#how to find a princess

[read-alert]

This does come with the caveat that I can't quite remember if the characters in How to Find a Princess, Funeral Songs for Dying Girls, and Chain-Gang All-Stars identity specifically as lesbians or not, but they are all sapphic. Full titles under the cut!

EDIT: Apparently Alice Walker is a big proponent of a famous antisemitic conspiracy theorist, David Icke, so be aware of that when considering The Color Purple

Happy Lesbian Visibility Week! 📚📖🏳️‍🌈

Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole

Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta

Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg

Funeral Songs for Dying Girls by Cherie Dimaline

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

#lesbian #lesbian reads #lesbian books #lesbian lit #queer books #queer reads #queer lit #lesbian visibility week #bookblr #hijab butch blues #in the dream house #how to find a princess #cantoras #the color purple #stone butch blues #funeral songs for dying girls #chain gang all stars

[aelin9]

Do buff women owe it to the world to cut the sleeves off all their shirts? I would argue yes it's a public service to sapphics

We can have a little flexing, as a treat 😏

#lgbtq #lgbtq pride #lesbian #sapphic #wlw #wlw romance #wlw books #sapphic books #sapphic romance #lesbian books #lesbian romance #lesfic #bisexual romance #queer #queer books #queer fiction #lgbtq books #cleat cute #meryl wilsner #how to find a princess #alyssa cole

[blackqueercharacters]

How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole

The book is a modern and queer retelling of Anastasia.

#how to find a princess #alyssa cole #lgbt #black lgbt #queer characters #queer books #lgbt books #sapphic books #wlw #black queer charaters #lgbt characters #black lgbt characters #lavandnoir

[qbdatabase]

Makeda Hicks has lost her job and her girlfriend in one fell swoop. The last thing she’s in the mood for is to rehash the story of her grandmother’s infamous summer fling with a runaway prince from Ibarania, or the investigator from the World Federation of Monarchies tasked with searching for Ibarania’s missing heir.

Yet when Beznaria Chetchevaliere crashes into her life, the sleek and sexy investigator exudes exactly the kind of chaos that organized and efficient Makeda finds irresistible, even if Bez is determined to drag her into a world of royal duty Makeda wants nothing to do with.

When a threat to her grandmother’s livelihood pushes Makeda to agree to return to Ibarania, Bez takes her on a transatlantic adventure with a crew of lovable weirdos, a fake marriage, and one-bed hijinks on the high seas. When they finally make it to Ibarania, they realize there’s more at stake than just cash and crown, and Makeda must learn what it means to fight for what she desires and not what she feels bound to by duty.

#How to Find a Princess #Alyssa Cole #adult books #romance #book series #black rep #lesbian #lesbian rep #pansexual #pan rep #in uniform #retelling #royalty #daily book #fiction #lgbt fiction #lgbtqia #bookblr

[maddie-grove]

Little Book Review: Romance Round-Up (May-December 2022)

It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas (2005): In the second installment of Kleypas's influential Wallflower Quartet, outspoken American heiress Lillian Bowman is looking for a husband at stuffy Lord Westcliff's weeks-long house party. Lord Westcliff is decidedly not on the menu, thanks to the huge stick up his ass, but we all know how that goes. This novel was a little slow, but solid and sexy. I probably wouldn't have even minded the pace if I were a little more into uptight aristocrats or feisty American heiresses in romance. Also, say what you will about love triangles, but Lillian's flirtation with villain/future-hero Lord St. Vincent added some nice tension.

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas (2006): In the third Wallflower book, debilitatingly shy heiress Evangeline "Evie" Jenner is desperate to escape her abusive maternal relatives so she can be with her dying father, who runs a London gambling house, and also avoid being forced to marry her cousin. She offers marriage to ne'er-do-well Lord St. Vincent, who's rather short on cash because his dad cut him off. She doesn't have high expectations, given that he was a real piece of shit in the last book, but he's good in bed, he's nice to her dad, and he has some good ideas about how to manage her dad's gambling house. Based on largely anecdotal evidence, I believe this is one of the most beloved romance novels of the 2000s, and I can see why. St. Vincent is an engaging chaotic bitch hero and Evie is both endearing and proactive. It didn't hit me as hard as some villain-hero romances (like To Have and to Hold, Shadowheart, Duke of Sin, and A Lady's Code of Misconduct), but I enjoyed it a lot.

Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas (2006): In the fourth Wallflower book, Daisy Bowman, Lillian's fanciful younger sister, is issued an ultimatum by her dad to find a husband, or else marry the man of his choice. The man of his choice is Matthew Swift, an austere Bostonian entrepreneur whom Daisy finds soul-crushingly boring...but is her assessment fair or right? This is probably the least-loved Wallflower book, and I get why. It doesn't have a strong unifying concept or concrete stakes. Daisy's dad gives her a long timeline, she doesn't lack for acceptable prospects, and she can go live with her loving sister if worse comes to worse. Matthew, for his part, isn't actually on board with the ultimatum; he's in love with Daisy, but won't tell her because he's harboring a Dark Secret, plus he's not a mustache-twirling villain. So, most of the romance is them tentatively circling each other, forgetting more and more of the reasons they can't be together. And, honestly, I was so into it. Kleypas makes uncommonly excellent use of former protagonists as well. The three former couples, rather than being static and boring, are still going through struggles in the background despite being happily married. It's also really sweet how they come through for Matthew in his hour of need.

The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne (2015): Farah Mackenzie is a clerk for Scotland Yard who holds herself out as a respectable widow. Dorian Blackwell is a powerful underworld figure who kidnaps her out of the blue, claiming that he (a) knew her tragically dead young husband in prison and (b) wants to marry her as part of a byzantine plan to gain power in society. This book is an absolutely wild ride, with secret identities and marriages between ten-year-olds and romantic kidnappings. It does kind of lose steam after they leave the gorgeous kidnapping island, though.

Someone to Cherish by Mary Balogh (2021): Lydia Tavernor lived for years in the shadow of her husband, a magnetic and zealous vicar, and even after his heroic death (during which he saved a child from drowning), she's continued to be quiet and self-effacing. Then, at a small party, she finds herself feeling unexpectedly attracted to her amiable neighbor, Major Harry Westcott. Harry has suffered his own disappointments, namely losing the position in society he'd been raised for when his father's bigamy was revealed and suffering years of ill health due to horrific injuries sustained in the Napoleonic Wars. Although both are gun-shy due to their experiences, they crave intimacy and begin a no-strings-attached relationship. This romance had so much potential. I was invested in both characters and intrigued by the late husband's post-death effect on the characters' small community; I felt like there was going to be some exploration of how devotion to the memory of a good person (or maybe just a person who seemed to be good) can be twisted and make people act in cruel ways. Unfortunately, Balogh decided to go hard on demonizing an obviously troubled child character and having the hero and heroine bond over bullying him.

Jewel of the Sea by Susan Wiggs (1993): Roughly a decade after October Wind, which followed a bunch of characters in the several years leading up to Christopher Columbus's first voyage to the Americas, a new crop of young people have to navigate life in both hemispheres. There's Armando, resentful son of the unethical Rafael/Catalina/Santiago throuple from the first book; Paloma, resourceful daughter of Spanish-nobleman-turned-Jewish-refugee Joseph and Taino wise woman Anacaona from the first book; Gabriella, lady-in-waiting to Katherine of Aragon and daughter of troubled Mercedes; and Will, Jewish-Spanish-English musician and chronic simp. The sequel is an improvement over the first book, in the sense that Columbus and Queen Isabella aren't major characters, but the cast of original characters is a little weaker. October Wind had three great characters (Joseph, Santiago, and Catalina), one underused one (Anacaona), and one annoying one. Jewel of the Sea has one great character (Gabriella), one underused but interesting one (Paloma), one pleasant but not terribly fascinating one (Will), and one annoying one (Armando).

How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole (2021): Makeda Hicks, eternal people-pleaser, is forced to move back in with her hotel-owner grandma after losing her job and live-in girlfriend on the same day. Burdened by a childhood where she had to parent her own mother, who struggled with alcoholism and was obsessed with the possibility that she was a long-lost royal, Makeda isn't amused when Beznaria Chetchevaliere, a detective hired to find the lost royal heir to Ibarania, turns up on her doorstep. However, pressing financial obligations and Beznaria's unconventional charisma make her take a chance. This one didn't really work for me. Makeda's a terrific heroine, but Beznaria is cartoonish, the couple spends too much time on a cargo ship, and Cole apparently still can't write a well-paced ending.

#little book review #romance novels #lisa kleypas #it happened one autumn #devil in winter #scandal in spring #kerrigan byrne #the highwayman #mary balogh #someone to cherish #susan wiggs #jewel of the sea #alyssa cole #how to find a princess

[very-grownup]

"I'm sure it's easier for you to think I'm easily fooled or flat-out lying," Grandmore said. "But the truth is, your grandmother had a freaky-deaky summer tryst with a runaway prince and got knocked up. I sometimes bend the truth, but I have never lied about this -- me and Prince Keshan humped our way from Chicken Bone Beach to Margate that fateful summer weekend. You know the prince and the pauper? It was more like the prince and this pus--"

“How to Find a Princess”, Alyssa Cole

#quotations #alyssa cole #how to find a princess #we don't deserve alyssa cole

[theabigailthorn]

finally watched all of Hazbin, definitely cried a bit at Episode 7 and sent Morgana a tearful message

#damn what if you were in a community of people who got shit on a lot by authorities for arbitrary but moralised reasons #and people in that community looked up to you and expected you to inspire and lead them #but you didn't feel ready or entitled to do that #cause a lot of the reason they look up to you is privilege and you just want to lend a hand not flex on people #and you're a queer woman and people look down on you for that #but you're all under threat and the need is dire #so you have to find your courage and stop being so self-critical and just try to do good for the people you love #that's crazy how they put me in the show #they shouldn't be allowed to put me in the show #charlie morningstar #Transgender Princess of Hell #Hazbin Hotel #Youtube

[salty-an-disco]

I disagree with Narrator in a very fundamental and philosophical level, but you know, even if I agreed 100% with his worldview and the reality he wants to bring about, I’d still think he’s wrong for taking matters into his own hands and changing THE VERY FABRIC OF REALITY affecting people in the entire universe, simply because HE thinks he knows what best for the world.

Like– that’s why I find him so fascinating, it’s not only the fear of death or disgust towards the very concept of change (tho that is very funny and interesting in its own right), but the utter arrogance to champion himself Savior of the World without EVER considering that maybe– just maybe, people might not agree with what he plans to do.

Like. Hubris indeed, and he even has the gall to say, “you can still do what you must and kill her” when we call him out on it. Like. Wow. I want to study this guy under a microscope.

#love how he’s like. a perfect example of a greek story protagonist #with a fatal flaw that cost his life in exchange for an outcome he won’t even *be there* to witness even if it works out #while I find what-ifs where Echo grows beyond his original conception and the person he originated from interesting enough to want to #explore it #I also very much LOVE his role as this tragic character whose fate was already decided before the game begins #slay the princess #stp narrator #the narrator #stp meta #sal rambles

[prima-donna-worm]

hm hm and if elody DOES know what the princesses are planning, if she DOES believe in their goal,, if she found the body of the cowardly husband she left behind and it destroyed her but he died following after her trying to be better for her,,,, if gerard and elody end up on different sides of a war that gerard is only fighting in because elody inspired him to be brave,,,,,,,, if he goes to battle against his own wife because she taught him to take a stand for what he believes in,,,,,,,,,,, if she grows weary of fighting to keep going after the would-be happy ending just as he is finally learning that that’s exactly when you can’t give up that’s when you have to work the hardest,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,what then what then

#neverafter #dimension 20 #d20 #I SAID GERELODY GIRLIES HOW WE FEELING #i think probably she doesn’t know cinderella and snow’s end goal but come on this little mind journey with me anyway #i WANT them to find their way back to each other but if i can’t have that i want them to ruin my life as a tragedy <3 #well actually i guess i want them to go through the tragedy in order to find each other on the other side but i GUESS WE’LL SEE #gerelody #gerard of greenleigh #princess elody

[mercurybomber]

excerpt from "The Ozmapolitan" (Issue 5, Reilly & Lee, 1928) featuring Ozma's thoughts on becoming a girl

#princess ozma #ozma of oz #tippetarius #oz books #shes like the most trans coded character possible from something published in the early 1900s #i adore her so much #“the remainder of my life- which is forever” also made me laugh #this was written by ruth plumly thompson rather than baum so im impressed w/ how good the whole issue is #you can find the full issue (and tons of other really great vintage oz stuff) on hungrytigerpress #ozposting

[strixcattus]

I really enjoy looking at this still from Slay the Princess:

In the midst of all the weird imagery from the first part of the Stranger route, you see for a moment—and it is cut off at the end, so I had to be quick with my screenshot—every route laid out in front of you, paired up as the game does elsewhere, and described, interestingly enough, from what I can only believe is the Voices' perspectives, or perhaps the relationship between the Princess and the Voice of a given route.

Consumption: The Beast (Hunted), the ribcages in the bottom right. Being eaten, alive or half so, is one way or another the outcome you face in the Beast. This one seems to be the least connected to its route's Voice, though I can still see it in a relational sort of way. Betrayal: The Witch (Opportunist), the nail-studded... I can't tell what it is, but it's at the top left. Betrayal on your part is the cause of the Witch's route, and it too is inevitable in some form once you're on that route—the Opportunist is very vocal about it.

Skepticism: The Prisoner (Skeptic), the chains at the bottom. Pretty clear analogue given the name of the Voice, but not to neglect—you reach the Prisoner by taking the blade (distrust of the Princess) but ultimately using it to free the Princess (you take the time to think critically about what you're being asked to do, and decide the Narrator is less trustworthy). Blind devotion: The Damsel (Smitten), the... I can only imagine locks of hair at the top. You reach the Damsel by immediately and wholly assuming she has no ill intentions, an attitude made manifest in the Smitten.

Rivalry: The Adversary (Stubborn), the spikes to the left. The Adversary route is, so long as you embrace it, about your probably-a-metaphor-for-sex-I-mean-the-Eye of the Needle-isn't-even-trying-to-veil-it eternal fight with the Adversary, with the Stubborn in strong support. Submission: The Tower (Broken), the stone columns to the right. One of the most clear-cut "this is about the Voice" examples—the Broken has completely submitted to the Tower's will, even though the player still has a few chances to resist her.

Terror: The Nightmare (Paranoid), the eyes in the upper right. Of course, the Nightmare is all about fear, and the Paranoid is the embodiment of your fear of the Princess—the fear that made you lock her in the basement and the fear that stopped your heart when she broke free. Longing: The Spectre (Cold), the wisps in the bottom left. This one is interesting, and almost made me second-guess my "Voices" reading, as the Spectre herself is clearly a creature of longing—but then what about "Submission?" The Tower is not "submitting" to anything. That's her whole deal. Perhaps this one is connected to your desire for something other than what the Narrator calls the "Good Ending..." or perhaps it has something to do with the Cold's interest in feeling something, which he expresses in a few routes (the Greys being the most obvious).

Pain: The Razor (Cheated,) the spikes at the top. She skewers you, and you die. Over and over again she skewers you, and you die, and it is painful over and over again. I'm not sure I have much to add to this one. Unfamiliarity: The Stranger (Contrarian), the abstract DNA-like strand at the bottom. You reach the Stranger by refusing to interact with the Princess, leaving her an unfamiliar blank slate whose actions you cannot predict and thus fracture into every possible image of her.

And at the heart of it all, an emotion that can only be described as—what? The Narrator doesn't get the chance to finish his sentence before you wake up in the Prisoner's basement, but I'd think the answer is obvious once you've finished the game.

After all, this is a love story.

#slay the princess #less analysis more rambling but boy did I need to get this out #anyway just. the imagery of this one. #the way the stranger is infinite potentiality #reflecting every possible version of the Princess in such a way that she cannot be any of them #and how you get the clearest glimpse into what's going on in this moment #but expressed in a way you could never hope to understand without context #it's a map of the whole game but you need to find the key yourself to make sense of it

[amaranthdahlia]

art dump of my pookie........ ohboy

#context on last two: yoichi hates wearing suits since its too tight for him (as hes more comfortable to his looser outfits) #he also hates going to the fancy events his brother occasionally goes and drags him to #lawd is introverted and hates formal events #anyways finally yoichi centric post i lovehim so much i want to bite his arms #my little princess #yoichi shigaraki #shigaraki yoichi #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #mha #bnha #ofc theres more yoichi stuff i drew that i just didnt attach on here #mstly cus its from ship stuff #and his brother #edit: also the reason why yoichi finds toshi really cool is cus he reminds him of captain hero lolol #just like how afo does #dahlia.art

[jingsyuans]

wip ; jing yuan x reader

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

From another ship in the Xianzhou Alliance, you’re sent to the Luofu in order to keep tabs on the general stationed there, Jing Yuan. The Alliance begrudgingly accepts Jing Yuan’s way of doing things, but only begrudgingly. Your job is to find a weakness in his order, a hole among the walls that might lead to the structure of the Luofu in a state of collapse. Just how good is a general who is so unwilling to battle, so unwavering in his stance and belief? Of course, while you are stationed there and observing the general, it is of utmost importance that he not figure out why you’re really there.

But you simply do not believe in tricking someone dubbed the Divine Foresight. Not only is it nearly impossible, but you do not believe it is worth the effort. While Jing Yuan may not be your general, you still respect all his achievements and the fact he values the lives of his men.

So when you make your arrival on the Luofu and Jing Yuan asks for the reason of your transfer, you are brazenly honest with him. You tell him your job to keep tabs on his day to day activity, to observe the way he leads the Luofu. To offer your aid if he needs it, even. You tell him how your general, Feixiao, has doubts about his leadership, so you are here to quell those doubts. It is unsurprising that a woman so headstrong does not understand the work of a man so cunning, so here you are.

And to be met with such honesty- ah, yes, it is like a breath of fresh air. Jing Yuan would be so intrigued, so interested by you. Of course he had his suspicions about the reason for your transfer, and for you to not even bother lying to him… no, he wasn’t expecting that. Jing Yuan loves to be surprised.

“Is there a reason you went against orders and told me all of this?” Jing Yuan asked you at the beginning, figuring that if you were so honest about your job here, you’d be honest with your reasoning. “I assume that Feixiao wouldn’t have wanted you to give yourself away.”

“No, she wouldn’t have,” you confirmed easily. “But I do not believe there is any tricking the Divine Foresight, especially from right under his nose. Do you?” Your head tilting with a gleam in your eye. He couldn’t help but smile at you.

“You’d be surprised. Anything is possible with the right method and execution.”

“True. But I do not believe I want to trick you, General Jing Yuan. I may be from another ship, but we are all part of the Xianzhou. You are my brother in arms just like Feixiao is my sister. I want her to trust you as I trust you.”

“You trust me?” Another surprise. You sigh in an exasperated fashion, smiling back at him. Jing Yuan might start to feel something for you right then.

“I have no reason not to, General. Until proven otherwise, I trust you.”

Jing Yuan does not break this trust. You are in close quarters with the man because of your job, and he has nothing to hide from you. You cannot witness it all, of course, but there is no need to. You simply jot down and observe what he does in his day, perhaps writing ‘drifts off to sleep from eleven am to one pm’ more than you thought you would. But regardless of those frequent naps, his work efficiency leaves little to be desired.

You get to know him like this. In the quiet, idle moments, Jing Yuan usually sparks up conversation. Usually, the two of you will talk, having plenty of material from the length of your long lives and the abundance of memories written in them- other times, Jing Yuan will send you off to the streets of the Luofu.

This is not to get your prying eyes away from him. He usually sends you when he’s doing something especially boring and the man’s observant enough to see you getting restless. He says you should grow familiar with the Luofu- it’s no fun to stay stationed somewhere that you aren’t comfortable, after all, and this can be your home just like the Yaoqing. Sometimes he will join you, other times he is too afraid of Qingzu’s excruciating stare to try and play hooky from his duties yet again.

Sometimes, you will catch him in moments that you don’t put down in your log. Such moments too tenderhearted to try and use against him, such as the times you will find him humming under his breath to his birds, once singing to Mimi as he idly combed through her rough mane. Moments where he’d be caught in a daze as he poured his tea and would spill the hot water across the desk, something you saw coming before it happened so you moved the papers away just in time. The next it happened, you touched his hand and tilted the pot before it would spill. That was the first time you’d touched him- which was odd, being in close proximity to somebody for so long and seeing them every day and yet realizing in that moment you’ve never touched him before. As if he were not really real to you until your hand met his.

But Jing Yuan was plenty real. Pleasantly so. His hands warm just like the rest.

#this is the plot I want the fem-exclusive reader to be based around #and I rly like the idea of you catching jy singing to himself #reader finds him singing like a Disney princess and they’re like That’s My Girlfriend #u making friends with qingzu and lamenting how u want to make jy ur girlfriend and she’s like “he’s a 700 y/o man #yes he is and he’s my girlfriend what of it #I also have a moment in mind for this fic where u compare jy’s body to a woman’s and realize they’re not all that different #he got the soft curves the lithe waist the plush booby #girlfriend #jing yuan #jing yuan x reader #hsr x reader #jing yuan reader insert #honkai star rail #wip

[very-grownup]

When they arrived at the dining room for dinner it was empty, except for Pietr, who was charging one fo the tablets.

"Did your hot date go long?" Makeda teased.

Pietr flushed and pushed a hand through his hair. "I chose the wrong route and had to start the romance over from the beginning. I got so engrossed I didn't realize the battery was dying on the tablet, and it shut off just before they accepted my declaration of love."

"The wrong route?" Bez asked.

"Yes. I was playing /Byronic Rogues from Mars/ and I chose the option of keeping a secret from Percylion, the alien I was romancing, because I thought it would add to the drama, but in the end he dumped me!"

- “How to Find a Princess”, Alyssa Cole

#quotations #how to find a princess #alyssa cole #we don't deserve alyssa cole

[someonesomewheredown]

I don't have many specific desires for the Pristine Cut expansion however I do think it would be fun to have a way for the Voice of the Smitten to be in the Beast route. I just think it would be fun to see what happens when you put the Consumed By Endless Devotion guy and the Devoted To Endless Consumption gal in the same room.

#smitten would totally be into being eaten obviously. he's chill like that #we'd be dying horribly from stomach acid and he'd say some shit about how romantic it is to become part of his love's body #that's what makes him so fun tbh. he finds any princess attractive and i respect him for that #if he just liked damsel that would be kind of lame #slay the princess

[little-pup-pip]

Maybe a baby space pink princess theme? Disney okay, and paci happily accepted? 🥺🎀🩷

Here you go!!

#pink #baby regression #and #princesses #!!! #I hope this is good #i never quite know how to make princess things look good #anyway i hope you like it #sfw interaction only #moodboard #sfw agere #agere #age regression #sfw littlespace #agere moodboard #age dreaming #babyre #i did find some cute Disney things #disney #princess aesthetic