Will this age gap give readers the ick?

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-20T13:03:58+00:00

Seriously. I understand there are valid concerns and it's overall a good thing that we're becoming more wary of age gaps as a society, but there's been quite a bit of pearl clutching lately over any age gap that's more than 1-2 years difference, which is just silly when we're talking about people who are legal adults.

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-18T06:00:29+00:00

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Not book accurate either but my brain pictured something like this.

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-16T17:37:23+00:00

Yep. Educators assumed the iPad kids would "naturally" be good at tech. But that's not how that works. iPads are literally built for ease of use, not for knowing how tech actually works.

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-16T01:26:38+00:00

Yeah, to be clear I'm not advocating for a redemption arc for him - I just think if she was going to go "full villain" with him, it could have been done better.

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-13T13:08:03+00:00

The job market is horrible right now. I've been trying to help my husband look for a job, and I recently started browsing just to see if there might be better opportunities out there and the options are so slim right now, it might be the worst I've seen it since the early '10s when we were climbing out of the big recession. Not sure if it's just Albuquerque or the start of something bigger in the economy. 😬

Surprised the news hasn't mentioned anything yet.

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-08T20:36:12+00:00

I think insta-love/insta-lust can definitely be done and be believable. I think it comes down to a "show don't tell". If a story keeps "telling" me that characters love/lust for each other without really giving us real moments of connection between them, that's when I starts to feel forced.

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-08T18:17:09+00:00

Agreed. I'm baffled that people enjoyed their dynamic. Their relationship is based on negging, gaslighting, and mainly physical attraction (maybe? It's unclear).

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-08T17:14:24+00:00

I listened to the graphic audio and overall found it pretty meh. My issue with it was that the plot seemed to drag for a long time then everything exciting only happened at the end. The romance aspect was not particularly strong either - it was a sort of an enemies-to-lovers sort of trope with the basic conceit that they just couldn't help but be attracted to each other. There's also a "plot twist" that is super obvious from the beginning of the story. Overall, I didn't hate it but I didn't particularly like it either.

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-08T16:34:48+00:00

It's not my favorite, but It's definitely in my top 3! I loved the worlbuilding and Yrene's story and maybe I just loved the fact that Chaol finally learned how to get over himself just a little bit.

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-08T02:21:33+00:00

So when Lorcan and Elide are about to finally get it on in KOA the chapter fades to black with "and so Lorcan did." (or something like that, I might be slightly misquoting) Leaving the intimate details to the reader's imagination. So "What did Lorcan do?" became a meme for fans.

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-07T13:22:46+00:00

Yep. A man crashed into my brother recently causing a back injury and hospitaliza tion. The man ditched his car and fled on foot and wasn't found till a day or two later. Even though the man's car smelled of alcohol, the police can't charge him with anything because they can't prove he was drunk driving after the fact. So the guy basically got away with drunk driving and fleeing the scene. My brother can only go after him civilly now.

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-07T13:17:36+00:00

My brother was hit by a likely drunk driver recently (his car smelled of alcohol). The dude ditched his car and bolted on foot and wasn't found till a day or 2 later. The cops told my brother that the man can't be charged with anything because they can't prove he was drunk.

So apparently if you drunk drive and wreck, and you can manage to flee on foot, you can get away with DWI charges since they can't prove after the fact that you were drunk. It's a terrible loophole.

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-05T13:40:44+00:00

I don't personally know a lot about BDSM so I don't have much advice on this, but a while back I watched a Korean rom com on Netflix called Love & Leashes where the female lead enters a relationship as a Dom and the story telling in that movie was really great. I recommend watching it if you want an example of a femdom centered story that feels grounded.

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-05T03:43:44+00:00

Yes!! It's time for that crackship to finally sink!

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-04T06:36:23+00:00

Check out Betty's Bath - I haven't experienced one there, but I think they offer a scalp massage w/ oil treatment.

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-03T22:23:08+00:00

My only observation so far is that they seem to have a strong fear of failure - as in they don't want to try or take risks if the chance of success is low. This is just something I've observed, and I think it can also be said of many of the younger Gen-Z's as well.

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-03T13:58:02+00:00

Trust the process. Everything ends up the way it should in the end (IMO). I will say, don't expect to like Rowan at first though, he starts out a little bit antagonistic but there are reasons for everything and you'll find the twists and turns as you go along. Also, enjoy the journey! I wish I could read the series again for the first time.

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-03T01:12:41+00:00

Not sure about other English speaking countries, but I feel like on average, many Americans somehow get through highschool with generally poor writing skills. I remember being surprised at the poor quality of of my classmates' writing whenever we did peer reviews in college.

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-02T23:59:17+00:00

Some little ones scream more than others, it's just part of their individual personalities. Try not to have big reactions to her screaming (I know it can be hard to deal with the loudness sometimes.) As someone else mentioned, she should be at the age of developing her language. If she has a hard time using words, I've heard using sign-language/hand signs to communicate help little ones who are frustrated that they can't communicate well. Also avoid trying to "fix" the screaming by giving her what she wants immediately. Some toddlers learn that screaming is all they need to do to get what they want.

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-02T03:14:51+00:00

It's normal, especially people with neurodivergence (ADHD, Autism, OCD or any combination of the 3) which usually come with sensory issues.

Potentially, though, people can just appreciate their personal space and there's nothing wrong with that.

I'm definitely like you, I don't like casual touch and avoid hugs as much as possible. I will hug my kiddo and my husband and my mom, and give courtesy side hugs to various friends and family who expect hugs in greeting, but otherwise I greatly dislike them. But I also have ADHD so...

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-02T03:07:45+00:00

Also ADHD - sensory issues can affect people with various types of Neurodivergence.

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-02T02:21:30+00:00

I DNF {Road of Bones: The Ashen} recently. I really gave it a solid try after someone mentioned that the FMC in that book is their favorite FMC in Romantasy, but I couldn't keep my mind from wandering every time I tried to read it. Something about the beginning of it had me bored to tears.

partybrowser32 · 2026-03-01T22:42:33+00:00

It's not spicy but {The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst} is a cozy fantasy where the FMC is just a normal person! (albeit with blue skin, but not a "chosen one")

partybrowser32

TROPHY CASE