interior is a FA.

Literally 7 of our 13 guys along the line are FAs, and 2 of the 6 remaining are only signed through 2020, leaving only Mone, Green, Christmas, and Collier.

Not great Bob.

Baltimore Ravens Tee Higgins WR Clemson

You wouldn’t know it based on offensive production but this WR group is actually kind of terrible. Outside of rookie Hollywood Brown, I’m not sure any of the other guys pass as even mediocre. Pairing Higgins with speedster Brown in this offense is just a horrifying thought.

Tennessee Titans Jordan Love QB Utah State

This isn’t meant to be a Tannehill replacement in year one but let’s face it, if we resign Tannehill it’s not so he can be our guy for 10 years. Love is said to be a little raw and in need of tutelage. Veteran Tannehill will be able to show the kid the ropes and let him take over in a year or so.

As for the lack of quarterbacks in the mock, just know that I am sticking to my board which, despite all the talk of a QB run, nobody seems to want to back it up by putting Love or any other QB’s in the top 25/32 of their boards.

Love is also having a rough start to his Senior Bowl which enhances the feeling he will need to sit which in turn will cause him to slide in the draft.

Jacksonville Jaguars (Via GB) Austin Jackson OT USC

The Jags drafted a stud RB and have let him die on an offense with no OL, no QB, and no WR’s. Supposedly he’s supposed to do everything himself.

With Chark and Minshew now adding a little something, let’s build up this OL and make this a balanced offensive attack in which Fournette can have the opportunity to be a Derrick Henry for the Jags.

Minnesota Vikings Bryce Hall CB Virginia

Giant reach but this is a no brainer. the Vikings need corner help. Maybe I would have budged on a lineman but none of those are available either. Hey, you win some and lose some on these trades, this wasn’t great for value but we still got extra picks.

San Francisco 49ers Jalen Reagor WR TCU

Ya we could pay to keep Emanuel Sanders as he’s about to turn 33 but how about we replace him in the draft with a much cheaper, younger, and faster Jalen Reagor?

[starry-sky-stuff]

Top Historical Romance Heroes

@missbrunettebarbie and I were talking about my favourite romance heroes, so here's my list

Michael Stirling (When He Was Wicked): He has pining down to an artform, and there's no possessive bs unlike a lot of other romance heroes.

Sebastian St Vincent (Devil in Winter): A classic and genre defining hero.

Ash (The Duchess Deal): I love this Shakespeare-swearing man.

Drew Bentley (One Fine Duke): I love a hero from a spy plot who isn't overprotective of the heroine and doesn't try to dictate her actions.

Chase Reynaud (The Governess Game): He's very kind and caring, and I like how he shows his love by caregiving.

Tristan Ballentine (A Rogue to Remember): This charming rogue was one of my first romance heroes and I have a soft spot for him.

Harry Marlowe (And Then He Kissed Her): Gotta love a working man and even though he doesn't start off respecting the heroine's work he learns the error of his ways.

Marcus Westcliffe (It Happened One Autumn): I love stuffy noblemen whose lives are turned upside down by the heroine.

Gareth St Clair (It’s in His Kiss): He's very charming and I love how he and Hyacinth work together, but he loses points for the overprotective bs he pulls near the end.

Cross (One Good Earl Deserves a Lover): He definitely respects Pippa and loves her for her intellect, but like Gareth he's a bit too overprotective and controlling at times.

[starry-sky-stuff]

2, 5, 10, 50

Number 5:

Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt - Such an entertaining book, mainly because the hero is basically an unhinged Shakespearean like villain. And the heroine is his housekeeper who takes no shit and they're working against each other for most of the novel.

Emma/Ash (The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare) - Another self-arranged marriage of convenience. I love how their relationship develops and they're both absolutely delightful together and as individuals.

Hyacinth Bridgerton (It’s In His Kiss by Julia Quinn) - I'm actually thinking she should be a bit lower of the list, but she's definitely my second favourite Bridgerton heroine. She's just such fun and I love how she just wants in on a treasure hunt.

Tristan Ballentine (A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore) - He was the hero of the first historical romance I ever read and probably informed my love of rakes. Plus, he's another Snake/Bird with a Snake Secondary model.

Number 10:

A Lady’s Guide to Misconduct by Meredith Duran - I'm not usually a fan of amnesia plotlines, but I think it was done very well here. And I loved the focus on politics and all the historical detail. Also, I love how it didn't fall into the 'you have to forgive your family' trap and how Jane calls out Crispin's shitty family.

Francesca/Michael (When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn) - Love the yearning and the fact there's an actual emotional conflict keeping them apart (yeah I can understand why Francesca feels conflicted about being with her dead husband's cousin/best friend). Also, Michael's pining is just great.

Minerva Montrose (Confessions From an Arranged Marriage by Miranda Neville) - I love how she's openly ambitious and wants to be involved in politics. Also, she's definitely an accurate depiction of an 18/19 year old. The fervent belief in her own invulnerability and complete faith in the correctness of her own opinions in a way only a teenager can be.

Crispin Burke (A Lady’s Guide to Misconduct) - He has an amazing character arc. He starts off very morally ambiguous, if not outright villain. Then he gets jumped and has amnesia, forgetting the last 5 years of his life and he has to reconcile his different identities. It's a nice journey from being a corrupt politician only in it for power to actually caring about doing the right thing.

Number 50: 

The Truth About Cads and Dukes by Elisa Braden - I liked how Harrison is a fundamentally decent person (he does marry the woman his brother drew into a scandal to protect her) and it had the potential for me to really enjoy it considering they start off antagonistic and very different. Harrison earnestly does he best, trying to treat her with kindness and respect but unfortunately this backfires and results in the direct opposite. Ultimately, I think the problem was resolved too late for me to have any faith in the couple's ability to communicate. And I didn't like how Harrison didn't defend Jane.

Harriet/Lucian (A Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore) - The relationship certainly starts off on a bad foot, with him manoeuvring to trap her into a scandal to marry her. But they have some nice moments as the two grow closer. But the ending has her go off for six months and then they get back together. I get why Dunmore did this, but I don't think having the couple spend the last bit of the novel apart for that long didn't endear me to the relationship.

Penelope Campion (The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare) - She was cute and I liked her kindness and her love of animals. Also, her tragic past definitely rounded out her character. But she was still a bit bland compared to the other heroines of the series.

Raphael de Chartres (Duke of Desire by Elizabeth Hoyt) - He's an interesting character with a super tragic and messed up past. I think my enjoyment of his character was soured a bit by my feelings that the book was unnecessary. Maybe I'm also comparing him to other misanthropic scared dukes and he's falling short.

[starry-sky-stuff]

Rate your Snake Birds xDDD: Nikolai Lantsov, Darius Calantis, Tristan Ballentin, Johnny Jacobis, Will Herondale, Thomas Cresswell

1) Johnny Jacobis - I wasn’t expecting to put Johnny at the top, but when I thought about it I couldn’t think of anything I really disliked about him. He’s good hearted, witty, loyal. I adore his dynamic with Dutch and how much they support one another. He and Pawter have such a tragic romance, but I loved every second of it.

2) Tristan Ballentin - He’s my alltime favourite historical romance male lead, just the right mix of charm, humour, and vulnerability (he also worships the female lead, a bit of a running thread between most of these men). The latest book in the series has just come out and I’ve seen some criticism of his actions in it and claims he was acting ooc, and if that’s true I’ll be very mad.

3) Nikolai Lantsov - He was my favourite supporting character in The Grisha Trilogy. Charming and sarcastic to cover up insecurities is just my cup of tea. He would’ve been higher but I do have some problems with his character. I think because he’s such a fan fave Bardugo was afraid to be too harsh on him, so nothing bad’s ever really his fault and the bad things he does are never addressed or brushed over. For example, in his Duology he lies/keeps secrets from the female lead (who’s also his LI) three times and it’s completely glossed over. Also, his treatment of Mal was classist and it was never addressed.

4) Darius Calantis - Oh Darius, you might’ve been higher if not for the murder and experimentation (just joking, I love him despite all the murder). He’s a suave, charming man with a vulnerable side. A+++

5) Thomas Cresswell - Boy spends all his time solving crime and worshipping the ground the female lead walks on. What’s not love. He’s also super respectful of Rose’s boundaries, fully admires her intelligence and supports her career. He never treats her concerns about marriage as trivial and gives her time and space to make her own decisions.

6) Will Herondale - I loved him when I read the series as a teen. Not as fond of him now. He treated everyone like absolute shit for 2/3s of the series but because his intentions were to save him from his curse (which he could’ve figured out was bs if he thought about it at all) everything’s apparently okay. And even before that everyone else just shrugged off his behaviour. Also, having sex with your best friend’s fiancé immediately after finding out he’s dead (he’s not actually) is a terrible thing to do.

Now that I think about it, these characters are all very charming, very witty, adore and worship their partners, and have tragic backstories (with all but two of them having abusive fathers).

[starry-sky-stuff]

Tristan Ballentine/Georgiana Pearson

Georgiana wouldn't give him the time of day. She would probably take him completely at face value and just think of him as some worthless rake, selfish and self-centred. I think he would be intrigued by her, he'd definitely flirt with her and I think she'd flirt back but not seriously. If they had to work together, spending prolonged time together she might see a different side to him. But ultimately they're way too similar, they'd see too much of themselves in each other and probably be a bit unnerved.

[starry-sky-stuff]

Lion Primaries Pairings

Explanation: The character on the left side has the sorting of the heading and their love interest on the right side has the sorting in the parenthesis. Inside the square brackets is the piece of media the characters are from.

Lion/Lion (36):

Cordelia Chase {Lion/Lion} + Angel {Snake/Badger} [Angel]

Leia Organa {Lion/Lion} + Han Solo {Snake/Lion} [Star Wars]

Ron Weasley {Lion/Lion} + Hermione Granger {Lion/Bird} [Harry Potter]

Gale {Lion/Lion} + Katniss Everdeen {Snake/Lion} [Hunger Games}

Pocahontas {Lion/Lion} + John Smith {Badger/Lion} [Disney]

Petunia Dursley {Lion/Lion} + Vernon Dursley {Badger/Bird} [Harry Potter]

Chloe Decker {Lion/Lion} + Lucifer Morningstar {Badger/Snake} [Lucifer]

Thor {Lion/Lion} + Jane Foster {Bird/Lion} [MCU]

Lady Lucie {Lion/Lion} + Tristan Ballentin {Snake/Bird} [League of Extraordinary Women]

Rikki {Lion/Lion} + Zane {Snake/Lion} [H2O]

Emma Woodhouse {Lion/Lion} + Mr Knightley {Snake/Badger} [Emma]

Alanna {Lion/Lion} + George {Snake/Badger} [Song of the Lioness]

Tyler Lockwood {Lion/Lion} + Caroline Forbes {Snake/Lion} [TVD]

Alina Starkov {Lion/Lion} + Mal Oretsev {Snake/Badger} [Grishaverse]

Jesper Fahey {Lion/Lion} + Wylan van Eck {Lion/Bird} [Grishaverse]

Emily Gilmore + Richard Gilmore {Snake/Badger} [Gilmore Girls]

Cordelia Chase + Xander Harris {Lion/Badger} [BtVS]

Amanita + Nomi {Lion/Badger} [Sense 8]

Riley + Will {Badger/Bird} [Sense 8]

Lily Evans + James Potter {Snake/Lion} [Harry Potter]

Sophie + Howl {Badger/Snake} [Howls’ Moving Castle (Book)]

Sophie + Howl {Lion/Lion} [Howls’ Moving Castle (Film)]

Tenth Doctor {Lion/Lion} + Rose Tyler {Snake/Lion} [Doctor Who]

Anna {Lion/Lion} + Kristoff {Snake/Badger} [Disney]

Prince Naveen {Lion/Lion} + Tiana {Snake/Badger} [Disney]

Othello {Lion/Lion} + Desdemona {Snake/Badger} [Shakespeare]

Shahrzad {Lion/Lion} + Khalid {Snake/Lion} [The Wrath and the Dawn]

Audrey Rose Wadsworth {Lion/Lion} + Thomas Cresswell {Snake/Bird} [Stalking Jack the Ripper]

Matt Murdock/Daredevil {Lion/Lion} + Karen Page {Lion/Bird} [MCU]

Danny Rand/Iron Fist {Lion/Lion} + Colleen Wing {Bird/Badger} [MCU]

Annabelle Archer {Lion/Lion} + Sebastian Devereaux {Lion/Badger} [League of Extraordinary Women]

Laurel {Lion/Lion} + William {Bird/Badger} [This is Us]

Kat Stratford {Lion/Lion} + Patrick Verona {Snake/Snake} [10 Things I Hate About You]

Amy Pond {Lion/Lion} + Rory Williams {Snake/Badger} [Doctor Who]

Jon Snow {Lion/Lion} + Ygritte {Badger/Lion} [ASOIAF]

Lion/Snake (17):

Padme Amidala {Lion/Snake} + Anakin Skywalker {Snake/Lion} [Star Wars]

Drusilla {Lion/Snake} + Spike {Snake/Snake} [BtVS]

Jaime Lannister {Lion/Snake} + Brienne of Tarth {Badger/Lion} [GOT]

Rhett Butler {Lion/Snake} + Scarlett O’Hara {Snake/Lion} [Gone With the Wind]

Elizabeth Swann {Lion/Snake} + Will Turner {Badger/Lion} [Pirates of the Caribbean]

Princess Jasmine {Lion/Snake} + Aladdin {Snake/Snake} [Disney]

Lyra Belacqua {Lion/Snake} + Will Parry {Snake/Badger} [HDM]

Cosette {Lion/Snake} + Marius {Snake/Lion} [Les Miserables]

Wynonna Earp {Lion/Snake} + Dolls {Bird/Bird} [Wynonna Earp]

Wynonna Earp {Lion/Snake} + Doc Holliday {Snake/Snake} [Wynonna Earp]

Isabelle Lightwood {Lion/Snake} + Raphael Santiago {Bird/Badger} [Shadowhunters]

Lorelai Gilmore {Lion/Snake} + Luke Danes {Lion/Badger} [Gilmore Girls]

Elizabeth Swann {Lion/Snake} + James Norrington {Bird/Badger} [Pirates of the Caribbean]

Olivia {Lion/Snake} + Kevin Pearson {Badger/Badger} [This is Us]

Cleopatra {Lion/Snake} + Antony {Snake/Lion} [Shakespeare]

Jake Peralta {Lion/Snake} + Amy Santiago {Badger/Bird} [Brooklyn Nine-Nine]

Olivia Pope {Lion/Snake} + Fitz {Badger/Badger} [Scandal]

Lion/Bird (14):

Bruce Wayne/Batman {Lion/Bird} + Selina Kyle/Catwoman {Badger/Snake}

Hermione Granger {Lion/Bird} + Ron Weasley {Lion/Lion} [Harry Potter

Mulan {Lion/Bird} + Shang {Lion/Badger} [Disney]

Zoe Washburn {Lion/Bird} + Wash {Badger/Bird} [Firefly]

Lady Sybil {Lion/Bird} + Sam Vimes {Badger/Lion} [Discworld]

Ruby {Lion/Bird} + Sam Winchester {Snake/Lion} [SPN]

Rapunzel {Lion/Bird} + Flynn Rider/Eugene Fitzherbert {Snake/Snake} [Disney]

Jackson Whitmore {Lion/Bird} + Lydia Martin {Bird/Bird} [Teen Wolf]

Catherine {Lion/Bird} + Peter {Snake/Lion} [The Great]

Wylan van Eck {Lion/Bird} + Jesper Fahey {Lion/Lion} [Grishaverse]

Kala {Lion/Bird} + Wolfgang {Snake/Badger} [Sense 8]

Kala {Lion/Bird} + Rajan {Snake/Badger} [Sense 8]

Hera Syndulla {Lion/Bird} + Kanan Jarrus {Snake/Lion} [Star Wars]

Cinder {Lion/Bird} + Kai {Badger/Snake} [The Lunar Chronicles]

Lion/Badger (17):

Steve Rogers {Lion/Badger} + Peggy Carter {Lion/Lion} [MCU]

Steve Rogers {Lion/Badger} + Sharon Carter {Bird/Bird} [MCU]

Castiel {Lion/Badger} + Dean Winchester {Badger/Bird} [SPN]

Tom Branson {Lion/Badger} + Sybil Crawley {Badger/Lion} [Downton Abbey]

Dan Humphrey {Lion/Badger} + Serena van der Woodsen {Bird/Lion} [Gossip Girl]

Dan Humphrey {Lion/Badger} + Blair Waldorf {Snake/Badger} [Gossip Girl]

Eve {Lion/Badger} + Mazikeen {Snake/Lion} [Lucifer]

Leslie Knope {Lion/Badger} + Ben Wyatt {Bird/Bird} [Parks & Recreation]

Snow White/Mary Margarte {Lion/Badger} + Prince Charming/David {Badger/Lion} [Once Upon a Time]

Luke Danes {Lion/Badger} + Lorelai Gilmore {Lion/Snake} [Gilmore Girls]

Xander Harris {Lion/Badger} + Cordelia Chase {Lion/Lion} [BtVS]

Xander Harris {Lion/Badger} + Anya {Snake/Snake} [BtVS]

Nomi {Lion/Badger} + Amanita {Lion/Lion} [Sense 8]

Jem Carstairs {Lion/Badger} + Tessa Gray {Bird/Lion} [TID]

Michael Cordero +{Lion/Badger} Jane Villanueva {Badger/Bird} [Jane the Virgin]

Clay Morrow {Lion/Badger} + Gemma Teller {Badger/Snake} [Sons of Anarchy}

Castiel {Lion/Badger} + Meg Masters {Snake/Lion} [SPN]

Sebastian Devereaux {Lion/Badger} + Annabelle Archer {Lion/Lion} [League of Extraordinary Women]