I need to have words with whoever recommended you Colleen Hoover because omg her books are horrendous, they're all just incredibly misogynistic and toxic that I'm genuinely baffled at how she's become so successful.
I'm genuinely concerned about straight women if they're lapping her books up like this, the amount of 5 star reviews on November 9 makes me feel sick to my stomach
As a trans person i cannot think of anything more insulting than people not calling me by the name i chose to go by i dont understand why this is supposed to be romantic 😭
My bullies in middle school bullied me by giving me a nickname and then refusing to use my real name. I also can't understand how it's meant to be sexy
I have nothing wrong with random nicknames, my friends and i constantly make new ones for eachother, but yes, i have no idea how that's supposed to be romantic
I'm not trans, but I have a Spanish name of Leah pronounced "Leia" and I don't even think I can be friends with someone named "Lee-uh" because I've heard people call me that so many times even years after I know them and have corrected them and if someone 'teased' me by calling me that, hand are gonna be thrown
@@whiteraven562 The same thing happened to me!! It made me so uncomfortable and everyone thought I'm crazy for being bothered by something so small and laughed it off
the whole "i own you" stuff is very much more of a kink thing and i really wish straight books would actually treat it as such (i.e.: have the characters both agree its something theyre into first) instead of the male love interests just assuming and somehow always being right being both queer and autistic i really hate how often straight romance novels have the couple just magically know what each other r into based purely on gender roles/stereotypes (its suspiciously never the woman who says all that dom-y stuff)
i once heard someone say that the difference between erotica and romance is that in romance any kinks or fantasies are acted out like how real people would do it, and that erotica is written inside the fantasy itself. if thats the case, then so many of these romances are written more like erotica than romance, which is kinda concerning tbh
Yes I don’t understand the standard of “the man should dominate and the woman should submit 24/7 even outside the bedroom” I just really don’t understand as someone who is also queer and autistic
I want more books where the women say that stuff!!!!! And it's agreed to & consented to beforehand too!!! More diversity of those topics in books ghhhhhhhhghhghh 💔💔💔💔
"after this i'm never reading any colleen hoover book ever again" me watching this in small screen with video recommendation of you reading straight romance books again with ugly love on its thumbnail next to this
I'm obviously overgeneralising, but I find often that straight romances don't focus on motivation or any real chemistry because they know that the target audience has so much material to work with that they don't care all that much. Which isn't fair to the audience, as plenty do appreciate good lit, but plenty also just want unmotivaed smut. I pretty much only read and write queer fiction, and have found that most of the time, the chemistry and motivations, as well as characters in general, are developed beyond belief and that's why they stick in your head so much. Queer stories, particularly made by queer people, have a lot of love and care behind them.
I read both Queer and straight. Same goes for queer books too. They have no.chemistry, sex on the second page. Over generalization is wrong. It is like saying oh I am being a jerk but. You can't just say romance novels based on booktok. Search it up. Thousands of amazing romance novels are there which are straight. You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle Out on a Limb Brown sister trilogy The Plus One Mazey Endings Where Time stands stills by NS Perkins. Funny Feelings By Tarah Dewitt Funny Story by Emily Henry. Most of All you by Mia Sheridan The Impossible Us by Sarah Lotz Morbidly Yours By Ivy Fairbanks. All Alone with You Amelia Diane Coombs The Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade Dear Ana by iie. Yours Truly By Abby Jimenez I give you few examples. At the end literature is subjective. I love love Emily Henry and Tarah Dewitt. Some hate their novels. Just because booktok have toxic men doesn't mean there are not good romance straight novels.
As a mostly straight woman who is trying to read straight romance, I still haven't found anything I would say I've actually enjoyed. The other day I told my friend that I "endured" the book she recommended, and that earned me a laugh. I realize that these romance books are meant to be a fantasy so you can escape from your life, but I don't get it because these men are such cardboard cut-outs that I'm just bored. It's also the same formula: meet-cute, misunderstanding occurs, separation, understanding occurs, reconciliation, realization that true love has been achieved, happily ever after. Yawn. Oh, yes, and awkward sex. I'm in the "fade to black" camp when it comes to written sex scenes, and if it doesn't I just flip through until I return to story. I'm not sure I'm cut out for romance novels. Also, when I read my grandmother's Harlequin romance books as a teenager I would chuckle over "his manhood" and "tumescence" because it sounds so clinical but now every time I see "came undone" or "shattered" I just roll my eyes. It's almost gross how cringy it is.
If you're not sure that you're cut out for romance novels, try reading "The Cruel Prince" series, which has a pretty good enemies to lovers romance sub plot. Most good romance books I've read have been male/male romances or bi woman/male, like "The Song of Achillies" was a very good tragic love story between male characters. Shatter me series is pretty good but I personally didn't like it since there was a bit of spice in it.
one of my fav straight romances is Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola! but yeah i mostly only read queer romances for this reason 😭 it feels like in straight romances the love interest has no personality and they’re focused on being self-insertable
also gonna recommend Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert! really the whole Brown Sisters trilogy. also, this isn’t a straight romance but i love The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun! i’m literally about to reread it for the 3rd time!!
@@lilacfields Apologies if this is a double-post... my reply got eaten by the internet, but wanted to say thank you for the recommends, I will check them out including F/F recommends, especially one you like enough to read more than once! :)
“I have a lot of criticisms of straight culture” As an Asexual/aromantic, I feel you on this but I also have a lot of criticism when it comes to all romance/erotica genres, though I will give them a chance from time to time and I admit there’s been a few times (rare as it is) that I would like a romance book. Can’t wait to watch the rest of your video. Edit: FINALLY SOMEONE ALSO AGREES THAT ADAM FROM LOVE HYPOTHESIS WAS S*XUALLY Assa*lted I WAS HELLA MAD ABOUT THAT AND THE HYPOCRISY AS WELL.
16:50 - Yes. Even like 30-40 years ago grad student - professor relationships would get huge side-eye, and now schools often have polices against it even if there isn't a direct supervisory role. As an academic, my jaw drops any time anyone reads out any part of this book, because it is just so far out of what is professional behavior even for people who ARE dating/married! Like, NO, you DO NOT sit on your partners lap during a seminar! WTF?!
Completely agree that it's still an inappropriate relationship even if he isn't her direct supervisor. If this happened in a real dept he'd be reported to the dept head and/or university HR, no one would find it cute. Harassment of grad students by advisors is still such a real issue. It creeps me out so much that the author herself was in academia and is promoting this weird fantasy. I'd be so weirded out if I was in her department :/
as a star wars fan i was getting the biggest ick throughout the love hypothesis section. the BIGGEST case of “he would not f*cking say that” i’ve ever encountered.
I feel like we gay people don’t get enough credit for pretending to give a shit about straight relationships. Seriously, like we don’t care but damn are we good at acting like we do if the moment arrives. Living in a heteronormative society just naturally gives the queers a particular set of skills.
Idk, I’m aroace and I honestly don’t mind talking to people about their love lives as long as it’s not too graphic. I just like seeing my family and friends happy, although I suppose romance isn’t at the centre of that.
The reason the love hypothesis is so aware of tropes is because it’s a reylo fanfic (Rey and Kylo ren) The author changed the name and a few details and had it published
20:00 OMG, does it literally use the term "8-pack"??? That is HILARIOUS when you know that this started out as Reylo fanfic and Adam is supposed to be Adam Driver, and his whole SNL Undercover Boss sketch.
this is so accurate. What even IS an 8 pack? Like, I like that someone is in shape, but like. . . can go on hikes with me, is generally healthy. perfect abs would be completely wasted on me at best, just make me insecure about my own body at worst (Also so sick of Colleen hoover)
An 8 pack is what happens when you are very lucky Genetically, Where they have a rectus abdomis with four intersections instead of three. It's all genetic. Like curling your tongue or wiggling your ears.
@@CharlieConcepts-pw9ur is more than that, you may genetically have an 8 pack but in order to show it your fat percentage has to be low , someone with an 8 pack is either a model , fit trainer, atlete , someone who their whole lives revolves around exercise in a way
I dated a bodybuilder for 2 years. He went through phases of gaining and "cutting" (losing body fat quickly to have more muscle definition) and he was insufferable when cutting. Just so hard and not comfy to cuddle with and always hungry. He had abs then. But it was essentially not doing anything for our relationship. 😅 I supported him in his sport but he was a lot more snuggly and attractive to me with his body fat and no defined abs.
I don’t know if it’s just a volume thing, that there are so many more straight romances that there are bound to be way more rubbish ones, or that the bar is higher for queer fiction, but I can’t think of a straight romance I’ve read that I enjoy as much as ones like One Last Stop and Red, White and Royal Blue (or maybe I just worship Casey McQuiston 🤔)
FR, I absolutely loved books like She Gets The Girl, What If It’s Us, Heartstopper, etc. But I can’t for the life of me find an enjoyable straight romance series/novel
Thanks for taking one for the team Georgia! I have vowed to myself that I will never read a Colleen Hoover book, your review has further confirmed that for me! I would still love to see your full review on it though x
p.s I'm a bisexual woman married to a man and I have never understood the abs thing! I personally don't find them a attractive trait myself & I always thought they were more of a male gaze thing too!
I am a asexual biromantic woman and love Emily Henry’s books. I couldn’t get into love hypothesis and I can’t stand Colleen Hoover’s books like I livid after it ends with us.
@@jenniferthecloud1475 I'm ace and biromantic too! 🙋 (Glad to see someone like me) Okay, so I'll be honest, I personally never read any of Colleen Hoover's books myself, however, the reviews I've seen/heard of her books (on RUclips specifically) have NOT been good. What I've heard being read out loud is absolutely horrendous I'd probably say ... I'm kinda scared on how she thinks what she's writing is okay and normal?? That's goes for other authors that do and think the same 😭 (soorrryy for the long ass comment)
I'm a mostly straight cis woman and I absolutely hate romance novels--the clichés, the bad writing, and especially the not communicating! I also found gross all the things you found gross, with one exception: I always liked the feel of hard male muscle under soft skin. But I hate that bodybuilder bulgy look. Thanks for having the courage to try this.
I can only speak for myself but as a straight woman I'd totally agree that men are more into the rock solid muscle-y look than women are. Like my husband seems to think body builders are what he should aspire to look like and I'm like, ew no.
Ugh body builder bodies are the worst. So unnatural and can't possibly be healthy. They actually gross me out. Give me an average dad bod over that any day.
Bi woman here and I used to be married to a man who got OFFENDED when I said I didn't want him to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. And I was like "I'm confused; Why is it BAD that I think you're more attractive the way you are?" SOME muscle can be attractive, yes, but I don't get the huge muscle man appeal. That being said, the number of romance books written by and aimed at straight women featuring huge muscle men suggests there may be a range of opinions on the subject!
Ugh, the men who _insist_ all women want a bodybuilder piss me off SO MUCH. Now, I'm a lesbian, but not a _single_ female friend or acquaintance of mine has _EVER_ told me they specifically want a guy with big muscles. If anything, I've heard from some that it's a turn-off. But a guy will tell you to your face (a real experience of mine) that he can't get any dates because all women want is a rich man with a six pack. It's just a thing guys tell each other either because it's what _they_ aspire to look like (which is fine, look how you want to look) and/or as an excuse to blame women's "unrealistic expectations" on why they can't get laid... even though it's almost never a woman who tells a man that's what she wants.
As a gay man I can confirm men really like muscles lmao, Idk why for straight men why they are so into thinking women want them to look like that tbh. For me I do like muscular men but idk I can't say much on the female gaze
Thank you it’s not just me who feel completely confused by straight romance as a lesbian who only has male friends and does not understand them sometimes.
I’m straight and if I saw a rock hard muscle bound man I might thinks he’s nice to look at but usually men like that are shallow. I like a sexy brain over muscles any day.
I love this! As a lesbian, who’s also a complete hopeless romantic, I absolutely love Emily Henry (I honestly don’t remember reading People We Meet on Vacation tho so) and Ali Hazelwood (also, all her romance novels have to do with women in stem, which I LOVE), but hated the Spanish Love Deception and loath literally anything by Colleen Hoover. Anyways, I was relating so much to literally everything you said and absolutely loved every moment of this video
For the talk about being ‘claimed’ that seems very much like a power dynamic kink thing. I am bi/pan so queer too but am part of the kink community. There is 100% a limit on what is ok, having not read them I can’t comment on whether they include healthy and safe kink or they are bad depictions of it and just trying to appeal to that kind of audience. It is a really hard topic to get right if you aren’t in that scene which is why it often comes across as controlling and coercive in fiction because it can seem like that on the outside but within the relationship there is real love and care and consent there. Loved the video as always 😊
but with these authors they aren't doing that. they're work reads like they're romanticizing harmful/oppressive gender dynamics. & then they get weird about race too. lol I'm sorry but race play and gender play are weird.
You're braver than me, as a lesbian I kept thinking 'no come on, there are some cute straight ships out there, it isn't that bad' and while true I realized... all the straight relationships I like come most of the times from lgbt books lol
I’ll say it every time: I learned about periods, certain disabilities, consent, amab/afab anatomy, different pronouns, and how people generally feel pleasure through online fanfic; specifically queer platonic/romantic pairings. For fanfic there’s good and the bad, but the US south certainly doesn’t talk about most of it regardless.
Pfft yeah. I’m a trans woman who lives in the Deep South and yeah, they didn’t teach me any of this. Our “sex-ed” was a single, 30 minute class where they basically just told us “don’t have sex.” I basically had to learn about all of this through a combination of the Internet, talking with friends and family, and experiences with my own body.
To answer your question about male bodies, im bi so a bit biased on the queer side but I have never understood hype over big an muscular men. I love soft men that are comfy to cuddle with. Maybe with a bit of hand muscles.
Hi Georgia, I really like your video! You mentioned that the reason the main characters hadn't talked to each other for 2 years was just miscommunication. I found out A LOT of great stories have miscommunication as a driving force of the plot, especially when it comes to romance (Jane Eyre for example...). I think for us, people in 2024 who practice heathy communication, it might seem ridiculous, but maybe formerly developing these skills was not so common? I recently finished a book "The Time of the Hero" by Mario Vargas Llosa, and the 13 y.o. character there cannot tell a girl he liked that he had no money for bus or smth so he became a robber and then a killer
dear georgia PLEASE give emily henry another try and read book lovers!! i think it’s her best book (much better than you and me on vacation) and you would definitely enjoy it
I'm straight and I'm not attracted to muscular men, I prefer them to be soft, I don't understand what the big deal is with loving muscles. It's very annoying because every male character in every straight romance has a six pack and it turns me off. Also it makes it so every men kinda have the same personnality traits and hobbies because you have to go to the gym a lot to look like that.
Great video! I think part of the issue is a kind of genre confusion; a lot of "straight romance novels" are much closer to what we in queer contexts would understand as soft erotica, but since a lot of straights wouldn't want to admit to reading erotica it gets marketed as romance. And so, things that we'd read as kinky fantasies in erotica (eg the domination stuff), with full understanding that it'd be very unhealthy IRL, is instead portrayed for the straights in so-called "romance". That said, wrt to the physiology of climaxing from speech, that's absolutely something that can happen for some people during sex, at least if one is already close to the edge.
Where do you even find good lesbian books?? I've come across like 5-6 and they all gave me Colleen Hoover vibes, what really sucks is that all the good lgbtq+ books are mostly bl, which I love but I've been trying to find a gl book 😭 Edit: Thanksss y'all, I didn't think I'll get so many recommendations, I never going to run out of gl books 😄
I totally agree with you. In a partnership I don't want to own my partner and I don't want my partner to own me. When I was younger some female friends were texting with their love interest/boyfriend "you're mine/I'm yours" and some of them are surely continuing doing that. That scares me, what the hell. No one should claim anyone😖 Anyways, I'm looking for queer romance books at the time (especially lesbian romance, cause I sadly just read one), does someone has a good request?🤗
one last stop was pretty good for lesbian, but carry on was probably my favorite in general. I actually have a whole list if you’re interested, this is just the top of my head
If you're cool with Manga, then there's a massive library of Yuri! Fluffy, serious, supernatural, smut, coming out, slice of life, isekai, and a bunch of others. If you don't want to read mangas, there's quite a few Light Novels (basically books like we have with black and white pictures every once in a while for certain scenes) For Light Novels I'd recommend Adachi and Shimamura, which is very slice-of-life, and has lots of nervous, "do I like girls? Or just how this one girl looks?", but the couple gets together in the end. There's around 13 volumes and it's still ongoing. Both of the love interests have their own problems and issues in the relationship, but they're aware of it, and are actively trying to get better. Otherside Picnic is more supernatural/horror genre with some romance on the side, very slow burn, but it's completed and has around 11 volumes, I think? I'm in Love With the Villainess has 4 volumes, is an isekai and the main couple become wives in the 1st volume and adopt two kids. There's also a pretty nice amount of depth in the main character. A little problematic in some aspects, if I'm being honest, but those get smoothed out later on. If you don't want any kind of light novels or manga, and just want a lesbian love story that wraps up in one nice book, I'd recommend, "A Bánh Mì for Two". I picked it up yesterday and I just really like it. Hope you find some great stuff to read!
Hi! I've just found your channel, as a queer woman who has also been in a long term relationship I would love a follow up of terrible sapphic romance books that feel cringey Like some I've read and it's like they are ticking off a list of queer people like "and this person is nonbinary, and this person is asexual" without it feeling genuine, or sapphic romance/sex scenes that also don't feel like the author has ever had a sapphic encounter
Straight female here, definitely not a fan of big, hard, muscular types. Too much muscle is actually a turn off for me. Not sure exactly why. Give me an average male body, thanks. Also, crocheted clothing FTW!
It's weird how prominent subtle or not so subtle themes of incest are in straight romance books. The whole "he's like a brother to me" narrative to "I wanna jump his bones" is so wildly uncomfortable.
This is so validating and fun to watch. November 9 is also the worst book I've ever read and I wasn't even aware I was a mesbian when I read it. Just objectively horrendous.
alternate title: "a lesbian reads straight romance books and is now even gayer." thoughts and prayers for your speedy recovery from straight people's truly unhinged ideas around romance 🙃
I swear whenever I read one of those crappy borderline misogynistic books I end up shipping the main character with the sassy wingman friend more than the actual couple 💀
As someone who is bisexual (Or maybe I'm just gay. I dunno. I find some men attractive. But mostly women.) Why are muscles so focused on? Like, if there's a muscular woman (not very common...) her muscles aren't too too detailed, and it's just- more appealing to me. But for men, in most cases, they're so detailed?? I don't mind muscles in most cases! Just don't make it the defining feature of a person!! ;-;
I read Emily Henry's People We Meet on Vacation (same book different name). I agree with your review. It wasn't bad in the aspect that there were no red flags and toxic relationships. It was just boring and unmemorable. Also thought it lacked chemistry. I've heard enough about the other books to avoid them. I just know it's not what I'm interested in reading. There are some good straight romances out there. I liked Seven Days in June.
5:08 O_O... an easy fix the author could've implemented into the story is that Poppy and Alex both have a hard time differentiating between platonic and romantic love but that would mean the book would be more complicated and layered, layers that these books seem to lack T3T :,D
I think a big issue that straight romance writers fall into is that theg rely on the Avril Lavigne "he was a boy, she was a girl" love story and don't think to put in anymore effort into convincing you they're into each other. I feel like it's a reflection of the societal tendency to deem any nonfamilial female/male relationships as inherently romantic without anything else to be considered
All this is valid. I worked in libraries for a decade. Straight romance seems dull and absurd. Women are not into such characters if they were real. Mind you some sapphic books are horribly written but it often doesn’t seem as toxic and absurd.
I think reading any kind of book you’re not interested in must be difficult. I know what I like to read and it’s not romance! I’m straight but I’m also 54. I know romance is just a fairly tail we tell ourselves when we are younger. Love isn’t actually like that.
45:00 I'm queer in a relationship with a man and this is something that really annoys me in rom books, every man is so tall and absolutely riped. I can appreciate a muscular body but its completely unrealistic and takes me out of the story a bit, don't get me wrong I like strong arms and stuff but I think its always so exaggerated nowadays. I think Harrison ford in th 80s or Brenda Fraser in the 90s are good examples of very fit men without looking like completely dehydrated bodybuilders we see as the standard today. We often here from male actors how insane ans difficult it is to look like that, a recent example being Hugh Jackman in the latest deadpool.
Colleen Hoover is really bad at sex scenes lol she thinks that by making them VERY explicit, it turns into a good scene lol im talking about Verity btw made me so uncomfortable i would just skip the 10 page sex scene lmfaoo
I think for the "I love you" coming thing, it's probably just the fantasy of the simultaneous orgasm more than meant to be true to life. I'm guessing. Is Olive asexual or demisexual? I realize demisexual is considered on the asexual spectrum, but from what I understand, asexuals are not attracted physically to anyone (doesn't mean they're not romantic or don't enjoy sex; some are aromantic, some are sex repulsed, some aren't) while demisexuals are not attracted until an emotional bond is formed but do experience attraction. Oh, no, when the Colleen Hoover cover came into view.
btw asexual people can be *physically* attracted to people (as in, attracted to their physical appearance), just not sexually attracted - an ace person
You bring up a good point with Nov 9. If it were ABOUT DV it would have been better - CoHo did write a book about DV (It ends with us) but the way she treats it is no different compared to her "romance" books.
really? i've had the opposite problem, 90% of the mlm romance i seem to come across is so fluffy and cliche it seems to be aimed at middle schoolers (which doesn't appeal to me as someone in her early 20s)
Be sure when you're reading mlm books that they're written by actual queer people preferably gay men because mlm books written by straight women are pretty much always like that dark toxic and abusive
“Are the higher ups going to be okay with this?” Is so similar to what I say out loud when something insane happens when I’m reading. I literally say “God had abandoned us. Please come back.”
Love, Theoretically goes a bit into the Ace spectrum, and I thought was quite interesting. It was in a similar university setting but without the professor/student thing. I havent read the love hypothesis but it does seem to adress some things she didnt like, and i didnt really cringe reading it.
While I’m not the target audience of this video, I still agree so much with some points! I hate hate hate cheesy unrealistic sex scenes in books. We all know sex isn’t always perfect and hate when books try to be real and then throw it with a sex scene like that.
I just found your channel today and I just wanted to say I love your style of video! I’ve seen so many book channels, but something about yours clicks. Maybe it’s the way you talk about books or the casual style, but I really like your channel already! (Also yes, Love Hypothesis is good, Ali Hazelwood is a pretty good female straight romance writer. She’s the only straight romance author I read right now. Highly recommend her Check and Mate or Love Theoretically (Which has an Olive and Adam cameo!!))
Just when I thought November 9 was bad (never heard of it til this vid), you just kept pulling up examples that made my eyebrows raise ever higher with disgust. Who WRITES something like that and frames it as positive????? ಠ╭╮ಠ
re: Love Hypothesis I am also gay and i really enjoyed it EXCEPT for the sex scene (how is it good, they struggled to communicate the entire time and she compares his dick to giving birth and talks about how he can fit an entire boob in his mouth lol). also I'm pretty sure Olive is demisexual (which ace-spec but not asexual) and Malcolm is bi.
As a straight woman I can tell you: I can't stand straight romance books. I hate the misogynistic views and outdated tropes that they use. I hate the miscommunication or - even worse - non-existent communication of these couples and the sex scences are cringy af. The bar is in hell.
Do I want to read about the sexual lives of 18 year olds? Not particularly. I feel that - I'm almost 20 and that makes me uncomfortable too. It's less to do with "they're young" because I am not even 20, it's more "they're 18 because I can't make them 16"
i don't usually watch your book reviews because i don't read books as much as i would like and it makes me feel guilty lmao BUT i needed to hear your thoughts on these ones because ive seen them being talked about all around the internet for a while and ive always been curious. im queer myself and only read fanfiction, mostly mlm and occasionally other queer pairings so i really can relate to simply Not Getting het romance lmao. however being bi and not sapphic (im non-binary and transmasc) i feel like i might have a different perspective to these than you do? like for example some.of the things you found revolting and not attractive i found the opposite because im attracted to men ahah. also it might be because of my "fanfiction background" but i don't have so much of an issue with "unrealistic" sex. i don't mind a bit of suspension of disbelief to make a scene particularly incredible even if it's very rare things happen like that irl. like the coming from hearing your bf saying i love you thing? i don't think it's that unrealistic! might not be the most common thing but it's not impossible to be tipped over the edge from your lover's voice, imo. but those things are mostly a matter of personal tastes and perspectives! in any case i loved this video, very entertaining and very informative. also! the love hypothesis was actually a reylo (rey/kylo ren) fanfic originally, that's why adam reminds you of kylo ahah (played by adam driver, too)
straight books are so weird to me, im pansexual but i enjoy reading BL/GL books and not straight ones even though im interested in guys. 24:37 i have read webtoons better than Coho books, most of her books have manipulative and abusive male leads and the female leads just do everything they say w/o any concern, its also is just horrible writing... (also i love ur accent so muchhh!!
It’s different for everyone, but if the book is well-written, I think anyone should enjoy it, regardless of orientation. I’m aro-ace, and enjoy lots of queer and straight romance novels. Also, I’d argue that The Love Hypothesis isn’t a completely straight romance, because of the asexuality, and I suppose Olive could be read as demiromantic as well.
I beg you read The Black Sheep by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout. I just...need other people to know this disater of a book containing a questionable relationship exists.
I need to have words with whoever recommended you Colleen Hoover because omg her books are horrendous, they're all just incredibly misogynistic and toxic that I'm genuinely baffled at how she's become so successful.
I'm genuinely concerned about straight women if they're lapping her books up like this, the amount of 5 star reviews on November 9 makes me feel sick to my stomach
@@storieswithgeorgiamarie For real! And the fact that her stuff is somehow a TikTok sensation makes me very worried for young girls
Not only that but they seem so popular with young women! My niece is 15 and mentioned the books as she’d seen them on TikTok!
@@_.mxggxn._ That's so concerning, I hope to God that she's aware of how harmful her work is.
@@stroodledoodles Exactly. I just hope that they’ll stop being promoted as much now the positive reviews are starting to be drowned out.
As a trans person i cannot think of anything more insulting than people not calling me by the name i chose to go by i dont understand why this is supposed to be romantic 😭
My bullies in middle school bullied me by giving me a nickname and then refusing to use my real name. I also can't understand how it's meant to be sexy
I have nothing wrong with random nicknames, my friends and i constantly make new ones for eachother, but yes, i have no idea how that's supposed to be romantic
I'm not trans, but I have a Spanish name of Leah pronounced "Leia" and I don't even think I can be friends with someone named "Lee-uh" because I've heard people call me that so many times even years after I know them and have corrected them and if someone 'teased' me by calling me that, hand are gonna be thrown
@@whiteraven562 The same thing happened to me!! It made me so uncomfortable and everyone thought I'm crazy for being bothered by something so small and laughed it off
bigotry kink? does that even exist?
the whole "i own you" stuff is very much more of a kink thing and i really wish straight books would actually treat it as such (i.e.: have the characters both agree its something theyre into first) instead of the male love interests just assuming and somehow always being right
being both queer and autistic i really hate how often straight romance novels have the couple just magically know what each other r into based purely on gender roles/stereotypes (its suspiciously never the woman who says all that dom-y stuff)
Romanticizing possessiveness and ab*se is disgusting.
for real i never touch straight romance books bc it almost always has this troupe
i once heard someone say that the difference between erotica and romance is that in romance any kinks or fantasies are acted out like how real people would do it, and that erotica is written inside the fantasy itself. if thats the case, then so many of these romances are written more like erotica than romance, which is kinda concerning tbh
Yes I don’t understand the standard of “the man should dominate and the woman should submit 24/7 even outside the bedroom” I just really don’t understand as someone who is also queer and autistic
I want more books where the women say that stuff!!!!! And it's agreed to & consented to beforehand too!!! More diversity of those topics in books ghhhhhhhhghhghh 💔💔💔💔
the cover of You and Me on Vacation looks way too much like tampon packaging its so funny
You're so right 😭
I was JUST about to comment that 😭
The European cover is sooo much better-
Actually have it on display as a sort of decorative lamp stand lol
49:35 as a straight cis person, yes a relationship should be about support and genuine care, I have no idea what people are writing
that is genuinely reassuring ngl
"after this i'm never reading any colleen hoover book ever again" me watching this in small screen with video recommendation of you reading straight romance books again with ugly love on its thumbnail next to this
that’s what I thought too! LOL
well! i know what im watching next! lol
I'm obviously overgeneralising, but I find often that straight romances don't focus on motivation or any real chemistry because they know that the target audience has so much material to work with that they don't care all that much. Which isn't fair to the audience, as plenty do appreciate good lit, but plenty also just want unmotivaed smut. I pretty much only read and write queer fiction, and have found that most of the time, the chemistry and motivations, as well as characters in general, are developed beyond belief and that's why they stick in your head so much. Queer stories, particularly made by queer people, have a lot of love and care behind them.
Aye, fellow aro!
Hello from another aro person. I totally agree! When I find books that don’t have romance sometimes I feel like I struck gold
I read both Queer and straight. Same goes for queer books too. They have no.chemistry, sex on the second page. Over generalization is wrong. It is like saying oh I am being a jerk but. You can't just say romance novels based on booktok. Search it up. Thousands of amazing romance novels are there which are straight.
You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle
Out on a Limb
Brown sister trilogy
The Plus One Mazey Endings
Where Time stands stills by NS Perkins.
Funny Feelings By Tarah Dewitt
Funny Story by Emily Henry.
Most of All you by Mia Sheridan
The Impossible Us by Sarah Lotz
Morbidly Yours By Ivy Fairbanks.
All Alone with You Amelia Diane Coombs
The Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
Dear Ana by iie.
Yours Truly By Abby Jimenez
I give you few examples.
At the end literature is subjective. I love love Emily Henry and Tarah Dewitt. Some hate their novels.
Just because booktok have toxic men doesn't mean there are not good romance straight novels.
"Aro/ace person throwing the book out of the window after the main character gets back together with their bf/gf that they previously dumped"
Oh my gosh, so so real lmao
this is very me
MOOD :3
As a mostly straight woman who is trying to read straight romance, I still haven't found anything I would say I've actually enjoyed. The other day I told my friend that I "endured" the book she recommended, and that earned me a laugh. I realize that these romance books are meant to be a fantasy so you can escape from your life, but I don't get it because these men are such cardboard cut-outs that I'm just bored. It's also the same formula: meet-cute, misunderstanding occurs, separation, understanding occurs, reconciliation, realization that true love has been achieved, happily ever after. Yawn. Oh, yes, and awkward sex. I'm in the "fade to black" camp when it comes to written sex scenes, and if it doesn't I just flip through until I return to story. I'm not sure I'm cut out for romance novels. Also, when I read my grandmother's Harlequin romance books as a teenager I would chuckle over "his manhood" and "tumescence" because it sounds so clinical but now every time I see "came undone" or "shattered" I just roll my eyes. It's almost gross how cringy it is.
If you're not sure that you're cut out for romance novels, try reading "The Cruel Prince" series, which has a pretty good enemies to lovers romance sub plot. Most good romance books I've read have been male/male romances or bi woman/male, like "The Song of Achillies" was a very good tragic love story between male characters. Shatter me series is pretty good but I personally didn't like it since there was a bit of spice in it.
one of my fav straight romances is Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola! but yeah i mostly only read queer romances for this reason 😭 it feels like in straight romances the love interest has no personality and they’re focused on being self-insertable
also gonna recommend Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert! really the whole Brown Sisters trilogy. also, this isn’t a straight romance but i love The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun! i’m literally about to reread it for the 3rd time!!
@@Emika_12332 Thank you for the recommend! I do like things that are adventure stories with a side romance. :D
@@lilacfields Apologies if this is a double-post... my reply got eaten by the internet, but wanted to say thank you for the recommends, I will check them out including F/F recommends, especially one you like enough to read more than once! :)
Thank god for lesbians on the internet.
right??
you can say that again
Thank you lesbians for being real
@@kebapkeb you're welcome
truly.. of the the internet and the world
“I have a lot of criticisms of straight culture”
As an Asexual/aromantic, I feel you on this but I also have a lot of criticism when it comes to all romance/erotica genres, though I will give them a chance from time to time and I admit there’s been a few times (rare as it is) that I would like a romance book. Can’t wait to watch the rest of your video.
Edit: FINALLY SOMEONE ALSO AGREES THAT ADAM FROM LOVE HYPOTHESIS WAS S*XUALLY Assa*lted I WAS HELLA MAD ABOUT THAT AND THE HYPOCRISY AS WELL.
16:50 - Yes. Even like 30-40 years ago grad student - professor relationships would get huge side-eye, and now schools often have polices against it even if there isn't a direct supervisory role. As an academic, my jaw drops any time anyone reads out any part of this book, because it is just so far out of what is professional behavior even for people who ARE dating/married! Like, NO, you DO NOT sit on your partners lap during a seminar! WTF?!
Completely agree that it's still an inappropriate relationship even if he isn't her direct supervisor. If this happened in a real dept he'd be reported to the dept head and/or university HR, no one would find it cute. Harassment of grad students by advisors is still such a real issue. It creeps me out so much that the author herself was in academia and is promoting this weird fantasy. I'd be so weirded out if I was in her department :/
as a star wars fan i was getting the biggest ick throughout the love hypothesis section. the BIGGEST case of “he would not f*cking say that” i’ve ever encountered.
I feel like we gay people don’t get enough credit for pretending to give a shit about straight relationships. Seriously, like we don’t care but damn are we good at acting like we do if the moment arrives. Living in a heteronormative society just naturally gives the queers a particular set of skills.
Idk, I’m aroace and I honestly don’t mind talking to people about their love lives as long as it’s not too graphic. I just like seeing my family and friends happy, although I suppose romance isn’t at the centre of that.
The reason the love hypothesis is so aware of tropes is because it’s a reylo fanfic (Rey and Kylo ren)
The author changed the name and a few details and had it published
20:00 OMG, does it literally use the term "8-pack"??? That is HILARIOUS when you know that this started out as Reylo fanfic and Adam is supposed to be Adam Driver, and his whole SNL Undercover Boss sketch.
this is so accurate. What even IS an 8 pack? Like, I like that someone is in shape, but like. . . can go on hikes with me, is generally healthy. perfect abs would be completely wasted on me at best, just make me insecure about my own body at worst (Also so sick of Colleen hoover)
An 8 pack is what happens when you are very lucky Genetically, Where they have a rectus abdomis with four intersections instead of three.
It's all genetic. Like curling your tongue or wiggling your ears.
@@CharlieConcepts-pw9ur is more than that, you may genetically have an 8 pack but in order to show it your fat percentage has to be low , someone with an 8 pack is either a model , fit trainer, atlete , someone who their whole lives revolves around exercise in a way
I dated a bodybuilder for 2 years. He went through phases of gaining and "cutting" (losing body fat quickly to have more muscle definition) and he was insufferable when cutting. Just so hard and not comfy to cuddle with and always hungry. He had abs then. But it was essentially not doing anything for our relationship. 😅 I supported him in his sport but he was a lot more snuggly and attractive to me with his body fat and no defined abs.
Your rant about Colleen Hoover made my life hahah
I stand by it 😌
i am a straight guy and the ick i get from reading straight romance is insane. too detailed👁️👃🏻👁️
I don’t know if it’s just a volume thing, that there are so many more straight romances that there are bound to be way more rubbish ones, or that the bar is higher for queer fiction, but I can’t think of a straight romance I’ve read that I enjoy as much as ones like One Last Stop and Red, White and Royal Blue (or maybe I just worship Casey McQuiston 🤔)
CASEY MCQUISTON SUPREMECY
Personally the only straight romance novels I’ve ever really loved are me before you and one day
FR, I absolutely loved books like She Gets The Girl, What If It’s Us, Heartstopper, etc. But I can’t for the life of me find an enjoyable straight romance series/novel
Thanks for taking one for the team Georgia! I have vowed to myself that I will never read a Colleen Hoover book, your review has further confirmed that for me! I would still love to see your full review on it though x
p.s I'm a bisexual woman married to a man and I have never understood the abs thing! I personally don't find them a attractive trait myself & I always thought they were more of a male gaze thing too!
I am a asexual biromantic woman and love Emily Henry’s books. I couldn’t get into love hypothesis and I can’t stand Colleen Hoover’s books like I livid after it ends with us.
Fair have you read beach read by Emily Henry?
I'm ace and biro too! I feel like I never see anyone else like me ❤ and I totally agree with the Colleen hoover thing
@@jenniferthecloud1475 I'm ace and biromantic too! 🙋 (Glad to see someone like me)
Okay, so I'll be honest, I personally never read any of Colleen Hoover's books myself, however, the reviews I've seen/heard of her books (on RUclips specifically) have NOT been good. What I've heard being read out loud is absolutely horrendous I'd probably say ... I'm kinda scared on how she thinks what she's writing is okay and normal?? That's goes for other authors that do and think the same 😭 (soorrryy for the long ass comment)
@@aestheticparadise5864 100% with you on that
She's the only hope for the romance genre i fear
*Sees Colleen Hover
Me: oh no 😂
I'm a mostly straight cis woman and I absolutely hate romance novels--the clichés, the bad writing, and especially the not communicating! I also found gross all the things you found gross, with one exception: I always liked the feel of hard male muscle under soft skin. But I hate that bodybuilder bulgy look. Thanks for having the courage to try this.
I can only speak for myself but as a straight woman I'd totally agree that men are more into the rock solid muscle-y look than women are. Like my husband seems to think body builders are what he should aspire to look like and I'm like, ew no.
Ugh body builder bodies are the worst. So unnatural and can't possibly be healthy. They actually gross me out. Give me an average dad bod over that any day.
Bi woman here and I used to be married to a man who got OFFENDED when I said I didn't want him to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. And I was like "I'm confused; Why is it BAD that I think you're more attractive the way you are?"
SOME muscle can be attractive, yes, but I don't get the huge muscle man appeal. That being said, the number of romance books written by and aimed at straight women featuring huge muscle men suggests there may be a range of opinions on the subject!
At times I wonder if straight men are more into men than women.
Ugh, the men who _insist_ all women want a bodybuilder piss me off SO MUCH. Now, I'm a lesbian, but not a _single_ female friend or acquaintance of mine has _EVER_ told me they specifically want a guy with big muscles. If anything, I've heard from some that it's a turn-off. But a guy will tell you to your face (a real experience of mine) that he can't get any dates because all women want is a rich man with a six pack. It's just a thing guys tell each other either because it's what _they_ aspire to look like (which is fine, look how you want to look) and/or as an excuse to blame women's "unrealistic expectations" on why they can't get laid... even though it's almost never a woman who tells a man that's what she wants.
As a gay man I can confirm men really like muscles lmao, Idk why for straight men why they are so into thinking women want them to look like that tbh. For me I do like muscular men but idk I can't say much on the female gaze
I saw November 9 and thought "ah you just picked the wrong books". Even for straight people, it's traumatizing lmao
Dear Georgia, being a straight woman I didn’t think I would enjoy this video but I absolutely loved it! Really loved it! Thank you xxxxxxx
Can always rely on you for support Marlene, thank you!!
Same
3:40 CAT!!! 😮😮😮😮
"Will the higher ups be okay with this" 😂😂😂
🤣 will they?!
Thank you it’s not just me who feel completely confused by straight romance as a lesbian who only has male friends and does not understand them sometimes.
11:20 I couldn't stop myself from singing "defying biology" to the tune of defying gravity
gotta hold space for that
@@shalice7784 thank you for this comment👏👏👏
I’m straight and if I saw a rock hard muscle bound man I might thinks he’s nice to look at but usually men like that are shallow. I like a sexy brain over muscles any day.
Oh, same. Sexy brain and if also neurodivergent like me, I am very happy.
I like dad bods. They're never ever depicted in fiction
@@everlastingluv361 you should see the sketch video from Andrew Rousso called "what girls think a dad bod is...".
Muscles are never fun to cuddle either. Like, I’m sorry, I don’t want to hug a rock (I’m sorry rocks)
@@LittleMissLion Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, but it's a giant tangent that covers Marxist economics.
rhubarb is such a delightful little skrunkly
I love this! As a lesbian, who’s also a complete hopeless romantic, I absolutely love Emily Henry (I honestly don’t remember reading People We Meet on Vacation tho so) and Ali Hazelwood (also, all her romance novels have to do with women in stem, which I LOVE), but hated the Spanish Love Deception and loath literally anything by Colleen Hoover. Anyways, I was relating so much to literally everything you said and absolutely loved every moment of this video
For the talk about being ‘claimed’ that seems very much like a power dynamic kink thing. I am bi/pan so queer too but am part of the kink community. There is 100% a limit on what is ok, having not read them I can’t comment on whether they include healthy and safe kink or they are bad depictions of it and just trying to appeal to that kind of audience. It is a really hard topic to get right if you aren’t in that scene which is why it often comes across as controlling and coercive in fiction because it can seem like that on the outside but within the relationship there is real love and care and consent there. Loved the video as always 😊
but with these authors they aren't doing that. they're work reads like they're romanticizing harmful/oppressive gender dynamics.
& then they get weird about race too. lol I'm sorry but race play and gender play are weird.
you should've seen how fast my smile dropped as soon as i heard november 9...
I don’t know how this video has escaped me, but the algorithm eventually came around. Perfect title, you have my attention.
You're braver than me, as a lesbian I kept thinking 'no come on, there are some cute straight ships out there, it isn't that bad' and while true I realized... all the straight relationships I like come most of the times from lgbt books lol
Im amazed that coleen hoover is so popular with the tiktok crowd because i just remember my mom used to read her books
And my mom is in her 60s
I’ll say it every time:
I learned about periods, certain disabilities, consent, amab/afab anatomy, different pronouns, and how people generally feel pleasure through online fanfic; specifically queer platonic/romantic pairings.
For fanfic there’s good and the bad, but the US south certainly doesn’t talk about most of it regardless.
How would you learn it from fanfic considering it's mostly gay porn?
Pfft yeah. I’m a trans woman who lives in the Deep South and yeah, they didn’t teach me any of this.
Our “sex-ed” was a single, 30 minute class where they basically just told us “don’t have sex.”
I basically had to learn about all of this through a combination of the Internet, talking with friends and family, and experiences with my own body.
@@symbiotesoda1148 deep south queer people who desperately want out unite!!
To answer your question about male bodies, im bi so a bit biased on the queer side but I have never understood hype over big an muscular men. I love soft men that are comfy to cuddle with. Maybe with a bit of hand muscles.
Hi Georgia, I really like your video!
You mentioned that the reason the main characters hadn't talked to each other for 2 years was just miscommunication.
I found out A LOT of great stories have miscommunication as a driving force of the plot, especially when it comes to romance (Jane Eyre for example...). I think for us, people in 2024 who practice heathy communication, it might seem ridiculous, but maybe formerly developing these skills was not so common? I recently finished a book "The Time of the Hero" by Mario Vargas Llosa, and the 13 y.o. character there cannot tell a girl he liked that he had no money for bus or smth so he became a robber and then a killer
dear georgia PLEASE give emily henry another try and read book lovers!! i think it’s her best book (much better than you and me on vacation) and you would definitely enjoy it
I'm straight and I'm not attracted to muscular men, I prefer them to be soft, I don't understand what the big deal is with loving muscles. It's very annoying because every male character in every straight romance has a six pack and it turns me off. Also it makes it so every men kinda have the same personnality traits and hobbies because you have to go to the gym a lot to look like that.
Great video!
I think part of the issue is a kind of genre confusion; a lot of "straight romance novels" are much closer to what we in queer contexts would understand as soft erotica, but since a lot of straights wouldn't want to admit to reading erotica it gets marketed as romance. And so, things that we'd read as kinky fantasies in erotica (eg the domination stuff), with full understanding that it'd be very unhealthy IRL, is instead portrayed for the straights in so-called "romance".
That said, wrt to the physiology of climaxing from speech, that's absolutely something that can happen for some people during sex, at least if one is already close to the edge.
Where do you even find good lesbian books?? I've come across like 5-6 and they all gave me Colleen Hoover vibes, what really sucks is that all the good lgbtq+ books are mostly bl, which I love but I've been trying to find a gl book 😭
Edit: Thanksss y'all, I didn't think I'll get so many recommendations, I never going to run out of gl books 😄
What kind of thing are you looking for? My favourite recent lesbian read is That Green Eyed Girl by Julie Moylan, it’s historical fiction
what do you like to read?? honestly i feel like the best wlw content is in books! what we really lack is wlw shows.
@@storieswithgeorgiamarie Oh thanks I'll add it to my kindle, thanks again 😄
This Is How We Lose The Time War, it’s a gorgeous wlw sci-if novella.
@@rachelwhitehill8294 thankss I'm a huge fan of sci fi
I haven't started watching yet, but Georgia why did you do this to yourself? hahahaha
Altho, if you want to try this again with actually good romances, try reading The Brown Sisters series by Talia Hibbert!
I have seen lots of people talking about them actually, maybe I'll give them a go when I'm over this trauma
I totally agree with you. In a partnership I don't want to own my partner and I don't want my partner to own me. When I was younger some female friends were texting with their love interest/boyfriend "you're mine/I'm yours" and some of them are surely continuing doing that. That scares me, what the hell. No one should claim anyone😖
Anyways, I'm looking for queer romance books at the time (especially lesbian romance, cause I sadly just read one), does someone has a good request?🤗
one last stop was pretty good for lesbian, but carry on was probably my favorite in general. I actually have a whole list if you’re interested, this is just the top of my head
If you're cool with Manga, then there's a massive library of Yuri! Fluffy, serious, supernatural, smut, coming out, slice of life, isekai, and a bunch of others.
If you don't want to read mangas, there's quite a few Light Novels (basically books like we have with black and white pictures every once in a while for certain scenes)
For Light Novels I'd recommend Adachi and Shimamura, which is very slice-of-life, and has lots of nervous, "do I like girls? Or just how this one girl looks?", but the couple gets together in the end. There's around 13 volumes and it's still ongoing.
Both of the love interests have their own problems and issues in the relationship, but they're aware of it, and are actively trying to get better.
Otherside Picnic is more supernatural/horror genre with some romance on the side, very slow burn, but it's completed and has around 11 volumes, I think?
I'm in Love With the Villainess has 4 volumes, is an isekai and the main couple become wives in the 1st volume and adopt two kids. There's also a pretty nice amount of depth in the main character.
A little problematic in some aspects, if I'm being honest, but those get smoothed out later on.
If you don't want any kind of light novels or manga, and just want a lesbian love story that wraps up in one nice book, I'd recommend, "A Bánh Mì for Two".
I picked it up yesterday and I just really like it.
Hope you find some great stuff to read!
@@Revvry Yeah, I'd like that
@@idkwhatimdoing5268 ty so much for your answer! I love reading yuri too, it's a great genre💞
Hi! I've just found your channel, as a queer woman who has also been in a long term relationship I would love a follow up of terrible sapphic romance books that feel cringey
Like some I've read and it's like they are ticking off a list of queer people like "and this person is nonbinary, and this person is asexual" without it feeling genuine, or sapphic romance/sex scenes that also don't feel like the author has ever had a sapphic encounter
Sunny's book nook has a video like that!
@zaink.7243 I love sunny!
the comment about milking in the spanish love deception made me laugh out loud omg
Straight female here, definitely not a fan of big, hard, muscular types. Too much muscle is actually a turn off for me. Not sure exactly why. Give me an average male body, thanks. Also, crocheted clothing FTW!
Would love to see a full video on November 9! Also, unrelated but I love your crochet cardigan ❤
Also that queer sweater is goalss i need itt
On another note, the algorithm has led me to your channel and you've gained a new subscriber! Excited to watch more of your videos.
23:14 yea the book id say is pretty wildly know to be published raylo fanfic
as soon as I saw the spanish love deception I knew you were in for TRAUMA
It's weird how prominent subtle or not so subtle themes of incest are in straight romance books. The whole "he's like a brother to me" narrative to "I wanna jump his bones" is so wildly uncomfortable.
18:05 first time viewer here- you look beautiful with or without makeup, I’m glad you didn’t waste time refilming that whole section lol! 🌸✨
This is so validating and fun to watch. November 9 is also the worst book I've ever read and I wasn't even aware I was a mesbian when I read it. Just objectively horrendous.
alternate title: "a lesbian reads straight romance books and is now even gayer." thoughts and prayers for your speedy recovery from straight people's truly unhinged ideas around romance 🙃
hahahah I love this I’m going to use it as the title for the next one
@@storieswithgeorgiamarie omg yessss
Phieuw!!! I was a little scared for a moment that it’d be some religious stuff!
you are doing what I'll never have the courage to do lol, as a lesbian I'm good with reading sapphic romances forever, thank you for your service.
I swear whenever I read one of those crappy borderline misogynistic books I end up shipping the main character with the sassy wingman friend more than the actual couple 💀
if the male protagonist has a friend he's close to, i always end up shipping them- same with female protags but more often with males
As someone who is bisexual (Or maybe I'm just gay. I dunno. I find some men attractive. But mostly women.)
Why are muscles so focused on? Like, if there's a muscular woman (not very common...) her muscles aren't too too detailed, and it's just- more appealing to me. But for men, in most cases, they're so detailed?? I don't mind muscles in most cases! Just don't make it the defining feature of a person!! ;-;
NOT attracted to a hard body! Love your crocheted top. Tami
Thank you for enduring this for your fellow gay people, so we don't have to. Especially Colleen Hoover. You deserve a medal for that one.
I read Emily Henry's People We Meet on Vacation (same book different name). I agree with your review. It wasn't bad in the aspect that there were no red flags and toxic relationships. It was just boring and unmemorable. Also thought it lacked chemistry.
I've heard enough about the other books to avoid them. I just know it's not what I'm interested in reading.
There are some good straight romances out there. I liked Seven Days in June.
5:08 O_O... an easy fix the author could've implemented into the story is that Poppy and Alex both have a hard time differentiating between platonic and romantic love but that would mean the book would be more complicated and layered, layers that these books seem to lack T3T :,D
I think a big issue that straight romance writers fall into is that theg rely on the Avril Lavigne "he was a boy, she was a girl" love story and don't think to put in anymore effort into convincing you they're into each other.
I feel like it's a reflection of the societal tendency to deem any nonfamilial female/male relationships as inherently romantic without anything else to be considered
I’ve never read November 9th but the way you described it sounds like Behind Closed doors, by B A Paris and about a very cruel, controlling, man x
I appreciate the current Rhubarb content.
All this is valid. I worked in libraries for a decade. Straight romance seems dull and absurd. Women are not into such characters if they were real.
Mind you some sapphic books are horribly written but it often doesn’t seem as toxic and absurd.
I think reading any kind of book you’re not interested in must be difficult. I know what I like to read and it’s not romance! I’m straight but I’m also 54. I know romance is just a fairly tail we tell ourselves when we are younger. Love isn’t actually like that.
45:00 I'm queer in a relationship with a man and this is something that really annoys me in rom books, every man is so tall and absolutely riped. I can appreciate a muscular body but its completely unrealistic and takes me out of the story a bit, don't get me wrong I like strong arms and stuff but I think its always so exaggerated nowadays. I think Harrison ford in th 80s or Brenda Fraser in the 90s are good examples of very fit men without looking like completely dehydrated bodybuilders we see as the standard today. We often here from male actors how insane ans difficult it is to look like that, a recent example being Hugh Jackman in the latest deadpool.
Colleen Hoover is really bad at sex scenes lol she thinks that by making them VERY explicit, it turns into a good scene lol im talking about Verity btw made me so uncomfortable i would just skip the 10 page sex scene lmfaoo
Rhubarb is such a beautiful name for a kitty!
if you haven't read them already, I recommend reading Priory of the Orange Tree and A Day of Fallen Night, both by Samantha Shannon
It makes me so relieved that you’re a lesbian like I’ve always loved your channel(s) but that’s sooo #real of you. (from a fellow lesbian :)
I think for the "I love you" coming thing, it's probably just the fantasy of the simultaneous orgasm more than meant to be true to life. I'm guessing.
Is Olive asexual or demisexual? I realize demisexual is considered on the asexual spectrum, but from what I understand, asexuals are not attracted physically to anyone (doesn't mean they're not romantic or don't enjoy sex; some are aromantic, some are sex repulsed, some aren't) while demisexuals are not attracted until an emotional bond is formed but do experience attraction.
Oh, no, when the Colleen Hoover cover came into view.
btw asexual people can be *physically* attracted to people (as in, attracted to their physical appearance), just not sexually attracted - an ace person
You bring up a good point with Nov 9. If it were ABOUT DV it would have been better - CoHo did write a book about DV (It ends with us) but the way she treats it is no different compared to her "romance" books.
Me waiting for her to read November 9 🫣
"emily henry" FNAF REFERENCE
2:20 im so glad!!!
gay (mlm) romance is always dark, fetishized, and sexualized though so I can’t read any actual good ones 😭
really? i've had the opposite problem, 90% of the mlm romance i seem to come across is so fluffy and cliche it seems to be aimed at middle schoolers (which doesn't appeal to me as someone in her early 20s)
@@tallemajas you’re lucky I can’t find any good ones 😭
Be sure when you're reading mlm books that they're written by actual queer people preferably gay men because mlm books written by straight women are pretty much always like that dark toxic and abusive
“Are the higher ups going to be okay with this?” Is so similar to what I say out loud when something insane happens when I’m reading. I literally say “God had abandoned us. Please come back.”
23:00 I think the author started as a fanfiction writer for kylo ren x rey ship but idk if it's just a gossip or actually legit
It's legit unfortunately lol
also love these book videos and the taylor swift ones especially
Lesbian romance books:🤗💋👩❤️👩🩷
Straight “romance” books:😡🤬🤯👹
Love, Theoretically goes a bit into the Ace spectrum, and I thought was quite interesting. It was in a similar university setting but without the professor/student thing. I havent read the love hypothesis but it does seem to adress some things she didnt like, and i didnt really cringe reading it.
While I’m not the target audience of this video, I still agree so much with some points! I hate hate hate cheesy unrealistic sex scenes in books. We all know sex isn’t always perfect and hate when books try to be real and then throw it with a sex scene like that.
I just found your channel today and I just wanted to say I love your style of video! I’ve seen so many book channels, but something about yours clicks. Maybe it’s the way you talk about books or the casual style, but I really like your channel already! (Also yes, Love Hypothesis is good, Ali Hazelwood is a pretty good female straight romance writer. She’s the only straight romance author I read right now. Highly recommend her Check and Mate or Love Theoretically (Which has an Olive and Adam cameo!!))
Just when I thought November 9 was bad (never heard of it til this vid), you just kept pulling up examples that made my eyebrows raise ever higher with disgust. Who WRITES something like that and frames it as positive????? ಠ╭╮ಠ
i’m truly sorry you had to go through all that, especially the co ho one 😦 great video though ❤
re: Love Hypothesis I am also gay and i really enjoyed it EXCEPT for the sex scene (how is it good, they struggled to communicate the entire time and she compares his dick to giving birth and talks about how he can fit an entire boob in his mouth lol). also I'm pretty sure Olive is demisexual (which ace-spec but not asexual) and Malcolm is bi.
Isn't ace-spec called asexual as well? Bc demisexual kind of fits into the definition of asexuality
@@noahsdragonfruitidts, it's more of a spectrum whereas asexual seems to be a thing in the spectrum
Librarian: “don’t you want to try a romance novel from the regular section”
Me: ummmmmm *looks over at the gay book I was reading*
As a straight woman I can tell you: I can't stand straight romance books. I hate the misogynistic views and outdated tropes that they use. I hate the miscommunication or - even worse - non-existent communication of these couples and the sex scences are cringy af. The bar is in hell.
Do I want to read about the sexual lives of 18 year olds? Not particularly. I feel that - I'm almost 20 and that makes me uncomfortable too. It's less to do with "they're young" because I am not even 20, it's more "they're 18 because I can't make them 16"
i don't usually watch your book reviews because i don't read books as much as i would like and it makes me feel guilty lmao BUT i needed to hear your thoughts on these ones because ive seen them being talked about all around the internet for a while and ive always been curious. im queer myself and only read fanfiction, mostly mlm and occasionally other queer pairings so i really can relate to simply Not Getting het romance lmao. however being bi and not sapphic (im non-binary and transmasc) i feel like i might have a different perspective to these than you do? like for example some.of the things you found revolting and not attractive i found the opposite because im attracted to men ahah. also it might be because of my "fanfiction background" but i don't have so much of an issue with "unrealistic" sex. i don't mind a bit of suspension of disbelief to make a scene particularly incredible even if it's very rare things happen like that irl. like the coming from hearing your bf saying i love you thing? i don't think it's that unrealistic! might not be the most common thing but it's not impossible to be tipped over the edge from your lover's voice, imo. but those things are mostly a matter of personal tastes and perspectives! in any case i loved this video, very entertaining and very informative. also! the love hypothesis was actually a reylo (rey/kylo ren) fanfic originally, that's why adam reminds you of kylo ahah (played by adam driver, too)
10:20 Similar thing when I read Sandra Brown's "Exclusive".
I'm a cishet male, but the sex scenes... Yeah, just, not good.
straight books are so weird to me, im pansexual but i enjoy reading BL/GL books and not straight ones even though im interested in guys. 24:37 i have read webtoons better than Coho books, most of her books have manipulative and abusive male leads and the female leads just do everything they say w/o any concern, its also is just horrible writing... (also i love ur accent so muchhh!!
It’s different for everyone, but if the book is well-written, I think anyone should enjoy it, regardless of orientation. I’m aro-ace, and enjoy lots of queer and straight romance novels. Also, I’d argue that The Love Hypothesis isn’t a completely straight romance, because of the asexuality, and I suppose Olive could be read as demiromantic as well.
I beg you read The Black Sheep by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout. I just...need other people to know this disater of a book containing a questionable relationship exists.