u/Latter-Ship-5509

Olá pessoas!

Sou natalense, atualmente moro e trabalho em São Gonçalo do Amarante, nesse final de semana e feriado estarei por Fortaleza e queria dicas de lugares na praia que o pessoal joga vôlei, se souber, fala aqui :)

That’s so hard for me—I think when it comes to the men, I can’t choose between Alexander Westcott and the anti-hero Viscount Ravensberg / Kit Butler. I feel like no one talks enough about the utterly scorching Lucius Marshall / Lord Sinclair—I swoon so hard over him, too. He doesn't take forever to own up to his deep feelings for Frances, either.

When it comes to the heroines, it’s even worse for me, because I am passionately in love with ice-queen FMCs who are actually hiding an ocean of emotional depth and passion underneath: Lauren Edgeworth, Claudia Martin, Imogen Hayes, and the most delightfully tragicomic one, Cora Downes.

{Someone to Wed by Mary Balogh}

{A Summer to Remember by Mary Balogh}

{Simply Unforgettable by Mary Balogh}

{Simply Perfect by Mary Balogh}

{Only Kiss by Mary Balogh}

{The Famous Heroine by Mary Balogh}

**Is it going to be only Wulfric fans commenting on the post? I hope I get surprised…**

I’m over 80% through {The Arrangement by Mary Balogh}. I’ve always seen this book heavily recommended here in this sub, so I decided to give it a go. Keep in mind that I read part of the series out of order—first I read Imogen’s book, then George’s, and then Hugo’s. The one I loved the most was {Only a Kiss by Mary Balogh} Maybe I just have a huge soft spot for cold heroines with funny heroes who turn out to be total golden retrievers.

Main topic aside, contrary to everyone else, I'm not particularly enjoying Vincent and Sophia as a couple. Even though I appreciate the marriage aspect and their day-to-day life, I can't quite explain why I'm just not connecting with them. The read feels tedious, and the fact that Sophia is constantly portrayed as tiny, plain, and looking like a boy really bugs me the whole time. It was the same thing with Hugo and Gwendoline—I felt like they weren't a romantic couple and just didn't fit together. Unlike Imogen and Percy or George and Dora, where I could really get into the story, root for their happily ever after, and get emotionally invested. Just a vent, really! I hope I don't get crucified by fans of the book or the couple, I just wanted to share a different perspective.

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈?

And there's one more thing on my mind—is it just me, or did anyone else who read the book get this vibe too? I feel like Martin has some kind of repressed love for Vincent. Balogh obviously wasn't going to explore that sexuality, but I feel like she left it between the lines, or maybe it's just my impression. But I find his intense hatred for Sophia when they were about to get married really strange.

Give me your best jealousy scene, whether from the MMC or the FMC. It can be funny, dramatic, possessive, or a mix of everything. I love when a character burns with jealousy over their spouse or that person who holds their desire—even before they're officially husband and wife. Jealous women are also an extra treat; I haven't come across many in my reads, but a few have really stuck with me.

Give me your favorite quote about jealous women with a possessive vibe, bonus points if there's no actual cheating by the mmc. Below are a few quotes that make me laugh and give me that sweet craving of a woman madly in love, imagining scenarios that don't even exist:

1. Srta. Trent {Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase} &gt;! The last thing she wanted was to be reminded of his bed partners. Jessica did not want to think about how he’d amused himself at night while she lay sleepless in her bed, fretting about the wedding night and her lack of experience / Jessica discovered that the image of Rubenesque trollops writhing in his lap wasn’t nearly so agitating as what now appeared in her mind’s eye / She was not simply jealous, she was madly so—and he’d put her into this mortifying state with but a few careless words. Now she looked into the future, and saw him doing it again and again, until he made her completely insane.   She should not let him do it to her, Jessica knew. She should not be jealous of his tarts. She should thank her lucky stars for them, because he’d spend as little time as possible with her, while she would be a wealthy noblewoman, free to conduct her life as she wished !<
2. Elizabeth Benton {The Duke's Wicked Wife by Elizabeth Bright} &gt;! So, no, it was not love. But something had changed inside her, and it was much more than simply the breach of her virginity. She rolled onto her side, tucking the quilt around herself, and propped her head on her fist to study her husband. The bed linens were pulled up to the tops of his hips, leaving his torso bare. Short, sparse hair covered his chest, vanished at the muscles of his stomach, and reappeared just below the indentation of his belly, where it made an intriguing path downward before disappearing beneath the blanket. She smiled. She knew what lay beneath. All hers, for now. Hers to touch, hers to caress, hers to adore. With my body, I thee worship. When he had spoken those words they had meant nothing to her. She hadn’t known, then. Now she understood. Why had no one told her how intimate the act of lovemaking was? If he ever did that with another woman, she would be forced to kill him !<
3. Julia Kenney {The Earl Takes All by Lorraine Heath} &gt;! Did he think her a fool? She knew precisely what sort of assistance he was delivering. He was a man with needs, and they would be met most willingly with a night in the arms of a widow. Assistance, indeed. / What a fool she was. She kept envisioning him with the widow. She wanted her to be old, wrinkled, with half her teeth missing. No, all her teeth missing. But in truth, she suspected she was young and pretty, more than willing to provide an evening of comfort to a man as strappingly built and handsome as he. She understood now why he had drunk, why he had sought to dull his senses. Thinking of him in the arms of another woman made her want to weep when she knew she had no right to him, no cause to expect him to be loyal to her !<
4. Lillian Bowman / Lady Westcliff {It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas} &gt;! Her husband was interested in another woman. Not that anything would come of it, because Westcliff was a man of absolute honor. It was simply not in him ever to betray his wife, no matter how acute the temptation. Lillian knew that he would always be faithful to her, at least physically. But she wanted his heart, all of it, and to see the signs of his attraction to someone else made Lillian want to die. / But lately Westcliff had started paying marked attention to Lady Kittridge, a gorgeous young widow who had everything in common with him. She was elegant, aristocratic, intelligent, and to top it all off, she was a remarkable horsewoman who was known for carrying on her late husband’s passion for horse breeding. The horses from the Kittridge stables were the most beautiful descendants of the world’s finest Arabians, with an amiable sweetness of character and spectacular conformation. Lady Kittridge was the perfect woman for Westcliff. “I…I’ve never been able to quite make myself believe that Marcus is truly mine,” she admitted humbly to Daisy. “He is the only person, aside from you, who’s ever truly loved me. It still seems a miracle that he should have wanted me enough to marry me. But now I think…I fear…he might be tiring of me !<

Enough with the muscular, lean men—recommend me some chubby men in historical romances. I don't want a short guy who is muscular, or slender, etc.; I want stocky, husky men with some meat on their bones to hold onto. Does this even exist in historical romance? Thanking you in advance for any possible contributions.

I'd love something like Kevin James in the movie Hitch.

I want to read about a character who initially repels physical contact for some reason, but once they build trust and comfort, they are able to give themselves to the other person. It can be either the MMC or the FMC; I love this trope where trust is established leading up to the couple's complete intimacy. With the other partner being patient and tender, while the desire builds up.

Already read or currently reading:

• {Never Less Than a Lady by Mary Jo Putney}

• {How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days by Laura Lee Guhrke}

Nothing against them, but I couldn't connect with their writing, so I don't want to read anything by Elisa Braden, Kathleen Ayers, Courtney Milan, Mia Vincy, or Felicity Niven.

I need book recommendations that feature a trope like the movie Made of Honor (2008). Basically, the idiot MMC has the FMC as his best friend, but when she finds a suitor or when she distances herself for a while, he freaks out and realizes he can't live without her in his life.

Thanks in advance for the recommendation.

I'm tired of seeing the trope where the FMC has been in love since she was young with an older man, or her sister's fiancé, etc. Do we have the reverse dynamic?

I’m looking for Historical Romance recommendations where the MMC is younger and has been deeply in love with his best friend’s mother, sister, aunt, or stepmother since he was a teenager. I want a hero who is head-over-heels for this 'forbidden' woman he can't have. She’s older and doesn't even notice him (or wouldn't think to). If she’s a widow, that’s even better! I'm looking for that intense, long-term unrequited pining vibe.

P.S.: I already have the following recommendations; I haven't read them yet, but based on the synopses, they are exactly what I’m looking for.

• {Starlight and the Duke by Meara Platt}
• {The Scandal of It All by Sophie Jordan}
• {Wicked Again by Kathleen Ayers}

I really like Loretta Chase — she writes sexual tension so well — but I have to admit I'm getting tired of it. Is every single one of her books enemies-to-lovers? Doesn't she write any other tropes? Something where the two leads aren't constantly at each other's throats? I'm starting to wonder if she's a bit of a one-trick pony.