#ray and nate have more chemistry with each other than they have ever had with their love interests

[jawsplitter]

i've seen people say LoT is their favorite arrowverse show and that completely bewilders me because that is the worst one. like it wins by a landslide. LoT is actual dogass

[tigstripe]

Preface: These are opinions. I have scenes or episodes in mind to support these statements, but I'm not digging them out. Just reflecting.

Arrow:

- Opinion: Arrow was a good show that had its ups and downs. It was a great initial show for the 'verse and I still wish it was still on.

- Hot Take: The production team's dedication to a relationship was its biggest sin. Not because Stephen and Emily didn't have chemistry, or that the characters didn't work together, but because it became the central cohesive factor of the show, and anyone who fell outside of it (see: Diggle or New Team Arrow) felt benched in comparison. Those characters were interesting. The show became "how do we have this revolve around Oliver and Felicity's relationship?" instead of "what stories can we tell about the team as a whole?"

Flash:

- Opinion: The Flash started strong, if a little "use my homework but make it different" from Arrow, but the show has declined in a way not seen in any other Arrowverse show.

- Hot Take: Stop using "family is good" as a trope. Family can be toxic, and more than once, the experienced superhero has been veto'd by his wife or his team because he should "put family first." This is bullshit, stop doing it, and let Barry be the leader of the team. Let him make decisions. If those decisions have consequences, have him deal with them. Every season feels worse than the last because Barry feels less and less in charge of his own show.

Supergirl:

- Opinion: Supergirl started super strong, but something went very wrong later on and the writers just never found their footing again.

- Hot Take: The writers' decision to keep Lena Luther around after season 3 was what trapped them into terrible plots. They had no idea what to do with her after she served her initial purpose. Same with James. Winn got out in the nick of time. I love Katie and I love Lena, but her storylines were garbage and the writers just kept trying to make her important, which never worked in a way that felt fulfilling. That dedicated focus ruined the chances of other characters getting more, much more needed screen time.

Black Lightning:

- Opinion: Black Lightning was undervalued by the CW and overlooked by Arrowverse fans across the board. It was a great show. I have very few notes.

- Hot Take: This isn't so much a "hot take" as it is just pointing out the obvious: this show failed because of marketing ignoring it. Every chance the CW got to promote its superhero shows, BL was nowhere to be found until its final season. It should have had the same amount of promotion as at least Legends of Tomorrow, if not more. This show was good. The network failed the show this time, not the other way around.

Legends of Tomorrow:

- Opinion: Legends has managed to reinvent itself just enough each season that it keeps the show fresh enough to be interesting, while maintaining that familiar feel from season to season. It's the only Arrowverse show that has maintained a level of consistency for more than two years at a time.

- Hot Take: Stop using romance as a reason to get rid of characters. Ray, Nate, and Mick all left the show over being involved with someone (although Mick's was a bit more complicated). Have characters leave for real reasons. Mona left to become the next ghostwriter for Rebecca Silver. That's cool. The show treats the team like some kind of worst case scenario for its characters - the moment something better comes along, they jump ship. And while we're at it, it's okay not to be in romantic relationships. The Waverider feels like a shack-up ship sometimes.

Batwoman:

- Opinion: Batwoman had a rough start but it has really molded itself into something new and fun.

- Hot Take: I don't really have any hot takes for Batwoman. It's getting more PR than BL ever did and it seems to be thriving. The show is strong for representation of all sorts. If I had a single "hot take," it'd be that I wish we could just shove season 1 under a bed and forget it happened.

Stargirl:

- Opinion: Underrated. Underappreciated. A true powerhouse of a show that probably won't live to see its true destiny because of superhero fatigue and the network doin weird shit.

- Hot Take: Their. Suits. Are. Hideous. Update them. There is zero rule anywhere saying the kids have to use their predecessors' gear. They look like jokes. One look at Beth in the Dr. Mid-Nite gear would scare off any potential new watchers. Stop carrying the show on Courtney's kickass outfit and give the others some decent looks.

(Withholding Superman and Lois stuff until I watch season 2. Haven't touched Naomi yet.)

[afaimsarrowverse]

Arrowverse: My 25 Favorite Fan-Ships

After doing my favorite Canon-Ships, here are my favorite Non-Canon-Ships of the Arrowverse. Like always . This is my blog, this is my list, it is in no way objective, everyone is entiled to their own opinion, so please don’t reblog or answer just to tell me how much you disagree with me. You can’t quantify love, well except with stupid lists like this, just because a ship is not on this list does not mean I don’t like it - except when it does - so…. yeah, here we go

  25. Snowbertallen (Caitlin Snow/Julian Albert/Barry Allen)

 Hinted at in: The Flash Season 3

 While I don’t really see Caitlin and Barry as a romantic pairing, both of them did work quite well with Julian and in a world where Barry couldn’t save Iris, I actually could see him ending up with those two instead. I always wanted to write a fic about that but never came around to, but this threesome exists in my Arrowmultiverse – read „Multiversity“.

 24.  Coldwestallen (Leonard Snart/Iris West/Barry Allen)

 Hinted at in: The Flash Season 2-3

 This is one of my ships, maybe a little bit guilty pleasure, and I can’t really see this happening in canon, but before I decided to bring Eddie back, I was toying with this idea as endgame for my A/B/O-Arrowverse, after all Leonard works very well with both of them, so yeah, I definifly loved this ship.

 23.  Kalex (Kara Danvers/Lex Luthor)

 Hinted at: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Supergirl Season 4-5

 I discovered this one for me during „Crisis on Infinite Earths“ and was like … why is this ship not more prominent, I mean after all there where some hints of it before. In any way their chemistry is great and it’s a shame that pretty much everyone has given up or fled the Supergirl-Fandom at this point so no one is going to write anything about them any time soon. But maybe someone will once try a Crisis-AU where they will be found.

 22.  Karry (Kara Danvers/Barry Allen)

 Hinted at: Worlds Finest, Invasion, Duet, Crisis on Infnite Earths, Elseworlds, Crisis on Infinite Earths

 I actually prefer them as besties, because they each have an actual True Love in their own universe, but like anyone else, I love them together. They are probably to simelar to work as a couple on the long run, but as female partners for Barry go, Kara is definitfly up there at the top.

 21. BloodArrow (Sebastian Blood/Oliver Queen)

 Hinted at: Arrow Season 2

 I discovered this while working on a Sebastian Blood Oneshot. I reread „Vengance“ and worked their relationship out and remembered how much I always regretted losing Sebastian at this point of his storyline, because those two had a connection. A better one than Laurel and Sebastian actually, and in many ways Oliver was more of an actual Love Interest for Sebastian than Laurel. Not that Ollie would ever go for this, but Sebastian might have. Who knows?

 20.  Tauriver (Tommy Merlyn/Laurel Lance/Oliver Queen)

 Hinted at: Arrow Season 1

 Back in Season 1 I shipped this, because I don’t really believe in love triangles between three people that geniunily love each other. So this would have been the obvious solution. If Oliver and Tommy would just haved shared Laurel or touched it other as well, well, that would have been up to them. I think that given it’s Tommy, Oliver might have actually gone full in for this.

 19.  Timekid (Wally West/Rip Hunter)

 Hinted at: Legends of Tomororw Season 3

 After I saw Rip and Wally do karaoke and get wasted together I was expecting a load of fics, but somehow this pairings seems to have eluded almost everyone. Maybe because no one really cares about Wally? Or because Rip was in bad standing in the middle of that Season? I don’t know, but for me this was a non-brainer.

 18.  Saramaya (Sara Lance/Amaya Jiwe)

 Hinted at: Legends of Tomorrow Season 2-3

 I really don’t know why everyone is going on about Kendra and Sara, when they could be going on about this ship were there is actual tension and actual chemistry there. And Doomworld. Don’t forget Doomworld. Where those two totally did it, you can’t change my mind about that.

 17.  Toliver (Tommy Merlyn/Oliver Queen)

 Hinted at: Arrow Season 1-8

 This ship kept coming and going in my mind, because aren’t Oliver and Tommy more like brothers and than like lovers? In the end I saw the potential for a romantic love between them and stettled on it as something that could have been very interesting if done right. I dabbled a little bit with TommyX in that pairing, but why not real Tommy as well?

 16.  Monwinn (Mon-El/Winn Schott)

 Hinted at: Supergirl Season 2-3, It’s a Super Life

 To bad Winn came back married to someone that isn’t Mon-El, because this is what should have happened, you know? Of course Kara is Mon-Els One True Love, but he and Winn were always great together, and given Winn is open minded and Daxamites are not hetero normative this was what we would have wanted after losing both of them in the same episode of the show.

 15.  Kanvers (Kate Kane/Kara Danvers)

 Hinted at: Elseworlds, Crisis on Infinite Earths, The one and only Season of Batwoman

 I figured out why certain hate groups afflilated with „Supergirl“ hate Kate so much (It took me quite some time to rap my head around this), it’s because Kate is Karas only canonical female love interest and those people just can’t stand that thought. Now sady as gone for good as Batmoore Kanvers was what I would have originally wanted for Kara after it became clear that Mon-El was not coming back to the show. I mean I love Kate, and Kara did flirt back, so why the hell not?

 14.  Irivarry (Iris West/Oliver Queen/Barry Allen)

 Hinted at: The Flash Season 1, Invasion, Crisis on Earth-X, Elseworlds

 While I stumbled over quite a few fics that include Oliver, Felicity, and Barry, I never really found this one, even though it’s much more obvious to me. After all this was set up way back in the first season of „The Flash“ and especially in Season 5 and a certain part of Season 7 of „Arrow“ I felt that it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for Oliver to visit our favourite Canon-Pairing in Central City and crash on their couch indefinitly which would lead too many interesting things among them this threesome. And yes, again a fic I never got around to write.

 13.  Atomsteelwavevixen (Ray Palmer/Nate Heywood/Mick Rory/Amaya Jiwe)

 Hinted at: Legends of Tomorrow Season 2-3

 I prefere Steelatom and Vixenwave as bros, but as a foursome those four rock the libido and the Waverider. Given how much I do ship Atomwave and Vixensteel and that I also do ship Steelwave und Atomvixen that shouldn’t be a surprise, and you should know by now, that I do believe more partners make (fictional) relationships easier instead of more complicated.

 12. Captains3 (Sara Lance/Rip Hunter/Leonard Snart)

 Hinted at: Legends of Tomorrow Season 1

 Given that Sara and Rip, Sara and Leonard, and Leonard and Rip would not last together, my solution to this would be to get together as a threesome. Which was after all my endgame in my biggest Fanfiction-Verse and turned out to be a smashing idea.

 11.  Eobarry (Eobard Thawne/Barry Allen)

 Hinted at: The Flash Season 1-6 (so far)

 Fanboy Eobard might have come to hate Barry, but a part of him never stopped loving the scarlet speedster as we all know. What kind of love that was may have varied, but this kind was probably among it, and I think that if he would prove to Barry that he could change Barry would always give him a chance, because that’s after all who Barry is.

 10.  GreenAtom (Oliver Queen/Ray Palmer)

 Hinted at: Arrow Season 3-4, Legends of Tomorrow Season 1, Crisis on Infinite Earths

 A very underapprecaited ship that I love dearly. Ray und Oliver together have so much potential. I dabbled a little bit with that, but only few other ever did. Ray would basically be a better version of Felicity, having all what the fans love about their dynamic, but none of the issues that come with her. Also Oliver would date another hero, which is always a plus.

 9.      Elongflash (Ralph Dibny/Barry Allen)

 Hinted at: The Flash Season 4-6

 I frankly never understood why people did not ship them more and there are so little fanfics about those two, I mean it’s a classic love story really. Attraction first, misunderstanding leading to years of silence, meeting again and talking it out, becoming friend and eventually more. I did dabble with it a bit and wish others would have taken to that ship around Season 4 already and not only in the last couple of years.

 8.      Allenbert (Barry Allen/Julian Albert)

 Hinted at: The Flash Season 3

 For a long time I thought that that would be the reveal about Julians problem with Barry. Appearantly so did the actors. Or at least they wished it were. Their hate-love was so enjoyable and fans had their fun with this at least but could have had more fun still. Tom mentoned that was ready to come back to the show sometime back, and while I have little hope for that I still want it to happen so that we can get more interaction between them on screen.

 7.      Winniac-5 (Winn Schott/Brainiac-5)

 Hinted at: Supergirl Season 3 and Season 5

 I am one out of two persons in the world who ships this, but I ship it hard. I wanted Winn to have love, but after it became clear that the actress who played his Season 2 love interest wasn’t coming back, it probably had also become clear that Jeremy did plan on leaving the show, so the writers didn’t bother anymore, but Brainy crashed so beautifully with him so I picked him for that role. And even though I love Nia and Brainia I love Winniac-5 more.

 6.      Olivarry (Oliver Queen/Barry Allen)

 Hinted at: Arrow Season 2-3, The Flash Season 1, Legends of Yesterday/Today, Invasion, Crisis on Earth-X, Elseworlds, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Arrow Season 7-8

 As unlucky as Olivers love life is, maybe that’s the case because the actual love of his life happens to be a man, which he is not willing to admit to himself of course. I mean we all remember the joke about Barry wanting to date Oliver and agree on that probably being true, but Oliver cleary is kind of in love with Barry too. He has been very different with him than most if not all other males in his life so there definitifly is something going on there.

 5.      Coldflash (Leonard Snart/Barry Allen)

 Hinted at: The Flash Season 1-3, Legends of Tomorrow Season 1-2, Invasion

 Leonard flirts with everything that moves, but Barry has a special place in his heart and we all love that. Leonard ist a player however, and makes sure everyone knows that, but if there is one person out there who he would be willing to change for it would probably be Barry. If only they weren’t mortal frenemies and Leonard wasn’t – you know – dead.

 4.      Thallen (Eddie Thawne/Barry Allen)

 Hinted at: The Flash Season 1-3

 Barry und Eddie were crushing hard on each other, there is no denying that. They even had a moment onscreen where the tension between them was aknowleged (remember the sofa-scene?). I saw a pretty accurate joke about the Season 1 love triangle once which stated that Iris felt guilty about having feelings for Barry while dating Eddie, while Eddie at the same time was doodeling Eddie Allen in his notebook and that really nails it, doesn’t it?

 3.      Timecanary (Rip Hunter/Sara Lance)

 Hinted at: Legends of Tomororw Season 1-3

 Sara has many admirers onscreen and out of all her many suitors Rip is the one I would want to see her ending up with. If he wasn’t dead, that is. Rip kind of had a thing for her from day one on and during Season 2 she seemed to realize that she had feelings for him too, but sadly Season 3 ripped them apart (pardon the pun) in every possible way. But there is still fanfic. I just wish there were more of it with them as the main couple.

 2.      Atomwave (Ray Palmer/Mick Rory)

 Hinted at: Legends of Tomorrow Season 1-5, Crisis on Infinite Earths

 This is my Legends-OTP and I am still not over the fact that Ray is out of the show and so is this ship! When Iris und Barry got together on „The Flash“ even my brother was like: „Wait a moment … Barry und Iris are a couple, that means Mick still has a shot to get Ray next season!“ So yeah, no one could deny that their relationship was very prominent in the first two seasons. Sadly it faded in the backround when Ray met Nora Darhk, but in my opinion this would have been the much healthier endgame for him, which is why you find traces of this ship in pretty much all of my Arrowverse Fanfics.

  1.      Westhallen (Iris West/Eddie Thawne/Barry Allen)

 Hinted at: The Flash Season 1-3

 This is how you solve a love triangle, that does not need to be one, when all three parties have certain feelings for all the other members of the triangle: Just get them all together. I mean I love Westhawne, I love Thallen, and I love Westallen, but most of all I love Westhallen. Too bad poly is still a taboo in TV, and don’t get me started on the sin of killing of Eddie and never ever bringing him back not even an alternate version of him or something like that, but yeah in my heart those three were happy with each other and when Eddie died both Iris und Barry lost the man they loved. (And sometimes they got him back and other times they never lost him at all).

[fanfics-for-the-hockey-fan]

Brain versus Brawn - Lias Andersson

Request: Hey I was wondering if you get the chance could you write something fuffy and angsty with my baby Lias Andersson. Maybe something like he's a bit insecure in your relationship, but you literally love him so much. Thank you! 💕

“Hey Sara!” Lias and I were walking through the mall because I needed to buy a nice dress for an upcoming event Lias had asked me to go to when I heard someone calling my name. Turning around I saw a few of the guys from my chemistry lab walking towards me. It was Nate who had called my name and I waved at them as the moved closer.

“Hi Nate, hey Ray, hi Shane. How are you guys?”

“Good, have you started the homework for the lab yet? I’m stumped by question 3.” Shane asked as I felt Lias give my hand a squeeze, it was his was of telling me to take my time. We had worked on this system since we started dating last year.

“I haven’t yet. I’m probably gonna start it tonight.” I quickly introduced them all to Lias and they did the head nod that guys used as a sign of greeting each other.

“If you figure it out can you call me and explain how stupid I am to me. I’m sure it’s a basic principle but I can’t understand what it is asking me to find.” I laugh and shake my head at Shane, he always had problems understanding the way questions are worded but he was fine the rest of the time.

“Yeah, of course.” We chatted a bit more about classes we had together before Nate asked one last question.

“Are you going to the physics major get together on Friday?”

“No I already have plans that night. I actually have to go get something for then but when I start the homework I’ll give you a call.” Saying goodbye I turn around and lean into Lias’s side as we move to the store we had come here for. “Thanks for waiting while I talked with them.”

“No problem, do you need to go to that thing they were talking about on Friday? You don’t have to come to my event.”

“No, the head of the department just likes to offer an event once a month for all the physics majors to hang out and chat. The last two things it has just been a bunch of guys playing fortnight and drinking beer, they aren’t mandatory and they happen all the time.”

“I don’t want to keep you from something you want to go to.”

“I want to spend time with you, you are kind of one of my favorite people. Besides, we can bring boyfriends and girlfriends so maybe you can come to one if your schedule is free.” Lias gave me a smile but it didn’t reach his eyes. I wanted to question it but I knew he would just shut down if I started something right now. After a year of dating Lias I knew the confrontation with him was always better suited for a private time. The rest of the time we spent at the mall I was preoccupied with trying to figure out what was bothering Lias.

“Babe, you look amazing in this one.” I had just stepped out in the fourth dress I tried on, a floor length ruby red dress with a deep v and it hugged all of my curves. Looking in the mirror I could tell it made my ass look amazing. “If you don’t choose this one, I’m burning whatever dress you do pick and then buying you this one.”

“Yeah?”

“Fuck Sara, your ass in this dress is absolutely amazing.”

“Okay, this is the one. This isn’t too over the top for this thing right?”

“No, they are having us wear tuxedos for this. So I say this dress is perfect.”

“Alright, I’m gonna go change back into my clothes and then we can head back to the apartment. I need to start on my homework.” Once I was back in my jeans and shirt, we bought the dress and headed home. Once we got there I dived into homework, calling Shane to explain the answer as Lias moped next to me. Normally he would be playing video games as I did homework on the sofa but this time he was just laying with his head on my lap. Once I hung up with Shane I ran my fingers through Lias’s hair, waiting for the right time to start the conversation that could get messy.

“Lias, what’s bothering you?”

“What are you talking about? Nothing is bothering me.” He wouldn’t look me in the eye as he answered me.

“You have been quiet since I saw my classmates. I know you, you never keep things to yourself. Or should I bring up World Juniors from last year where you threw your silver medal into the crowd?”

“Sara…”

“Don’t ‘Sara’ me, just tell me what is bothering you.”

“Does it bother you that I am not going to college? And that I might never get a college degree?”

“Why would that bother me?”

“Because I’ll never be able to have intelligent conversations with me like you did with those guys tonight. I don’t understand chemistry or physics, even if it were in Swedish. Those get-togethers with other people in your field, I’ll just embarrass you if I ever have time to come to one. I’m not smart like you.”

“I don’t understand why that would bother me, when we hang out with your teammates I don’t understand half of the stuff you guys talk about. And your teammates don’t make fun of me when I stay stupid stuff about hockey because that isn’t my thing, just like math and science aren’t your thing.”

“But I’m not as smart as you.”

“And I can’t skate to save my life let alone play in a hockey game. You seem completely okay with dating me when I am not a hockey player, so why does it bother you that I might be smarter than you?”

“Because you could do so much better than me, those guys at the mall wouldn’t be gone all the time to play hockey.”

“Yeah, but those guys were also asses who for the first two month of college wouldn’t speak to me as their equal because I am a girl. Our advisor had to tell them to get their head out of their asses because they were almost failing classes and I was getting near perfect grades. When I first met you and told you what I was going to school for you were all excited and asked a million questions about what I was learning and not why a girl is studying to be a scientist.”

“Who cares if you are a girl?”

“And that is one of many reasons I love you and want to be with you and not some idiot guy. You are my favorite idiot guy.”

“I’ll take that. I love you too, my genius girlfriend.”

Request are open!!!

[marisa-writes]

My pals Natasha @wokeuptired and Naureen @wildestdreamsfics tagged me to share the nine best books I read this year. Straight up: all I read this year was romance, something I hadn’t done in many years. But after picking up K.M. Jackson’s To Me I Wed off the shelf at my local Target this summer and falling head over heels for Lily and Vin, I began discussing romance novels with my good friend RJ @boricuamermaid / @madminniefics. Turned out RJ was well-aquainted with the genre and opened my world up to some new books by authors who are women of color that write about people of color, and since the representation of POC in fiction is a passion of mine, I was over the moon about this discovery.

Below the cut, you’ll find my long-winded descriptions for each of the novels pictured (nothing too spoilery, I just…suck at writing quick little blurbs). If romance is your thing and you end up deciding to check any of these out, drop me a line once you’re finished so we can discuss!

I’m not going to tag anyone because I don’t know who hasn’t been tagged at this point, but if you’ve read books this year and you want to share, do it and tag me so I can see!

To Me I Wed by K.M. Jackson - aside from RJ, I have this book to thank for sending me plummeting back into the world of romance novels. I was at Target when I spied this book on the shelf, and after reading the description, I was intrigued. To Me I Wed is the second book in K.M. Jackson’s ‘Unconventional Brides’ series, but it was the first of the series that I read, which might contribute to why it’s my favorite. It centers around Lily Perry, an event planner who, after watching her many sisters take the plunge, reads an article about a woman who decides to marry herself, and Lily thinks it’s a splendid idea. She’s a successful woman; why should she wait for a man to define her happiness? Vincent “Vin” Caro, however, the handsome chef and restaurant owner who Lily shared a memorable series of kisses with on the beach a year prior, thinks it’s the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard when Lily asks to use his restaurant as her venue - especially considering he hasn’t quite let go of that time on the beach, and to be honest, neither has Lily. Between Vin and Lily’s undeniable chemistry, Vin’s grief and Lily’s stubbornness, and Lily’s unforgettable grandmother, Mama Dee, I loved this book from start to finish and have read it since the first time I picked it up this summer, oh…three times now, I think?

Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins - I didn’t think I’d really be interested in historical romance, but the premise behind this book intrigued me so much, I had to give it a read. In Forbidden, Eddy Carmichael sets off to achieve her dream of opening her own restaurant, but her plans are thwarted when she’s robbed and abandoned in the middle of a desert. Fortune finds her when she’s rescued by Rhine Fontaine, a successful saloon owner whose African descent is masked by his fair skin, and he lives his life passing as a White man. This, of course, has suited Rhine just fine since leaving behind a past he’d rather not relive, but when Eddy comes into the picture, he begins to think that being truthful about who he is might be more than worth the risk.

Take the Lead by Alexis Daria - Along the vein of Dancing with the Stars, Take the Lead centers around a celebrity-meets-professional dance competition show called The Dance Off. Gina Morales is one of the series’ professional dancers, and in her fifth season with the show, she gets paired up with Stone Nielson, an Alaskan survivalist from a reality television show called Living Wild. For such a large and gruff man, Stone is quiet and reserved, but Gina is determined to turn the season into a win - despite the series’ determination to push Stone and Gina into the narrative of the season’s showmance. While faking a romance for the cameras is sure to help them with the votes, it goes against everything Gina stands for. She’s determined to win on her terms without compromising her integrity, but when Stone turns out to be more than he seems, and that old pesky thing called chemistry gets in the way, well…things get complicated.

Love On My Mind by Tracey Livesay - I read the third book in this series, Love Will Always Remember, first before realizing it was the third book in a series and backtracking to Love On My Mind, which is the first novel. In Love on My Mind, Chelsea Grant, a PR rep, is assigned to revamp the image of a reluctant tech mogul named Adam Bennett after the disaster that was his last press conference for his company, Computronix. With the announcement of Adam’s latest life-changing tech gadget on the horizon, Chelsea is hired by Computronix’s COO, Michael Black, to prepare Adam for the next press conference, but Adam’s reluctance to be “changed” by a PR rep means that Chelsea has to find a way to work herself into his life and offer him assistance without clueing him in to her profession. This, of course, presents a challenge as the pair of them grow closer and Chelsea learns more about Adam and why he is the way he is…and withholding the truth behind her sudden appearance in his life becomes harder and harder to do as it threatens to unravel everything building between them. Now, romance novels are quite well-known for their steamy sex scenes, and there’s a scene in this book between Adam and Chelsea…with windows…and…I had to text RJ and screech about it. We’re still collectively screeching about it. So. Good.

Vivid by Beverly Jenkins - after reading several of her novels this summer, I can say with great certainty that I have grown to enjoy historical romance more than I anticipated thanks to Beverly Jenkins. In Vivid, Grayson Grove mayor Nate Grayson is in for a shock when the town’s new doctor, Dr. V. Lancaster, shows up and is to his great surprise, Dr. Viveca Lancaster - a woman. Nate is stubborn and set in his thinking that men are the most fit to be doctors, and Vivid’s femininity goes against everything he believes about one’s capability to carry out the duties required. Vivid, however, well-educated and entirely fit for the position, is full of spirit and determination and has her heart set on changing Nate’s mind as well as the mind of every backwards-thinking citizen in Grayson Grove as she works to prove herself worthy of being their physician despite their misconceptions about her gender.

Along Came Love by Tracey Livesay - the second in its series, Along Came Love focuses on India Shaw, the foster sister and best friend of Chelsea Grant from Love On My Mind. Indi lands herself in jail after a stupid decision goes south and the only person she can call on for help is Michael Black, COO of Computronix and best friend to Chelsea’s beau and reigning tech mogul, Adam Bennett. The thing is, Mike’s kind of the last person Indi wants to call, considering there was a little weekend fling that happened between them and she sort of dipped out on him. Oh, yeah, and she’s pregnant with his child. As Mike learns of Indi’s pregnancy, he fights to keep her in his life while she contemplates what to do next - their unexpected reunion shaking up Mike’s long-term goals as well as Indi’s short-term ones as it becomes quite apparent to the two of them that despite how wrong they might seem for each other, the chemistry that drummed up that weekend fling hasn’t gone away, not even a little bit. Like with Love On My Mind, there was a scene in this book that just about did me in, and RJ and I are still screeching about that one, too.

Jewel by Beverly Jenkins - Jewel returns readers to Grayson Grove, this time to focus on Eli Grayson, cousin of Nate Grayson from Vivid. Still feeling the sting that has come from the closing of his newspaper, Eli is thrilled when he learns of a man who wants to help him revive it - that is, until he learns there’s a catch: this man offering his help only invests his time and money into men who are married. Eli is…friendly with women, you could say, having earned himself the title of “The Colored Casanova of Cass County,” but a married man he is not. So in order to gain the man’s trust, he begs a favor from townswoman Jewel Crowley - he asks her to pretend to be his wife, just long enough to gain approval and financial backing for his newspaper. Of course, when do these things ever go as planned? Suddenly, Eli and Jewel are swept into a marriage of convenience (or is it?) and there’s also some mystery and murder to be found as someone from Eli’s past breezes back into town, bringing a world of trouble with them. I couldn’t put this one down.

Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai - this novel is the second in Alisha Rai’s ‘Forbidden Hearts’ series, and while the first novel did a great job of setting up the mystery and intrigue regarding the Chandler and Kane families and the hearty history surrounding their once-joined venture, a successful grocery store chain called C&O, the second book pulls readers in deeper as it sets its sights on Jackson Kane and Sadia Ahmed. Chased away by the accusatory eyes of a town convinced that he set the flagship C&O store ablaze in a fit of rage, Jackson warily returns to town to check on his recently-returned twin sister, Livvy. And…well, he also sticks around long enough to look in on Sadia, his childhood best friend, who he’s been in love with since they were young. Sadia, who is a single mother now to Jackson’s nephew, Kareem. Sadia, who is the widow of Jackson’s older brother, Paul. Jackson’s unexpected return stirs up many feelings for Sadia, especially considering she’s been sending him email messages for years and he’s never responded to a single one. But Jackson harbors culinary skills beyond her wildest dreams and his family’s diner that’s been left under her care is in desperate need of a new chef, so when he offers to help her out until she finds a replacement, she reluctantly agrees. There are more Chandler/Kane secrets to uncover in the second novel - like the truth behind that fire set at the flagship C&O - as well as a story of reconnection between two people who always should’ve been more than friends, and I really enjoyed it. 

Breathless by Beverly Jenkins - all right, so nearly half of the books in my top nine are written by Beverly Jenkins, and I have absolutely no regrets. The woman has been writing romance novels for over twenty years and she’s good at it. Those are just the facts. Breathless takes place some time after Forbidden and centers around Rhine and Eddy’s eldest niece, Portia Carmichael. Portia’s making a life for herself as manager of the hotel her aunt and uncle now own in Arizona, and unlike her sister Regan, she has no plans to marry, determined to open her own bookkeeping business one day. So instead of being courted, she spends her time dodging her many suitors until Kenton Randolph, an old friend of Rhine’s, comes blowing through town. Portia’s never been too keen on men, her mother’s history with them leaving her with a sour taste in her mouth, but with the reappearance of Kent in her life and his promises of passion, there’s a good chance she might end up changing her mind.

All of these books are available to read through both iBooks and Kindle, if you’re interested. Happy reading, my friends!

[ramajmedia]

The Arrowverse: 5 Relationships Fans Were Behind (& 5 They Rejected)

The Arrowverse is full to the brim with compelling and complex characters who have had some noteworthy arcs over their respective seasons. The couples of the universe are no exception to this, with most of the major characters receiving a love interest at one point or another.

RELATED: The 10 Best Costumes on Arrow, Ranked

Like any fandom though, the DC fans are very particular about the couples they support. While some of the relationships are universally loved by viewers, others leave the audience scratching their heads. Here are 5 couples that fans could get behind and 5 that were absolutely rejected by the millions watching at home.

10 REJECTED: OLIVER AND FELICITY

Oliver has had a number of complicated relationships over the course of Arrow. There have been a few that have been maintained throughout, including his coupling with Laurel Lance which was inspired by the comic relationship of Green Arrow and Black Canary.

However, the final relationship he settles into is the not so cleverly nicknamed Olicity. The coupling of Oliver and Felicity has been a huge topic of debate among fans, with many soundly rejecting the relationship, suggesting they are ill-suited for one another. This could be, in part, because many viewers don't actually like Felicity and would prefer Oliver to couple up with the newer Canary, Dinah Drake.

9 BEHIND: PAUL AND CURTIS

Curtis has had a rough run on Arrow. The tech genius has suited up as the hero Mr. Terrific on more than one occasion, but this has deeply affected his love life. His early relationship with boyfriend Paul gave the show some much-needed representation and the two were a great couple. Fans were thrilled when they got married, seemingly completing an unusually happy storyline.

Unfortunately, it was never meant to last. The superhero life caught up to Curtis and after putting Paul in danger he decided enough was enough. Paul filed for divorce, thus ending one of the relationships that viewers really supported from the beginning. It seems that Curtis is once again in love though, which is a positive sign for the future.

8 REJECTED: BARRY AND IRIS

It's difficult to know where to begin with this relationship. It seems that the pair is well-matched. As Iris is the defining love interest of most of Barry's life, these two were seemingly meant to be. But there's a huge problem with the Barry and Iris relationship fans can't seem to get over.

RELATED: Arrowverse’s Crisis on Infinite Earths: 10 DC Comics Earths We Need To See

The two essentially have a sibling relationship, with Barry becoming part of their family at a young age when his mother was murdered and father sent to prison. Whenever we watch this couple on screen, it's difficult not to remember this fact and feel quite uneasy about the situation altogether.

7 BEHIND: BARRY AND CAITLIN

Surprisingly, fans have gotten behind a couple that never really came to be. It's been teased in the past, although they have now been cemented as friends. But that hasn't stopped viewers from demanding that Barry and Caitlin finally get together, creating the perfect Arrowverse couple.

Of course, Caitlin has since been distracted with her relationship with her father and certainly hasn't had much luck in the boyfriend department. Barry is now married to Iris, so the probability of this relationship ever forming is pretty non-existent at this point in time.

6 REJECTED: CARTER AND KENDRA

Carter and Kendra's story should be romantic. The two have been written into destiny, forever to find one another across multiple lives and fall in love over and over again. Any other relationship for them is pointless because they will always be together.

For such a great story, it's a shame that there was no chemistry between the two whatsoever. The duo didn't seem in love at all and was a poor match for one another. Kendra had far more chemistry with other members of the Arrowverse like Cisco, but she had to cut all of this short for something pretty dead-end.

5 BEHIND: GYPSY AND CISCO

Another great love pairing that was cut short by the showrunners. Cisco has also had his fair share of problems in the love department, so it was refreshing for him to be paired up long-term with Gypsy. She was a feisty character to play off of his geekiness.

RELATED: 10 Smallville Characters That Should Appear in Arrowverse's Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossover

It also helped that they both had similar power sets and were even in the hero life, although Gypsy works more as a bounty hunter. However, living on different Earths does take its toll and eventually, the two had to separate. It appears that every relationship fans get behind is ending too soon.

4 REJECTED: DINAH AND VINCENT

Dinah's choice in boyfriends is questionable at best. Her love for Vincent in the early days of knowing him was completely acceptable with the two working closely together in the police force. But after his apparent death, everything changed.

Vincent returned as the violent Vigilante, who took it into his own hands to be judge, jury and executioner. He was a very apparent anti-hero, but that didn't stop Dinah from loving him any less. But the two were poorly suited for one another, and fans felt like it was a mistake for Drake to return to Vincent after the harm he had done to Team Arrow.

3 BEHIND: KARA AND MON-EL

Kara and Mon-El's relationship is rather complex. At the start of their pairing, they were really not meant for one another and fans hated the idea of them together; Mon-El was too egotistical for the selfless Kara. But as time went on, they progressed into a strong couple, until they were viciously torn apart from one another.

When Mon-El returned, it was after he had been to the future. He was now married and this sent fans into a frenzy. The relationship they once despised could never exist again and they didn't know what they had until they lost it. The audience is forever waiting for the return of this couple, but they shouldn't hold their breath.

2 REJECTED: KARA AND JAMES

Kara's other key relationship in the series was firmly rejected from fans, so much so that it was written out of the scripts. Season 1 of Supergirl saw the Girl of Steel going after James Olsen. The two finally got together at the end of the season.

Flash forward to Season 2 and they are no longer an item. This is likely because no one could really see them together long-term, with the pairing feeling quite forced. James has since been put together with Lena Luthor in a much better couple.

1 BEHIND: NATE AND RAY

There's only one couple that can be at the top of this list and it's not even a romantic relationship! The bromance between Nate and Ray is so strong that it deserves to be mentioned. The two have flown through space and time in the Waverider, getting into all sorts of trouble.

Both now have romantic connections, but that hasn't stopped them from continuing to work on their own wonderful friendship. When it seemed that Nate was about to die, it was Ray who showed the most emotion and indeed they have saved each other on many occasions. It's going to be sad when Ray leaves the show and his best friend behind.

NEXT: 10 DC TV Logic Memes That Are Too Hilarious For Words

source https://screenrant.com/arrowverse-relationships-fans-supported-rejected/

[justincharlacher]

My Favorite Stuff of 2016

I was asked today if I had any favorite records of 2016, and after some consideration, the answer is no. I just didn’t listen to much music this year, and I’m actually relying on the year end lists of others to rectify that. I did watch a bunch of stuff and listen to a bunch of podcasts this year, so here is a list of stuff that moved me in those media, as well as two live music events that rocked me to bits in 2016.

Live music

The Local H reunion with original drummer Joe Daniels for a tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of their second record, As Good As Dead, kicked off in Chicago at the Metro on the anniversary weekend, April 15 and 16. I was there, and it was huge for me. Folks who know me know that Local H has been the band I’ve most consistently followed ever since seeing them touring for AGAD opening for Stone Temple Pilots in Philadelphia in November of 1996. So to be in their hometown for two sold out shows with Joe behind the kit for a set comprised of the entire AGAD record was amazing. It was made only better by the fact that current drummer Ryan Harding and singer/guitar/bass lunatic Scott Lucas kicked off the proceedings with a blistering set, and Lucas was then flanked by both drummers beating the ever-loving fuck out of a pair of quivering drum kits for a finale heavy on tunes from my favorite H record, 1998′s Pack Up the Cats. I would catch up with the tour a few weeks later in DC and Philly, a night that ended with a cheesesteak outing with the band and began with the fellas even tighter and more comfortable playing together. These dates were the highlights of my crappy 2016.

Nearly as awesome was seeing New Oreans sludge weirdos eyehategod in a tiny club in New York City in the fall. I’ve certainly seen EHG in tiny clubs before, but on this tour Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe was filling in for the ailing Mike Williams, and he was insane. I haven’t been into LoG for many years, and they long ago grew out of playing clubs, but this was a reminder of why I loved them so much. Blythe was a force of nature, a wild animal unleashed on a stage to a small room 2/3 full. Dude is the truth. Williams had a successful liver transplant at the end of the year, so hopefully he’ll back out croaking his unearthly vocals for the band soon enough, but catching the Blythe version was a real treat. 

Podcasts

Extra Hot Great remains my favorite podcast. The crew who brought you Television Without Pity and Fametracker brave tech issues and thousands of miles of distance to bring discussion of television and ridiculous games. David T. Cole, Sarah D. Bunting, and Tara Ariano are the best thing I pipe into my earholes every week. 

Slate’s Panoply network has expanded to include a wealth of great content, but I still gravitate to the OG lineup of The Culture Gabfest, Hang Up and Listen, and The Political Gabfest, which I turn on as soon as I wake up on Friday mornings. Each of these has three hosts with unique points of view and awesome chemistry, though they aren’t afraid to disagree. 

The Read is Kid Fury and Crissle. Angry. Black. Queer. Put on your helmet!

The Film Pigs have the only podcast about movies on the internet, and certainly the only one that Chuck D. composed theme music for. Just ask them. 

The Cracked Podcast often retreads ground covered in the articles on the site, but it’s worth it to hear Jason Pargin aka David Wong talk about anything. Dude is smart, thoughtful, and the kind of voice that needs exposure behind a humor site. 

We Hate Movies. Start with the Boondock Saints II  episode. You’ll thank me.

Television

Fleabag (Amazon Prime): This show you guys! Six episodes. Three hours. I dare you not to do it in one go. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is a revelation as the eponymous hero with a foul mouth and the need to nervously chat with the audience throughout her adventures. To say too much would be doing disservice to the fantastic narrative that Waller-Bridge, who also created and wrote the show, has constructed. Just brace yourself for a wallop of an ending--and the urge to start over again as soon as you’ve finished. This was my favorite tv thing in 2016.

Catastrophe (Amazon Prime): Season two. Rob and Sharon are parents. What could go wrong?

Banshee (Cinemax): This show aired its fourth and final season in 2016, though I only caught up with the first three seasons earlier in the year. It’s the show for folks (like me) who love the kind of R-rated, big dumb action pictures that Hollywood doesn’t make anymore. An unnamed thief gets out of prison after 15 years and hauls ass to small town Pennsylvania to meet up with the woman he left behind. By chance, he witnesses the death of the town’s new sheriff, and using quick thinking and a hacker best friend dressed in drag, assumes the sheriff’s identity. As sheriff Nate Hood, our hero fights crime and corruption, and an apostate Amish kingpin. The action is filmed spectacularly, the violence would make Kurt Sutter blush, and it’s Cinemax, so you know the sex is sultry and plentiful. This show is an underrated gem.  

Rectify (Sundance Network): Like Banshee, this one wrapped a four season run in 2016, and I had only just caught up with it. The tale of Daniel Holden, a man sentenced to death at 18 and released nearly twenty years later on a technicality (the show is cagey about his guilt), this is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen on television, full stop. With standout supporting performances from Abigail Spencer and Clayne Crawford so powerful that I followed the actors to lesser network dramas, this show creates a portrait of people just trying to work through an emotional bomb that as been dropped as the shattered son, brother, friend, and step-brother they thought they’d never see again walks among them. Powerful stuff from Ray McKinnon, who I still think of as Reverend Smith on Deadwood. 

Better Call Saul (AMC): Season two finds Jimmy with the opportunity to settle in as a legit lawyer and partner to Kim. Watching him willfully blow it is agony. 

Search Party (TBS): So yeah...TBS is making quality dramedies now. Alia Shawkat leads a group of painfully self-involved friends as they search for a missing girl who they sort of maybe knew in college. Being lost in life is the real thematic game here, and the show finds a fresh way to engage this age-old trope. 

Bojack Horseman (Netflix): I’m not sure that there has been a show as depressing as this one. Bojack Horseman wraps the self destructive tendencies of Walter White, Don Draper, and James McGill together and multiplies them. It’s made worse because he also really feels things, kind of. The third season dropped on Netflix in 2016, but you have to start from the beginning and give the show some time to hook you. It’s well worth it.

The People V. O.J. Simpson (FX): Never in a million years did I think I would even like this, but boy howdy... I loved it. Sarah Paulson is jaw-dropping in bringing Marcia Clark to life and her chemistry with Sterling K. Brown’s Christopher Darden is scorching. Whether or not Darden and Clark hooked up in real life, I can’t imagine many folks who didn’t want these two characters to just get busy already. Courtney B. Vance crushed the role of Johnnie Cochran. And what in God’s name was Travolta doing?! I hate Ryan Murphy products. I loved this show!

Finally, I’m going to toss out a group of good but not great shows that also watched intently in 2016. The Girlfriend Experience on STARZ expands on Soderbergh’s film with a real actress this time (though I think Sasha Grey did what was asked of her in the film). Quarry on Cinemax tells the story of a man who returns to Memphis after two tours in Vietnam and finds himself drawn into a mysterious underworld as an assassin. Lethal Weapon on FOX is far better than it has any right to be, and casts Rectify’s brilliant Clayne Crawford as Riggs to Damon Wayans’s Murtaugh. And Timeless on NBC tells the story of a hijacked time machine and the ragtag crew sent to chase it through American history. Abigail Spencer shows up in this one, so score another extension of Rectify. None of these shows is going to compete with greats like Rectify or Breaking Bad or The Wire, but even in a crowded tv market, I think they are worth a look. They are solid. 

Movies

This is a short one as I saw very few new movies in 2016.

Green Room: Jeremy Saulnier brings the hurt with this tale of a hardcore band touring the Pacific northwest who get caught up with group of violent skinheads after a gig. Practical gore. Psychological horror. Patrick Stewart bringing soft-spoken menace as the cool leader of the neo-Nazi group. Also, one of Anton Yelchin’s final performances before his tragic death. This one had me watching through my fingers in the theater.

Brand: A Second Coming: This documentary chronicling the ups and downs of Russell Brand was probably the most thought-provoking film I saw all year. Directed by Ondi Timoner, who has made a career of examining male hubris, this film depicts a man who seems to truly mean well but simply cannot get out of his own way. I found it to be a very powerful character study. 

The Nice Guys: I’m in the bag for Shane Black. He still makes the big dumb action pictures. I even liked Russell Crowe in this one.

The Conjuring 2: Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are terrific. These films are legit scary. James Wan expertly uses his camera for maximum tension.

Blue Jay: Sarah Paulson again. I love her. And I’ve also become very fond of Mark Duplass the actor. I’ve mentioned this film before. A lovely two-hander about what could have (and maybe should have) been. 

So that’s it. On to 2017! Thanks for reading.