What we're reading in TLS this week:

In TLS this week, we've been discussing fics that stayed with us and made us cry. We've also discovered some new fics that are starting out with lots of promise. Some old, some new, but all enjoyable and memorable. Make some memories with us and take a peek at these gems. We have some great recs for you! Please let the authors know where you saw them recommended and leave them some love!

♥ Nic & Six

Awake in the Infinite Cold by Quothme-rec'd by Katinki
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5440286/1/Awake-in-the-Infinite-Cold
Sometimes the fruit is forbidden for a reason. A mélange of Twilight and How to Be, with an Artward who so carefully and so softly sneaks under her skin and into her soul.
Rated M

Cracks in the Pavement by VampiresHaveLaws-rec'd by MoniNP
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6765479/1/Cracks-in-the-Pavement
Life is never perfect, the cracks always appear. "My Polaroid would show the face of a girl who has forgotten how to truly smile." Even the strongest of dreams can fail to become enough. Rated M

Delay of Game by AudreyS17-rec'd by Midnight Cougar
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10387458/1/Delay-of-Game
Bella really let one get past the goalie this time. Finding out she's pregnant with a pro hockey player's baby after a one-night stand was really not how Bella pictured her life like. Follow as Bella and Edward attempt to navigate this adventure and get to know each other in the process. Rated M

Designated Hitter by Esmegrace-rec'd by Evilant
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10533355/1/
Orthopedic surgeon, Bella Swan encounters the last person she ever expected to see again on Valentine's Day no less. Can she remain professional with Major League pitcher, Edward Masen, given their pasts? Rated M

Good Times at Masen's by Isannah-rec'd by Nic
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9986866/1/Good-Times-at-Masen-s
Good drinks, good food, and good company. That's what makes Good Times the place to be. What happens when Bella Swan offers owner Edward Masen more? Rated M

Goodbye Peter Pan by Bled Dry-rec'd by Everyfreakingbody!
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10212570/1/Goodbye-Peter-Pan
Prompted by a feeling, Alice leads the Cullens back to Forks, but ten years is a long time in a brief human life. Edward's wish for Bella to have a nice human life seems to have been fulfilled. Bella believes that once she loved a remarkable boy, but in the end he didn't love her. Can Edward convince her she is wrong? Rated M

Goodnight, Noises Everywhere by Feisty Y. Beden-rec'd by Edmazing
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5650508/1/Goodnight-Noises-Everywhere
Bella is the only survivor of a virus which has killed off the human race. Is there anyone-anything-still alive on this dying planet? Rated M

Grand Jete by Stella luna sky-rec'd by Nic
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6108070/1/Grand-Jet%C3%A9
Bella's life is full of certainty and boredom. A dance instructor without passion, she has no idea that the handsome man in her night class will teach her how every moment could be her big moment, and how every breath could be the last. Rated M

Indelible by Bannerday-rec'd by Nic
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10334017/1/Indelible
Some experiences, some people, stick with you forever, leaving their mark on your memories. You can't escape what they meant to you and you can't re-write the past. It's indelible. But the future isn't set in stone…it's yours to write. A story about forks in the road of life and a past with a future. Rated M

Key West by Pattyrose-rec'd by Nic/Sixdlb5
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10535159/1/Key-West
Bella is 5 minutes away from what's to be her happiest day - when a phone call changes it all. Frustrated and pissed-off, she embarks on a 10 day vacay to Key West, hoping for some space in which to clear her head, but when she meets the cocky, flirty and sexy-as-sin diving instructor, her plans take a much steamier turn. Rated M

Little Plastic Castle by Lawn Girl-rec'd by Jaime Arkin
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6484653/1/Little-Plastic-Castle
Even the best built castles sometimes fall. In a coffee shop, in a city...two people struggle to remember how to put those pieces back together. Rated M

Strange Ingenue by PuppetStrings19-rec'd by Cappricorn75
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9885766/1/Strange-Ing%C3%A9nue
Opposites attract, even in college. To say their story is easy to tell would be a lie, cause where's the fun in that? Their story is somewhat of a slow burn, but there will definitely be some fun along the way.Rated M

Summer Heat by Maplestyle-rec'd by Layathomemom
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10290562/1/Summer-Heat
She is the devil disguised as an angel and I want to be a sinner so bad. A birthday one shot for Kni, has grown into a collection of birthday one shots! Rated M

The Babysitter by Plummy-rec'd by VampsHaveLaws
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8268813/1/The-Babysitter
Everybody said Rose was perfect for me, and this weekend I was going to find out if it was true. That was the plan, until I met her sister. Rated M

The Blue Hour by Mortissues-rec'd by Edmazing
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10500426/1/
The blue hour is the period of twilight each morning and evening when indirect sunlight takes on a predominantly blue hue. That afternoon, in the forest, Bella sees through Edward's act and so he stays. He was never likely to get very far anyway, the shy human girl owned him body and soul. That was a few years ago now and that shy human girl has just graduated college . Rated M

The Hole Shot by Foreveraddicted-rec'd by Nic
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8080986/1/The-Hole-Shot
Bella Swan still woke up everyday. She went to work. She went out with her boyfriend. She kept breathing. Kept moving. But her heart? It doesn't beat, doesn't feel anything but pain. Anything but that hole that Edward Cullen left there five years ago. Rated M

Those who sparkle by Dayzeco-rec'd by Nic
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10103988/1/those-who-sparkle
I never looked at Edward Cullen the way he looked at me. His eyes rolled past while mine danced. I never felt for Edward Cullen the way I should have. He pretended I wasn't there while I just pretended. Rated M

Unrequited by Perry Maxwell-rec'd by MoniNp
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7446868/1/Unrequited
Edward left Bella almost a year ago, upending her whole world. What happens when Bella receives a phone call that just might shatter it? "Wait, Alice…Edward is dying?" I choked out. Rated M

Until You're Mine by OdysseyAvis-rec'd by Nic
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10489851/1/Until-You-re-Mine
Bella is enrolled at the University of Washington in Seattle. Alice convinces her to go on a date with a pro football player who, at the start of everything, seems to be an utterly annoying idiot. But with him he brings some unlikely crossroads that will help Bella find what she's never been searching for but always needed. Rated M

Watch Me Burn by Livie79-rec'd by Sixdlb5/Nic
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9628108/1/Watch-Me-Burn
There were a lot of words to describe my relationship with Bella Swan. I just never imagine that "over" would be one of them. Entry for TLS Angst Contest. Rated M

Wonkyward Contest

Wonkyward Contest opens today!! 

We are looking for any kind of crazy, silly, funny, awkward, shy or nerdy Edwards to star in a one-shot story. All authors, new and old, are welcome to enter and everything will be kept anonymous so everyone has an equal chance to win. 

We will be accepting submissions starting today and lasting for a month, so get your wonk on! You can find all the submission details and rules on the fanfiction site:

https://www.fanfiction.net/u/5838443/

Also, check out our Twitter and tumblr accounts for all kinds of wonkspiration.

Good luck and happy writing!

Hosts:

Marvar and Twilover76

Secret Keeper:

SusanQ

Validator:

CarrieZM

Judges:

Cosmogirl7481

VampiresHaveLaws

Jaime Arkin

Nolebucgrl

Capricorn75

BellaFlan

Banner maker for winners:

RoseArcadia

The Lemon Drops: 7/14/14

Looking for some extra heat for your summertime reads? Good because we've got an assortment of treats for you that have one thing in common- they're all hot, hot, hot. 

Enjoy and please remember to leave your authors some love. 

xoxo,

Mel

Burn by vixen1836

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5669518/1/Burn

After years of war and unrequited love, an Infantryman returns from the front, reuniting with the only girl he ever wanted. RATED M. Officer and a Gentleman Contest Judge's Choice Winner. Fiction M - Romance - Bella, Edward - Words: 5,439

I absolutely adored the romance and longing in this historical fic. 

Inside Out: The One-Shot by RobzBeanie
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9934954/1/Inside-Out-The-One-Shot
Bella knows she isn't what her best friend Edward is looking for in a partner. But could a handful of fateful invitations turn everything she thinks she knows inside out? ** FRIENDS TO LOVERS CONTEST WINNER - First Place Judges' Score, Third Place Public Vote, Judge's Favorite from Jadalulu & sparklymeg, Best Citrus, Most Potential For Full Story ** Fiction M - Romance/Drama - Bella, Edward - Chapters: 2 - Words: 14,719

Sweet and sexxxy. A definite must read.

Needing My Saviour by sweetxsugar

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7929976/1/Needing-My-Saviour

Alice is emotionally exhausted from her day and needs Bella's love to take care of her. Includes mostly sensual and hot love making. All-human. One-Shot. Alice & Bella. Enjoy... Fiction M - Romance/Hurt/Comfort - Alice, Bella - Words: 3,781

I think we had a request for some femslash, so ask and you shall receive. ;)

Sailing Into the Future by compass54

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10390099/1/Sailing-Into-the-Future

An unexpected proposal of marriage makes Bella wonder if she has experienced enough of life to accept. A vacation in Europe gives her the chance to live by her own rules. Throw Edward into the mix on a sailboat in the Riviera. A one-shot for Maplestyle's birthday. Fiction M - Romance - Bella, Edward, Emmett, Jasper - Words: 14,373

Compass has given you a great story with a bit of a twist. So vivid and amazing! 

Scream by BrownBel

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8807785/1/Scream

Bella's getting ready for work when her beau pulls her in for a steamy, rough, morning session. "Remember how you made me scream last night? Do it again." Hot little one-shot. Fiction M - Romance - Bella, Jasper - Words: 1,809

This one's hot from start to finish. Woo-ee. 

Serendipity by dolphin62598

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6826050/1/Serendipity

Neither were looking for love. Neither were looking for a relationship. Both found they couldn't resist once they actually met. BxE, AH/AU  Fiction M - English - Romance - Bella, Edward - Words: 9,164

Lust at first sight that is made better with heaps of denial and UST. Yum.

What we're reading in TLS this week:

In TLS, we've been discussing some fics we have been missing and we've been discussing some NEW things we've discovered. Sometimes the authors just need a nudge of encouragement to remind them their fics are missed and some just need to know they are on the right track and that we're out here reading their work. Let's let them know we want more! Join us in leaving the authors some reviews of encouragement and support and let's get more plot, mystery, intrigue and of course, LEMONS! Let them know where you saw them recommended!

♥ Nic & Six

A Heart Arcane by Iambeagle-rec'd by Everyfreakingbody!
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9642141/1/A-Heart-Arcane
There are people you get over. And then there's Edward Cullen. Rated M

A Measure of Grace by Saritadreaming-rec'd by Cappricorn75
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10251763/1/A-Measure-of-Grace
A virus sweeps over the earth, killing man and man's best friend. For the few survivors, the nightmare is just beginning. Who set the virus free, and how far will the remains of the government go to find a cure? An innocent girl, a fiercely loyal dog, a jaded man with a past. Can they survive this new world and its secrets? Rated M

All the Wild Horses by Elusivetwilight-rec'd by Suebee Betafairy
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6435667/1/All-the-Wild-Horses
In her suffocating small hometown, Bella Swan meets widowed Edward Cullen. Can she pull him from the depths of his grief? Is there enough of him left to soothe her clawing loneliness? Rated M

Branching Inward by LifeInTheSnow-rec'd by Suebee Betafairy
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6372008/1/Branching-Inward
He's a brilliant, sensual, tactile artist with a huge personality and love for life...at least, he used to be. She's a shrewd historian, content to observe from a distance...until now. At Newcoven College in Clearwater, OH, no secret is safe. Rated M

Dank by Nadiak-rec'd by Nic
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9949005/1/Dank
She wants a thrill and she finds it in the bad boy from the dangerous side of the tracks. Watch them both intertwine themselves into worlds they never even belonged in. Learning the best lesson there is. We're all different but yet the same. Rated M

Flavor of the Week by JennaReads-rec'd by Nic
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8932980/1/Flavor-of-the-Week
Edward's a breath away from losing his dream of a successful college football career and a chance in the NFL. Bella's just trying to make it through college without losing her mind in Edward-inspired fantasies. When these two goals intersect, all's fair in love and football. Rated M

Fountainview Prep by Bnpwrites-rec'd by Nic
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8039612/1/Fountainview-Prep
Bella Swan was stoked to be accepted into prestigious Fountainview Prep. She had no idea she'd meet her arch nemesis…or that he'd be so hot she wouldn't be able to decide between breaking his face or ripping his clothes off. Rated M

Girl Code by LayAtHomeMom-rec'd by Nic/Cared Cullen
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10486974/1/
Friends are forever, boys are whatever - unless it's Edward Cullen. Then the gloves come off. Rated M

Infinite Visibility by TheFicChick-rec'd by Twific Crackmum
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9198986/1/Infinite-Visibility
"Bella, I'm not perfect." "I've loved perfect before, and he broke me anyway." (A "Twilight"/"Remember Me" crossover.) Rated M

Insatiable Desires by ItzMegan73-rec'd by VampsHaveLaws & LayAtHomeMom
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7534537/1/Insatiable-Desires
What happens when the paths of two highly intelligent hypersexuals cross? Rated M

Isabella by Suitablyironicmoniker-rec'd by VampsHaveLaws
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10087055/1/Isabella
In the Cornish countryside of 1804 England, a foreign visitor brings Isabella to reconsider the inexplicable occurrences she had always taken for granted. Rated M

Kink by Cars1-rec'd by Cappricorn75
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10307650/1/KINK
t's almost summer in Canada, and time for lots of drinking, warm days on the beach, and long, hot nights. Come, join me for a romp through the lives one cocky Edward Cullen, and one opinionated Bella Swan. Rated M

Looking Back by RachelFish-rec'd by Cappricorn75/Nic
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7774430/1/Looking-Back
She knew when she met him she wouldn't be able to deny him anything. Is that how she ended up pregnant at 16 and left to handle it alone? Bella raises her daughter with the help of her family... but what about the person who matters most? Rated M

One Summer by TGBMcCray-rec'd by Sixdlb5/Nic
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10464023/1/One-Summer
Cleaning up, working it out, and moving on. Bella's determined. He's relaxed. The summer they meet, temperatures climb. Rated M

Press end call by Twentyfourth and vine-rec'd by Nic
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8943137/1/Press-end-call
He calls, she answers. He says he's not ringing from home. She's sure he hasn't given her his real name, but she hasn't given him hers, either. These things don't matter - she's just going to tell him a story. Rated M

Pure Revelations by Georgialion-rec'd by Cared Cullen
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6699731/1/Pure-Revelations
E & B share a class at UDub, but not much else. She's shy & reserved as she adjusts to a new life. He's angry & isolated because of his upbringing in the mysterious and secretive LaVerrot Estates. Fate brings them together, but will their love be allowed? Rated M

Red Dawn Rising by Emily Bowden-rec'd by Nic
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10085585/1/Red-Dawn-Rising
A big part of me believed in our government and that our rights would be protected. That no citizen would be sought after or singled out. We lived in the land of the free, and I was thankful to raise our three boys on the soil our forefathers fought so hard to give us all. I was a proud American. So when they came for my husband, I'd been proven a fool. Rated M

So I Can Kiss You Anytime I Want by K8ln713-rec'd by Nic
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10483597/1/So-I-Can-Kiss-You-Anytime-I-Want
It's been five years since Bella's returned to her hometown in St. Pete Beach. Her reason: to finally get her husband, Edward, to give her a divorce. She's built a successful life for herself up in NY after leaving Edward, but has been having trouble getting Edward to give in and sign the divorce papers. Will Bella's return make her remember that Edward was always the one for her? Rated M

The Chosen Ones by AmaranthineX-rec'd by Nic
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9488969/1/The-Chosen-Ones
A new world order emerges after an epidemic alters the foundation of life as we know it. The human race is in danger of extinction, but a select few have the ability to propagate life. This is the ultimate survival of the fittest. Rated M

Vanished by Brodeurgirl30-rec'd by Nic
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8493942/1/Vanished
Life. It can blindside you. Leave you breathless. Everything can be going your way; education, career, friends, the love of your life and in one moment, the flip of a simple switch can tear it all away. Anything. Everything. It can all vanish. Rated M

REVIEW: Darnay Road by counselor

Some stories have such a big following that it’s hard to remember where you first heard about them because every-freaking-body you know is reading them.  They're the stories that are recognized by initials or stand-apart details and are immediately connected to an author's name. They get you talking, screaming, and swooning about fic, and often become the standard by which other stories are compared. These are those stories.

We've invited three guest reviewers to share their thoughts on some of our recent ‘we can’t stop talking about them’ favorites.

Darnay Road by counselor

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10398693/1/Darnay-Road

Starts out in summer of 1963. Sweet little ten year old Catholic school girl Bella Christine meets 11 year old smoker with armpit hair who really does live on the wrong side of the tracks Easy. She and Alice May are mystery solvers in their spare time, and Easy (E. C.) and his brother Jap (Jasper) will keep these two little ladies on their sleuthing toes. Warning: Might get hairy. Fiction M - Romance - Bella, Edward

Lay Athomemom~

It’s happening. To me.

Darnay Road, Chapter 27

This line accurately sums up how I feel any time I read a Counselor fic. Through her writing, I’ve lived several lives. Whether it’s the life of a logger in the 1930s, a soldier home from the war in the 1940s, or a 10 year-old girl on the cusp of being a young woman in the 1960s, Counselor never fails to bring the past to life in a way that’s real, relatable and always entertaining. 

In her newest fic, Darnay Road, we get to see the sixties through the eyes of Bella Christine, Catholic schoolgirl/super sleuth. When I think about the 1960s, I picture it as a decade of civil and political unrest and one giant leap for mankind. However from Bella’s point of view, it’s a far simpler time. A time where handle bars were an acceptable form of transportation, TV and music were as wholesome as Wonder Bread and being called by your first and middle name didn’t necessarily mean you were in trouble. 

Counselor is nothing short of brilliant bringing this era to life, but aside from that she’s created a fantastic little world between Darnay and Scutter Road. Everything you could ever want lies between those streets for Bella. A best friend to share secrets and spy with…and slap occasionally when needed, a slew of mysteries to be solved, and a boy as handsome as Gidget’s Moondoggie himself…Easy (E.C.).

It’s hard to narrow down all the things I love about this story. Counselor has once again created a fascinating cast of characters, each with their own rich back story and secrets to be revealed, and a Bella I absolutely adore, which is rare for me.  She’s never written an Edward I didn’t love, and Easy is no exception. But above all, it’s the love story between Bella and Easy. Counselor is absolutely masterful at perfectly depicting the excitement of first love - the butterflies when he’s near, the thrill when you realize he likes you too, and all the vulnerability that goes with it. 

There’s something really special between these two. It’s not puppy love, it’s slushie love. And it’s perfect.

Tgb McCray~

Every Counselor story leaves me wondering how I went my whole life long without knowing the characters I just met or growing with the wisdom from the lessons she has taught. Darnay Road, her newest, is more than a period fic or a story about a bunch of little kids in the 1960s. It’s a first love/coming of age romance that hits you right in the feels. It reminds us, even if we are not from that era, of who we were at age nine or ten. We see ourselves in these characters. 

Bella Christine, our plucky narrator, is joined by Alice May, her mystery-solving neighbor, best friend, and partner-in-crime. Their first crime might be sneaking up to the altar in church, but by later in the story, the pair are keeping an eye on Alice May’s aunt and her special time with their parish priest. The girls are growing up in the 60s, the year after the Cuban missile crisis held the world in the grip of uncertainty. For both girls, uncertainty comes to their quiet summer on Darnay Road with the introduction of the Hardy Boys, aka Jap and EC “Easy.” Pretty much from the beginning, Bella’s inquisitive little heart is all in for the boy from the literal wrong side of the tracks. A roller skating accident means a broken arm for Bella and brings her closer to Easy. 

“Why’d you call me Ballerina?” I say, but I don’t plan to say it or anything, it just comes right out. 

He shakes out the match and pitches that and takes a drag and he lets it out and I’m just so patiently watching. He’s looking at me and he says, “You’re pretty.” 

Riley and Joe go whizzing past and they call to him. “C’mon leave that kid alone,” Riley says. 

That kid?

He takes off after then after them like I ain’t even standing there. Alice is getting back with the pen and she calls to him but he doesn’t even look he rides off into the twilight and leaves us side by side. 

I’ve been a Counselor fan from way back. I’ve read all of her stories multiple times (except for Finding My Thunder, my favorite, and oddly the only one I cannot yet reread). Where Darnay Road is leading, with a pair of brothers from an abusive home and a young girl with an innocent heart in the right place makes me nervous. Vietnam is coming and young Easy is already fighting his own war at home. With Counselor, I often just grip my phone and hang on for the ride. This tale of Americana kicks me right in the feels when its young characters stumble and makes me laugh and swoon sentences later with gems like:

“He has hair under his arms. Ain’t he eleven? Lord a mercy what am I doing with a man?” 

It may hurt sometimes, but it will be worth it. Don’t miss this one. 

Mel (edmazing)~

It is no secret around here that I love Counselor stories. I've always loved historical fics and she takes them to another level, splashing the imagery with the familiar objects and filling your heart with the beliefs of the time. Of course it's more than just the detailed settings, it's also the quirks and individuality that bloom in each of her incarnations of Edward and Bella. They have all been so real and unique; they stand apart in a world filled with our favorite duo.

Darney Road is a first person story told by 10 year old Bella Christine. I love being inside this innocent spy girl's head,and I'm not typically one for “kid” stories. Life is full of mystery to her and it's no wonder with a strict Catholic granma raising her. Her life has been contained to her safe and trusted block, the private school she attends, and little else. She's spent her time sleuthing with her best friend from across the street, watching evening programs with gran, and reading Hardy Boys books.

But times are a changin'.

Alice has moved away and the dangerously cute boy from the wrong side of the tracks keeps coming around. Oh boy.

Easy, a knock off for E.C., is everything that kid rebels are supposed to be. He is cloaked in questions that cannot be answered. He's tough, runs with a bunch of moon chasing roughians, and smokes. Basically he is hell on two wheels. And I think he is as over the moon for Bella Christine as she is with him.

..."I know the things you don't need to," he says so firmly.

I am looking at him. "But I…."

He turns toward me again. "No. You are just a little girl and you got your nice pink room and your pretty little…toes and your nightie." He's flustered looking me up and down and I knit my fingers together. I am so throwing a leg over my high horse. "You're the prettiest thing I've ever seen," he says. "Smartest too. And you make me laugh all the time. You're like that little doll that winds up in the jewelry box…going round and round."

I don't know what to say. I'm not mad anymore, but how he sees me, it can't be true. And I don't want it false cause it's so nice. And so wrong too. It makes me feel all lumpy in the throat and it worries me hugely. Really enormously. Going round and round?

Lines and emotions that like definitely hit me right in the heart. They follow me around and have me jumping out of bed to google draft facts at the crack of dawn. I have no idea where life will take these two, but I know that I want to be along for the ride and I think you will, too. Counselor has a gift for putting words together and breathing life into them.

JediSc has done an outstanding job putting together a Pinterest board for Darnay Road. It is a fantastic visual accompaniment to the story. To enjoy her efforts click here.

~~~♥~~~

We’d like to thank our ten guest reviewers for sharing their thoughts with us on these three amazing stories.  Nat (evilnat), Becca/Gothic Temptress, Fanfic Maplestyle, JenRar, VampiresHaveLaws, Susan Q, Carrie ZM, LayAthomemom, Tgb McCray, and Mel aka Edmazing.  Also a special thanks to Jaime Arkin for the awesome banner for today's feature!

REVIEW: Hollywood by allihavetodoisdream

Some stories have such a big following that it’s hard to remember where you first heard about them because every-freaking-body you know is reading them.  They're the stories that are recognized by initials or stand-apart details and are immediately connected to an author's name. They get you talking, screaming, and swooning about fic, and often become the standard by which other stories are compared. These are those stories.


We've invited three guest reviewers to share their thoughts on some of our recent ‘we can’t stop talking about them’ favorites.

Hollywood by allihavetodoisdream

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10319066/1/Hollywood

"She's Audrey Hepburn, and he's Cary Grant. She's Marilyn, and he's James Dean. She's timeless elegance, and he's old grace. She's searching, and he's already found, already taken. She's sixteen. And he's twenty-seven. But that doesn't matter. Not to a girl in love. Nothing matters, then." Edward & Bella in the definition of a forbidden relationship.Fiction M - Drama/Romance - Bella, Edward 

VampiresHaveLaws~

Nic knows what I love, so as soon as she rec’d Hollywood to me, I knew I would be all over this story like a fangirl on Rob… Just minus the whole screaming thing because I didn’t want to scare anyone.

(There might have been a little screaming.)

I think Hollywood was about four chapters in when I started reading, and my God, I was instantly hooked. In fact, I loved it so much, I went all 007 and contacted Lila to ask if she’d like a beta… which is something I’ve never done before. (Thanks for not saying no, L.)

Hollywood has everything I go crazy about in a story: heartbreak, scheming, a truckload of UST, seduction, forbidden romance—so much uniqueness I weep—and my old pal, angst.

And the writing style? Just so amazing and so unique. I’m forever obsessed with the stylised sections like the one below:

I am sleepless nights.

I am continuous restlessness.

I am troubled.

I am a beautiful train wreck waiting to happen.

And I am lonely, most of all.

The detail and imagery, too, is so incredible, it feels like you’ve been dropped right into a scene with the characters. Which brings me to Bella: She is hands down one of my favourite Bellas. Ever. Always. I love her. The whole hearts-in-my-eyes emoji deal. And Edward? What a life-ruiner with his suits and messy hair and that thing he does called breathing. So rude.

And then we get to Lila, dealer of my word addiction, who seriously blows me away with every chapter. She’s so young and so talented and she often accuses me of being too nice to her when I compliment a particular section or phrase (because she’s crazy and doesn’t think she’s good enough), when in actual fact, she has more talent in her pinky finger than most people twice her age. 

If you haven’t read Hollywood yet, or think the subject matter won’t be for you, give it a try. I think you’ll be more than pleasantly surprised.

I am so excited for the future, and what else Lila decides to share with us. Thank you for writing a story we’re all crazy about, L. And thank you for becoming a great friend. ILY.

SusanQ~

Don't you love it when you start a story and can tell in the first chapter that it's going to be great? Hollywood, by first time author, allihavetodoisdream, is one of those stories. This is not your conventional Edward and Bella fic, but if you hang in there, you'll get your reward.

"I'm very simple, despite what they say about me in school.

I live by shoes and grace and Audrey Hepburn.

I live by elegance long lost and famous poise.

I am an old Hollywood starlet: tall and curvy, with retro waves of mahogany hair. I'm red lipstick. I'm fifties glamour and sixties chic. It's how I move and breathe and function.

But some people don't understand it."

Bella is a precocious sixteen-year-old with her sights set on an older, ambitious, and not quite available Edward. He seems amused by her at first, but he soon appears to be drawn to her.

"You're sixteen. You still believe in happy endings."

I roll my eyes. "Oh, please," I scoff. "What I believe in is pretending. It gets me through when reality is being a bitch."

Edward exhales more smoke and a laugh that makes me crazy. "How's that work for you?"

"It depends on the day."

Bella's confidence and poise seem to help her through her loneliness and her mother's selfishness and neglect. There are some secrets about her past, and as sad as they seem to make her, Bella seems determined to protect her mother.

"My father was a good man," I say, and my voice is quiet and stripped too bare and I try to stop, but I can't. "He tucked me in every night, and he put princess Band-Aids on my scraped knees, and he played tea party with me even when he hated it." I blink rapidly and look back at Edward, who is listening—who's really listening. I whisper, "His only fault was that he wasn't ambitious enough. He was small town, and Renee wasn't."

"That's why they divorced?" Edward questions, and his voice is too gentle, too soft.

I blow out an irritable sigh and smear the end of my cigarette out on the concrete. "I don't know. You'd have to ask Renee. I was too little to remember." It's all lies, of course, but I'm done talking about it.

There is so much I'm not saying about this fic because I don't want to spoil it. But I will say this brand new author has just finished high school and is quite a talented storyteller. I'm curious to see how the story plays out, and I'm looking so forward to what we'll see from allihavetodoisdream next. She has a bright future ahead of her.

Carrie ZM~

In the past three years of reading fanfiction, I’ve fallen in love with many Edwards. There have been Sweetwards and Mobwards, Possessivewards and Daddywards, to name just a few. I fancy myself a bit of an equal opportunity Edward lover – but really I’m not, because there’s a certain one that trumps them all.

The Olderward.

There’s just something about an older man. Maybe it’s their maturity or the sense of power or even just the whole taboo idea of having a relationship with someone so much older. Let’s be honest, who didn’t have a crush on the orthodontist or the hot dad next door as a teen? Or maybe dress up a bit for the American Lit professor when your flannel pajama pants just wouldn’t do?

Crickets.

I obviously have a thing for mature men and definitely Olderwards in fanfiction.  The only problem is trying to find a fic with an equally dazzling Bella – that is until I started reading Hollywood by allihavetodoisdream.  Wow! This first time fanfic author came along and blew me away with her top-notch writing and perfectly imperfect characters that made my head swim, namely Bella.

I often find that the Bella in this genre is made to seem either too promiscuous or too pure. However, with Hollywood, we meet a Bella who is intelligent and witty, seductive to the core.  She’s in love with Hollywood starlets from the past and their glamour and romance. She carries herself with elegance and poise, yet there is so much more behind the red lips and old-school glam. Her relationship with her mother is complex, as well as the secrets she carries regarding her father, and with each chapter, we learn a little bit more about the past of this young woman.

Hollywood is centered around sixteen-year old Bella who has come home from boarding school for the summer. She meets her mother’s new boyfriend, Edward, who is twenty-seven and the epitome of old Hollywood grace. There’s an instant attraction, and the two characters spend many a night getting to know each other over cigarettes and Bella’s midnight swims. Edward brings something to Bella’s life that she never knew she was missing.

Allihavetodoisdream gives us the perfect balance of reality with right vs wrong and a big dollop of UST with the undeniable chemistry between the two characters. Is age really just a number? What if the love of your life was born eleven years before you? What would you do? I know what my answer is ;)


Hollywood will whisk you away into a world of privilege and have you swooning with the stars.  Allihavetodoisdream brings her best game forward giving us a cast of characters that all have a story, a secret. What a way to make an entrance into fanfiction!

REVIEW: Masen Manor by drotuno

Some stories have such a big following that it’s hard to remember where you first heard about them because every-freaking-body you know is reading them.  They're the stories that are recognized by initials or stand-apart details and are immediately connected to an author's name. They get you talking, screaming, and swooning about fic, and often become the standard by which other stories are compared. These are those stories.


We've invited four guest reviewers to share their thoughts on some of our recent ‘we can’t stop talking about them’ favorites.

Masen Manor by drotuno

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10108743/1/Masen-Manor

Masen Manor, home to a prestigious boarding school, Masen Academy. An immortal hiding from the world has his faith tested by a hundred-year-old fortune and a broken, silent girl. AU…E/B…Slightly OOC…Fiction M - Romance/Supernatural - Bella, Edward

Nat (evilnat)~

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of drotuno's Gravity Series, which, in my opinion, is one of the best action series in the Twilight fandom, so when Deb teased us with a banner for Masen Manor, I was all-in, even before chapter one was posted.

Masen Manor is an sweet, well-written, exciting read. Edward is complicated and brooding, protective and passionate, and Bella is intelligent and sweet, yet broken. She's one of those characters that you can see growing stronger with each chapter and you just know that when the action kicks in that she's going to really come into her own.

I like how the storyline touches on a lot of canon elements, but has it's own life with an original backstory, and it's not a simple storyline either, there's a lot of effort and detail put into this one. Much of which is still unfolding twenty-eight chapters in.

With a huge cast of characters, and a lot of likeable and love-to-hate supporting cast, it shows that this story is planned out perfectly. You can tell Deb knows what she's doing. It's also got a lot of mystery and keeps you guessing about what's about to happen with each plot twist.

I would recommend anything that drotuno writes, but in this case I'd say that you wont be disappointed with Masen Manor if you are unfamiliar with her work. If you like protective, vampy Edward, UST, chemistry and a Bella that has so much potential to be a really strong protagonist, you will love this story.


Becca/GothicTemptress ~

There is something extremely captivating about Masen Manor, written by drotuno. The enchantment begins at the very beginning of the story, where we are introduced to a Bella that does not speak. Learning about the traumatic event that led to her with-holding her voice for so long, the readers are truly pulled into the magical mystery that develops as each chapter reveals small clues, building slowly as the romance and UST simmer in the plot. This story progresses at a meticulous pace because there are many junctions to the motives, actions and reactions of the characters - the weft of this carefully woven story is slowly plaiting into a design that is beautiful and quite addicting, exciting me every time I see an update alert come into my in-box.

Vampireward will steal your heart in this story, especially when he accepts that changes are coming to Masen Manor, and embraces the gift of happiness and companionship that has literally come through his front door. Watching Bella's emotional and physical transformation has been one of the most moving parts of this story so far. The motion of drotuno's loom seems meticulous and thoroughly balanced, and while I have no idea where this story is going, I look forward to seeing how the counterbalance of the various characters will deliver justice and resolution to the mystery in motion. The textile-quality of this story is tangible, quite easily felt by readers and formed carefully weave by fastidious weave as the softness of the “hurt/comfort” eases the harsh realities that constrained Bella to that realm of silence. Wrap yourself up in this story and see what I mean. You won't be disappointed!


Fanfic Maplestyle ~

One hundred years ago, forced out of his house by an abusive father, Edward Masen meets two very different women. One a fortune teller, who foretells his death, and death herself. Fortunately for us, his death is not of the permanent kind. With the help of kind Doctor Cullen, Edward awakens to find his life altered forever. He awakens as a vampire.

Edward, remembering the events of that fateful night, tells Dr. Cullen about the predictions made and eventually they come upon the woman again. She retells Edward’s fortune and it hasn’t changed, 100 years from the date of his change he’s to meet his soulmate, a beautiful but scarred swan.

One hundred years later, enter Bella, an extremely talented, extremely broken young girl. A tragedy has taken away her ability to speak, whether she can’t speak, or won’t speak I’ll leave up to you to discover. Invited to join the prestigious school, run by the Cullen’s she accepts her position and the beautiful, scarred swan and Edward are on a crash course to meeting.

One of the things I love the most about Drotuno’s writing, are her characters. She gives us, not only strong Edward’s, but strong Bella’s as well. This story also brings us a fantastic array of side characters, including a likeable Jake, that’s right, a likeable Jake. A quirky Alice, who helps Bella learn the ins and outs of the Manor, as well as helping her to avoid trouble in the form of classmates that are not understanding of the fact that Bella doesn’t speak and label her a freak. She gives us a Jasper who is fighting his feelings, but extremely loyal to his family and in my opinion, one of the best written Leah’s ever.

I have a lot of favourite stories written by Drotuno, in fact I’ve read her Angel and Gravity series at least five times. I have to say though, that Masen Manor, so far is my favourite Vampward of hers. I urge you to read it and come along for the ride. Drotuno really knows how to suck you in, she writes in a way that makes you fall in love with the good characters and wish death on the bad ones.

If you haven’t read Masen Manor, what are you waiting for? If you haven’t read anything by Drotuno before I urge you to catch up on Masen Manor, then read through her entire list of stories. You won’t be disappointed.


JenRar ~

If you’re a fan of Drotuno’s writing, especially her Angelward and Mercward series, as well as her short standalone, Hard to Love, then her latest, Masen Manor, is a great one to read because it’s kind of a mix of the three. Edward is a vampire (and we know how well she writes those!), while Bella is a human who’s had a traumatic past and is a little…damaged. Much like they did for Edward in Hard to Love, the other characters support her and love her so much that it makes you just want to cry sometimes.

There’s also a great blend of canon and AU, which makes for a lot of nods to our favorite parts of the books, but also gives readers some fun twists. Edward can read minds. Alice can see the future. Jake is a wolf, but he’s Leah’s son, and Leah is a future-seer herself: she reads tea leaves, crystal balls, and tarot cards. Rose and Emmett are great people in Masen Manor. You still manage to love them, though, even though they’re human and, sadly, not a huge part of the story as a whole.

The best part of this story, though, is the relationship between Edward and Bella, as always. The way they love one another is truly one for the ages. He worships her without being smothering, while she is able to lean on him while learning to be strong herself. It’s a slow, smoldering relationship that burns hotter and hotter with every chapter, yet underneath all the heat and lust is a bond of friendship and love that can endure anything.

Masen Manor is one of my favorite stories Deb’s ever written, and if you haven’t jumped on it, you’re missing out!