u/epicsevenmyths

I genuinely want to know if anyone else has been feeling this way, because I feel like I’m losing my mind a little.

Why does it seem like the majority of books being written right now are so narrow when it comes to world building? And I’m not just talking about fantasy or paranormal, I mean contemporary too. I’ve read a handful of books this year and it honestly feels like the craft of writing is slowly dying.

What’s really getting to me is how unrealistic and flat the characters have become. Everyone looks the same, works the same jobs, wants the same things. Even the tropes feel like they’re just being scooped out of the same pot and reheated over and over again. I get that it sells, I do, but it’s so disheartening.

Like, you pick up a contemporary sports romance set in Chicago centered around football or basketball and not one character, not a side character, not a background friend or neighbor or family member, is Black or Latino or any other person of color? I mean that’s not just lazy, it’s unrealistic and becoming laughable at this point.

And don’t even get me started on the enemies to lovers recycling going on right now. Slapping that label on a rushed, surface level conflict and calling it a trope is not it. The tension isn’t there, the history isn’t there, nothing hits the way it should.

Unless you specifically go looking for diversity in characters and concepts, it’s never just naturally there. That alone says a lot.

I haven’t felt this checked out from reading since I first got back into books in 2018. Is anyone else feeling this or is it just me?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

As always, I’m still out here hunting for hidden gems because I know they exist, waiting somewhere to pull me completely into their world.

Hiii I’m sorta in the mood to read books that might give me the high that Never Let Me Go by Lyla Dane did.

It was an amazing journey to read about her two characters and how they became friends, lost their friendship due to family values, and internalized homophobia and how the Mc who’d very much become the villain earned his redemption and learned to lot only accept his feelings for another man, but to love himself as he is.

This had all my favorite beats. Strangers who became best friends, who became enemies than later a slow hesitant trust begins to form, a way back to becoming friends and then that bond starts to build again, over protectiveness and understanding and eventual love!

I NEED that again. So I’d love to read more books with amazing redemptions arcs. Ones that aren’t easily resolved and is earned. There’s hardship, denial and pain but also love and family and acceptance after a long journey.

Any recs are appreciated:)

So I have a friend who got into reading not too long ago and she basically comes to me for every recommendation because she knows books are my thing. The problem is I read a lot of stuff that’s pretty far outside her comfort zone, reverse harems being one of them. She’s very much an Ana Huang, Elsie Silver, Kennedy Ryan girlie.

She was at my place and spotted Black Wood Institute by J Rose on my shelf and wanted to know about it. I was honest with her that what I read is nowhere near the territory she’s used to but she’s curious and wants to try it out.

So what are the best books to start someone off with who’s interested in why choose romance but is coming from a really tame romance background?

NOTE: she’s okay with spice, I’ve confirmed this!

I’m looking for a series preferably long that follows a group of friends/ brothers/ or characters that are connected some way. It’s the found family aspect that I absolutely love and the fact that I get to follow different characters find love in different ways and circumstances that surround them.

Books that really gave me what I’m looking for:

{The Vitale Brothers by Brea Alepou and Skyler Snow} No one can ever make me hate this series. The characters are so well written and distinctive and so diverse which is so rare.

{Leighton U series by C. E Ricci} Sports series that gave me the feeling I thought the CU hockey series and Puckboy series by Eden Finley and Saxon James would have given (in the beginning) somewhere towards the second to last book it got very formulaic and the characters started to blend.

{Alabaster Penitentiary series by Nyla K}

{Green Creek Series by TJ Klune} one of my absolute favorites!! The found family is so good and brought together in such a unique way.

{Unexpected series by Cora Rose} love LOVE LOVE this series. I always get so excited bumping into characters from previous books when picking up a new one.

{Our Exception series by Cora Rose} homophobes getting humbled and getting redeemed then falling for men. Dare I say my favorite Cora rose series of all time.

There are more but these are the ones that scream found family to me when I hear the words. And I need to dive into a series that brings me that feeling again.

I don’t mind dark themes, so please recommend away. :)

I read {Goodbye Paradise by Sabrina Bowen} a while back and honestly fell in love with it. Something about that world just pulled me in, especially watching the MCs have to suppress everything they felt and fight so hard just to be together. That forbidden element in such a dangerous, controlling environment made the romance hit even harder. I did wish the book had spent a little more time in that world because I wanted more, but it never took anything away from the beauty of the love story itself.

Now I’m wondering if anyone has read anything similar? Like books where characters are navigating that kind of high control, isolating environment, whether they’re still in it or trying to rebuild their life after leaving. The only book I’ve found that has caught my eye is {Everything I didn’t know by Nicky James}, honestly she always has such gems.

Would love some more recommendations if anyone has them!

I’m currently reading {Two Tribes by Fearne Hill} and I’m absolutely loving it so far. It’s hitting all the right things I wanted In a hurt comfort book after reading Never let me go by Lyla Dane and When all the world sleeps by Lisa Henry.

So tell me what is your current or latest read?

Do you like it? Is it bad? Want to DNF?

Let’s talk!

I have been searching high and low and have come across a few good ones but I need more romance with more diversity. It’s starting to feel like every book that is recommended are all mostly white couples. Are there any decently lengthy books with a good plot/ great characters and story that are out there?

It could be within any genre tbh. I love em all.

Examples of amazing books I’ve read:

{Inside by Nicky James} so so so good. I read both books in this duet in two days. The audiobooks was amazing 🤌😩 damn near put me in a slump.

{Loving the player by Kit Grey} ugh this sports romance is one of my top favs. The characters and their journey to love each other was beautifully written.

{Pucking strong by Emily Rath} loved this one. The found family and opposite in characters was so well done. Had me kicking my feet and giggling every other page.

{Saint by Sierra Simone} the best slow burn. Could talk about the TENSION these two had with each other forever!

{Only the small bones by CP Harris} this one isn’t talked about a lot but this was soo heartbreaking. One of my favorite hurt/comforts.

{Brainwashed by Nyla K} this was dark, twisted and absolutely wild ride. This entire series is super fun and makes me clutch my pearls with every book.

{Solace by Taylore McNiff} wish I could read this for the first time again. Absolutely heart wrenching but so so good.

I need more more more. If anyone has any recs pls don’t be shy. Help a girl out 🫩

Thanks a million :)

I need to know what are the best and absolutely worst nicknames you’ve read in a book. I’ve read some horrible ones and some really atrociously hilarious ones. But I need to know lol. Just for fun and games. I think the animal names are always super funny to me but I have friends who absolutely cannot tolerate reading books with those ones.

Saw this in another subreddit and wanted to try it bc it’s super fun! Feel free to name the couple you think should be on this poll down below. :)

Let’s all be mature and respectful to each other btw

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I’m a big advocate for diversity in reading across the board, topics, tropes, rep, all of it. But one thing I’ve never actually come across in MM romance is a story that genuinely explores illiteracy or low illiteracy.

I’ve read books that tackle class differences, disability rep, characters from completely different backgrounds finding each other. But never one where one of the MCs can’t read. And honestly there’s so much potential there. It could come from a lack of access to education, a pride or self sufficiency thing where he never felt he needed it, or even something rooted in past trauma. Any of those could make for such a rich, meaningful story if handled thoughtfully.

What I’m really hoping to find is a book where it’s actually woven into the story. Not really something that gets briefly mentioned and then never talked about again, but something you see reflected in how he experiences the world, the mc’s thoughts, his feelings, how it comes into the relationship (if such a thing exist). I want it to be part of the story in a real way.

If you know of anything that fits that description please drop it below, I would love to add it to my TBR and I’m genuinely so excited to read something like this.

Bonus points if it’s hurt/comfort because that trope has my whole heart.

Thanks a million :)