#and (b) it’s hard to tell the New Rom Com Romance from the kind I like

[maddie-grove]

This is so depressing.

#romance novels #the cartoon covers have totally taken over #more expensive and worse #I’m not saying they’re all bad but #(a) most of them are contemporary romance which I don’t like nearly as much #and (b) it’s hard to tell the New Rom Com Romance from the kind I like #idk whenever I read the new rom com type #I’m just like #this worked better in fanfic #or this worked better in a romantic comedy movie that put more emphasis on the comedy #or this worked better when it was the 2000s and it was called chick lit #chick lit is so interesting to me as a basically dead genre #because I read it all the time in middle/high school #and there was a lot of sex and shopping #but there were also a lot of novels about ordinary women dealing with regular life stuff #like light-hearted in tone but they took regular adult life seriously #and it’s kind of bizarre that they were so dismissed #hot take but Tom Perrotta and Nick Hornby are both chick lit writers

[accidentalrabbit]

CHERRY MAGIC

(series + bonus ep. "Valentine's Day / Rokkaku")

Japan 2020

RANK: A

A-pairing: Adachi x Kurosawa

B-pairing: eh, we’ll get to this one

Other character(s) i enjoyed: Fujisaki, Rokkaku

Overall review:

"What if turning thirty years old without having sex gave you the power to read minds?" I'm hooked. Please tell me more.

Cherry Magic is a chaste (ha!) little series with solid production value and a fun story that doesn't take itself too seriously but does try its best to be earnest and consistent, and if nothing else, i respect a show that does a good job being exactly what it is. The mind-reading virgin premise adds a unique supernatural element to the narrative without wasting screentime trying to explain itself. Sometimes weird things are just weird! The series also gets points for being an office rom-com without a boss-employee tryst or anyone getting fired because of a relationship, two of my LEAST favorite office romance tropes. Instead, Cherry Magic takes the popular kid/wallflower nerd high school dynamic, ages it up a decade and a half, and captures something magical about the banalities of adulthood and the timeless feeling of falling in love.

From the moment Kurosawa's hand first brushes Adachi's cheek, revealing his crush, i was riveted, and my enjoyment of their relationship only escalated from there. Wallflower nerd virgin Adachi and popular kid adult taxpayer Kurosawa are an excellent lead pairing, and the conceit of Adachi having to touch people to read their minds introduces an incredible amount of homoerotic tension between them despite the low levels of conventional heat. The fact that Adachi and (especially) Kurosawa both want badly to touch and be touched is played against Adachi's attempts not to take advantage of his new power, to great effect. I like the way both of them try to respect each other's boundaries but struggle deeply with their own repressed desires, which is far more effective and thematically resonant in this story than an external conflict.

Kurosawa's outer confidence and popular appeal belie his deep-seated self-doubt, and his actor gives an excellent performance full of half-hesitations and dazzling smiles whenever Adachi validates him. Adachi is a ball of self-deprecating neurosis who clings to routine for comfort. He doesn't realize his greatest strengths lie outside of his new powers, and it's nice to watch how his kindness to Kurosawa and his other coworkers ultimately forces his character to grow. They take care of each other, they listen to each other, they encourage each other, they remember each other's food preferences, they have wacky but temporary misunderstandings. Their domestic scenes are especially good, and i would pay real money to watch two hours of Kurosawa doing nothing but cooking for Adachi throughout the day.

The side characters of Fujisaki and Rokkaku are fun to have around. Fujisaki gets a whole subplot about how she wishes she didn't face so much familial pressure for being single, and the way Adachi handles discovering this information really rounds out both of their characters. It's nice when less prominent characters get thoughtful treatment in service of interesting themes. Rokkaku, who is hard-working and productive, but not always very perceptive, is a nice little comic relief character and helps advance or connect plot threads between our lead couples. Speaking of whom: Tsuge and Minato also exist. We'll get there soon. Both Fujisaki and Rokkaku come in clutch in the finale to make Kurosawa's Christmas fireworks date come true after some last-minute angst, and i love an ally moment.

Overall the writing for the show is fairly tight, and none of the characters end up feeling totally extraneous to its plot or themes. And there are a few interesting messages to look at. First, communication is key. (Adachi can read minds so it would be hard to avoid this takeaway, but it also gets a little spin when Adachi realizes he has to confess his power to Kurosawa.) Second, having a gift is not the same as knowing what to do with it. There are monents when Adachi thinks his power is an unfair advantage, but ultimately it's his strengths as a ~*natural empath*~ that inform his character, compared to Tsuge who is much less graceful with the same ability. Adachi chooses to use his power for compassion in a hundred tiny ways for several other characters, which ties into a third major theme: Never underestimate the impact your actions will have on others. Kurosawa loved Adachi because of a few moments of thoughtless kindness long before the events of the main timeline, and throughout the series small gestures of love or carelessness create opportunities for relationships to grow and strain.

Finally, Cherry Magic cares a lot about the idea that a person's thoughts and desires should only ever be their own. Fujisaki unpacks her desire to be partnered and rejects the notion that she has to find a relationship to please her family. Kurosawa has a massive crush on Adachi but never pressures him into going further, keeping his thoughts to himself (he thinks). Minato really likes to dance. And Adachi is terrified beyond reason that somehow he has abused his power to manipulate Kurosawa into a relationship in a massive breach of trust. (Which it kind of is, but he's fine with it.) So communication is important, but so are self-reflection, and boundaries, and trust, and kindness.

I had a good time, but:

The B-couple, but specifically Tsuge? Hands down the least pleasant part of my viewing experience. I understand how Japanese comedic acting can be very over-the-top, but this guy is doing way too much for the show he's in, and it's very grating. He never looks like anything other than a middle-aged man yelling in his 'funny' scenes, and his character is fairly demure otherwise so it tonally doesn't mesh with the rest of the series. Minato, who is inexplicably attracted to this behavior, has a bulletpoint of a personality that never really comes through, and an arc about following his dreams as a freestyle dancer that falls flat. His actor, and i'm trying to be charitable, never demonstrates any of this character's talent for dance, and the wig(? i hope) they put him in is a trip.

Unfortunately, you have been chopped: Bonus Episode "Tsuge & Minato."

Hope this wasn't too much of a shock! This episode is short and benign enough that i'm actually on the fence about axing it entirely, but it's just a whole episode of B-plot. I watched it specifically as filler between episodes 11 and 12 to build anticipation for the resolution between the characters i, uh, cared about. If you like Tsuge and Minato, this is probably fun and don't let the haters get you down. If you're in a time crunch because there are 50 other shows you're trying to watch and you need to cut corners somewhere, this corner is very cuttable.

Character(s) entitled to financial compensation: N/A. I think everyone here does just fine.

Conclusion: Cherry Magic is a sweet little series that is, with the exception of its second couple, difficult not to enjoy. The central conceit is unique and its impact on the world of the story is written well without being overthought. It's fun to get inside the lead characters' heads and watch them develop, and the minor characters nudge the plot in interesting ways every now and then. This is a show that finds magic in a sea of adult drudgery, wearing its heart firmly on its sleeve. I love it very much. (Also there's a sequel coming. Might be fun?)

In the next installment, hear me gush effusively about possibly my favorite BL i've seen so far, the INIMITABLE, the GOAT, Gaya Sa Pelikula (2020).

#cherry magic #A tier #japanese drama #mine #reviews #30-sai made dotei da to mahotsukai ni nareru rashii #cherry magic! thirty years of virginity can make you a wizard?! #adachi x kurosawa #i love when a show does something wild and runs with it #especially when they don't try to make it gritty or hyperreal #give me that magical realism baby #this is also where c*l*r rush flopped imo #you can't do morally ambiguous crime drama AND psychic ghost possession AND nonconsensual rainbow magic #or you can but it's def not for me #something's gotta give #and it should probably be the impulse to over-explain the mechanics of your universe #cherry magic was just like. turn thirty and read minds when you touch people. and they ran with it

[fanfic-corner]

Christmas!

18/12/20 - It’s nearly time... so whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I hope you have a lovely holiday and enjoy reading about our boys being festive.

a covenant of salt by museaway on AO3. (5,175 words).

Tags: Christmas, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, First Kiss, First Time, Holidays, Fanart, Men of Letters Bunker.

My Rating: 5 stars.

Description: They didn’t put up a tree on Cas’s first Christmas in the bunker.

Notes: This was so wholesome and was written excellently - the ending gave me chills!

It Started with a Fanfic Competition by Tenoko1 on AO3. (124,487 words).

Tags: Humor, Angst, Internalized Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Accidental Plot, Personal Growth, Found Family, Fluff, PTSD, Therapy, Alternate Season 12, Charlie Lives, Crack, Thanksgiving, Christmas.

My Rating: 5 stars.

Description: What started off as a game becomes a journey of friendship, love, and personal growth; filled with all the ups-and-downs that will make and bind a family.

Notes: This was written beautifully (I adore Tenoko1′s fics!). It is so wholesome, absolutely not afraid to call characters out on their bullshit, and genuinely has more character development than we see in the entire 15 seasons of the show.

Cuffed to an Angel by mattzerella_sticks on AO3. (72,529 words).

Tags: Fake Relationship, Professor Dean, Writer Dean, Detective Castiel, Fluff, Angst, Mutual Pining, Bisexual Dean, Gay Castiel, Christmas, Sharing a Bed, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, New Year’s.

My Rating: 5 stars.

Description: Dean Winchester has a lot going for him: he's beloved by his students, he's finished writing his first book, and he's living comfortably in New York City. The only problem is... he's single. That wouldn't bother him much if his family wouldn't be visiting for the holidays. With cuffing season over, Dean has to face his family alone... or will he? Castiel DiAngelo is a simple detective who hasn't really celebrated Christmas in over 9 years, holidays and family being a sore spot for him. But after taking Dean up on an offer, he finds that you can't really avoid the holidays. Will these two be able to pull off a seminal holiday trope? Or will certain developments get in the way...

Notes: This was painful to read in the best way - I was waiting for the inevitable moment when everything goes bad, and when it did I was actually screaming! U absolutely adored this fic.

Welcome All Winchesters by almaasi on AO3. (60,237 words).

Tags: Romance, Fluff and Smut, Fake Relationship, Fake Marriage, Mistaken For A Couple, Friends to Lovers, Bi-Curious Dean, Artist Castiel, Chef Castiel, Agender Castiel, Road Trips, Sharing a Bed, Cuddling & Snuggling, First Kiss, Marriage Proposal, POV Alternating, Alternate Universe - Human, Domestic Fluff.

My Rating: 5 stars.

Description: When Dean’s engagement breaks off three days before Christmas, he’s left with nobody to accompany him on a road trip to his family’s mountain log cabin. His best friend Castiel happens to be available, and is willing to help him through a tough time. But when Dean's mother and brother arrive, expecting to meet the person Dean plans to marry, they understandably assume Castiel is Dean's fiancé. After a weekend of comfortable domesticity, sharing clothes, intimate conversations, and definitely-one-time-only therapy sex, it feels almost too easy for Dean and Cas to fake a loving, romantic relationship. The hard part is going back to being friends afterwards. They can’t keep their hands off each other, and they’ve discovered some fun things to do together which they’d never tell another soul about. And, oh boy, feelings. Now being ‘just friends’ is so impossible, it seems as if fate had another plan for them all along...

Notes: This was so cute, even if Dean was a complete idiot. Also, ferrets.

How to re-gift fruitcake and other tips for surviving the holidays by museaway on AO3. (4,663 words).

Tags: Christmas, Neighbours, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Alternate Universe - Human.

My Rating: 5 stars.

Description: The saying goes you should “love thy neighbor,” but Castiel Novak was the neighbor from Hell.

Notes: This was so cute and funny and sweet... my heart is gonna explode.

all those lovely things by museaway on AO3. (7,870 words).

Tags: Alternate Universe - Smith/Wesson, Christmas Party, Co-Workers, Trapped in Elevator, Cuddling & Snuggling, Ridiculous Premise, Christmas, Holidays.

My Rating: 4 stars.

Description: Oh, no. No. No. He’s not dying in a freak elevator accident on Christmas Eve with Castiel Novak. No way.

Notes: This was so cheesy but in that really fun, Christmas rom com way.

Peace And Good Luck To All Men by KismetJeska on AO3. (31,367 words).

Tags: Christmas, Alternate Universe - Human, Humor, Dysfunctional Family, Unrequited Love.

My Rating: 4 stars.

Description: Christmas in the Milton household was difficult enough without the added complication of guests- and if Luke and Gabriel placing bets on who can get with Sam first wasn’t bad enough, then Cas developing a ridiculous crush on his sister’s boyfriend definitely is.

Notes: This was absolutely hilarious and officially the second fic ever to convince me to ship Samifer (kind of). I love the idea of a dysfunctional family Christmas.

Snow Place Like Home (But My Home Is With You) by almaasi on AO3. (47,814 words).

Tags: Alternate Canon, Christmas, Domestic Fluff, Sam Ships It, Bisexual Dean Winchester, Castiel’s First Christmas, Bed & Breakfast, Sharing a Bed, Cuddling & Snuggling, Smut, Marriage Proposal, POV Alternating.

My Rating: 4 stars.

Description: It’s Christmas Eve, and Dean, Sam and Castiel are snowed into a small town with a big festive spirit. They splurge on a fancy room in a B&B – hey, they deserve a treat. There’s a tiny plastic tree and a working TV, so they could perhaps overlook the lack of hot water and Dean having to bunk with Sam. Sleeping arrangements soon reach a happier equilibrium: Dean’s just cuddling Cas to keep him warm, he swears – the tingly feeling means nothing! Christmas Day arrives, and Cas still doesn’t have a gift for Dean. Dean doesn’t know what to give Cas, either. Sam has a few ideas, but will the other two truly understand what he means?

Notes: This was the Christmas fluff we all deserve after this year.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by fairychangeling on AO3. (8,152 words).

Tags: Christmas, Alternate Universe, Explicit Sexual Content, Homophobia.

My Rating: 4 stars.

Description: Castiel doesn't have a date to the office Christmas party until his best friend Dean volunteers to accompany him. Everyone thinks they’re a couple, but they’re not. At least, not at first.

Notes: This is amazing... as they say, it isn’t Christmas without a homophobe being punched! (or fired).

I Won’t Even Wish for Snow by Annie D on AO3 (6,521 words).

Tags: College/University AU, Christmas, Mistletoe, Mild Angst, First Kiss, Castiel POV, Fluff, Friends to Lovers.

My Rating: 4 stars.

Description: It’s the third year that Castiel’s spending Christmas with his best friend’s family, and he expects it to be much like the previous two. Then mistletoe happens.

Notes: This was so cute and hit me right in the feels!

Santa Doesn’t Wear Eyeliner by crossroadswrite on AO3. (2,091 words).

Tags: Jock!Dean, Punk!Cas, High School AU, Christmas, Secret Santa, Artist!Cas, Christmas Sweaters, Fluff.

My Rating:  3 stars.

Description: In which Dean is a jock, Cas is a punk and they're each other's Secret Santa.

Notes: This was so adorable - especially Dean’s nervousness - and such a great idea.

Failure (to Cuddle) is Not an Option by Annie D on AO3. (3,766 words).

Tags: Christmas, Cuddling and Snuggling, Schmoop, Angst, Humor, First Kiss, Friendship, Fluff, Plot What Plot, Dean POV.

My Rating: 3 stars.

Description: All Castiel wants for Christmas is to cuddle, is that really too much to ask?

Notes: This was so cute and I can totally imagine this actually happening.

So, enjoy! I wish you a very merry Christmas and hope that you stay safe and have a nice time. And don’t worry, I’ll be back in time for some New Year’s fics.

#christmas #destiel #fic recs #spn family #spn fanfiction #fanfic #supernatural

[earnestly-endlessly]

Do you mind doing a list of your favourite modern AUs? A mix is powered and non-powered fics is okay :) TY!

I'm so sorry how late I am with this, but here’s my looooong list of my favourite modern AUs. I hope that you like this list and can find some fics in there that you haven’t read before. Enjoy!

*******

Cherik Modern AU Fic Recs 

Sprich Mit Mir | Talk To Me – dreamweavers

Summary: When Charles meets Erik on a midnight train to London, it’s like all of his Christmases and birthdays have come at once – until Erik opens his mouth, and reveals he cannot speak a word of English.

It isn’t easy to pursue a relationship with someone you need to play Pictionary with just to chat to, but with a little help from Charles’ telepathy, the two language-barrier lovers are determined to make it work.

Come as you are – scarlettblush

Summary: Hospital AU. The one where Charles unknowingly woos a coma patient with Pride and Prejudice. Years later, they meet again.

The Man on the Train – Sophia_Bee

Summary: Charles is heading home from a shift at the busy emergency department of the urban hospital where he works as a nurse. He meets Dr. Erik Lehnsherr on the train, who is clearly interested in Charles, but Charles has a rule. He does not date doctors. Not at all. Never, ever ever. But he does shake his ass at Erik, which might be his downfall.

Eyes on Fire – Black_Betty

Summary: Every once in a while, fashion tycoon Emma Frost invites her favourite male models over to entertain her. And by "entertain", I mean she makes them have kinky consensual sex in front of her....Emma never touches herself when she watches, but she always has a glass of wine with her. Emma likes it best when they eventually forget that she's watching.

Charles and Erik meet each other through Emma...

(I've taken some liberties with the prompt, but all the sex is still there, and it's wholly consensual...and gradually, becomes more than just sex...)

Paper Monsters – Clocks

Summary: Fill for this prompt: Charles meets Erik Lehnsherr, his favorite novelist of all time at a coffee shop, but doesn't know it's him, and Erik just criticizes his own writing in front of his biggest fan.

Order Up - ikeracity

Summary: Charles has a terrible habit of multitasking, and that is probably why he absentmindedly tells the pizza man that he loves him when hanging up. Then the pizza man says it back. And Charles is pretty much smitten from there.

Some Things Are Meant To Be – Ikeracity

Summary: Erik is a famous singer. Charles is a closeted fan. When Raven drags him to Erik's concert, the last thing Charles expects is for Erik to single him out of the crowd, for Erik to look right at him as he sings. And the last, last thing he expects is for Erik to personally serenade him and pull him on stage and kiss him senseless, because some things are meant to be and Erik knows it.

Rumor Mill – Ikeracity

Summary: Erik is the grumpiest, most foul tempered worker at Stark industries. His grumpiness is the stuff of legends. So it's obviously the talk of the office when Erik is being made to go to the company party and he's bringing his husband. There's rumors flying round about how much of a masochist or equally antisocial bastard Erik's husband must be to put up with him. Others think he must be a meek mouse perhaps bullied by Erik.

What they weren't expecting was the confident, charming, adorable and unbelievably nice Charles that turns up on Erik's arm. What they certainly weren't expecting was how much Erik obviously adores his husband and how happy he is to let others see this.

Serendipity – humanveil

Summary: Charles sends a text to the wrong number.

[10:22 AM]

Can we meet for coffee? I just got dumped.

[10:30 AM]

I think you've got the wrong number.

[10:31 AM]

Unless you make a habit of texting people you don't know about this sort of thing?

A Nice Boy (The Family Matters Edition) – pocky_slash

Summary: Erik's not sure whether the problem is that he doesn't want his parents to meet Charles or that he doesn't want Charles to meet his parents. Either way, he never invites Charles to brunch. Why should he? It's not like they're dating.

Frosted Hearts – aesc, palalife

Summary: Emma Frost has 99 problems, but a date ain't one. Specifically, she has no time to play the dating game--which is fine with her, because she'd much rather run it instead. From a set of sleek, silver and white offices on Fifth Avenue and with her trusty, stylish, and silent partner Janos Quested, Emma has built Frosted Hearts into New York City's premiere dating service, built on the principle that money, and a sufficiently rigorous psionic scan, can, in fact, buy you love.

Somewhere in Frosted Hearts's server is one Charles Xavier, genius and geneticist, with the kind of nicely-starched good looks that sell well on brochures for New England prep schools. He's also a telepath who's decided to give up pursuing serious relationships and instead spend his thirties doing what he should have done as a teenager: have a lot of sex with random people. Fortunately for him, Erik Lehnsherr, metallokinetic and engineering executive, has absolutely no time in his heart or his schedule for anything more serious than... well, absolutely nothing romantic at all.

Work/Life Balance – pocky_slash

Summary: As teens, Charles was the star of a super popular tween/teen television show and Erik was his best friend. As adults, they're a frighteningly domestic married couple and Alex, Darwin, and Sean are Erik's nosy co-workers.

Impulse Decisions – listerinezero

Summary: Erik wakes up in Las Vegas with a hell of a hangover, a telepath in his bed, and a ring on his finger. Now what?

Fools Rush In – LoveSupreme

Summary: Erik owns a cafe on the edge of campus and accidentally starts maybe-stalking a Biology Professor there.

The Proper Care of Actors – afrocurl, Clear_Liqueur, Clocks, Etherei

Summary: Erik is an A-list action star who is notoriously difficult to work with, until the day he gets cast alongside Charles Xavier, rom-com darling who can charm the pants off movie audiences the world over and apparently even one Erik Lehnsherr. The paparazzi catch them out and about soon enough, and their real-life Hollywood movie romance becomes instant tabloid fodder.

In the Bleak Midwinter – keire_ke

Summary: It is not easy to find out, well into the second decade of the twenty-first century, that your mother arranged a marriage for you. It is even less easy to convince her that you have no interest in the very fertile Magda, she of the wide hips and lustrous auburn hair. Fortunately, with a good friend at his side over the holiday weekend, Erik is sure he will prevail.

Curve Fitting – kianspo

Summary: The weird thing is, Charles always introduces Raven as his sister, but he never calls Erik his brother. Erik would be bothered, except he prefers not to think of Charles as his brother, either. He can’t figure it out for four years, and then suddenly he can.

Or. A non-powered AU in which Sharon Xavier never remarries, and Charles 'adopts' not only Raven, but Erik too.

Right Person, Wrong Time – PoppyX

Summary: "TL;DR Charles is an insecure high school student who loses his virginity to the right person at the wrong time, and Erik makes it up to him in a romantic manner."

Favorite Mistake by endingthemes

Summary: Charles Xavier doesn’t think anything of it when he sneaks out without even saying goodbye to his latest one-night stand. What he doesn’t expect is to walk into his new position in the Xavier Industries marketing department and find that his latest hook-up is now his new boss.

I ♥ NY (It’s My Friends I’m Not Sure Of) by oddegg

Summary: For a 1stclass-kink meme promp: Erik is a single, successful man who likes quick sex with no strings attached. Then, he meets college professor Charles and it's love at first sight, at least for him. Charles, who heard of Erik's notorious ways, wants nothing to do with him besides being friends. Cue Erik bending over backwards to steal Charles' heart.

From Westminster With Love - thehoyden

Summary: NATO intelligence says there’s an omega-class telepath who sleeps under Westminster. Major Erik Lehnsherr is about to find out the truth for himself.

Accidentally Welcome to the Rest of Your Lives by kianspo

Summary: Non-powered college AU. Erik and Charles have nothing in common until they end up having sex at someone's party. They don't have much in common after that, either, but find each other a hard habit to quit.

irreconcilable differences (make for surprisingly good bedfellows) – pocky_slash

Summary: Tonight on The Evening Report with Malcolm Stevens, noted geneticist and mutant equality proponent Dr. Charles Xavier faces off with the infamous mutant rights activist Magneto in a live televised debate over the Genetic Nondiscrimination Act.

(At least, if they can stop flirting long enough to stay on topic.)

Mutually Beneficial Transaction – Pookaseraph

Summary: In his sophomore year at Columbia University, Erik, feeling slowly strangled by his mounting college debt, places an add on a sugar daddies website. He doesn't know exactly what to expect from it, but when he's contacted by a man named Charles who seems less creepy than the other people who have responded to his profile, he decides to give it a shot. Charles is nothing like what he expected, and Erik finds himself slowly falling in love with his sugar daddy while trying to find out exactly what caused this amazing guy to buy his emotional and sexual intimacy when he clearly deserves so much more than that.

Made To Be Broken - Yahtzee

Summary: Charles makes a New Year's Resolution: “No more straight men,” Charles repeated as he began scrolling through the apartment directory for Emma’s name. “No more futility. No more pointless hoping and heartbreak. In 2013, I never want to hear the words ‘exception,’ ‘experimenting’ or ‘phase.’ If, God forbid, I hear ‘bicurious’ even once, I may take a hostage.”

Then he goes into the party, and Erik is there.

Anarchy In The U.K. – Yahtzee

Summary: "Good God, Erik thought. The Prince of Wales is gay."

Charles lives in the unceasing glare of the public spotlight, yet keeps his sexual orientation a closely held secret, afraid he could lose his throne and force his deeply troubled younger sister into a role that would crush her. Erik, journalist and world traveler, has been a loner most of his life; he has little patience for closet cases. But a chance meeting in Kenya brings these two opposites together and sets in motion a love affair that will challenge the British monarchy -- and their most deeply held beliefs about who they are, and who they should be.

An Ideal Grace – afrocurl

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr is a visiting professor at Columbia University, as well as an acclaimed and award winning poet. Charles Xavier is a lead researcher with the Genetics Department who is well on his way to tenure. But what happens when Charles has to cancel a class because half his students abandon him in favour of a mysterious new English Lit professor? Naturally he ends up sitting in in the class, where Professor Lehnsherr mistakes him for a student. It's really too bad Erik has such a strict policy against dating students. It's also too bad Erik doesn't seem to know how to use Google.

An absence which could not be more there – aesc

Summary: He prepared to shift another half-step over to the Current Events section (which would, of course, enrage him) when the teaser positioned by the model's left elbow caught his eye: DATING WHILE TELEPATHIC: WHY I DON'T DO IT.

rooms/shares – pocky_slash

Summary: Erik is single, working a cube job he hates, letting his master's degree in mutant studies collect dust, and living on his best friend's couch. When she kicks him out, he's forced to trawl Craigslist for the least-offensive rooming option within his meagre budget. He never expects a response from the persnickety, high maintenance ad he replies to as a joke, but it's possible this too-nice apartment and mysteriously absent roommate might be the answer to all four of his problems.

Heli Cases –Black_Betty

Summary: "Heli Cases" is a program on PBS whose aim is to educate on the rapidly increasing occurrence of genetic mutation in the general populous by breaking the complex science down into palatable, easy to digest pieces.

It is also the only thing that helps Erik get his fussy daughter to fall asleep.

(Featuring Dadneto, baby Lorna and the struggles of single fatherhood, and Charles as the host of a late night show about genetics.)

Simple and Uncomplicated – Pookaseraph

Summary: Erik and Charles had been fuck buddies for some, but when Charles is in an accident he figured their relationship would be over. Erik's visit to his bedside in the hospital changes his assumptions even as he has trouble believing Erik is sincere.

Guilty by Association – Regann

Summary: While investigating the homicide of a John Doe who he suspects might've been murdered while working the streets as a prostitute, Detective Erik Lehnsherr finds an unexpected ally in a hooker named Charles who seems as determined as he to solve the case. As they become more deeply involved both with the case and each other, there's just one thing that Charles neglects to mention -- that he's really an investigative journalist, one quickly convinced that what they're dealing with is more than simple murder. cop!Erik, fake-hooker-slash-reporter!Charles, Modern AU.

This Is Not Comedy – baehj2915

Summary: Written for amarriageoftrueminds' prompt for a Cherik version of Louis CK's tangent about the fuckability of Ewan McGregor.

Naturally the similarities end there. I made this about Erik's full on public lust-filled gay revelation, and the chaos that spirals from there.

Politico – cygnaut

Summary: Modern Genosha Politics AU. In which Erik is l'enfant terrible of the mutant National Assembly, and his staff just wants to get him laid.

Conspiracy of Kisses –  Alaceron

Summary: Seven-year-old Erik needs to keep his telepathic best friend Charles from finding out that he wants to kiss him. But that's okay, because he has a plan - he'll put on a tinfoil hat.

The Pretender – Clocks

Summary: Charles is sick of having his best friend Erik drop to one knee and fake-propose to him in restaurants, just to score a free dessert. He doesn’t know which is worse: the complete embarrassment, or the likelihood that Erik doesn’t mean a word of it.

Bound – FuryRed

Summary: Is there anything worse than someone else’s wedding? Well, perhaps your sister’s wedding- where the groom just has to invite his boss and that man just happens to be your ex-boyfriend; a person you had an extremely passionate and tumultuous relationship with that ended badly.

Charles hadn’t seen Erik for a year by the time Raven had told him about the wedding. He wasn’t looking forward to the occasion, particularly when Raven explained that they would be celebrating the event with a two-week extravaganza at a luxury hotel, meaning that Charles would be forced to spend a whole fortnight with the man who he’d given everything to; the man who had ultimately broken his heart…

Lonesome On the Shelf – ikeracity

Summary: After three years of marriage, Charles has to admit that his relationship with Erik has significantly cooled off. These days, they're barely ever home at the same time and it seems like every conversation they have turns into an argument. Charles misses the way they used to be, misses the spontaneous dinner parties and the surprise morning sex and the wake up calls in the early mornings to catch the sunrise. But it's going to take two of them to fix this marriage, and some days, it seems as if all Erik wants is to be rid of him.

A fic about rekindling marriage.

Math Reasons – pearl_o, pocky_slash

Summary: "Mom says Erik always knows what he wants, it just sometimes takes him a little while to actually realize it," Ruth said.

Charles fell in love with Erik the first night they met, the first week of freshman year. Two years of friendship, adventures, arguments, hijinks, secrets, and summer visits later, Erik is starting to catch up.

Melted Ice Cream and Macaroni Art – pocky_slash

Summary: Everybody likes Charles. Nobody likes Erik. And that's really the source of Erik's doubts. Also, there's ice cream and a baby.

Watch Your Back – swoopswoop

Summary: Bodyguard AU where Erik is overly protective and things aren't as simple as they seem.

Dress Your Family in Plaid and Skinny Jeans – cygnaut

Summary: Erik and Charles meet at the mutant playgroup/parenting support circle and they instantly hit it off. And so do their kids, Lorna and David.

Continue firm and constant – aesc

Summary: Moira hasn't seen her old partner in saving the world from threats human and intergalactic, Erik Lehnsherr, for a few years. When she finally does see him again, she finds a man different from the one who's been with her down in the dark and the dirt and the blood... or maybe he isn't so different after all.

cradles you and connects you to everything – pocky_slash

Summary: Charles and Erik spend a chilly November afternoon in Manhattan doing not much at all. Also, there are cupcakes, chess, and Feelings.

#cherik #cherik fic recs #fic recs #modern au #long post

[queerchoicesblog]

Like Lovers Do (Platinum, F!Raleigh x MC)

This fanfic was requested by @kennaxval for the @choicesnovemberchallenge hosted by the one and only @ramseyandrys . As you maybe know I’m struggling a little bit with my writing now but I was so happy to receive this request and write a F!Raleigh x MC fanfic: I only hope I made one of my fave Choices pairing justice.

I decided to go back to the start when we all felt the angst of the fake romance with feelings attached before the beautiful happy ending the two of them deserved. The prompt was “Kiss” and we all know what a good kisser Raleigh Carrera is so...fasten your seatbelts, lovelies!

Prompt: Kiss

Word Count: 1400

Perma Tag:  @brightpinkpeppercorn @bhavf @melodyofgraves @abunchofbadchoices @silverhawkenzie @begging-for-kamilah   @strangerofbraidwood @kamilahmykween @desiree-0816 @universallypizzataco @gayestchoices @embarrassingsmartphonegame  

F!Raleigh x MC Tag: @hellospunkiebrewster @furiouscloddonutpeanut @captainquiros @jellymonster @noeschoices

____________________________

"God, I bet Raleigh Carrera is the best kisser like EVER"

The casual comment a former coworker at the smoothie bar dropped once scrolling her social media. Apparently, the picture of a steamy between the R&B star and her latest date triggered that random thought that -now Rachel knew firsthand- was, in fact, a prophecy.

Raleigh was the best kisser ever indeed. Her kisses never failed to leave Rachel craving for more. Out of breath, disheveled and unwillingly to part from that cheeky Puertorican goddesses. 'Cause being her arms truly felt like being in the company of a deity, Venus herself if it made sense. Raleigh had a way to caress her, her hands roaming over arms then further up her back before reaching her neck that sent bursts of electricity underneath her skin, through her veins the left her dizzy and burning with anticipation. The feeling only intensified when their lips touched and Raleigh oh so impossibly soft lips claimed Rachel's in a wild fierce kiss that tasted like Heaven.

Every kiss and every moment spent by Raleigh's side was a little glimpse of Heaven. Whenever the Puertorican star reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers together, whenever she cracked a witty joke to tease her, whenever she flashed her one of her signature smirks, a newfound sense of happiness took hold of Rachel. Whenever she leaned closer and whispered something into her ear so that only she could hear, whenever Raleigh's gaze fell on her and she noticed gleaming a bit brighter, Rachel's heart skipped a beat and she felt like an awkward teen in front of her crush again. Not that she missed that feeling considering how her highschool crush broke her heart choosing the dashing quarterback over her for the prom. But she could totally feel the same warmth flushing her cheeks red and the butterflies in her stomach around the R&B star. What an irony that she found herself slowly but inexorably falling for someone who wasn't even her celebrity crush, Avery Wilshere. She immediately clicked with Avery and her innate kindness and sweetness but -it was crystal clear to her now- it wasn't the singer who had been a recurrent teenage dream not to mention an obsession for years to light sparks with her. For some reason -but do love truly require reasons?-, the singer she had almost snubbed, all taken by her all-time idol, caught her attention and curiosity and was now threatening to steal her heart.

Rachel couldn't tell if she had fully recovered from her disastrous breakup with the liar of one of her latest hits, the one who cheated on her and made her feel small, weak, unimportant...but everything came naturally with Raleigh. They had chemistry, that kind of chemistry even many long-time couples lacked and "The Troublemaker" always knew the right thing to say, even though it fell out of the duties of their staged romance...or so it seemed to Rachel. Or so Rachel found herself hoping with every fiber of her being. She could have sworn that Raleigh's face brightened a little bit whenever she saw her, a light that wasn't there before. And whenever Raleigh searched her lips once more, pinning her to the ground and moving her jaw, her neck, her shoulders, Rachel lost herself in the moment and forgot about the cameras, as Raleigh's lips guided her down a sweet path of ecstasy.

Then the click of a camera. The spark of a flash at the corner of her eyes...and reality hit her.

All this was fake, staged, "made for the camera". To make fans absentmindedly comment on what a great kisser Raleigh Carrera must be and how steamy the winner of One In A Million and the hot "bad girl" were kissing in the street or making out in the park.

That was what it was all about. Gossip. Magazine covers. Career boosts. Social media trends.

Not love, feelings, affection.

Fake dates, fake romance.

Rachel tried to repeat herself a thousand times that refrain, to adjust with the hard truth that there were little chances that Raleigh, the Raleigh Carrera could truly reciprocate the feelings of the naive newcomer. "Maybe if it was a sappy rom-com", she said to herself once but the thought, supposed to amuse her, failed to draw a smile on her face. Instead, her mouth twisted in a grimace. The more she got closer to the Puertorican star, the more time they spent together going on "dates", she found herself wanting for more. Just like when Raleigh parted from her to catch breath: "don't stop, kiss me over and over again, I don't want this to end", she would scream internally, a silent plea that would never reach her lips.

So, in the end, Raleigh would just flash her another smile and walk away, after setting her heart on fire like a real troublemaker.

One night, as one of their dates was coming to an end too soon, Rachel summoned every ounce of courage she had and took her hand into her and guided her in a corner of the luxurious terrace away from the crowd. She perfectly knew what she wanted to say but as she met Raleigh's eyes and read a mix of concern and surprise, she fell suddenly speechless. No, she just couldn't say what she wanted to say, what her heart ached to say.

"Rachel, are you okay?"

Raleigh gently stroke her arm as if to encourage her to speak, not knowing that that little soft gesture would only make it even more difficult. Rachel just nodded, looking as less convincing as possible.

"Okay so...do you feel like sharing why you lured me in a private corner?" Raleigh asked, smirking.

No, not that smirk, not now...I'm trying to tell you-

"Oh I see, you couldn't resist the urge to get me all for yourself for-"

Before she can finish the sentence, Rachel interrupted her. "It's now or never".

"Kiss me"

It came out wrong but maybe there was still a way to make it work in the right way.

Raleigh looked surprised for a moment before raising an eyebrow at her.

"Someone's greedy, huh?"

”No, I- not like that" Rachel frowned and diverted her eyes.

"You know, I can offer a kiss for free to a nice girl even if the paps are not around" Raleigh said, but there was still a hint of teasing in her voice mixed with the alcoholic bitterness of tequila.

True, Raleigh kissed her away from the cameras a few times and it never seemed to bother her. On the contrary, she seemed to enjoy it, even looking forward to it. That what lead Rachel to think that maybe just maybe there was a chance that she wasn't the only one wanting more than a fake romance. But now she wasn't sure Raleigh fully understood what she truly meant.

"Even a...real kiss?"

Raleigh opened her mouth to say something but nothing came. Instead, her face fell and she froze for a moment. Then she winced and gently caressed Rachel's cheek. The sudden tenderness caught her by surprise but she could also tell it would only bring bad news.

"Didn't I warn you not to catch feelings, nena?"

Raleigh's voice was unusually sweet and sad matching the look in her eyes. She sighed deeply before adding, her voice almost a whisper:

"You know that I am no good, Rachel. I would only break your heart"

WIth that final grim statement -and much internal struggle- she leaned closer to press a kiss on her forehead and walked away. Rachel followed her silhouette disappear into the crowd of the loud party on the other side of the glass. As a gust of chilly night wind blew through her hair, Raleigh was gone and other attendants joined her on the balcony for a smoke and a moment of quiet.

From the inside, John Legend's voice filled the silence.

"And don't say goodbye tonight Save that kiss for the mornin' light Till the sun comes up, we'll be lost in us Don't say goodbye The night was made for love, love"

They resonated inside Rachel, forcing her to turn away and lean over the railing for support. Her eyes wandered into the distance as they welled with tears.

Don't say goodbye, Raleigh. Please come back and kiss me again. Kiss me like lovers do. Like real lovers do.

#choices november challenge #platinum #f!raleigh carrrera #f!raleigh x mc #playchoices #choices fanfic

[destielfanfic]

Tell Me Where It Hurts

Doctor Novak is canon now! But we have already met him before, haven’t we? Destiel AU fics have explored so many medical professions that we never got around to make separate tags, we just grouped them all under our Medical Professional tag. Take note that our Hospital tag is for fics where Dean and Cas spend a lot of time in hospitals, either as medical professionals or as patients. And now, here’s some of our favorite fics from both tags, plus couple of first time recs. Get better, folks!

Thanks to @dandelion-teabag for permission to use part of their lovely post!  

All links go to our fully tagged reviews, submitted rec posts or posts where the fic was unofficially recced first. This time we have added medical professions and some key tags to help you to sort through the fics without checking tags on original posts. [#] indicates that this is also a tag on our Tags Page. First time recs are properly tagged just like we would tag our reviews or submitted recs, See here about recent changes in our fic review and reccing format.

I. Doctor Castiel (sometimes) Novak

Asunder by rageprufrock [pediatric surgeon!cas, social worker!dean, #friends to lovers]

Ignore the Butterflies: Best Friend Advice from Dean Winchester by impatient14 [doctor!Cas, firefighter!Dean, #slow building romance, flirting]

Our Way To Fall by lemonsorbaes [pediatric surgeon!cas, carpenter!dean, #kid!fic, #reunion]

We Dig in Our Heels, As Hard As We Can by alreadypainfullygone (sub rec) [army surgeon!Cas, prostitute!Dean, #historical AU]

When I see you again by noxsoulmate (sub rec) [doctor!cas, musician!dean, #reunion, #rom com, #celebrity]

When the World Screams by k_k_tibal [EMT!Cas, musician!Dean, #deaf]

We Are Such Stuff by inevitablethief [doctor!Cas, firefighter!Dean, #SU (canon fic), djinn dream, #domestic]

Where There's Smoke, There's Fire by OsirisApollo (previously recced here) [EMT!cas, firefighter!dean, #rom com, meet cute]

FIRST TIME ON THE BLOG!!!

A Safe Deposit by casbean [T, 1,500 word count] fertility clinic nurse!cas, patient!dean, #AU,#fluff,  #humor, #favorite, meet cute, flirting

Dean has a special deposit to make at the fertility clinic. His nurse is ridiculously hot and it's distracting. 

Just What the Doctor Ordered by AngelsintheImpala (Halzbarry) [NC-17, 53,800 word count] doctor!cas, #pornstar!dean, #AU, #fluff,  #medical professional, #big bro!gabe, !dcbb, #reunion

Opening his own clinic, Doctor Castiel Novak is doing his best to get his business and brand out and established in his new community. What he doesn’t expect is to come face to face with his high school crush and first lover, Dean Winchester at a local LGBTQ community health event. He’s even more shocked when he learns that Dean is the popular bisexual porn star Dean Smith, who in between shoots volunteers at the local community college LGBTQ organization. ... [summary cut for space]

Over the Moon by VioletHaze [NC-17, 5,300 word count] emergency care doctor!cas, patient!dean, meet cute, #fluff

“It’s highly unusual for a young, healthy man such as yourself to have this sort of pain without a precipitating incident.” At this, Dean’s eyes dart away and he chews his lip again, which solidifies Cas’s suspicion that he hasn’t been given the whole story. Cas uses his most sincere and kind hey-I’m-here-to-help voice. “Mr. Winchester, it’s important that you be honest with me so that I can provide you with the appropriate medical care.”

II. Cas and Dean both are medical professionals

All Things New Again by sullymygoodname [ex-army surgeon!cas, paramedic!dean, #established relationship]

Any Little Heartbreak by followthattardis [cardio surgeon!dean, nurse!cas, #secret affair, #hospital]

Frigging Festivities Verse by englandwouldfall [doctor!cas, nurse!dean, #hospital, #coworkers, #love hate]

The Great Escapist by 8sword [medical student!cas, medical student/nurse!dean, #hospital, #roommates, #love hate]

What I Need by xaandria [surgeon!Cas, medical technologist!Dean, #hospital, #slow building romance, #coworkers]

Neighborhood Watch by thatwriterlady (sub rec) [surgeon!cas, emergency care doctor!dean, #established relationship, #kid!fic, #homophobia]

and check out this old ask for some older recs with medical professionals Dean and Cas, quite a few fics are hosted on LJ or ff net!

III. A/B/O universe Say what you want about Omega verse (A/B/O), but for us, one of its most interesting features is the exploration of society where all people have secondary genders. When a/b/o fic adds doctors to the mix, even a crack fic can have some astute observations about human nature. 

A Hole in the World by anneliesesmichel [doctor!alpha Cas, mechanic!omega Dean, social commentary/ issue fic, #slow building romance]

For science! by pm_lo [medical researcher!cas, medical technician!dean, secondary genders are spoilers, #humor, #crossover]

Hysterical by jessi (sub rec) [doctor!alpha cas, patient!omega dean, #crack, #historical AU]

Into Your Hideaway by thepinupchemist [doctor!alpha Cas, omega Dean, #mpreg, #domestic] 

Typecast by mnwood (sub rec), [doctor/actor!alpha Cas, actor!Dean, secondary gender is a spoiler, #ace!cas, #secret affair]

FIRST TIME ON THE BLOG!!

Our Home Below by jupiter_james [NC-17, 89,200 word count] #AU, #angst, #slow building romance, #medical professional, #kid!fic, #John, #sabriel, !casother, !deanother, #bonded, emergency doctor!alpha cas, forest ranger!alpha dean

Statistically speaking, any two people in the world are sharing the breaking of a mating bond through some sort of tragedy at any given time. Unbeknownst to either of them, Castiel Novak and Dean Winchester become widowers at the same time, joining the statistics together. Through a change of scenery and the need to rebuild their shattered lives elsewhere due to the sudden breaking of their mating bonds, Castiel and Dean meet in their new hometown of Halcyon, Maine; population: barely a handful. Despite both being alphas, they are immediately drawn towards one another. Their shared circumstances, combined with the strong urge to scent bond, sends them both reeling. The only problem is that Castiel refuses to set himself up for the same heartbreak a second time. ...  [summary cut for space] 

Pining Sickness; Or, Murder With One Stone by athaclena [NC-17, 57,800 word count] #AU, #historical AU, #law enforcement AU, #pining!cas, #pining!dean, #charlie, #big bro!gabe, #!samjess, #bonded, doctor!omega cas, detective!alpha dean

New York, 1895. The rigid customs of the old century are beginning to fall away, allowing access to the professions for more people than just Omega men and Alpha women. Dean Winchester, the city’s first Alpha male Detective, uncovers evidence that a mysterious new illness killing mated couples might have its origins is the criminal rather than the medical. Castiel Novak is a respectable Omega doctor who has started to see patients dying cruelly of something he cannot cure or even effectively treat. Approached by the Detective to once again give his medical expertise, he is eager to work towards finding a cause and, he hopes, a cure for the unfortunate sufferers. But both men harbour a secret attraction towards the other, and the quest for the truth will stretch their relationship beyond its limits. A historical murder mystery set against a backdrop of a non-traditional Omegaverse.

If you enjoyed the fic, please drop by the archive (AO3) and let the author know with your comments and/or kudos! And if you found our recs useful, let us know by Liking and/or Reblogging our posts! <3

#destiel #fic rec #destielfanficnet #archive fic rec #medical professional #NC17 #hospital #abo #historical au #law enforcement au #pining!dean #pining!cas #bonded #favorite #destiel au rec list

[aethelflaedladyofmercia]

WIP Wednesday - “Three Little Words”

This week’s update for “Sawdust of Words” starts with Crowley (in 1849) attempting to take Aziraphale on a date and tell him how he feels and it all goes horribly wrong in the most depressing and least rom-com-compliant way you could imagine. (Ok, I suppose you could imagine someone dying and that would be worse, but still.)

I’m going to talk a little bit about planning their date, because (A) it shows my completely messed up writing process and (B) it also shows how Crowley thinks. Or you can just click the link below to go straight to the story!

You can read “Three Little Words” here!

Buy me a coffee! (This is new. Also, I don’t drink coffee; if I know me, you’re buying half a book.)

So I think we cal all agree that Mr. Anthony “J’Adore Aziraphale” Crowley is probably the most hopeless romantic out there, underneath a thin veneer of sarcasm and swagger. I like to think he exists in a strange sphere of the highest romance and the most sweeping gestures, such that little everyday things take him utterly by surprise; but this story is 1849, so obviously none of that has happened yet.

So, he decides to take Aziraphale out. There’s going to be some activity and also wine and the rest of the plot was already written, I just needed to fill in the details. So the first Victorian era activity that sprang to mind was opera.

This is an easy one; Crowley was obviously a Wagner fan. I didn’t even bother to go grab my copy of the book to see what classical composers he’s actually listed as enjoying: Wagner is big and loud and bombastic and complex and kind of morally dubious when you remember his antisemitic comments and later appropriation by the Nazi party and really all that just screams “Crowley” to me.

So I fill in all the bits about going to the opera with a note to expand when I reach draft two.

Then draft two arrives, and we start getting into trouble.

See, it has to be the perfect opera, right? So I research all of Wagner’s mid-century operas and decide on Tannhauser. If you’re not going to follow the link to read about this fascinating opera, I’ll tell you briefly that it’s about damnation, salvation, and love - while these are common themes for Wagner’s later operas, it just fit for Crowley and Aziraphale.

Except, on later research, I realized it didn’t come to London until 1895 which, obviously, was not going to be an option. (Also in 1876, still not an option, but also sung in Italian for some reason. That just ain’t right.) So they would have to go to the continent for it. There was a showing in Paris in 1861, except that there were only three performances and it didn’t go over well with the Parisian audience and, look I know that’s not the kind of detail anyone will know but I care about these things.

Fine, though, Tannhauser was performed many times in the 1850s, in a bunch of locations. I just needed to pick one that could be easily reached from London.

Except.

Except the 1850s was a terrible decade for French wines. And, again, no one really cares, but Crowley just would not buy a bottle of wine from that decade because Aziraphale wouldn’t like it. I know he could miracle a better vintage, or just buy wine from another country, or even just pay through the roof for wine from a vinyard that wasn’t affected by the mildew...

Or we could just move the action even earlier, before the vinyards started being effected.

So. 1840s. I now had two options: Dresden (1845 or 1847) or Weimar (1849). Neither of these are conveniently located anywhere near London. Now I had to figure out how they were going to get there. I googled 19th century Channel ferries. I googled rail maps of Germany and found that the earliest one is dated 1849, and construction was so rapid I just could not work out what had been in existence even two years before that. I spent over an hour measuring distances, googling train speeds, counting how many transfers would be needed, reading up on all the things that could go wrong with a train in 1849.

Ok, so now just imagine me surrounded by all this information and calculations, hair in disarray, looking at Crowley across the table and saying Ok, if absolutely nothing goes wrong, it’s just possible to pull this off in under 24 hours. It’ll probably take at least a dozen miracles.

In response, Crowley manifests some kind of hard alcohol, drains it in one gulp, slams the glass on the table and says, Let’s f***ing do this!

So once that baseline had been set - that they were taking a train to Dover, then a ferry to Belgium, then at least three separate trains across Germany, using miracles to ensure that every transfer happened with perfect timing, no delays, no mechanical issues, no weird customs things that would throw off the timing, in order to arrive at the Weimar Court Theater just in time to see a play about a man whose deeds cause him to be rejected by Christianity, but not by the one who loves him the most - once that was established, everything else just paled in comparison.

Wine? Candy? Chocolate? Pastries? Private train car? Buying a ton of extra spots on the ferry to ensure it wasn’t crowded? Awkward attempts to describe the sky poetically? Sunset love confessions? I no longer had any doubts about throwing in literally everything into this, because Crowley was in the biggest of GO BIG moods.

Except for that rose. That was totally overkill. ;)

All of this - all of it - despite knowing that the entire point of the story was that none of it would happen.

Honestly, it made the second half even more painful to write, and that was already super painful.

So. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk about the story that I already wrote. If you haven’t already read it, please come see Crowley be emotionally tortured here. There’s really no comfort at the end of it - apart from reminding the readers that I’ve already written the story where they finally make their feelings known, and this is in continuity with that! - but I promise this Saturday’s will be about the Bentley, and less sad.

#good omens prime #good omens fanfiction #wip wednesday #writing process #fanfic writing #writing about writing #crowley #ineffable husbands #aziraphale and crowley #anthony j crowley #sawdust of words #anthony janthony crowley #drama snek #romantic crowley #honestly im glad it worked out this way #this kind of i love you is really not something you spring on someone on the street #and then casually walk to the theater afterward #like he tried to do that anyway #Crowley panics under pressure sometimes #but the idea was to have a whole day of train rides to talk it out #side note #yes it is an arrestable offense in the 1800s to be like publicly gay or whatever #hence why the confession was supposed to be on the ferry #if any other passengers got to nosy crowley was going to throw them in the channel #serves them right nosy homophobes #trust me he planned for everything #except i guess the possibility that aziraphale might smile at him on the street and start the plan early #and that whole not being able to say i love you when he means it thing

[richincolor]

Interview with Dahlia Adler

When I was a teen, Edgar Allan Poe creeped me out, but in the most delightful way. I can't wait to dive into this new anthology His Hideous Heart. An amazing group of authors have re-imagined his stories and now the collection is out there in the world waiting for readers to experience the chills. Today, the editor and contributing author, Dahlia Adler, is here to share about this intriguing collection and her work in publishing. His Hideous Heart: Thirteen of YA’s most celebrated names reimagine Edgar Allan Poe’s most surprising, unsettling, and popular tales for a new generation. Edgar Allan Poe may be a hundred and fifty years beyond this world, but the themes of his beloved works have much in common with modern young adult fiction. Whether the stories are familiar to readers or discovered for the first time, readers will revel in Edgar Allan Poe’s classic tales, and how they’ve been brought to life in 13 unique and unforgettable ways. Contributors include Kendare Blake (reimagining “Metzengerstein”), Rin Chupeco (“The Murders in the Rue Morge”), Lamar Giles (“The Oval Portrait”), Tessa Gratton (“Annabel Lee”), Tiffany D. Jackson (“The Cask of Amontillado”), Stephanie Kuehn (“The Tell-Tale Heart”), Emily Lloyd-Jones (“The Purloined Letter”), Hillary Monahan (“The Masque of the Red Death”), Marieke Nijkamp (“Hop-Frog”), Caleb Roehrig (“The Pit and the Pendulum”), and Fran Wilde (“The Fall of the House of Usher”).

As a YA author, editor, and blogger with family relationships to maintain, could you share a few things you've learned about balancing many roles? The number one thing I've learned is honestly that balance is kind of a myth. There's no way to do everything perfectly and make everyone happy. What's worked for me is choosing what my priority will be at any given time and then backburnering things as possible. So, for example, when I knew I really wanted to finish writing a novel, I took a hiatus from blogging inasmuch was possible and took advantage of the fact that my in-laws come over every Sunday to see my child and put my butt in the chair for as solid a time block (usually 3-4 hours with of course some interruptions) on Sunday mornings as possible until I was done. When I take on extra blogging, it means writing is gonna get backburnered. Consistency is important and so is being firm on your boundaries. 

What should we be expecting with His Hideous Heart -- mild creepiness, full on terror, or something more in between? It really does run a gamut, in the same way I don't think everyone realizes Poe's story did. In addition to the Gothic horror he's known for, he's also called the father of the modern detective story, and of course some of his works were far more melancholy than terrifying. I think all of his different facets are captured really well in the collection. Certainly, though, even in the ones with happy endings, you're not gonna find sunny beach reads! Why do you think Poe's stories continue to fascinate readers after so many years? Because his themes have never stopped being relevant or interesting. They're so many of the darkest parts of humanity that we don't necessarily get to live out; they're some of our worst fantasies. Getting to live them out through literature, getting to take action against someone who drives us nuts or mourn ourselves into oblivion, is both a safe and satisfying way to explore them. It takes a brave writer to put that out into the world and I think it takes brave writes to adapt them and say, "Here's how we're still feeling those things in our current world."

How did you choose which story you would re-imagine? Well first off, I took a backseat to the others, because they're all masters of dark fantasy or thrillers or horror and I am...not exactly known for any of those things! So I was only selecting from what they did not. And then from there, "Ligeia" was such an easy choice, because I knew I was going to stick my romantic contemporary strengths as best I could, and I saw immediately how that story would play out if I did. It didn't even feel like a selection process; the idea was just...there, waiting for me to grab it.

What were some of the challenges and rewards of editing an anthology? It's always a challenge to corral that many authors, and it's just logistically complicated. There are a lot of contracts and payments and agent negotiations and I don't think people realize that it's very rare for editors not to be responsible for that (as opposed to publishers). So that in itself is a lot of work before you even get to the editing, deadline enforcing, mapping over everyone's copyediting and proofreading corrections, etc. But I have so much natural curiosity about the industry, especially as someone who's been working in it for over a decade, that I really wanted to learn how more things on this side work, so that was actually a big reward for me! As, of course, is getting to read all these amazing stories early and working with such amazing authors. I really could not have asked for better.

What was the process for finding contributors? This actually half happened on Twitter, where the idea arose and people I think are fantastic in these genres chimed in that they'd be interested, and then half happened in email, when I realized this project was actually going to happen and I wanted to make sure it had as many of my favorites as possible. Honestly, creating lineups is my favorite part of anthologies, so I just went straight to the authors I absolutely love who write in Poe's genres and asked them to join up. It was thankfully easy!

Could you share a few books you've been recommending lately? ALWAYS. I've had a lot of reason to recommend By Any Means Necessary by Candice Montgomery, which has the college setting I know a lot of YA readers are looking for, plus a killer voice, great romance, awesome friend group, and covers really relevant topics. Another upcoming favorite is The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake, which is a Sapphic reimaginging of Twelfth Night that I always pitch as perfect for fans of The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum and How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake, both of which I love. As part of my Patreon for LGBTQReads, I have sort of a "book concierge" service, where I help readers find the perfect queer book for them, and so far Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi and Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan are in the lead over there; all hail the f/f YA Rom Com! And, obviously I've been getting some Horror/Spooky requests too, thanks to both His Hideous Heart and the fall season being upon us, and my standby faves there are The Girl From the Well by Rin Chupeco, Mary by Hillary Monahan, Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, As I Descended by Robin Talley, and Wilder Girls by Rory Power.

Just for fun, since you are involved with publishing in a variety of roles, would you share one of your strangest experiences in the industry? Oh man, it's really hard not to respond to this with anything I...shouldn't. But I'll go with an embarrassing one that also involves one of the only times I have ever lied at work. My first job out of college, I was an Editorial Assistant at Simon & Schuster. There was an event for an Entourage book, by which, yes, I do mean a show based on the horrid show I was extremely into once upon a time and that fully influenced the character of Josh Chester in my Daylight Falls duology, but I digress. Anyway, I went to the event, which was about 10-15 blocks away from the office, and I reallllly wanted a signed copy, but I also reallllly didn't want to take more than an hour for lunch because I was terrified of my boss. And since I worked there, I knew the name of the editor on the book, and I maybe used that to pretend I was her assistant so I could skip the whole line and then get my book signed. MAYBE. I cannot confirm or deny.

Thanks so much for sharing with Rich in Color. We look forward to reading these shivery tales. Thank you so much for having me!!

Dahlia Adler is an Associate Editor of mathematics by day, a blogger for B&N Teens and LGBTQ Reads by night, and an author of Young Adult and New Adult novels at every spare moment in between. Her novels include the Daylight Falls duology, Just Visiting, and the Radleigh University trilogy, and she is the editor of the anthologies His Hideous Heart (Flatiron Books, 2019) and That Way Madness Lies (Flatiron Books, 2021). Dahlia lives in New York with her husband, son, and an obscene amount of books, and can be found on Twitter and Instagram at @MissDahlELama.

[squirenonny]

Hey, I got caught up in the periphery of some tumblr drama and ended up running into some aphobic stuff. Do you have any aro or ace headcanons for Team Voltron (and friends)?

D: I’m so sorry to hear that. I’ve run across some aphobic stuff myself lately, so it was very cathartic to get to write these headcanons. I hope they make you smile, as well. Because good news! All the paladins are ace/aro-spec. All of them.

Pidge – Aro/Ace

The Oblivious!Ace. Literally does not consider sexual/romantic attraction as a viable explanation for someone’s action until well after everyone else around figured it out

Didn’t realize Shiro and Matt have been dating since before the Kerberos mission

“Pidge, you literally walked in on us watching rom coms together.”

“Anyone can like rom coms.”

“I was sitting in Shiro’s lap. We were sharing a blanket!”

“I thought you were cold!”

Is super cuddly, but has learned that being cuddly, especially with boys, is a Romance Thing and so mostly only does it with family. Loves that Hunk will hug literally anyone, no strings attached, and was ecstatic when Lance immediately took the cuddles as a Sibling Thing instead of anything else.

Mildly sex repulsed, but super supportive of whatever sex life anyone else wants to have, so turns into an awkward vague-support monster.

*buries face in hands* “Guys, I love you and I support you and I want you to be happy, but please just don’t ever tell me. Anything. At all.”

“We weren’t planning on it??”

“Cool. Be safe or whatever.”

“Pidge!”

*puts on headphones and Does Not Think about whatever may or may not be happening*

All the Ace Puns. All the Aro Puns. Unironically into the cake jokes, and uses the “sounds fake but okay” line on anyone who starts getting sappy about their S.O.

Loudly and repeated points out that the Green Lion is already aro colors (green, gray, black, and yellow). Painted Green’s claws and tail in the black/gray/white/purple stripes of the ace flag.

The original Space Ace

Hunk – Pan/Demi (+polyamorous)

Used to think he was 100% ace/aro because he’s never dated and never really wanted to. Kinda started to develop a crush on Lance leading up to the start of the show, but it never went anywhere, and Hunk wasn’t inclined to push it

Was mad that everyone else was teasing him about Shay because he legitimately didn’t feel anything romantic toward her.

It’s like three months later after they’ve been space-Skyping nonstop that he sits back and realizes, wait….

Not really sure what to do with any of his feelings, completely flustered by everything, and it only gets worse after the Weblum incident when he realizes, oh, wow, hi Keith. Hi. I guess this is a Thing now.

Used to go to Pidge about ace/aro stuff until the two of them slowly realized that Pidge doesn’t have the context to help him figure out anything. So he’s in completely over his head and trying to figure out how anyone does?? Anything???

There are apparently rules for dating and people apparently know how to get from crushing to dating, but Hunk does not know any of this and it’s frustrating as heck

Cue lots of moaning into a pillow while Pidge pats his foot sympathetically but offers no real advice.

Shiro – Gray-Asexual/Biromantic

Shiro has always been on the ace spectrum, and found the ace community a few years before Kerberos, but has a hard time pin-pointing where on the spectrum he falls.

Was largely sex-neutral (wouldn’t instigate things for his own sake, but would follow his partners’ lead and/or do stuff for their sake)

His perception of “what is sexual attraction” vs. “what is romantic attraction making me want to do something I know they like” is very cloudy, and it’s only made worse because he’s at least 90% sure he has experienced some degree of sexual attraction where Matt’s involved, just… not consistently or predictably

It’s confusing

After his year of imprisonment he has a hard time with intimacy, especially physical intimacy

It’s a very complicated issue—part of it is that he’s self-conscious about his scars and doesn’t like taking off his shirt where anyone can see. Part of it is that if he’s in the wrong headspace, any kind of touch is stressful, painful, and/or panic-inducing, and it certainly doesn’t turn him on.

Reluctant to identify as a-spec now because so much of it is tied up in his PTSD. Generally tries not to think about it, except to be grateful that there’s no pressing need to address these particular questions

After they find Matt, he and Shiro have a long talk about it, and they agree to be non-physical for the time being.

Doing romantic but non-sexual things (fully-clothed cuddles, holding hands, long late-night conversations, making dinner together, star-gazing, ect. ect.) helps with Shiro’s anxiety, even if there are days where he’s pretty sure he’s sexually attracted to Matt but still too sex-repulsed to act on it.

Just in general, Matt is the best supportive bf and always takes the time to reassure Shiro that they’re doing good and Shiro’s happiness and comfort is more important to Matt than sex

Lance – Bi, Idemromantic or WTFromantic

Okay, so Lance has always known he’s bi. Because. I mean. People are really pretty? And he’s def been attracted to all sorts of folks

The weird part is romance because, like… Huh?

He figures for a long time that it’s just because he doesn’t have a lot of relationship experience, but he dates a few people and it’s still

Weird

It’s very hard for Lance to distinguish between platonic and romantic feelings. He needs it to be Clear

I flirted with you and you flirted back: *ding* Romantic

You flirted with me: ….processing….processing… *ding* Romantic!

We are rivals! *bzzt* Not Romantic! Not at all Romantic!

Basically Lance depends on context clues to figure out if a relationship is romantic or platonic, which usually boils down to “If we didn’t start out with pick-up lines or other overtly romantic things, we’re friends and we will always be friends.”

So if someone… hypothetically… wanted to move from the “friends” category to the “boyfriends” category, they would… hypothetically… need to say so explicitly, otherwise Lance just

will not

switch mindsets

Found the word idemromantic while searching for an answer to the question, “Am I just weird, or do other people get this, too?” But has a deep spiritual connection to the term “WTFromantic” because it accurately sums up his love life

Often confused for the Straight One in any given friend group, but that’s because he’s learned that dude + dude is automatically platonic, so he doesn’t even go there, and flirting is enough to cement him as allo in a lot of people’s minds

The other paladins lowkey thought that too when they first met him, so Allura was stunned when Lance admitted to her that he (a) likes dudes and (b) doesn’t understand romance at all.

Keith – Arovague

(Arovague being an ace/aro-spec orientation that’s highly influenced by neurodivergence.)

Because Keith is autistic

specifically he’s touch-averse and has other sensory issues that make anything sexual or even largely anything remotely physical very much a no-go for him

and he doesn’t get social cues in general, romantic norms in particular, and just. People. As a whole.

Oh, and also alexithymia (difficulty identifying your own emotions and putting them into words)

He doesn’t usually think about romance/sex because it just gives him a headache and he has better things to be doing

Like he’s not… opposed to having a relationship? In theory? He’s not sold on the sex thing, but he can see the appeal in having a boyfriend. He’d like a boyfriend in the same way he’d like more close friends like Shiro. He just doesn’t know how to go about finding either.

Also he’s just not really ever had many people he likes, let alone is attracted to

Even when he experiences attraction, it takes him a long time to realize it because he has a hard time sorting out his emotions anyway

He’ll figure out pieces of it—like that he gets nervous when his crush is around or that he’s happy when they’re together, but it just… doesn’t process as attraction?

Or he’ll consider that it might be attraction, then second-guess himself, then spend all night wondering if he’s making things up

It’s exhausting, and Shiro has honestly probably heard way too much of Keith not actually ranting about his love life (if only because Keith doesn’t think it IS a love life.)

Vents to Pidge a lot and Pidge, who wouldn’t recognize attraction anyway, is 100% on board with ace/aro Keith, which of course only further cements Keith’s belief that he is Free from the Chaos of Sexuality

Never really figures out if he’s actually experiencing attraction, but enjoys his relationships anyway, whatever they are—romantic, platonic, or something in between.

#voltron #pidge #keith kogane #takashi shirogane #hunk garrett #lance mcclain #ace stuff #aro stuff #headcanons #this was fun #i should do more for other characters #but this is already getting out of hand #long post #ch: sporse code #ch: this kid is a genius #ch: no one commands the black lion #ch: sharpshooter #ch: i know who i am #anon

[mysteriouslyzealouspandalov-blog]

21 Christian Marriage Quotes Sure to Strengthen Your Relationship Today

New Post has been published on https://relationshipguideto.com/must-see/21-christian-marriage-quotes-sure-to-strengthen-your-relationship-today/

21 Christian Marriage Quotes Sure to Strengthen Your Relationship Today

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Whether you’ve been married for fifty years or fifty minutes, any couple will tell you that marriage can sometimes be hard. Sure, we all want to live the fairytale romance of our favorite rom-coms or Pinterest boards, but that’s just not the reality of things.

Marriage is not ultimately for us, but for the Lord. And anyone who’s ever walked with Jesus knows just how much of a target you become when your lives are rooted in faith.

Mark 10:9 says, “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” But that command is a lot easier said than done.

If Satan wants to break you, he’ll first start by attacking your marriage. Divorce isn’t the only form of separation in this world. In fact, even the smallest cracks in your marriage can pave the way for a gaping hole, which might as well have a welcome mat waiting for the enemy to sneak in.

Don’t let the world and Satan’s schemes overcome the sanctification of marriage. Through mountains and valleys, these marriage quotes remain true of a healthy, Christ-like, Christian marriage.

Here are 21 Christian Marriage Quotes that are sure to strengthen your relationship today.

1. “Men, you’ll never be a good groom to your wife unless you’re first a good bride to Jesus.” —Tim Keller

2. “When I have learnt to love God better than my earthly dearest, I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now.” —C.S. Lewis

3. “The happiness of married life depends upon making small sacrifices with readiness and cheerfulness.” —John Selden

4. “In sharp contrast with our culture, the Bible teaches that the essence of marriage is a sacrificial commitment to the good of the other. That means that love is more fundamentally action than emotion.” —Tim Keller

5. “We are here to love. Not much else matters.” —Francis Chan

6. “God created marriage. No government subcommittee envisioned it. No social organization developed it. Marriage was conceived and born in the mind of God.”  —Max Lucado 

7. “As God by creation made two of one, so again by marriage He made one of two.” —Thomas Adams

8. “Many conflicts in a marriage result from living to please self instead of living to please the Lord. These conflicts can be resolved and are actually opportunities for spiritual growth when dealt with in a biblical manner.” —John C. Broger

9. “Many marriages would be better if the husband and the wife clearly understood that they are on the same side.” —Zig Ziglar 

10. “The man who sanctifies his wife understands that this is his divinely ordained responsibility… Is my wife more like Christ because she is married to me? Or is she like Christ in spite of me? Has she shrunk from His likeness because of me? Do I sanctify her or hold her back? Is she a better woman because she is married to me?” —R. Kent Hughes

11. “In God there is no hunger that needs to be filled, only plenteousness that desires to give.” —C.S. Lewis

12. “There is no more lovely, friendly or charming relationship, communion or company, than a good marriage.” —Martin Luther

13. “We [should not] make the mistake of thinking that marriage will provide the ultimate satisfaction for which we all hunger. To assume so would be to be guilty of blasphemy. Only God satisfies the hungry heart. Marriage is but one of the channels He uses to enable us to taste how deeply satisfying His thirst-quenching grace can be.” —Sinclair B. Ferguson

14. “Love means loving the unlovable—or it is no virtue at all.” —G.K. Chesterton

15. “A man doesn’t own his marriage; he is only the steward of his wife’s love.” —Ed Cole

16. “Staying married, therefore, is not mainly about staying in love. It is about keeping covenant. “Till death do us part” or “As long as we both shall live” is a sacred covenant promise—the same kind Jesus made with His bride when He died for her.” —John Piper

17. “A good wife is heaven’s last, best gift to man,—his gem of many virtues, his casket of jewels; her voice is sweet music, her smiles his brightest day, her kiss the guardian of his innocence, her arms the pale of his safety, her industry his surest wealth, her economy his safest steward, her lips his faithful counsellors, her bosom the softest pillow of his cares.” —Jeremy Taylor

18. “When a man and a woman give themselves to each other in an act of marital love, they can know the love of Christ as no one else can know it.” —J. Vernon McGee

19. “It often happens that when couples give their relationship to God straightened out, their relationships with one another begin to straighten out as well.” —Wayne Mack

20. “Since the marriage relationship is to reflect the relationship between Jesus Christ and His Church, it is imperative that biblical submission and love be practiced in all of its aspects between husband and wife.” —John C. Broger

21. “To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.” —G.K. Chesterton

As 1 Corinthians 13 so famously states, “let all that you do be done in love.” May these Christian marriage quotes be just what you need to strengthen your relationship and continue running faithfully in pursuit of God today.

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I Thought My Husband Wasn’t Attracted to Me Anymore—But the Truth Was Harder to Swallow

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[relationshipadviser-blog]

21 Christian Marriage Quotes Sure to Strengthen Your Relationship Today

New Post has been published on https://relationshipqia.com/must-see/21-christian-marriage-quotes-sure-to-strengthen-your-relationship-today/

21 Christian Marriage Quotes Sure to Strengthen Your Relationship Today

ShareTweet

Whether you’ve been married for fifty years or fifty minutes, any couple will tell you that marriage can sometimes be hard. Sure, we all want to live the fairytale romance of our favorite rom-coms or Pinterest boards, but that’s just not the reality of things.

Marriage is not ultimately for us, but for the Lord. And anyone who’s ever walked with Jesus knows just how much of a target you become when your lives are rooted in faith.

Mark 10:9 says, “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” But that command is a lot easier said than done.

If Satan wants to break you, he’ll first start by attacking your marriage. Divorce isn’t the only form of separation in this world. In fact, even the smallest cracks in your marriage can pave the way for a gaping hole, which might as well have a welcome mat waiting for the enemy to sneak in.

Don’t let the world and Satan’s schemes overcome the sanctification of marriage. Through mountains and valleys, these marriage quotes remain true of a healthy, Christ-like, Christian marriage.

Here are 21 Christian Marriage Quotes that are sure to strengthen your relationship today.

1. “Men, you’ll never be a good groom to your wife unless you’re first a good bride to Jesus.” —Tim Keller

2. “When I have learnt to love God better than my earthly dearest, I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now.” —C.S. Lewis

3. “The happiness of married life depends upon making small sacrifices with readiness and cheerfulness.” —John Selden

4. “In sharp contrast with our culture, the Bible teaches that the essence of marriage is a sacrificial commitment to the good of the other. That means that love is more fundamentally action than emotion.” —Tim Keller

5. “We are here to love. Not much else matters.” —Francis Chan

6. “God created marriage. No government subcommittee envisioned it. No social organization developed it. Marriage was conceived and born in the mind of God.”  —Max Lucado 

7. “As God by creation made two of one, so again by marriage He made one of two.” —Thomas Adams

8. “Many conflicts in a marriage result from living to please self instead of living to please the Lord. These conflicts can be resolved and are actually opportunities for spiritual growth when dealt with in a biblical manner.” —John C. Broger

9. “Many marriages would be better if the husband and the wife clearly understood that they are on the same side.” —Zig Ziglar 

10. “The man who sanctifies his wife understands that this is his divinely ordained responsibility… Is my wife more like Christ because she is married to me? Or is she like Christ in spite of me? Has she shrunk from His likeness because of me? Do I sanctify her or hold her back? Is she a better woman because she is married to me?” —R. Kent Hughes

11. “In God there is no hunger that needs to be filled, only plenteousness that desires to give.” —C.S. Lewis

12. “There is no more lovely, friendly or charming relationship, communion or company, than a good marriage.” —Martin Luther

13. “We [should not] make the mistake of thinking that marriage will provide the ultimate satisfaction for which we all hunger. To assume so would be to be guilty of blasphemy. Only God satisfies the hungry heart. Marriage is but one of the channels He uses to enable us to taste how deeply satisfying His thirst-quenching grace can be.” —Sinclair B. Ferguson

14. “Love means loving the unlovable—or it is no virtue at all.” —G.K. Chesterton

15. “A man doesn’t own his marriage; he is only the steward of his wife’s love.” —Ed Cole

16. “Staying married, therefore, is not mainly about staying in love. It is about keeping covenant. “Till death do us part” or “As long as we both shall live” is a sacred covenant promise—the same kind Jesus made with His bride when He died for her.” —John Piper

17. “A good wife is heaven’s last, best gift to man,—his gem of many virtues, his casket of jewels; her voice is sweet music, her smiles his brightest day, her kiss the guardian of his innocence, her arms the pale of his safety, her industry his surest wealth, her economy his safest steward, her lips his faithful counsellors, her bosom the softest pillow of his cares.” —Jeremy Taylor

18. “When a man and a woman give themselves to each other in an act of marital love, they can know the love of Christ as no one else can know it.” —J. Vernon McGee

19. “It often happens that when couples give their relationship to God straightened out, their relationships with one another begin to straighten out as well.” —Wayne Mack

20. “Since the marriage relationship is to reflect the relationship between Jesus Christ and His Church, it is imperative that biblical submission and love be practiced in all of its aspects between husband and wife.” —John C. Broger

21. “To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.” —G.K. Chesterton

As 1 Corinthians 13 so famously states, “let all that you do be done in love.” May these Christian marriage quotes be just what you need to strengthen your relationship and continue running faithfully in pursuit of God today.

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I Thought My Husband Wasn’t Attracted to Me Anymore—But the Truth Was Harder to Swallow

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[danithebookaholic-blog]

REVIEWS! - ROMANCE

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Spring has sprung and Romance is in the air! With this weeks reviews you’ll find the following: some swoony, some funny, and some just short of the mark, but all are romances (in some essence of the word.)

So sit back, and take a look at this week’s romantic line-up:

📚Daphne Dubois’ Only the Beginning (2018 Contemporary Romance) 📚Leddy Harper’s The (Half) Truth (2019 New Adult College Romance) 📚Adriana Locke’s Tumble (2019 Romantic Comedy) 📚Elinor Lipman’s Good Riddance (2019 Women’s Fiction Rom-Com)

From one bookaholic to another, I hope I’ve helped you find your next fix. —Dani

Only the Beginning 

By Daphne Dubois

Publication Date: April 25, 2018 Genre: Adult, Women’s Fiction Literature, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

After a heartbreaking betrayal, Melissa Legacy shuns romance. So when her best friend joins the Lovers Oasis website and fears her fiancé will find out, Melissa agrees to meet the anonymous Romeo, prepared to explain her friend’s change of heart—then she sees him.

Failing restaurant entrepreneur, Craig Wheaton hasn’t been home since his mother’s tragic death. Now he’s back to confront his demons and stand beside his brother as best man. Dreading the reunion, he agrees to meet his avatar lover, but at the last moment he reconsiders the arrangement—until he lays eyes on her.

When Craig assumes Melissa is his online consort, she impulsively plays along, resulting in an afternoon of unexpected intimacy. But with Melissa using her friend’s identity and Craig dealing with a family fallout, is a future together impossible, or will they discover that love at first sight is Only the Beginning?

Goodreads

Purchase:

Amazon / B&N / Kobo

Review:

Only the Beginning  is a a cute romance that has just about every known romantic plot in it, including an Oh-sorry-to-have-run-into-you-knocking-you-to-the-ground / Love-at-first-sight-but-we-won’t-realize-it-until-the-end meet-cute. But don’t let these common romance novels antics dissuade you from picking Daphne Dubois book up!

While Only the Beginning may have all of those romance plots in it, Dubois did a wonderful job at making them all new and fresh rather than seeming old and dry. The constant change in perspective of the story line helps keep the reader in a constant state of wonder - reading to the breaking point of a change-of-events, only to have the next chapter begin from the other person’s point-of-view, and a few steps back. This constant flip-flop keeps the reader on their toes, transforming the escapades and tricks from the usual mundane to fun and flirty.

Craig and Melissa essentially meet because of an online messaging forum called Lovers’ Oasis. I feel like not many people are are logging into online forums to anonymously chat and hook-up anymore, so I did find to be a bit old and dated. (But then again, maybe that’s because I’m married, and I’m not experiencing this myself. Please tell me if I’m wrong…) But other than that dated feel to the book, I found Only the Beginning to be a pleasurable and easy romantic read that warmed the heart.

 Dani's Score out of 5: 🍾🍾🍾🍾

The (Half) Truth 

By Leddy Harper

Publication Date: February 19, 2019 Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, College, Romance

Synopsis:

Tatum Alexander is so close to realizing her dream of becoming a sous chef she can taste it, but working at her ex-fiancé’s restaurant with his new girlfriend was never in her career plan. To save face and prove she’s moved on, Tatum cooks up a lie that she’s in a relationship with her best friend’s superhot cousin. There’s just one problem: Jason only recently moved to town, and he has no idea they’re already “dating.”

Jason’s a recovering ladies’ man who shouldn’t be on the menu, but that doesn’t mean he’s immune to Tatum’s quirky charm. Giving her lie a kernel of truth, they decide some no-strings-attached fun between the sheets can’t hurt. But as Tatum’s forced to keep making up stories to cover her original fib, she has a hard time separating what’s real and what’s fake—including her feelings for Jason.

With too many tales spun, Tatum can only watch in horror as her collection of yarns begins to unravel, leaving everyone she cares about feeling betrayed. After so many lies, will it be too late to set the record straight? And more importantly, will she be able to convince Jason there’s truth in their love?

Purchase:

Amazon / B&N / IndieBound

Review:

Leddy Harper’s The (Half) Truth is a great read! It’s fun and quirky, awkward and romantic. By far one of my favorite (fun) romances I’ve read.

Harper has a way with picturing something in her head and making you see it just as clearly in your own mind with her beautiful imagery. Adjectives are great when used in moderation, and Harper shows the curve of a smile, the grass-green sparkle of an eye, and the trail of a finger so perfectly that you can see them; you can feel them.

Tatum Alexander’s extremely awkward way of handling stress gives this love story a breath of fresh air, making all of the serious life lessons something not to stress over but to sigh and laugh at. Add in Jason Watson’s womanizing history and change of heart and you have a recipe for a zesty and flirty rom-com! Fans of the more serious romance novels will enjoy it, too, though, with it’s real life heartache and life-altering decisions. And while it’s not overly done, the sex scenes are quite hot, too!

The (Half) Truth was entertaining and delightful. I found myself staying up until 2 am, and getting up a couple hours earlier just to read before life started. I found ways to squeeze reading it into every crack of my day because I couldn't wait to find out what Tatum would get herself into next and how Jason would help her laugh it off. And I cannot suggest it enough to anyone who needs a little laughter (and spice) added to their life.

 Dani's Score out of 5: 🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾

Tumble (A Dogwood Lane #1) 

By Adriana Locke

Publication Date: February 26, 2019 Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Humor

Synopsis:

After being burned by her dream job in New York City, sports journalist Neely Kimber suddenly finds herself jobless and paying a long-overdue visit to her hometown in Tennessee. Her plan? Relax, reset, and head back up the corporate ladder. There’s just one unexpected step. Neely’s back in Dogwood Lane for barely a day when she sees the man she ran from nine years ago: the bad boy next door who was her first kiss, her first love, and her first heartbreak.

Devoted single dad Dane Madden knows he hurt Neely in the worst way. He’s got a lot to make up for. And as passionate as their reconnection is, it’s a lot to hope for. Having her back in his arms feels so right. But falling in love all over again with a woman who wants to live a world away is bound to go so wrong.

What’s it going to take for Neely to give him—and Dogwood Lane—just one more chance?

Purchase:

Amazon / B&N

Review:

Adriana' Locke’s Tumble is a cute southern romance with a lot of heart. But Neely Kimber and Dane Madden’s relationship reminded me a lot of Melanie and Jake’s relationship from Reese Witherspoon’s rom-com Sweet Home Alabama though.

While Neely and Dane aren’t husband and wife like Melanie and Jake, you still have a girl form NYC returning to her southern home and falling for her ex all over again. Granted Locke’s story involves a child, while Witherspoon’s did not, the similarities between the two stories felt too close for me to really feel like I was reading something new, and that was disappointing. What was even more disappointing for me was the fact that Tumble was so highly anticipated for the romance community, that I became very excited for it, but was let down in the end.

I won’t say that Locke’s story isn’t good, because it is. She writes extremely well and knows how to tell a story with beautiful imagery. Her characters were deeply developed, and played off of one another very well. Overall, the story of Neely and Dane is a good one, I just wish it would have been a little more unique.

 Dani's Score out of 5: 🍾🍾🍾

Good Riddance 

By Elinor Lipman

Publication Date: February 5, 2019 Genre: Women’s Fiction, Romance, Humor

Synopsis:

The delightful new romantic comedy from Elinor Lipman, in which one woman’s trash becomes another woman’s treasure, with deliriously entertaining results.

Daphne Maritch doesn't quite know what to make of the heavily annotated high school yearbook she inherits from her mother, who held this relic dear. Too dear. The late June Winter Maritch was the teacher to whom the class of '68 had dedicated its yearbook, and in turn she went on to attend every reunion, scribbling notes and observations after each one—not always charitably—and noting who overstepped boundaries of many kinds.

In a fit of decluttering (the yearbook did not, Daphne concluded, "spark joy"), she discards it when she moves to a small New York City apartment. But when it's found in the recycling bin by a busybody neighbor/documentary filmmaker, the yearbook's mysteries—not to mention her own family's—take on a whole new urgency, and Daphne finds herself entangled in a series of events both poignant and absurd. 

Good Riddance is a pitch-perfect, whip-smart new novel from an "enchanting, infinitely witty yet serious, exceptionally intelligent, wholly original, and Austen-like stylist" (Washington Post).

Goodreads

Purchase:

Amazon / B&N / BAM / Kobo / Google Play / IndieBound

Review:

Good Riddance is one of those books that I can see being turned into a movie. Mae Whitman would play the part of Daphne, the MC. Rebel Wilson, the part of crazy-neighbor, Geneva. And Lucas Till would play the role of Jeremy? I don’t know, I’m still questioning the male lead role, but the ladies I could see playing these roles as plain as day, as if the parts were written for them. And seeing how (it seems) that author Elinor Lipman is such a big fan of the TV show Riverdale, I can see why she would want to write something that would maybe, eventually make it to the screen.

SIDE RANT: On the Riverdale note, I, too, am a fan of the show. I both liked and disliked the constant mention of the show and it’s characters, but for the life of me, I couldn’t place “Timmy” at all. So, I’ll admit, I did totally IMDB the show, looking for a “Timmy” which does not exist, but please, if you can figure out who “Timmy” is referring to, because it’s totally going to annoy me until I re-watch every single episode until I find him. Then, maybe, I’ll have Jeremy’s actor nailed down! END SIDE RANT.

However, that being said, I don’t think this novel should be made into a movie in the slightest. While I did find myself LOL-ing several times while reading, I often found myself either bored or annoyed. Daphne was too whiny (not a reflection of Mae Whitman, FYI), and I found the dynamic between Daphne and Geneva, and Daphne and Jeremy to be very out there (both of which usually make a good movie.)

On top of that, the story of “the yearbook” in question never really comes completely to fruition, and I felt that someone like Geneva never would have given up as easily (whether if that is to finish what she started or to just badger Daphne about it.)

Last note to make about this book is that while it is classified as a “romance,” I have a very hard time classifying it as such myself. “Humorous Literature?” Yes. But “Romance?” Definitely not. Yes, there is a love interest/relationship, several actually, but not in the “Literature Romance” sense. So if you’re looking for that, this is not your book. If you’re looking for something to LOL to, then this one will give your your chuckles.

 Dani's Score out of 5: 🍾🍾🍾

Pair Them All With: Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc

A fresh, juicy wine with vibrant acidity and plenty of weight and length on the palate. Ripe, tropical fruit flavor with passion fruit, melon, and grapefruit. Classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc aromas of lifted citrus, tropical fruit, and crushed herbs. Pairs brilliantly with fresh oysters, asparagus, lobster, or summer salads, and of course these romantic reads!

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This has been one very long week. Productive in work terms but very, very long. And to cap it all off I have decided to try and get myself back on the diet which means I am tired and irritable right now. Which in fairness is my default mood/status so there isn’t actually anything unusual in that fact.

Funny old week. We have had go live with the first set of victims, sorry drivers, using the new proof of delivery app at work. Seems to have gone well all things considered. A few minor glitches, but nothing we couldn’t fix so happy days. It has meant early starts but that has also meant earlier finishes so I have been able to get to reading much earlier in the day than normal. This means I’ve had an unusually productive week on the blogging front too clearing a relatively high number of books (for me) without resorting to one audio book (or Mr Men) to help me out. Who knew?

I also had a bit of a surprise earlier in the week when this happened:

Yes. I recieved an email from Reedsy informing me that I’d been listed as one of their recommended best book blogs of 2017 over on their website. A great honour, especially when you look at some of the other blogs on the list – there are some really high profile blogs with massive viewing figures making mine look kind of tiny in comparison, but I am very chuffed and humbled to be up there considering I am just a babby in blogging terms. It’s been a very long time since that statement applied in real life…

I have tried to be good on the book purchase/download front this week. Failed miserably but it’s the thought that counts right? In my defence, some of the books I have bought in preparation for a forthcoming Christmas feature month on the blog, currently pencilled in for November. I blame Mandie as we came up with the idea while on a walk yesterday morning. What started as a couple of weeks of Christmas posts is now a whole month of madness, espescially when you consider that neither of us actually likes Christmas. 😉 Other books (namely the Netgalley download for which I blame Bookouture) are books I need to read for blog tours (well one is) so it doesn’t really count. That’s right isn’t it?

Books I ordered: Murder Game by Caroline Mitchell (preorder); Thorne at Christmas by Mark Billingham;  Dying For Christmas by Tammy Cohen; Frost at Christmas by R.D. Wingfield; and six Mr Men Christmas Books. Audio  book wise I only ordered one which was Perfect Prey by Helen Fields. Netgalley wise I only downloaded Hide and Seek by Richard Parker (blog tour fodder I promise).

I also received a lovely bit of book post this week in the shape of Santa Claws by Gabriela Harding. Can’t wait to dive into it and it’s part of what inspired the Christmas posts mentioned earlier.

Isn’t it fabulous? Send in the clowns lol. Blogging wise I’ve been quite productive too. I had, how shall I put this, a backlog of unwritten reviews – a mere nine – nothing to be concerned about. Much. I managed on Saturday to get six of the nine written … then promptly read another book so I am back to four to write but they will be done imminently. I probably would have completed all ten reviews but I was a) running out of new ways to say ‘really bloody good’, and b) starting to get my sarcastic, comedic head on due to blogger fatigue which is never a good thing ;). Reading wise, as I said, I’ve had a pretty good week clearing four books off my tbr. And four corkers they are too.

Books I have read.

I Know A Secret by Tess Gerritsen

I have a secret.  And someone wants to make sure I never tell . . . 

In a house decorated with horror movie posters, a young woman’s body is found. She lies on her bed, two bloodied objects clutched in her palm. Detective Jane Rizzoli and Forensic Pathologist Maura Isles are called to the murder scene, but even faced with this gruesome sight they are unable to identify the immediate cause of death. 

Their investigation leads them to a high-profile murder case that was seemingly solved years before. But when another body is found in horrific circumstances, the link between the two victims is clear. Was the wrong person sent to prison? Is the real killer out there right now, picking off new targets? 

One woman knows the killer is coming for her next. She’s the only one who can help Rizzoli and Isles catch him.

But she has a secret that she has to keep . . .

Confession time – I have a secret too … I have never read any Rizzoli and Isles before this book! I know. I should hang my head in shame. I have seen the TV series on occasion but not read any of the actual books. Until now. I shall be heading back to the first eleven books as soon as I can as I absolutely loved this and have no doubt fans of the series will love it too. Sucked in from page one I raced through to the conclusion. You can see my thoughts as part of the blog tour tomorrow but in the meantime why not preorder it here.

…

Hide and Seek by Richard Parker

The sun is out. Your little boy is smiling. The next time you look… he’s gone. 

When Lana and Todd win a trip to Blue Crest Adventure Park, their four-year-old Cooper is ecstatic, but when Lana goes to meet them, Todd is out cold, and Cooper is missing.

No one stopped the man carrying the sleeping boy. The cameras don’t show where he went. Then Lana receives an anonymous message, telling her to visit a local school with a horrifying history… 

This is no random attack. Whoever took Cooper is playing a twisted game, and if Lana wants to find him, she must participate. 

What is the link between the school and her missing son? Can Lana uncover the kidnapper’s identity and save Cooper before it’s too late?

Now it may come as a surprise to some, but I absolutely loved Richard Parker’s last book, Follow You, so as soon as this appeared on NetGalley  had to have it and as soon as I had it I had to read it. Did it meet my expectations. Well, the cheesy grin on my face while reading may have been a give away, but yes. I enjoyed it. Muchly. You can see just how muchly next month when I post my review in the meantime do yourselves a favour and go preorder it here.

…

The Good Sister by Jess Ryder

Two sisters. One secret… A lie that could destroy them both.

When her father dies, Josie is devastated to uncover he led a secret life: another house, another family and a half-sister called Valentina.

Both with red hair and icy blue eyes, Josie and Valentina could be mistaken for twins. But the similarities end there…

Josie – Sweet, reserved, jealous, thief.  Valentina – Care-free, confident, dangerous, liar. 

There is a perfect life here for the taking. But which one of them wants it the most?

Two sisters. One survivor. 

I thought initially this may have been a biography about me as I am clearly the good sister of all of my siblings but turns out I was wrong. What it is, is a twisted tale centred around long held secrets which have deadly repurcussions. What it also is is extremely gripping and a fluffing good read. My review will be up in a little over a weeks time, in the meantime you can preorder here.

…

The Big Dreams Beach Hotel by Lilly Bartlett

Wriggle your toes in the sand and feel the warm breeze on your face when you check into the hotel that’s full of dreams…

Three years after ditching her career in New York City, Rosie never thought she’d still be managing the quaint faded Victorian hotel in her seaside hometown.

What’s worse, the hotel’s new owners are turning it into a copy of their Florida properties. Flamingos and all. Cultures are clashing and the hotel’s residents stand in the way of the developers’ plans. The hotel is both their home and their family.

That’s going to make Rory’s job difficult when he arrives to enforce the changes. And Rosie isn’t exactly on his side, even though it’s the chance to finally restart her career. Rory might be charming, but he’s still there to evict her friends.

How can she follow her dreams if it means ending everyone else’s?

I loved Lilly Bartlett’s Carlton Square books so when asked by the author if I wanted the chance to review her new book, how could I possibly refuse. I’m very glad I didn’t as this was a wonderfully funny book and having only recently been on holiday to Yorkshire when we spent a day over in Scarborough, where this book is set, everything about it made sense. A great cast of characters and some heart warming romance to boot, if you love rom-com you’ll love this. I’ll be reviewing on release day 18th August but you can preorder the book here. You can also watch the promo video below – make sure to leave the sound on …

…

So that was it reading wise. Four books. Are you impressed. Believe me when I say I am as I have never felt so tired as I did last week and I am pretty sure the books are partly to blame as they were too good to put down. Blogging wise I had a full week with a mixture of reviews, a couple of impromptu cover reveals, and the good old #booklove features.

#BlogTour: Review – Red is the Colour by Mark L. Fowler

#BookLove: Carol Cooper

Cover Reveal – @Bookouture & Tracy Bloom

#BlogTour: Review – Long Shot by Jack Steele

#Blogtour: Review – Till the Dust Settles by Pat Young

Cover Reveal: @Caroline_writes @Bookouture

#BlogTour: Little Bird by Sharon Dempsey

#BookLove: Lorraine Rugman

Guest Review: Stalker On The Fens by Joy Ellis

…

The week ahead is just as busy. I have two blog tours this week, both tomorrow. First up is I Know A Secret by Tess Gerritsen and then I have a guest post by Jo Huey, author of Transition. I will have a selection of reviews and also #Booklove posts from Louise Walters and Abbie Rutherford. I do hope you can join us. I also have a very exciting afternoon and evening planned on Thursday, but more about that next week.

Have a fabulous week’s reading all and I’ll see you same time next week.

JL

Rewind, Recap: Weekly roudup w/e 06/08/17 This has been one very long week. Productive in work terms but very, very long. And to cap it all off I have decided to try and get myself back on the diet which means I am tired 

#Best Book Blogger #Rewind Recap #Weekly Round UP