This Book Had a 16-Year-Old FALLING for a 10-Year-Old?! | DNF DIARIES

📚 Welcome back to another chaotic episode of DNF Diaries: Listener Takeover! This week, we’re reading YOUR most unhinged book DNF stories — from a romance involving a 16-year-old and a 10-year-old 😭 to AI boyfriend apps, confusing plots, rage-inducing MMCs, audiobook voices from hell, and books so bad people almost threw their Kindles across the room.

 ✨ Today’s cocktail: STARBS
 🎧 Tune in, sip with us, and remember — keep your glass, your bookshelf, and your TBR full. 

📚 Spoiler alert: this episode contains information about the following books:

King of Depravity by Tammy Andresen

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews

Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh

Love Me Stalk Me by Laura Bishop

Wolfsong by TJ Klune

Stolen by the Wolves by Lyx Robinson

The Lawyer by Marni Mann

The Sixth Demon by R.A. Steffan

Fairydale by Veronica Lancet

Hills of Shivers and Shadows by Pam Godwin

G.O.D.S. by Jay Pratt

To Cage a Wild Bird by Brooke Fast

Fearless by Lauren Roberts

Twisted Love by Ana Huang

Gone by Michael Grant

__________________________________________________________________________

Welcome to Plot Twist, Please – the ultimate bookish podcast for readers who love deep discussions, honest book reviews, and trending BookTok favourites. We talk fantasy books, romance books, thrillers, YA series, and everything in between whilst sipping on our favourite cocktails. From old favourites to the latest viral reads, we’re here for all the plot twists.

✨ Weekly episodes featuring book recommendations, character analysis, and spoiler-filled discussions. If you love BookTok, BookTube, and Bookstagram, this is your space!


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INTRO 
Music by TossedOnion - Just Vibin' - https://thmatc.co/?l=0191967D

Music by Anja Kotar - July (strings version) - https://thmatc.co/?l=3E25A972

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

I'd rather break my e-reader into smithereens before finishing this book. That's so upsetting.

SPEAKER_05 0:07

Not amazing. Gay werewolves, sign me up. That does sound good. However, only a few chapters in, I got hit by a crazy age gap where the MC is 16 and his love interest is 10.

SPEAKER_02 0:19

No! Oh, okay. Take back my comments. This is where I DNF'd. This is the moment. This blade of grass to the left of him was shorter than the one to the to the right of Samson. Can we not? Jim Bob and Samson. Just paraphrasing.

SPEAKER_04 0:34

Those were not the names. Him constantly talking about this groin injury. Like, I don't want to hear about how it's hard for you to have a heart on. I don't want to know that.

SPEAKER_07 0:42

Valid points though, Susie. No man.

SPEAKER_02 0:45

Okay, again his prime banging era to tell me what the crikey hell was going on and why the schnitzels should I keep going.

SPEAKER_05 0:55

I don't even think I made it three chapters before I was like, I can't do it. We don't care. Welcome back to Plot Twist Please, where we sip, flip, and spill the tea on books and booze. I'm Beth.

SPEAKER_04 1:14

I'm Cass. And I'm Susanna. And today we have another episode of the DNF Diaries Listener Takeover. So we asked our listeners to send in books they've DNF'd reasons why, and some of them can get really unhinged. So we're excited to read those today for you guys. We're also talking about the ones we DNF too, right? Yeah. And I have one.

SPEAKER_05 1:31

Today's drink of the episode is caffeine.

SPEAKER_02 1:34

Starbucks.

SPEAKER_05 1:35

Yes, what is your Starbucks order?

SPEAKER_02 1:37

Today I got the iced banana bread matcha. So yummy. And I did the iced hazelnut oat shaken espresso.

SPEAKER_04 1:44

And I did the iced cherry chai, lactose-free milk, light ice with this delicious foam stuff on top. Confession. I forgot to ask for light ice. Oh, that's okay. If you were gonna say you forgot to ask for lactose-free, I would be pooping like multiple times. I remember the light ice. Totally forgotten until you just said it already.

SPEAKER_03 2:06

Honestly, when you when you said confession, it was like, ooh, Susie's gonna shit herself today. I'm gonna have to get my heating bag. I feel like there's just sweats, like the cold sweats, just like through the episode. Oh sorry about that.

SPEAKER_05 2:22

Okay, before we jump into it, what are we reading? I'm reading Hideaway, Penelope Douglas. It's book two in the Devil's Night series, which maybe not have been the best choice while I'm waiting for you. I should have maybe I should have done the The Devil's Vow, whatever that one is. So I should have.

SPEAKER_02 2:38

We were waiting for me for because we were reading that um Crown Yeah. Crown Me Dead. No, what is it? I can't remember. Oh, we suck so bad. Hi, let's do a book pop podcast, not know what the hell we're talking about half the time.

SPEAKER_05 2:53

We have so many things that we talk about, though.

SPEAKER_02 2:55

No, it's true.

SPEAKER_05 2:55

Yeah, Crown Me Dead.

SPEAKER_02 2:56

Oh, I was right. Yeah, all that. And you're right. Yeah, Crown Me Dead by Liv Xander. It's a duology, but I think they're like you keep booping your mic. I do. Yeah. I do. Do you need to adjust yourself? I don't know what my issue is currently. There's a lot of people. You're just very animated with your hands. I am facial awareness. Italyon.

SPEAKER_05 3:19

Hey. Hey. Yeah, so I'm waiting for you to start that one. And then we also do have that other thriller that we wanted to do as well. I've been a little distracted by a certain Garrett Graham.

SPEAKER_04 3:30

Yeah. You haven't even read the books yet. You have to read the books first and then watch the series.

SPEAKER_02 3:34

Did you read all of the books?

SPEAKER_05 3:36

Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_02 3:37

I said because she's like rivalry. I went backwards.

SPEAKER_05 3:39

She was surprised that you were watching, and I was like, Well, we read the books. Yeah, we're talking about it. And I was like, I know Susie did at least the first couple. I was like, I think she did the series.

SPEAKER_04 3:47

I don't know if I finished the whole series, but I at least read like the first three, I think. And then I was like, okay, I don't care about these other characters.

SPEAKER_05 3:53

I will say I did start to read like one of the related series. Because there's the this is the off-campus series. Then there's also, I think, just the Briar U series. I didn't, I couldn't get into that one as well. Like these ones, I like how many books have off-campus?

SPEAKER_04 4:09

The one thing I don't like about that series though, from the first couple episodes was just like the unnecessary nudity. Like there's just it's a lot.

SPEAKER_05 4:17

I do think I do think there's I think the reason is heated rivalry.

SPEAKER_04 4:22

You think so? Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 4:22

But it's the shower, the shower scene is very reminiscent of heated rivalry. If you knew, you knew.

SPEAKER_04 4:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 4:29

But like it's rated 16 plus, which I find wild. I think, I think they're trying to spice it up a little bit for the people to kind of get the same.

SPEAKER_02 4:39

Well, aren't the books a little spicy?

SPEAKER_05 4:40

They are.

SPEAKER_04 4:41

They are, but like, I don't like her roommate Ali walking in with her boobs out, just like flashing me. I was like, I was not expecting this. I think her character is great, and she's just so pretty. She's stunning. Stunning. That dress she wore at the jelly. Oh my gosh. I was like, okay, I want to be you now. But also her hair. I love her hair.

SPEAKER_02 5:03

Yeah, so nice. Anyway, what are you reading, Cass? Oh, I'm still reading Fury Bound. I'm like 50% in. Oh my lord. Okay. I said I got distracted by off campus. I had to watch. I don't have time for you to be distracted.

SPEAKER_04 5:16

I needed to know. This is why you're the loser for books read.

SPEAKER_02 5:20

Listen, I also work like 10 hour days with clients with no breaks. And then I got a clean. Exactly. Yesterday you're done at 2 30. Yesterday I was done at 2 30. Correct. Yeah. Yeah. Then I worked out. Then I showered. Then I got ready to go. You can read and work out at the same time, you know. I was. That's what I did. I read. And I left, I left her there waiting. Yeah, I was had my shoes on at the door. I have a picture of me, literally shoes on at the door, waiting for Beth, because I thought she was on her way. Well you could have read then. Shopping.

SPEAKER_05 5:52

You could also bring your book with you to the restaurant while you're waiting for food. I'm not a psychopath like you. That's sure. There's there was time in the car that you could have been reading. I can't read in the car, I would throw up, but yeah, same.

unknown 6:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 6:02

I'm better up in higher cars. Like did you know that on the iPhone they have like a setting to help you with current car sick? Yeah. Nope.

SPEAKER_02 6:09

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_05 6:10

Yeah. Oh, that's cool. You have to show me that after. It's super weird. So I kinda I want to try it.

SPEAKER_04 6:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 6:17

But there's like the dots that will be on the screen that apparently like helps. So I will show you.

SPEAKER_04 6:21

I'm reading 11 Letter Charms, which is from the Charmed Leaf Legacy by Rachel Morgan. It was the non-spice cozy fantasy Bridger Tane Meets Pride and Prejudice series, book three. Nice.

SPEAKER_05 6:32

What's the back of your Kindle?

SPEAKER_04 6:34

Buy me books and tell me I'm pretty. I got a new Kindle Charm because mine was rust like disintegrated.

SPEAKER_05 6:39

This is your third Kindle Charm. That's crazy. Do you like play with it a lot? She holds it. Oh yeah, I fiddle with it. It's uh yeah. I always have mine draped over like.

SPEAKER_02 6:48

Yes is silver.

SPEAKER_05 6:49

Yeah. So that's probably why.

SPEAKER_02 6:50

Mine, my old one is like the gold, and that wears off so yeah.

SPEAKER_04 6:53

The first one I got was gold and it like turned like this rusty color. And then this one was like not that much off Amazon. Plus, it's got pearls, it's got everything I like. It's got flowers for cute books, a smiley face, a bow, this checkered thing.

SPEAKER_05 7:06

Show the class. Zoom in. All of the things.

SPEAKER_04 7:10

And it's got a sword as well.

SPEAKER_05 7:12

Nice.

SPEAKER_04 7:12

And what else has it got? It's got a mishmash of just all my things. And the pearls are my birth month stone. So it's like this is perfect. And then yeah, I went for something different for the I like it. Yeah, thank you. As always, full spoiler warning ahead. These are books our listeners have read, but hate it so much they couldn't finish. If any of these books are currently on your TBR and you're still curious and want to give them a try, maybe skip this episode or check out the description. All the books discussed will be listed there.

SPEAKER_05 7:39

So before we get into your DNFs, we're gonna talk about our DNFs. I'll go first.

unknown 7:44

Perfect.

SPEAKER_02 7:46

She did is this the first no, this is your second DNF. No. This is your first one this is my first DNF. Right. Wow.

SPEAKER_05 7:53

Ever last time I could only bring books I should have DNFs to the table.

SPEAKER_04 7:59

This is a big one then. This is a big little moment in life.

SPEAKER_05 8:03

Yeah, so if uh you're along here on this journey, this is a big moment for us. So my DNF was King of Depravity by Tammy Anderson. I read a different one in the series. They're like it's a mafia series. Which normally is pretty good. Which normally is pretty good. Yeah. So the synopsis of it is stalked by a psychotic billionaire. Waitressing isn't a calling, it's a way to pay for my art degree. Until Killian Smith walks into the bar and turns my world upside down. It isn't that he's dropped dead gorgeous, rich, and powerful. It's that he's unhinged. I know the dead look in his eyes, I've seen it before, and he sees me too. Every night is some twisted game of cat and mouse, and he's drawing closer to catching me. Until one night when I step into a back alley and I witness to a bratfa murder, there's only one man I can turn to for help. The one man who petrifies me is the only one who can protect me. Killian Smith, a beautiful monster. He'll keep me safe, but what will he want in return? Welcome to the dark side of Vegas, where the stakes are high and the men lethal. That sounds good. It does sound good.

SPEAKER_04 8:58

Sounds like something you'd enjoy, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 9:00

Yes. And like I said, I read one other book in the series, which was okay. So that's why I picked this one up. I don't even think I made it three chapters before I was like, I can't do it.

SPEAKER_02 9:10

So why? Like, what yeah, what was it that made you go, I cannot carry on.

SPEAKER_05 9:15

The first was no chemistry between them. It honestly gave me just straight up RAPE vibes. Ooh. Yeah. He pretty much saw her, and I wouldn't wouldn't even say like he fell in love, or it was like that like obsessive love. It was just like he wanted to conquer her type of thing. But like his thoughts and everything was just so cold. And then she was automatically like just like so repulsed by him and scared of him.

SPEAKER_03 9:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 9:46

And talking with Brandy and like our book club, she was just like, it does not get any better. I don't even, I'm pretty sure she DNF'd it as well. Like, she was just like, it was not going to a good place.

SPEAKER_02 9:55

I can't remember, yeah. But I do remember you talking about that with her. I can't remember if she DNF'd or she carried on, but I'm pretty sure she had.

SPEAKER_05 10:01

Pretty sure she did. Oh, she did. Yeah, because she's just like, it's not good. I hate this. That's unfortunate. Yeah. So it was just it was like I can get behind a very, very dark romance, but there's usually chemistry. There's gotta be, yeah, the chemistry. There's some kind of chemistry, even if they're like, I don't want to want him, but I do. Or you mean like there, yeah, there's just something. There was nothing.

SPEAKER_02 10:26

Oh, that's the worst.

SPEAKER_05 10:27

Yeah, and I was just like, can't get behind that. I get to I just couldn't do it. I guess that's fair. If anyone has read it, does does it get better? Do they get chemistry eventually? I do have questions, but I'm just not willing to. It was literally to the point where it's like I'm not willing to read and find out because of the ick was so like the uncomfortableness of it. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. That's fair. Yeah. So I'll read some some messed up stuff, but I got boundaries.

SPEAKER_02 10:53

I've got boundaries. Okay. So I DNF'd three books last month, but I can only really talk about one on here because well, one the other one was just friends, which, if you want to hear me talk about that one, go watch our episode Hailey Fam Just Friends. My DNF was This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews. Which is surprising considering you picked this book. I just forgot. Well, I just found it and it was like trending, and people were ranting and raving, and I was like, Yeah, it's gotta be good. That's how they get you. Beth liked it. I finished. I liked it. I will be reading the next book. You can tell us how it goes. I will tell you. The synopsis. When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy, and naked in the gutter, it doesn't take her long to recognize Kerr Torin, a city she knows intimately from the pages of the famously unfinished Dark Fantasy series she's been obsessively reading and rereading while waiting for the for wouldn't be me if I didn't mess it up somehow. While waiting years for the final novel. Her only tools for navigating this gritty world of rival warlords, magic, and mayhem, her encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, the setting, and the character's ambitions and fates. But while she quickly discovers she cannot be killed, though many will try. The same cannot be said for the living, breathing character she's coming to love, a motley band that includes a former lady's maid, a deadly assassin, various outrageous magical creatures, and a dangerously appealing soldier. Soon, instead of trying to get home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes and attentions of dueling princes, dukes, and villains, all while trying to save them and the Kingdom of Relis from the way she knows their stories will end in a cataclysmic war. Sounds really good. Reminiscent of Outlander. Which is what I was like, yes, I want to read it. I know, and like it wasn't that it was not that. So for me, I enjoyed it. We're like, I loved it. Um for me, we picked it up because I found it on the talks.

SPEAKER_04 12:50

And we all love Outlander, so we were all loved out, yeah, and Game of Thrones.

SPEAKER_05 12:54

Yeah. So I was like, this could be great. When we were looking into it, it gave romanticy vibes, but it ended up being more high fantasy. High fantasy, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:02

Romance was like an afterthought. There's I did not find the romance in it at all.

SPEAKER_04 13:08

No, one minute they were just like together, and then the next they're like in love. And it just kind of told us that they were in love. But there was like no yearning really. I I didn't find any yearning in it, especially not to my standards. I don't even remember how far I read it. Do you guys remember how far I read into it?

SPEAKER_02 13:22

You were pretty far. I I got 50 56% in. So I was on chapter 26 when I started.

SPEAKER_04 13:28

It's a long book, so that's like a lot of time invested.

SPEAKER_05 13:31

It's a very dense book. I would say it is high fantasy, it's very dense, tons of world building. There is romance, but yeah, it's like it's a sub-subplot. And I did romance is very schmidth.

SPEAKER_02 13:42

Like I didn't find there was any steel. It is more about the world and there was no yearn. Yeah, so it was beyond over descriptive.

SPEAKER_05 13:52

Oh, yeah. Like I found I found it, yeah. I found that fine. Like, actually, I was good with the denseness of it.

SPEAKER_02 13:57

If you hate over-description, because to me it kills books, it makes my brain hurt.

SPEAKER_04 14:02

It's like and maybe that's more like saying more about me than anything.

SPEAKER_02 14:05

No, but there was one part where I this is this is where I DNF'd. This is the moment I was reading, and she was like describing things she was seeing, and she's like, Oh, and so and so was wearing like a red tie with blue stripes, and then beside them was Jim Bob, and he was wearing like he had on a purple cardigan with blue buttons, and like I was just like, We don't care! Yeah, this blade of grass to the left of him was shorter than the one to the to the right of Samson. Like, I'm like, can we not? Jim Bob and Samson. She's paraphrasing, those were not the names. I don't even remember the names of these characters.

SPEAKER_05 14:45

Same. There's just so many. And I think you said this in my comments that some of the S names got a little confusing for me. Yeah. So I'm like, is that the king, the bad guy, or their cousin?

SPEAKER_02 14:53

They were so similar. And it's like, can we have some more authenticity here, please? And then and then they threw characters in at you, and you're like, wait, who's this person?

SPEAKER_05 15:01

But this they were talking about, but I think it's like they were talked about a while back, and then all of a sudden you're bringing them in. And yeah, there's like the I found that a little bit confusing, and then there were always the ass names. Yeah. And then the we want to be together, but we I shouldn't be with him. But I want to be with him, but I shouldn't be with him.

SPEAKER_04 15:16

And I was like, It's exhausting, yeah. I finished it, but I didn't want to finish it. I try. I just I thought I had to because it was a book club book. So I was like, I'm obligated to finish this book. And then of course, Cass DNFs. I'm like, I could have DNF' this whole time. You could you could have. I think I told Nate, like he was standing in the kitchen doing something I was reading, and I was like, Cass freaking DNF'd it. I could have DNF's this whole time. I didn't know that was allowed.

SPEAKER_02 15:38

I couldn't do it. It was just so bad.

SPEAKER_05 15:40

If you could both DNF Nora, I think you could have DNF'd this one, Susie.

SPEAKER_04 15:44

Yeah. I could have. But again, I thought it was an obligatory read. Nora was obligatory. True.

SPEAKER_02 15:50

Yeah, she was also a book club book, technically. That one was uh yeah.

unknown 15:54

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 15:54

So touche. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 15:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 15:58

I have two hard DNFs. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 16:01

My first one, this one's gonna ruffle some feathers. Yes, because I've heard very good things about this series.

SPEAKER_04 16:07

Well, yeah, it is very highly rated. Yeah, but if you look at the low list reviews, I am not alone, in my opinion. So justified. My first hard DNF, and mind you, I DNF'd three books in a row. So this was like a hard time for me. I didn't know if I'd recover. Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh. This was highly recommended in our book club as well by some of our book club members. And what? We're just vibing.

SPEAKER_02 16:30

We're just quit crisscross applesaucing over here. And we're I looked at her and she looked at me and we're just like, oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_04 16:36

It was blowing up on TikTok as well. Like people are always talking about the Tom and boys or whatever. And there's a show coming out. Of course there is. And it's probably gonna be spicy as heck. Oh, I saw the casting too.

SPEAKER_02 16:46

Yeah, they just had the casting. There's discourse about that too. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 16:50

Um, so the synopsis, an epic and unforgettable love story, begins in binding 13, the first in the international best-selling and TikTok phenomenon. That should tell you enough. The Boys of Thomas series from Kloy Walsh. He wants the saver, she wants the hide. She's damaged, he's determined. Fate brought them together, love binds them. Johnny Kavanaugh is the definition of popular. He's an all-star rugby player with loads of friends, which means he should be enjoying the many perks of his life. But what people don't know is that he's been dealing with a painful injury in his groin that could halt the magnificent trajectory of his career. This means he has no time for distractions or mistakes, especially not a girlfriend. Shannon Lynch has been bullied all her life. She is shy and would rather hide herself away to make it through school. But when she arrives at Tom and College for a fresh start, she meets the notorious Johnny Kavanaugh on her first day in a not so romantic way. What follows is a complicated friendship that turns into undeniable chemistry. It seems that Shannon won't be able to hold on to the anonymous status she once hoped for, but maybe that's all right. Johnny won't give up on Shannon no matter what it might cost them both.

SPEAKER_02 17:52

Okay, now I see why you don't like it. It's just not her type typical story. You don't like the bully romances?

SPEAKER_04 17:58

Yeah, I do. I don't mind them. I read Zodiac and I liked Zodiac at first. And then uh the college setting off campus I read and the sports romances.

SPEAKER_02 18:07

But this seems a little darker.

SPEAKER_04 18:08

It does seem darker.

SPEAKER_02 18:09

Um it's got darker undertones, I think. Definitely.

SPEAKER_04 18:12

So that's so I picked it up because, first of all, the book's pretty. It is very pretty. It's pretty. Ranting and raving about it, and people in our book club recommended it. Why I realized this book was heading toward a DNF, the main character, Shannon, kept being described as like childlike, very small, very frail. This was something that the male main character, Johnny, kept saying about her, and he kept being drawn to her, and he kept talking about how small she was and how she was like malnourished, but he was like sexualizing that. And then the other thing was him constantly talking about this groin injury. Like, I don't want to hear about how it's hard for you to have a heart on. It's not, I don't want to know that.

SPEAKER_07 18:54

The bull man.

SPEAKER_04 18:55

Okay, I get in his prime banging era. Yeah, but I get mentioning like once or twice, but it's like multiple times in every single chapter. I'm like, it's a really bothering. It's obsessive. It's upsetting. I'm kidding. It really bothers him. But poor. That said, like it was a hard day enough, but I keep feeling like intrigued to go back to find out like what happens because Brandy said she really liked it, or was it McKenzie? Yeah, it's yeah, Brandy said it got better, and there was like other things in the plot that I just didn't get to yet that make it worth reading. But it's just it was the sexuation of like a minor sort of figure.

SPEAKER_05 19:31

Malnourished that is Vera. That's true, too. That's very true. She's a malnourished minor.

SPEAKER_02 19:36

Yeah, very, yeah. Touche again. Called you out. Called me out. I honestly really want to read it. Now that there's a TV adaptation coming out and it's casted, I do want to read it.

SPEAKER_04 19:48

I think I might try again. Stay tuned for the next DNF episode to see if I repeat DNF.

SPEAKER_05 19:53

Soft DNF, not a hard DNF.

SPEAKER_04 19:55

When I DNF'd it, I was like pissed off. I was like a hard DNF. My review for it was scathing. Okay, it was not a fun review.

SPEAKER_05 20:01

I might have to go back and edit it if I could if I end up enjoying it. I marinated in this little bit and I was just angry guys.

SPEAKER_04 20:07

So I've talked it out.

SPEAKER_05 20:09

I decided to give it another chance.

SPEAKER_04 20:11

You know, I definitely want to read it. Yeah. Oh, yeah. They're long though, right? They're really long. Like 500. 500. The second book is like keeping 13 is like this, like this much. Binding 13 was like that much in Kohl's, from what I saw.

SPEAKER_05 20:24

Cass sent us a book, by the way, yesterday that was what 866 pages. It sounds so good.

SPEAKER_02 20:31

What was it called? Because I killed him. The Nine Gentlemen series by Edith Bird. Birdie? Tough. That's a tough one. Bird slash Birdie.

SPEAKER_05 20:39

Burday. Burday. They forgot the accent they vous.

SPEAKER_02 20:45

Like the description of it is so good, but it's 829 pages. Oh yeah. Oh, that's a lot. That is a lot. It's too much.

SPEAKER_04 20:54

It's too much.

SPEAKER_02 20:55

I need to quit my job.

SPEAKER_04 20:56

I'm gonna talk about my second DNF. Second DNF. Right. People saw I was reading this and they're like, yeah, I didn't think you'd like that. I don't know why you're reading it. Sometimes you pick books and I'm like, it's because I want to be a certain person, and then I start reading it, and I'm like, I am not. I am not. So it was Love Me Stalk Me by Laura Bishop. The synopsis for fans of Lights Out and You comes a dark rom-com debut about a woman who confides her fantasies to an AI boyfriend app. Unaware, she's really talking to her hot, tattooed coworker who hacked her phone. When overworked department store manager Izzy Russo downloads an AI boyfriend app to fill the emotional void left by her inattentive real one, she thinks she's just venting to a harmless chap bot named Caleb. In reality, she's been pouring her deepest, dirtiest fantasies into the ears of Callahan Knight, her store's brooding new head of security. Because Cal, he's been listening. The moment he saw Izzy, he knew she was his. Did he hack her phone? Absolutely, but who could blame him? A woman like Izzy deserves to be cherished by someone who truly knows her worth, and he'll do anything to be that man. So when Izzy finally sees her boyfriend for who he really is and the danger, she's unknowingly been caught. Up in Cal is ready to protect her no matter the cost, even if it means revealing the truth. She might not have meant to build the perfect man, but he's here now and he's never letting her go.

SPEAKER_06 22:09

Love that.

SPEAKER_04 22:10

So it started off really good. Like I really enjoyed. Go on. You're adding it, aren't you? Yes, she is.

SPEAKER_02 22:20

I am.

SPEAKER_04 22:20

Okay. So it started off really strong. I won't, because you're adding it, I won't give a lot of spoilers. The dialogue and how her boyfriend at the time treats her is disgusting. I cannot stand it. I felt really bad for her. And I really that's the point. I know. However, it was very, very similar to Lights Out, which you love Lights Out, but I think it's almost like copy and paste almost a little bit. I just got that vibe. I said it was I thought it was too similar. And also, it's just not my vibe. I want to love the stock. You know what I want, guys? I want a stalker romance that is purely stalker, like you. Like that kind of vibe. Like he is mentally unwell.

SPEAKER_05 23:02

So haunting Adeline. No, because that still has like knife play and she wants she wants the truly love-obsessed stalker. There's no knife playing. Yeah, like true crime without like the dark. I want you to ride my gun.

SPEAKER_04 23:17

Yeah. Without that, I want like obsessed, like to the point where like Joe Goldberg is gonna murder you if you like actually murder you, not have sex with you.

SPEAKER_02 23:26

If anyone knows of a stalker romance for Susie like that, without the unhinged sexual activity, maybe it's like a thriller, like more of a thriller vibe, but just like that kind of vibe, you know?

SPEAKER_04 23:37

Not like the cheesy rom-computer.

SPEAKER_02 23:39

Did you read Mind Fox series?

SPEAKER_04 23:41

No.

SPEAKER_02 23:41

That I heard is getting turned into a TV show. Yes, yeah. You should read it. You would really like it. Sorry, I did it again.

SPEAKER_04 23:48

That's okay. But anyway, that's it.

SPEAKER_02 23:49

That's a good one. It's a thriller, romance, revenge. Mind Mindf? The Mind Fox series. Yeah, by S.T. Abby.

SPEAKER_04 23:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 23:58

I'll look it up. Let's get into the listener DNFs. So our first one is from Eva. Hi girls, I watched your DNF video today, and although it's been two months since you posted it, I needed to send my DNF story. To preface this, uh preface. Preface. A bit. I read the Greenbone saga at the beginning of this year, which utterly destroyed me. Love the series. Greatly recommend it. So after I was done with it, I was ready to go back into my usual MM romance and read something lighter.

SPEAKER_02 24:26

Oh, MM. What's MM? Male male, like heated rivalry.

SPEAKER_05 24:30

Oh, okay. One of the book clubs I joined on Fable was reading Wolf Song by TJ Clune, and I thought, amazing, gay werewolves, sign me up. That does sound good. However, only a few chapters in, I got hit by a crazy age gap where the MC is 16 and his love interest is 10.

SPEAKER_06 24:49

No!

SPEAKER_05 24:50

Oh, okay. Take back my comment. I almost dropped it there. I should have, but I decided to keep going because I prayed. They just meet at that age and split up until they're both adults. But oh no. No. They basically grew up next door to each other. The L L was in love with the love interest. Oh, L I was in love with the MC since they met. And then seven years later, all of a sudden, MC looks at him and is like, oh, he's a man. I don't know why I still tortured myself by continuing, knowing that this kind of age gap is just not for me, but I did. I pushed through half of this book, so many ridiculous things happened, but it was still entertaining, I guess. At around 50% mark, it got so boring that I decided it's better I spend my time on something I'll actually enjoy. For some reason, this book is widely loved, and I cannot see why for the love of me. Because this book's biggest issue is not the weird age gap, believe it or not, it's the absurd repetitions throughout it. The MC said at least 50 times that his dad said he's gonna get shit in life. Like, okay, we get it the first time. Why do I need to see this at least twice in every chapter? Yes. Aside from that, the author has an obsession with repeating the same word three times randomly in a sentence. Oh, that's annoying. I guess for emphasis, but the only thing it did was annoy the hell out of me. All in all, I was so disappointed and sad because I was hoping for a light MM romance to heal my heartbreak, and all I got was, well, that thankfully, I read quite a few good books after that, but I still think about how ridiculous it was from time to time. Love your podcast, and I binge watched a few episodes today while on my walking pad. Thanks for keeping me company.

SPEAKER_04 26:17

Oh well, I totally get the repetition. You know, how many times does a groined penis need to be mentioned throughout the chapters? It's annoying.

SPEAKER_02 26:26

Can you tell she's watched our podcast? She like literally told us how to pronounce your name.

SPEAKER_04 26:32

The fact that our listeners have to do that means we need to do better. I appreciate it though. Seriously. Yes. Yeah, that age gap is something. In high school, 16-year-old dating a 14-year-old is controversial. Yeah. 16-year-old being in love with a 10-year-old. That's that's that's weird. Jail time predator.

SPEAKER_02 26:52

That is straight to jail activities.

SPEAKER_05 26:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 26:55

I remember when my brother was 10 and he was just like a little pipsqueak. Like, and then you're 16 and you're going through testosterone changes and whatever. That's weird. That's so creepy. That's so strange. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 27:05

Yeah, I don't like that. The next one. Hi everyone. Hope y'all are doing great. I'm L R. I need to talk or rant about my latest DNFs because this has been burning my soul for months. See, this is why we did the DNF diaries. People just need to just talk it out, you know? Yeah. The first book is Stolen by the Wolves by Winx. Link Winx. Lyx? Likes? Ly X. Oh god. Robinson. How do you have a first name like that and a very easy last name? I have to admit that I was a victim of the beautiful cover led to bad decisions attack, but the story truly sounded interesting. We're supposed to be following two main characters that live in completely different cultures during a Viking-ish era. It kind of explores how things like the Omega verse. It's a werewolf thing. Okay. And shifters would have worked in ancient times. The FMC lives in a very religious culture that sees anything related to their heart heats. Like as in like women being in heat. As in dogs going into heat. As women. Yeah. Female dogs. Okay. Because women don't go into heat. Well, we can I mean we talk about it. And werewolfers they do because usually they're they're omegas, which is the thing. Yeah. See, I don't I'm not I'm not I'm new to the the werewolf scene, obviously. They relate to their heats as wrong and prefers to drug alphas and test them with omegas to see if they are pure and strong. The MMC lives on the Viking side where they have given into a hedonistic way of viewing heat cycles and such. I don't tend to read a lot of Omega verse stories, but this sounded like a good mix of it with high fantasy and social exploration. But no. This was a slow, agonizing death. The book starts with a bang and then goes three years back in the timeline. I don't mind that if it's done right. But this seems that it was not. We're subjected to graphic descriptions of abuse and torture from both sides, and not a single respite in the middle of it. I was 45% in and the FMC and what? Respite respite. Yeah. That's how you say it. Respite. No, it's respite.

SPEAKER_04 29:07

No, it's not. Google it. It's respite. Beth, you're Google. I'm Googling. Respite pronunciation. I'm pretty sure it's respite. It's definitely not respite. You always come at Beth. We're coming at you now. I'm pretty sure it's respite.

SPEAKER_05 29:19

It's uh respite. Although it does say that both are correct.

SPEAKER_02 29:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 29:24

But depends on depends on your accent or your pronunciation.

SPEAKER_02 29:27

Okay, well Google Canadian American. It's definitely I've heard it said respite so many times. I have never heard it said that way.

SPEAKER_05 29:35

Neither have I. I've always said American is respite. Respite.

SPEAKER_02 29:39

See? American. North American. We're we're North American. We're Canadian. We are Canadian. It's literally a lot of people say respite. That's American. I I'm convinced it's not right. In Canadian. I'll say in Canadian. It's gonna say respite. Respite.

SPEAKER_00 29:56

Correct, but different pronunciations for this word. In British English, it is either said as respite.

SPEAKER_04 30:07

Yeah, I'm not friggin' British. Bro, we follow the British way of saying that.

SPEAKER_02 30:11

You will occasionally hear respite, but respite is generally whatever. Respite. Gener respite is generally what you'll hear across Canada in normal conversation conversation, especially in healthcare, caregiving, or phrases like respite care.

SPEAKER_04 30:26

Oh my goodness. Our listeners are gonna be like, what the heck is going on? Uh no, it's we follow the British way of saying things. It says here in Canadian, listen.

SPEAKER_02 30:36

I listened. Susie, you're wrong. I said in Canadian English, what is the way to say it? Respite. R-E-S-S-P-I-T.

SPEAKER_05 30:45

Technically, Canadians don't have their own English. Ours is a bastardized version of the British. We have the same measurements. We have the same, like we follow their English. The Americans are just doing their own thing. And I refuse to follow them.

SPEAKER_02 31:00

Canada's doing our own thing too. And not great works. It's 12. Okay, continue. It's respite. Eat me. It's respite. It's respite. No, I've never heard anyone say respite. What the hell does that even mean? You're saying it weird. Because it's respite. That sounds weird. No. Sounds like you're trying, you're like you're coming. You say preface. Get out of here. I was 45% in, and the FMC and MMC had barely looked at each other. I couldn't go on. It's depressing, unnecessarily long, and confusing. That's upsetting. My second DNF was The Lawyer by Marnie Mann. This was a part of a challenge I gave myself to read 10 lawyer romances. That's a thing. After finishing law school. A girl needs a break. Law school, good for you. Oh, yeah, I was gonna say. To put it mildly, I'd rather break my e-reader into smithereens before finishing this book. That's so upsetting. I'm a person that tends to skim sex scenes in books. So please keep that in mind when I say this. The only good parts in this book were the sex scenes. Dang. Every person in this book is annoying being in the MMC's head, probably counts as torture under the Geneva Convention. He's constantly objectifying the FMC and not in a cutesy, I know this is toxic, but I kinda like it way. But in an incredibly misogynistic way. If one of his paragraphs didn't mention the girly's ass at least twice, I'm pretty sure he would suddenly combust on the spot. I hated every character so much that I physically wanted to check my e-reader. Bonus points for being completely inaccurate about legal stuff as well. Ooh, that would also bother me. That would, knowing what you know. And then my latest DNF was for a whole series, The Sixth Demon by R. A. Stefan. I got a box set with all four audiobooks in the series and was extremely excited for them. That does sound pretty good. I usually listen to audiobooks while I work, so a long series is perfect. I started the first book, two books, but could not punish myself by listening to the rest, even if I already had them in the bundle. The narrator makes the worst decision ever and gave the FMC a voice that can only be described as a mix between Vanelope from Wreck It Ralph. Ooh, the high-pitched and the wicked witch.

SPEAKER_05 33:16

Gross. I want to almost want to hear that. Because like she vanelope is like very high-pitched, but then the wicked witch is like evil. I can do the perfect wicked witch laugh, by the way.

SPEAKER_04 33:26

I've never seen Wreck It Ralph.

SPEAKER_03 33:33

How does she have the most serious face when she did that? It's one of my things that I do around the house sometimes. I'm just walking away and do the wicked witch laugh to mate. It took me a minute to process my witness. Was it good enough? There was something. That was horrifying.

SPEAKER_05 33:55

I think it was the sound with your face at the same time. That's what it was. I was like, I can't wait to walk.

SPEAKER_02 34:01

When you want to jump back and see my face and see your face, and you do it even better. Okay. It was the most grating sound I have ever heard. Just like that. Yeah. Every other character had a normal, unique voice in her narration. But the second the FMC entered the scene, I wanted to rip my headphones off. I bet. If it sounded anything like Susie. Yeah. It's so bad that I even tried to read the ebook of the third book. And the only thing I heard in my brain was the narrator's grating tone. Anyways, thanks for giving me the opportunity to rant. I swear I like books, but these three were trying my nerves. LOL.

SPEAKER_04 34:40

Oh, you poor girl. Yeah, I think the worst thing, not only the misogynistic thing, but also the inaccurate about legal stuff as well. If you're writing a book that's about what's like the lawyer stuff, you have to make sure you do your research and make sure you get accurate. If you're gonna do it, do it right. Third DNF. Next we have Anna. Hey guys, I'm Anna. I love the podcast. I have a DNF story. I will DNF anything for any reason. I read that? It's you. Yep. I actually listened to audiobooks at work during my 10-hour shifts, in addition to reading at home. So if I get bored, I will just ditch a book. Quitting on that many books means they need to be especially bad to stand out in my mind. I have a controversial. This book is has a small cult following, and I really wanted to like it. She sent us the synopsis of Fairy Dale by Veronica Lancet. It's a viral USA Today best-selling dark gothic fantasy romance. I've never heard of it, but about an orphaned English teacher, Darcy, Darcy O'Sullivan, who travels to Darcy? Darcy Darcy. Good old Darcy. Is it Darcy? Darcy? Darcy. Darcy. That's the way you said it sounded like Darcy. Darcy O'Sullivan, who travels to a mysterious coastal town to claim her inheritance. Uncovering secrets, supernatural intrigue, and a love triangle involving a brooding man from the present, Caleb, and a nobleman from the past, Amon De Arton. Oh.

SPEAKER_02 35:58

This was some names.

SPEAKER_04 35:59

Yeah. The book features reincarnation, a slowburn romance, and intense spice, blending historical fiction with paranormal elements and exploring themes of obsession and forbidden desire. Sounds really good. It sounds like a decent straight up my alley. Apart from the intense spice, I'd be down. It sounds like a really fun read, but the FMC was so plastic that it just couldn't relate to her. She took every off-the-wall thing that happened to her on board like nothing mattered. She saw someone rise from the dead while attending their funeral, and beyond hiding from the corpse, she never gave it another thought. I had to keep going back to make sure I hadn't missed anything. What? She'd see ghosts and just never react to it. Fairydale is just a supernatural town in our regular world, so watching the dead come back to life or seeing ghosts isn't the norm.

SPEAKER_02 36:42

Oh, I have heard of this book actually.

SPEAKER_04 36:43

Yeah?

SPEAKER_02 36:44

Yes, I can see the cover in my brain right now. I think it's on my TBR. Oh. But I'm not surprised.

SPEAKER_04 36:49

Then her love interest would just ditch her or randomly appear from nowhere, and she'd just continue on with her day. It's been a while since I've read it, but I remember just being baffled. I think the author got so caught up with her concept that she neglected the smaller details of writing a believable character. They have to react to reflect and think things over. If I saw a man coming back to life to attack others at his own funeral, I'd have some thoughts. Anyway, thanks for reading. I've been dying to rant about this one.

SPEAKER_02 37:15

Nice.

SPEAKER_04 37:16

I'm actually intrigued to read it, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:19

It's long, I think. Is it? I think so.

SPEAKER_04 37:22

But like she doesn't reflect on anything. So, like, what is the author writing in between scenes?

SPEAKER_02 37:27

I remember I had it on my TBR, but I was like, oh, that's a long one. Like, I don't know if I'll have time to read that. 772 pages.

SPEAKER_04 37:33

Woo! Dang, I can't imagine what she's writing.

SPEAKER_02 37:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 37:36

Usually characters like take some time to reflect on things like in in chapters, and if the care wonder she DNF'd it.

SPEAKER_02 37:42

Yeah. So long. That big of a book with those things happening. East. Yeah. Oof. Emmy says, Hi girls. With a Zed. I appreciate that. And a special hi to Susanna. Love your overconsumption videos on the main channel. Thank you. So DNF bit. Hills of Shivers and Shadows by Pam Godwin. That's a good name. First off. That don't even sound familiar. Does it? Not for me, but first off, the first few lines, first few paragraphs, oh my god, I was in love. I loved her prose, like holy shit. And then I totally fell for the antagonist at first, Denver. He was sassy and in charge. And became a real proper detestable egomaniac. We love that. And then it got stupid. I mean, meandering and going around the bush, like, oh my god, get to the freaking blasted point, my dude. Plot alert. Dude kidnaps a woman and takes her to his remote house or domain in northern Canada or Alaska. Question mark. Don't remember. And he's not forcing her into his bed, so that was nice. He also has three adult sons. So this is going. Sounds good.

SPEAKER_04 38:49

Y choose situation.

SPEAKER_02 38:51

So three horny dudes and this one girl whose husband cheats on her five times after she's gone. Five minutes. Oh, sorry, five minutes. And it was slow. I didn't get the damn motives on my own, so I literally had to ask Grok. Oh, it's an AI thing. To tell me what the crikey hell was going on and why the schnitzels should I keep going because I was bored. The last straw was that the main female character and the two main ish guys had a lot more chapters than the third son, who was just so freaking funny and the best of the lot. More Wolfson, please, must be his name. Yeah. So I DNF'd and just nope, no, thank you. I want clear freaking motives. Not now. I want them yesterday. And then everything else irked me like one sentence paragraphs. Come the crikey hell on. Are you from Australia? Maybe. I was gonna say there's some that's an accent coming through. Yeah, I'm loving it.

SPEAKER_04 39:42

Mannerisms, best of the lot.

SPEAKER_02 39:44

Yeah, loving it. Why the schnitzels? Yeah, that was good. Somewhere in the UK, maybe. Uh didn't translate urgency. It came off as I don't know how to properly write a damn paragraph to save my ass. Smiley face ran over. Still makes me want to burn the book, though. Needless to say, ain't not touching that series in this lifetime. DNF'd at 47%. So I did give it a fair shot.

SPEAKER_04 40:10

Wow. You know what? 10 out of 10 for that writing.

SPEAKER_02 40:14

That was that was fun. Wow. That was good. Oh, the schnitzels once sent me. Yeah, I like some of her words.

SPEAKER_04 40:24

Yeah. Yeah. Well, we won't be reading that book.

SPEAKER_05 40:26

Thank you for that. Yeah. All right, now we've got Chan's DNF. Hi, love your podcast. So here's my DNF story. A DNF Gods by Jay Pratt, G-O-D-S. That sounds familiar to you. Yeah, it does. Usually the short novellas from this author are an instant buy for me because I love masked men and the plot. Yep, this sounds like something you'd have on your plot is generally good, but surface level, which is to be expected from shorter books. Agreed. But as this was what this one was a longer book, I had my expectations set high. I think it was barely 25% in when one of the MMC and the FMC were in his room. He went feeding his pet snake live mice or rats, and the FMC stole one because she felt for sorry for the animal. It was so random and out of pocket that I couldn't read anymore. That is weird though. Also, what do you do with the stolen mouse or rat? She wasn't prepared for a pet. I don't think it's a good idea to set the animal loose in the wild. It wasn't the only reason for DM DNFing. The FMC kind of hated the other MMCs, but then barely a few hours later flirted with them no problem. But this is what made me really DNF the book. With love, Chim from the Netherlands.

SPEAKER_02 41:32

Oh fun. Oh wow.

SPEAKER_05 41:34

I mean the mouse.

SPEAKER_02 41:35

I mean I've picked up a lot of random pets over the years, so I would do the same thing. Yeah. I would still keep it in my pocket. Yeah. My little pocket mouse. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 41:43

If Disney princesses can do it, I can do it too.

SPEAKER_04 41:47

You worry about what they eat and stuff after. Next we have Kai's DNF. Hey girls, I've just finished your DNF Diaries pod and loved it. Only recently found the account and I'm obsessed with you all, but let's get into it, shall we? For my book club, we read De Cage of Wild Bird by Brooke Fast. I actually got into the I have this book on my TBR. De Cage Wild Bird. So do I. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 42:08

Sounds familiar.

SPEAKER_04 42:08

And though I did finish it, I wanted to DNF it terribly. It had the potential to be the next Hunger Games, but it fell flat on his face for me. It's marketed as an enemies to lovers, but there's no enemies in all caps. None. Nada. She's imprisoned, and her guard is meant to be this big bad guy who hates her, which the FMC reminds us of, but he doesn't. At no point does he hate her. And that was enough for me to dislike this book terribly. I couldn't stand it. And I honestly didn't care for either main character, only the side characters. Thanks for listening to my rant and keeping me company while I work.

SPEAKER_05 42:40

And you're welcome. I feel like we've talked about it in another episode where it needs to make sense when the guy just is soft for her for no reason. Like there needs to be, there's gotta be something. You almost need a dual POV for that type of yeah. But remember, I remember we maybe it was our last university. There was another one. Yeah, that was like usually there'd be some kind of like, oh, she reminds me of my sister or my, you know, I mean, like there's someone that they're like a reason why they're soft on just her.

SPEAKER_02 43:07

Yeah. That's why you need to get into his head for why. Yeah, but I mean, even as an author, right, yeah, write it in a way where you can make that come across.

SPEAKER_05 43:15

Yeah. Like someone knows him and tells her the story. Yeah, and then she's like, Oh, this all makes sense to me now, which in turn makes sense to you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 43:23

If you're marketing it as an enemy to lovers, it has to be like he can't stand her, he loves her. Yeah, it can't just be like, you know, they're supposed to be enemies, but he's in love with her.

SPEAKER_02 43:34

Um busting after her immediately. Yeah, you can't classify that as enemies to love.

SPEAKER_04 43:38

That's my biggest pet peeve with that.

SPEAKER_02 43:39

Agreed. All right, our next listener is Sierra. Hello, ladies. Just want to quickly add that I absolutely love your podcast. It's always a nice comfort to watch before or after work. I have only DNF'd two books in my years of reading Twisted Love by Anna Huang Hong? Huang. That's Hong. I think it's Hong. Is he? Silent, yeah. Okay. I just don't know why my mouth was just like hong.

SPEAKER_04 44:04

I mean H U A N G, so I would I'd do the same thing.

SPEAKER_02 44:08

And the book I want to submit, Fearless, the third book in the powerless try trilogy by Lauren Roberts. Have you read Powerless? No. I haven't either. Oh, I've got because I get so many mixed reviews on that book. Yeah. They either love it or they hate it.

SPEAKER_04 44:22

I think a lot of people hate it because it was like they say it's plagiarism of another book.

SPEAKER_02 44:28

Okay. Once I finished Reckless, the cliffhanger was so good that I was really excited to start Fearless, which unfortunately ended up being a huge disappointment. Overall, the writing was lackluster, the events repetitive, basically the same plot as the first book, and the politics and world building were confusing and dumb. That sucks. A quick summary of the book, in case you haven't read it. We follow a girl named Payden who lives in the slums. She accidentally gets entered in a Hunger Games-esque competition alongside a charming, witty, and handsome prince who's supposed to be her enemy, while she also fights in a rebellion against the king. But this is my biggest problem and reason for having eventually DNF'd it. It felt as if the author completely rewrote this character, Kit. I've heard about Kit. I have a deep hate for the book because of how disappointed I am about this character's story and how it ended. It felt like the character did a complete 180. He changed from a loving, sweet golden retriever to an incestuous dictator. No joke. Oh. It didn't even feel like a normal progression. He started to act off in the second book, but then suddenly in the third book, he was a completely different character that didn't share the same basic morals or ideals like he did in the previous books. Oh. That sucks. If you fall in love with a character in like the first book, and then all of a sudden they're just like not even the same person in like a bad way. Characters can change, yes, but to have their core values changed in the middle of the darn book, mind you, it just rubbed me the wrong way. Because in this book, he was apparently hiding this side of him until it was revealed somewhere in the middle. Just felt incredibly odd. I do truly enjoy the romance and some of the characters a lot. It's why I stuck the third book out for so long. But I truly disliked the way the book went and which choices the author made for some characters. I have read it maybe 90% through. Ooh. But after certain characters' death, I just had to quit. I was completely over the book by now. I was honestly so sad and pissed off at the same time. I needed time to mentally recover.

SPEAKER_01 46:14

Oh no.

SPEAKER_02 46:15

Up to that point, characters had been cringe, unreasonable, or incredibly annoying while certain plots and scenes had been confusing or nonsensical. But I ignored it in favor of the romance, the main characters, and their individual plots. But that wasn't enough to save this book for me. 90% is a lot. Is a lot. I would have just pushed through these. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_04 46:34

But I would have pushed through. Yeah. Like I would have just been like raging, but I would have done it.

SPEAKER_05 46:38

You are strong for DNFing at that percentage. And the third book, too. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 46:44

And so that was the last straw. I don't like DNFing books if I can help it. But I just can't finish this one without getting depressed over the events in the story. Anyways, all that to say, I hope you all enjoyed reading about my DNF. Have a great rest of your day. Kind regards, Sierra. That's so upsetting, though. That is really upsetting.

SPEAKER_04 47:00

I think if you have like a character, I think in um Dyer Bound and Fury Bound, the one of the characters what's his name? It starts with the K. Killian? Yeah, Killian. He was a like a good character in the first book, and he did like a flip as well. Yeah. But I think there's a dude.

SPEAKER_05 47:15

You also do find that he has technically someone living in his body. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 47:19

So there's a right way to do it. He's also not the main love interest where I think Kit is in this series. I think he was in the first book. He was like her. He was, but you kind of she wrote it in a way where you kind of knew like Stark. Yeah. You knew Stark was coming in hot and heavy eventually. Fair.

SPEAKER_04 47:38

But yeah, there's a way to do it properly, and then there's a way that just makes absolutely no sense. Which pocket. I'm getting that from this. Like that sucks.

SPEAKER_02 47:46

Yeah. Yeah. A lot. That's so much. And 90%.

SPEAKER_03 47:49

I'm so sad for you. Must have been really bad. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 47:52

At that point. Our last listener DNF. So this one's from Soph. Hey girls, I just want to start off by saying that I love your podcast so much and you guys are so funny. Oh, she's these two. These two are funny. She's obviously talking to me. That's why you're reading it. Anyways, the book that I added to my DNF list was Gone by Michael Grant. Now, this book is YA dystopian and has a really good plot idea. However, to me, the characters were very two-dimensional and had no feelings whatsoever. I did like the idea of the multi-POV, but I could never tell whose perspective I was in, and I was so confused. Also, this author made all the female characters so weak and they couldn't do anything for themselves. Thanks for reading. Oh, and the fact that it's a guy that wrote it too. Yeah, I was just looking it up. That's why I think we should talk about men as written by women or sorry, women as written by men.

SPEAKER_04 48:43

Yeah, some can do it well, others just botch it.

SPEAKER_02 48:47

Well, this so it starts off by saying the first book in the best-selling cult YA thriller series Gone, that Stephen King calls a driving torrential narrative. Stephen King's just supporting his fellow man.

SPEAKER_05 48:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 49:00

Yeah. But the perspective, I think if you're gonna have a multi-POV, I really like when authors put like the name of the POV under the chapter un. That just I thought that was the given.

SPEAKER_02 49:09

Yeah, it should be the same. Yeah. It's being compared to 21st century Lord of the Flies.

SPEAKER_04 49:13

Never read that, so I didn't in high school.

SPEAKER_02 49:16

I think it still is. It's like a high school book. Yeah. I think it was like mandatory. Yeah. It was. I didn't read it. Weird.

SPEAKER_04 49:22

It was mandatory for you guys back in the day. Cheryl. I almost called you Cheryl. Susie! You know, us youngins don't. What? Yeah, we didn't read that. We read uh Holes, I think. Uh that that was a book, I think, as well. And then just like some other classics, but Lord of the Flies was not one of them.

unknown 49:39

What?

SPEAKER_04 49:40

Yeah, sorry. I'm sorry, you guys are old.

SPEAKER_05 49:44

Did you hear what she said? I did, yeah. I'm choosing to ignore the 17-year-old over here.

SPEAKER_04 49:50

I'm gonna be 30 in less than a month, okay? I'm also old. My joints are old. So that is it for our our personal end listener DNFs.

SPEAKER_05 50:02

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 50:02

Yes, I am. Again, she's ignoring you again.

SPEAKER_05 50:04

So if you have a DNF that you'd like to submit, you can send us an email at it's hello at plot twistplease.com. Yes. I don't email us.

SPEAKER_04 50:13

That's it. Hello at plot twistplease.com. I'm like looking at Susie, like, is this Chris? Is right. I don't know if I should answer.

SPEAKER_02 50:20

Mary should ignore her. She ignored me. Listen, guys, I'm done being in the middle of things.

SPEAKER_05 50:25

I feel like you like stir things up. And then you're like, I'm not doing I didn't stir things.

SPEAKER_04 50:30

That's why her and Ty are married because Ty does the exact thing. Oh yeah. And then he just sits back and smiles. He's like, I didn't do anything today.

SPEAKER_02 50:37

What are you talking about? What are you talking about? I didn't do nothing. What did I do?

SPEAKER_04 50:42

Now it's time for Lines We Loved. I was waiting until you started. I was not gonna do it if you be part of the group, Cassandra.

SPEAKER_02 50:53

I know I like to be my own person.

SPEAKER_04 50:56

So my quote is from You Did Nothing Wrong by C.G. Drews, page 141. He is beautiful, he is insatiable, he wants her every night. His thrill at worshipping her body is never ending, and he is so reverent as he kisses her mouth, her belly, between her legs. His hunger for her is an endless void that can't be filled deep enough to devastate a galaxy, and she feels swallowed whole by him. This is the messed up thriller I was telling you guys about.

SPEAKER_02 51:20

I have it downloaded on my Kindle. Perfect. It is there for when I get to it.

SPEAKER_04 51:25

You should read it. It's it's actually messed up. I don't usually sit with books before I start another one. That one I had to sit with. I was like, what the F did I just read? So good. I love that mind messing up. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 51:37

But also, there's just like that little bit of like depression after. Yeah. I was actually kind of happy to get out of it.

SPEAKER_04 51:43

I thought I was going insane.

SPEAKER_02 51:44

Like, I need a moment. I need to be a psychological thriller to that one. Mine is from Fury Bound, page 80, by Sable Sorensen. I don't know what I'm gonna do about Marin Sturm Frost, but since ripping her clothes off and bending her over the breakfast table isn't a viable option, I might throw her irritating ass out a window the next time she tries my patience.

SPEAKER_04 52:05

Love that stark. That's probably what our husbands are thinking most. Oh, 100%. Like I want to do stuff to her, but I'm actually gonna throw her off this balcony instead.

SPEAKER_05 52:13

Immediately. Uh so I was also gonna do Fury Bound. Oh, close Renton. This is page 357. It doesn't spoil anything. Okay. You've taken the vision I have of myself and destroyed it before my very eyes. If I'm a bad man, you make me want to do bad things for the right reasons. You are my right reason.

unknown 52:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 52:30

Ooh.

SPEAKER_02 52:31

Yeah, that doesn't spoil anything. Doesn't give away who says it. I know who it is and who he's talking to. Whatever. It's great. It's a good quote. I'm not stupid.

SPEAKER_04 52:38

All right, guys. Well, this concludes our DNF Diaries listener takeover episode. We hope you like this episode and enjoy. If you do, give it a like, thumbs up, and subscribe so you can listen to more DNF Diary episodes and just anything else we bring to the table. Also remember to send in your own DNF Diaries to hello at plotwisque.com and we can feature them on our next episode. Next DNF Diaries episode, that is. Bye. Bye. You can find us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube at Plotwistpleas Pod. We're also anywhere you can get your podcast. So make sure you're following or subscribed so you never miss an episode. If you love this one, hype us up a little. Leave us a comment, drop a rating or review, and tell us what you would like us to read next.

SPEAKER_02 53:18

Thank you so much for joining us on this episode.

SPEAKER_05 53:21

And as always, keep your glass, your bookshelf, and your TBR full. Cheers. Cheers.