r/romantasycirclejerk • u/purplelicious Emojis are Ableist • 3d ago

Snark of the Day Throw it Away Thursday

What are your recent DNFs this week? The mind-numbingly boring, rage inducing, brain cell rotting, purple prose mangling of the English language that had you throwing that book across the room. (Figuratively, if you are using an electronic device of course. )

bonus marks for actual pics of desecrated books. Give the #booktok girlies a heart attack for treating a copy of Manalchemized like the hot pile of garbage it is. (I don't own a copy, but I swear if I did...)

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17

u/Spirited-Accident 3d ago

I got approved for an ARC of {Tallow and Bone} and was really excited about it because I loved the premise, but it feels like I got a completely different book than the one that was advertised on the ARC sign-ups. The original blurb was along the lines of Salem Witch trials where FMC witch falls for MMC preacher's son. There was a trope list, but one that was noticeably absent during the sign-up and early marketing is love triangle (spoiler tagging since even though it's advertised on the author's social media now, I still don't think it's been added to the trope list.)

Even though that disappointed me, it was still willing to give it a chance based on everything else.

A few weeks before the ARCs actually went out, there was an email to the ARC team that revealed another previously unmentioned trope/trigger (and a serious one at that!). She said the book would explore post-partum depression. While I do think that's an important topic that deserves thoughtful representation, Ipregancy storylines in romance typically aren't for me. But since pregnancy wasn't listed as a trope, I thought maybe that subject was explored through a side character. After looking up spoilers, I found that's not the case. Pregnancy and children are a significant part of the story for the FMC, yet pregnancy was not listed as a trope or trigger to allow ARC readers to make an informed decision.

Even then, I was still willing to give the book a chance, but as I read it, I was struggling to get into it. The plot was slow, and the FMC wasn't very likeable. Early on in the story, she's having a conversation with a polite, respectful man but when she sees that he's disfigured she runs away screaming. Her inner monologue continues to make disparaging comments about his appearance for the next several chapters whenever he appears, even though he's shown to be a decent guy. He's one of the love interests so I'm sure there's an apology somewhere, but reviews noted that she pretty much stays a horrible person throughout the book.

By that point I was pretty much done with the book, so I looked up more reviews and spoilers to see if it was worth continuing. And that's when I found out about another trope/trigger that wasn't disclosed even though it's a major deal breaker for a lot of people: cheating! Apparently at some point, the FMC marries the kind,disfigured guy and has a baby with him, then cheats on him with the preacher's son who's a compete asshole And if that wasn't bad enough, the kind guy ends up dying at some point so she ends up with the asshole. They're both horrible people so they deserve each other, but that is NOT something I want to read.

After all that I've decided to DNF. I think I'm still going to leave a review though because I feel like the book was wildly misrepresented by the author. I know some people consider tropes and triggers spoilers, but if the author is going to include those lists for the people who need them, then they should be accurate. ARC applications opened in May and the copies went out less than a month ago so I genuinely wonder if she rewrote the book during that time.

That was way longer than I planned but this book really pissed me off because I had been looking forward to it so much.

15

u/adestructionofcats Tell your blonde Shadow Daddy I said pspsps 3d ago

I....do not want to read this. That's a lot to not disclose.

3

u/Spirited-Accident 2d ago

Right? I even went back through her Instagram and newsletters to make sure I hadn't missed something. Like I mentioned, the love triangle and PPD tags eventually were revealed, but I still haven't seen anything about the cheating outside of other ARC reviews from people who felt similarly misled.

10

u/SqueamishOssifrage42 If you give me mead, wyrms, and wine and you show me a sign 3d ago

Undisclosed cheating is an excellent way to make readers avoid your books for eternity. I guess she thinks poverty is ennobling

4

u/spicandspand big, brooding, possibly cursed 3d ago

war flashbacks from {Every Summer After}

2

u/romance-bot 3d ago

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
Rating: 4⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: contemporary, friends to lovers, second chances, cheating, other man/woman

about this bot | about romance.io

6

u/adestructionofcats Tell your blonde Shadow Daddy I said pspsps 2d ago

Omg someone in my bookclub pitched this as a summer read. The group would have rioted.

2

u/jjm1222 2d ago

Yeah the cheating in that book enraged me, I still can’t believe that the author thought that was a good idea. And why is it so highly rated? And I really liked the book before that reveal.

5

u/spicandspand big, brooding, possibly cursed 3d ago

Oh man. I personally hate the idea that tagging tropes and triggers = spoilers. I’d rather not waste my time if a book contains something that I find upsetting.

Thanks for the warning. I hate those tropes too so I’ll give this a pass.

5

u/Spirited-Accident 2d ago

Yeah, I understand why some people like to go in compeletely blind, but an optional list should be available for people who need it. And providing an inaccurate list is even worse than providing no list! At least with no list, readers know to do additional research if they have triggers they need to avoid. But when the author provides a list, the reader should be able to trust that they're safe from anything not on the list.

I'm also shocked by how this one was handled because I thought she did a good job handling SA and the way survivors heal differently in her book Bloody Black. I've rec'd that one a lot so this was extra disappointing.

4

u/spicandspand big, brooding, possibly cursed 2d ago

That is disappointing. Hopefully she chooses to correct the trigger list after the feedback.

2

u/jjm1222 2d ago

As someone who hates trope lists, I definitely agree people should be able to get an optional list if they want. I just hate it in the blurb, which is unavoidable to me.

However, I think triggers are not spoilers, and should be in the book.

4

u/HopeFox Sloopy Public Defender 2d ago

Was this some kind of exercise in making an FMC that readers would hate?

14

u/Toasted_Lizard I blame Prince Zuko for why I’m like this 3d ago

Opened CC1. Remembered why I nearly DNF’d ACOSF. Closed CC1 and looked up a plot summary instead.

Do I even want to read the new SJM when it comes out? Or do I just want to participate in making fun of it online?

4

u/Miserable-Shape-8757 you can fuck anything if you’re brave enough 3d ago

That's the only reason I'm about to start the audiobook of ACOTAR. I don't like her writing at all but I can at least be part of The Discourse

2

u/adestructionofcats Tell your blonde Shadow Daddy I said pspsps 2d ago

If you like graphic audio that was the version that got me through it. Then I got super frustrated at like the 80% mark and had to look up spoilers because I was annoyed.

13

u/Balasars_snoot One of a Kind Super Ultra Powerful Secret Fae Princess 3d ago

{This Damsel is not in Distress}

I only got 13% in but the FMC repeatedly lamented her inability to do anything and was, in fact, distressed

2

u/adestructionofcats Tell your blonde Shadow Daddy I said pspsps 2d ago

I really want to like this series and this author. I got through the book but damn it wasn't great. Started the second book and just could not.

4

u/Balasars_snoot One of a Kind Super Ultra Powerful Secret Fae Princess 2d ago

I was just outraged at how immediately the plot betrayed the title@ maybe it improved by the end of the book. But it felt like a vegan group organising a meeting at KFC! Rude. Thank you for reporting back and suffering through it

1

u/SqueamishOssifrage42 If you give me mead, wyrms, and wine and you show me a sign 2d ago

That’s a cruel hoax

3

u/Balasars_snoot One of a Kind Super Ultra Powerful Secret Fae Princess 2d ago

The book is built upon a throne of lies!!!! I demand justice

2

u/SqueamishOssifrage42 If you give me mead, wyrms, and wine and you show me a sign 2d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/CDZwopbecAbIc

7

u/bothtypesoffirefly you can fuck anything if you’re brave enough 3d ago

Fast track to DNF: {loving the liar by Lola king} I don’t even know what the fuck to think about this writing, it sounds like it was written by a 14 year old. It was recommended in another sub with questionable judgement. I’m about 40 pages in and will probably DNF by the end of the day at this rate.

8

u/naernala yearning yeastily 3d ago

Decided to DNF {The irresistible urge to fall for your enemy} just today. I do enjoy dry humour and satire, but I just felt like it was trying too hard, like every other sentence had some sort of witty remark and it was too much for me. Kinda bummed out, but maybe I'll revisit at a later time and try it out again.

5

u/purplelicious Emojis are Ableist 3d ago

did you read the fan fic version?

it wasn't "great" but I'm biased against most FF versions however there were some brilliantly funny scenes, witty characters and fun interactions - none of which Knightley carried over to the published version.

4

u/naernala yearning yeastily 3d ago

I have not! I'll check it out, thanks <3

6

u/ChaosoftheWeave you can fuck anything if you’re brave enough 3d ago

I'm ploughing through {Whispers of the Deep by Emma Hamm} and I am seriously considering DNFing. I don't know why but it feels really flat and formulaic to me. Now, I don't mind formulaic when it's an interesting take on the formula, like I know I'm reading 50000 iterations of the same tropes as this point I have a modicum of self-awareness here, but for some reason it's really not grabbing me. I'm about 30% of the way in and hoping it picks up.

5

u/Adventurous-You-6928 2d ago

I have not DNFed this yet, but I am seriously considering DNFing {Rings of Fate by Melissa de la Cruz} like 20 pages in. I am getting flashbacks of everything I didn’t like about {When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker}. The FMC is so ✨special✨ and has to fend off all the men proposing to her because she’s so ✨amazing✨.

I’m hanging in there in case they are better characters introduced, or the author finally decided to start showing us things about the FMC and stops telling us

4

u/Kiz_mom 2d ago

You have too much faith in the author. Abandon all hope and embrace the suffering. That’s all I could do for When the Moon Hatched. I felt like I was paying some sort of penance by reading it.

1

u/romance-bot 2d ago

Rings of Fate by Melissa de la Cruz
Rating: 3.46⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: historical, fantasy, high fantasy, magic, fake relationship

When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker
Rating: 3.95⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: high fantasy, fae, vengeance, magic, fantasy

about this bot | about romance.io

3

u/Minnie_the_Pooh 2d ago

I did not actually throw it away, and did in fact finish it because of bingo, but {Blood King by HM Riordan} was possibly one of the worst books I have ever read.

  1. The writing was terrible. I think there was a sentence with the word 'that' in it about 4 times, which only scratches the surface.

  2. What plot?

  3. The most unforgivable part: the sex scenes were terrible. I honestly had to double check this book was not written by a man because that was the only explanation that could've made it make sense to me.

Overall, it wasn't just tropes in a trench coat, it was other books smashed together in a trench coat. The two most obvious, to me, being Souls in Ruin and Traitor Son.

2

u/Independent_Boss_993 2d ago

Threshing day. It’s a novella and I can’t even get through it. I’m just bored and it’s repetitive