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RomanceReviews

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This account is 18+ and nsfw (sexual content, cussin').

I post #RomanceReviews of #romance novels/written #erotica/.

Expect the content to be somewhere between shitposts, reactions, and a serious review.

Profile image: white letters in front of a pile of open books read "Just Reading Smut." Header picture: a view up a book's spine, pages are folded back in to form a heart and a flower is resting on the open pages.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

RomanceReviews , to romancelandia
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@romancelandia

The audiobook for Lights Out by Navessa Allen has the best-produced audiobook I've heard to date. It was read by Elena Wolfe and Jacob Morgan, published by Zando/Slowburn.

It's a m-f romance with two voice actors, and they not only had the appropriate actors read all their lines (instead of having whoever's POV was narrating just mimic their partner) but they also had the play-stalker use a voice modulator when the character is wearing one.

An awesome listening experience. 5 stars! Check author's CWs.

willaful , to bookstodon
@willaful@romancelandia.club avatar

The Last Continent and I think has some wisdom to offer right now.

"All bastards are bastards, but some bastards is bastards."

@bookstodon

RomanceReviews ,
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@willaful @bookstodon some of his books aged better than others, but he is a comfort read for me.

A lot of the older versions of his audiobooks are on archive.org for interested parties: https://archive.org/details/discworld-audiobooks

RomanceReviews , to romancelandia
@RomanceReviews@kinky.business avatar

very important question about politics

If, someday, we get UBI (Universal Basic Income) will office/workplace stories just stop being a thing?

Discuss.

@romancelandia

willaful , to bookstodon
@willaful@romancelandia.club avatar

Started Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher and how nice to be immediately caught up in a book again. Her voice is always so effective.


@bookstodon

RomanceReviews ,
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@willaful @bookstodon YES!!! Her world-building is such a flex, too. "Oh, I have a billion more creepy and cool ideas, want one?"

RomanceReviews , to random
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For 16 I'll be reading A Power Unbound by Freya Marske.

I'm expecting this to be an Edwardian m/m romance with some kink, a light grumpy/bratting dynamic and some sexual healing, based on their connection in the previous book.

Background: I read A Restless Truth (#2 in series, f/f, great read.) but not the first one, because I don't usually go for m/m and also I do what I want. However, A Restless Truth made Jack Alston aka Lord Hawthorne sound hot in this tortured bisexual rake way, and Alan Ross was extremely entertaining. We love a scrappy porn dealer.

CW: disability, survivor's guilt, suicidal ideation, bdsm including consensual non-consent.

<mario voice> herewego! </mario voice>
🧵

RomanceReviews OP ,
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... is this the sibling equivalent of the movie trope where the deceased beloved is laughing and spinning in a white dress for no reason? With a soft focus?

RomanceReviews OP ,
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Sentient house? So cool!!

RomanceReviews OP ,
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Musical security alert?? STFU, this should be a thing.

RomanceReviews OP ,
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Did he really just ask him "front door or back?"

RomanceReviews OP ,
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Followed by "how do you take it?" (tea, but still)

RomanceReviews OP ,
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aww he's the breadwinner 😭

RomanceReviews OP ,
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OK, honestly I was expecting this dynamic of cat-who-is-just-play-fighting and cat-who-is-fighting-for-his-life to go the other direction.
Much better this way.

RomanceReviews OP ,
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he is reading porn on the train!?

RomanceReviews OP ,
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that's it, I'm invested.

RomanceReviews OP ,
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"It was impossible not to speculate. Could a man write that and not reveal something of the channels down which his own desires ran?"

18+ RomanceReviews OP ,
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I love that he writes edgy gay erotica to support his very catholic mum 🤣 👏 🥺

RomanceReviews OP ,
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ok, but I still think using a person's name as your safeword with them is not the way to go

RomanceReviews OP ,
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hell yeah, hot bath time

RomanceReviews OP ,
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"Alliteration gets you hard. I'll remember that." 😍 🤣

RomanceReviews OP ,
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I finally finished A Power Unbound, time for the rundown.

TL;DR
yes Jack and Alan, please sit with us.

I loved it.
This had the elements I think of as defining a true romance, both physical chemistry and emotional connection, but it was also definitely a concluding volume of a trilogy and wouldn't read well as a standalone.

I loved the way the author explored the implications of class difference and how Jack and Alan handled IRL power imbalance. A lot of romance authors use the rich character's money to simply fix the poorer character's everything, and this conclusion felt way better than that.

Glorious roleplay and dirty talk. The way they were mindful to keep their mutual mockery mutually enjoyable really warmed the cockles of my cold, dead heart. Just an awesome dynamic.

As a USian, the problems posed by living in a society in which gay sex was illegal seemed Quite Relevant.

See reply for expanded CW
1/2

@romancelandia

RomanceReviews , to random
@RomanceReviews@kinky.business avatar

OK, we're going to roll into April with 15. As (hopefully) a delightful little palate cleanser, I'm reading When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein.

This is possibly my favorite trope of all time, so that title is a lot to live up to. I'm expecting this to be a straight romance between a curvy woman writer and a grumpy former soccer player. The preview is giving me "Talia Hibbert but white" vibes, and it looks like Talia herself gave it a positive quote, so we'll see how that goes.

<mario voice> herewego! </mario voice>
🧵

RomanceReviews OP ,
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How could fairy cakes ever be a mistake tho??

RomanceReviews OP ,
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Now I'm just hearing Lily Allen's Alfie

RomanceReviews OP ,
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Oh
Oh we're talking really grumpy

RomanceReviews OP ,
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Hahahahaha he doesn't have email!?
Amazing

RomanceReviews OP ,
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Lol is he persistence hunting her

RomanceReviews OP ,
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ok, this is just bumming me out rn.

RomanceReviews OP ,
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(I'm listening to the audiobook so the grammar is approximate, don't judge)>

"Alfie, no! You didn't! You didn't let them take your telly!?"

RomanceReviews OP ,
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"So, Alfie. We've established that you're an easily-conned Luddite who may actually be the ghost of a Victorian child who died down the mines."

RomanceReviews OP ,
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There's no way he was a forward, he's not nearly competitive or egotistical enough

RomanceReviews OP ,
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Awwwww

RomanceReviews OP ,
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OK, I didn't realize I was into shoe-tying, but that scene has convinced me.

RomanceReviews OP ,
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"interwebs" 😁

18+ RomanceReviews OP ,
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ok, that was the hottest mutual masturbation scene ever.
*fans self

18+ RomanceReviews OP ,
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hell yeah, dirty talk.

RomanceReviews OP ,
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incoherent screaming

RomanceReviews OP ,
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OK, I finished When Grumpy Met Sunshine and it's time for the roundup.

TL;DR
Alfie and Mabel can sit with us! Mabel is hilarious and Alfie can braid hair (also holds the coveted gold star consent rating).

This is my favorite Charlotte Stein to date, I hope she keeps going in this vein.

I'm really glad I hung in there for the ending, which was highly satisfying. The middle had more angst than I really like, in terms of 1) fat woman doesn't believe a famous sports guy could genuinely be interested in her, 2) internet hate, 3) a man has feelings he hides bc patriarchy. I found it all too realistic, just not pleasant.

Fortunately the dirty talking and their chemistry kept me going, and she stuck the landing, which involved a lot of Actually Talking It Out. It also left me with a nice sense of having called it.

@romancelandia

other CW: Paparazzi stalking, reference to a drugged drink.

RomanceReviews OP ,
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@jasonmolenda @romancelandia there were so many great moments. "She's my true love!?!" and the near-instant 'idk why I said that' 🤣

RomanceReviews , to random
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It is time for 14.

I'm reading Hot Blooded by Heather Guerre, which I think will be a straight romance between a vampire and a paid blood donor.

I'm intrigued because this has consensual non-consent which can be super hot if done right, and also somebody on romance.io complained it was too "woke." So you know I'm there for that.

Content warnings by author at: https://www.heatherguerre.com/content-warnings

<mario voice> herewego! </mario voice>
*fumbles around trying to get this review into gear
🧵

RomanceReviews OP ,
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Awww he cleaned his house before his random blood donor first came over? That's super cute.

RomanceReviews OP ,
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oh my gosh she'll see him Wednesday CUTE

RomanceReviews OP ,
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oh shit, she's got him there

RomanceReviews OP ,
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I hope she's taking iron supplements

RomanceReviews OP ,
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Honestly the way he can't clearly remember his mortal life is so relatable

RomanceReviews OP ,
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Heeee aftercare from a steel worker born in 1877
I continue to love the subversion of vampire expectations

RomanceReviews OP ,
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Quote of the book thus far:

"What kind of software do you, uh... develop?" Tessa asked, mostly to be polite. She had all the technical knowledge of a moderately intelligent cat.

18+ RomanceReviews OP ,
@RomanceReviews@kinky.business avatar

OK, I got to the part that reviewer thought was too woke and, as predicted, I thought it was sweet.

Basically Amos came out to Tessa as bi and she came out to him as pan, although neither of them used those labels.

TBH I really liked that this was a portrayal of bi/pan folks as being open to commitment and not overly promiscuous (there is nothing wrong with being slutty, it just gets old as a bisexual stereotype).

Here's the grumpy reviewer, for everyone's enjoyment

RomanceReviews OP ,
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"Kissed him like he was going off to war" ok, that's really cute in Greatest Generation context

RomanceReviews OP ,
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OK! I've finished Hot Blooded and it's time for the recap. @romancelandia

This was a romance between a male vampire and a woman, but I'm hesitant to call it a straight romance because they're both bi/pan. Any respectful insights on this?

Verdict: Amos and Tessa can sit with us sometimes but idk if we're going to have a lot to talk about.

The main themes were consensual non-consent and the parentification of oldest daughters. I liked that we got to see some mutual planning of the CNC and that it was clear both parties were enthusiastically interested. There was a really sweet moment where they both dropped out of scene for a second to kiss and be affectionate and then went right back to it. D'aww!

Tessa's emotionally abusive family was written really well. I didn't like the resolution or find it satisfying, but whatcha gonna do.

I found I was interested in what would happen next but not very invested in the characters or their relationship.

(1/2)

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