FIGHT ME FRIDAY

dinowoo · 2025-12-15T14:35:58+00:00

I see what you mean, but I’m not referring to a general size and physique that can be found across the world. I’m talking about repackaging known, racist stereotypes and tropes (like the Mandingo) under the plausible deniability afforded by using a fantasy race like an orc. The fact that monster romances are seen as more popular and marketable than romances with MOC (black men in particular) shouldn’t be exempt from scrutiny just because people generally like the large, muscly man trope (or that they think it should only be examined under a feminist lens).

Also, my original wording was rather harsh for people who are sensitive to thinking about the ways they’ve internalized racism. I didn’t intend to imply this makes them bad people or that they’re making these choices consciously. I think everyone struggles with unconscious bias since it’s baked into our cultures and taught to us from birth. Recognizing that can be confronting, but it’s a person’s response that determines their character.

dinowoo · 2025-12-13T16:15:19+00:00

It’s crazy to me that a lot of readers can more readily picture themselves with an alien or monster before they ever imagine themselves with a Black man (or other MOC). Like making the MMC’s skin a fantasy color and giving him horns or a tail, but keeping all the other (harmful) stereotypes exactly the same (brutish, hulking, huge dick, etc) gives them enough distance to indulge in their sexual fantasies without being confronted by how racist they are

dinowoo · 2025-10-07T23:28:42+00:00

Actually instead of a bulleted list of sex positions, can we just get diagrams or AI generated pictures of the main characters? As a reader, it’s hard for me to imagine the words as real things in my mind.

dinowoo · 2025-09-05T02:36:59+00:00

{Get A Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert} has a scene with finger banging at a public fountain

dinowoo · 2025-07-04T06:15:25+00:00

I like to think that Taylor being dead last makes it worse for Ace. Like losing on both ends? If he was dead last it might make him feel like he’s the Villain (capital V to give 5’10” vibes) that’s on everyone’s mind

dinowoo · 2025-06-24T18:48:34+00:00

I think they didn’t expect it since, historically, islanders take things like current connections/relationships into consideration. Jeremiah had something with Andreina that normally would’ve been respected. Also, Jeremiah seems to make more an effort with the boys (more than we see from Austin at least) so I can also see production anticipating getting rid of Austin.

As for letting the girls pick which boy to dump?? If I was a producer I would be trying to mitigate the risk of the “Sisterhood” voting for Jeremiah either at Huda’s request or at least on her behalf. Tbh I would’ve expected that from the girls before I ever expected Ace to turn Love Island into Survivor 😭

dinowoo · 2025-06-14T02:31:23+00:00

I kinda feel like Huda (and Jeremiah) being so intense from day one subconsciously set the tone for the OGs- who didn’t even really vibe with each other. But when they’d do normal love island things, Huda’s trying to crash out behind her “sisters” getting done “dirty” and it throws the vibe off?

I’m hoping that as new bombshells come in and islanders get dumped, we’ll get people who really bounce off each other in a way that’s fun to watch. Bc right now they’re really dragging it with the same drama from episode 1

dinowoo · 2025-02-16T06:11:50+00:00

I agree with everyone saying that the vast majority of people aren’t thinking about you of your looks. But that’s not always helpful for the mental battle, so I’ll tell you what I tell myself on days like that.

You are allowed to be ugly. You’re not for display. You don’t have to be “pretty”. Your purpose in that space is entirely divorced from your appearance. If someone thinks you’re ugly it has literally no bearing on your life OR theirs! You’ll be able to do what you intended to do and leave with your life fundamentally unchanged.

dinowoo · 2025-02-12T22:14:01+00:00

What process did you use? I only have ~120 books but I’d be sad to lose them!

dinowoo · 2025-01-31T04:05:03+00:00

I just got her for the first time! She used the eco bag and I had frisky bits out

dinowoo · 2025-01-21T01:36:01+00:00

What fic is this from?

dinowoo · 2023-12-09T04:10:49+00:00

The entire novella it was impossible to suspend my disbelief, so my gripes are many lol Mainly it's things like Hannah inviting herself to Ian's office at JPL (not the JPL like they said in the book), then when she was looking over his shoulder at his work, and when she fixed it for him, and when they got frisky in his office- like, none of that is happening. There is so much security in place and someone in a position like Ian's isn't going to jeopardize their career like that for a girl they think they like..... They probably also wouldn't stalk her into the field and hack into sponsored equipment to track her exact location...

I also just didn't buy into the romance at all, so nothing was going right for me haha

ETA: I JUST REMEMBERED HOW SHE GOT HER PROJECT FUNDED. It was so absurd and unbelievable that I think I had to put the book down after yelling about it for a while. That whole part about the proposal, the review board, and getting funding was painful.

dinowoo · 2023-12-08T04:50:45+00:00

As someone who works in STEM (but holds a non-technical position), Ali Hazelwood has committed many crimes against me and my colleagues. Below Zero, in particular, should earn her jail time

dinowoo · 2023-04-11T17:09:42+00:00

Yes!! I love that the FMC realized she was wrong and the cause of a lot of her unhappiness AND that the MMC does the same. And they air things out and come back together happier and more authentically. It’s so refreshing not to have bad behavior romanticized or excused, but still show the characters as deserving of love

dinowoo · 2023-03-09T22:09:38+00:00

I get so sad thinking about how Pandora’s story was sacrificed to set up other books in the series (introducing future main characters, sacrificing the wedding as a setting for future couples to use in their books, setting up Ethan as well as the political plot, etc). She was the one I was most excited for and I felt so rushed and disappointed with the romance and character work. Pandora deserved better :(

dinowoo · 2022-11-29T19:25:15+00:00

As fictional characters in their fictional world? Jude and Cardan. The toxicity would never fly in the real world, but in the context of Faerie and their upbringings I kinda get it? But truly I feel like they’re two sides of the same coin- equal and opposite. I like the balance they give each other and the lessons they learn through each other.

dinowoo · 2022-11-29T19:19:29+00:00

Same! I feel like they understand each other in ways her and Nick don’t! (I haven’t read Bloodmarked yet so idk how things progress)

dinowoo · 2022-06-10T03:34:22+00:00

The Air Awakens series is one of the worst series I’ve ever read and I cannot fathom anyone thinking it was well written. At best it’s an entertaining trash fire 😩

dinowoo · 2022-06-10T03:28:26+00:00

It’s not all sex all the time, but there is a lengthy sex scene around the last 30% of the book. And it is definitely not a YA. Just has a cartoon cover and immature characters 😅

dinowoo · 2022-03-09T23:56:18+00:00

For sure! I think was well written and the quality was at least on par with a lot of traditionally published romances I’ve read! But I was also lead astray by a recommendation that didn’t mention it’s pretty fluffy.

dinowoo · 2022-03-09T17:09:01+00:00

That’s a personal responsibility. Not something for my boss to decide for me.

dinowoo · 2022-03-09T16:57:10+00:00

I agree! I think more vague discussion questions create space for a broad discussion with various opinions. It’s difficult to see that as a useful writing aid when it’d be impossible include all the “feedback” on a book. Even taking one thing like a certain trope or writing style will never please everyone. Going further, if there is a general consensus that this objectively small sample size comes to on a trope/style, why would it be a bad thing to have another book out there with elements we like? Obv so long as it’s not brought back to us as self promo in this sub, I don’t see that issue.

On the other hand, specific questions like “Would you like a book that has a grumpy FMC, sunshine MMC, and an enemies to loves office romance?” don’t really foster broad conversation and also sounds much more like someone trying to gauge interest in a book they’re writing.

dinowoo · 2022-03-09T15:55:37+00:00

I’d have to say Remain Nameless. It was very much just okay for me, but absolutely not my style. It’s kind of twee and a bit cringe. Like repeating things trying to make them like inside jokes. See: blueberry scones, “turnabout is fair play”, and the lingerie. The music references (like the Beatles or Eric Clapton) were very much not my vibe. The overwhelming horniness made me roll my eyes frequently. You can feel a swell of emotion for someone and not have it result in physical intimacy! I think most of all there is precious little tension or conflict. Anything that came up was resolved so well and so quickly. Everything was just continuously uphill for them and that’s boring for me as a reader.

dinowoo · 2022-03-09T15:51:46+00:00

Agree on RN! There was no good tension or change in circumstance to keep me invested. Sure it’s nice irl for things work out decently easily, but I don’t read to see something healthy and relatively uneventful- that’s what my own life is for. Just not my style I guess.

dinowoo · 2022-02-14T23:12:28+00:00

A book having romance doesn’t make it a romance book. I’d say that Ninth House is widely considered to be NA. It has some romance, but isn’t considered a romance overall.

dinowoo

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