#Cw family bloggers

[in-flvx]

Walburga black in her YouTube era SO has a family Blog, and uses it to share her gentle parenting tips, and videos of Sirius who is having a meltdown (after she antagonized him enough) to promote some kind of therapy app

#Youtuber au #This au lives in my mind rent free #Cw family bloggers #walburga black #Sirius Black

[cicicolorao]

I think listening to drama videos about shitty family bloggers on Youtube is self harm, but it’s fine. I think the only subject I can’t handle is daddyoffive, because the mockery child distress is too familiar, no pun intended.

#i think my mom would’ve been a family blogger if she knew about it #cw family trauma

[carnivorousyandeere]

Marcus and Personal Blogger Reader

“Marcus!” You gasp, slamming the door to his office shut behind you. “You’re not gonna believe it!”

Marcus’ hands pause over the keyboard, his rings and glasses glittering in the low light. He merely raises his eyebrows and gestures for you to continue, before leaning back in his rolling chair and interlacing his fingers over his lap.

“You know how you said I should start writing about my life?”

Marcus nods.

“Well, I decided to post it online, and— and…” You trail off at Marcus’ souring expression. “W-what is it?”

CW: unethical therapy, bad therapy, negging, gaslighting, digging into emotional wounds, isolation, loneliness, implications of CEN, looking for reassurance in all the wrong places, unprofessional conduct

“I never recommended you to share your writing online. Do you know how dangerous that is? How people can use your vulnerability against you? You are so fragile right now, and you—”

“But I—!” you take a deep breath and look him in the eyes. “I’ve never felt better! Marcus, people are listening to me! They care about what I have to say! I’m not… I’m not invisible anymore…”

You trail off, losing the bravado as Marcus stands and sighs, trailing around the desk and pulling you closer to him as he leans back against the desk. His hand comes up to your cheek, and you lean into the touch despite yourself.

“As your therapist, I have to say I don’t think this is a good idea. When I recommended you write about your life, it was so that our sessions could be more productive, not so that strangers could learn all of your routines and secrets.”

“I’m not sharing anything that personal!”

“You think it matters? People could still track you down. Stalk you, doxx you.” He sees the indignance and doubt on your face at being talked to like a child, and he only sighs more deeply. “I’m just concerned about you.”

Why do have to go posting your shit for the whole world to see? Why isn’t it enough for me to listen to you, to hear you, to understand you?

“Not to mention the way this will only worsen your compulsive need for validation…”

He’s mangled this, used it as a way for you to only seek validation from him— since he’s a trustworthy professional, after all.

“It’s just… not healthy. I know your family wasn’t there for you. They never gave you the attention you needed.”

It doesn’t matter if they did or not— when he says it, it sounds like the truth, an emptiness cracking apart in your chest and threatening to swallow you whole. Memories of crying yourself to sleep silently, so as to not bother anybody else, because they wouldn’t understand the cause of your tears, wouldn’t care, rise unbidden.

“I know you’ve been seeking that validation your whole life— from teachers, coaches, peers, lovers—” he just barely hides a sneer at the word— “but it isn’t healthy.”

“Marcus—” you’re angry, and you don’t know why, throat burning with all the things you’d forgotten you wanted to say. He holds your hands, fists tight enough for your nails to dig into the skin, and kisses your knuckles.

#oc Marcus #yandere therapist #my thoughts #yandere #yandere oc #yandere imagines #yandere scenarios #yandere x darling #yandere x you #yandere x reader #yandere cw

[dotthings]

Bitter clickbait bloggers and trollish dc stans dumping rage against Gotham Knights on CW by stomping around annoyed there's not "canonical" Robins meanwhile Carrie Kelley and Stephanie Brown are famous Robins canonically from the comics or while dumping rage against GK because Bruce took in yet another random kid as if Bruce doesn't collect them like a golden retriever adopting baby birds, oh but GK has the temerity to create a new character just for tv *stares into camera so hard the lens cracks* -- who is going to tell them where Harley Quinn and Barbara Gordon came from -- or they're mad because Damian Wayne isn't the son in GK, wow I guess family does end in blood for the dc trolls, or they're mad because Nightwing isn't there (and Nightwing is my DC fave so I can speak) because despite being "dc stans" they don't actually know how dc works in terms of how they are very selective how they release characters for use in filmed media, and Nightwing is already in use on the Titans live action tv series on HBO Max, is really really hilarious to me as a dc fan. I read this stuff for the lolz. No, there is no "fan backlash" against GK, bitter clickbait youtubers. If it's not rage from "stans" who actually prove how little they know about DC, it's rage from CW stans who are literally only mad at GK because Arrowverse is gone so they're attacking an inclusive new DC show without even watching it first, it has nothing to do with GK's actual merits or strengths.

The funniest part to me are the gamer type dudes yelling that GK sucks because it's an AU where Batman's dead during their online breaks from playing the game Gotham Knights, an AU where Batman's dead.

The most unforgiveable part to me was the allegedly "reliable" media site whose bitter clickbait editorialist didn't know that Carrie and Stephanie are Robins.

#Gotham Knights #Gotham Knights CW #dot trolls fandom

[reviewsthatburn]

Any book which depicts changelings in the traditional sense, with children stolen from the cradle and a faerie put in their place, leaving behind a child who speaks too well, and knows too much, but has trouble adjusting to the human world... such stories must grapple with the striking similarity that this basic description has to an allistic parent seeing their autistic child and misunderstanding them or being disturbed by their existence. Rather than merely acknowledging this fantastical descriptor of what are most likely real autistic children through history, UNSEELIE embraces it, centering on an autistic, changeling protagonist. Iselia, "Seelie", is loved by her family, knows who she is, and finds herself on an adventure with her human sister after the prejudice of their neighbors forced them to leave their parents behind and start a new life. 

Full Review at Link

#BookReviews #Fantasy #Recommended #unseelie #ivelisse housman #the unseelie duology

[incarnateirony]

The lol jackles account is a bitter ex fan girl who pretends to know personal family crap about JA, that is blatantly all in his head. Said that J&D moved to Colorado to get marriage counseling. Hello? As backward as Texas is, I'm guessing they have counselors? Who buys and renovates a whole house for marriage counseling? And why would they share this only with the one hate blogger that put this out? This one also said that FBBC was financed by the network. Wow, Jensen must be SUPER important for the network to finance his personal businesses. The really sad part is this person hates on Jensen, Misha and any cast member who ever said nice things about Jensen and not Jared? Apparently Jensen's entire family, and all of his friends are just out for his money, but Jared's friends are all upstanding guys? Just a weird, stalker take on fandom . Also, this person follows you fanatically. You apparently are their evil nemesis as is Jensen, yet he speaks of both of you more than Jared???

Oh, the funniest part, awhile back this person went on and on about how stable and business smart the CW was, and how Jared practically ran the network. Guess that take hasn't aged too well.

Yeah like. This. I was literally just too tired and lazy to type out the pure amount of "LMAO FAIL" that pours out of that account so I'm like. It's a big failboat tryhard pretender, what do you want me to say? It's a washed out tried-to-be-an-actor that used to call themselves a "pre-successful actor" that then migrated into "I'm an agent" eg I met a few people Trying To Be An Actor and call a few people for friends. I know that type. I've met that type. They're the media version of That Chick At The Dive Bar. Yall blease.

Just another on a long list of people with major pretender syndrome, though one jensen is directly aware of in a comedic and observational way. Put them on the list of Genuine Nobodies Who's Entire Narratives Are Falling Apart At Breakneck Speed.

[clubwnderland]

⤷⋆⋆ 𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝑩𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒅𝒂𝒚 ♡

cw: food

⤷ It’s funny how our birthdays aren’t actually that far away, maybe we should just celebrate them together haha but anyway, happy happy birthday to you, beautiful. You are just… wow honestly. Like even in the silly hat I got you, still looking amazing.

I had been struggling to figure out what to get you because how do I even top a vending machine and pinball machine? But I saw these at the arcade and there’s a shit lot of these around so I got you a few. They come with little accessories and stuff so you can make little families and collect them all.

I hope you had a good day, I hope that smile of yours never fades because it makes me so happy and every time I see it… I fall for you more and more~

Happy birthday 💙🧡

🧡 @blogger-yura 🧡

#post: san #beautiful flower 🧡

[significant-narratives]

thank you. more on the other timeline happy ending, bittersweet and complicated?

ask and you shall receive

(cw for mentions of trauma and panic attacks below the cut)

i could write a doctoral thesis trying to explain the bittersweet nature of this ending the exile timeline ending, but some general story beats i can touch on include:

-> willy loses hockey. which, as another blogger once said (i can't remember who but if anyone does please lmk and i will credit them accordingly), 'taking a hockey player out of hockey feels like writing major character death'. willy's whole career blows up overnight. hockey has been her whole life since she was a literal infant and it's taken from her in a very brutal, very public way. while she does ultimately figure out a future for herself that works for her, she still has to grieve the loss of her career and her childhood dream* (*unless i decide to go with the pure wish-fulfilment ending but uh. that might discredit the larger themes of this au. we'll see.)

-> she also cuts herself off from her friends and family for years. her father doesn't even know where she is! she misses her little sister's wedding! the only person she keeps in regular contact with is her mom! she's haunted by the fact that she destroyed not only her legacy, but also tainted her father's. she's the Eldest Daughter. who is she if she's not a sibling!! even when she eventually is able to reunite / reconcile with them, the time they lost isn't coming back and she just has to live with that

-> no matter how much time passes, her name is always going to be linked back to that scandal. with time people do end up looking at it differently (there's a lot of 'did we fail william nylander?' retrospectives many years down the line) but that isn't until much later.

to underline the impact this has on her, a plot point bes and i have discussed in the DMs is that while in her self-imposed exile, willy stops going by her own name and starts using her sister's name instead (jacky). and that's something that willy spends a lot of time grappling with. she's so afraid to ever be known as william nylander ever again!

the fact that like. okay, imagine the worst thing you've ever done. now imagine you did that thing because you were just so incredibly in love. now imagine everyone in your professional field (+ the rest of the world) finds out about this terrible thing you've done, then they go on to spend literal months --years even -- dissecting and analyzing every angle of this terrible thing. and the person who you did this terrible thing for just gets to bounce back like nothing happened.

you lose everything and they go on to achieve a world of professional and personal success despite the fact that they were just as much, if not more, complacent in this as you were (that uh. 11 year age gap sure is something!).

willy does eventually rebuild her life into one that she loves and she is able to heal and come to terms with like... this idea of how do we forgive ourselves and grow from our mistakes when no salvation / external forgiveness is coming our way, but. at the end of the day. she's still lost something that she's never going to get back. there are still some wounds that will never heal. she still has bad days where she feels deeply unworthy of the love and devotion that auston has for her and questions everything about their relationship. there are days where even the mention of hockey makes her stomach turn. there are days when even the thought of like... being recognized on the street gives her a panic attack (she is in therapy if that counts for anything 😭). idk like. trauma is a very difficult and complicated thing and learning how to live with it is often a lifelong endeavour.

-> i know this sounds super bleak but i swear there's some sweetness in here too 😭 love is Real and Alive in the state of arizona!! willy in this au is So brave and So nuanced and i truly feel like i'm not doing her justice here tbh!! just know that she's a fighter and the love that she and auston have for each other is truly incredible.

i hope this answers your question anon! i'll be honest it's hard to talk about this au in a succinct way because it does span literal years in-universe, but i hope this at least gives you an idea of some of the elements at play here. also it is Very Late and i'm sleep deprived so forgive me for rambling

#the asked and the answered

[mariahsparkle206]

ahhhhhh life man. im so done with it. 

wow. so i stopped drinking/eating dairy products cause it was bothering my IBS (before i knew it was IBS) now im severly vitamin d deficient. jokes on me i guess. and genetically i have a terrible metabolism (hence the fattness) and a terrible cholesterol level. back pain is most likely genetic as well from my wonderful mother. and found out my doctor who ACTUALLY listens to me about my concerns and has diagnosed my PCOS, IBS, and other crap is retiring within the next year. so im fucked. 

my depression is slowly sinking into oblivion. my self harm urges are through the roof. i hate everyone and am paranoid. 

my mother feels the need to constantly explain things to me, like how it is to live with my grandparents. news flash, i lived with them for 18 fucking years. i know. i also lived with her dumbass for more than i ever need to. then my grandfather is mansplaining everything to me, even making fucking bread. my father is ridiculous, he thinks magically we are going to be a family all because i accepted his fucking facebook friend request? hahahahahahahaha and the new girlfriend he brought to christmas dumped his ass less than 4 days later. it was cute. my stepmom did a thing where she actually reached out to me for christmas so i reached out to her about stopping by again and she completely dodged my message so i feel abandoned again. wow imagine that. same thing with my aunt. 

new year goals: (1) get my fucking self together. (2) realize i dont need people. (3) get rid of all negative in my life. (4) get money

then i had weird ass dreams for the first time in a long time. and i mean really weird ass dreams. 

#what the hell #idk #feel like every step forward is ten steps back #about the blogger #DO NOT REBLOG #tw #cw #depression #selfharmthoughtsugh #family probs #new year goals ish #dreamsish #what the heck was that

[the-bjd-community-confess]

I know this is gonna be hard for you to understand because you probably don't know how to do a simple google search to figure out why. But Russia has literally made it criminal to speak about Russian aggression towards Ukraine. It's considered treason, or a direct attack against the "Russian liberators". They are only allowed to write approved messages, or anything that's positive, or "neutral" when it comes to the war.

Mod: CW: War discussion, Offtopic but important

If you're currently busted for writing anything vocally against the overreach of the Russian state, you risk being put in prison, or worse. Russia is a fucking shithole, as stated by a Russian blogger I follow, filled to the brim with corruption, Putin has literally been killing oppositions since he came into office. A recent example is Boris Nemtsov and his assassination. Literally every Russian knows Putin is full of shit, and his "Freeing Ukraine from Nazi's and traffickers" is bullshit, not least of all because everyone is aware that this shit is happening in Russia, and he couldn't get a handle on that. Though it's even questionable that he'd bother, considering the shit Putin has done.

Western people just didn't care bc "It's just some random Slavic shitstate" but now it's all out, and people act all surprised. Even more pathetic is people trying to pull this shit all on the US, when Russians have been actually talking about the levels of human rights violations, and corruption going on, ever since Russia dropped the "USSR" title. Just now they can't anymore, in fear of being killed for stepping one foot out of line.

Maybe you should check out what's been going on with the Anti-War protests in Moscow as well, and people being locked up for: Being against war. Many Russians also have friends, or family in Ukraine, or even other Slavic countries. The current assumption is Putin wants to fulfill his weird dream of a Pan-slavic state, or that it's just them trying to cover how good other Slavic countries have it with all their freedoms, while Russia suffers heavily under the corrupt as fuck Russian government which borders/has become a dictatorship. Source abt Nemtsov: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Boris_Nemtsov

~Anonymous

#BJD #ABJD #BJD Confessions #TrueBJDConfessions

[christinaroseandrews]

Looking for a Romance this Valentine’s Day?

So, every publication and blogger is putting out a Valentine’s Day romance list, and we are nothing if not followers. We’ve assembled a large list (33 Books) of a mix of traditionally and indie published books. All of the books on this list are ones we’ve read and feel comfortable recommending. And they all fit the definition of romance - a story where the relationship is central to the overall plot and features a happy for now or happily every after ending.

We’re going to break this down into several categories because not everyone reads Regency romances (but we are going to start there).

Regency Romance

These are books set between 1795-1837. While the Regency itself was only from 1811-1820 most people use these dates including Wikipedia. This was honestly one of the hardest for us to narrow down, mostly because it’s the dominant genre in traditionally published romance -- even Contemporary doesn’t hold a candle to Regency right now.

Sweet Disorder - Rose Lerner - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Election hijinks ensue when the local election hinges on who the widowed wife of a newspaper printer marries. Other Notes: Plus-Sized Heroine, Family Drama, Disabled Characters, Everyday People Falling in Love, Marginalized Author (Jewish).

The Baroness Affair - Jean Wilde - M/M/F Romance (Steamy) - A desperate noblewoman enlists the help of a male courtesan to help her get pregnant... no it’s not what you think. Other Notes: Equal Triad Polyamory, Period Appropriate Homophobia, LBGT Romance, Family Drama.

How To Start a Scandal - Madeline Martin - M/F Romance (Steamy) - A wallflower and secret society reporter reconnects with the Earl Next Door who’s recently returned from the war. Other Notes: Plus-Sized Heroine, Family Drama, Positive Mental Illness Portrayal, Cute Plot Animals.

Project Duchess - Sabrina Jeffries - M/F Romance (Steamy) - A duke returns to his family after the mysterious death of his stepfather, yet another duke, only to be enchanted by a woman who has a connection to the last person to see his stepfather alive. Other Notes: Older Heroine (the whole series features these), Romantic Suspense Series, family drama. I’m really enjoying the whole series and it’s worth a read.

The Rakess - Scarlett Peckham - M/F Romance (Steamy) - This is a love it or hate it kind of book that flips so many of the conventional romance tropes on its ear. It features a hard-drinking, hard-smoking, highly sexual woman who authors progressive literature and causes a scandal just by living her life meeting up with a mild-mannered reputation conscious Scottish Architect with two small children. Even the cover flips the script on the classic clinch cover. I loved it. A lot people didn’t. Other notes: Period appropriate sexism/hypocrisy/etc., CW: alcoholism, neighbors to lovers, adorable plot moppets.

Paranormal Romance

These are romances that feature a fantastical element. This can be anything from vampires to shifters to time travel. These also will often be series which may or may not continue with the same relationship throughout several books.

Hot Ghost - Annika Martin - M/F Romance (Steamy) - A waitress finds love with the ghost who haunts the pier near her family’s restaurant. Other Notes: Major Character Death (It’s a Ghost Romance...), Everyday People Falling in Love, Novella.

Accepting Fate - Deanna Chase - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Fresh from a bad break up, a woman meets her soulmate at an art gallery opening. Together they have to work through their trauma and find out if they can be happy together. Other Notes: Childhood trauma, Fire Fighter Romance, Soulmates, Artists.

Gretel - Niamh Murphy - F/F Romance (Steamy) - A retelling of the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel with a very interesting twist. Other Notes: Age-Gap Romance, Novella.

One Shade of Grey - Monica Corwin - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Dorian Grey, yes that one, has a bit of a problem. He keeps seeing a woman who he thinks is the reincarnation of his lost love. But is she really? Or is he going insane? Other Notes: Positive Portrayal of Mental Illness, Classical Story Retelling, Billionaire Romance, Immortality

Tangled in Time - Barbara Longley - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Cursed to see spirits, Regan is approached by the spirit of a cursed Irish warrior. Now they must work together to lift his curse and fall in love along the way. Other Notes: Fae Romance, Time Travel Romance, Ghost Romance.

Hunger Pangs: True Love Bites - Joy Demorra - M/M/F Romance (Steamy or Fluffy) - A vampire, a werewolf, and a magic user walk into a plot to end the world. Of course they have to fall in love along the way. Other Notes: Vampire Romance, Werewolf Romance, Magic User Romance, LBGT Fantasy Romance, Bisexual Romance, Postive Mental Illness representation, Marginalized Author (Disabled, Queer, Neurodivergent).

Erotic Romance

These are books where the sex is as much a part of the romance as the rest of the story. The plots here tend to be thinner, but they’re still present and important. This is not smut for smut’s sake. The relationship is important too. All of these are going to rate high on the steam.

After Hours - Lynda Aicher - M/F Romance - An executive assistant accidentally observes an after hours orgy in one of the boardrooms. Rather than be repulsed, she’s aroused. And up for more. Other Notes: Workplace Romance, Voyeurism, Exhibitionism, Mild BDSM, Boss/Subordinate Relationship.

Loving Maddie from A to Z - Kelly Jamison - M/M/F Romance - An outwardly happy couple looks to add something to their relationship by inviting their friend into their home and bed. Other Notes: Polyamory, BDSM, Big City Romance.

Ever After - Eden French - M/M/F Romance - An erotic modern retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale featuring billionaires, celebrities, and lots of hot sex. Other Notes: Interracial Romance, Polyamory, Billionaire Romance, CW: Child Abuse.

Test Drive - N.S. Johnson - M/F Romance - A so-called good girl finds that she’s really not when she falls for the leader of a street racing crew. Other Notes: Polyamory, CW: Infidelity, Interracial Romance, Reverse Harem, Recreational Drug Use, Author of Color.

Other Historical Romance

These are romances set outside of the Regency but not during contemporary periods. A lot of old school romances tend to be this because medieval was big then. But it also includes everything up to 1990 too... Yeah... I know... I feel old.

Let It Shine - Alyssa Cole - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Set during the civil rights movement, this story follows two young people struggling to find their voice and love amidst the turmoil of the 1960s. Other Notes: Interracial Romance, Period Appropriate Racism, Period Appropriate Anti-Semitism, Author of Color, Sports Romance, Novella.

In Pursuit Of... - Courtney Milan - M/M Romance (Steamy) - Set immediately after the American War for Independence it features a British soldier falling in love with a Black man who fought for the American side. Other Notes: Interracial Romance, Romantic Comedy, period appropriate racism, author of color, Novella.

Bringing Down the Duke - Evie Dunmore - M/F Romance (Steamy) - A rare female scholar tries to keep her scholarship going while also crusading for the rights of women in Victorian England. Other Notes: Alpha Hero, Clueless Heroine.

Contemporary Romance

These romances are set in the last 25 years and run the gamut of tropes.

Get a Life, Chloe Brown - Talia Hibbert - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Sick of living her life wrapped in tissue paper, Chloe Brown sets off to live a little. And to do that, she needs the help of her building’s manager. Other Notes: Plus-Sized Heroine, Interracial Romance, Disabled Characters, Positive Portrayal of Mental Illness, Marginalized Author (Black). As a note the sequel Take a Hint, Dani Brown is just as good and features a Bisexual Woman of Color.

Beg, Borrow, or Steal - Susie Tate - M/F Romance (Fluffy) - A medical student has to juggle the needs of being a single mother, a student, and paying the bills. And if that means she’s got to take off her clothes to do that, that’s what she’s going to do. Too bad she keeps falling asleep in class. Other Notes: No Sex (No really), But also Super sex positive, Student/Teacher Relationship, Adorable Plot Moppet.

Soft Hands - Ariel Bishop - M/M Romance (Steamy) - A professional Hockey Player ends up falling for the team trainer and massage therapist. Other Notes: Bisexual Rep, Sports Romance, Interracial Romance.

The Year We Fell Down - Sarina Bowen - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Two people who’ve suffered from accidents which have left them disabled find each other at a Harvard Expy. While one of the characters only has a temporary disability (broken leg) it still fucking counts. Other Notes: New Adult Romance, Disabled characters, Sports Romance, College Romance.

Small Town Romance

A subgenre of Contemporary Romance, these are books set in a small town and often the stakes tend to be pretty low. They can run the range of no-sex to lots of steam. They are also often VERY WHITE. While many are set in America, they can also be set elsewhere with Australia and the British Isles being the most common other settings.

Falling for Her Brother’s Best Friend - Noelle Adams - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Who doesn’t love a small town romance featuring characters that used to be childhood friends becoming more? Other Notes: New Adult Romance.

The Last One - Tawdra Kandle - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Meghan, an art student, and Sam, a farmer, and how they meet in small-town Georgia when Meghan comes to teach art over the summer to the kids in town…and ends up staying with Sam and his family. Other Notes: Alpha Male Hero.

If Wishes Were Horses - Caitlyn Lynch - M/F Romance (Steamy) - When an Aussie woman inherits partial ownership in a horse ranch in Ireland, sparks fly. Other Notes: Novella, Irish Romance.

Old School Romance

These are romances that were written before the rise of indie publishing where white men had the power and it shows. These are what people point to when they reduce romance novels to just “bodice rippers” but even then they weren’t just that.  BTW none of these books feature Fabio so suck it!

Skye O’Malley - Bertrice Small - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Daughter of a small Irish lord, this book follows Skye through her life and romances across England, Ireland, and even Algeria. It’s wild and all over the place and is not your typical romance novel. It ends on a HEA but there is a JOURNEY. But gods it’s one of my old-school faves. Other Notes: Major Character Death. Non-Con, Pirates, Interracial Romance, Historical Domain Characters, This is not your typical romance. I like the whole series... but that’s a me thing.

The Traveling Matchmaker Series - Marion Chesney/M.C Beaton - M/F Romance (Fluffy) - A housekeeper inherits a large sum of money and decides to use it to travel about England. Along the way, she makes matches for the other passengers of the stagecoach she’s traveling on while getting into all sorts of adventures. This series is pure fluff and I love it. Other Notes: Period appropriate xenophobia, Age Gap Romance.

Remembrance - Jude Deveraux - M/F Romance (Steamy) - A romance novelist discovers that the reason she hasn’t found love is because of an issue with her past life. So she decides to do something about it... only to find it’s just the very tip of the story. Other Notes: Time Travel Romance, Past Lives, Meta... so very meta.

Desire in Disguise - Rebecca Brandewyne - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Look this is set during the French Revolution and features duelling (quite literally) pirates. This is a wild ride and it’s so old school it hurts. Other Notes: Alpha hero, mistaken identity, enemies to lovers, spies, pirates, But oh so many problematic tropes. This looks to be out of print... so check your local library.

Gentle Warrior - Julie Garwood - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Set right after the Norman Invasion of England, this features a Norman Lord who was granted an Anglo-Saxon wife and all of the drama that comes with. Note... this is the first Romance Novel I ever read.. My mother bought it for me when it was newish -- in 1987. Other Notes: CW: Rape, Arranged Marriage, Non-conventionally Attractive Hero.

Books that check all of the boxes of Romance but aren’t Labeled as Romance because Sexism.

Romance isn’t about sex. There’s lots of books with explicit sex in them that aren’t Romance and several with a strong romantic relationship that drives the plot which ends happily and satisfying. But sexism is a thing and so here we are.

The Princess Bride - William Goldman - M/F Romance (Fluffy) - You’ve probably seen the movie. The book is also fun. And since the romance is central to the plot AND the ending is a happy one (especially in the movie) it qualifies.

The Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins - M/F Romance (Fluffy) - Look who would have thought that in a book about kids killing each other and the violence of war that Romance would play that big of a role? But it does. And it is. And it’s important.

Katherine - Anya Seton - M/F Romance (Fluffy) - This could feasibly go into Old School Romance, but apparently the publishers have decided to downplay the actual romance and try to sell this as literature. It follows the real-life Romance between Katherine Swineford and the Duke of Lancaster. 

Did we leave off any of your favorites? It’s probably because we haven’t read them! We always like recs, especially featuring marginalized authors or main characters with marginalized identities.

If you like this kind of thing, consider leaving us a tip in our Ko-Fi!

#Romance novels #romance recommendations #romance books #romance #valentine's day #historical romance #regency romance #contemporary romance #small town romance #paranormal romance #old school romance

[isisparker]

Welcome Welcome WELCOME to My Unapologetically CHAOTIC Random Fandom Blog!

[oh look another update not including her new icon!]

to the beautiful amazing people that grace my blog [yes you. I’m talking about you. oldie, newbie, follower, non-follower, and mutual], the following media/fandom will be continuously flowing throughout. because I am that Random, That Very Much Fandom, and Oh So Chaotic in my hyperfixations.

Random Book/Library/Hotel/Food/Library/City Aesthetics [yes yes little ol’ basic me. I don’t do IG but I love me some tumblr visual aesthetics.]

Random Nostalgic Media that brings me lots of joy - [because why would I hurt myself with (re)blogging things I don’t enjoy. granted yes I reblog certain media the hurts my heart, but there is a difference between HURTS REALLY BADLY vs. HURTS SO GOOD]

Random Kdramas: Squid Game [... yes. but I’m in it for the cast], Sweet Home, Mystic Pop Up Bar [absolutely a comfort fave that I will rewatch an infinite amount], My Name [listen LISTEN when I tell you that I never lusted so hard over a baddie], Move to Heaven [LEAVE ME AND MY TEARS ALONE], Prison Playbook [yes I am doing a rewatch too].

Random Comfort TV: The Mandalorian, Julie and the Phantoms, The West Wing, The Newsroom, Community, White Collar, Burn Notice - [random shows I adore and have been revisiting as of late because COMFORT TV.]

Currently Airing Shows: The Rookie [it’s all about the Tim/Lucy ship at this point], 911 Fox [MY COMFORT FIREFIGHTERS ARE BACK], The Big Leap [it’s so underrated, so good, and so more than likely to be cancelled], Home Economics [listen LISTEN after being burned by Modern Family, honestly this show is a BLESSING], Stargirl Season 2 [if you’ve watched the OTHER CW DC shows and have yet to watch Stargirl? Yo... what are you even doing? that show has NO RIGHT TO BE THAT GOOD].

MCU/Marvel - [… okay this is me proclaiming myself as that Marvel Loving Asshole. I am a WEAK MARVEL BITCH. also I will be alternating between being an unbearable blogger hyping the hell out of Ma Dong Seok/Don Lee and his character from The Eternals and being an unbearable blogger hyping the hell out of my disaster archer Clint Barton when Hawkeye drops on Disney+]

Random Recommendation Lists [Some are lists of recs that I like to keep track of for my personal gain, others are because I know some of my followers also would appreciate the recs as well!]

And like it was stated on prior pinned posts, of course because my blog is THAT random, there will be other content old and new, fiction and non fictional that will be peppered in throughout. some non-fandom reblogs [because while I want to try to keep this blog 95% fandom related, I live in this (beautiful and flawed and utterly fucked up) world too and unfortunately I can’t always escape the reality we live in] and posts about Hawaii [because it is my homestate and I am quite fond of our little island home…]  Thank you visiting my little corner of this bluehellscape and hopefully you’ll stick around!

#obviously in light of icon changes and new shows coming up #this post needed to be made

[thesummerstorms]

About the blog/blogger:

Goes by Rev. She/her. Older than 21, younger than 30.

Cis female. Grey-aromantic & asexual.

Socially awkward & quietly ADD

CW: Uses “queer” as a community term, is an inclusionist, and is pro-Choice if you’d like to just block me now. I also block easily.

Tagging: I gave up on proper tags when I moved primarily to mobile, with the exception of specific liveblogs and spoilers for just-airing content.

Primary Fandoms: RepCom, SW, The Mandalorian, ST: DS9, ST: Voyager, Leverage, Bioware, MDZS

Other: TGCF,  SVSS, WOH, CQL, Kotor, The Good Place, Imperial Radch and other various SFF novels, some DC & Marvel, queer visual novels, various queer SFF, c-dramas (mainly xianxia/wuxia/costume drama)

See Also:   MXTX/WOH Blog,  AO3

Unpopular Opinions: Critical of Kal Skirata, Jiang family, Jiang Cheng, & Kylo Ren. Cannot stand Reylo or TLJ. Lots of Love/Hate for SW & RC.

[elsanna-shenanigans]

August Contest Submission #2: Frogs

Words: ca. 1,600 Setting: mAU Lemon: No CW: Brief mention of bullying

  June

  Anna Sommers adjusts her bangs and checks her teeth in the reflection of her phone’s camera before pressing down on the button to start her video. “Hi y’all, it’s been a minute. I’m all moved in and my new neighbor just told me about an art market a couple of blocks away. I thought I might take y’all there to see what’s up. Let’s go!”

  The new Apartment Therapy blogger and wannabe social media influencer walks down the street as she speaks to her phone about her new house and all of the ideas she has for it.

  Upon arriving at a park, she is surprised to see that there are at least a hundred tents set up with various wares for sale. Art, homemade soaps, textiles, and food all line designated pathways, and Anna takes no time getting lost in it all.

  As she walks, she puts her phone away, wanting to enjoy the moment for a bit. The market is crowded with families with mischievous children, young adults, old folks, and all sorts of people looking for things to buy. It’s Anna’s element, and she grins as she tells herself that moving to this neighborhood was the best idea she’s ever had. She walks down the path and stops to chat with the vendors, looking for her next story but also looking for inspiration for her new home.

  When she spots a tent with a table of several brightly colored flowers, she lights up. “Perfect,” she says to herself as she walks over.

  Though the plants drew her in, it’s the woman that stops Anna in her tracks. “Gorgeous,” she says a little dazedly.

  A dark brow arches and a pink lip quirks. “Excuse me?”

Anna shakes her head and blinks. “Uh, you are- your flowers are gorgeous.”

  The woman- with the most beautiful pale blonde hair Anna has ever seen- smiles. “Thank you. Are you familiar with bromeliads?”

  “Bro what now?”

  Anna’s ignorance illicites a light laugh from the woman. “I suppose not then.”

  “No,” Anna says, her cheeks turning a dark shade of pink. “I’m what you’d call a plant murderer. I’ve killed succulents.”

  “Succulents are actually not as easy to care for as people think,” the woman cocks her head.

  “That doesn’t reassure me,” Anna says with a self-deprecating scoff. “I’m more of an appreciator of plants though. Experience has taught me to love them from afar.”

  “I bet you’d be a good plant mom if you had the right tools.”

  Wishing to know more about this woman, Anna steps further under the tent. “Thank you for the confidence…” She lingers to see if the woman will take the bait.

  “Elsa,” the woman smiles.

  Anna grins. Hook, line, and sinker. “Thank you, Elsa. My name’s Anna; I just moved a few blocks down.” She turns and vaguely waves her hand in the direction of her house.

  Elsa turns around but continues. “It’s nice to meet you, Anna.” Anna watches as she picks up a plastic pot with a small bromeliad in it. When she turns and holds out the plant to Anna, Anna’s eyes widen.

  “I bet you can keep this little guy alive for a month,” Elsa says.

  Anna holds her hands up defensively. “Oh, no, I don’t think-” The plant is thrust into her hands.

  “I believe in you,” Elsa smiles again.

  Anna nearly melts at her sudden infatuation with Elsa. Never before has she fallen so hard so fast; but, Elsa’s words have struck a chord deep inside Anna, and she wants to know Elsa more.

  “Anna?” Elsa’s mouth quirks up again.

  “Huh?” Anna’s eyes focus on the blonde. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I was just saying that I’m here every month so you can bring it back and let me inspect it to see how you’re doing.”

  “Wait, really? You’re giving me a plant? Shouldn’t I, like, pay you for it?”

  Elsa shakes her head, and Anna wishes she could play with her hair. “Consider it a housewarming gift.”

  July

  Anna practically runs from her house to the market, excited to show Elsa that her bromeliad hasn’t died yet.

  “I’m proud of you,” Elsa grins when Anna arrives at her tent, red-faced and out of breath. “I told you you could do it.”

  Anna puts the plant down on the table. “It’s all thanks to you. After I downloaded that app you showed me, I made a plan to keep Olaf alive.”

  “Olaf?”

  “I had to name him, Elsa.”

  Elsa’s laughter makes Anna grin, and she thinks that all she ever wants to do is make Elsa laugh.

  “So, I forgot to ask you last time: why bromeliads?”

  Elsa walks over to her table and grabs a book to hand to Anna. “Have you ever heard of Terry Pratchett?”

  Anna takes it as she says, “Didn’t he write Good Omens with the Neil dude? I forgot his last name.”

  “Gaiman; and, yes, they did write that together. But Terry Pratchett also wrote tons of books on his own. This is my favorite.”

  Anna looks down at the book. “Wings,” she read aloud.

  “I learned about bromeliads from it.  My grandmother bought it for me when I started to read chapter books. I especially loved that it talked about how frogs live inside bromeliads in the rainforest. I was the weird little girl that loved frogs, lizards, salamanders, and anything slimy.”

  “That’s not weird at all. That’s so cool!”

  August

  Anna has to wait until an older couple finishes purchasing a bromeliad from Elsa before she can ask her question. As soon as they turn to leave and she acknowledges them with a soft “hello,” she steps up to where Elsa is sitting behind the table.

  “Elsa, will you help me on my journey to be a plant mom?”

  Elsa smiles up at her. “Sure. I know a few places that have hardy plants that even you can’t kill.”

  “Ha ha, you’re hilarious,” Anna deadpans as she pulls out her phone. “Do you have plans tomorrow? I could get your number, and we can meet up to go together.”

  “I’d love that.”

  September

  Anna takes a few calming breaths. She’s outside Elsa’s front door and working up the courage to knock. They’ve been spending more time together outside of the art market, but this is the first time Elsa’s invited her to her home.

  Just as she psychs herself up, the door opens and Elsa is there grinning. “I was wondering if you’d ever knock.”

  “For your information, I was admiring your door knocker,” Anna hedges.

  Elsa just laughs. “Well, if you’ve finished, I want to show you my greenhouse.”

  Anna nods. Her own plant collection is growing rapidly thanks to Elsa’s encouragement and advice, but she’s ready to see Elsa’s.

  They walk through the house, and Anna is excited to see bits of Elsa’s life. It’s as clean and organized as she imagined. The den has a cobalt sofa. There’s a kettle on her stove and pristine tea towels hanging from her oven door in her kitchen. Plants are everywhere- hanging from macraméd planters, in otherwise empty corners, trailing along walls. In short, Elsa’s house is Anna’s dream house.

  Elsa opens the back door and leads Anna through her garden. It’s small but brightly colored, with butterflies and bees pollinating all around them.

  A pot of dirt and a bag of bulbs outside the greenhouse catches Anna’s attention. “What are you planting?”

  Elsa turns to the pot. “Crocuses. They’re one of my favorites. They bloom in the spring and are beautiful shades of purple, white, and yellow.”

  “Purple’s my favorite color,” Anna grins.

  Elsa returns her smile. “Mine too.”

  October

  Fall has finally arrived, and with it, Anna’s favorite holiday. The market is decorated for Halloween, and Anna is a little relieved to see a few other adults dressed in costumes. Her own costume isn’t so much a costume as it is an adult onesie, but she doesn’t care. She’s on a mission to ask Elsa out, and she’s opted to do it as a frog.

  When she arrives at the table, Elsa’s looking down at her phone.

  “Hi,” Anna holds her arms out joyfully. “Are you hoppy to see me?”

  Elsa looks up with a smile that’s quickly replaced with a frown.

  Anna lowers her arms. “What’s wrong, Elsa?”

  “Are you making fun of me?” Elsa’s brows furrow.

  “Wait what?”

  “I told you I like frogs, and now you’re dressed up like one. Are you making fun of me?”

  “What? No, Elsa, I,” Anna pushes back the hoodie on her onesie. “I’m sorry. It was supposed to make you smile.”

  Elsa’s blue eyes soften. “Oh, I’m sorry, Anna. I was made fun of for liking frogs as a child, and I get a little defensive of it. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

  Anna feels terrible and embarrassed and shifts from foot to foot. “No, it’s my fault.”

  “It really isn’t. It’s just me and my stuff. Please stay.” Elsa pats a chair next to her’s.

  Anna nods but never does get to fulfill her mission.

  November

  “Okay, Anna, do it. Do the thing,” Anna pumps herself up to finally ask Elsa out. She’s even found purple tulips to give Elsa because they resemble crocuses. She walks up to Elsa’s door with a purpose. Only to falter. “What if she says no? No, Anna, she won’t.”

  The door opens as she squares her shoulders.

“Are those for me?” Elsa smiles.

  “They are,” Anna hands them to her. “Elsa, will you go out with me?”

  Elsa grins. “I’d love to.”

  Epilogue

  Anna adjusts her bangs and checks her teeth in the reflection of her phone’s camera before pressing down on the button to start her video. “Hi y’all, it’s been a minute. Today I’m finally moving into my girlfriend’s house and I can’t wait to show y’all. She’s perfect, our home is perfect, and our new pet frog is perfect. His name is Sven by the way.”

#elsanna #submission #august 2021 contest #prompt: flowers #cw: mentions of bullying

[reviewsthatburn]

*The linked review contains spoilers for the first three novels in the main series. LAST VIOLENT CALL is a pair of novellas best read after FOUL LADY FORTUNE by Chloe Gong.

#BookReviews #Highly Recommended #Historical #Mystery #last violent call #secret shanghai #chloe gong #foul lady fortune #these violent delights

[marziesreads]

Review: The Theft of Sunlight (Dauntless Path #2)

The Theft of Sunlight by Intisar Khanani My rating: 5 of 5 stars For longtime followers of Intisar Khanani's writing and social media, we've often heard about a novel with the protagonist of The Bone Thief, Rae. Here, at last, is her tale! Rae, or Amraeya, is a very smart young woman who is living life with a painful disability. She was born with a clubfoot and, though gently treated by family and loving friends, has long been bullied and scoffed about as a future spinster and has heard that shocking word to see on a page "cripple" used to describe her for far too long. Rae expects that her life will be settling down in a spinsterly life with her sister Niya, who has her own disability- the gift of illicit magic. Neither Rae or Niya expect they will ever marry, what with their challenges and secrets. In fact, Rae never expected she would leave her father's horse farm in Sheltershorn. When her cousin Melly, whose husband Filadon works for Prince Kestrin, soon to be husband to Princess Alyrra of Adania, asks for Rae to come to court, Rae is reluctant to do so. But, when her best friend Ani's sister Seri becomes one of the latest children to be snatched by persons unknown, Rae rethinks this. Perhaps traveling to Menaiya's capital city of Tarinon will allow her to see what is known about these child snatchers. Her sisters are also eager for her to do so they will hear stories of the royal family and court. Yet Rae finds that life in the palace is infinitely more complicated than she planned when Prince Kestrin asks for Rae to serve as an attendant to Princess Alyrra, advising her about Menaiyan customs and keeping an eye out for her in an as yet not very friendly court. After all, Alyrra was living as a goose girl thanks to Valka's treachery in the events described in the first Dauntless Path novel, Thorn. Rae is surprised to find that she really likes Alyrra, and that Alyrra also takes an interest in the child snatchers, having lived closer to the common folk during her time as a goose girl. What the aristocrats pass off boogey-man tales to scare children is very real to the working class of Menaiya who have few resources to track down and rescue their children. Rae's role in Alyrra's service is thus partly secret, as only a few people know of Kestrin and Alyrra's opposition to the trafficking of child laborers, and her work in this regard is quite dangerous. Because ending trafficking and this "free" labor force is bound to have staunch opposition. But the sources of opposition are obscured and come from surprising corners of the kingdom. While Thorn was originally a retelling of the Grimm Bros. goose girl fairy tale, Theft of Sunlight, first in a duology, is an original work set in the world of Thorn. It is a far darker tale, dealing with the complicated process of ending trafficking and breaking criminal enterprises involved or on the borders of it. The novel is so beautifully written in terms of its rich detailing of life in Menaiya, from social customs (which feel rather South Asian and Arabic) to the realities of political life in King Melkior's court that it's easy to get lost in the story only to be brought up short by very harrowing events that befall Rae. Readers should be prepared for a far darker story, and should also be prepared for an unresolved ending. Because yes, there's a cliffhanger ending, dear Reader, which is part of why I chose to review the novel after the release date. For those of you out there who hate cliffhangers and refuse to read until the next book is out, I encourage you to realize that in the pandemic-affected book industry, you may be waiting for a book that will never be published if authors don't sell well now. They are working in an industry that has really suffered during the pandemic, when book tours have only been virtual, and book sales have been adversely impacted by high unemployment, poor library access, and closed bookstores, among the many challenges. The future of author contracts for forthcoming books depends on book sales now and many authors are fearful of not being able to continue. Take a chance on a good book, Reader. You will have the enjoyment of rereading just before the sequel is released. But please, let's have sequels. I also listened to the audiobook of Theft of Sunlight which is beautifully narrated by Shiromi Arserio. She does a great job, especially in the last chapters of the novel which are just heartbreaking. CW: physical violence, bloodshed, dismemberment I received a digital and paper review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

~ ~ ~

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#Blogger #dark fantasy #human trafficking #Intisar Khanani #YA