"Arobynn Once Told Me That Second Place Was Just A Nice Name For First Loser."

The Off Limits Rule (It Happened in Nashville, #1) REVIEW

I am aware that the author tried and poured her blood sweat and tears into this novel so I will TRY to tone it down (that's a lie. I won't tone it down), but if you loved this book, or if you are the author themself, then you should probably stop reading here because this is about to get toxic.

------------ WHOEVER and I repeat WHOEVER recommended me this crap on tiktok needs help (and maybe also therapy but don't we all). Go read The Spanish Love Deception. Go read The Cheat Sheet. Go read LITERALLY anything by Elle Kennedy. For gods sake even Emily Henry is better than this (and that's saying a lot because I gave It Happened One Summer 1 star. This is LOWER than one star, GoodReads, please add ZERO stars because SOME BOOKS DO NOT even deserve 1 star) DONT waste your time on this crap when other authors are doing it sm better smh. I swear to god this is the SHALLOWEST. CRINGEST. MOST ANNOYING AND UNREALISTIC BOOK IVE EVER READ IN THE HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE and that's saying a lot because I spent this YEAR reading NOTHING BUT contempt and romcoms and bad smut and okay fine maybe also a lot of mafia crap but you get my point. The MC was annoying as fuck. Like ma'am you have a child, you don't get to act like a brat all day. I get that you're like 23 and supposed to have fun but you decided to be a mother so ACT like it. Throughout the whole book, Lucy acted like a spoiled teenager with a problem with everything. I feel so sorry for her child for having her as a mom. And having the child was totally unnecessary. Mentions of him were so random and convenient. And SOMEHOW despite being unemployed, Lucy can hire a baby sitter (which she said was expensive as fuck) and can sent the child to daycare (which she ALSO said was expensive as fuck) so like ???? Poor child is being used as the most plot device-y plot device. And Lucy was already annoying as fuck (description in caps to show that Lucy's cute 'n perky just makes me wanna punch her 🙂) but FINE she's a stereotypical WOMEN (more like immature pre teen but we'll stick to what the book says) she gets to be happy and perky and think in all caps. But the GUY jesus christ the GUY he's literally the girl but without the caps 🤦‍♀️ So like perky happy guy goes: ima flirt because OH YAY that's what guys do! But OH NO! She's off limits! HEY HER BROTHERRRRRRR 'n my ROOMIE! Ima date your sis. You mad? Dat's fine cuz TRUE LOVE!!! YAY *confetti confetti* *someone pukes* HOW did people manage to stomach this and even give it five stars???? And the dialogue. OH GOD, the dialogue was so cringy I almost cried from second-hand embarrassment.

“You two do seem pretty different. And you definitely look nothing alike.” Why did I add that last part? Her nose crinkles again with an uncomfortable smile. “Well, most people think he’s pretty hot, so I don’t quite know how to take that.”  I squint one eye. “Are you fishing for a compliment? Trying to get me to flirt with you again?” Her smile drops, and now she has owl eyes. The blush is back. “What? No! I was just saying a fact, not at all fishing. I don’t even really like compliments because I never know what to do with them, and—” ”

Sweetie, stop before you embarrass yourself. (New Flash: they didn't listen) And OWL EYES. OWL FUCKING EYES. STAWP. And all the descriptions. I can't even-- “I step back, pressing myself fully against the scratchy concrete side so I don’t accidentally jump the man stopping a mere three inches away. He smiles down at me and then raises both hands to cup my face. IT’S REALLY HAPPENING?! That’s my uterus screaming this time, and I really hope he can’t hear it. It sounds like a desperate old hag.” Um what? This was literally a random page. Now imagine near 300 pages of THIS. I don't even know what to say.

“But Drew’s warning springs back to my mind like that annoying whack-a-mole game where it keeps popping its head up and you can never hit it with the hammer. If I give in to my temptation and kiss Cooper, it would mean something to me—a big something. I’m already having to treat my heart like a cartoon and grab it by the back of its shirt, holding it in place while it tries to run away from me. ”

A heart cartoon you say??? And a whack a mole??? Are you trying to be cute here??? Because I regret to inform you that you're failing. MISERABLY. I have 300 more pages of this 😭. How is it that JK Rowling didn't get published for like a year but THIS is out here? From acknowledgments:

“Thank you to my lovely editors! Caitlin and Jenn! AH—I’m so lucky to have such brilliant women working on my book and taking great care of it. Thanks for helping me feel good about sending this thing out in the world!”

EDITORS TELL THE DAMN AUTHOR HER BOOK IS CRAP INSTEAD OF "MAKING HER FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT" save her the embarrassment jesus christ. 😭 And TWO editors. NORMAL AUTHORS have ONE editor. How can THREE brains still manage to not FIX this.

“My name is Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, and I will not be afraid.”

I am screaming over my own art right now. This came out 10x better than I had initially envisioned and I am so damn proud of it✊🏻

how much hate would an account no one knows about get if i make a John Green tumblr remembrance post rn?

fuck it ima do it

So who was gonna remind me that Rowan Whitethorn was also chained head to toe in iron at one point in his life and would therefore understand every bit of pain Aelin was in while trapped with Maeve. 🥲

“I was captured once. While on a campaign in the east, in a kingdom that doesn’t exist anymore. They had me shackled head to toe in iron to keep me from choking the air out of their lungs.” -Rowan, Heir of Fire (page 175)

Azriel and Elain parallels 💜💙

this!!

the elain hate has gotten out of hand. these people are going to hate the next book no matter what. And the ship wars have gotten so bad that people are going to vilify Elain (and azriel) even more if their book is confirmed. I just think that’s weird as hell. people hate her because Azriel is attracted to her and not to THEM?? IS EVERYONE FEELING OK???

tbh I’ve noticed this always happens when there’s too much time before a ship gets confirmed/resolved by the author. Stuff festers, things get ugly and stan culture gets toxic. Not sjms fault cause obvs it takes time to write and get things published but I’ve noticed this happen every time. I hate it!! Please these people need to take a step back and check their locations because they live on Earth!! Are you really going to throw away an entire book series that you’ve claimed to love because your ship doesn’t work out 😭

Nesta Archeron

art: kallycreates [instagram]

i feel like sjm is writing a romance novel, so it makes sense that elain ends up with azriel because three sisters and three brothers and everything. but she might also just make azriel end up with gwyn and elain with lucien just for funsies.

who knows? i certainly dont. it ms sarah janet mass. at the end of the day, we'll still eat up whatever she writes and beg for whatever crumbs she offers us

but in the meantime, ill entertain myself with the anti (whomever you dislike) tags and wait for the agonizing five years it takes for sjm to finish two books to be over

I was a dreamer born into the Court of Nightmares.

roh’s favourites: The Morrigan in A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas

SJM

HOSAB spoiler interview with sjm transcript

Fic List

Won't You Run Away With Me - Helion and Lady of Autumn's story based on Helion's conversation with the IC in ACOWAR

Book Playlists

Feysand

Elriel

Fanart + complete credit links

Danika Fendyr

- Part 1 - Part 2

Book recs list that nobody asked for:

Fantasy

Contemporary

Me being sentimental about me being on tumblr

2021

2022