I am wondering what everyone else is thinking about the island in terms of its size? Based on the map, it seems that the island is supposed to be pretty small, considering there is only one city and then only individual crofts (i.e. no other named villages or towns), but I’m not really sure, so I was wondering how others are interpreting the island!

content warning for mentions of stalking, manipulation, assault, rape, coercive control, abuse, and the romanticization of the aforementioned.

I'd like to start off by saying I am aromantic and not much of a romance reader myself (although I don't mind a romance subplot if it's done well), so I'm asking this as an outsider to the genre. I first remember hearing the term "dark romance" as a teenager, and at that point it seemed to refer to any romance book that featured and romanticized stalking, manipulation, assault, rape, coercive control, or other abuses between the protagonist and their (usually her) love interest. Books like Twilight, 50 Shades of Gray, and Throne of Glass come to mind for me first when I hear the term, although I know that they are probably a bit too out-of-date to meaningfully represent the genre today.

Lately, I've been seeing more and more conversation about dark romance, and in particular I've seen more and more people say that "real" dark romance does not involve any abuse or assault between the romantically-involved characters. If that is the case, then what distinguishes a dark romance from a regular romance? Is this a popular position among dark romance readers or a controversial one? Is there a different genre title for books that do feature abuse or rape (and to be clear, here I am referring to specifically abuse and rape, not impact play or consensual non-consent or any other kink) in a romanticized or eroticized way?

I was trying to do too many things so I started it over and slowed the audio down (I had it fast to get through Mistborn), but I needed to come here to say...

• consuming media on company time is a real vibe and I support it wholeheartedly
• but also. Dr. Mensa has to be a joke, right?
• the use of the word "bork" is really endearing murderbot to me

Okay here’s the thing. I am just a millennial woman. I may appear perfect but I have weaknesses like anyone else, and it turns out this book is in fact capitalizing on one of my most debilitating literary weaknesses.

Here goes nothing.

I absolutely love when characters in books say things in unison. Like it scratches an itch in my brain. It creates a giddy feeling.

So…. When hot brothers in a book say things like, “Escalation.” or “Stock market.” in unison, I am actually borderline incapacitated. I’m over here kicking my fucking feet but accidentally also kicked myself in the head and am essentially concussed.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.