#the only romance i've really read and enjoyed was you and me on vacation / the people we meet on vacation by emily henry | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dirtytomatoedwrites · 6 months

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THE RESIGNATION

Summary: You can quit. It doesn't mean Rafe will let you.

Paring: CEO!Rafe Cameron x Fem!Reader

Strictly 18+ No Minors to Interact

Warnings: 18+ Smut. Oral (w receiving) Masturbation (w), Rough Sex, PIV, Creampie, Fluff, Romance with a dash of Angst. AgedUp!Rafe. Not Proof-Read. Enjoy.

Word Count: 2k words

Author's Note: Something a little shorter, lighter and sweet. Happy reading and much love to you all ❤️

Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Please don’t steal or copy bits of my writing or any writing from other writers cause karma will get ya.

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*Buzzzzzzzzz*

“Yes.”

“Y/N is here to see you.”

“Send her in.”

Rafe watches in fascination as you shuffle in, your face taut and serious. Your eyes cast downward, clutching a file. As you tuck an unruly strand of hair behind your ear, he realizes you're nervous. The tension, his silence, makes you even more anxious.

“Sit,” he instructs, motioning to the chair across his desk. Meanwhile, he keeps his gaze on his papers. He continues to read and leisurely sign forms. Yet, he can distinctly feel your eyes on him, both of you fully aware of the meeting's purpose.

For Rafe, the dynamics at play are exhilarating. After finishing his tasks, he lifts his eyes to find you focused on your file, seemingly avoiding his gaze.

He unbuttons his suit jacket and leans back, his fingers drum lightly on the fine-crafted letter in front of him. The paper carries a soft hint of perfume. It smells like you.

There's a part of him that wishes to be cruel, to use biting words he's often used with others in his employ. Yet something about you prevents him. The game of power was always in his favor, but with you, the boundaries become ambiguous, shifting in unexpected ways. With you, it's always been personal.

“Why didn't you tell me you were unhappy?” he asks. His tone is calm, yet probing. You seem taken aback, eyes widening as they search his face.

He decides to try another approach. “It's clear to me now,” he points to your letter of resignation. “You were unhappy at Cameron Enterprises. How long have you felt this way?”

Your surprise is palpable, and he watches you closely, enjoying the tapestry of emotions that flash across your face, each one more captivating than the last.

“Well?” he prods.

You shift, straightening your back. “I am grateful for my time at Cameron Enterprises. Truly I am. The team has been so kind to me, and I'll honestly cherish the friends I've made—”

“But?” he asks, cutting you off, eager to understand.

“But, I believe it's time for me to pursue other opportunities,” you admit, measuring your words. You slowly nod your head, as though you have thought this whole thing out, and now you are not only resolved with the thought but you truly believe it. It’s this sureness, this resolution, that truly makes Rafe react.

“I see,” Rafe says as he presses a button, making the office walls turn opaque. "So, you think you've outgrown us."

“No—”

"No?" he interrupts, rising from behind his desk and walking slowly toward you.

"No. I just- I feel it's time for me to try something... new.”

"Something new," he repeats, his gaze lowers to meet yours while you look up at him. His eyes scrutinize you carefully. “I respect that,” he nods, and as you avert your gaze, he gently hooks your chin with his fingers, prompting you to look him in the eye.

“No, really. I do. What's the point of life if not to grow, right? But let me be crystal clear: leaving here is not an option. So, here's what I'm willing to offer," his voice is as smooth as honey as his thumb strokes your jaw. "First, a five percent raise. But seeing as you’re already on one of the highest salaries here, I suspect that won't really sway you. You’ll also be given a new title.”

"Raf—"

"And to sweeten the deal," Rafe interrupts, "a vacation to any destination you want. You'll be whisked away on the company jet, stay at a five-star, luxury hotel—every need pampered and taken care of. I'll see to that, and we'll get to that, but here's the thing—" he whispers, his voice low and seductive.

"You embarrassed me today—ah, ah, I'm talking," he asserts, his eyes commanding yours into silence. "If it were anyone else, anyone else, no one would have noticed or given a flying fuck. But since it’s you, your little resignation created a lot of gossip. It made us look weak, hinted at instability, and in a Fortune 500 company, that's not going to work. Do you think the board cares about your need to ‘try something new'? Hm," his gaze is drawn to your mouth as you clamp it shut.

"So for those reasons, I'm going to punish you,”he says, while his thumb gently taps your chin. "But how to punish you...” he muses. “That’s the real question.”

Pulling away, he slides his hands into his pockets and, after taking a few steps back, leans against his desk.

"Rafe, you know I was just— I mean I wasn’t trying to—”

"Spare me, all right? I'm not interested in hearing what you have to say. Not right now. What I want..." he said slowly as he tapped a finger to his chest "What I want, is for you to open your legs, yeah? That's what I want."

You're shocked — he gathers as much from the way you gulp, and Rafe can't help but let a smirk of self-satisfaction curl his lips.

"Don't look so surprised. You knew what working for me entailed when you agreed to it. Now, spread your legs. Let me see what I'm shelling out nearly half a mil for."

"Rafe, I… I" you murmur.

Crossing his arms, his gaze locks onto yours signalling the end of the discussion. Hesitantly, and with much caution, you eventually slide your legs apart, your skirt riding up ever so slightly.

"Wider," Rafe commands, "Lean back and open them wider."

Breathing heavily, you do as he asks. Leaning back against the chair, you spread your legs open fully, causing your skirt to ride up to your waist, revealing your panty-covered sex. The damp patch, dark against the bright red fabric teases him.

"Pull your panties to the side. Let me see how wet you are.” he whispers silkily.

You turn your head away shyly but eventually you hook a finger into the fabric and pull it aside, exposing your slick wet folds to his ravenous gaze.

Rafe smiles in approval.

"That's good." he purrs, "Now, touch yourself. That pussy looks like it needs a good fingering " his voice rumbles with authority as his gaze flickers from your face to your exposed weeping slit. You hesitate, breathing heavily while trying to form a protest.

"I… I'm not—"

"Do it," he interrupts firmly.

You hesitate for a few moments, but eventually obey by pushing a finger into your dripping sex. A moan escapes your lips when Rafe lets out a deep groan as encouragement. Your hesitation seems to disappear and you push another finger in.

"Fuck," he hisses. "Add another. I know you can handle it."

You nod slowly and introduce a third, while the middle finger of your other hand gently rub your clit. Sinking into the sensation you open your legs wider for more access, your fingers moving hard and fast.

Rafe groans in protest. “Go slow...This isn’t for you. It’s about what I want, and what I want is for you to tease yourself. You're not allowed to cum. Not yet. Not until I say.”

You whimper but follow his command. You slow your speed til it's teasing almost leisurely and Rafe soaks it all in. The jolts of pleasure that have you mewling, the way your chest rises and fall, breathless, desperate. The way you curl your fingers just enough to make you gasp. It's incredible to watch and as your hips begin to buck against your massaging fingers, Rafe finds himself looming over you, taking in the sight of your ecstasy-filled face and finger-stuffed pussy.

He leans in and kisses you. His tongue lashes yours, tasting your moans and desperation. He pulls away, eyes back on your wet centre, focused on your fingers moving in and out, accompanied by the sweet wet sounds it makes and your hips rising from the chair.

"Go on, make that pussy cum." he orders. In no time, your orgasm washes over you. He can see it build from your core as you shudder and your thighs shake, your breath hitches fighting to stave it off and then it radiates out from the depths of your soul in a moan of pure ecstasy.

Before you can catch your breath, Rafe pushes your hand away and laps at your essence with his tongue. His hands on the back of your knees, push your legs right to your chest, keeping it wide open as he tongue fucks you.

Eating you out was always an appetizer he savored, making sure you had cum at least twice from his efforts, but right now, with his blood boiling with anger and frustration, he's famished and desperate for the main course.

Urgently, he undoes his slacks and lifts your legs even higher, pinning your ankles above your head with one hand. Without giving you time to adjust, he smears his cock with your slick and plunges deep into your tight heat, pressing you into the chair with his body weight as he begins to pound you.

It's a painful position, and he's acutely aware of that. It's deep and aggressively forceful, the type of position that should be approached with care, or ease you gently into it. But right now, it's not about you. Right now he's too riled up to care and so he fucks you without remorse or restraint, reducing you to nothing more than a fuck toy- his fuck toy spurred on by the delicious moans that escape your parted lips.

Your hands cling to the armrests for dear life as you desperately try to maintain your balance. Rafe continues to slam his hips against the back of your thighs, taking pleasure in your inability to move while he plows you deep. You whimper, desperate to escape his grip, but it does nothing to deter him. Instead, he revels in your struggle, knowing that your lack of control will only intensify his orgasm and your own.

"You want to quit..." Rafe sneers. He watches you whimper and feels your pussy tighten like a vice, while simultaneously soaking the front of his slacks. It makes him feral and he redoubles his efforts, fucking you into the chair until it starts to scrape against the cherry-oak floor.

"You want to quit on me?" he strains, while he observes ecstasy wash over your face, your eyes roll back in a pleasure-filled awe. With one hand, he gently taps your cheek to keep you focused.

"You wanna quit on me? Huh?” And he leans in further, his cock repeatedly hits a spot so deep you’re shaking, babbling and barely coherent.

“You're not going anywhere. Not now, not ever," he grunts, "Now fucking cum. Fucking cum.” His ruthless demand pushes you higher until all inhibitions are obliterated. You scream out in surrender, bucking up onto his plundering cock while Rafe releases a guttural moan, filling you with ribbon after ribbon of thick cum.

Several minutes have passed when his movements gradually stops, signaling the ebbing of his energy. He's exhausted, his fervor having reached its climatic end. He pulls out, his balance wavering slightly until his back meets the glass desk behind him. A contented exhale escapes his lips as he takes in the sight of you.

There you are, looking thoroughly fucked out. Your legs are splayed open, a sheen of sweat glistens on your skin, reflecting the aftermath of passion. His cum slowly leaks out of you and you wear it like a carnal badge of honor. Observing your state, he’s acutely aware that his own appearance mirrors yours—fucked out and messy. His clothes is in disarray, his cock is hanging out and physical exhaustion makes his body seek support against the table.

Despite the disheveled scene, a wave of affection swells within him, washing over any remnants of his earlier anger. His chest heaves as he gulps in air, attempting to control his breathing.

"You're lucky I love you," he manages to say, each word punctuated by his effort to recover. His gaze locks onto yours, intense yet softened by the rush of emotions. "No one else has this infuriating, intoxicating effect on me. You drive me to the brink and back," he adds, a playful seriousness lacing his tone as he licks his lips. "For that little stunt, I should fire you," he teases.

Your fingers glide through the cum dripping from your sex, and Rafe can't suppress a sense of pride. He always takes pride in the chaos he creates, especially when you revel in it.

"I've been trying to talk to you, but you've been so distracted lately, you haven't been listening" you sigh, as you try to catch your breath. "What else was I supposed to do to get your attention? Hand me some tissues, will you?"

He pauses, his eyes narrowing as he digests your words, then reaches with a trembling hand for the tissue box on his desk. "When? When did you try to talk to me and I wasn't listening?" he asks. He takes a clump of tissues and hands them to you.

"This morning at breakfast, and last night during dinner. I barely started speaking before you turned the conversation back to contractors and deadlines and even when I gave you a solution, not just one Rafe but two- two concrete solutions you ignored me. It was like I wasn't even there. It's not the first time." you explain, accepting the tissues from him.

"I didn't realize—"

"You did," you interrupt, ensuring your eyes stay fixed on his to underline your statement. "Why do you think I kept singing the song about wanting to make some changes, wanting to try something new. I've been saying it for weeks on and off because this is clearly not working."

“I thought you were talking about remodeling the offices, not resigning from the company. It's a family business—how would it look if my wife quits?" His voice carries a hint of concern, not just for the optics but for the unspoken bond that this business represents between the two of you.

A soft sigh escapes you as you lock eyes with him, a delicate blend of frustration and affection. "Rafe, I don't want to walk away from this," you admit "But I need more than just a title and a desk. I need to feel heard, to be part of this with you, not just in name because I'm married to a Cameron. I want to be a part of the decisions and changes we dare to dream up together."

Rafe's eyes hold yours, a moment of realization dawning upon him. "I see you," he says quietly, the weight of his oversight apparent in his tone. "I'm sorry I wasn't listening. Do you really want to leave? Is that what you truly want?"

His question, earnest and laced with vulnerability, hangs between you, but you shake your head gently. "No, I don't want to leave, Rafe. I just want... more. More involvement, more acknowledgment, and yes, maybe even a little more attention. But leaving? No. This place, with all its madness, is where I belong."

He exhales, the relief evident in the way his shoulders drop slightly, the rigid line of worry softening around his eyes. "Thank fuck for that," he says with a hushed intensity. "Because I can't imagine doing any of this without you. But let's agree on no more 'resignation stunts' in the future, yeah? It's bad press and only makes for bad business—besides, I doubt my heart can take it."

You nod, agreeing, a mischievous glint in your eye as if to say you’ll find another effective way to get right under his skin, because in the end you always do. “Fine. But for the record, I do have some ideas for my office too."

He laughed, the sound rich and warm, and he pulled you into a messy, loving kiss. "We'll discuss it at home, Mrs. Cameron. For now, let's get you cleaned up, yeah?"

"Speak for yourself. You're the one with your dick hanging out."

With a shared laugh and a sweaty kiss, you both begin the task of putting the office—and yourselves—back together, the line between professional and personal wonderfully blurred.

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A/N - See guys I can do sweet 😈 I tried to keep the reveal until the end shhhh 🤭 Thanks for reading x If you enjoyed it please reblog as it supports writers. Until next time ❤️

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ayyy-pee · 1 year

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𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒖𝒆: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒂𝒚 𝑾𝒆 𝑴𝒆𝒕

Discord 18+ - Twitter - JJK Masterlist

Pairing: Choso x f! Reader

Summary: Every summer, he's a little taller. Every summer, his voice is a little deeper, a little richer. Every summer he's more handsome. And as you both grow together, so does your love.

A story of love blooming between two individuals over many, many summers.

Chapter Warnings: **Depictions of Drowning** - read with caution

Choso Art By: NC9__

AN: I've been itching to write a Choso only fic lately and I've had this summertime romance fic in my head for the last few days that I thought he'd be good in! It'll be a childhood friends to lovers shortfic (like five chapters) and I hope you all enjoy! Here's the prologue!

**Also while not all chapters contain adult content, the themes of this story are targeted towards adults, so minors DNI please.

You were nine years old when you laid eyes on the ocean for the first time.

You remember it clear as day, your parents' sudden turn of fortune allowing them to splurge on more luxurious things. Suddenly you were gifted with new toys, new clothes and shoes, new furniture in your home. And your parents…well, they decided to purchase a beach house for vacations. So fun. So exciting. So new. You’d never gone on family vacations before unless it was to visit your grandparents. That was boring. But this…this was something new and shiny and wonderful.

You’d never been so excited to get in the car and go, your mouth moving a mile a minute as you bombarded your poor mother with questions along the way. After many hours of curling up in the car for naps, many pit stops and what seemed like an entire day to your young mind, you finally arrive at your new vacation home.

Your dad unloads all of your bags as you bounce around the house. It’s homey, comfortable, already furnished and most importantly, you can see the ocean from your living room windows. You watch the waves roll in one after another, barely able to contain your excitement. You beg your parents to take you to the beach, to let you see the ocean as close as you can. After some negotiating (unpacking your bag and a quick snack), your mother rushes you off to the beach, leaving your father to inspect the rest of the house.

“We’ll have a girls day. Just you and me,” your mother beams, holding your hand tight as you descend the stairs from the pier.

There is so much to take in here: seagulls screeching in the distance, the crashing of waves rolling into each other, jet skis zipping past, all new sounds filling your little ears. The graininess of the sand between your toes, the warmth and softness as it runs through your fingers. An hour later, after many sandcastles and moats have been built, you stand where the sand meets the ocean, barefoot with wide eyes drinking in the vast amount of water ahead of you. The soft foam of the rolling water kisses the tips of your toes before crawling back out to sea.

Your mother has gone to get you both drinks at the boardwalk, the sun finally beginning to drain you both. Before leaving, she made you promise to stay seated under the beach umbrella until she gets back. Any other day, you would listen. You really would. You’d stay glued to your spot, waiting patiently for your mother to return. But this is your first time at the beach. Of course you want to know more about this massive wonder only a few steps away. So your tiny feet inch forward.

The sudden chill of the water makes you gasp in shock when you feel how much colder it is in contrast to the scorching sand on your feet just seconds prior. It takes you a moment to adjust, shivering slightly as you wade forward. The water soon reaches above your knees, the push and pull of the current sending more shivers up your body as the cold reaches higher and higher. The current pulls and you lose your footing for the briefest of seconds before it pushes you back to standing. You giggle, deciding you love the ocean more than you’d thought.

You wish you knew how to swim. You think you’d swim all the way to where the sky meets the ocean if you could. The horizon. That’s what you remember your mother calling it just earlier when you’d arrived. You decide you’ll ask your mother for lessons when she gets back. But for now, you’ll only go out until the water reaches your waist. That won’t be too bad. You push forward, your heart pounding happily as your little mind rapidly fires off questions you hope to soon have answers to.

I wonder how much water is in the ocean?

Can I drink it?

What’s that smell?

Why is wet sand so squishy?

What if there’s mermaids?

Or what if there’s a shark?

All of your thoughts are racing through your head so fast, you don’t realize you’re inching further and further, deeper and deeper into the waters. Eyes locked on the horizon, you fail to notice how deep you’ve gone…until your footing is lost beneath you. You feel yourself drop, feet hitting soft sand, your face barely above water enough to breathe but you launch yourself up, gasping in an attempt to get as much air as you can. And then you’re down again, feet kicking, toes pointed to the point of cramping, desperately trying to find the ground again and only sinking further. A dark shadow rises to loom over and you peer up just in time to let out a shrill cry as a wave comes crashing down on you not a second later.

The first thing you feel is frozen, the sudden iciness of the deep waters shocking you to the point you can’t move. You try to inhale, only resulting in your lungs being filled with fluids. But it’s enough to make you move, your arms and legs thrashing wildly as you try to resurface to no avail.

You peer up again. The reflection of the sky above waves tauntingly at you, teasing you by being just within arms reach, and still you are unable to get to it. You can just barely make out the rays of sun over the surface of the water, your eyes burning with an intensity you’ve never experienced before in your nine short years on this earth. You wave your arms, kick your legs, try your hardest to get closer to those rays only to feel yourself sinking lower, getting further.

Your lungs are on fire, ears throbbing with the roaring whoosh of water as the ocean pounds against your eardrums relentlessly. You squeeze your eyes shut tight, not even able to enjoy the relief it brings your eyes as you stupidly try to breathe again. You can’t even help it. Your body is doing what it knows to do, what it needs to survive.

And you, at the tender age of nine, soon begin to realize that even as your body fights, your chances of survival are minimal.

You wish you knew how to swim.

Your head hurts, the pain beginning to seep into your bones as your limbs tingle. Everything hurts as the undercurrent of the waves tosses you back and forth, rolls and twists your body painfully. But more than anything, your heart hurts as your mothers face comes to mind.

The disappointment and fear she’ll surely feel when she comes back and sees you’ve moved from your place under the umbrella. That you broke your promise to her and now you’re nowhere to be seen.

You see your dad’s face, twisted with agony when he gets the news.

Even as your nine year old heart comes to terms with your impending demise, you can only wonder if your mom will be angry with you. You hope she won’t be. You hope she’ll know how sorry you are. That you should have listened. You should have stayed.

You wish you knew how to swim.

The burning in your lungs subsides. The muffled noise of breaking waves fades. And your mind stops racing. Your mind just…stops altogether. There are no thoughts lingering in your head, no more fear, no more pain. You’re just there, floating in the abyss.

And then you feel it, a lifeline hooking itself quite literally to your shirt, yanking you up and out of the depths below and guiding you roughly to the surface as the ocean tries to drag you back. You feel the rays of the sun warm your skin again, the heat radiating all the way to the marrow of your bones. The gusts of wind slapping against your face quite literally revive you; a visceral cough racking through your body. It’s disgusting, putrid, all the salt water stinging both your throat and your nostrils as you retch, gag and expel the remnants from your body.

You feel your back gently hit the sand, someone’s small hands holding your face as they hover over you. You can’t see straight, your vision blurring as you squeeze your eyes open and shut to rid yourself of the salt water still assaulting your corneas.

Whoever is holding you is talking, but it’s muffled. You can barely make out anything they’re saying. They’re holding your hand, pressing their ear against your nose, talking to you and you can just make out a “someone’s coming to help you”. Then there’s another person crouching next to you. They grab you, pulling you to them, holding you so tight you almost feel like you’re underwater again. And it takes no time at all for you to realize it’s your mother: the familiar warmth of her body, a heartbeat you’ve known since before birth. There’s no doubt in your mind it’s her. She’s not angry with you like you thought she’d be but you can hear the fear in her trembling voice when she speaks to the person you assume saved you.

Your mother swipes at your eyes and your vision clears, your gaze focusing only on her. Then she dips her fingers into your ears and you feel the water spill from them, her voice becoming clearer. Next to you, the person who pulled you from the water speaks, voice soft as they ask if you’re alright.

You tilt your head from your mothers chest to give a tiny nod. With clear eyes, you can finally see their face. It’s just a boy, a kid maybe your age or a year older. He’s got wide brown eyes that stare straight into yours as he inches closer to you and your mother. His dark hair is wild and unkempt, tied up in two pigtails. Even wet, they poke out every which way.

“You almost died,” he gasps, not bothering to filter himself. “You gotta pay attention out there!”

“You saved her?” Your mother asks, and you can hear the shakiness in her voice still. The little boy nods.

“Yep! Me and my brothers were playing over there–” he points off to the side where two younger boys and a small baby sit under a large umbrella.

“What’s your name?” Your mother questions.

“Choso,” the boy answers with a wide grin. He’s got a large gap where one of his front teeth should be and it makes you smile. “I take care of my brothers when we come to the beach, so I’m always watching to make sure they don’t get hurt. I saw a wave take her under so I went to help and–”

He’s cut off by your mother suddenly yanking him into her embrace, squeezing you two together tightly. “Thank you,” your mother sobs into his hair. “Thank you so much. You could’ve died, too. You have to be careful, too. Both of you. You have to be careful.”

She holds him and you to her chest, sobbing in joy and relief that you are both okay, both safe. You feel strange, your mom cradling you in one arm and this stranger you just met two minutes ago in the other. But your eyes find Choso and he doesn’t seem to be sharing the same sentiment. He looks shy, embarrassed, his cheeks a bright crimson as your mom continuously thanks him for saving you, calls him your guardian angel.

His gaze meets yours, brown eyes swimming with what you think are tears and he gives you a shy smile that you just as shyly return. You know from that moment that you will be seeing Choso again. And though the day did not turn out as expected, when you crawl into bed that night and replay the events of the day, you think the day turned out even better.

You think back to the look on Choso’s face when your mother held him, thanking him profusely. She wanted to meet his parents to thank them as well, and was surprised to know that his mother and father were not around much and so the brothers entertained themselves for the most part. This wouldn’t do, so your mother took him and his brothers home after treating them to dinner. You think about the tender smile Choso gifted you with when you agreed to come back to the pier to play with him and his brothers later in the week. Yes, you could say today was a good day. And you were hoping to have many more with Choso.

You were nine years old when you laid eyes on the ocean for the first time.

And you’d almost died.

But you were also nine years old when you were saved from that same ocean.

And you laid eyes on the love of your life for the first time.

#choso kamo x reader #choso kamo x you #choso kamo fic #choso x reader #choso x you #choso x y/n #choso x female reader #choso kamo x y/n #anime x you #anime x y/n #jjk x you #jjk x reader #jjk fanfic #anime fanfic

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starg1rlie · 10 months

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𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 ㅤㅤPROLOGUE: The Baby | (MLIST)

⟡ rating. slight romance + angst ( adolescent audience )

⟡ summary. ( the re-written version of "better late than never" is finally here! i know some people have asked about it, since i've deleted it but it's BACK NOW!! ) not all fairy tales end in a happily-ever-after. take (Y/N) and ajax for example; they had the love story of a lifetime and yet it's now all water under the bridge. ten years after the two of them split up, it was suggested that (Y/N) spend a summer vacation over in snezhnaya to give their son and the father some time to bond together and enjoy a relaxing break. however, that's easier said than done.

notes. you have no idea how long this post has been sitting in my drafts, oml. hey, yep, this is leo here, formerly known online as tarluscious (or, leo, as my moots know me), here to talk a bit about the remake of this delightful series. ever since i started publishing more and more chapters of this series back when it was still a "fly by the seat of my pants" project, i wasn't happy with the final results. i mean, hell, who's ever happy with the first attempt? and i've been meaning to re-write this series for so long, but i never found the time to. when i took my hiatus a couple of months ago, i was a little sad that i wouldn't get the chance to write BLTN over again. however, my friend, who now runs this blog (hyokkun) with me, suggested that they might re-write it, and we came to a happy conclusion that the both of us should work on this project together. so here we are, with the prologue. yayy. just wanted to say that what this means is, hyokkun has added their own inputs into this series, while i, leo, am the main author of it. so, all that being said, i hope you thoroughly enjoy this re-written version. please note that some things may be different from the last time you've read this series, and that's because changes has been made to fit the new plot accordingly. reblogs and likes are appreciated ! | wc. 1,542 words ( 8,566 characters )

⟡ feat. childe / tartaglia x female! reader ( she / her pronouns are used )

ㅤㅤA cry split through the peaceful silence of the hospital. A baby, swaddled in warm, cuddly blankets had begun wailing, even though he was cradled within the arms of his mother. He kept bawling, even as the mother hummed a lullaby, even as she rocked him back and forth in her arms, even as she cupped one side of his delicate face and whispered 'It's going to be okay' over and over again.

ㅤㅤA new wave of sickness passed over (Y/N) as she stared down at her stomach, imagining what it would be like bigger, pondering over the process it takes for a baby to develop within her. It both simultaneously intrigued and terrfied her. She couldn't imagine popping out a baby from her unmentionables, let alone having it stuck in her womb for months. Yet as she began to wonder, a new question came into light: would she give up this baby? Could she?

ㅤㅤPeople say that you don't really have a choice when you're young; no one's capable of raising a child when they're barely just a young adult, and yet, she could name a few people she knew right off the bat who were doing just fine with parenting. But the real question was if she was ready for this. Be it ready to give it up or ready to endure the consequences, it didn't matter. She just had to know for sure if she was ready.

ㅤㅤShe still remembered the conversation that had went down only a few weeks ago. She refers to it as a 'discussion', but really, it was a full-out argument....A migraine had formed underneath her temple and had buried its heels in deep, causing a resonating pounding to echo within her head, messing with her already tangled up thoughts. And yet, that day's memories remained untouched. If anything, it was tugged free of the mess and pulled into the light.

ㅤㅤ"What the fuck? What the fuck?"

ㅤㅤ"Saying 'what the fuck' over and over again isn't going to make the situation anymore better than it already is, Ajax," (Y/N) interrupted, breathing out a slightly exasperated sigh. She'd been scared out of mind about telling her boyfriend about the news and this was exactly why: he'd take it badly. He always took life-changing news badly, unless it involved travelling, free food, or money. She'd grown used to his childish behaviour ever since the two started going out, but right now was not the time to act like a child.

ㅤㅤ"Then what will make this better? Huh? Please elaborate on that for me," Ajax replied sarcastically, throwing his hands up in the air. He'd been pacing for the past five minutes since (Y/N) had spilled the beans about her pregnancy. Anymore pacing and he'd pace a trench right through their apartment floor. "Because I really don't understand how anything can make this better."

ㅤㅤ"Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that you're going to be a father? Haven't you been going on and on about wanting to have a son one day?" (Y/N) retorted, patience fizzling.

ㅤㅤ"When I'm thirty, not twenty-four!"

ㅤㅤ"What's a few years early? If anything, you'd get your dream quicker," she mumbled under her breath, absentmindedly flipping through the channels on the cable.

ㅤㅤAjax leapt forward and snatched the remote out of her hands, slamming it roughly onto the glossy surface of their coffee table, one that he'd insisted he put together himself, even though the table had come from IKEA, and he knew nothing on how to read instructions in Swedish. That little memory caused a tiny pang to go through her heart, enough to make it ache just a little bit. Please, she prayed, please let us get through this together.

ㅤㅤ"You're not listening! Do you honestly think that I'm ready for this? That you're ready for this? We're still in college for God's sake, do you expect us to be whizzes at parenthood?"

ㅤㅤ(Y/N) barely managed to withhold a snort at his sarcasm, but politely shook her head. She knew deep down inside that she wasn't ready to be a mother, let alone have a child at such a young age. What would her friends think? What would her parents think?

ㅤㅤ"What, then, I 'spose you expect us to waltz right in and get comfortable in our positions as parents, right? We'll be fine, so long as we manage to balance a baby into our already hectic and crazy lives, right? Just plop it right in between work and college and paying bills, hm?"

ㅤㅤ"Right," she repeated.

ㅤㅤAjax paused his pacing for a moment. "Do you understand the concept of sarcasm?" he asked incredulously.

ㅤㅤ(Y/N) went silent, seemingly contemplating whether she'd been too hasty to cast in her answer earlier.

ㅤㅤ"Whatever. It doesn't matter." His jaw tensed and for a moment, he looked as though he might punch something. Not (Y/N), heavens no, but something. Possibly the fridge (poor thing; it never did anything to deserve this sort of abuse). "What matters is that you're pregnant and we're still in college. We're students, we can barely make it past out deadlines, let alone manage a child." He sounded almost tired, and for the first time in a while, she just now noticed the bags under his eyes, and the tired croak to his voice, taking the place of the usual charming lilt he normally had. How many times had she come home from her part-time job at the laundromat to see him passed out on the exact same coffee table they were currently in front of, drooling all over his calculus homework? How many times had she come back from her lectures to find a pristine sink and an empty fridge? Ajax was incredibly vain and conscious about his self-image, that he took great lengths to make himself look presentable each day. But ever since his senior year in college started, his schedue started going downhill and he never had the time to do any of the things he normally did to take care of his body. He hadn't eaten proper food for days, and has been liviing off of coffee (and her fancy vanilla oatmilk creamer) and Doritos for God knows how long.

ㅤㅤ"What are we going to do?" (Y/N) asked finally, voice timid and quiet, as if anything louder might break the fragility of this scene.

ㅤㅤWhen Ajax looked up, she had expected his face to be sad, almost regretful for saying such things about the situation, but instead she found his gaze hard and penetrating, almost menacing. "We can't look after a baby right now, (Y/N), you know that."

ㅤㅤAnd the truth was, she did know it. She just chose not to believe it. But the way he worded it, the way he said it, seemed to hint at something. Something that made waves of nausea roll through the pits of her stomach.

ㅤㅤ"You're not suggesting...."

ㅤㅤ"An abortion," Ajax finished quietly, gaze trained on a coffee stain on the carpet.

ㅤㅤ"Ajax, no. No. We can't give the baby up before we've even tried. That's just cruel. This is your child, possibly the son you said you wanted, and you're just going to throw him away? Let him die before he gets a chance to play on a soccer team, like you did? Before he even gets a chance to see the two people who made him?" Your voice broke at those last few words and before you knew it, tears were streaming down your face in thick, wet trails. "You might be giving up on him, but I'm never letting go."

ㅤㅤAjax inhaled sharply, air hissing through clenched teeth as he breathed out. "We aren't ready for this, (Y/N)."

ㅤㅤ She knew he was right. She knew it in her heart and in her brain. But some part of her wanted to keep this unborn baby that was developing within her stomach right now. Some part of her wanted to know the happiness of being a parent, a mother.

ㅤㅤShe didn't want to follow through with this. She didn't want to let the baby die. And yet...

ㅤㅤ"Miss (L/N)? You can come in now. Dr. Li's ready for you," a voice called, interrupting (Y/N)'s train of thought. She looked up, one hand resting on her tummy, the other clenched around a cell phone. The screen was still on, a barrage of messages (most likely from her family and friends) lighting up the screen with soft 'pings'.

ㅤㅤShe breathed in deeply, exhaling slowly, a breathing trick she'd learned from online to calm her nerves down.

ㅤㅤFinally, she spoke.

ㅤㅤ"Ah, sorry. I'm afraid I've changed my mind. If it's alright with you, I'll be canceling my appointment."

ㅤㅤThe nurse hesitated for a moment before nodding along. She obviously was not paid enough to barge into patients' lives, so she (wisely) kept her nose in her own business. "Of course, miss. I'll let him know you'll be leaving. Have a lovely rest of your day."

ㅤㅤ(Y/N) nodded along before waddling out of the waiting room, feeling giddy and deliriously light from the weight that had just been lifted from her shoulders. Ajax would be upset over this, yes, but it would be worth it. She could feel it in her bones.

📮 tagging. @kiryoutann, @ajaxstar, @mobiussdarling, @samarill, @dinolvrrr, @messyserver, @xxfrostiee, @enviouspeanut, @ehddsnys, @maaarshieee, @dazaiscum, @mochicurls21, @shinobuko, @iiyumii, @meiraloves2dmen, @retiredmommylover, @electronicphilosopherflower. if your user is highlighted in BOLD that means your current URL does not match the one you inputted in the form. fill out this form if you want to be tagged

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annaholak · 7 months

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Inktober, Tiffany Aching, Barbie, and a General Life Update

The Plan: Read the Tiffany Aching books during the summer, re-make her, and use her as the main character for my next Inktober.

The Reality: while I was finishing Cupid Cafe my landlord decided to sell the apartment I've been renting for over a decade. It was an extremely shitty one (no heating, broken air-conditioning units, dark, moldy, etc), but it was dirty cheap, and the best I could afford.

It was sold in mid-June, and the new owner (surprising no one) wanted to raise the rent. I don't know how the rental market is wherever you live, but here (in Athens, Greece) it's a right nightmare (Airbnb has a lot to answer for...). I couldn't find anything in the same price bracket that wasn't basically a tiny basement-turned-into-a-studio. I was panicking. Heavily.

In the end a (really good) friend came to my rescue. She convinced her mom (who had moved to her vacation home during the pandemic) to rent me the city apartment she was rarely using anymore. With the same money I was paying for the previous one. A fucking life saver let me tell you.

It's a much bigger, and generally much nicer, one than the previous shithole I was living in. I finally have enough space for an actual studio. It's also in a much nicer neighbourhood. One I normally would not be able to afford. Lots of green spaces, and very pet friendly (I don't have a pet at the moment, but I'm greatly enjoying meeting all the happy puppers on their walks, whenever I'm out and about).

I moved in in mid-July. I'm still working on it, as I've been going through a lot of the things I had in storage, deciding what to keep, donate, or throw away, and that takes time. The studio is still a mess, but here is a sneak peek of my current working space (the walls were supposed to be lilac, but I'm not complaining - Peppa-the-pig pink it is):

Anyway, back to Inktober. As you can imagine I had hardly the time to read anything during the summer, so the Tiffany Aching idea will have to wait. I also felt extremely uninspired by this year's Inktober prompts. I dug around a bit and found a prompt list I actually like. It's the Mystical Witchtober one, hosted by agingerly aianaiya isabee Madie Meri Marigona Suli Aria and Talita on Instagram. Here's the prompt list (by isabee):

As I was going through the things I've had in storage I found some of my childhood Barbie magazines and sticker albums. So I'm thinking of riding the nostalgia wave, and turning my Witchtober into a slightly Barbie-esque, and a bit late 1980's/early 1990's themed, witch-vampire romance.

I will be working on it at a rather leisurely pace, since I'm still busy working on my new space, and also recovering from a recurring freak throat infection I've had since mid-August (was it strep? was it mono? Who knows? Not my doctors). I've been through two rounds of antibiotics and I'm still not completely well, so please be patient with me.

I think that's all for now. Stick around for a very soft and pink Witchtober. And worry not, I have a lot of Wyrd Sisters things planned once this one is over.

P.S.

Oh yeah, I've also somehow managed in the middle of all the chaos to acquire a new boyfriend. Which hasn't happened in a while. So that's nice.

P.P.S. (bonus for still reading this essay of an update)

I made last year's Wyrd Sisters Abroad Inktober into a zine for the Comicdom Con in May. In true ADHD fashion it was written at five a.m. the morning it had to be at the printer's, after the third all nighter in a row. So typos were inevitable. But the fact that this was the only typo that made it through to the printed version, had me giggling uncontrollably once I discovered it (a couple of months later, it took me a while). Enjoy:

#funny magrat bonus at the end #I think sir terry was having a laugh #oh the irony that is my life #long post #long time no see #personal #new studio #wyrd sisters #inktober #witchtober #barbie

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pop-punklouis · 4 months

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ok here we go. some of my 5 star books from the last year or two 🫶🏽

A PLACE FOR US; fatima farheen mirza || contemporary literary fiction. exploration of family dynamics and faith. cannot recommend it enough if u enjoy either of those things in media. it’s one of my favorite books of all time but i do feel a responsibility to say only read it when u have time to sit and cope with it for a while. it WILL leave u a husk of a person! (if u read this and dislike it, you Must lie to me)

TRANSCENDENT KINGDOM; yaa gyasi || contemporary literary fiction. mommy AND daddy issues, dead sibling, arduous relationship with faith, a fair dose of the immigrant experience. not as taxing as the previous rec but definitely still an emotionally heavy read. i need to read it again soon actually i think it’s so stunningly written

BURNT SUGAR; avni doshi || contemporary literary fiction. what can i say about this book. what emotion didnt it make me feel. just the epigraph alone was enough to make me want to drown myself in a vat of acid. the cyclical relationship between mothers and daughters is so fucking sickening and the way it's depicted in this book... my god. i was so miserable reading it and i wouldn’t recommend it anyone who has mommy issues and hasn’t learned how to deal with them. if you dont have mommy issues... you might have them after reading this book who knows. but it’s still 10/10 from me

NINTH HOUSE; leigh bardugo || dark academia, fantasy. loser girl of all time who can see the dead is put in charge of keeping secret societies at yale university in check. a random girl gets murdered and all signs point to one of the societies being responsible. book 3 isnt out yet but it’s sooo yummy u will adore alex she’s my best friend (also has a sexy generationally wealthy white boy. i want to eat him)

THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS; micah nemerever || dark academia, thriller. definitely one of the crazier books i’ve ever read. batshit insane. two boys develop a delicious friendship that devolves into the worst kind of codependency and results in them murdering someone to make sure they can’t ever replace each other in their lives. gay people can do anything except be normal.

GIOVANNI’S ROOM; james baldwin || classic literary fiction. i don’t think i need to say anything about this. it’s about realizing you don’t know u have a home until you leave it and once you’ve left you can’t ever go home. it’s about isolation—self-inflicted and otherwise. it’s just… everything. everyone should read it. everyone!

HAPPY PLACE; emily henry || contemporary romance. exes who pretend to still be together at their friend group’s annual vacation. i’m not typically a romance novel girl and not everything i’ve read of henry’s has done it for me but this one… i was giggling and twirling my hair. getting flustered and having to take a moment to collect myself. it’s so so good. i do believe it’s miss henry’s best work

THE ROUGHEST DRAFT; austin siegemund-broka & emily wibberley || contemporary romance. cowritten by a married couple about a cowriting duo that hasn’t written together in years. they haven’t spoken since but they’re contractually obligated to put out one more book together. didn’t make me giggle like happy place but i really enjoyed it

seed i love you so very much HELLO!!!! thank you. I've already written all of these down. i cannot wait to dive into their pages.

#book recs

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trainerjames-reads · 2 months

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Snowed in with Summer by @tianawarner

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Date Read: March 5, 2024 - March 8, 2024

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Snowed in with Summer is about Avery, the novel's protagonist, and her journey to rediscover the woman she used to be. She and her boyfriend were planning a trip to the Yukon to see the Northern Lights during the winter solstice, but her boyfriend got cold feet and dumped her instead. The trip was already paid for, though, so why waste it? Avery decides last minute to go and enjoy the week-long vacation by herself. However, when she arrives, there's someone there she wasn't expecting...

The someone is Summer, Avery's ex-girlfriend from seven years ago, hence the title: Snowed in with Summer. Look, I like the title. You wouldn't expect snow during the summer (unless you're Olaf), but in this case Summer is referring to Avery's ex. It's a cute title. I thought it was a really cute book, too.

At 216 pages, it's an easy read. It took me a few days to finish it, but only because I'm a slow reader. I really enjoyed this book a lot and I look forward to getting caught up on the author's other books that I've missed over the years. So, what did I like about the book specifically? I'll tell you (without spoilers)!

I found Avery to be a really pleasant protagonist. This story is told through the first-person point-of-view and it was fun being inside Avery's head. Tiana Warner writes her really well and you can feel when Avery is experiencing anger, joy, love, heartbreak, and passion.

Speaking of passion, author Tiana Warner knows how to write some spicy sex scenes. Her descriptions are on point and she paints the scenes vividly with her writing. By no means is this a bad thing, this book is a romance novel after all, and what's some adult romance without a little bit of sex? I will say that I was glad that I was home when I read these scenes, though.

I really enjoyed Avery and Summer melting the ice between each other and then getting to experience them being playful, flirty, and loving with one another. This is why I love romance. I just love reading about two people fall in love (re-fall in love?) with each other and Tiana Warner did a great job at showing the connection Avery and Summer used to have to one another and still have with each other.

Summer as a character is beautifully written with her own set of flaws. She's not one to stay in a single place for a long time; she enjoys traveling and seeing the world. However, as you read the novel you learn why she travels so much and you feel for her. You want to hug her and let her know that everything will be okay. As a person who grew up with divorced parents who absolutely hated each other, I get it, Summer. I get it.

Overall, I would recommend this book. It's a short, beautifully-written, lesbian romance with a protagonist with whom I really enjoyed spending time. Give this book a read!

OH! I gotta add, I really enjoyed the Epilogue. It was so incredibly sweet! :')

-My review score: 5/5 stars

#snowed in with summer #tiana warner #sapphic books #f/f #f/f romance #sapphic #lesbian books #lesbian romance #books #book review #book blog #romance books #books and reading #reading #goodreads

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romanceandshenanigans · 9 months

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Happy STS!

It's common for the male MCs in Regency romances to be wealthy and powerful dukes or other members of the nobility. But Finn, the male MC in yours, is a writer from a fairly humble background, which is one of the reasons why I find it interesting! How/why did you decide to do this and how is it working in your WIP so far?

First of all, thank you! I really appreciate getting this ask.

As for why Finn is a humble writer instead of a duke there are honestly a lot of ways I can answer that question.

If we're talking structural development, it comes back to both Finn and Juliana's origins as OCs for a D&D campaign I was in which was canceled. Juliana was a bit of a stereotypical run away princess and Finn was a traveling bard. I liked playing with both characters and wanted to find a home for them some place else, while keeping the class disparity as part of the conflict for why they couldn't be together. Fantasy was a bit too daunting to tackle and I've always enjoyed regency romance, so it seemed the perfect fit. Juliana was downgraded from princess to gentlewoman and Finn became an up and coming playwright. I've obviously changed a lot about both characters since then, but the basic starting point required Juliana to remain above Finn on the social ladder.

If you want to dive deeper as to why I even started with the basic premise to begin with, the best answer I can give is personal preference. It's the same reason why Persuasion is my favorite Jane Austen novel. Yes, Wentworth comes back into the story as a successful navy man, but that's not the reason why Anne wants to be with him. She fell in love with him when he was a poor officer, because he was lively and interesting and he loved her too. If it weren't for societal expectations, she would have married him there and then. That to me is more compelling start to a romance, if not to read than certainly to write. It's about the pining.

And now, stunning transitions aside, how is it writing this WIP?

I'm certainly learning a lot like how outlines are you best god damn friends, save every version of a scene you write, and as much as it's nice to have a cafe you can write in until ten at night, drinking coffee at that hour is a bad idea. I've still got a long way to go, but I'm enjoying it. Any spare moment has been spent typing. I honestly feel icky all day if I don't jot something down. My only wish at this point is a month long paid vacation to a cabin in the woods so I can just focus on this manuscript. Overall it's been going well.

P.S. Not to sound like a complete idiot, but what does STS stand for? 😅

#regency romance #author asks #michael finnegan smith #writeblr #writers on tumblr #persuasion #jane austen #original character #original writing #original romance #faceclaim #i really need a faceclaim for juliana

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fixinglitg · 6 months

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BOAT PARTY: IT CAN BE GOOD? Part 1

So Season 3 boat party, the last thing we would see added onto the old all before the game changed apps and started the proper downfall of quality.

I've played through it once before with Aj as my partner, and got back with her in the end. And it felt so unsatisfactory. Were any of the issues resolved? No. Did we really talk about it? No. Did it feel really anticlimactic? Yes.

So I decided I wanted to play it again, after years of not touching it, to see if I could make it good. Which meant not only doing something a little different, but also changing my whole original idea when I remembered that the route I'm doing currently was possible.

So let's get into this! And for once, I'm not even bothering with a disclaimer. Oh and there's multiple parts since I'm probably gonna use more than ten pictures so lmao.

We start off the boat party with the usual questions and all, like who was your partner, did you split the money, are you living together, and what's your job.

And then you do a bit of customisation and pick a name.

Love this bitch.

Then, we get into the scene. It's raining in London, with a bit of a thunderstorm, and we're doing Lottie's personality quiz or something. I actually never read what it is, but I know I got meek mermaid. Whatever that means.

Then Lily enters with dinner, and things are going as good as they can momentarily (Lily was chosen because she's my least favourite LI so I wouldn't really feel much later on). And then, Lily and Gabriella start arguing.

I usually try to avoid conflict, so I go for the last option, but it ends up turning into the first anyways. It doesn't really solve anything anyways, because then the argument gets worse, until Lily leaves and doesn't make a sound for weeks.

Note: if you wanna see someone try and justify the reasons between the LIs conflict and why it's bigger than we think, go to this post by u/melaniekingswife

Then we get Nicky and Elle's text saying how they've got a surprise vacation (not so much a surprise anymore) planned out for them.

Gabe (since I cba to type out Gabriella every time) takes that as an opportunity to enjoy a break from the possible misery she's in, and packs her things. You then choose what swimsuit and fancy/everyday outfit you want before going to the yacht.

Now this part is really vague and all since it's the exact same for everyone's playthroughs, so I'm only really going into it when we get to the main attraction.

Finally, we're greeted by your best friend of the four options (I chose Elle) and you briefly say how things aren't going swimmingly well, but you're interrupted by Nicky saying how we need to get on the boat. Then you'll have three groups of people you can go see, I have no idea how relevant any of them are, so I won't go into that.

Soon enough, Gabe is approached by Nicky and Elle (Nicky shortly leaves again though) and they talk about the issues between Gabe and Lily.

And then we go to the cabin and come face to face with Lily.

During this whole segment, I try and choose the options that agree with her (mostly) since we're on holiday and I don't really have the time for some petty little arguments again. Lily mentions how she's going to find another cabin to sleep in, I say that that's cool, and then we get changed for the health and safety talk.

After that, we talk to Elle about everything properly, before we finally have everything off our chest, and ask how she is instead

Specifically wanted to add this in case no-one realised who I was talking about, currently I cannot for the life of me remember how to spell her name, and neither does my keyboard.

But then Nicky explains how we're going paddle boarding over the intercom, and we quickly switch to that scene.

And the more interesting stuff. See, though this side romance character you choose is the same for everyone (as in it's coded in the same way probably, I actually don't remember) it always feels different when you're with someone you actually like. And that's how the boat party could possibly actually be good. If we don't go back to original LI, and go to this new LI instead.

See most of the arguments at the beginning are pretty silly to turn into something massive. I think it's said that only Tai and Rafi's make sense. And I think that if you're going to have an argument like that? Over dishes? Or not being listened to? Or working out too much? Yeah, no. Any mature person would sit there and talk it out, not argue.

Back to paddle boarding though.

Lily partners up with Iona, slapping Gabe's thought of possibly partnering up out the window, so instead we have to choose another islander. Bill, Tai, and Ciaran aren't an option because they all have a partner (Bill and Miki, and Tai and Ciaran) but I was going with Aj anyways.

I totally wanted to say how much I just wanted her to steal me away instead, BUT I decided that I wanted to be respectful for an episode or two before properly starting the romance.

After a bit of a paddle board tutorial, we then finally get on the actual board itself, have some moments with Aj

Like I said, wanted to keep things respectful for this episode so I chose all the options that were mostly friendly.

Then there's a little moment when Aj says that this is romantic, and that we'd probably rather be with Lily right now.

And I think the best option here is to say "I don't want to compare" because you really shouldn't. Sure, you can take things that you learn from your previous relationships, but you shouldn't be comparing person A with person B. They're someone new, so take it that way.

And I think what Gabe says is correct. We're with Aj right now, we're enjoying ourselves, nothing else should really matter in that moment in time.

Though it's nice how considerate she is.

Then we race Nicky and Elle. I just wanted to add the second screenshot because I find it funny how Gabe looks like she's just came up with a master plan, but it's the most simple thing ever.

Anyways, juicy stuff continues in part 2! Once that's added, I'll link it at the bottom, along with parts following that. This was basically just the base storyline with a little interesting stuff at the end for the people who have never played this.

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sassykattery · 1 year

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Celebrations of the Heart, Pt. 3

If you saw me accidentally upload the wrong part, no, you didn't. Thank you to one of my readers for pointing it out. I was incredibly tired today, so let's blame it on that. I apologize for it nonetheless. I'll be reposting Part 4 on Saturday as planned, I'm very sorry for the mistake

Anyway, moving on.

CW: MC is afab, uses she/her pronouns. MC is a demon and poly. Not much to warn for, there is use for fem gendered term of endearment.

Themes: Romance.

Characters: MC="you", Mammon, Asmo, Beel, Satan, Levi, Belphie, Lucifer, Diavolo, Barbatos

Minors and ageless blogs DNI

18+ only

Masterlist

Enjoy

"So, MC, anything tickle your fancy lately? We could go to Majolish and see if there's anythin' new in stock. I haven't been shoppin' in a while," Mammon said, stretched out on the couch next to you.

"MC! Darling! What do you think of this makeup set? You like it yeah? Also, when's the last time you've been to a spa?" Asmo chirped, showing you his D.D.D.

"Hey, MC, would you rather have Devildom food or human world food?" Beel asked you over a call. "No reason, I just want to know if your tastes have changed," he said.

"You definitely need some more books in your collection, MC," Satan mused, looking in your room. "I've read just about everything in here! Any new ones you want?"

"Hey, MC, I noticed you haven't updated your Akuzon wishlist in a while, maybe you should do that," Levi said as you two played Devil Kart. "Also, you and I haven't hung out, like outside the house in a while."

"I've noticed your pillows are getting kind of flat, MC, have you thought about getting new ones? Also, there's a new space exhibit opening up that I think might be cool to check out together, what do you think?" Belphie asked, sprawled out on your bedroom floor.

This had been going on for several days now, and the headache that threatened to take root only became more and more menacing with each question.

"Ah, MC," Lucifer's low voice smoothly called out to you, seeing your bedroom door open and you lying face down on your bed.

"If you are about to ask what I want for my birthday by circumventing it and saying I need something, followed by the suggestion we go do something, save it. Your brothers already ran that strategy to the ground," you growled.

Lucifer raised a delicate brow, stunned by your mood. Also, he was a tad disappointed because his brothers already ruined his ideas. Did they all really think that much alike? So instead, he changed the direction.

"No, I merely wanted to know if you wanted to come help me with dinner, since it's my turn," Lucifer replied coolly.

"I suppose," you groaned, getting off your bed. Lucifer leaned against the door frame and watched you, adoring your grumpy appearance. He held out his arms for you and you walked over like a zombie and merely shoved your head into his chest.

"Now, now, I know they can be exhausting, but it is to do something nice for you," he murmured to you. His voice rumbled in his chest, soothing your grouchy self.

"I know," you replied quietly into his waistcoat. He pulled away and took your hand, leading you to the kitchen as you two prepared that night's dinner.

"Tell me then, what have they dreamt up so far?" Lucifer inquired.

"Well, I'm fairly sure Asmo is getting me makeup. Satan will probably fill my room with new books. Belphie seems interested in getting me a new pillow? Beel is probably getting me... food?" You said, raising a brow in confusion.

Lucifer chuckled, "You don't seem terribly happy with any of those."

"Oh, quite the opposite. It's endearing, it's just they make everything into such a hassle. I just wish we could all have a good time together, no fights, no drama," you replied.

Lucifer raised his brow in surprise. It meant a lot that you still wished to celebrate with everyone, even if it occasionally ended it slight disaster. You two continued working together to make dinner, and you smiled, thinking about your vacation and making breakfast with him.

"Something humorous?" He inquired.

"Not at all, I was just remembering our flour fight that turned into something else," you stated, humming happily. Lucifer smiled too, also remembering the scene. He looked down at you, picturing you on the counter again and pounding into you.

He cleared his throat and turned, not wanting to get too caught up in those thoughts.

"I shall come out and simply ask, what would you like for your birthday, dove?" Lucifer asked, facing the fridge as he looked for something.

"From you? Nothing," you replied.

Lucifer stood straight and snapped his head at you. "Nothing? From me?"

You smiled and nodded, facing him. "You've given me a lot, more than I can recount, since we've met. I don't think you really need to give me anything at this point," you clarified.

Lucifer instantly knew what he was going to get you in that moment. He simply nodded and replied, "I'll have to figure something on my own then, won't I?"

You narrowed your eyes at him, suspicious. "That sounds concerning," you stated.

"Well, maybe if you had suggested something, you wouldn't have to be," he retorted. You rolled your eyes and helped him finish dinner.

After dinner, you and Lucifer cleaned up, you stewed on what it is he was going to get you. Now it somewhat drove you mad not knowing what it was, and he was going to tease you about it.

"Is it a pony?" You asked impishly.

"If that's what you want," Lucifer said over his shoulder. You put your hands on your hips and stared at his backside.

"A new car?"

"That would be intriguing, wouldn't it?" He replied.

"Tell me," you pleaded, wrapping your arms around his waist, pressing your head into his back.

"No, you had your chance. Now I know what I'm getting and will be keeping it a secret, so you'd best stop asking, little demoness," he said in a warning tone.

You huffed, letting it go for now. Lucifer smirked as you walked away, and he put the last plate away. What a brat, he thought, though, it was out of fondness for your behavior. It wasn't anything he couldn't handle.

As you walked into your bedroom, you looked at your study materials. With a sigh, you sat and began working, though your thoughts drifted elsewhere. Dinner went well, seemingly your new schedule working to keep everyone content as they got their time with you. You couldn't help but miss the castle, Diavolo in particular.

Diavolo raked his hands through his hair, rereading what he wrote in his book. He looked over at his picture of you and sighed, putting his pen down in favor of holding the frame. His thumb ran over your face. It was back when you were human, and though you didn't look terribly different, except for the eyes, he often thought back to those times when you and Diavolo first started dating.

"Young Master?" Barbatos said from the doorway.

"Ah, Barbatos, come in," Diavolo said, putting the photo back.

"Thinking about MC?" Barbatos asked, knowing which photo belonged in the frame he was holding.

"Indeed. It seems your advice has helped me considerably," Diavolo replied.

"Ah, but what were you thinking just now? You looked rather nostalgic. Might I guess it's something about when MC was human?"

"Always on the nose, Barbatos. I couldn't help but think about how easy things were back then, when we first started dating," Diavolo said.

The butler tilted his head in thought. "Maybe so, my lord, but I seem to recall there being a different set of struggles back then too. So why is it you are unable to focus?"

Diavolo's face dropped, a rather serious frown taking over. "You said I always make the right decision. I tell myself that with every move I make, but I feel like when it comes to her, I often make the wrong one."

"My young lord, might I remind you no one has ever said love isn't complicated? This is the first time you are having to consider someone else as much as yourself. It's different, is it not? She's her own person with thoughts and feelings, much different than our own. It takes time, but you two will learn to acknowledge these differences for what they are, and navigate them with grace and mutual understanding," Barbatos explained.

Diavolo was silent after that, deeply considering his butler's words. They hit home, again, something he didn't consider. He looked down at his book again and smiled. "Once again, I owe you my thanks," he stated.

"I am in favor of this being successful, just as much as you are, my lord," Barbatos stated. The prince nodded. Barbatos left Diavolo to continue working late into the night.

---

Thank you for reading <3

Post made by sassykattery. Do not repost. Reblogs and comments appreciated.

Tags: @delphi-dreamin @leavesandflowers @itsmeninerz @flemmingbamse @obeymediasimp @frozengoldie @marvelous-maniac

#obey me #obey me shall we date #sassywrites #sassystories #obey me fanfic #obey me lucifer #love-eternal #obey me diavolo #lucifer x afab reader #diavolo x femreader

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tolerateit · 7 months

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MEGGGGGGG! Hi! I am back with "Kate tells Meg what she is reading because she is bored and it is fun" time! I was away on vacation all last week and somehow only read one book. I had convinced myself that I would read more, and brought three books + my kindle, and then smacked myself when I didn't because I COULD HAVE PICKED UP MORE BOOKS WHILE I WAS AWAY. Tsk, let's hope I learn from this mistake this time, it's been a while since I've flown with the intent to go shopping and adventuring and not just visiting family while staying put.

BUT! Before that I finished the Audiobook of Good Omens with the show as the voice cast and I LOVED IT, and now desperately want to rewatch the show and reread the book in some sick cycle of never ending insanity. I highly recommend both !

Then, the book I read was Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Canas, and holy shit, this book is so atmospheric. I liked all the characters, and the romance was a little slow burny which I adored. Sometimes, the main couples interacts drove me a little crazy, but it was always resolved and they seem to trust each other so much that I just was kinda swoony no matter what. It was the perfect end of summer with still hot day but cool nights read, with a good mix of spooky in there too. It was really a solid 4-4.5 stars for me.

Now, I am reading the Missing of Clairedelune by Christelle Dabos and I hope I have the motivation to finish the Mirror Visitor series, because these books just capture my attention so much. The world building is incredible, and yeah, it can be clunky sometimes, but I feel like it works really well with our main protagionst and narrator. Also, a slow burn over a series??? sign me the FUCK UP. While working, I am listening to the Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer and I like it so far, it's interesting. I like the concept, and Clover is a good narrator, but literally only like 10% into it, so we will see how it goes. I feel good!

anywaysssss I miss you, and I hope you are well :D I am back on my book buying ban for the rest of the year, so yell at me if I mention buying another book from a bookstore!!

THIS IS SUCH A TREAT OMG also also I love how we both enjoyed some Neil gaiman work recently!! I reread the ocean at the end of the lane and I'm still blown away by how good it was. Of course Elena knows has been another top read this month and im looking forward to more cozy/spooky fall themed books in October!!! (also set a book buying limit for the next few months!! No more than 8 books 😉)

#you ask for the tab*#Wonderful mutuals 💖#Book recs*

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cosettepontmercys · 7 months

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hello love!!!

i know i could just send this in a message, but i think asks are much more romantic <3

i have a friend from out of province visiting, and we’ve visited a few bookstores!! i was able to find my dark vanessa, atonement, and the haunting of hill house all second hand!!! my dark vanessa is one of my favourite reads of the year, so i’m glad i was able to find it, and the others are on my tbr!!! i was also able to get the roughest draft (by emily wibberly), the seven year slip, and a thousand ships (a feminist greek-classic spin, helen of troy i believe? something like that)

i know on goodreads the roughest draft has mid reviews, but it was second hand and i recognized the author as i know she’s adored (im planning on reading do i know you soon, before the end of the year for sure - i didn’t like what’s not to love but i’m gonna go in with a fresh mind)

i’m also excited to read the seven year slip, everyone seems to be loving it! i think i’ll add it onto my new septembers readathon challenge - idk if i’m truly in the mood for a rom com at the moment, i just finished business or pleasure and i found it quite … mid. not horrendous, but it didn’t have the same spark i found with rls other books.

how is your annotation for les mis going? i just finished my reread and goodness the brick can be a drudge but isn’t it SO good???? the themes the motifs the characters the symbolism - WHAT FUCKING BRAINROT AMIRIGHT??

i’ve read a few biographies this year (the only non fiction i’ll entertain lol), and i’ve thoroughly enjoyed them all!!! i most recently read crying in h mart by michelle zauner, and i didn’t know at first that she was japanese breakfast!! the book is so raw and intimate, and i listened to a couple of her albums and i really enjoyed her <3

as you know, i just started painted devils and vanja and emeric are everrryythinngg to me i truly need to buy the books - can’t wait to make an order from indigo i’m thinking of preordering emily henry’s new book 👀

anyways i think that’s all i wanted to share haha, hope your week is going well 🥰🥰 i’m hoping of changing my theme soon (have been wanting to for a while) but i never know what to change it to, the struggle of a girlblogger i swear

hi friend!!! i always love getting messages from you, whether they're an ask or a message! 🤍 i haven't done a nice bookstore visit in a while (i went in briefly to grab seven year slip for annotating/traveling book club a bit ago, but aside from that i haven't gone to a bookstore in a while just to meander and pick up books (not that i need to, i've got ... dozens of unread books just sitting here waiting for me to read them). i didn't loveeeee the roughest draft but i really, REALLY loved do i know you? — i went in thinking that the roughest draft would fill my emily henry void, though, so i had higher expectations for it. i also didn't love what's not to love, but i love never vacation with your ex, always never yours, if i'm still being honest, and with and without you! and i'm really excited for the breakup tour (i think it comes out in 2024?).

i really really loved the seven year slip; it's by no means perfect, but i really resonated with how it talks about grief and other things! it just spoke to me! i'm including the trigger warnings for it under the cut, just in case 🤍 i think it's not as "comedic" but it is a romance and i would wait till you're in the right mindset for it. i also found business or pleasure to be kind of mid; i think my ranking of RLS' adult books are ex talk → business or pleasure / weather girl, and then YA is we can't keep meeting like this → t3 → see you yesterday (haven't read her non rom coms)! it's just kind of been a dull year for me in terms of reading (but especially with romance).

i am ... behind on my les mis annotations! i've been doing a volume a month, so i should be done with marius this month but i haven't even picked it up yet! hopefully i'll feel better enough to tackle it this weekend / next week 🤍 but YES it's just sooooo !! we're coming up to my favorite bits of the book so i'm super excited!

i really liked crying in h mart! and was bummed to miss japanese breakfast on tour earlier this year but just had too much going on! and i am SO SO glad you're liking little thieves + painted devils! just such a good series; i need the third book immediately. i preordered emily henry's new book, and i think the only other preorder i have right now is the new beth o'leary which comes out next week (!!!!!!)

excited to see your new theme! hope you're doing well 🤍 i've been toying with changing my url to a seven year slip one, but also think i'll change it for 1989 so i think i'll hold off for a bit 🤍

#post: answered #mutual: lindsay

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clockworkspider · 8 months

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9, 11, 16 for ficwriter asks

Do you comment on stories you read?

Only if I have stuff to say. Aaaand I try to leave a compliment if I just enjoyed it and there's no prior comment, or if it's a really transgressive dark fic in particular. (Cause I know how nerve wrecking it is to post something a bit more transgressive, having done so myself, and I know most readers like to enjoy those in silence so it gets extra lonely.)

I use to leave more in-depth comments but... unfortunately I think I've more or less hit a point of media-oversaturation where I tend to have little/no thoughts on things after reading most things anymore...

Link your three favorite fics right now

So I actually haven't read anything for a while. But... Here's a few neat ones I've seen recently

diplomacy, a fic about Keito and Kanata sitting in on their elders negotiating

Judgement, Keito guards the yumenosaki rooftop after a student jumped the day before. Rei finds him on the rooftop.

Help! I've Been Reincarnated Two Years into the Past and Now I Have to Unlock Every Romance Route as the Villain of the War?! What it says in the title LOL... the eichi harem expands. It's really funny so far...

How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

1 and a half! I have a ibanagi scene I wanna work into the vampire AU I've recently published. Here's a few lines:

With his pale skin and golden eyes, Nagisa Ran looked more like a vampire than Ibara himself.

Annnd

“A vampire serving a human? That’s not the way it’s usually done...” “Do you wish to serve me?” Nagisa studied him for a bit, then shook his head. “No… I suppose not…”

I also wanted to write a fic where Tori finds out about Yuzuru's past, before I left for vacation. But I'll see if I get the energy to write that again.

#clockchat #shhhhhgobacktosleep #thanks for the ask!

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mermaidsirennikita · 1 year

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Caro's April 2023 Book Recs

Another month, another book roundup. I will say I focused a bit more on exploring new subgenres this month, so not as many historicals here--I'm *hoping* to knock out some books I've been meaning to knock out for a while when I'm on vacation. My tentative rule is "no ARCs and no KU"--because those have for sure been jumping the line in front of books I've had on my TBR for a while.

But honestly, I believe it's kind of impossible to stay engaged with a genre when you only read one subgenre, so I've been enjoying authors like Adriana Anders and Sara Cate quite a bit, while also discovering new to me authors like Caroline Linden and Cate C. Wells and debuts like Lana Ferguson. Much productiveness here, I'd say.

Her Wanton Wager by Grace Callaway. "Percy" Persephone Fines vows to become a lady in order to fulfill her family's dreams and marry a peer. But her goals become more difficult to achieve when her brother loses a bet to Gavin Hunt, owing him everything. Interceding on her brother's behalf, Percy makes a deal with Gavin--she'll meet with him seven times. If she resists him by the end of those meetings, the debt will be dropped. If she gives her virginity to Gavin, he'll collect on the debt. What Percy doesn't know is that her brother falling prey to Gavin is no coincidence...

Another fun Grace Callaway book--though I will say, I do like the later books I've read by her more than these early novels (which is a good thing, she's clearly grown and evolved a lot). The setup isn't super crazy: it's a revenge plot with an intrepid innocent heroine and a big, bad man. I found Gavin a lot more compelling than Percy, but that's consistent with my likes. The romance was cute, the sex was good, I wasn't blown away but I had fun.

Praise by Sara Cate. Following a bad breakup, 21-year-old Charlie heads over to her ex's dad's place to pick up her half of a deposit. The catch: Beau's dad, Emerson, is much more attractive than she expected. And he thinks she's one of the women sent to "audition" to be his secretary... which would entail being his submissive, as well. Charlie immediately responds to Emerson's praise and soft dominance; and though he offers her a real job--he has a kink club to open, after all--he refuses to give in their mutual attraction. At first.

Here's the thing: the plot of Praise is not dense. Girl with daddy issues becomes the submissive to her ex's hot dad, who is a partial owner of a kink club, and they do stuff in secret while agonizing over what would happen if his son found out. But the character work? Is really good. Sara Cate deftly milks the tension of the story for all its worth, while also delving into the shame surrounding kinks. While also giving you a really good, fun time. I found it to be a really romantic, lovely, kinda dirty love story.

The Boxing Baroness by Minerva Spencer. Marianne Simpson has made a name for himself as a "lady boxer" in her uncle's circus. But she's thrown off guard when she's approach by Duke St. John Powell--"Sin"--who needs her help to find his brother... by way of locating Marianne's ex-lover, the man who deceived and abandoned her. Sin isn't above blackmailing Marianne, which means their journey isn't off to a good start. Yet the more time they spend with each other, the harder it becomes for them to resist their attraction to each other.

This book takes MANY twists and turns. It's long--maybe a bit too long, but I still enjoyed it--and you get everything from circus boxing to a crazy journey across Europe that culminates in one of the wildest "real historical figures? in my romance?" moments I've read. The sexual tension crackles, the duke is a good mixture of douchebag and actually quite sweet, and the heroine is a fun, brash babe. Was there a LOT happening? Yes. But it was a romp, and it snatched the moments it needed to. Always.

Eyes On Me by Sara Cate. Garrett is part-owner of a sex club; but he hasn't had sex in ten years. He prefers to watch--which leads him to look for new ideas on a cam site. The surprise? His stepsister Mia--who he's always thought of as an annoying pest--is on the site. And she's good at her job. While masquerading as a client online, a guilty Garrett can't resist interacting with Mia in person--and what if his attraction is more than skin deep? What if he does actually like this grown-up Mia? And what if he's been exactly who she's wanted for years...

This was... a lot. In terms of emotion and sex. Mia and Garrett aren't just stepsiblings--they've been stepsiblings since she was eight and he was twenty-one, which the book seems to think isn't that big a deal because they didn't grow up together... But in reality, Garrett didn't grow up with Mia. Mia very much grew up with Garrett as a fixture in her life, and she's somewhat obsessed with him. That might skeeve some out, and if so, I get it, but--I... have softer limits as a reader. I loved the taboo of Garrett and Mia's relationship, how guilty he felt as they talked, how dirty the book got. There was a late stage element I wasn't as certain on, but it didn't stop me from loving the book. I'd say that this is hotter than Praise, but the relationship development of Praise is probably a little better--but again, I loved this. And if you're looking for some voyeurism in your romance... this is it. It's hot.

King's Captive by Amber A. Bardan. On her eighteenth birthday, Sarah watches as her entire family--save her little brother--is killed by the mysterious Julius King. Three years later, she's been living on Julius's private island, untouched and perfectly cared for--and one month away from the day on which she agreed to marry Julius. She has no idea what his motives are, or why she's oddly attracted to him. But Sarah isn't giving up without a fight, and she'll do anything to escape Julius's clutches.

As I continue my foray into dark romance... I'm kinda living? This book was fast-paced, crazy, incredibly hot, and somehow super romantic? There is, obviously, a lot more to Julius than Sarah realizes. But well before those realizations, you get that delicious sense of a man with coiled energy, desperate to have this woman yet unable to make his move. The degree to which Julius longs for Sarah while still having this sense of true menace and danger is incredible, and adds to the romance of the story. It's wild, and I personally adored it.

Run Posy Run. Posy Santoro is more loyal gangster's kept woman than mafia princess, and she's happy to be at the beck and call of her boyfriend, mafioso mastermind Dario Volpe--even if they don't emotionally connect. After all, Dario doesn't show emotion to anyone. Not until a video gets passed around his inner circles. A video he was never supposed to see; a video that's been used to make him think Posy did the unthinkable. Posy hasn't just been abandoned by Dario--she's running from him.

I've always been skeptical of this novel, despite the recommendations, because I felt like the premise would be tough for me to get over. Mafioso sees video of girlfriend with her ex and sets out to kill her in a jealous rage. Except... it's not that. For one thing, the fact that Dario gets mad about anything related to Posy is your first clue that he does care about her, as he's basically a sociopath. For another, the video has been doctored to make it look like she's cheating, which, justified or not, would be truly insane considering his power. Also... Dario isn't the one after her. At. First. With all that in mind, this is a fucking ride of a book, and I had a great time. It's about a relationship that was never what either of the people involved thought it was, which is a truly interesting take in romance. It's about falling in love after being committed for a long time--and it's about falling in love when you think you aren't even capable of it. Posy is such a unique heroine, a woman who's been raised to be on someone's arm and must actually work to find herself. And Dario's slow realization that... shit, he loves this woman, is DELICIOUS. Very good.

A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Kathryn Moon. After she's caught spying on her employer in the act, maidservsant Esther is offered a position at a particularly unique establishment. At Rooksgrave Manor, she'll serve men--multiple men--of a certain... background. Monstrous men, perhaps. And she'll do so happily.

So this was historical erotic monster romance, and I'm happy with that. It's not straight up erotica; there is a plot beyond the sex, and Moon does a very good job with establishing genuine connections between Esther and her men (and the men themselves, amongst each other--in all ways, at times). But Esther does have... depending on how you look at it, five or six partners. And those are partners for whom she has real feelings, and with whom she has a lot of sex. If you're not down, cool, but I found it very fun. The sex in this book? Fab.

A Long Time Dead by Samara Breger. ARC; read the full review here.

What A Gentleman Wants by Caroline Linden. When rake David Reece is sent away by his stern identical (and ducal) twin, he ends up breaking his leg and being nursed back to health by sensible vicar's widow Hannah. Charmed by Hannah and the idea of a reformed life, David proposes a marriage of convenience, which she accepts for the sake of her daughter... Only for David to get cold feet and forge his brother's signature on the marriage license. Now Hannah is very accidentally married to Marcus, who's quite a bit colder and more judgmental than David. But Marcus will do anything to avoid scandal--including moving Hannah in with him.

My first Caroline Linden read, and it was a bit zany and a lot sweet. It's a classic "uptight man has life flipped by a headstrong woman and her child" book, though the kid is not annoying. Honestly, the premise was enough to have me listening, and Marcus and Hannah have a slow burn, "grown fucking adults" chemistry that takes a while to boil over, but when it does... it's good. I wasn't blown away, but I enjoyed it a good bit, and the setup for David's book (DAVID. OH MY GOD DUDE WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU) was great.

His Study in Scandal by Megan Frampton. ARC; read the full review here.

The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton. When the Agency of Undercover Note Takers (AUNT) puts their two top agents, Alice Breedlove and Daniel Bixby, together on a crucial mission, it should be a no-brainer. But posing as a married couple is making the cold, removed Agents A and B confront some difficult feelings--which could put not only the assignment, but their lives on the line.

This series has been incredibly fun and romantic--and it's gotten better with each installment. This one may be my favorite--it's between this and the last book. It has all the classic India Holton humor and wit, but Alice and Daniel have both suffered significant trauma, and Alice in particular is deeply scarred. That makes it more difficult for them to admit their feelings, but they just can't resist that sexual tension, and the tension is so! Good! I'm so happy with how this series ended. Give me repressed spies in love forever.

The Dueling Duchess by Minerva Spencer. ARC; read the full review here.

The Nanny by Lana Ferguson. Grad student Cassie needs a job and a place to stay, so she jumps at the chance to get a well-paying live-in nanny gig. The only problem? Aiden, a high profile chef and her new charge's single father, used to a big fan of Cassie's... specifically, when she was a cam girl on OnlyFans. Cassie recognizes Aiden quickly; but he doesn't recognize her. As the tension between them builds, she's torn between honesty and her need to keep her job--and her connections with Aiden and his daughter.

What a good! Look, this book is not super complicated. Both Cassie and Aiden are good people--there are no outright shitheads in this novel. Even the annoying person is just being a flawed, well-meaning human being. The plot is basically two people falling in love with a wrench in the mix by way of boss/employee issues and OF. But the writing is snappy and fun, the leads have great chemistry, the child is actually cute (and doesn't get too much page time), and the sex? Is. Hot. And plentiful! Basically, if you believe in the chemistry, you're going to have fun with this book. I definitely did.

What a Rogue Desires by Caroline Linden. Dissolute rake David Reece is given a chance at responsibility when his twin brother goes on his honeymoon--only for David to lose Marcus's signet ring in a robbery shortly after. That robbery? Was orchestrated by Vivian, a con artist David believed was an innocent widow. Determined to get the ring back, David kidnaps and imprisons Vivian. She's determined to resist his interrogations (among other things). He's determined to prove he's more than the disaster everyone thinks him to be.

It's a bit zany, a bit funny, a lot sexy. Let's call it a lighthearted kidnapping romance. David truly is a flop, while Vivian is smart, scrappy, and resourceful. She pushes him to be better (while also affirming his good qualities), and he offers her affection and gentleness she's really never experienced before. There's a Pretty Woman vibe to the novel, and I enjoyed it greatly. Plus--the sex scenes were REALLY good. Especially the wall one.

Possession by Adriana Anders. Superstar Zion Mason and Hollywood newcomer Twyla Hernandez just entered into a platonic contract marriage for PR--and that PR goodwill implodes when Zion is caught on camera having sex with a woman who looks just like Twyla. Escaping the paparazzi, he goes where he can be himself and explore his desires--Kink Camp. But Twyla--the wife he assumed was innocent and virtuous--isn't going to let Zion go without having her questions answered. And while there, she discovers who her husband really is--and she might like it.

Kink positive and a mixture of marriage of convenience and marriage in trouble. Zion is a classic dom hero, but he's not mean or abusive to Twyla in any way, like so many badly written doms are. He just can't bring himself to be truly vulnerable. Twyla is plus-sized--and Latina!--and presented as confident and sexy, if not without normal insecurities. So fucking refreshing. The found family of the camp is queer (Zion is also queer, by the way) and diverse. A super well done erotic romance.

Give Me More by Sara Cate. Drake and Hunter have been best friends since childhood, and that's continued past them finding success, and past Hunter marrying the woman of his dreams, Isabel--who quickly became Drake's other best friend. The trio are on a roadtrip to check out the competition for Salacious, Hunter's sex-positive club; and in an unexpected turn, Hunter catches Drake and Isabel in a moment that isn't what it looks like. But Hunter likes the idea of what it looks like--and he likes it even more when he convinces Drake and Isabel to have sex while he watches. Even even more when he gets involved. What starts out as fun on the road, however, gets complicated when the three recognize feelings that may have been lurking there for years...

This is a capital B bisexual romance. Nobody goes unloved here, nobody goes less desired. Hunter and Isabel adore each other and have a strong marriage. However, while Drake has been out as bi for years before the book began, Hunter is obviously deeply closeted, even to himself, for realistic (and tough) reasons. What I loved about how Sara Cate did this is that Drake was clearly always a part of this relationship. He was always in love with Hunter (and vice versa), he fell in love with Isabel (and vice versa) as Isabel and Hunter fell in love. The three of them just didn't see what the relationship actually was until it got sexual. There's angst aplenty in this, and Hunter especially deals with a lot of self loathing and sorrow that is difficult to read. But for me, it was worth it, and I really appreciated the blending of heat with emotion here. Not easy to do, but she got it. Maybe the best menage romance I've read so far.

#romance novel blogging #book recs #book wrap up

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chantalstacys · 2 years

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What books have you been reading lately? I love romance novels too 🙈 they’re so fun

romance novels are fun!!! i just started reading them this year, before i pretty much only read biographies and classic fiction. everyone always told me that romance novels were supposed to be trashy and stupid but i’ve been enjoying them ☺️ so whatever to them

anyway! you can look at my books tag for other books i’ve read this year but here’s what i read since my last update~~

♡ the seven husbands of evelyn hugo (women’s fiction) i almost loved this one! i loved the story and i loved reading an old hollywood themed book but the writing honestly felt so dry, which was a shame because i really wanted to feel more invested in it. i really wasn’t that attached to anybody and honestly the twist didn’t really phase me

♡ finally read flowers for algernon and yes tears were shed and yes felt numb when i finished it and no i don’t want to talk about it. it was great and it moved me and frustrated me and i’m leaving it at that

♡ from the mixed up files of mrs. basil e. frankweiler (children’s/YA) omg the CUTEST and funniest book i've read in a long time. this is what i needed after flowers. it truly spoke to my inner child because i definitely had (have?) fantasies of running away and living in a museum

♡ i’m currently finishing up how to fake it in hollywood (romance) and the first half was good but now i’m just trying to finish it and move on. BUT the spice is good lol. if you want to read a hollywood romance, funny you should ask is definitely the one i’d recommend first!!!

♡ things we never got over by lucy score (romance) it wasn’t what i thought it was going to be! from the cover art i thought it would be weepy and sappy but it was actually very fun and sexy and i was really charmed by it! it’s super long (perhaps longer than it needed to be) but i read it in two days

♡ tessa bailey!! i read it happened one summer, hook line and sinker (both romance) and my killer vacation (romance, mystery). IHOS had the best story and characters and spice by FAR. they’re all cute, casual reads and they feel like watching a movie

♡ DREAMLAND BILLIONAIRES BY LAUREN ASHER (both romance again lol) oh my god, the disney world fantasies of my dreams. terms and conditions was good (i love a good fake relationship) but the fine print is the one. it has a sexy, broody, secret artist “dreamland” (disneyland) heir, a cute girl that reads regency romance, a disney park date i read twice in a row, fantastic smut and it’s mostly set in a pretend disney world, so i felt like it was written just for me. i’m very excited for the last one to come out next year

anyway! that’s mostly what i’ve been reading lately. and now i’m really looking forward to my fall list 🍂 and i’m branching out a little more this season!

#ask #books

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gaywriting · 1 year

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Alex in Wonderland book review

Alex in Wonderland by Simon James Green (2019)

⭐️⭐️⭐️✖️✖️

"Are you having an OK time?" "Ben, oh my god, I'm having the best time!" He nodded. "OK, cool. Because sometimes I think you look like you're about to burst into tears, and I just wonder if I shouldn't just give you a hug." (p. 190)

i finished this book october 13. i finished it in one day, it was an easy read. ive had this book for so long (felt like a lot of years but it came out in 2019 so i guess not lol)

the story follows Alex, a 16 year old incredibly awkward gay boy living with his dad and dad's girlfriend Kendra. his only two friends had recently become a couple and left for the summer for a couple-y summer vacation, leaving Alex to spend the summer alone. Being pushed by Kendra to get a summer job, he stumbles into Wonderland, the towns little arcade on the pier and ends up passing out in one of the attractions. two of the workers there, Ben and Efia, take Alex under their wing. he gets a job there (to avoid him suing the place) and they're set on getting Alex a boyfriend! a pointless endeavour, since Alex has set his eyes on Ben. sadly Ben claims to have a girlfriend and so Alex does his best to get past the crush on the supposedly straight boy.

i'm really bad with secondhand embarressment (i've quit shows and movies before because some people seem to think it's super funny...) and it can be fun with embarressing moments happening, but speaking from an equally-to-Alex awkward person it's sometimes almost painful for me to read haha... basically i had to skip some paragraphs, which is a shame, but i just, i saw where we were headed and i just can't do that to myself haha... but other than that i did enjoy the book! it was a fun little YA lgbt book, and Alex is just a cutie! Ben is cute too, but very confused, which ends up hurting Alex unnecessarily. i don't hold it against him, concidering his family situation and that he's just a teenage boy, but the lie he tells about Bella just ended up feeling very redundant and weirdly executed i did like in the end of the book (no spoilers here) that Alex stood up for himself and in the end he received apologies, i feel like it's always the main character who misunderstand, who assumes and who has to apologise in the end, eventhough it's not always called for imo. but in this story everyone apologised and Alex were super adult about it too, knowing he needed some time to himself and some space, before things could go back to normal. i loved that!

all in all this is a lovely little lgbt YA book. it won't blow your mind or become the greatest literary art you've ever laid your eyes on, but for a simple afternoon read, where you just want something fluff (and some secondhand teenage embarressment) it does the job fine. i think works like this are just as important as the earth shattering ones that end up as big hollywood movies. these kind of books shows the realistic everyday lives of lgbt people. not every lgbt story have to be sadness and tough living, but showing the youth that we too can have a normal everyday romance, that you might find in fx straight romcoms, is so so so important!!

lastly, the face i made as i opened the book and were faced with a photo of the cutest dog ever, who Green dedicated the book to, and who he even named a character after. best way to start a book!!

for bella indeed 🐶

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