u/isi_na

Hello!

I watched the Backrooms movie recently and it pulled me right back into the whole liminal space genre. I know it's very specific, but I'd love to read something that has that kind of feel to it.

Do you have any recommendations,

Staiy hat ein kurzes Ankündigungsvideo gepostet, in dem er erklärt, dass er auf seinem Hauptkanal weg von Reactions und mehr hin zu originalem Content gehen möchte. Er erwähnt, dass er die letzten Wochen generell weniger Influencer-spezifischen Content gebracht hat, aber jetzt noch weiter weg davon möchte.

Reactions werden dann nur noch auf dem Zweitkanal gepostet.

Auf seinem Hauptkanal wird es eine Art Übergangsphase geben, hauptsächlich wegen seiner Angestellten. Ab 2027 soll es nur noch exklusiven Content auf seinem Hauptkanal geben.

Welche Art Content er machen wird, hat er noch nicht erwähnt

Persönliche Meinung: Ich war, ehrlich gesagt, ziemlich überrascht. Aber ich finde den Schritt gut. Weiß nicht, wie es euch geht, aber der ganze Reaction Content auf YouTube nervt mich schon etwas.

I personally struggle with puppy blues although I am noticing that I am getting attached to my puppy, which I think will help longterm

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My puppy is a 14 week old Corgi and I am trying to take her along to certain outings (visited a café today with friends and she did so well!)

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I do think part of my depression and puppy blues is because I feel like I can't do anything else but focus on the puppy and it's driving me insane. It feels like I'm losing myself and my sanity.

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My mom used to have dogs (and puppies) and while it was a lot of work for her too, she never put her life completely on halt.

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There has to be a healthy balance.

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Does anyone of you have advice? Or, if you struggle with the same issue we can whine together 😅

It just feels like a huge depressive episode that's hitting me. I know how those feel and it's so similar.

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Getting a puppy wasn't even a spontaneous decision. I grew up with dogs, I've wanted one for years and I researched a lot before getting a puppy. But the day I returned home with her, it already hit me. Like, what have I done? Why did I do this?? A couple days later and I still feel the same. I'm just sitting here crying and I don't know why.

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My puppy is 13 weeks and so sweet. There isn't much to complain about. Plus my lifestyle is pretty couchpotatoe-ish. I barely go out, I don't travel a lot, I currently work from home, my friends love animals, the city I am in is super dog-friendly, and I have support. A good friend is ready to dog-sit whenever I need her to.

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I feel INSANE! Like wtf is wrong with me? I barely sleep due to anxiety and not due to the puppy doing anything. I'm just constantly worried and feel like my life is over.

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Someone please hold my hand and tell me it will pass 😭

Edit to say: I don't even follow my usual hobbies like reading or journaling although I easily could. My mind is not collaborating

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for stories that focus on mentor & mentee falling in love. I prefer if it weren't between a professor and his student, unless we are talking grad student who gets directly mentored by the professor. Some pining would be nice and maybe also some struggles with how their relationship is changing.

Age gap would be awesome.

I love contemporary romance, but also like to read fantasy, so I'm really not picky. Can include spice.

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Haben grad bei mir an der Tür geklinget. Ich dachte, das machen die nicht mehr. 😭

Ich, voller Vorfreude zur Tür gerannt und gehofft, es ist das Packerl, auf das ich warte, aber nein...

Kurz Hoffnung gehabt, es wäre der Rettungsdienst (in Zivil, verkleidet als zwei Frauen mittleren Alters im klassichen langen Rock und Bluse) oder Tierschutz für Spenden. Oder irgendwer für Spenden.

Bei der ersten Suggestivfrage (Was braucht der Mensch zum Glücklichsein?) wars schon klar. Dann noch ein Bibelzitat und einen Flyer. Der Bibelkurs ist übrigens gratis.

Edit: Bin fast 40. Bei mir waren sie echt noch nie. Und ich bin selbst überrascht, wie klischeehaft das war. Kannte das nur aus Erzählungen, aber es is genauso 😅

I’m aware these are a lot of boxes I’m subscribed to, but I am VERY generous with my skips. Since I'm new to these subs, I'm testing out a lot to see what sticks and what's worth it

Fairyloot

I’m on the waitlist for some fairyloot boxes, but by what I know now, I’m only interested in the cozy sub. The thing is I’m very picky about my romantasy reads, and most of fl subs are focused on them. I have also come to realize that design alone is not enough for me to enjoy a book box – I need to like the picks (will be relevant when I talk about Goldsboro)

Owlcrate

Unlike others here I have a soft spot for their designs. The typography on their covers is lacking though. What I like is that they have a few quarterly subs, however they do not allow skips for them which is a major negative point. During the last six months one of their book picks for the horror box overlapped with IC Evernight. And one of the Romance picks was also featured in Afterlight. Now the thing is, if we know about that early enough, we can skip the IC boxes, but in case of the romance pick that wasn’t possible. I already held Afterlight in my hands when I heard what the OC pick would be.

Also Owlcrate is a little more expensive than the other boxes. I just don’t know if it’s worth it. I’m currently also on the Adult sub – with unlimited skips this is obviously a major plus. So far, there picks there were great. I think I like it more than the Illumicrate sub.

Picks for the quarterly boxes were hit or miss, which says a lot, considering I’ve only received one or two books for each XD

Illumicrate

Illumicrate: I’m subbed to all of them to get an overall feel and because IC is the cheapest for me. So far the only box I’m not really feeling is the general IC subscription (but then, like I said, I’m really really picky about fantasy romance and unlike Owlcrate they don’t offer unlimited skips), so, I don’t think I will keep it. I like their diverse picks and their designs, and they allow skips. Afterlight is hit or miss for me and their romance picks in general are pretty generic, but they do allow six skips so as of now I’m fine. Also IC boxes are easily the cheapest boxes for me (shipping included)

In the future I will probably cancel one or two of my OC subs and focus on IC alone.

Goldsboro

I hesitated the longest time to sub to them, because of being bound to the sub for six months. Also while they do offer sprayed edges and some of their subs have special edition covers they are by far not as beautifully designed as fairyloot or the other big boxes (they are signed though). However, imo their picks are superior (!). Crime Collective has amazing picks – as an old crime novel fan it’s honestly what I was expecting from Mindsight. For me, Mindsight so far just doesn’t hold a candle to them, I’m sorry to say that. Yes, Mindsight designs are more intricate, but their first pick was mid and their second one a skip for me.

Premier has been killing it this year. As for the other subs, I don’t follow them. The thing is, at the end of the day I want to have books I enjoy reading not just a pretty collection.

The Broken Binding

Probably one of my fav subs. I’m subbed to SciFi and to SFF. It’s the book box that gives truly adult vibes for me. None of their picks gives me young adult vibes, and they are not overloaded with romantasy (which, I know I repeat myself, I’m very picky with XD). Their designs are very different, less playful and whimsical. With SciFi we get a trilogy which is pretty amazing. SFF so far has been focused on fantasy, less SciFi but we are still at the halfway point of the year. The picks have been pretty hit for me – I only skipped one.

But god, they need a better website. While they allow skips, it needs to be done via form, instead of just through your profile.

Rainbow Crate

I want to love them as the only lgbtqia+ box out there. Their overall quality is okay, shipping is amazingly fast, but my issue is their picks. The first box I received from them had a book which was book 2 of a series. And even if it’s standalone books, it’s such a weird choice. Also, I don’t think they always offer special edition versions of sequels to their books. Another issue is that while they ship two books, it’s always two completely different ones (not two from the same author, or two picks of the same series), and usually I really like one pick and am at best indifferent to the other. Yet another issue: From what I know all their book boxes appear a couple of weeks later for normal sale – and if I’m not completely wrong, it’s not just the box but also the individual books, so if I don’t like one choice, I can only get the other. I’ll be honest, the only reason I’m still subbed is to support their company, but I don’t see any real benefit of subbing to them.

I’ve also skipped a few times already. Rainbow Crate has two boxes: The general one which is not spicy and the adult ones (RAD) – RAD is a quarterly box. So far I can’t tell which box I like more. There are unlimited skips allowed though. Another plus are their indie picks and not just for going for the most popular picks. However, from what I can tell they lean more towards backlist than new releases, which can be a hit or miss for some

Foxglove

Cancelled my sub. I originally subbed because they had indie picks and were pretty diverse in their choice, but I haven’t even received one book yet, so that’s a no.

The Forbidden Wing

I’m very new to their subscription. I do prefer paranormal romance over romantasy, and TFW has some paranormal picks. Also, in general, their picks resonate a bit more with me than Illumicrate does. I will see about it at the end of the year – but I will only keep one romantasy sub (OC, IC or TFB) or none. I will also need to compare the designs

 

 

I’m also testing out some smaller quarterly boxes, but can’t say much about them yet. I will post an update at the end of the year

Also I’m tracking everything in spreadsheet, including my reads and how I liked them. At the end of the year I will decide which subscription I will keep and which I will drop

My prediction: I will cancel a lot of these. So far I'm really drawn to the Illumicrate quaterly boxes (especially since they allow two skips), TBB and Goldsboro - and I feel like these might stick. A bit so-so about Afterlight. If I find a sub with less generic picks (while still having some diverse one) I might consider switching.

I'm contemplating keeping one of the boxes that allows unlimited skips, but if I skip most of the boxes, I'm not sure if it's even worth it. Someone else might appreciate the spot more than I do.

Ever cringed when you read the titles of this anthology and wondered if you should read them?

I read through the whole first season of Naughty or Nice. Here is my little review (I will add the kinks below the titles). I made sure to edit everything properly, so it's not just a wall of text - hope it shows properly on all devices.

There are mild spoilers here, but nothing too big. If something stands out, I will edit it asap.

The books are are all set in the same “world” – as in everyone here meets through an event in a kink-positive app.

 

Dear Daddy, Please Love Me (Gianni Holmes)

(kinks: daddy kink, spanking, lace, size kink)

First book of the series and instead of being fluffy holiday themed spice it has an actual plot with some spice. Our two MCs are two stark opposites. Opie is a self-confident, rather materialistic stripper who is a bit ‘extra’, whereas Lawrence is a broody farmer, who has lost it all and was left broke and heart-broken by his ex. Now, these two meet through the app, with Lawrence not being quite honest, as he is not in search of a sub, especially not one like Opie, who expects presents and gifts. However, they do hit it off. When Lawrence disappears, Opie sets out for the small town he lives in to shake up his life.

I have to admit, the summary sounds more fun and interesting than it will be. The plot is a little all over the place, and there are quite some plot holes. You know how sometimes you feel a bit off after reading a book, although it has a lot of things you like? That’s how I felt.

But, it was overall a fun read, albeit a bit too long. I liked Opie, because despite being described as spicy and materialistic, he was ready to accept Lawrence the way he is and for what little he has. There are a few more tropes in there than just daddy kink such as opposites attracts and sunshine & grump.

I’d describe it as okay. Not great, but not bad either. It’s definitely plot before spice but the spice is pretty well done.

{Dear Daddy, Please Love Me by Gianni Holmes}

 

Dear Daddy, Please Spank Me (Chara Croft)

(kinks: daddy kink, spanking)

That was a fun one! For one it has a small age gap with the Daddy being younger and for the other: both of them are new to the kink. Jordan is a streamer and signs up to the app for the fun of it. However, he is also secretly into it and he himself is absolute chaos (quite well done ADHD representation here). Andy has always had a crush on him ever since school, and watches his video and obviously signs up to the app too. It sounds stalker-ish, but really isn’t that bad.

The nice thing is that both of them fall into their roles naturally. Andy has always had a caretaker side to him and while reading up on daddy kink he figures that’s really it for him. As for Jordan, whenever he interacts and meets with Andy he notices that’s truly it for him too, he just needs more time to come around.

All in all a fun read, that’s not too fluffy. Main kink is spanking (duh) and the spice is well done.

{Dear Daddy, Please Spank Me by Chara Croft}

 

Dear Daddy, Please Hold Us (Colette Davison)

(kinks: daddy kink, age gap, MMM, ageplay, erotic spanking, threesome)

I usually love Colette Davison, but this wasn’t it for me, mainly because it was utter fluff on one hand and somehow… I didn’t buy the dynamic on the other hand. I do have that issue sometimes with MMM romances because I feel someone is always being left out, especially in a BDSM scenario where there is a lot of vulnerability at play.

Zeke and Rett have been friends for years, they also really like each other, but they are both subs and can’t fulfill each others’ needs. In an attempt to save their relationship Zeke signs up to the app for Micah to find them. Micah is older and rich, and doesn’t mind two boys to spoil. That’s pretty much all of it. They get along pretty fast and the only conflict is that Rett is on a tourist visa.

I think it did the spicy parts well and for fans of age play this one certainly delivered, but all in all was way too fluffy and sweet for me. Also, I felt like Rett was a bit more special to Micah than Zeke was.

{Dear Daddy, Please Hold Us by Colette Davison}

Dear Daddy, Please Want Me (Reese Morrison)

(kinks: daddy kink, spanking, slight D/s dynamics, a lot of caring)

Trans representation

This book changes it up a little: It’s not about two guys meeting through the app, it’s Saul, the owner of the app, hooking up with Levi, one of their employees, during the Christmas break. They are both Jewish, which is why they are the only ones at work. Basically, that’s it – it’s a workplace romance with the usual issues, which makes it less fluffy than other entries here. Also, there is some body dysmorphia going on here. All in all it’s a story about two people who don’t feel quite right and like they haven’t found their place yet.

The smut is pretty well done, especially considering the body dysmorphia. I will say though there is a lot of info dump in this about Jewish holiday traditions. I really enjoyed the dynamic between these two characters though, and how they were both just right for each other.

{Dear Daddy, Please Want Me by Reese Morrison}

 

Dear Daddy, Please Praise Me (Luna David)

(kinks: daddy kink, edging)

This is about Sanders, who feels like an ugly duckling, and Briggs, an older daddy. There is a bit of a push and pull here, because Sanders is really self-conscious, he is dyslexic and feels like a complete mess. What I liked about this was that Sanders struggled with his college classes despite trying really hard to get through them. Also, there is some good Alzheimer representation here with one of the guy’s mom.

It’s very fluffy though, and the smut didn’t feel particularly kinky to me. I do think there is a bit of lace fetish here, but can’t remember properly.

I have not much more to say, which is pretty telling in itself.

{Dear Daddy, Please Praise Me by Luna David}

Dear Daddy, Please Punish Me (Skylar Snow)

(kinks: spanking, impact play (I remember a belt being used), punishment, edging)

Okay, the tone of this was a lot different to the others. It’s less fluffy, and frankly if not for the title and the dom asking to be called daddy, this would fit much better into the usual BDSM frame. Fitch is a masochist and loves pain. And Diego likes to dish it out and is pretty strict. Not once in the story did I get daddy vibes from him (or at least it doesn’t fit the usual genre expectations) – I’d rather expected Fitch to call him Master or Sir.

What I liked here is that Fitch battles his anxieties and insecurities (he even stands Diego up once) but he is not ashamed to admit what he likes, and he can take it.

Diego is a veteran, and honestly was almost too angry for me at times. I’m not sure if I’d trusted him in Fitch’s place. However, at a later point he shows a much more vulnerable and understanding side towards Fitch. The early scenes lacked aftercare, but to be honest, it didn’t lean that hard into D/s, which is probably the main problem of the story. It’s not really the usual daddy kink, but also a bit too tame to be fulfil the BDSM story expectations.

There is a weird crime/kidnapping sub plot here that wasn’t necessary, but whatever.

It’s different and wasn’t too fluffy, and I actually quite enjoyed the read.

{Dear Daddy, Please Punish Me by Skylar Snow}

Dear Daddy, Please Keep Me (Morticia Knight)

(kinks: age play, sensory play, a bit of bondage, MMM)

This is another poly story. For me this one works much better than the other, the main reason being that it was two doms with one sub. I have noticed I struggle with the vulnerability a sub has to display, and don’t like it when he/she has to share it with someone else. I have not yet found a book without an actual imbalance when there were two subs.

So, what’s it about: Dalton and Clint have been friends for a while and are on-off fuck buddies. They are both doms, so an actual relationship doesn’t work for them. Furthermore, Clint is a pilot and cannot commit to a 24/7 daddy-little relationship. Dalton wants to give an actual poly relationship a go by adding a boy to their mix.

Eric is working in a stressful bakery with an awful boss, and well, the three of them meet and give it a shot.

There is not much happening here. It’s VERY fluffy. The highlights were Clint’s doubts due to his job, and Eric’s struggle at work.

Major plus for dad bod representation in Dalton. Also, this one includes a lot of age play.

{Dear Daddy, Please Keep Me by Morticia Knight}

Dead Daddy, Please Trust Me (Rheland Richmond)

(kinks: some slight D/s dynamics, daddy kink)

Sebastian is a real life dad and overall lives a good life with a great job, but his sexual desires haven’t been fulfilled for a while. Maddox went through an awful breakup that left him distrustful and with quite some issues. He does not want to be a daddy again, but his friend sets him up with Sebastian through the app.   

Okay, so, this leans more into the plot than the kink. There is an actual story here – nothing overall dramatic, it still fits the holiday romance vibes. But Maddox struggles with his past and also with his awful family. There is some jealousy too. The story is about how he learns to handle all of that and open up to Sebastian, whereas Sebastian’s biggest problem is that he gets lost in his stressful job at times, and forgets to look after himself.

For a daddykink anthology the smut was very tame though, and not particularly kinky.

{Dead Daddy, Please Trust Me by Rheland Richmond}

 

What I noticed by reading these books is that for me plot will always come before smut. An erotica doesn’t do much for me, nor does pure fluff for the sake of smut, if there is no story. If I’d pick my favorites here, it’s all the proof I need:

Dead Daddy, Please Spank Me

Dear Daddy, Please Trust Me

Dear Daddy, Please Punish Me

 

All in all this is a fun anthology. It's nothing deep, most of the books are very fluffy and quite tame on the kink scale although some of them are pretty spicy. All of these focus more on the caretaking side of the daddy kink.

I do own season 2, but burnt out a little and need a break XD