#mark from Lovehacks

[agirlhasnonamehotd]

Hear Me Out...

Without the cake.

[cadybear420]

Cadybear's Reviews- #LoveHacks

Welcome to the seventh official Cadybear's Reviews post! Today I'll be talking about #LoveHacks, which I have ranked on the "Gold Tier" at 8 stars out of a possible 10. My last and only playthrough of this series was back in February 2022.

I quite enjoyed this one and found it hilarious. 

It seems to get low opinions from other members of the fandom and while it certainly isn’t one of PB’s best works, I think it’s far from being in any of the bad tiers. I will say though, Book 1 felt like one hell of a fever dream. It wasn’t bad or anything, it just felt a little bizarre. The pacing of the plot was just fucking everywhere, and MC befriending Mark’s friends felt very rushed. 

I do like that they had a lot of free outfits, especially since I generally found them more appealing than most of the diamond outfits. But I hated that characters (in Book 1 anyways) would throw a hissy-fit when you chose free outfit options. Characters really wanna complain about my new formal fit looking too “plain” when not only do they wear the same shit every day, their own formal fit is the exact same style as my formal wear? Fuck off. 

Also, everyone seemed way too hard on Cole for some reason? I think they’re maybe going for a “Shut up, Meg” kind of gag with him or whatever you call that trope…? But… it could get a bit overbearing at times. That trope works best if the character actually deserves it, but some of the stuff Cole got shit for just felt way too innocuous to me? Especially in the earlier chapters, it didn’t really sit right with me. 

I definitely think the series picked up around Book 2. There’s much less shaming of free outfit choices, and the plotlines felt significantly more grounded and focused while still maintaining a sense of wild humor. “Unleash the panther” will always be iconic to me. 

As a side note, I would consider this one semi-pointlessly genderlocked. Or semi-pointfully genderlocked. Whatever, same thing. On one hand, a fair amount of the story is driven by Martin and TJ being misogynistic to MC, which eventually prompts her to leave ClickIt to start her own blog page with Leah. On the other hand, I feel like a sort of a workplace sexism story could maybe be adapted for a male MC too. 

Whereas a female MC deals with being looked down upon because the guys think she’s trying to “redecorate” or “feminize” things at ClickIt, a male MC might be looked down upon for refusing to indulge in their sort of “alpha male” mindsets. Considering it’s unfortunately pretty common for these kinds of people to deem other guys as “low testosterone beta male soyboys” if they stray even the slightest from being stereotypically masculine. I’m just spitballing here, but I do think it's worth exploring how these guys might have treated a male MC. 

Overall, it’s good as a “lighthearted chill fun” Choices series with a compelling enough storyline.

[liliplayschoices]

You're completely right Ben, I can't 😍

[jerzwriter]

I'm trying to get in touch with other Choices stories again - so this is perfect! Stealing this from @mvalentine. Didn't reblog because I KNOW this shit will be long.

I'm adding ratings - because I'm extra:

🔥Top Tier/Love them/ DO IT 💗 Really Good/ Worthy Choice 👍 Decent 💋 Just here for the sex... 🤷‍♀️ I mean- I had to pick someone....

A Very Scandalous Proposal - Simon/Ava Montjoy 🔥 Sure it's a single LI story, but they are so freaking awesome they get a shout-out. Both are equally amazing.

A Courtesan of Rome - Cassius Longinus 👍 (Though I dabbled in the Marc Anthony 💋 garden... and felt guilty but it was worth it) Aside: One of the most underrated stories in the Choices catalog. I need to replay.

Desire and Decorum - Ernest Sinclaire 🔥 Prob the best LI EVER, TBH

Foreign Affairs - Played all 3 - Blaine Hayes 👍 for the win

The Freshman Series - Zig Ortega 💗 to 🔥 I miss Zig, I need to play again. Honorable mention: Becca Davenport. 💗

Hot Couture - Marco di Vincenzo 👍

Laws of Attraction - Gabe Ricci 🤷‍♀️ By default, really not crazy about either.

LoveHacks - Mark Collins 👍

My First Two Loves - Noah Harris 🔥 I loved Noah. Loved Noah. If that was my HS boyfriend, I would have licked that, called it mine, and taken him off the market REAL soon. Just saying.

Open Heart - Ethan Ramsey🔥🔥 ... but you know I wanted Tobias 🔥🔥! I know, that comes as a shock to you. 🤣🤣🤣Also played Bryce 🔥 and some Jackie 💗. Quality LIs in this book!

Perfect Match - Damian Nazario 💗 but... I have a thing for Alana Kusuma 💗...

Platinum - Raleigh Carerra 💗I have not finished this book yet, will see if this changes.

Queen B - Ian Kinsgley 💗 to 🔥 Eff you - I loved him. DISCLAIMER: I have not plaid Book 2:

The Royal Romance - Drake Walker 🔥 Though I like Liam 🔥 too. If only Olivia 🔥were an option.

Rules of Engagement - It's been so long, I don't remember my final choice, but it was either William 👍or Leo 👍.

Slow Burn - Everett Flynt 👍 Have not finished this book.

The Unexpected Heiress - John Sommerset 💗

Wake the Dead - JUST STARTED so I can't say for sure, but I'm only playing because of my ista-crush on Eli Sipes, so... I'm giving him a 🔥 for now UPDATE: Eli and I, uh, my MC are officially in love.

TO BE DETERMINED:

BOLAS - I am going to try playing soon. Not typically my genre, but I'll try.

Crimes of Passion - If I can make it through WTD (I'm a wuss), I'll try COP. I believe it is a single LI? But I'm kind of sure I'll love Trystan.

Mother of the Year - Have not played yet. Finally emotionally able, so soon. They all look great, TBH.

Red Carpet Diaries - I May play this soon too - really curious to see who I will pick.

Ride or Die - I REALLY have wanted to play this forever. Fairly confident it will be Logan.

Veil of Secrets - All LIs seem appealing

I'm waiting on @icecoffee90 to tell me she hates ALL but maybe 2 of my choices. 😂😂😂 Hey, we agree on Jesse.

Tagging her and @jamespotterthefirst @liaromancewriter @a-crepusculo @peonyblossom @cariantha @storyofmychoices @lilyoffandoms @lucy-268 @genevievemd @trappedinfanfiction @annoyingmillenialnewbie @coffeeheartaddict2 @bex-la-get @quixoticdreamer16 @headoverheelsforramsey @forallthatitsworth @queencarb @crazy-loca-blog @heauxplesslydevoted @writer-ish @potionsprefect @danijimenezv @dr-colossal-pita @mydemonsdrivealimo and anyone else who wants to play! :)

[lizzybeth1986]

I just played the LoveHacks pre-finale chapter...and I managed to see two flashbacks...and score some private time with all three love interests...for free?!?!?!

I AM SHOOK.

[choicesenthusiast]

Recognize her?

Probably not. This is Leah Myers, one of the OG sidelined black female LIs. From #LoveHacks. In 2016. She had an interesting storyline. Older sister to a fiery 14-year-old, psychologically abused by her ex-girlfriend, trying to scrape by as a writer. First appearance in Chapter 9 of the first book. Sidelined in favour of Mark and Ben. Granted, Ben wasn’t introduced until Chapter 11, but he was more prominent in the story, when he and Mark were jealous over MC. Sound familiar?

Recognize her?

Probably not. I don’t blame you, Home for the Holidays (2017) is the OG shitty romance book and I speed-tapped through it too. Holly Wright, another childhood friend. Another writer. Sidelined in favour of Nick and Wyatt, and what makes matters even worse is that Nick wouldn’t even give her manuscript a chance because, to quote the Wiki, “it doesn’t deserve to be published”. Is literally gifted a flashlight from MC if you didn’t pay for her premium gift. Was given the most stereotypical Christmassy name in the book. Done hella dirty, even for HftH.

Recognize her?

Maybe, if you played Wishful Thinking back in 2019. I don’t even know if you’d classify Ellen Thompson as an LI, as she only got actual “relationship development” if you call it that in Chapter 12. The book had 14 chapters. She had an interesting backstory, with abrasiveness stemming from insecurity and not being good enough for her family. Could’ve been an interesting rivals-to-lovers subplot if given time to develop. But nope. Shove her route 2 chapters before the end and call it a day.

Recognize her?

Perhaps. She’s Vera Reimonenq from Nightbound, also from 2019 (moment of silence for the lost potential). While the other 3 LIs also had compelling backstories, I thought hers was the coolest. Nightbound was heavily advertised as a Nik-focused story, but relatively, she did have more development than the others on this list. Still, it could’ve been better. Mysterious gloved stranger, Lady Smoke’s daughter, kickass fighter, despite appearing outwardly calm. What’s not to love?

Recognize her?

You most definitely should. If you don’t, why? She’s been sidelined so hard, treated as the ultimate walking wardrobe (I’d say she even surpasses Shreya Mistry for this title), and not to mention the victim of a racially-motivated hate crime shrouded as a “human sacrifice”, as if this somehow made it better. Was given a racial profiling criminal backstory for no reason other than for PB’s “exploring racism” propaganda. In 2020. Twenty-fucking-twenty. Four years after release. Despite being a group of pixels, deserves the world and nothing less, and sure as hell did not deserve the treatment she received in Queen B. With a black female lead writer? Not at all.

~~~

Is there something in common with these characters? Of course. You’d have to be blind not to see it. They’re black. They’re female. They’re sidelined. They’re treated like absolute shit in comparison to the other LIs. This has been happening since the very beginning, meaning PB had 4 years to fix what could’ve been done in a matter of moments. And these are just the women. Griffin Langley, Shane Parker, Syphax, to name a few. I’m sure there are plenty others that I haven’t mentioned. Race-customizable characters are primarily written for the white audience (see: brushed aside a loose strand of my hair, when black male MCs have no loose hair??? And plenty of times, hairstyles don’t even match the sprite’s head).

So don’t you fucking dare come at the black players in this community or don’t you fucking dare try and defend PB saying “there’s no racism” or “PB has black representation”. I cannot speak for the black community personally because I am not black, but I cannot begin to imagine what you’re all feeling seeing this as your representation, because it’s not representation. If this doesn’t make you angry, it should.

Racists shut the fuck up challenge.

[neptunecove]

real talk: mark was lookin fine in that black suit though👅👅👅🔥😩🔥🔥

[thechrispowell-blog]

so i was wondering what would the guys look like if they’d dressed up for that country bar in texas and i decided to do this

[bryceslahela]

Is drake garbage? Yes. But is he worse than Ramsay? Jake? All the other boring white men who I am thankfully forgetting right now? I need to know your official ranking of worst male lis. I need to.

ooooh ok im thinking rn of who is where…. ok so this is from worst to best. <33 ill put them under the cut.

connor. creep who hangs around high schools… why does he canonically have like no friends his age?

drake is second because ik we think hes a gold digging misogynist and he is those two things… at least mc is an appropriate age for him.

parker. bitch boy. hate his existence.

cassius. worst li in acor which isn’t honestly that bad as the others r all top tier.

ethan is lower bc oph 1 + half of oph2 r god-tier so his good series makes up for him being a freak.

chris from tf. so many issues and expected mc to deal with them like she was his therapist. its not my fault ur father never came back chris.

michael from hss shouldn’t be on this list at all. love him <333. so i’m putting wes here in his place. an insufferable creep who looked 45 when he should be 18. autumn has shit judgement who would pick him over julian????

thomas hunt. I HATE HIM.

simon from std. hate him purely bc everyone was putting his ass on a pedestal while dragging my mans justin. simon ur literally bland. the personification of the colour beige.

flynn from vos. gave me nightmares. also how u hate cops and then u become one???? where r ur morals man 😟

ugly bartending dude from roe. the one drake was based off of. he’s here bc thanks to him drake existed. he’s in hell rn.

jake from es. sean supremacy <33 hated him bc i always took sean’s side on everything. also i hated the weird lil nickname he gave mc like i don’t like u??? we not that close bro 😟

dom from tc&tf. boring sorry. also ugly but he’s not annoying ig. thats why he’s low.

ernest sinclaire. remember nothing abt him which is a good sign. he’s slightly ugly tho but he’s british it’s not his fault x

sawyer. cute?? i didn’t finish bsc. no issues with him. hate his dad tho.

elliot from ptr. forgettable. didn’t do anything bad besides be british which is why he’s here.

that white dude from bachelorette party. reed? boring but rich. no issues with him ig. i read it more so for the female friendships.

the guy from wishful thinking. audrey? cute. also forgettable. was nothing next to anna and jaime.

male avery from platinum. also british but sweet. so he’s low.

nate from sunkissed was acc so cute. i romanced him and he was so sweet, a lil cringy but i can deal.

nathan from tf. idc i love him <33 rich white bitch of a man but he acknowledges that and he also almost rid the world of tyler aka the most annoying side character in tf.

beckett. annoying in te2 but cute in te1… i love him srry 🤣 also teh book cover vers of him ATE.

grayson from hero. soo sweet but he was the victim to the sexy kenji and the sexier eva. how was he meant to thrive with such hot competition…. 💔

MARK FROM LOVEHACKS CAN DO NOOO WRONG <333333 LOVE U MARK FROM LOVEHACKS TEXT ME <3333

[maxwellsbrokeass]

I’m sure Mark from LoveHacks is absolutely geeking over the upcoming Space Jam sequel

[theartoflovingthomashunt]

HWU111: aka All Quiet on the Celestial Front

[Thomas Hunt x Alex Spencer Masterlists] [Hollywood U]

Pairing: Alex x Thomas Hunt Other characters mentioned: May Gordon (reporter), Ben Parks, Mike Tanner, Holly Chang, Bianca Stone, Desiree Stone, Anders Stone Book: Hollywood U   Word Count: ~600

This is part of my #HollywoodHacks Series (a Hollywood U/#LoveHacks crossover with Ben Park). You can read the series premise and view the masterlist here.

It has been some time since I've worked on this series. Since I figured most people forgot about it, I thought I would write a gossip news article about some of the things that have happened so far in the series as a fun version of a recap post. This "article" acts as a quick way to catch up before the last few chapters. If you haven't read the series, feel free to jump in now or catch up. This covers the "newsworthy" and public moments from the series but doesn't address anything that happened in private (i.e. all the tender moments between Hunt and Alex).

All Quiet on the Celestial Front by May Gordon

Shortly after casting herself as the lead in her own production, Alex Spencer and the crew of "Centarus Lost" have seemingly gone dark. Little is known about the production of the Thomas Hunt directed "Centaurus Lost". Sources close to the film have refused to comment on its progress (or perhaps, lack thereof?).

Since its inception, "Centaurus Lost" has been plagued with setbacks and scandals. Trouble on set led to the ousting of former lead writer Mike Tanner. This left the film with an incomplete narrative when the team decided to drop Tanner's contribution upon his exit. Instead, they opted for a rewrite that overhauled the story and conveniently put Spencer in a newly created starring role, thanks to the collaboration between rising star, Holly Chang and first-time screenwriter, Ben Parks. Following the departure of Tanner, "Centaurus Lost" also saw the loss of their lead set designer and lead makeup artist. All three former "Centaurus Lost" members were recruited by rival Bianca Stone's upcoming feature, "#QueenB" (more on her upcoming project below). "Centaurus Lost" marks the first outing as a producer for Spencer, the first entry into Hollywood's mainstream for newcomer Parks as a co-screenwriter, and the first post-retirement film for director Hunt—the once-famed and celebrated auteur. If all of that was not enough, the project also boasts the first collaboration between paramours, Spencer and Hunt. As previously reported last month, Spencer, who made headlines when her student-professor relationship with Hunt was outed, found herself in a new scandal when reports leaked that she and Parks were carrying on an affair. Rumors circulated about the potential love triangle between Hunt, Spencer, and Parks. This isn't a first for Spencer; she was previously linked with superstar Chris Winters before moving up to Hunt. Is history repeating itself? Has Spencer left the aging Hunt for the promise of a younger, more talented heartthrob? No further information has been made available at this time. All parties and their respective representation have declined to comment on the ongoing speculations. (Although, this reporter wonders if a lack of denial isn't an admission in disguise.) Over the past several weeks, the production has closed ranks and enacted a total social media blackout for all cast and crew. Little to no information has leaked. What does this mean for the film? Are they hiding a diamond in the rough or covering up a complete dud? Will their intergalactic journey reach new heights or flop into a decaying orbit? With the deadline for submission to the Hollywood Elite Festival looming, fans are curious what fate is written in the stars for this team. In related news, rumor has it that fellow Hollywood U student Bianca Stone's film will have a standout premiere at the festival. Sources allege that the Stone-produced film, "#QueenB", has all the makings of a new classic. Stone is the daughter of Hollywood's infamous Anders Stone and sister to award-winning actress, Desiree Stone. With her reputation on the line will the younger Stone take home her first gold at the festival? It is no secret that Spencer and Stone have had their fair share of public confrontations. They previously competed for the spotlight when the Stone-led "Sisterhood" went up against the Spencer-led "Permanent Wounds". The first battle unanimously went to "Permanent Wounds", which has since cemented its place in film history with its unprecedented award wins for an underdog production. As tensions between these two have only heated up since what will this next match-up hold? Will Stone emerge victorious as rumors predict, or will Spencer prove she's more than a pretty face (with exquisite taste in men)? Things are about to get interesting! Mark your calendars, The Hollywood Elite Festival is coming soon!

Prompts:  "rumor has it" ~@choicesmonthlychallenge

Tags in reblog

Full Article via images:

[boneandfur]

Which love interest from Lovehacks would you have chosen to be customized?

Probably Mark. His personality could fit any customization, I feel like. I think Leah and Ben are pretty perfect the way they are. *chef's kiss*

[yourqueenb]

Did you enjoy Lovehacks?

Yeah I did! I actually don’t think I ever replayed it, but from what I remember I liked it. I think if PB wants to do more low stakes books, they should be like LH. It had some pretty funny moments. And I liked seeing MC navigate her way through starting her own business. Plus, I had a pretty hard time choosing between Mark and Ben because they were both great LIs

[choicesficwriterscreations]

October 11-17

Big Sky Country

Homeward | Sawyer Oakley x F!MC - @kat-tia801​

Part 1: One Heart Goin’ Both Directions

Blades Of Light And Shadow

Empire of Light - @undermounts​

Chapter 4: The Ties That Bind | Imatura Tal Kaelen x OC

Bloodbound

Bound by Destiny II, Part 1 | Kamilah Sayeed x MC - @clansayeed​

Chapter 23: The Retribution

Chapter 24: The Identity

A Courtesan Of Rome

Lioness With Fears | Cassius Longinus x MC - @ethanramseysrookiexox​

Distant Shores

Alone with the Sunrise | Oliver Cochrane x F!MC - @kelseaaa​​

Part Three: A Lesson in Promise & Trust

The Junior

Land Of The Blind | Nathan Sterling x MC - @littleredroseonthevalley​​

Mother Of The Year

Freshly Baked | Levi Schuler x MC - @storyofmychoices​​

Unexpected Call - Part 1 | Thomas Mendez x MC - @ethanramseysrookiexox​​

My First Two Loves

Coffee With Chocolate | Noah Harris x MC - @littleredroseonthevalley​​

Nightbound

Lovesick | Cal Lowell x F!MC - @kelseaaa​​

Open Heart

Red Carpet Diaries

Boo-tiful | Thomas Hunt x MC - @theartoflovingthomashunt​​

Exciting Times | Thomas Hunt x MC - @ethanramseysrookiexox​​

Here We Come | Thomas Hunt x MC - @theartoflovingthomashunt​​

The Royal Romance

Adventure Of A Lifetime series | Drake Walker x MC - @no-one-u-know​​

Chapter fourteen: Riding trail

Marshmallow series | Liam Rys x MC, Drake Walker x Hana Lee - @twinkleallnight

Part 11: Hope

Crossovers

Lovehacks/The Royal Romance

Mirror series | Liam Rys x TRRMC, Mark Collins x LHMC - @kat-tia801​​

Part 3: Holes In My False Confidence

Part 4: Pieces Falling From Me

The Royal Romance/Rules of Engagement

Human Contact series | Leo Rys x TRRMC - @queenrileyrose​​

Barely

Sleeper series | Liam Rys x F!OC, Leo Rys x TRRMC - @queenrileyrose​​

Chapter 17: Telling You To Be Ready, My Dear

Up in the Air series | Leo Rys x TRRMC - @queenrileyrose​​

Prologue: I Can’t Explain Any of These Thoughts Racing Through My Brain 

[admdmrtn]

wait also who are your least fav li's? hehe methinks its time to stir the pot :-)

LISTEEEEEENNNNN

i have an Absolutely Not List which is basically a list of books i avoid like the plague/will not replay under whatever circumstance: across the void, baby bump, big sky country, passport to romance, save the date, sunkissed, witness DHDJDKFKKDDK i won’t touch any of the LIs from here because i just ew no i don’t like any of them at all by that default

omg yknow what fucking hot take but i don’t like mark collins from LoveHacks i’m so sorry if anyone who reads this likes him but JDJDKDKKD i used to really like LoveHacks, i’d put up with the whole chaoticness of jumping around into different POVs but after a while idk i started seeing mark as an indecisive person and the whole ‘best friend to lovers’ trope didn’t work for me especially when you have jaime lewis from wishful thinking or lily from bloodbound i mean cmonnnnnn but ye he’s a no for me

also sean from endless summer bc he reminds me of mason from litg i said this to chrisha yesterday and i haven’t stopped thinking about it since HJDKDKDKDKKDLDLLDLF

hmmm i’ll admit i don’t mind nanny affair but only bc i really like the twins i prefer them over any child that’s ever appeared on other books but on god if i can punch a bunch of pixels sam or whoever the heck the LI is, is my first pick SO STOOPID SO DUMB IM UP TILL HERE WITH YOUR NONSENSE

[they-callme-ami]

Ok, I gotta know (sorry if this has been asked before) Who are some characters that you wanted to be Li's, but aren't Li's? 👀 (Besides our mans, Tobias)

*cracks knuckles* hun, you opened up a can of worms. I made a list of female LI's back a while in 2 parts:

Part 1 and Part 2 so I won't include any of the ladies on there, but just know that they are also DEFINITELY included.

Open Heart

Baz Mirani

June Hirata

Harper Emery

Endless Summer

Literally every friend from our main group that we COULDN'T romance (haha, so original, but I seriously love all of them.)

Kele

Seraxa

Blades of Light and Shadow

That one blacksmith lady at the beginning

Skullcrusher

Distant Shores (even tho I never finished it..)

Tripp

Jonas

Blood Bound

Vlad Tepes/Dracula (DON'T FUCKING JUDGE ME)

Liv Denara

A Courtesan of Rome

Lena

Xanthe

The Heist: Monaco

Peter Graves

Miranda Moreau

Mervin Kalani/ Upper Cut Jones

#LoveHacks

Our entire friend group minus Mark.

HSS

Julian Castillo

Ezra Mitchell

Koh Sunya

Ride or Die

Darius

Toby (if we were older)

Ximena (if we were older)

Annnnnnnndddd, that's all I can think of.