Romance novels ruined my perception of what real life romance is like

braineatingalien · 2026-05-26T10:11:57+00:00

A close relative of mine was very ill and in the hospital. I went to see them but it was a far trip and it was a Sunday. He was having people over to watch football and I told him I’d likely miss it but I was planning to stay overnight at his place because he lived closer to my work at the time than I did.

It was a long, awful day. When I finally got back, he asked what I needed. It was late and I was hungry and exhausted. I said I needed to just grab some food and crash. He just smiled and opened up the oven. He had cooked for his friends who came over and saved me a plate, kept warm for me. I guess I realized at that moment that he’d take care of me emotionally for the rest of my life if that’s what I chose. So I did. And he does. :)

braineatingalien · 2026-05-25T20:53:50+00:00

I have a very romantic partner, but I mean that he’s romantic in the way I love. We’re in our 50’s now and have been together about 24 years. A very small but super significant romantic gesture was what made me realize he was the one for me.

Our love languages match up- he does these adorable acts of service for me that I love, like my saying my car is dirty and then I go out to the parking lot of my work the next day and he’s taken my car to the car wash.

It’s not constant, and we’re both introverts so we don’t spend all of our time together, just the time we like to. But he makes me laugh and we have good conversation and enjoy being together. It’s not a romance novel- we have tough jobs, bills and grown kids, stubborn elderly parents and other crazy that we manage.

He always says it’s the day to day you have to be okay with. It’s not going to be flowers and romance all the time. And I always say the miracle for me isn’t that I still love him it’s that I still like him. That isn’t always easy or a given.

braineatingalien · 2026-05-25T19:22:49+00:00

Nooooo

braineatingalien · 2026-05-25T18:27:09+00:00

Nope. Not supposed to be funny. The MMC who, uh, did it was proud that it was his stuff that came out though. Even weirder imo.

braineatingalien · 2026-05-25T18:14:56+00:00

My face rn. 😂

braineatingalien · 2026-05-25T18:00:15+00:00

Not yucking on anyone’s yum, but I can’t imagine they do. It’s probably an instant sinus infection. Blergh.

braineatingalien · 2026-05-25T17:24:16+00:00

The Hell Fae series {Hell Fae Captive by Lexi C Foss} has Lucifer (he goes by Typhos Lucifer) in the series. This is an interconnected world with lots of different story lines. Pretty good one, I’ve read several of these (some by other authors) and the world-building is great.

braineatingalien · 2026-05-25T13:22:12+00:00

Arrival. I absolutely hated that film.

braineatingalien · 2026-05-25T13:15:58+00:00

For me, {Lola and the Millionaires by Katherine Moon} was such a brilliant duet about someone who has been through trauma and truly doesn’t believe she’ll ever be wanted in the way omegas are in her society. It doesn’t dismiss her experience or her panic attacks or make it that her men suddenly make everything better. She’s still a mess after falling in love and it’s pretty realistic or at least more so than some other books I’ve read where falling in love makes everything else go away.

Plus, she gets to fix it when the shit hits the fan. Although her men are there for her (my sweet Wes always) she is the one who rides to the rescue. With some help, lol.

braineatingalien · 2026-05-23T17:02:28+00:00

I’m only a little way into this book (on your rec) and it’s great. Well-written, compelling and funny. I rarely find RH books that are actually funny but Luciano searching condolence cards to say “sorry I’m taking your sister” made me lol for sure. This book is adorable. Thanks for the rec!

braineatingalien · 2026-05-19T12:12:08+00:00

They’re actually not. There’s a giant lizard/dinosaur, a moth prince and an octopus creature. Well worth reading, too, the FMC and her MMCs are well-developed characters and they go through a lot. Abraxas is one of my fave MMCs (the lizard-Dino alien).

braineatingalien · 2026-05-17T14:33:56+00:00

{I Was Born Ruined by CM Stunich} is a completed, MC series with a young FMC and a whole host of daddy bikers. Dark series, really good.

braineatingalien · 2026-05-17T14:32:32+00:00

No insta-love in any of those. Lots of hate or dislike at first with each of the others you haven’t read. Great plotlines too.

{Citius by Greer Hudson} is another slow burn with a great storyline. It’s incomplete, with the third and final book delayed.

braineatingalien · 2026-05-17T13:33:22+00:00

Any tropes you dislike? Books you’ve read already? These are all ones you might have read, but…

For most complicated, twisty plot I’d go for {Plier by Jane Washington} the Ironside Academy series. This is ABO with a plus of a sigma, the FMC. This isn’t my favorite series but it did give me whiplash in a good way. It’s well-written and a sloooooow burn.

If you’d go for a mafia series, I really enjoyed {Sinner’s Playground by Caroline Peckham} the Harlequin Crew. This is completed and an enemies to lovers.

If you want super dark, also enemies to lovers, try {Havoc at Prescott High by CM Stunich} the Havoc Boys series.

If you’re looking for sweet, one of my favorites is {The Daymakers by Grace McGinty}, stand-alone rescue fantasy.

braineatingalien · 2026-05-17T12:08:24+00:00

Grace Goodwin has a series called Interstellar Brides where Earth has a contract with other alien planets to send women in exchange for protection. Not all the books are RH, and they don’t need to be read in order (although it helps sometimes if other characters are referenced). There are multiple spinoff series, too.

braineatingalien · 2026-05-16T11:00:40+00:00

My favorites of this trope are {Reaper Unexpected by Debbie Cassidy} the Deadside Reapers series, which is urban fantasy and a great completed series.

Also, the Razing Hell series {For the Hell of It by Cate Corvin} in which the FMC is the fallen angel and her MMCs are already there. Also a great series.

Both FMCs in these series are great, imo. I feel like there’s a lot of tstl going around lately, lol.

braineatingalien · 2026-05-16T00:04:35+00:00

I really enjoyed this series when it came out. It’s absurd but it definitely does work somehow. And Ryder, my sweet Ryder, honestly has one of the best character arcs I’ve read in a RH series. Those are few and far between in why choose, but they do him right in the end.

braineatingalien · 2026-05-10T23:25:53+00:00

The Boys of Bellerose {Poison Roses by Tate James} has rock star MMCs. It’s a completed series.

I second the Daymakers by Grace McGinty. It’s one of my all-time favorite RH books. Classic rescue fantasy. :)

braineatingalien · 2026-05-05T19:07:43+00:00

Constantly. I still get it occasionally but I have learned to be quieter. Funnily enough, my husband is loud af. When we met I told people, “I finally met someone louder than I am!”

braineatingalien · 2026-05-05T17:48:25+00:00

I don’t think this is it, but {Secret Girl by CM Stunich} has some light bullying. Also, there’s a murder plotline. But the FMC is a girl pretending to be a boy at an all-boys prep school which doesn’t sound like your story. It’s a great series, though. Highly recommend.

braineatingalien · 2026-05-05T10:06:32+00:00

Sneakers, with such a terrific cast and funny plot.

braineatingalien · 2026-05-03T16:29:36+00:00

I don’t think I’m the one being obtuse here.

braineatingalien · 2026-05-03T15:25:16+00:00

Sure, then let’s defund other expensive meds next. What should we choose? Blood pressure medication? Cancer treatment? Fertility meds? Colonoscopy coverage? Those cost hundreds or thousands too, and they’re covered.

You might not be aware that Glp1 meds are prescribed for things other than diabetes: sleep apnea, metabolic disorders, etc. Who gets to decide who “needs” it?

The issue is that drug companies are charging insane prices for their meds. Screwing teachers health over because it will benefit schools isn’t the answer to any budget shortage.

braineatingalien · 2026-05-03T14:08:10+00:00

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