Having A Hard Time Getting Into New Book After Fourth Wing And Acotar.

The kiddo’s have been hit hard with a stomach bug, and with me having emetophobia it’s been a rough week. Luckily I have a husband who handles it all really well and I do what I can with taking care of other things in the house and stuff.

Been doing a bit of rereads for comfort which is nice, a good distraction.

And I’ve also been listening to fantasy fangirls pod to keep myself distracted, trying not to panic over who’s going to get sick next and when.

So I just finished Heat of the Everflame…. Wtf? Just happened?😂 I’m so confused by the ending. Like where was the loophole? I can’t wait for the next book!

The Villains Beast by Kate Hawthorne

Had a great time with this one. The spice was spicing, the angst was angsting. This is a bit of a dark read, definitely check the trigger/content warnings before you read, but I really enjoyed it and I didn’t want it to end. I wanted more time with alle the characters. I loved how their relationships developed and the different dynamics they all have with each other.

Have you read this one yet?

What is your fave mm dark romance?

Just finished Meetings That Start In The Dark by writingamarie on ao3 and now I don’t know what to do with my life😭

Me finishing the acotar series (the books that have come out anyway) and going to check out what theories people have and maybe have some fun discussions only to be horrified by some of the things people are saying on there. People literally getting death threats for having a different opinion like shipping someone with someone else than they do😬

(I know there are sane people in this fandom too, but I’m a little scared)

February 2024 reads

Titles and Ratings:

- Deaths’s Bloom by Lily Mayne 4/5

- A Delicious Descent by Amanda Meuwissen 4/5

- Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston 5/5

- The Spiral Down by Aly Martinez 4/5

- Game Changer by Rachel Reid 4/5

- Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid 5/5

- Tough Guy by Rachel Reid 5/5

- Common Goal by Rachel Reid 4/5

- Role Model by Rachel Reid 5/5

- The Long Game by Rachel Reid 5/5

- Shades of Lust by E M Lindsey 5/5

- Waiting on forever by E M Lindsey 5/5

- Taste of Greed by E M Linsdey 5/5

- Spark of Wrath by E M Lindsey 5/5

February was a bit of a re-read month for me, though I did get in a few new to me books too.

Enjoyed all the new ones I read which is always great, cause you never really know. Sometimes it’s been more missed than hits, you know. E M Lindsey is usually a safe bet for me though. I haven’t read a book of hers I haven’t enjoyed yet (I have not read all her books, so that might change, who knows🤷🏻‍♀️).

What was your favorite read in February?

Seen a bunch of this recently where people complain about the amount of romance in the empyrean series (fourth wing) and I’m like… it’s a romance fantasy?

Like it’s marketed as romantasy is it not? Idk. I just always got the impression that it’s a romance book in a fantasy setting even before I read it, so I was going in expecting all the romance🤷🏻‍♀️

I forgot how much there was I got frustrated by in Iron Flame, like Varrish who fills me with rage in every scene he is in and Jack fucking Barlow.

I also do get fed up with both Violet and Xaden with their communication issues, but I try to remind myself of how young they are and that helps. Although Violet is the one who annoys me the most with all the hypocrisy and the full disclosure bullshit.

I think it bothers me the most because she has grown up in a military environment so she should know that some things aren’t for everyone to know. She is fine with Mira telling her “you can’t know that, it’s classified”, but it’s not fine when it’s Xaden, like because she’s in love with him she should get to know things that aren’t his to tell?

He also has a bunch of things that he could have told her, but he has his whole you have to ask thing going on which is also annoying.

It’s kinda hard for them to know how to be in a relationship with healthy communication though cause they don’t exactly have a lot of great examples around them😅

Still love this book though and I’m beyond excited for the release of Onyx Storm next week!

Every writer is different. Every writer creates as they wish. If everyone wrote the same way or made the same artistic choices, then we would have nothing but copy paste stories that don't shine with the vibrant colors of their authors.

What I'm trying to say is that trying to police a writer into adhering to some standard you have set in your head is like trying to stop the flow of coursing water.

It goes where it wants to go and water will erode any stone or metal, even if it takes a long time.

Writing is as much an art as painting and music and all the other art forms in which we so openly accept innovation.

Let writers create the way they feel is best. If their style does not appeal to you, move on. Find someone whose style does and pay them the compliment of your kind words instead of lashing out to those who don't fit your mold.

Today is the day!

See you on the other side🫡