#from the Cruel Prince back to Bridgerton I know I know | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

velidewrites · 2 years

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|| All my works are available on AO3

|| * Indicates smut/sexual content

|| Sometimes I draw! Check out my art tag

Multi-chapter fic series featuring a number of ships.

Divinity* || Nessian, Elucien, Feysand || ongoing

Archeron!Goddesses AU inspired by Greek Mythology.

You And I Are Going To Change The World* || Feysand, Elucien, Neris || on hiatus

ACOTAR Shadow & Bone AU.

MULTI-CHAPTER FICS

Lead Me Into The Light* || ongoing

To get back what the Cauldron has taken from her, Elain Archeron makes a deal with Prythian’s most dangerous enemy. Now, a servant of a cruel Death God, Elain must make sure her efforts are not discovered—especially not by someone tied to her darkening heart by a golden thread. Someone like her mate.

The Sun Is Fading* || ongoing

Lucien Vanserra has lost everything: his lover, his home, his friend. Now, on a Solstice night far too cold for the fire in his blood, he watches his mate slip away from him, too—right into the arms of another male. He makes a promise then, to the stars who have never listened—he will no longer dream. From now on, Lucien is going to burn—and he’ll make sure the rest of the world burns with him.

Leave Before You Love Me* || ongoing

When a neighbouring kingdom of Scythia begs for aid in the impending war, Prince Lucien is forced into a marriage with its princess. He doesn't expect to fall for her handmaiden instead.

Across The Stars* || ongoing

When the senator of Chandrila’s debts catch up with him at last, the Galactic Empire places a bounty on his daughter’s head. But Elain Archeron is cunning, and she will not go down without a fight—certainly not to the handsome Mandalorian hunter, intent on claiming his prize.

We Could Pretend To Form An Attachment || completed

Collab with @the-lonelybarricade and @azrielshadowssing for the ACOTAR Writing Circle. Desperate to escape the ton's expectations, Elain Archeron makes an unlikely arrangement with a handsome stranger. Elucien Bridgerton AU.

ONE-SHOTS

Emissaries With Benefits* || 8.3k

When diplomacy fails, Prythian courtiers Elain and Lucien like to resort to a steamier kind of negotiation.

Flowerplay* || 4.5k

Collab with @the-lonelybarricade. With her mate sound asleep and prettier than any flower she’d ever seen, Elain can’t help it when a wicked idea blooms inside her mind.

Sooner || 5.4k

Elain reflects on her life with Lucien as his life begins slipping through her fingers.

Cinnamon and Honey || 2.4k

Lucien has long given up on his crush on Elain Archeron — until she drops by his flower shop to return a bouquet from her now ex-boyfriend. (OR: Elucien Flower Shop AU except that Lucien is the florist.)

The Fox || 2.7k

Lucien's past haunts his dreams without mercy. Fortunately, he no longer sleeps alone.

DRABBLES

Elucien Drabbles Masterlist* || ~2.3k

Here you can find all of my Elucien drabbles, short fics under 2.3k words!

Day Court Elucien Drabbles || ~1k

Here you can find my Day Court-set Elucien drabbles!

MULTI-CHAPTER FICS

Remember, We're Madly In Love* || ongoing

When 19-year old Feyre Archeron voluntarily takes her sister's place in the Hunger Games, she expects nothing but her imminent demise. But Feyre is a survivor, and as she is thrown into a battle between life and death, she discovers there are things worth fighting for.

Starchaser* || ongoing

What if Feyre never killed the wolf in the woods that night? (ACOTAR rewrite)

Crimson Moon* || ongoing

A messy breakup forces 20 year old Feyre Archeron back to her old hometown of Forks, Washington—back to the life she thought she'd left behind. What she doesn't know, though, is that Forks has changed in her absence, its blue-tinted fog stained by fresh, crimson blood. Luckily, Feyre is ready to join the hunt.

Where Have You Been* || on hiatus

Fifteen years after Feyre Archeron and her family disappear in the middle of the night, the Prince of the Night Court enters the Blood Rite, determined to prove himself worthy of his title. He doesn't expect to be hunted by someone he believed to be dead—until she aims her arrow for his heart.

ONE-SHOTS

All I Know Is We’re Going Home || 3k

When the High Lord of Spring's bargain with Amarantha fails, Rhysand escapes the Deceiver's prison and runs to the Mortal Lands.

Intent on killing a faerie out of the hatred in her heart, Feyre spends the night hunting in the wintry woods. She doesn't expect to find a man there - the most beautiful man she'd ever seen.

The Sandman* || 2.3k

When hunger pushes a young huntress deep into the woods, she stumbles upon a creature far more dangerous than the wintry night.

I Was Never There* || The Bone Carver x OC || 18.2k

No one remembers her name. But I do. (Chapter 23, A Court of Wings and Ruin)

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun* || Nesta x Cassian || 7.3k

Nesta is having the worst time on her vacation—until she spots a handsome stranger in a restaurant. Lucky for her, he’s determined to show her a good time.

Cassian* || Cassian x Elain || 4k

Hosting the court of her newly Made sister in her home, Elain Archeron visits Cassian's room in the middle of the night.

The Holiday* || Feysand & Elucien || 8.5k

To escape the chaos in their lives, Feyre and Elain Archeron decide to swap houses for Christmas. Neither of them expect to find love - until it comes knocking on their door.

REQUESTED SCENARIOS

500 Word Smut Prompts* || various pairings

Here you can find short drabbles I wrote based on requested smut prompts!

Apology Prompts* || various pairings

Here you can find short drabbles I wrote based on requested apology prompts!

MOODBOARDS

ACOTAR Character Edits

A moodboard series depicting the ACOTAR characters.

ACOTAR Locations

A moodboard series depicting to locations featured in ACOTAR.

OTHER FANDOMS

Had You Said The Word* || Obi-Wan Kenobi x Satine Kryze || completed

The Clone Wars (2008) S5 E16 reimagined with Dark Side!Obi-Wan.

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sweetbuckybarnes · 6 months

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The Eras Tour: 03. Act I: Lover

Pairings: Colin Bridgerton + Penelope Featherington, Anthony + Kate Bridgerton

Polin Masterlist | Series Masterlist

May 5th, 2023

Once the Bridgerton family plus Penelope, got themselves into Section 113 and prepared.

Penelope looked over at Benedict, who was currently sitting to the left of her. "Can you record the concert for me, please Benedict?" Penelope asks her, handing her fully-charged phone to the second oldest Bridgerton.

"Sure," he tells her, taking her phone from her outstretched hand.

Eloise Bridgerton, who was sitting on the other side of Benedict, looked over at her best friend. "Make sure you get your phone back from him at the end of the night."

Benedict looks over at his little sister and simply thumps her with his thumb and forefinger right between her eyebrows.

Penelope rolled her eyes at the bickering Bridgertons, as did Gregory sitting to her right, Violet and Daphne sitting at the end of the first row of five Bridgertons and Penelope, as Hyacinth sat behind Daphne - followed by Francesca, Colin, Anthony and Kate.

Penelope looked down at Gregory (however, she didn't have to look down too much as he was now up to her shoulder), smiling at the second youngest Bridgerton. "Are you ready for your first concert Greg?"

He was slightly terrified, and he reached his hand over to hold tightly of Penelope's. "l am a little bit scared..."

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Penelope cooed, bringing him closer to her side. "You have me, and who knows - maybe by the end of tonight, you might be a Swiftie!"

Whilst the Bridgertons had been talking amongst themselves, the timer had been ticking down.

It's Fearless, (It's been a long time coming), big reputation (It's been a long time coming). And they said Speak Now! (It's been a long time coming), into folklore, (It's been a long time coming), I’m Taylor! And I was born in 1989! (It's been a long time coming), evermore (It's been a long time coming), loving him was Red, (It's been a long time coming but...)

As the Lover House was shown on the big screen, people were walking out a door with the colours of Lover on big upside-down capes. That was the only way Penelope could explain them as they walked along the stage.

"It's been a long time coming but, it's you and me. That's my whole world!" When they lifted the sheets - there she was the one and only Taylor Swift.

Penelope's eyes widened. She looked over her shoulder to look at the eldest Bridgerton. "Anthony, you are my favourite! I know I've already told but it deserved to be said again."

Anthony smiled down at Penelope as she started dancing in the aisle in front.

"She's so happy," Kate looked up at her husband and caught his smile. "You old softie."

The whole school is rolling fake dice. You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes. Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince, we're so sad, we paint the town blue. Voted most likely to run away with you.

Before Penelope even knew what was going on, the notes from Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince turned into Cruel Summer.

"Fever dream high in the quiet of the night, you know that I caught it. Bad bad boy, shiny toy, with a price. You know that I bought it. Killing me slow, out the window, I'm always waiting for you to be waiting below. Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes, what doesn't kill you, makes me want you more."

Colin watches from his spot on the row above as Penelope started to sing from the top of her lungs. Dancing in her spot, a large smile on her face.

Francesca looked over at Colin. "What's with your face?"

"Nothing is wrong with my face, thank you very much!"

"Mhmm."

Cruel Summer was followed by The Man and You Need to Calm Down, which Gregory knew both of - the pair sitting in the front row singing as loud as their lungs allowed them.

"Welcome to the Eras Tour!" Taylor announced, then she sang the third single from her seventh studio album of the same name, Lover .

"We could leave the Christmas lights up 'til January, and this is our place, we make the rules. And there's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you dear, have I known you 20 seconds or 20 years? Can I go where you go? Can we always be this close forever and ever? And ah, take me out, and take me home, you're my, my, my, my. Lover."

When Lover was first released in 2019, there was so much more love and happiness as she sang it, but now she was singing it for her fans.

And the final song was The Archer , which had a chance to send both Penelope and Violet Bridgerton to tears.

"I've been the archer, I've been the prey. Screaming, who could ever leave me, darling? But who could stay? I see right through me, I see right through me. 'Cause they see right through me, they see right through me, they see right through."

And with the final song, Taylor Swift disappeared and she completed Act 1: Lover.

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aspoonfuloffiction · 2 years

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There’s a lot of discourse about how Lady Danbury didn’t step in to fix the situation before the wedding, why she would walk back her belief that love conquers all with Kate and Anthony when she so fervently believed that for Daphne and Simon.

And I think we may be misremembering Season 1. Danbury does not fix things FOR people she gives the opportunity to fix it for themselves. That is book consistent as well. She may create scenarios to nudge two people together. But she makes it a point to be sure that the last part the parties involved do themselves.

She actually deals with Kate and Simon the same way:

This is Lady Danbury’s speech to Simon right before he pushes Daphne away. And remember she is already aware of Simon and Daphne’s feelings here

LD: I demand to know. Is all this time you are spending with Miss Bridgerton leading anywhere?

S: Could it not merely be time well spent?

LD: A prolonged courtship is one thing, but now it is very clear to anyone with eyes that Daphne Bridgerton has caught the attention of Prince Friedrich. If you have designs upon the girl and wish to marry her, then Friedrich can disappear, for all I care, and become a delicious dinner party anecdote. But if you are merely dallying with her, and if she loses her chance of such an extraordinary match, simply because she is too wrapped up in your charms…well, then…she would be a fool.

And I would never forgive you your carelessness

S: Miss Bridgerton is far from a fool.

LD: Then you are just being cruel, and we both know I taught you better than that.

And compare that to Lady Danbury’s speech to Kate and remember Danbury knows. And Kate knows she know but because Kate isn’t ready to talk about it-the conversation is had as a conversation about the “inheritance” and Kate’s “dislike” of the viscount. However the acting of both actresses clearly says that this is a thinly veiled metaphor:

LD: Have you yet told your sister?

[Kate is surprised Danbury is not]

…about the inheritance scheme

K: I have not.

LD: Mmm.

K: At this point, I fear there is no point in telling her. Lady Danbury, I fear there may be no proposal from the viscount. I fear I have ruined it for Edwina.

LD:Because you two cannot get along?

K:Yes.

LD:And why, when you are so close to getting what you want, what you need for your family's survival, and what Edwina so clearly wants for herself, are you getting in the way?

K: I do not know. I do not know what to do.

LD:There is only one thing to do. Be honest with your sister, with yourself.You must tell her how you feel.

K: About my dislike for the viscount?

LD: About whatever it is you feel.

In both instances Lady Danbury essentially says piss or get off the pot. Make a choice that suits you and all parties involved. Stop playing this game. Because you’re not fooling anyone. And curiously both Simon and Kate respond the same way. Simon tells Daphne the scheme is off she has caught a Prince. And Kate steps aside for Edwina and Anthony.

The only difference is that when Simon and Daphne are being scandalous in dark corners when they shouldn’t be—Anthony catches them. But no one catches Kate and Anthony after the Sharma dinner.

Blaming Danbury, saying that she should have gone to Violet ect absolves the two people that actually created this problem which is Kate and Anthony. Could Violet and Danbury have maneuvered Kate and Anthony together? Sure. But neither of them showed any desire to act on their feelings and so there’s not really anything anyone can do. Kate and Anthony are adults. Their moms and sort of moms cannot force a relationship on to them.

ironically this is what Anthony and Kate do to Daphne and Edwina respectively because they struggle to see them as more than the children they used to have to care for

#the only thing to blame here is the fact that the Bridgertons are all emotionally stupid #and prolonged exposure to them makes their spouses emotionally dumb as well #bridgerton #kate sharma #anthony bridgerton #simon basset #daphne bridgerton #lady danbury

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cummingforkylo · 3 years

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The Prince Of Alderaan Chapter II

Chapter Summary: Lady Whistledown’s latest papers leaves you quite indignant and unsure of your next steps. Hyde Park is beautiful at this time of year but when you venture out with your Mama, you have anything but flowers in mind.

Chapter One | Read On AO3 | Send me a Ko-fi

Rating: Explicit...eventually

Word Count: 5,309

Warning: None as of now

Pairing: Kylo Ren x reader

Notes: Okay, Okay, I KNOW if you’ve seen Bridgerton you know that I pretty much took this one key element from the storyline but I promise i’m going to do it differently.This story is inspired by the netflix show/book series Bridgerton. It’s kind of a crossover because I do use some themes and characters from the show but it is mostly a Kylo x Reader fic. Remember: historical accuracy is not the goal!<3

Dearest Lords and Ladies of London,

After the first event of the season last night I’m sure we are all wondering what scandal or excitement awaits our hungry appetite! This writer has heard from her sources that while the ball seemed to be laden with the typical talk(Miss Philippa Featherington danced with no one, Lady Browning indulged far too much in champagne and had to be removed from the party by her son, Lord Linfield was rejected by countless ladies for a dance…despite his sizable fortune-perhaps it is the lingering oder of cabbages and onions that accompanies him wherever he goes) there was one bit of excitement that stood far above the other more typical anecdotes. The most scandalous young lady of this season so far, Miss Huntington, seems to have caught the eye of the most coveted (and reluctant) bachelor of the season, the Prince of Alderaan.

Prince Kylo Ren of Alderaan spent much of the evening avoiding the dance floor and was seen to scurry away from many very suitable young ladies including Miss Bridgerton-Queen Charlotte’s choice of the season. While he resisted strongly(and some might even have called his actions rude) most of the young ladies he encountered he seemed to be unable to keep himself away from Miss Huntington. Miss Huntington, still fresh off of her family’s embarrassing gambling scandal last year did not do herself any favors at the Danbury Ball. She danced with a number of men who would have been perfectly adequate for her, but she seemed to have had nothing but contempt for them. Showing no more interest in them then a horse shows a fly and this mare perhaps should not be brushing flies away too quickly, no matter how much their buzz annoys her.

But perhaps the Prince sees something in Miss Huntington that society as a whole does not, because after ignoring the Queen’s choice of the season all night, the Prince and Miss Huntington came together for, by all accounts, a most heated dance. I will be interested to see if Miss Huntington has a royal caller today and what that could mean for her prospects later on. Perhaps the Queen has chosen the wrong girl for the diamond of the season this year, perhaps we have all put our eggs in the wrong basket. But—perhaps not. Only time(and this writer) will reveal.

Yours most sincerely,

Lady Whistledown

“Contempt?” You gasped as you paced back and forth in front of the piano in your sitting room. Mama was sitting in front of a table holding the latest Lady Whistledown, a quickly cooling cup of tea completely forgotten sat on the table in front of her. “I didn’t show any of those men contempt! I was perfectly polite, Mama!” You complained. You were affronted to hear what that wretched Whistledown had written of you, written of you and the Prince.

“I understand that, but the members of the ton might not now that they’ve read this.” Mama sighed. Nerves clenched at your stomach, how could your status seemed to have gotten lower since the Danbury Ball? “Not all of what she wrote of you was terrible, dearest.” Mama said, trying to perk up. She set the paper down next to her tea on the table. “Don’t you agree, Ella?” she continued, looking to your lady’s maid who stood nearby.

“Oh, yes, not all of it was-“

“She compared me to a horse.” You said, turning around to face the two of them, frustration and irritation plain on your face. Ella’s face dropped and she nodded, looking away. “Sorry, Ella. I do not mean to take my own frustrations out on you.” You said.

“She did mention the Prince being taken with you-“

“Yes, what was the word she used to describe our dance?” You asked, “Oh yes, heated. That’s a scandalous word if ever I’ve heard one.” You said. You strode over to the table and picked up the copy of Lady Whistledown Society Papers that now sat on the table beside your Mama. You found yourself wanting to rip it into a million pieces, that of course would not be a proper display, even just in front of your mother and lady’s maid.

Your Mama reached out and took your hand, running her thumb along the backside of it in a comforting way that only a Mama knew how to do. You looked down at her and found yourself for what felt like the millionth time, wishing things were different. Wishing things had not exploded for your family last year. How much easier would life currently be if your father had not indebted himself to so many people, not made a mockery of your lives? You tried to brush away the thought but anger pulsed through you. A most unlady-like feeling, anger. It caused you to think of actions you wanted to take but never could, words you wanted to speak but never would allow yourself to. It made you long even more for a different world wherein you could do and say those things. And longing wasn’t ladylike either.

“Dearest, she also compared you to Daphne Bridgerton and said the Queen herself may have been wrong in her choice. That the whole ton might have been wrong in thinking the diamond of the season was Miss Bridgerton, and she means that it could be you.” As your Mama spoke a whole knew vista of opportunities, and chances seemed to open up before you. You could, no, you had to prove this true. That you were more eligible, more likable and just…more than anyone else. The Prince could call on you and he could court you, and ask for your hand and marry you. Then all this worry, all this anger and pain and scandal would be for naught. It would be forgotten about because you will have made the match of the season. Even if he was rude, cruel and you became irritated at the mere memory of his mocking voice, you would still become a Princess when you married him and that was exactly what your family needed. Yes, that was the goal and you were heartened by it.

“My guess is you will have quite a lot of callers today, suitors ready to vy for your hand.” Mama said and you smiled because you really did agree with her.

Your mood dissolved as the day went on, you spent the entire day in the sitting room awaiting on callers. You paced, and no one called. You sat on the sofa and tried to read, and no one called. You played piano and no flowers or gifts arrived. You talked to Ella about other things to try and distract yourself and no one called. You picked out fabric for your next dress from the swatches the Modiste had sent and no one called. Not one suitor. You had been so convinced that the Prince would call, or at least send flowers that in the afternoon when there was a knock at the sitting room door you were sure it was the Butler there to tell you that he was there but instead the door opened and your eldest brother walked in with his wife and your niece and nephew close behind. Matthew was jovial as he greeted you and your Mama,

“Did you read Lady Whistledown today? That woman has a knack for writing compelling stories does she not?” He asked as he grabbed a biscuit and sank down at the table. His wife, Rose sat down next to you at the piano as the children ran about already causing havoc. You rolled your eyes, had they not read the same thing this morning? Why would he think it compelling?

“She compared me to a horse, Matthew.” You found yourself saying once again, turning to look at your elder brother who attempted and failed to hide a smile.

“I told him not to bring up Lady Whistledown.” Rose sighed, reaching over to take your hand in the sweet and gentle way that she did.

“Ella, can you call down to the kitchens for more tea, please?” Mama said, looking to Ella who said,

“Of course, Ma’am.” She curtsied and left them. Matthew watched her go from the room, and leaned back against his chair.

“She may have made a few brash statements, my dear sister but she also reminded everyone that their choice of Daphne Bridgerton for the diamond of the season could be false and it could be you.” Matthew said, delicately selecting another biscuit from the tray in front of him.

“That is precisely what I pointed out out to your sister earlier.” Your mama said approvingly glancing from Matthew to you over her teacup.

“That was before absolutely no suitors came to call this morning,” You reminded your mother, irritation coloring your voice once again.

Your nephew sped past the table his father was at, grabbing a biscuit as he went.

“Simon, where on earth are your manners?” Rose asked. Simon stuck his tongue out at his mother and continued his game of chasing his sister around the couch with the biscuit in his mouth.

“You had no suitors this morning? None at all?” Matthew asked, and the shock in his voice made you want to shrivel up and die. It was unfair, unfair that Matthew was there to bare witness to your suffering, unfair that he should be here with his happy wife and children watching you fail at your only duty in life. Your mama shook her head to answer for you because you were looking anywhere but at your elder brother. Rose squeezed your hand and your chest flooded with sudden emotion. The tiniest gesture made you feel as though you were not alone. Had she once felt like this? Had she too wondered if anyone would want her? Had she wondered if she would amount to anything more than the hated title of ‘spinster’? No, Matthew had been there from the start, he had been interested and active in seeking her out.

Matthew was frowning as if in thought, “Does father know?” he asked, trying now to hide some of his shock by asking pointless questions. Of course Father didn’t know, Father wasn’t home, how would he know? Mama answered in a more polite fashion than you would have,

“Not yet,” She said.

“Hm. Well. There is still time.” He said shot you a quick smile, perhaps you weren’t entirely useless. Your mood did not improve, even when you retreated to your room to get dressed for walking in Hyde park. You knew you could not get discouraged. You knew you had to prove yourself as the best. Lady Whistledown might have helped along the No Suitors Situation but she herself had also said you could be the rightful Diamond of the Season and not Daphne Bridgerton. Everyone had already said this to you today and now you had to remind yourself. You had to convince yourself because it would take that confidence to pull it off. As Ella helped you dress you found your mind floating back to the night before, at the Danbury Ball and how flat every dance had felt, every look between you and a man had had no significance, every touch was dull and expected. It had all been nothing. All except one—the Prince. The rude, cruel, infuriating Prince Ren who had called you improper, even though he had been the one staring at you. Kylo Ren, who had…touched your skin. Your heart pounded at the mere memory of his fingers grazing against your back. It made you ashamed but not nearly as much as it should have, because it also was the only memory from the Danbury Ball that exhilarated you. He had sought you out, and you alone, it had to have meant something. And yet when he danced with you it seemed as though all he wanted from it was to humiliate you. You wished it wasn’t possible. You wished it hadn’t worked. And you very much wished you still weren’t thinking about it.

***

Your thoughts of Prince Kylo Ren didn’t abate when you left your house for the short carriage ride to Hyde Park. You were still thinking about him as you strolled along the walking paths with your Mama and your Lady’s maids. You were trying to work out what exactly he had meant by his behavior, why choose you to be the only young lady he danced with and then be nothing but rude to you? Perhaps he did not think himself rude? Perhaps he just spoke his mind very bluntly. You considered this as the best option for a while, barely noticing where your feet were carrying you as you walked alongside your Mama. But a memory resurfaced from that night, that made it very clear to you that this could not be the case. It was the memory of the smirk that seemed to hang even in his voice as he said, “You stared at me, my lady.” Your insides twisted at it. That and the way his eyes burned. He knew precisely what he was doing, he knew he was trying to humiliate you, trying to make you feel as if you had done something wrong. “How improper,” those words sent a spark through your body, something akin to anger and embarrassment. His voice had been dark and intense, your mind was absorbed in it…accompanied with the feeling of his gloved fingers against the bare skin of your back. It wasn’t the correct place for him to place his hand while leading a dance, it was slightly too high. Yet, he had done it. Accidentally? It must have been. He just had not been used to dancing with someone quite that much shorter than him, perhaps. Those fingers blazed through your memory, leaving little room for anything else in your brain. You could imagine his fingers there again as you looked out across the Serpentine River, which was little more than a shallow man-made pond that cut through this section of Hyde Park.

Your mind was so wrapped up in the feeling of those fingers, and the burn in his eyes that it took you far too long to notice you were staring directly at the real thing. It took your mother taking your arm and hissing in your ear,

“Staring at the Prince is not very lady-like.” She squeezed your arm and you blinked. She, of course, was right. Across the lake, the prince was standing arm in arm with the Queen Regent of Alderaan, his mother. Someone he had not been seen with years. As you took him in you realized he had not noticed you yet, you should look away, being caught staring at him yet again would surely end in more humiliation. He paused in his walk with his mother, his expression was irritated, lips tight, body stiff and upright as she spoke to him. His eyes flicked up and you were very suddenly caught in his gaze. Caught wasn’t quite the right word to describe it, trapped was probably more accurate. A shiver ran up your spine, it was that same blazing glance, a whisper of the memory of a hand on your skin. You watched as humor suddenly joined the irritation on his face, recoloring it. He turned to look at his mother, spoke and then pulled his arm away from her. He began to walk to the foot bridge nearby. She called something after him but he ignored her, she turned to her Lady’s maid who was standing nearby but your eyes were following his Grace as he walked over the bridge.

“The Prince is headed in this direction,” Mama hissed to you quite unnecessarily. You were about to hiss back that you knew but you started to feel not only his eyes on you, but many eyes on you. Everyone who had gone for a late afternoon stroll through Hyde Park seemed to be looking at you. All because Prince Kylo was stepping off the foot bridge and striding over towards you. You found yourself having the insane desire to run away. Perhaps it was because you couldn’t face him after he had caught you staring, or perhaps it was because of your disastrous dance at the Danbury Ball…or perhaps it was because of the persistent and scorching thoughts of his hand in yours, his fingers on your back. You wanted to hide from all of that and hide from his gaze but he walked up to you a moment later and inclined his head respectfully,

“Miss Huntington,” He said and then he turned slightly towards your Mama. “Lady Huntington,” He said.

“Your Grace,” Your Mama said, dropping to a curtsey. When you finally remembered how to move, and curtsied as well.

“Your Grace,” You mimicked your mother.

“What a pleasant thing, to meet you here.” Mama said, smiling almost adoringly up at Kylo. “Were you escorting your mother?” She asked. Something shifted slightly in his face, the subtle shift was enough to make his face go from mildly polite to the beginnings of irritation.

“Yes.” He said. “But I happened to see Miss Huntington across the Serpentine and thought she looked as though she could use a companion this afternoon.” He said. He offered his arm to you. You didn’t move. You were unsure if you should take it, unsure if you even wanted to take it. You knew you should and something inside of you did long for it, longed for his gloved hand in yours so that you could again revel in the memory of it against your bare back. Shock swept through you at your own thoughts, and with that shock was the realization that the prince had his arm held out to you still, “Would you care to walk with me, Miss Huntington?” He asked. You took the proffered arm as gracefully as you could manage while you still recovered from your own thoughts and the longing that still drove you to consider his hand at such length.

“Yes, of course, Your Grace.” You said. You watched him give your mother a tight smile and nod, before he turned you away form her and began walking.

It was quiet except for the sound of your steps as you walked along the Serpentine, you listened to his heavy footfalls and your lighter ones keeping pace. Was he going to mention the rude things he had said when you had last spoke? Should you bring them up? You were about to ask him if he planned on insulting you again on your walk when he spoke,

“I thought you might have learned your lesson about staring the last time we met.” He spoke casually as though he wasn’t attempting to wound your pride. “That does not seem to be the case.” He said. You looked about, wondering if anyone was within earshot, but no, Mama and her Lady’s maid were the closest people to the both of you and she was at least twenty yards back.

“First of all, Your Grace, I did not realize I was looking at you this afternoon.” You said, turning to look up at him. He was so much bigger than you that it felt as though you had to lean back to see his face. “Secondly, I maintain that the last time we met, I was only looking at you because I had caught you looking at me.” You insisted, and again the memory of that evening filtered into your head. The way you had felt his eyes upon you and how you looked back with curiosity.

“Hm.” Was his answer, and for a long moment it seemed as though he was going to leave it at that, then he spoke with no humor in his voice, “You presume to know better than I?” He asked. Your body felt tight and if you had not been holding on to his arm, your hands would have been shaking. Was it just because he was a prince that he was this intimidating or was it more? No, it had to be more, there was something about him that screamed at you to be nervous, to be afraid. You had to take a deep breath before you spoke to him again,

“I presume to know when I am being looked at across a ballroom, Your Grace.” You said, turning your face away from him so you looked forward at the path in front of you instead.

“Do you know so acutely what that feels like?” He asked, you felt his eyes on you again, that intense gaze that had burned into your across the ballroom at the Danbury estate. He was mocking you again, because he knew you did not know what it felt like. You swallowed and your eyes flicked up to him and then away again as you tried to recover.

“Perhaps not, but I knew I could sense your gaze.” You insisted.

“Perhaps I could sense yours.” He said.

“That’s impossible because I was not looking at you yet.” Your voice was colored with anger now and you wished you could take back the words, your frustration only seemed to spur him on.

“I think you might have been.”

“I was not.”

“Says who?”

“Me.” You almost ripped your arm away from him but you knew deep down that you could not. Not only was it impossible because you knew it would cause a scandalous scene but you could not because your body would not allow you to pull away from him. It felt like you were glued to his side.

“You seem unreliable to me,” His voice was humorless, irritated at your refusal to accept his version of events. You walked in silence next to him, not wanting to give him more fuel to flame his suspicions that you were an unreliable source, or a hot tempered girl. “Did you have many callers this morning?” You were so surprised by the question that you stopped walking, or you tried to because with your arm in his he simply towed you along with him.

“Excuse me?” You asked, breathless. It wasn’t an entirely unreasonable question for a friend to ask but you would not consider him a friend or even a potential suitor at this point. He had made it quite clear that he thought of you as nothing but an improper, unreliable, little girl.

“Lady Whistledown wrote that you might surprise everyone by making the match of the season,” He explained as he continued to tow you along with him. You turned your head to gaze up at him again, he was shocking in so many ways. Not only did he follow no real social protocols, but he spoke his mind and was too handsome to be reasonable. You wished you did not think it true, but as you looked at him you couldn’t help but notice again every pleasant thing about his face. Full lips, dark eyes with their fire-gaze, straight nose, and skin that was kissed with beauty spots in all sorts of delicate places. You blinked a few times, trying to beat back all the feelings that rose with appreciating his beauty,

“You read Lady Whistledown?” You asked, hating how stupid you sounded.

“Doesn’t everyone?” he asked. Your brow knit, you didn’t like being reminded of that fact. It must have shown on your face because he raised an eyebrow and his lip twitched towards a sardonic smirk, “I thought you would appreciate most of the things she wrote of you, Miss Huntington.” He observed. The idea that you would appreciate the things she wrote of you, of your family irritated you more than anything else he could have said. You let out a long, slow breath, trying to not let the anger towards Lady Whistledown effect the way you spoke to him. You were about to answer when he continued, cutting you off yet again, “You should appreciate that she’s willing to speak of you at all,” The frank way he put that boiled your blood and again you found yourself wanting to rip from his arm and march off but your body betrayed you once again and you remained stuck next to him.

“She…I can’t believe- that woman…she compared me to a HORSE!” You exclaimed, your voice dripping with contempt as you tried to not speak too loudly. Kylo frowned in thought a moment,

“I had not recalled that.” He said easily ignoring your fuming. “So, did you have callers this morning?” he asked again. You felt deflated, you had been so angry only seconds before and it was like it had been a soap bubble that he had burst. You swallowed and forced your eyes down, away from him. You felt your cheeks burn and you hoped your embarrassment didn’t show too much,

“No.” You said in the most dignified voice you could manage, lifting your chin. You weren’t sure why you were telling him the truth, but lying about it made it seem more shameful.

“No?” He confirmed, sounding surprised.

“No.” You said again, “No callers, no flowers, nothing.” He had walked you down the Serpentine to the next footbridge and now you were beginning to cross it. As you reached the middle of the bridge he stopped and looked down towards the water, you paused and stood on your tiptoes to look over the railing on the bridge as well, there was nothing but shallow dirty water below. Nothing of interest, but it was a good way to avoid his gaze.

“That surprises me. You danced with others at the Danbury ball I presume?” He asked.

“Yes,” You finally did look back towards him and again were struck by his handsome face. Your heart started to thrum faster in your chest. “I did think that perhaps you would call,” You admitted in a rush. The silence that fell seemed like the longest silence in your life. You wished you had not said anything. The words hung in the air and you wished they were physical so you could grab them and press them back inside of you, into your chest where he could no longer know them.

“Why would I call on you?” It was the emphasis on ‘you’ that hurt more than the sentiment itself. You let out the breath you had been holding and tried to replace the hurt with the frustration you had felt towards him earlier.

“I was the only young lady you danced with at the Ball,” You said, “And now you’re standing here, walking with me and asking if I had any callers. Forgive me, for thinking that might mean some form of interest, Your Grace.” You said.

“I am not interested, Miss Huntington.” He said so easily that you felt that same hurt as before. Why was he here then? Why was he walking with you now when you could have been walking with someone who was truly interested. Perhaps it was rude but at the moment you didn’t care,

“Why are you here then?” You demanded, you were finally able to pull your arm away from him now. “If you want so little to do with me, why walk with me?” You placed both hands on the railing of the bridge and turned fully towards the water once again. You tried to even your breathing, it was unbecoming to be gasping for breath even if it did feel like you had been kicked in the stomach.

“To irritate my mother,” He answered. Now it was easy to replace the hurt with anger, he was using you for his familial issues and it was at the expense of the rest of your life. How were you to have any suitors if he took up all your time with stupid walks that were only to his benefit.

You turned slowly towards him, feeling like anger was swelling up inside of you like the soap bubble from before, only you doubted it would be as easy to burst this time.

“To irritate your mother?” You asked, your voice dangerous and quiet. He was unapologetic. “How dare you? You think just because you’re some…some Prince that you can use me however you would like for your petty problems with your mother?” You gasped out, you were shaking now. Your whole body was responding to the indignity of what he was doing to you. His face darkened slightly and he stepped towards you, towering above you. Anyone watching might have mistaken this for something romantic if it hadn’t been for the loathing that was apparent on your face.

“You speak to a Prince like this?” he growled.

“When this Prince has acted anything but gentlemanly and has insulted me repeatedly-“

“Even when what I’m doing will help you in the long run as well?” He asked, his voice lowering even more.

“-by blatantly disrespecting me and my—what?” You pulled up short when he asked you that. “How on earth could this help me?” You paused, and then added with as much sarcasm as you could muster, “Your Grace.”

“Have you not noticed how many men have been watching you since I took your arm for this walk?” He hissed, leaning down closer to you. You could smell him now, and his scent with the overwhelming power of that dark gaze was enough to make you lose your breath for a moment.

“I-What?” You asked again, hurriedly looking around towards the other groups of people in the park.

“Don’t look now, stupid girl.” He growled. “Yes, my interest in you has piqued the interest of quite a few other men. You need suitors. I need my mother to stop pushing for me to marry…and I also need some peace from the idiotic Mama’s who push their daughters on me at every event I attend.” He said.

“I…I don’t understand.” You said softly, but you were beginning to, you remembered the way you had felt eyes on you when he had first come over to you. It hadn’t just been the eyes of gossiping old ladies, no, it had been the watchful daresay jealous eyes of men. He was proposing something to you, not something you would have thought of…but something almost as helpful.

“If you and I are seen together…seen as an item. Seen as if we were courting, you would become the most appealing girl in the ton. You would also become a challenge and men love nothing more than a challenge.” He said.

“And you…”

“Well, I would get exactly what I want as well-“ His eyes flicked to the other side of the river and down back where they had come where his mother was still walking with her Lady’s maid. You felt as though your heart would beat out of your chest, if he was right, if this worked it could very well get you a match by the end of the season.

“Do you think it would work?” You asked.

“If Lady Whistledown believes it. The whole ton will follow.” He said. “You just need to stop making scene of us in public.” He said. “Now take my arm again,” He instructed. “And walk back with me.”

You did as he said, hoping against hope he was right. He had to be right, your future was relying on it. You had to maintain that you were courting, you had to maintain it realistically and you had to do it while not thinking too much about his hand grazing your skin or the way his fire-gaze scorched your insides, burning excitement into your veins.

#kylo ren #kylo ren x you #kylo ren x reader #kylo ren fanfiction #kylo ren reader insert #ben solo #kylo ren au #regency!kylo #fanfic #writing #kylo ren smut #fanfic: tpoa

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lukealvezhimboextraordinaire · 3 years

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Kathony + squishing the other's cheek

Please lmao they'd be so mad if one of them did it 🤣🤣

okay so this has gotten out of hand but here you go:

kathony + squishing the other's cheek.

heavily based on leap year.

It had been a series of unfortunate events that had brought them together in what had to be the worst road trip since modern cars were invented. Kate Sharma was not a woman that easily allowed anyone to get behind the wheel of her absurdly old yet still fabulous baby aka the old red beetle her father had passed down to her the day she left for university. Benji, as the whole family had called the car ever since Kate was a four years old with an avid imagination and a thing for giving names to any inanimate object she came across, had been with her for the past ten years and most days was the only thing keeping her sane. She did not want to dwell too much on the reasons why sitting in her old car gave her such a sense of security. Or why often she kept imagining her father smiling at her from the passenger’s seat, soft encouraging words leaving his lips as he patiently waited for her to gather the courage to park in line. Her father had been her biggest fan and Benji was all she had left of him. She had not driven or gotten into another car ever since her father passed away.

Maybe that was the reason why she was so annoyed by her current predicament.

Sighing, she cast a side-eye glance to her left. There, sitting in the driver’s seat of a rented car was the only man that had ever managed to simultaneously make anger boil in her stomach and set her skin on fire. Not that she would ever admit the second part - not even to herself. And not only was he looking like he had always belonged there, in a car with her, he also had the smuggest smile plastered on his stupidly handsome face. Kate huffed annoyed and turned her eyes to the window, purposefully ignoring the butterflies going wild in her stomach.

Life was incredibly unfair at times.

You might be wondering why exactly Kate Sharma was stuck in a car with her nemesis, aka Anthony Bridgerton. The answer is both extremely complicated and very simple. A series of very unfortunate events had led Anthony to be late for his sister’s wedding in a lovely and yet very secluded little town in lovely Ireland. Kate, who was a very modern woman, had gotten tired of waiting for her Irish boyfriend to propose to her and upon learning of a very fascinating tradition of the country of clovers had decided she might as well take matters into her own hands. But fate had wanted her lovely boyfriend to be out on a work trip in Dublin the only day in the next four years she could ask him to marry her and blame tradition for it. Naturally, she wasn’t going to let a couple thousand kilometers between them stop her from achieving her goals. The only problem? All the flights were booked for the next week.

And that’s when and where things had started going downhill.

It had not been the end of the world for Kate. She liked to drive and a road trip across one of the most beautiful countries in the world was hardly torture. But then her adored car had decided to not start and no matter how many times she tried, it did not start. That was a setback but not a big one to alter Kate’s plans. She grabbed her bag and rushed to the rental car point, only to be told there was only one car available. The problem? There was another person interested in it. And said person was willing to triple the fee to get the car.

In slow motion, Kate turned around to discover the person currently getting in the way of her and her marriage proposal was a prim, polish, stern-looking man. What started as an amicable and polite conversation soon morphed into a heated argument. The poor man behind the counter looked positively mortified but none of them seemed to notice. And then an amused voice had broken through the screams match with a suggestion so casual and logical that it left the both of them baffled.

Sharing the car. It was ridiculous.

But they had no other option.

Which brings us back to Kate and Anthony (it turned out the posh looking man had a matching posh name) stuck together in a way too small car for any of their likings.

“We have been on the road for four hours and you still haven’t told me what’s the oh so important thing waiting for you in Dublin?” A deep voice broke the comfortable silence.

Kate turned in her seat, casting him a quick look. He was not going to understand. He would even laugh at her, she was sure of it. So she chose to remain silent.

But Anthony had grown tired of the silence and decided to start a civil conversation with her even if that meant reciting a monologue until she had no option but to shut him up.

“I am on my way to the wedding. Of my sister, the wedding of my sister. My second younger sister. I have four sisters, you see. And three brothers. I am the oldest and I am to walk her down the aisle.” Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the dark-haired woman huff through her nose with clear annoyance. He wouldn’t have been able to stop the pompous smile from making its way to his face even if he had tried. Which he did not. There was something about getting under Kate’s skin that gave him a rush of adrenaline. He wasn’t sure what it was. But he liked it. “Frannie is getting married to Michael. He is the cousin of her former fiance, John.” That seemed to catch her attention but she stubbornly refused to give in. “John stood her up at the altar. It was all terribly dramatic.”

“And she is marrying his cousin?” Despite herself, Kate was not capable of stopping herself from asking. A terrible mistake because the moment her mouth opened Anthony’s eyes twinkled with pride.

The car didn’t get a moment of peace ever since.

“This was a terrible idea,” Kate muttered under her breath, a big fake smile plastered on her face.

“You were the one who wanted to stop for the night.” He pointed out.

“That was before knowing this.”

This was the only place available in the town, only booking rooms for couples. Married couples. It had to be a cruel joke. But they were both soaked to the core, tired and hungry and the pros of a warm shower and a comfortable bed outweighed the cons of having to pretend to be married to this horrible man she could not quite stop thinking about.

“Aren’t you an adorable couple! How long have you been married?” The thick accent of the woman lacing every word.

“Two weeks!”

“A month.”

They shared a look. Kate laughed, hitting him hard in the arm but making it look like it was just a caress.

“We have had this conversation before, honey.” The sarcasm on the pet name went unnoticed by their hosts. “He counts it since he proposed. I count it since we said our vows.”

The old couple was positively delighted by this. The woman took a step further towards them and then did something none of them had expected. She grabbed Anthony’s cheek’s and squeezed them in the most grandmotherly gesture ever. “Aren’t you the sweetest thing ever?”

Anthony’s ears turned a deep shade of red. “Err, yeah. I was looking forward to marrying this woman. I could barely contain myself, really.”

Kate had to bite down the inside of her cheek to keep from bursting out in laughter.

“I can’t believe she did that!” Anthony protested as soon as the door to their shared room closed behind him. His ears were still red from before but now his cheeks were matching and not precisely because he was blushing.

Kate only laughed. She could barely remember the last time she had had so much fun. He fixed her with a murderous glance.

“But you are oh so sweet!” she teased, brown eyes twinkling with good natured malice. “So cute! So in love!”

“Stop!”

“Barely able to stop yourself from marrying your wife right then and there! Such a prince charming!” Her hands were now resting over her chest and a dreamy look plastered on her face.

“Sharma, I swear to god!” He had cut any distance between them and was now standing with his face mere inches from hers. He was so close she could smell the coffee in his breath.

Kate’s whole body tensed.

And then she did something unexpected. Her hands found their way to his face, crading it sweetly for a moment and then she simply squished his cheeks. His eyes went wide with shock and the laugh she had been holding inside broke through her ribs, filling the room.

“I am going to kill you!” He growled.

“Oh but you wouldn’t do that to your lovely wife, would you Mister Bridgerton?”

He watched her disappear behind the curtain separating the ensuite from the room and shook his head, smiling despite himself.

“Hey, Kate?”

“Yeah?” The sound of water hitting the tiles resonated in the room.

“If I was your boyfriend you would have a ring in your finger by now.”

“What?” She peaked her head out of the curtain and looked at him through squished eyes. “Did you say something?” His heart missed a beat.

“Yeah, I said that any man would have to be crazy to agree to marry you!”

#fics #mine #kathony #kanthony #kate sharma #anthony bridgerton #i had so many ideas for this #but i had to contain myself #so much fun writting this #bridgerton #leap year au

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bridgertonbabe · 2 years

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I’m curious to see what role Cressida will play in s2 - if she will try and vie for Anthony’s attention even a little because if not, I can see her being a good plot driver in s3. Obviously we have the rumour that she might be the show version of Rosamund, so if she was trying to woo Benedict and get him to dance and court her and all along he a) has no interest and b) is secretly pursuing her stepsister/maid - gold 😂 Even if she proves not to be Sophie’s family, I still think she’d be fuming to miss out on a ‘second son’ of all people when she once presumed herself worthy of a prince! Also probably sets her up nicely for what I imagine will still be a villainous outing in s4 with Penelope. But that’s just my thought, is there anything you’d like to see done with her character? 😊

Ahead of the season airing tomorrow, all that we've seen of Cressida in the promos is her being one of the first to approach Anthony when Violet announces he intends to marry this season, and there was also one still of her dancing with a displeased looking Colin. Naturally Cressida is going to pounce on any Bridgerton man she can get her hands on. I don't recall Daphne explicitly telling any of her family that it was Cressida who saw her with Simon in the garden and had the potential to ruin her, but if she had told them or mentions it this season then I expect the Bridgerton bros to steer well clear of her. With that being said, I think the brothers don't even need this information to keep her at an arm's length; they can see for themselves through their fleeting encounters with her just how ugly-hearted a person she is.

I have a theory from the still of her with Colin that she's managed to snare him into a dance at the last moment and out of politeness Colin finds he can't say no. Cressida will have noticed how Colin always talks with Penelope and she can't fathom why a Bridgerton man would ever bother to humour a Featherington girl. She spies Penelope in a corner of a ballroom one night and knows it'll be only a matter of time before Colin comes to join her. Cressida gets to Penelope first and perhaps she makes some cutting remark or does something to really upset Penelope and cause her to run off. As she disappears, Colin appears through the crowd expecting to find his friend but finds Cressida instead. He's clearly surprised to find her there and as the orchestra starts up for the next dance, Cressida informs him she is without a partner and holds out her dance card to him, eyeing him up coyly. It's not gentlemanly to reject an offer for a dance and while Colin would love to excuse himself and tell her he's promised a dance with Penelope, his friend isn't around so he has no choice but to acquiesce to being her partner. Typically Cressida would show herself up during their dance, perhaps making some disparaging remarks about Penelope in order to draw his attentions to her instead; however Colin stands up for Penelope and stalks off once their dance is over.

I've also just remembered a little snippet of Cressida with her mother as they catch sight of the Sharmas and she makes a remark about a scandal, which presumably is in reference to Lady Mary's when she left the Ton years previously. The Cowpers would definitely be at the forefront of making Mary feel scrutinised and judged as she settles back into the Ton, but there would also be a bit of jealousy riling them up seeing as Edwina is the new diamond of the season with men lining up to court her. Cressida would go about making bitchy remarks constantly to belittle the Sharmas, and a theory I've seen and like is that instead of the scene in the book where Anthony walks Penelope to dinner in spite of Cressida's comments, it's actually Mary he escorts after he's overheard Cressida's cruel words.

As we go ahead to S3 I'm very much leaning towards the theory that she and her mother are going to turn out to be Sophie's step-sister and step-mother. From what we've seen of Cressida so far she and Rosamund are very much like and can be easily fused into one character. It'll be fun to see her trying to get her claws into Benedict, seeing as he's the only remaining Bridgerton available to her once Anthony's married off and Colin clearly despises her. I can see her making some tactless remark about him being the second son which does her no favours in trying to win him over. For him to fall in love with her step-sister/maid would be hilarious just to see her face when it comes out that Benedict and Sophie are to be married. I do wonder how the Bridgertons would be able to keep her silence though. I know they essentially blackmailed Araminta in the book but I feel Cressida is too spiteful a person to keep that to herself, so I'll be interested to see what happens if this theory turns out to be true. If Rosamund ends up being a different character to her however then best believe they'll pair up to be horrible mean girls together.

What I like about Cressida's character is that there is a nuance to her antagonistic nature. Like any other lady out in society she is desperate to secure herself a wealthy reputable husband and has already suffered the loss of marrying a prince thanks to Daphne. She and her mother are of the mind that the more elaborate and ostentatious a lady's hair and gown, the more likely she'll attain a rich man of noble rank. I imagine she is heavily influenced by her mother - I can't see them coming from a loving household like the Bridgertons - in that her mother married for wealth and status rather than love and this is the template Cressida is trying to follow too. She might appear to be the atypical mean girl in how she picks on Penelope and will judge Mary Sharma, but these are relatively low-hanging fruit for her to hit, and if she does turn out to be Sophie's step-sister then once again she has an easy opportunity to pick on someone of a lower position to her.

Going ahead I'll be interested to see when or if she marries Lord Twombley. I think he was a relatively older gentleman in the books (forgive me if I'm wrong) so while she might be pleased to have married into wealth, she must be thoroughly put out to marry such an older man in comparison to the handsome young men that the Bridgerton ladies and spouses get to marry. She'd realise money can't buy happiness and then when her husband dies and leaves her nearly penniless she'd find herself back to square one again except older and no longer a shiny new debutante. I can see her spitefulness increasing tenfold and if she remains the antagonist for Polin's season then she'll have her sights on taking down Penelope - and I would bloody love to see her reaction when she learns that there is to be marriage between a Bridgerton and a Featherington. She'd throw an absolute fit - how could a handsome and eligible man like Colin want to marry Penelope Featherington when Cressida can't get such a gentleman for herself? She projects all of her despair-turned-hatred onto Penelope and has it in for her. If Cressida can't land herself a Bridgerton then Penelope certainly doesn't deserve such a man. I think as well as the Whistledown blackmailing, it'd be interesting to see if Cressida actually tried to trap Colin into marriage by throwing herself at him. We've yet to see this form of trapping someone into marriage on the show and Cressida would be the perfect fit of desperately trying to get her hands on a man who clearly doesn't want her.

#asks #sorry for the late response i was trying to come up with the best response #which turned out to be a long ass one lol i apologise #my ramblings #cressida cowper #season 2 speculation #season 3 speculation #season 4 speculation

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growingstronglikeahighgardenrose · 3 years

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Sanditon Season 2: all the news & my thoughts

So, we're getting not one but two new seasons of Sanditon! After a year of tremendous effort on behalf of the Sanditon sisterhood who kept the fandom alive, we'll be looking at a new season. Although I think the biggest thank you probably goes out to Bridgerton, which showed that romance, regency, a diverse cast and butts are a perfect mix to lure audiences.

I want to take this moment to reflect on what I think we'll win, what we'll lose and what we can expect in the future.

1. No Sidlotte HEA

This is probably the most heartbreaking salty news we could get. But I know Theo James, he likes new projects. And after divergent's disaster, I can't blame the boy for not wanting to hang onto another franchise. As a fanfic writer, although mainly an Esther/Babington one, I broke my head for over a year on how to get Sidlotte together. I had to imagine the grandest schemes to get them together. Tom needed 10 000 pounds in less than a month. Even Babington was probably not worth that much. That's over 6 million in today's money if adjusted to inflation. Regency era's England's top 1-2% made that in a full a year, and most of that is probably in assets and investments. And they don't just get to keep that money, most used a good chunk of it to keep their estates running and to pay their staff. Anyone know someone who has a casual 6 million lying around?

There's only two realistic solutions: either have Eliza die: which would be cruel and take years (unless you kill her in childbirth 9 months in), or create a grand scheme that would take months and see Sidney, Crowe and Babington actively work hard on their 'business' while in the meantime Charlotte, Lady Denham and Lady Susan get everyone including the prince regent to come to Sanditon. I kind of accepted they would have a hard time getting out of that plot twist. It was likely that Sidlotte could not be endgame.

Personally, I never felt a strong connection to Sidlotte, and had hoped that Charlotte, like Jane Bennet, would go to London with Lady Susan to recover from her heartbreak, and I kind of hoped James Stringer would eventually go down there for his apprenticeship, where a sort of Captain Wentworth-like situation would come to exist where he is a young man trying to make something of himself. I know Charlotte didn't love him. But I also knew that Charlotte wanted adventure and perhaps needed to grow as a person. But in the new season she'll probably be a bit jaded, closed off, and depressed. And will probably need a softer more available man. Growing up goes with swinging to extremes. She was an open optimist at the beginning, and eventually turned to the opposite, not letting her emotions shine through and being very guarded (@miss-holly-goes-lightly did a wonderful post on this). Adulthood is finding a good balance again.

So while I am saddened, because this brings along a long set of questions like: "Does Sanditon still take place in Sanditon then?" "Where will Sidney live, will he then live in London with his wife?" "Why doesn't he come help his brother the next season or visit his family, as we know Tom will make a mess of things" The show will have to answer these questions in a believable manner.

2. No Beaufort twins

Mollie Holder said on her instagram that the Beauforts wouldn't be returning. This leads to quite a few questions like: where will Georgiana stay then? What will be happening to Mrs. Griffiths? Will Georgiana be her sole ward while the Beaufort's absence is explained as them having married or having become governesses?

3. Who remains aboard

Rose Williams is definitely on board. It's also pretty certain Tom will be there again. Lady Denham is also likely to return. The child actors and their parents were willing, but worried about their increasing age a few months back. Old Stringer said he'd have loved to be part of Sanditon again and to see it continue, but he's well... dead on the show so he won't return. So who will join Charlotte?

Leo Sutter might not return. He plays an important role in the next spin-off of vikings. Vikings has a new season each year. On top of that he's currently busy recording Gateway 6. We don't know how long that might take. And perhaps by the time filming ends he's required for the next season of the Walhalla series. Leo Sutter is a rising star, he might not even have the time to return. Especially for two seasons. At his age and point in his career, he needs to cement his name, or he'll remain b-list while he has a-list potential. So he might have to give up Sanditon for his career. It's sad, I'd love a Stringer/Charlotte future where they both grow to being suitable for each other while becoming people confident in their own abilities. But in the end, I would be alright with it, as Charlotte didn't express immediate interest in him. Writing him out would also be fairly easy, they could just write that despite thinking he had to stay home after his father's death, he went to London in the end under Charlotte's encouragement. Perhaps he could then come back for a guest appearance.

Crystal Clarke will reprise her role as Georgiana. Clarke has, since Sanditon, spoken out about the sometimes tone-deaf director and scriptwriters. She had to step in a few times to make sure Georgiana was done justice. She also said she hoped Georgiana, if the show was continued, would get the space to breathe and be independent, instead of playing a minor role as token black friend of Charlotte while under the control of Sidney. It will be complex to have her return without involving Sidney, as his character will have to be written out. I imagine this can be done with a timejump, but the timejump would have to be 4 years to make Georgiana 'of age' as she is 17 in the show. They'll probably place her under someone's care while saying Sidney is "still her guardian, but away". Georgiana is, in my opinion, an essential part of Sanditon. Bridgerton showed the world wanted to see diverse faces. Austen wrote a black character as a wealthy and desirable woman. They simply have to do more with her in the future. Clarke will reprise her role, this time with black writers to do justice to her character. I'm excited to see what will be done.

The actor who plays Arthur, Turlough Convery, is a good actor and mostly in period pieces. However he's never overly in demand, and usually stays with shows for multiple seasons. I think he's quite willing to come back and it means Georgiana would have a friend. I also hope they delve into his character, especially after his "I don't think i'll ever get married".

Matthew Needham and Mark Stanley, Crowe and Babington, are Sidney's best friends. It will be hard to have them come back without them explaining why Sidney is never with them. But I believe they would work well as a duo: the drunk and the one braincell are a fun dynamic. Both are not much in demand, despite that I quite like them as actors. So we might see them returning. Their return would also be vital for the return of a few other characters:

Their return would also be vital for the return of a few other characters:

Charlotte Spencer's Esther Denham is married to Babington. Without Babington returning, how can Esther? And vice versa. Their storyline was also the main romance for me and a big part of the last few episodes. They kinda need to return. Babington is also Sanditon's access point to high society. To cash in on Bridgerton's success they should search that royal connection. Babington is friends with the Prince Regent. On top of that he has the most money. If he hosts a party and Charlotte is invited, this is where they get those grand-bridgertonesque scenes.

Lily Sacofsky's Clara had a romantic subplot with Crowe. In their final unaired scene they went to London together. She could return. However, the chances are quite slim. Clara is in London, and Sanditon takes place in Sanditon. Unless Lady Susan takes Charlotte to London for a while and she meets Clara and Edward there, cooking up a plan to get back at Esther and Lady Denham.

4. Predictions

There's no words to describe the popularity of Bridgerton, so this WILL influence Sanditon. I predict: more sex, more scandal, and even more ahistorically modern ideas and characters, multiple female characters and multiple male characters that each get screentime and their separate storylines and developments like in bridgerton, instead of just Charlotte's pov we follow. Glamorous scenes. And more POC.

The season will start with a timejump in all likeliness (as it is easier so they don't have to focus too much on her grieving). Charlotte will catch us up with what has happened while perhaps narrating over some letters she's written to georgiana and lady susan. She'll return to Sanditon during a summer. Sanditon will have been partially rebuilt with Eliza's money, and many activities will be planned. Sanditon will be in some kind of trouble. Charlotte will still be a planner. Her being very actively involved in things and having a vision was one of the most alluring parts of her character. In the books there was a rival town Tom hated. That might be a bit tricky to adapt so they could introduce some local competition for attention around Sanditon. A local duke hosting parties could overshadow tom's events. Or the social season in London could lure everyone there instead of to Sanditon. Charlotte will try to help Tom with this while getting reacquainted with everyone still in Sanditon, and hearing about the reasons why Sidney/Esther/Stringer/The Beauforts (to be seen) aren't in the show anymore. She'll also rebuild her relationship with Georgiana.

Then one day for an event Charlotte will invite Lady Susan, who will invite her to the London season to get over her heartache à la Jane Bennet. Charlotte will join Lady Susan to lure a crowd to Sanditon. There, she'll be confronted with some of her demons of the past season. Perhaps a pregnant Eliza Campion makes an appearance to rub it in Charlotte's face. In Sense & Sensibility Margaret discovered Willoughby's relationship in a most shocking manner in an almost public setting. Sanditon likes to nod at all Austen books so this could be a nod at that book when Charlotte discovers unpleasant news in a public manner. Charlotte will congratulate her and wish them happiness, and afterwards either a girlpower moment could happen with Lady Susan or Georgiana supporting her, or a love moment. Mrs Campion has tried to talk Charlotte down in front of people in the past, if she did it again, a new love interest could step in at that time to compliment her and then take her off for a dance. That could be an emotional moment for her, as she realized her feelings for Sidney in London during a dance the last time around as well. And she could have her cinderella moment by excusing herself and running off after the dance, uncertain of her feelings. She'll have some grand balls, might be harrassed by a man and risk a scandal, or try and prevent Georgiana from ruin during a scandal.

At the last moment she'll succeed in her goal and lure a crowd to Sanditon's events that will put Sanditon on the map. Either the local competitive duke, or someone from London will be impressed with her, but she won't be ready to marry yet. I trust that by the end of the second season, she'll finally have a realisation that she's quite happy with how she's living her life and how good her work is, and that she has finally stopped feeling sad. So the second season will stop with her atop a cliff, letting go of the traumatic loss she suffered on that same cliff a season before. By the end of the season, one or two love interests will be set up for the last season.

So the nudity and big romance will have to come from elsewhere. Georgiana will get more agency and action in the next seasons. She could be trying to tempt Charlotte in joining her adventures as a single wealthy independent woman. She might even leave to find her place in the world via boat, returning to where she was last truly happy: Antigua. The second season could maybe end with Charlotte overlooking Georgiana's boat leaving from the previously mentioned clifftop. Another option is Georgiana falling in love with a local man and taken an interest in the town. Financially speaking, Georgiana could be the only one able to save Sanditon. But I don't think she owes the town anything. Another option is the writers focus on Georgiana navigating her relationship with Otis, who might be back home for a holiday after navy duty. We could also see some political debates à la Poldark S5 about freedom, servitude, independence and so on. The first plan for Georgiana doesn't even have to exclude the second, she could decide to sail away with Otis to find their place in the world. In any case: race shall not be brushed under the carpet and Georgiana will kick some shins on her way to her happy ending. In Jane Austen, we have rarely seen a woman who tried to elope, or escape her guardian, get a happy ending. Georgiana Darcy, Eliza Williams, Eliza's mother, ... they're all tragic tales of women falling for bad guys who try to steal their virtue or take their money. And in the end they always become dependent on men again. I hope in Sanditon Georgiana will learn and grow herself, instead of being coddled by men. A lot could be done.

Esther and Babington could be a very cool insert if the actors join. They can really connect the high society to Sanditon. They could host balls, invest in Sanditon or drive the London plot. But they can also be an emotional backbone to the show. Esther married Babington, but she wasn't in love yet. I'm not a fan of the edward/Esther angle. After all he did, I rather she hated him with burning passion and never spoke to him again. But he could try to blackmail her and ruin her reputation in London. Perhaps become some kind of Lord Whistledown. With Charlotte coming to Esther's aid. Esther's plotline could be about learning to trust people and open her heart again. Perhaps she could have a conflict with Babington about him wanting a family and she still being uneasy with marriage, let alone children. Maybe they could have a fight, with one of them going to London. In their separation they might realize they love each other. And then the other comes back home from London with Charlotte and they fix everything. Another route is them having a fight, Esther going to confront Edward or Clara about their blackmailing or maneouvring. Babington thinks it's because she doesn't love him, but actually it's because she loves Babington and wants to be rid of her past. But she gets into an accident and Babington only realizes the truth later on, leading to a happy ending.

Other things I'd love to see: Mary finally growing a backbone and telling Tom to either be open about his affairs and finances or be gone. Arthur and Diana growing a backbone and telling their brother he's a fuck up. Charlotte realizing Tom is stupid. Lady Denham appointing Charlotte or Arthur to head of Sanditon after showing their worth an entire season. Tom being repentant. Diana getting over her fears. Arthur getting a love interest. Crowe being in Sanditon, I just love him. Kisses. Healthy love interests that aren't broody and traumatized and in need of fixing by women. Jane Austen's men need to do their growing ON THEIR OWN. And then they earn their brides.

5. What we'll lose

- A Sidlotte ending: once the new season comes out, Sidlotte is no longer headcanon.

- A happy Esther/Babington ending: they married and looked happy, despite Esther's rushed turn around. If they're in the new season, their marriage won't be perfect. They'll have conflicts, just for plot. Whatever headcanons we had for them will probably be falsified. We might come to dislike them or their relationship. I've seen almost all my ships crumble to dust on the rocks of multiple seasons dragging out relationships and piling on conflict just to keep it interesting.

- A part of what made Sanditon Sanditon: we'll lose many faces we've come to love. And the dynamics and relationships will therefore change a lot.

- Fanfics become dated: I know it is the problem of every fandom, but it's one I regret all the same. Part of why I love Austen fandoms is the fact that the books are written. The characters and relationships won't change. With 2 new seasons coming, all fanfics out there will become dated. The millions of hours authors put into Sidlotte fics will perhaps become barely read when Charlotte gets new love interests. All the headcanons I and many others wrote down for Sidlotte, Esther/Babington, Charlotte/Stringer, will officially become silly fantheories. I've been there a couple of times before that shows changed the entire course and personality of certain characters and then you can't help but feel exhausted and sometimes annoyed because these are your babies and you had dreams for them, and the writers took them in directions that sometimes don't do them justice. But it's canon so you gotta accept it. Sometimes fantasy is nicer than a writer toying around with storylines and characters just to create drama. And I'll have to write my characters in a new way that fits the characters based on the info from the new seasons. I might fall out of love with them. Ah, the burden of being a shipper weighs heavy.

- Perhaps we still lose a HEA: Season one ended with a happy babington/Esther and an unhappy Charlotte who learned a lot, and a Sanditon that was saved. Although Sanditon has been extended for two seasons it's possible that if the ratings for S2 aren't good they may still cancel the third season. If they don't learn from their mistakes and end season 2 on another cliffhanger even Esther's relationship and sanditon may be at stake. If they're getting 2 seasons they will also not marry or engage charlotte in the second, meaning Charlotte will still be single by the end of the series if they cancel season 3. The whole reason we wanted more seasons was for charlotte to have a HEA. So I'm really fearful that she'll be put in another hard spot. They at least need to get her happy by the end of S2.

6. What we'll gain

- More sanditon content

- More regency era content and images and music which is always lovely

- Seeing our favourites again

- Hopefully we get to see new challenges and romance and humor and tense moments and scandal and drama that will be fun to watch

- A Georgiana story arc: a black woman in a realistic historical setting living her life, being wealthy, and England just having to Deal With It. And as cherry on top she'll be written by black writers.

- Happy endings (hopefully)

- New hot men! This is a guarantee

- Perhaps LGBTQ+ representation with Arthur

- Frustration at Tom's antics (guaranteed)

- Maybe some interactions with Charlotte's siblings

- Esther Babington content

- New material to write fanfics and metas about

- Over 8 hours of viewing pleasure

#sanditon #sanditon season 2 #sanditon season 3 #sceptical fanalyses #sanditon predictions #charlotte heywood #esther denham

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iliveiloveiwrite · 3 years

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Millie’s Library - Book Recs

I get asked for book recommendations a lot so I thought I would create a working post that I can add to when I’ve read something that I think would be liked. I do have an Instagram where I review books so feel free to follow me on there - @pag3turner (let me know who you are and I’ll follow back!) All recs are under the cut!

YOUNG ADULT:

The Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout - 16+ (fantasy, romance - five book series)

Crave by Tracy Wolff - 16+ (fantasy, romance - eventual five book series)

The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare - 16+ (fantasy, romance - three book series)

Heartless by Marissa Meyer - 14+ (fantasy, romance)

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco - 16+ (fantasy, distressing scenes, romance - four book series)

Bone Crier’s Dawn by Kathryn Purdie - 16+ (fantasy, soulmates, witches)

Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin - 17+ (fantasy, romance, some steam -eventual three book series)

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black - 17+ (fantasy, romance, smut - three book series)

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge - 16+ (fantasy, enemies to lovers)

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (graphic novel, 4 parts) - 16+ (lgbt+ romance, teen romance, eating disorders)

The Wicker King by K. Ancrum - 16+ (lgbt+, a serious look into mental health, slight romance)

Horrid by Katrina Leno - 16+ (horror, psychological thriller, slight fantasy)

NEW ADULT:

A Lesson in Thorns by Sierra Simone - 18+ (pagan rituals, smut, polyamory - four book series)

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid - 18+ (contemporary fiction, LGBT, smut)

A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair - 18+ (hades and Persephone retelling, smut scenes - four book series with more to be published)

Zodiac Academy by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti - 18+ (fantasy, dark romance, forbidden romance, smut)

Gabriel’s Inferno by Sylvain Reynard - 18+ (forbidden romance, smut)

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab - 17+ (allusions to sex, romance, deals with gods - never pray to the gods after dark)

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - 17+ (magical realism, steamy)

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout - 17+ (enemies to lovers, steam and smut)

Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout - 18+ (fantasy, smut)

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - 17+ (historical romance, LGBT, some smut)

Circe by Madeline Miller - 18+ (distressing scenes)

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - 18+ (historical fantasy, smut)

A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova - 18+ (fantasy, smut)

You Had Me At Hello by Mhairi McFarlane - 18+ (contemporary romance, smut)

On A Beautiful Day by Lucy Diamond - 18+ (contemporary romance, adult themes)

Bridgerton: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn - 18+ (historical romance, smut)

Dark Lover by JR Ward - 18+ (paranormal romance, smut - twenty plus book series including spin off series)

PS I Love You by Cecelia Ahern - 18+ (contemporary romance, grief and upset)

Beach Read by Emily Henry - 18+ (contemporary romance, smut, authors with writer’s block)

The Off-Campus Series by Elle Kennedy - 18+ (smut, romance, college romance, hockey players, distressing themes)

Frigid by Jennifer L. Armentrout - 18+ (contemporary romance with a thriller twist)

#book recs #book recommendations #millies library

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uncharacteristicallyalertkoala · 3 years

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Reflections on Bridgerton 1x06, Daphne, and *that scene*

I’ve ruminated for a while about what I dislike so much about *that scene* beyond what Daphne does: after going back and forth between the series and the book, I think that scene is out of character for SeriesDaphne.

Throughout the series we see Daphne attempting to or actually stand up for herself verbally and get clarity in situations and to understand others. We see it in these scenes:

1x01: with Anthony when they’re riding horses in the park, and later at Vauxhall, then with Nigel Berbrooke 1x02: with Anthony at Bridgerton House, later at the ball, with Simon at the ball, then with Anthony the next day at the picnic 1x03: with Simon when he ends their relationship 1x04: with Simon when he appears in the Trowbridge garden (after having rejecting her in their previous conversation); with Anthony about what happened with Simon in the garden and about the duel; with Simon at the duel (“You must”) and how she questions him 1x05: at the inn she initiates the conversation about the distance between them and she asserts that he’s kept himself from her

Yes, in 1x05 and 1x06 she has had a physical awakening, but I think there’s nothing to indicate that that would translate into her bringing any physicality into a conflict with Simon. She is a very verbal character, and unlike BookDaphne who leads Simon into the garden hoping for intimacy and then overstates how likely rumors of their assignation will be, SeriesDaphne does not show any previous manipulation with him: SeriesDaphne ran out to the garden alone, for herself, not to coax him, and while Cressida may have been BSing about how much scandalous she actually observed from the terrace, she made clear to Daphne that she’d seen something, after Daphne challenged her, and Daphne had no reason to doubt her or that she might gossip to ruin Daphne. I think the only time we see her being manipulative is toward the prince at the end of ep3.

Daphne is driven to understand situations and people, especially Simon. She says, “I don’t understand” (or similar) to Simon in at least 3 conversations. She is a question-asker. We see again and again in conversations with Simon but also Violet, Anthony, Rose, Lady Danbury, and others. She wants to *know* - she wants wisdom, she wants understand - in *words.*

To be consistent, SeriesDaphne would have questioned Simon verbally about what he was doing before/ instead of any physical action. If I could rewrite it, they would have an argument and then later when being intimate, Daphne would beg him to stay inside of her and try to hold on to him, but he’d pull himself away and they would realize that they’re at an impasse where neither will give the other what they want. The conflict of their viewpoints and goals would still exist but with her staying true to character and, also importantly, avoiding anything non-consensual.

On a related note: I hate that they have Daphne gazing at the portrait of Simon’s mother – who is a tragic figure of loss and motherhood denied by the cruel hand of fate, not by choice - and then have Daphne do what she did to her son.

Both our main characters deserved better from the writers.

#bridgerton #daphne bridgerton #simon basset

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addictedforbooksquad · 6 years

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P I C K (S) O F T H E M O N T H: J U L Y

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson

The Gentelman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Filthy Gods by R. Scarlett

The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Genres: Fantasy, Retellings, Adult

Links: goodreads | bookdepository

Synopsis:

Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders... but her father isn't a very good one. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, he has loaned out most of his wife's dowry and left the family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem steps in. Hardening her heart against her fellow villagers' pleas, she sets out to collect what is owed--and finds herself more than up to the task. When her grandfather loans her a pouch of silver pennies, she brings it back full of gold. But having the reputation of being able to change silver to gold can be more trouble than it's worth--especially when her fate becomes tangled with the cold creatures that haunt the wood, and whose king has learned of her reputation and wants to exploit it for reasons Miryem cannot understand.

Why we love it:

amazing, complex and captivating female characters

interesting and unusual story

beautifuuuul prose!

subtle romance plots are present but it focuses more on these women being smart, sneaky and dealing with everything

Trigger warnings: antisemitism, descriptions of violence

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Faeries

Links: goodreads | bookdepository

Synopsis:

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King. To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences. As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

Why we love it:

SO GOOD that we’ve actually reread it only 5 months after reading it the first time

a vast array of wonderfully morally-grey characters

THE SHIP IS TOO DIE FOR

Holly Black and the amazing way she writes Fae

Trigger warnings: descriptions of violence

Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson

Genres: Young Adult, Comics, Graphic Novels, Superheroes

Links: goodreads | bookdepository

Synopsis:

Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she's comin' for you, Jersey!

Why we love it:

POC rep

the main character is Muslim Pakistani

tackles important issues like Islamophobia

as well as issues within brown community

Trigger warnings: Islamophobia

The Gentelman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, LGBT, Romance

Links: goodreads | bookdepository

Synopsis:

Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men. But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy. Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

Why we love it:

historical M/M romance

action and adventure with comedic relief

a grand tour of Europe serves as an exciting backdrop

hilarious narration

not your typical historical fiction which was GREAT

Trigger warnings: racism, homophobia, abuse, ableism

Filthy Gods by R. Scarlett

Genres: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Novella

Links: goodreads | amazon

Synopsis:

Young. Wealthy. Elite. Attractive. The gentlemen’s secret society at Yale was filled with them. And Nathaniel Radcliffe, the bane of my existence, was one of them. As the right hand of the American Gods, he was conceited and arrogant. A dangerously handsome man in a tailored custom suit and shiny black oxford loafers. The classroom was our battlefield. We made a sport out of arguing and debating, ready to do anything in order to win over the other. Deadly opponents, deadlier minds. I'd sworn I'd never give him the upper hand, until... The secret I’ve been hiding for the last three years? He just discovered it… and now he has all the power.

Why we love it:

MAJOR COBALLOWAY VIBES!

enemies to lovers trope

sizzling hot

interesting introduction to the series

Trigger warnings: sexual assault

The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Regency

Links: goodreads | bookdepository

Synopsis:

1814 promises to be another eventful season, but not, this author believes, for Anthony Bridgerton, London's most elusive bachelor, who has shown no indication that he plans to marry. And in truth, why should he? When it comes to playing the consummate rake, nobody does it better... —Lady Whistledown's Society Papers, April 1814 But this time, the gossip columnists have it wrong. Anthony Bridgerton hasn't just decided to marry—he's even chosen a wife! The only obstacle is his intended's older sister, Kate Sheffield—the most meddlesome woman ever to grace a London ballroom. The spirited schemer is driving Anthony mad with her determination to stop the betrothal, but when he closes his eyes at night, Kate is the woman haunting his increasingly erotic dreams... Contrary to popular belief, Kate is quite sure that reformed rakes do not make the best husbands—and Anthony Bridgerton is the most wicked rogue of them all. Kate is determined to protect her sister—but she fears her own heart is vulnerable. And when Anthony's lips touch hers, she's suddenly afraid she might not be able to resist the reprehensible rake herself...

Why we love it:

some A+ banter between Kate and Anthonyas well as sparks flying left and right

they have this love/hate thing going on and we love it

Bridgertons are a delightful family - very entertaining dynamic

comical family moments (see point above)

#dailylit #nadaily #historical romance #the cruel prince #bookworm #bibliophile #litedit #book recs #spinning silver #the folk of the air #ms marvel #the gentleman's guide to vice and virtue #our edits #pick of the month #filthy gods #american gods series #the bridgertons #the viscount who loved me

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