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What Fills the Eyes Fills the Heart

2012-01-26T18:57:00.000-05:00

What Fills the Eye Fills the Heart by TwoTwiMoms

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6956775/1/What_Fills_The_Eye_Fills_the_Heart

Review by AbbyCreations

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Humor
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Bella is an erotic romance novelist who finds herself in a pub to escape her roommate's animalistic "romps". While at the pub, she meets sexy, Irish Edward. On St. Patrick's Day will she end up having a romp of her own?

I say this all the time, angst is a tiresome seductress. I love to torture myself by reading angst and even though I don't make it a point to read it exclusively several authors have managed to suck me in and keep me doubled over in pain for weeks. It's all part of the fun. However, I do love a break from that and What Fills the Eye Fills the Heart is a delightful break from some of the heavier fics I am currently reading. That is not so say that this fic doesn't have it's heavy, poignant topics but at eleven chapters in there is enough there whereby you don't have to deal with pesky cliffies.

Bella writes erotic romance novels (that's right up our alley here, eh?) whose roommate's constant knocking of boots runs her out of her apartment on a regular basis. She ends up at an Irish Pub where she meets it's equally Irish proprietor Edward Cullen. The two hit it off pretty much right off the bat and we don't have to wait long at all for a juicy lemon. TwoTwiMoms even writes Edward's accent into the dialogue. Perhaps that's an incorrect description so here's a little bit of Irishward (as with all Wards I'm sure other Irishwards exist but for the sake of this review I will dub him as such ;-) )

The couch sank next to me, Edward's warm body close as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I leaned into his body relaxing just a bit.

"Darlin', I'm sorry. Please don't be mad. I thought it sounded like fun.""I'm sorry, Edward. I'm overreacting it's just physical activity is not my thing."

"What if I told ye I would never let anything happen to ye? Would ye go then?"

"I don't know Edward."

Edward kissed my temple and whispered only for my ears, "What if I made it up to ye later? Anything ye want."

Because she's been burned before, Bella is a little hesitant to jump in with both feet but fortunately her hesitation seems to last only a second. Edward is more than willing to meet her half way even as her book deadline and subsequent tour loom in the horizon. At it's core this story seems to explore the everyday trivialities that make a relationship difficult to establish. How do we make do with whatever time we have to spend together? Edward's solutions seem promising.

In this story we have Alec starring as the bad guy. He's the crappy boyfriend that did a number on Bella. His actions are the definition of cowardice and I sensed a bit of foreshadowing that tells me that he will be back and it won't be pleasant.

Did I mention there are some generous lemons sprinkled throughout?

"Bella, ye are so damn sexy. Ye better get in before I take ye right here."

A soft moan escaped my lips as he let me go. I dropped the robe and slowly lowered myself in the tub. It felt heavenly after all the running around I had done today. I looked up at Edward as he watched me with such lust in his eyes.

"Are you going to join me?"

"I thought ye'd never ask."Edward dropped his boxers and I sat up so he could lower himself behind me. I leaned back on his chest as he wrapped his arms around me. A soft sigh left my lips.

"Better, darlin'?"

"Much."

We soaked in the bath for a while relaxing and enjoying being in each other's arms. I started to doze off when I felt Edward's hands start to caress my sides gently up and down, his hands always stopping shy of the underside of my breasts.

He continued teasing me with sensual strokes of his hands on my sides. I lowered my hands and started massaging his upper thighs while I heard a moan escape his lips. My hands became a little rougher as Edward's torturous hands still didn't move to where I wanted them most.

As if reading my mind his hand finally moved to cup my breasts and pinch my nipples. I could feel the growing heat between my legs. I steadied myself holding Edward's knees as I shifted and turned to straddle his lap.

I lowered my lips to his taking them in a passionate kiss. He wrapped his arms around me as I rubbed my pussy over his hard cock. I lowered my hand between our bodies, pumping his cock in my hand as my tongue stroked his.

"Darlin', you're killing me."

I will leave you to find the rest of it as you read...

I am seven chapters in and eager to read the next four. Aside from the two main characters, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett do feature quire prominently. Edward is a lovable guy and though I admit his speech took me some getting used to as I hadn't come across it before it works really well. Oh and the Gaelic he throws out every now and again is pretty cool too. So give it a shot and if you have some time please leave this story a nice review. I know writers love to hear from their readers. Oh and one more thing, if I could appeal to everybody that reads this and reviews not just this story, but any story at all- be nice. We often don't realize how much our words stay with people long after they've left us.

Happy reading!

New Fic of the Week: 1/23/12

2012-01-26T07:58:00.006-05:00

Blind Spot by FictionFreak95

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7705638/1/Blind_Spot

Review by Obsmama

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Drama
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: All her life, Bella Swan saw things before they happened, until him. He was her blind spot. How do you stay out of someone's life when you see it flashing before your eyes on a daily basis? AH,BxE

You have me. Forever.

Those four words speak so much to me as a reader. Because as a reader, Fictionfreak95 does have me. Forever. I adore her writing style and she's a master storyteller. I have such a personal connection to this story because I was lucky enough to be there the day the idea came her. She mentioned in passing a tv show that she was losing interest in but had sparked the idea of a psychic Bella; not necessarily the fortune teller type psychic we are use to in canon Alice, but a more modern day version. One that feels peoples pasts and futures, one that struggles to fit in her small town with the knowledge that she has. I was hooked and begging for more. Jo was still writing Meet the Masen's, so she just kept saying we’ll see. Here we are and I can’t tell you how blown away I am already, only 5 chapters in. The reason this story is already so fascinating to me is how layered her characters are, how emotionally connected I am.

His voice was low and needy, rough and sultry as he teased, "You're mine, now."

I always was.

The illumination of a soft glow shimmered from one of the windows as we approached our new home. I felt the anticipation of what was about to take place when he opened the door for us, whisking me up into his arms to carry me across the threshold.

His smile was disarming. His lips even more so as they traveled along my jaw, underneath the soft curls that dangled against the back of my neck, then finally, near the upward tilted corners of my mouth. He was everywhere.

Soft fabrics surrounded us in the bedroom. In our bed. I couldn't quite make the colors out, but they felt like deep purples and reds and sheer curtains rippled from the breeze flowing into the room as though reaching out to me..

Gently scented candles flickered and danced, invading my senses, romanticizing the mood. As though it needed any help.

"I want you."

You have me. Forever.

The dress I'd worn was gone and his black suit as well as he hovered above me, placing soft, tender, needy kisses, much like he was following a map of some sort to my lips.

The backs of his fingers moved lightly against hardened nipples… down along the dip between my breasts, slowing against my belly, stopping only when he found the wetness that was a direct reaction to his touch.

To everything about him.

Slight wrinkles appeared at the edges of his eyes when he smiled down at me and my heart wanted to burst from the intensity of what he was conveying in that smile.

I knew him.

Better than he knew himself.

"I'll always protect you."

From what? I wondered, but not for long.

As we meet these characters, they feel like friends already. I feel comfortable with them, their life so relatable. With Edward there is such sadness but you get these fantastic flashes of happiness from him in his past, how carefree he was and its so heartbreaking to see where his life is now. So as he sets off for a tiny Louisiana town full of crazy characters. We have hope that maybe he can find some of that carefree back. I’m so excited to watch the supporting characters plot lines, as well. I know she's got some superb things worked out for them. One of the biggest characters so far for Edward is his relationship with his dead brother, Garrett, and how much it tortures him even though we don’t know why yet.This story is so full of relationships and love in all forms and we see how family (blood and and chosen) work. Bella’s friendship with Emmett might be my very favorite thing in this entire story so far.

"Yo BELL!"

I pulled the door open again and smiled at him. "What are you doing? I thought you had to cover all of Rose's shifts for the week?"

"On a break, wanted to come by and say hi to my favorite girl."

Emmett winked and then picked me up to twirl me around just like he had my whole life as I squealed.

"I'm telling Rose you said that," I teased, slapping his arm when he put me down.

"You wouldn't."

"I totally would."

"Bella, no." He got down on one knee and pretended to beg, kissing my hand. "Please!"

I just laughed at the buffoon. He was so terrible, that Emmett McCarty.

"You want dinner, I'm guessing."

"You offering?"

I threw my hands up and turned to go to the kitchen. "I don't understand how you own a diner, and yet come to Gran's to eat."

He closed the front door for me. "Too much of the same food over at the diner, and besides, Gran's a better cook then me any day of the year." Then he elbowed me as he made his way past me into the kitchen and helped himself to some of Gran's leftovers.

I sat down across from him at the kitchen table and watched him eat like he hadn't been fed since Rose left. I just had to laugh at him as I picked from his plate of fried chicken legs and mashed potatoes.

Come on down to Madisonville, Louisiana have some catfish, a cold beer and settle in with me while Jo tells us a tale.

Completed Fic of the Week: 1/23/12

2012-01-24T21:01:00.000-05:00

Merry Textmas by DiamondHeart78

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6486529/1/Merry_Textmas

Review by AnonymouslySufferingFromOCD

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Humor
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Bella is forced to tackle the crowds on Black Friday with her best friend, Angela. Can a random text message from a wrong number change the course of her day and her life? Banter galore! AH. VOTER'S CHOICE WINNER for the Naughty & Nice Holiday Contest!

We’ve all done it, gotten that text from a random person that we have never met before. For most of us that means nothing. We ask who it is, they reply sorry wrong number, or something of the like and we move on never giving it another thought.

Imagine though, if you kept texting the random person, and said random person turns out to be Edward freaking Cullen…That would make all of our inner Bella Swan’s very happy indeed.

This story was a breath of fresh air for me. To be perfectly honest I have found myself sliding into that angsty place, that I really don’t like to go to, lately and I needed some good stories to pull me out of it.

The story begins with Bella and her best friend Angela out shopping on Black Friday much to Bella’s dismay, when she gets a text from a random unknown sender asking if she is meeting him out later that night.

I have a couple of co-workers, family members and friends to shop for, but something tells me I won't find anything here that my dad, Charlie, will like. I make a mental note to look for some lures for his fishing obsession online later. As I go rummaging through my black hole of a purse to find a pen to add a note next to my dad's name, my phone vibrates, signaling a text message. Strangely, it's from an unknown number.

Hey. Just woke up. We still on for later? The Sleeping Beagle down on E 40th. 9pm.

I look at it for a moment, running through the list of people I know who might be texting me this early in the morning. Did I make plans with someone without knowing?

Angie briefly catches my expression, looking concerned. "What is it? Did something happen?"

"No, no, nothing. But I just got a text from an unknown number, look," I say, extending my arm for her to read the phone's screen.

"Hmm. Weird. Maybe you met someone, gave your number to them when you were drunk or something?" she remarks, grinning mischievously.

"Ha ha. Not funny. I seriously don't know who this is."

"Well, text them back, doofus." I widen my eyes at her and sigh.

"Ok, then. Here goes."

Who is this?

Edward had just purchased a new phone and had accidentally superimposed Jasper’s number in his contacts, but becomes very intrigued by the random girl who received his text. The texting goes on for hours; random pictures are exchanged and they even get into the sexting department before Bella even leaves the mall.

This is the most unique form of twenty questions that I have read in a while. They really spend a lot of time getting to know each other with no preconceived notions, and they both feel that instant bond that we have all come to expect from Edward and Bella. The banter that goes on between them is hilarious and you can’t help but cheer for them right from the start.

Despite only being five chapters long, DiamondHeart78 really does a great job at bringing us an all around great story. There is the perfect amount of everything. From humor, to drama, to fluff and best of all for me no angst, this story has it all. Don’t get me wrong, there is some drama, things aren’t always perfect but that is okay, because we all know that life isn’t perfect. However we get to learn and grow with these characters and for me that makes a great story. I really hope you check it out, don’t let the title fool you it is a great year round story!

WIP of the Week: 1/23/12

2012-01-23T21:33:00.000-05:00

Fated Love by twilover76

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7189026/1/Fated_Love

Review by Agrutle

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Hurt/Comfort
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Bella's life is a somewhat lonely existence, until one day she unexpectedly meets her soulmate. SexyBella and Doctorward fall head over heels quickly. Will their friends and family approve of their whirlwind romance? AH/M for a reason

Love at first sight is thought of often as mythological, not real. Not so for Bella and Edward, after seeing each other in different spots of New York City, getting stuck in an elevator is exactly what the pair needed to get them together to see if the pull they felt before was real in the flesh.

Tragedy struck when Bella was just eighteen, having her dad, her only living parent, killed in the line of duty. Being an adult already, she was able to stay in her home and finish her senior year. She had the help of her brother, Emmett and his girlfriend, Rosalie. They would come home from college when they could to check on her. After Emmett gets drafted to play for the Chicago Bears, they ask her to move with them too. She wants them to have their own lives, and she feels like she’s already burdened them too much.

In New York City, after her best friends Angela’s wedding, Bella is trying to check out of her hotel room and gets the strangest sensation and turns around, sees him, and her heart starts to race. She is instantly attracted to him. Knowing that she most likely won’t see him again, she pushes it out of her mind and heads to the airport. A thunderstorm grounds the flights until the next day, so she heads back to her hotel room that she was charged for already. On the elevator, Bella and Edward start their love story.

"My name is Edward Cullen. I figured we should introduce ourselves," I said, giving her a smile.

"Isabella Swan, but I prefer Bella." She smiled back. Her voice flowed over me like dark honey.Her smile alone made my heart pound. I had never felt anything like that before. I knew it was probably Lifetime movie network worthy, but I couldn't help it. I was smitten.

"Bella. Beautiful. Very fitting." I nodded as I said her name out loud. I saw her blush, even in the dim glow of the emergency light. "It's nice to meet you, Bella."

I couldn't resist leaning in a little closer and breathing in her potent and desirable scent. I inhaled sharply when her small hand reached up and brushed my cheek. I closed my eyes and leaned into her touch. She pulled back slightly, and I opened my eyes to see her biting her bottom lip.

"Sorry. You….it's just….um…." she softly mumbled, as if embarrassed.

"Shhh, beautiful. It's good. I liked it." I didn't want her to be embarrassed. I wanted her to touch me. Everywhere. That touch re-ignited my cock which was then painfully hard. I felt like an out-of-control teenager.

"Really?" she asked, moving in closer. I held my breath in anticipation, thinking that she might initiate a kiss; I didn't want to do anything to scare her away. We were so close, I could feel her breath as she exhaled on my face. At the last second, instead of heading for my lips, she leaned into my neck and inhaled deeply. My hand that had been stroking her hair stopped on the back of her head, holding her close to me.

"Can you feel this, too?" she whispered near my ear.

"Yes, beautiful girl. I feel it. I don't know what it is, but I feel it, too," I said as she leaned back to bring us face to face again. Her hands moved around to the back of my neck, and she played with the ends of my hair. My eyes slid from hers down to her lips and back up again, silently asking permission. She smiled and nodded slightly; I slowly leaned forward, giving her plenty of opportunity to pull back if she wanted. Instead, she closed the gap herself, and our lips met halfway.

That’s all it took, they spend the night together. Bella decides she can’t live without Edward and they talk about her moving to Chicago and living with him on a trial basis. If, once she gets there and they don’t mix well, no harm not foul, Emmett and Rose would be there and she could stay with them. To worry about this was ridiculous because they were two halves of a whole, soul mates. Things progress nicely and they fall in love even more daily.

"Bella." I said, grabbing her hands, and looking into her eyes. Please love me like I love you, beautiful girl. I dropped down to one knee in front of her, pulled out the small velvet box, opened it, and placed it in her hand.

"Bella, my love. Every day I spend with you makes me fall in love with you even more. I can't thank God enough for bringing you into my life. I never believed in fate until I saw you crossing the lobby for that elevator and I knew with every cell in my body I had to get to you before those doors closed." She smiled at me through her tears. "I love you more than anything and I promise to love you and cherish you for the rest of my life. Isabella Marie Swan, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" She sobbed. "Yes, my Edward, I will marry you. I love you so much." She was trembling with emotion as the tears ran down her face along with the rain. I slid the ring on her finger, her hand shaking, and she smiled at the perfect fit. The pixie strikes again.

"It was my grandmother Masen's engagement ring. I hope you like it." I told her.

Their whirlwind romance captures you from the start and you get caught up in the happiness they share. The author has that special something that makes you feel the butterflies of anticipation when the love birds are together. You must check out this beautiful story and show the author some love.

2011-12-11T20:28:00.000-05:00

We will be closed for pimpin' through the month of December for much needed time for the holidays and organizing! I want to personally thank everyone who has helped with the blog this past year! I couldn't do this without all of the wonderful support from staff, guest reviewers and people who get the word out about us! I will still be tweeting updates and will be around, so feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday season and fantastic end to 2011! See you in the New Year! XOXO!

One Shot of the Week: 11/28/11

2011-12-03T11:02:00.001-05:00

Cinnamon Bread and Awkward Head by VampiresHaveLaws

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5823628/1/Cinnamon_Bread_and_Awkward_Head

Rating: M
Genre: Humor/Romance
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Entry for the Awkward Contest - Sugar and Spice and all things awkward. Will Edward's embarrassing behaviour blow his chances with the girl of his choice? Or will cinnamon gum lover Isabella Swan know just what to do with him? O/S AH - 2nd Place Winner.

TennesseeLamb's Rec of the Week: 11/28/11

2011-12-02T09:26:00.001-05:00

Stolen Secrets & Shattered Dreams by FoxxyJ

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7385951/1/Stolen_Secrets_and_Shattered_Dreams

Review by TennesseeLamb

Rating: M
Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Drama
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: A NYC barman views his mind reading as an isolating cancer, until he meets a lonely 28yr old trying to escape her sad reality. His life is full of harsh lessons. Hers an uphill battle, so she never complains when a beautiful boy treats her badly. EXB AH

If Tom Cruise had Renee Zellweger at “Hello”, then FoxxyJ had me at “No ripping foil packets!” That’s right, I was pulled into this story on the sole fact that I would not have my (yes, MY) lemon interrupted with a frigging condom PSA. Now, before you write me off or make an even bigger mistake and forgo this story because of your moral obligations to safe sex, you might want to take a peek at this fic and stake your claim as an early reader because it is about to take off like the Space Shuttle.

The premise is a truly unique twist on Edward’s mind-reading capabilities and the barriers he creates to keep people and their thoughts at bay. He is still our favorite tortured soul, but he has a playfulness that carefully masks his pain. FoxxyJ has an imagination like no other, taking the characters we love and turning them into people we want to meet. Most of her story takes place in Edward’s bar named BE Bar. Edward and Jasper are stars in a nightly show at the Manhattan BE Bar, asking their patrons to follow three simple rules:

1. Leave your troubles at the door. (You quickly find out why this is the Golden Rule of Be Bar.)
2. Address the staff by name. (I ask you, when is a name just a name?)
3. Just be. (This is harder than it seems, for us and for Bella.)

The moment Bella steps into BE Bar, she grabs our attention with her mind chatter and stream of consciousness. She is a young lady with a lot on her mind and it is taking its toll on her spirit. However, buried beneath the worry and stress is a simple romantic soul in need. Specifically, Bella is in need of change for the pay phone and an orgasm. Sounds simple enough, right?

"I want you to follow the rules."

"I can't. They're too hard," she admitted, although it pained her to do so.

"Ah, finally you're being honest. That's a start. Thank you." He leaned with his arms folded on the bar, bringing him down to her height. She could look him right in the eye.

"I'll make you a deal then. I'll loan you the quarters. You have to bring them back here tomorrow night after work, but before I do, I want you to think about what you want. What would you like right now to make you feel happy and free? Maybe it's something I can give you—maybe not—but I want you to think about it. Deal?"

Bella had to agree that this deal was a lot easier than what she had been expecting. At his words, she felt a sense of relief and wanted to try what he had suggested.

"Deal. I'll bring the quarters back tomorrow night."

"Good. Close your eyes." His smooth voice and the unusual ambiance of the place made it easy to do. Bella closed her eyes and held onto the brass railing to steady herself.

"Now, think about the one thing that would make you feel alive and free right now. Anything you desire, if everything were possible."

At the mention of the word desire, Bella's sexual thoughts reared again. She loved his voice. It was gentle on her ears, and she wondered if he could sing, too. Quieting her mind, she thought about what she wanted right now.

What would end the day from hell on a good note?

What do I want?

Oh God, yes, an orgasm.

But how…

Oh, from him. Yes, from this annoying sexy stranger. He can give me one and the quarters.

But where…

Somewhere I'd never do it. Where? Just be… Just feel…

Oh, yes, here…on the bar…in public…with his tongue.

Trust me. You want to know how Edward sees this image in Bella’s mind and what it forces him to do. FoxxyJ’s Edward doesn’t just read minds, that implies a choice. It is more like he lives in a room of powered up TV’s - some muted and some with the volume up to deafening levels, leaving Edward forced to live with distractions. His trust and vulnerability are tightly guarded under a mask of games and parlor tricks. This story is not just generic fic with witty banter and steamy lemons. It is a story you want to go on forever because it pulls you away from your everyday routine, allowing a few moments of escape while reminding you that love and acceptance is all we really want in this life. Its immediate draw reminds me of a book I picked up a few years ago about a high school girl who falls in love with a vampire.

I suggest you block out several hours and put the Do Not Disturb sign on your door. This story is going to keep you up all night. FoxxyJ keeps your mind engaged with the carefully constructed plot line and your libido humming with the spicy lemonade served up at BE Bar. Currently, Stolen Secrets and Shattered Dreams is 9 chapters, which is just enough to make you sleep deprived for two days, but not nearly enough to satisfy your craving for more. FoxxyJ updates regularly and her author’s notes deserve their own reviews! I have been reading fan fiction for two years and I am uber picky about what I read. Life is too short and time is too precious for recycled story lines or sloppy lemons. Stolen Secrets and Shattered Dreams is worth letting the laundry pile up on the couch and settling for that B- instead of the A. This is not a story to be put on your “to be read” list. This is a “drop everything and run right now” story that will end up in the Fic Hall of Fame.

There are many Edwards in fic archives and but only a few epic ones - Fifty, Penny, Ned, Dick,...ladies, meet Sugarlips.

LadyTazz7's Rec of the Week: 11/28/11

2011-12-01T18:42:00.001-05:00

Compulsions by MissKingAtYourService

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6753085/1/Compulsions

Review by LadyTazz7

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Angst
Characters: Carlisle & Bella

Summary: Fate seems to have thrown these two together. Will one explosive night of sex be enough or will destiny bring them closer? Can a relationship develop among the shambles of both of their lives? OOC, AH.

Most people are aware that I’m helplessly in love with Carlisle Cullen. Carlisle/Bella is my favorite pairings to read. And write. When I came across Compulsions, I was instantly lost in the story. MissKingAtYourService takes you on a wild and amazing ride. This is a must read for any Bella/Carlisle lover.

We begin with Bella’s friends taking her out for a night on the town to a Swinger’s Club to make sure she gets laid.

(From chapter 1)

Staring into the mirror, I cringed as my hair was tugged and teased into a tangled mess. Or as Alice and Rose would argue; sex hair. My eyes had never stood out so much, the black eyeliner framing my chocolate eyes, and black glitter eye shadow finished the look. I was going to look like a call girl.

"Oh, Bella, you're gonna get so much attention, whoever gets you is one lucky guy," Rose beamed.

Crap. "What if I get a fat middle-aged psycho?"

"Um, well, you could just close your eyes and fantasize again. After all, that's what you're good at."

"Shut up, Alice, this is serious. I can't believe I let you talk me into this."

"Look, Bella, you'll be fine. This is just about sex, and you don't have to be attractive to be good in bed."

Shrugging, I turned back to the mirror, "Okay, so what am I gonna wear? I could wear my little black dress."

While across town Carlisle is getting ready to confront his cheating wife at the very same Swinger club.

(From chapter 1)

Grabbing the package from the P.I, I pulled the contents out, splaying them over the desk. She had been with five different men that I knew of. I had to go to the club, to confront them, to find her. Looking through them, I found the name of the place; The Sleepy Hollow. How nice.

Searching on the internet, I found the place she had been visiting. It was described as a place for couples to relax and socialize. Yeah right, my wife was apparently socializing with everyone she could get her claws into. Scribbling down the address, I stood and walked to the window.

I had thought I was enough for her sexually, but obviously I was not.

So, we have two lost souls going to a swingers club for completely different reasons.

(From chapter 1)

My breath caught in my throat when I came face to face with the girl standing there. She was stunning, her hair tousled beautifully, her deep brown eyes staring into mine. She looked so innocent. She was wearing a black trench coat that fell just above the knee, and her legs went on for miles, finished off with red stilettos.

Her attire screamed sex. However, her eyes betrayed her. She looked like a frightened deer caught in the headlights. What the hell was she doing here?

(From chapter 2)

Staring at the talk, dark, and handsome man in the doorway, I didn't know whether to run away and hide or to introduce myself. What was I supposed to say? 'Hey, my name's Bella and I'm here to fuck anything that moves. Maybe that would be a little too forward.

"I'm here for the um..."

A smile spread across his face at the sight of my blushing cheeks. Giving a slight smile back, I stepped inside, my eyes still glued to his bright blue eyes.

"You could call it a party?"

I nodded instantly, accepting his polite suggestion. And to think I had been worried about meeting a middle-aged man. I was extremely happy to have met him; age didn't matter when you looked as good as that. The rough-handed Mike shoved me hard with his bony shoulder, scowling at him. His eyes flickered from me to the handsome door man.

"Oh, this is Mike, he's, um...my friend."

The man before me nodded sternly toward Mike, "It's nice to see someone with such manners." His voice was soft yet stern. Blushing lightly, I smiled as I saw the anger growing on Mike's face. Nobody had ever stuck up for me like that before, and he didn't even know me. Perhaps chivalry wasn't dead after all.

Muttering something under his breath, Mike stormed off in the direction of the low music. Glancing around, I didn't know where to put myself. Deciding I should probably go with Mike, I turned to the man, "It was nice meeting you...?"

"Carlisle. And you?"

"Bella." I nodded before turning and walking down the hall.

I love this Bella, she is bolder and more confident than many I read. There are no words to describe how in love I am with this Carlisle, he is just sex on legs.

(From chapter 2)

Turning, I saw that Carlisle was following me as I made my way to the stairs before stopping and tugging the horrible shoes from my sore feet. He let out another heartwarming laugh as he grabbed my shoes and helped to steady me up the stairs. "I should feel guilty taking an inebriated young woman up to a hotel room."

Flushing, I tried to concentrate on my feet and keep my mind out of the gutter. If I analyzed it too much, I would end up backing out of it. Checking the key, I looked for our room; number thirteen, unlucky for some, but not for me. Fumbling around with the lock, Carlisle seemed to notice I was having a hard time, so he took the key from me. Opening the door, he allowed me to go in first.

Before I could lose my nerve, I pulled the belt free and pushed the coat over my shoulders and allowed it to drop to the floor, revealing my outfit for the evening. Turning to meet Carlisle's expression, I let a sultry smile spread across my face. His eyes grew wide as he dropped my shoes and the key to the floor.

Can a chance meeting a swinger club be more than a one night stand? Read this amazing, sexy story and find out. Compulsions is 10 chapters in and let me tell you, MissKingAtYourService keeps you on toes, and she leaves you wanting more! Tazzy gives this story 2 thumbs up!!

SammieLynnsMom's Rec of the Week: 11/28/11

2011-11-29T21:45:00.001-05:00

The Procrustean Bed by gemini13me

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6991264/1/The_Procrustean_Bed

Review by SammieLynnsMom

Rating: M
Genre: Drama/Romance
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: A Procrustean Bed- a standard or set of conditions, determined arbitrarily, to which everyone is forced to conform. But the question is... are there really any rules when it comes to the affairs of the heart?

When I stumbled on The Procrustean Bed the first time, I had to admit I tilted my head to the side just at the title. Not wanting to look up the word to figure out what the heck it meant, I was happy to see a definition given in the summary. From there, my interest was piqued and then I couldn’t put it down.

The story starts off as a mystery; as Bella, a college student who works in a bookstore literally runs into Edward Cullen, a millionaire lawyer, with a steaming cup of coffee at Starbucks. We learn from the beginning that Edward is a widower after losing his wife, Tanya, to cancer. Bella, who lives with her crass best-friend, Angela, is just getting by each day at a time.

When Edward stumbled into the bookstore Bella works in, you’d think sparks would fly like any other romance story, right? No, and it’s also what drug me into this story further, because I had to know how these two worked out. The journey to finding true love and understanding is slow, and involves a meddling little Jessica, Edward’s niece, after he brings her on a trip to the bookstore. From there, Gemini13me takes her readers on a ride that show’s how Edward slowly begins to come to terms with the loss of his wife, as Bella grows into the role of more.

The story is currently a work in progress. After a trip to the Czech Republic, Edward and Bella connect in a way that they know they can no longer deny, but Bella has yet to meet Edward’s family. Unlike most stories; Edward had refused to bend to his family’s will his entire life, and has even hung up on his mother, that everyone will agree is Satan herself.

"I'm ready," I said, trying to sound as confident as I could. "I want to meet your mother."

Although on the outside I was putting up a brave front, on the inside I was scared shitless. The fear of that terrible woman had irrevocably squeezed its way into my heart and an obsessive prayer was repeating into my mind incessantly.

God help me.

We know the next chapter will bring us to the prologue and will be nothing short of a showdown, which has me definitely stalking for an update! So, go read, you won’t regret it!

JasperLuver48's Rec of the Week: 11/28/11

2011-11-28T22:16:00.001-05:00

His Grandfather's Watch by owenic

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7464226/1/His_Grandfathers_Watch

Review by JasperLuver48

Rating: M
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Characters: Edward & Jasper

Summary: It was just another day at Cullen Antiquities for Edward, until Jasper walked in with a watch. "It was my grandfathers. I was hoping you could tell me something about it." Rated M. E&J Slash.

His Grandfather’s Watch by Owenic is one of the most beautifully told stories I’ve ever read and has quickly made its way to the top of my favorites list. It’s a short story, told in only six chapters and one outtake, but don’t for one second believe that just because it’s short that Owenic doesn’t have a full and amazing story to tell.

Jasper Whitlock has an old pocket watch that belonged to his grandfather and he’s trying to find out as much information about it as possible. He brings it to Cullen Antiquities where he is led to Edward, an expert in old clocks. He asks Edward to take a look at it and tell him anything he might be able to find out.

Edward finds a photograph in the back casing of the watch and calls Jasper immediately. They determine that one of the men is his grandfather who is in an embrace with a man that is clearly that of a lover. This is when Jasper decides to ask his grandmother about the photograph, but is scared.

You see, Jasper’s grandmother has dementia, a disease that deteriorates the mind and causes you to lose touch with reality at times. Edward offers to help Jasper get the answers he wants because Jasper is alone in his search.

In the following days, Jasper and Edward make a connection with each other and it leads to something special. The more Edward finds out about Jasper, the more he wants to be there for him and comfort him in ways that Jasper obviously needs but has a hard time showing it.

They get some information out of his grandmother and go on a search through old photographs and such to find their answers.

Then there is the outtake. I will warn you ahead of time that you are going to need tissues for this outtake because it’s heartbreaking in parts yet one of the most brilliantly written pieces of writing I’ve ever read. It’s the story of Hale Whitlock, Jasper’s grandfather, and the love of his life, Billy.

I absolutely can’t not express to you in words how much I love this story and how heartwarming it is, yet so sad and full of questions that Jasper needs to have answered in order to really understand who he is.

Now, let’s take a moment to let me fangirl over Owenic because I swear to you she is one of the best fan fic writers I’ve ever encountered and that’s saying something because believe me, I read a lot. It started off when I read a review of one of her other stories, Sixty Five Hours, written by the girls of the Perv Pack’s Smut Shack and I couldn’t pass it up, they made it sound far too amazing but in reality they were being completely truthful. Every story I’ve ever read by this amazing author has grabbed my attention in the first few paragraphs and held it tight until the end.

There’s something so special about her writing style and the way she tells a story. The descriptions, the characters, the overall plot line are all weaved together so intricately that even if you wanted to stop, you probably couldn’t. (But I assure you, you won’t want to!)

I can’t say enough good things about this story. To sum it all up, if you want to read something sweet and to the point about a boy who needed some help understanding some things from his past and in the end finds more than he ever could have hoped for, His Grandfather’s Watch is the story for you.

One Shot of the Week: 11/21/11

2011-11-26T10:09:00.001-05:00

Forever by kas90

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6350255/1/Forever

Rating: M
Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Angst
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: We can't always keep our promises of forever. Written for the Love Lost contest.

Submitted Fic of the Week: 11/21/11

2011-11-24T13:12:00.001-05:00

Swim Tadpole, Swim

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6415144/1/Swim_Tadpole_Swim

Review by AnonymouslySufferingFromOCD

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Angst
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: AU/AH EPOV Lemons/adult themes. "Grasp your partner's hips. Push deep with your thumbs," the teacher announces... I don't know what came over me but my lips were at her mercy the moment they touched hers. Why am I so mesmerized by this older woman?

Swim Tadpole, Swim, is the type of story that really has it all. It’s catergorized as Romance/Angst, and there is plenty of both throughout the story. However, there is also a fair amount of humor and smut to help balance it all out. The story begins with a twenty-one year old college student, Edward, lusting after a thirty-six year old, divorced, single mother Bella. It isn’t that he can’t get whoever he wants, because let’s face it, we know he can, but Edward, wise beyond his years and lacking the patience for women his own age has his heart set on Bella. He doesn’t know what he is getting himself into when he follows her to her yoga class and signs himself up.

She's looking at me; eyes tracing me up and down and she's acting like she's not interested but I know differently. She kissed me back when I practically assaulted her in the hallway here at the gym last week. I was feeling brave and she said she was having a bad day. I don't know what came over me but my lips were at her mercy the moment they touched hers. Why am I so mesmerized by this older woman? There are plenty of girls at school who are interested in me but they don't seem to hold my attention like she does. I don't follow any other women around like I do with her. She fascinates me. I watch her enter her favorite coffee shop in the morning, I watch her enter her office with her shades on and I envy every client that goes in there and has her hands on them. I don't care if she's sticking needles in them; if she's touching them then they're lucky sons of bitches.

Bella, an acupuncturist/masso-therapist has some issues. She is still on relatively good terms with her ex-husband, Jacob Black. Of course that is because they still have sex regularly and Jacob, who cheated on Bella has verbally insulted her so much throughout her life that she believes everything he has ever said about her. She has horrible self-esteem issues, giving her a massive fear of commitment because she is convinced that if she doesn’t commit to anyone she can always have the upper hand. Bella doesn’t let her self-esteem issues ruin her though, most people see her as a confidant, sexy, and snarky bitch.

Bella falls hard for our favorite fictional character but she is afraid of her feelings, she tries to push him away and does succeed for a small period of time. Edward really has his work cut out for him in this story. He not only has to convince Bella that it is possible for a twenty-one year old to be irrevocably in love with a thirty-six year old, but he also has to convince her that he can be a worthy step-father to her daughter as well as a father to any other children they may decide to have. He also has to learn to understand her holistic life-style.

As always, Edward is good at everything he puts his mind to, and he takes to being a pseudo stepfather with his usual grace.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Cori's yelling in her bed for Bella and has woken me up out of a very deep sleep. Bella doesn't stir, doesn't move. I roll out from under her, slip into my boxers, my pajama bottoms and a tee shirt. I drag my feet out into the hallway and straight into Cori's room. She's crying and scared.

"Did you have a bad dream?" I ask as I rub the sleep out of my eyes. I can barely think straight.

"You left! You left me daddy!"

"Shhhh, I'm here," I say as I pat her hand. She's completely out of it and thinks I'm Jake.

"I need snuggles." She whimpers.

Snuggles? Does she mean –

She clambers out of bed and jumps up into my arms. She wraps herself around me and cries into my neck.

I pat her back and rock her back and forth.

"It's okay. We're still here."

"Don't leave!" she whines as she clings even tighter. She's practically choking me.

As I said earlier, Scarlettplay has done a great job with this story it really has a little bit of everything and I know that you will enjoy it as much as I have. Although I will warn you that it does end rather abruptly. However that is only because it is the first in what looks like will be a three story saga. The second story, Drifting in the Brine, is also complete. The third story only has one chapter posted and I am hoping if you all go out and read and review the first two, we may be able to convince Scarlettplay to write a little faster!

New Fic of the Week: 11/21/11

2011-11-24T13:08:00.001-05:00

Rogue by Openhome

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6642206/1/Rogue

Rating: T
Genre: Humor/Drama
Characters: Jasper & Alice

Summary: Rogue is the continuation of Coalescence. It is Alice and especially Jasper's journey through the Twilight Saga. Jasper's past intermingles with his present as he comes to terms with himself and his choices.

Review coming soon.

Banner by JaimeArkin

Completed Fic of the Week: 11/21/11

2011-11-23T11:10:00.001-05:00

La Bella Addormentata by Einfach Mich

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7513116/1/La_Bella_Addormentata

Review by TheRainGirl

Rating: M
Genre: Mystery
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Bella gets a new job with a strange twist. Edward is a vampire with a very particular fetish. AU, OOC, Dark fun. Halloween Treat.

This was poetry.

Dark, coiling, sensual, and enthralling.

I didn't want to like EFM's Edward and I really didn't know what to make of Bella, yet I kept reading.

I found myself gripping my computer like a vice as I read the words that circled my heart and mind in a haze of beautiful words and terrifying images.

It was so intriguing and encapsulating that I couldn't stop. Mere moments and I was finished. I actually went back and reread.

Einfach Mich has written a stunning and appealing tale with such evocative imagery, it grips you. It holds you tight, but not like a mother’s embrace. Her story of desire and lust, protection and predation coerces you into a grasp of claws and blood, but there is beauty in pain.

A selflessness is embedded in each of her main characters, not a self-loss, but an unselfish desire to be whole, to do the right thing, and to behold the perfect piece you didn’t know you had lost.Her Bella is a strong, smart, emotional girl struggling to protect and stay true to her loyalty.

Her Edward is a beast filled with vices and pain, but an overarching desire to be good, do good, and have good.

They both sacrifice and suffer. They both succeed and survive.

This is a short look into their dark world and their even darker journey. We can follow along as they stumble into the light.

I was thoroughly enticed and delightfully entertained. Truly.Go read- La Bella Addormentata.<3 Tell her Rain sent you.

WIP of the Week: 11/21/11

2011-11-21T22:08:00.001-05:00

The Walls of Dreaming by Her Mighty Ubergeekness

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7266225/1/The_Walls_of_Dreaming

Reviewed by MandaLyn

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Suspense
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Several years after Edward leaves her, Bella is an adrenaline junkie that crosses paths with the Cullen family during her University studies. Her world is turned upside down with the new dangers she faces. Who will save her now?

If you demand both an interesting story line and an amazingly well-written fic, The Walls of Dreaming fits the bill better than anything else out there. Her Mighty Ubergeekness takes Bella a few years into the future, leaving off from Edward’s exit in New Moon, and shows us the woman she could have become away from the Cullen family. A design student in college and a major adrenaline junkie, Bella is intelligent, witty, and fun to read. She is dealing with her past in a very realistic and believable fashion that is told in a way that the reader is really pulled into her head and heart.

As wonderful as Bella is written in this tale, it’s really the characterization of Edward that appeals the most to me. Her Mighty Ubergeekness shows us what he really might have been like, having existed since the early 1900’s and being the intelligent and, when it comes to love, clueless soul he might have been. This is not a tale where Edward shows up and Bella throws her arms around him and all is forgiven. Bella and Edward really have to work through their issues and it’s done in a very entertaining and engaging, and most importantly a very believable, way.

The rest of the Cullen family, along with a very interesting Jacob, are also featured in this story. The point-of-view changes in some chapters to include Bella, Esme, and Edward. Just check out the author’s note to see the creative way that Her Mighty Ubergeekness has fashioned to help the reader keep them all straight. I just can’t express how fantastic this fic it! It is an amazingly smart and fun fic. Check it out, you’ll be so glad you did.

Submitted Fic of the Week: 11/7/11

2011-11-11T20:07:00.001-05:00

1929 by deb24601

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5636885/1/1929

Review by AnonymouslySufferingFromOCD

Rating: M
Genre: Suspense/Romance
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: In 1918 Edward survives the Spanish Flu only to find his world forever altered. He goes on, playing piano in a speakeasy during Prohibiton, struggling to find meaning in life. Meeting Dream Girl gives him hope. He gives her a new take on "life". Not A/H

This story begins in 1918, where Edward is a teenager dreaming of joining the war effort while his parents are hoping that the war will end before his eighteenth birthday. As Edward’s family is stricken with the deadly Spanish Influenza his father makes a rather quick recovery. Unfortunately his mother Elizabeth isn’t so lucky and we find her begging our favorite Dr. Carlisle Cullen to save and protect her son no matter what measures he needs to take in order for that to happen. Edward Sr. making a full recovery isn’t the only difference from the original Twilight Saga. After his mother passes Edward Jr. is brought home to be nursed back to health by Dr. Cullen, the key word here is health.

Edward Sr. begins to battle some demons without his beloved Elizabeth and Edward has to find his own way in life. The war ends shortly after Edward recovers and he instead decides to pursue his mothers dream for him by attending college in Boston.

Edward majors in music and after graduating, returns to Chicago to work in a speakeasy during prohibition. When we join him again it is 1928 and he is haunted by dreams of his father, Dr. Cullen and a mystery woman whom he has never met.

I still dreamed about losing my father in the fog. Once I was away at school though, I dreamt more and more often about the girl with mahogany hair. Always the same scenario: the thick mist, me following her, realizing I was gaining on her and then reaching out to touch. Sometimes I missed and she would disappear in the fog, leaving me feeling empty, hollow. Sometimes, I caught her. With each dream I was more determined to turn her to me. I needed to see her face. Always, I felt the surprising shock when I grasped her shoulder. Always, I felt the amazing warmth that made me wake feeling more alone.

It isn’t until Edward meets his dream girl that he really begins to live. Edward was an old fashioned gentleman even in the 1920’s but Bella helps him find a new way. While he never gives up being a gentleman he is willing to make some sacrifices to be with a feisty, independent, free thinking Bella. Bella, who lives with her equally independent Aunt Rose (not to be confused with Rosalie) really turns his world upside down with her independence and he is in complete awe of her.

Edward and Bella begin a romance that can survive anything, as we all know they are destined to be together. He learns to be less old fashioned and more willing to go with the flow, while she learns to be less independent.

Bella was twisting the kaleidoscope in her hands and a little frown was creasing her forehead. Clearly, she still had something on her mind.

"The problem is I've made and changed decisions so often in the past couple of months. I would never marry, I might marry, I'd travel around the world on my own, I'd stay right here. That's not like me." She screwed up her nose. "I'm not indecisive or," she searched for the right word, "flighty". I chuckled lightly at her expression; that prospect was horrifying to her.

Bella brought the kaleidoscope up to her eye and gave a little sniff. "See there isn't anything in particular wrong with this picture... I just don't like it. I can feel the life being sucked right out of me just looking at it and I couldn't explain why. But I know I could never live with that picture."

She gave the copper tube a vigorous shake and looked again. "Well that's very pretty; I could live with this picture." Bella didn't look at me as she told me how much she admired Rose's adventures and thought I felt her wavering, questioning herself again. I'd had almost ten years of dreaming, hoping for Bella, my Dream Girl and I was still overwhelmed with the intensity of the feelings, the changes they had brought to my life. I had some sympathy for what she was going through and her struggle to reconcile her plans with my unexpected presence in her life. But that didn't mean I was going to give up without a fight. I reminded her of Rose's own words about how rare this thing between us was and how lucky we were to have found one another.

We do have some drama in this story and as the summary states it isn’t all-human. Dr. Cullen checks in on Edward from time to time, and it is a lucky thing he does when Bella gets into some trouble that Edward can’t help her through.

1929 is mostly in Edward’s POV, Bella’s POV comes around after we meet Carlisle again. Deb24601 really does a great job with writing this era. She has done a ton of research and it really shows in the story. Many times you feel like you are there and if you don’t feel like you are, you feel like you want to be. I love when authors really take the time to understand exactly what they are writing about instead of just guessing. This is a great, timeless story and I am sure you will enjoy it as much as I have.

New Fic of the Week: 11/7/11

2011-11-11T19:53:00.001-05:00

Five Colors in her Hair by Jennrosee

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7016581/1/Five_Colors_in_Her_Hair

Review by AbbyCreations

Rating: M

Genre: Humor/Drama

Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Conformity has always been the key to success in the sleepy town of Forks, Washington, but when the punky Bella Swan arrives, nerdy Edward Cullen learns it's okay to be a little different. The town of Forks will never be the same! Nerdyward/Punkella

When I first started reading fanfiction, I was mostly drawn to stories that followed the original story. At first I had no clue that it was ok to write the characters differently. Five Colors in Her Hair by Jennrosee gives us a Bella and Edward that are totally OOC but lovable all the same. Of course there are other characters who are less lovable- such as Alice and Carlisle. Alice is mean and bitchy, ruled by all that is superficial. She is not nice to Edward at all. Carlisle isn't much better, he is lacking parental skills.

Edward is a shy and nerdy kid who gets picked on by Mike "the dick" Newton. Bella is the new girl but she's not the shy, clumsy, socially awkward Bella we're used to seeing. She's feisty and a bit of a punk. She isn't one to take any shit and yet she's sweet to Edward. She takes to him rather quickly and it's interesting to see these two characters engage in what is a bit of a role reversal.

The story is told from Edward's point of view. Here is a little snippet of how he views himself:

Finally, there were my friends, Ben Cheney and Angela Weber, and I – the Outcasts, the bottom of the social food chain. Ben spoke with a lisp and had bad skin, but he was the most talented artist in the school and had won awards for quite a few of his paintings. Angela was a bit rounder than the rest of the girls; she was also kind and extremely intelligent. She and Ben had crushes on each other, but both were too shy to do anything about it, so they just sort of admired each other from a distance. As for me, well, there was nothing really special about me. I was a hardcore gamer, and I had a zombie apocalypse survival plan but no real talents to speak of. I was simply a loser.

His introduction of himself to Bella does not go well at all either.

"I'm Edward Cullen," I said with a smile, introducing myself to the empty chair next to me.

Yeah, I was a total loser.

Poor Nerdward needs a hug and some serious help. In the four chapters that are up we see him conquer his fear of speaking to Bella and a little progress is made. In Edward's corner, however, we have Emmett. As his older brother Emmett is also his protector offering to beat up whoever is giving him a hard time. He seems like a good seed thus far.

It's hard to tell where the story is going to go but I foresee a lot of character development for Edward. I find that the high school depiction is accurate and pleasant to read even when it's not pleasant at all.

I am happy that I was able to read and review this story. I will be following it from now on. Give it a chance and you will too!

Completed Fic of the Week: 11/7/11

2011-11-08T22:03:00.000-05:00

In the Shallows by Porcia

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6806523/1/In_the_Shallows

Review by IcarusToSun

Rating: M
Genre: Angst/Hurt/Comfort
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Everywhere I look, something reminds me of him. Smells, words, colours, songs. For two years I've cried over him. The best thing that's ever happened to me. The love of my life. He left because we were hurting. Because I was in the shallows.

In the Shallows by Porcia fell into my lap soon after it was posted on FF. The mysteriously poetic title called to me while fic diving one day and even though I wasn’t familiar with the author, I began reading. The summary hinted at angst, and it delivered just that in oodles. But what In the Shallows offers its readers is so much more. It’s a relatively short story, completed in 12 tiny chapters. Barely an eye full. But what it lacks in length it more than makes up in depth.

With poignant and skilfully chosen words, Porcia tells us the story of the joy of love, the sorrow of love lost, and the serenity of forgiveness. Mostly told through Bella’s point of view, the story opens on a sad note where we meet a 27 year old Bella still reeling from the sudden abandonment of Edward two years prior. The heartbreaking narrative makes it clear that she is far from over him:

The man beside me is wearing his cologne. Suddenly, I am seventeen years old again, my heart beats a bit quicker. After ten years, you'd think I would be used to it. After two years, you'd think I would have reversed the Pavlovian response I have to the smell. To the smell of him. (ch 1)

The chapters leap back and forth in time as it is revealed how the two met and fell in love as teens. Seeing the encounter through Bella’s eyes, the intense draw she felt for Edward is clear to the reader:

Green eyes. Green, green, green, green, green. He's tall, awkwardly so. His hair is brownish red. Freckles. His freckles match mine.

I'm convinced this is love at first sight. Green, green, green, green, green. (ch 4)

As the chapters unfold, we find out a thing or two about the blissfully happy life they once had as well as the gut wrenching tragedy that led to Edward’s departure from Bella’s life. We learn that it was a decision made unilaterally by Edward, and that at the time Bella did not understand it and was more or less an unwilling participant in the dissolution of their marriage:

If I sign these papers... I will have no family. No husband. No sister. No mother. No father. I will lose everything. He knows this. He knows how important they all are to me. But he still wants this. Up to now I haven't fought. I keep the apartment. That's it. There's nothing of his I want. I just want him. But that's apparently not something I can get in a divorce settlement. (ch 5)

Porcia does a magnificent job in depicting the journey that brings them back to one another again. Given its length, it’s a challenge reviewing the story that will do it justice without giving out too many spoilers. That being said, I wouldn’t be exaggerating one bit if I claimed that it’s one of the best love stories I have ever read. Some say that every story harbors a little part of its author in its folds. That statement is perhaps truer for In the Shallows than most. The concluding lines of the story, and the short AN that follows, touched me deeply and brought tears to my eyes. I couldn’t urge you strongly enough to read this special tale. It definitely deserves more attention.

Banner by JaimeArkin

WIP of the Week: 11/7/11

2011-11-07T21:54:00.000-05:00

Over the Rainbow by EquiVamp

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5947500/1/Over_The_Rainbow

Review by FictionFreak95

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Adventure
Characters: Bella

Summary: School's out for the summer and Bella's about to take a journey to the otherside of the rainbow. She knows her Lion, Scarecrow and Tinman in real life, but will her trip over the rainbow be enough to help her find true love?

“We’re not in Forks, anymore, Cullen.”

Did you watch The Wizard of Oz when you were growing up? Maybe your kids watch it now? Maybe you don’t have kids but you still watch it like I do? Did you fall in love with the Scarecrow, the Lion and the Tin Man like I did? Did you read what I consider some of the fanfiction version of this story, Wicked, and see its fantastic Broadway show when it came to your town?

If you answered yes to any of the above, you are going to die for this fic.

Equi writes some straight up chill factor words in this crossover with laughs and heart clutches sprinkled in throughout as well. It is chock full of both Twilight moments and Wizardly moments and most of the Twilight cast at least makes an appearance. (P.S. not all necessarily are canon. *waggles eyebrows*)

So, starting out, Bella is in high school with a “strange”, brooding, outcast of an Edward…

"You know," he said suddenly, "If you had any kind of brains, you'd stay away from me."

"Let's make believe I'm brainless. Will you change your mind and come with us?"

"No, probably not."

A strong yet sweet and polite, to the extent that he won’t fight back when getting harassed, Emmett (totally swoon worthy)…

"Emmett, why do you let them harass you?" I asked. "You could take them all." And it was true.

Emmett McCarty was no light weight, not physically anyway. He was as tall as Jasper, maybe taller, and he definitely had more muscle than any of the jocks in school. He was the only nerd on the planet who built better than Vin Diesel.

…. "Its not right… to hit. Mom said, never to hit."

And a seemingly heartless Jasper Hale…

"You are a goddamned tease. You should be my girl. On my arm. In my car." He paused for a breath and added, "In my bed."

Complete with evil twin sister, Rosalie in tow…

"Try explaining to daddy that you weren't drinking when you are covered in the evidence… Does the chief know where his little girl is tonight?"

I wonder if you can tell from these passages who will be who once Bella crosses over to Munchkinland!

In the beginning of the story, Bella decides to go to a carnival that just arrived in town with her girlfriends and runs into Madame Mary Alice who eerily tells her of her future… and to get a dog. *ded*

"Hmm… I see true love… and a great journey… three men and one is your destiny."

"A great journey?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Where am I going?"

"Vacation?" She asked.

Uh, no. "You mean you don't know?"

"Do you?"

Before I could form a response she said, "Hush child."

Child? She couldn't have been more than a few years older than me, if that. But I didn't argue.

"Mm-hmm… yes…" she mumbled to herself as she stared at the ball.

"What?"

"Do you have a dog?"

"No."

"Get one."

She later reluctantly attends a party, thrown by the evil Hale twins, one night and runs off after an altercation with Jasper, into a storm. That’s where the story really takes off. I can’t give too much away, I don’t want to ruin the introductions or the little twists and turns we get here but I will tell you this… Equi has weaved a delicious mixture of the two stories while adding in just enough original plot to make you sincerely fall in love with these characters even more so than you did in the first place.

Another bonus, Equi has put her very own original spin on the character’s descriptions that will make you think this is a whole new story all together, in some ways.

Thus far, this story is 16 chapters in and yet only has around 50 reviews, guys.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, just because it’s unknown, doesn’t mean it’s not epic.

Go, find equi, read this tale of twisted fates and destinies and leave her some lovin’ when you’re done because this story does not have nearly the amount of reviews that it should have, in my humble opinion that is.

One Shot of the Week: 10/31/11

2011-11-07T21:28:00.000-05:00

Tripping the Veil by A Cullen Wannabe

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6402489/1/Tripping_The_Veil

Rating: T
Genre: Supernatural/Horror
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: When Bella, Edward, and their friends go on a guided tour of a supposedly haunted Mental Hospital, they all find that they have much more in common than they ever expected.

Ruibin Rua's Rec of the Week: 10/31/11

2011-11-03T21:13:00.001-04:00

Six Weeks by syrrah

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7074757/1/Six_Weeks

Review by Ruibin Rua

Rating: M
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: I wonder how a story with no summary would go. Is anyone game to read it? Let's see...

With this review, I realise that I am thwarting Syrrah’s challenge to read a story without a summary, but I really want more people to show their appreciation for this piece of writing, so I hope she will forgive me!

Six Weeks follows a teenage Bella who has graduated from high school and is spending the summer house-sitting with her mother, Renee, in a quiet seaside town. More important than the house, however, is the big, loveable canine, Hal, that Bella and her mom are also called upon to look after. Hal is a very real and important character in this story, as so many events and connections between the characters revolve around his presence.

Syrrah’s Renee has some of the canon characteristics of flightiness and ever-youthfulness, but her character is fleshed out well. Bella herself muses about Renee’s mothering skills, or lack thereof, as she was growing up.

She doesn't live on much herself, and nutritionally, as well as in other categories, failed the Good Mothers diploma. She failed the Good Enough Mothers diploma in most areas, really. Flying colours and a chorus of trumpets attended her award ceremony for the Barely There Mothers Award, but following form, she failed to attend it herself.

It’s these razor sharp observations that make the character of Bella so likeable and Syrrah’s writing so good. Bella doesn’t ask us to pity her, and Renee in this story isn’t actually a bad person either. In fact, she and Bella bond during their summer break and there are times when she was advising Bella that I found myself wishing I had had someone like her to guide me through the anxious teenage years. Bella is both a typical and atypical teenage girl. She doesn’t talk too much, obsess about her appearance or moon about Edward to the detriment of all else, but her heart is still open and she possesses an innocent wisdom that is lovely to read.

There is a dream-like quality to Syrrah’s writing in this story; sentences are typically sparse and sometimes even a bit vague or disjointed. You have to embrace the idea of feeling the words in order to truly enjoy a story like this. You won’t get long-winded descriptions or paragraphs - interestingly, Edward and Jasper are almost always described as Brown and Blond - and Syrrah allows the reader to fill in the detail of a landscape that she has painted with vivid colours and beautiful sweeping brushstrokes.

What day is it? I don't know. Doesn't matter. They're all sunny, blue skies, blue water. Someone banished clouds. I wake with the diamond light, the seabreeze shifting of the net curtains.

This is a story about people and the connections they forge with one another, but don’t worry, this is also a Bella/Edward love story, albeit a far from conventional one! I love watching them interact, often in beautifully subtle, understated scenes, but there are also enough achingly lovely descriptions to set your heart racing.

Through the nights I have been imagining him, feeling delicious in my bones and nerves and skin, flushed softly pink as the unself-conscious me put fingertips to his cheeks, heart not so aflutter but steady and strong. Shared, exchanged breath, lip to lip, mouth to mouth, chest to chest, hip to hip. I've had knowledge of desire and I know what it can do; liquid fire, melting limbs, fall into you. Brown, us, soon.

Curl up in a comfortable chair, or on your bed, with a mug of tea or a glass of wine, and let yourself bathe in this wonderful story. You won’t regret the experience.

Banner by JaimeArkin

Einfach Mich's Rec of the Week: 10/31/11

2011-11-02T20:36:00.001-04:00

Belonging by forthelongestday

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6873760/1/Belonging

Review by Einfach Mich

Rating: M
Genre: Angst/Horror
Characters: Charlotte/Peter

Summary: A routine walk down an alley in Laredo sets into motion the events that end Charlotte's life, and sends her tumbling into a dark world full of hate and war.

One of the things I love about fan fiction is how it allows us to fill in the gaps. I don’t mean it like that you pervs! I mean, the gaps in canon. The untold stories of Twilight. There are so many untold stories that could be based before the events of the books. Entire lifetimes that passed before Bella Swan was ever born. In those lifetimes are love stories as equally powerful as the one told in Twilight.

Belonging tells the story of how Charlotte became a vampire and met her mate, Peter. It’s dark, haunting and utterly entrancing. We begin the story at the end of her life, on the shadowy floor of a barn in Laredo. Charlotte awakens to a world painted in shadows, pain and death. Peter is her guide through this terrifyingly violent life, much to his apparent displeasure. Charlotte obligingly hates him in return. However, it is the silent, shadowy figure of Jasper that terrifies her more.

There are so many amazing things I love about this story, I don’t know where to start with listing them. I love that we see this world through the eyes of newborn Charlotte. Her fear, anger and curiosity mirror the conflicted kaleidoscope of emotions I went through while reading. Even though I know the Twilight universe, this part of it was still strange and new, which kept me hooked and fascinated to see what was going to happen next. Sure, I knew how Peter and Charlotte’s story was going to end, but it didn’t stop me from fearing for them and wondering how these two people, who initially have every reason to hate each other, will fall in love.

forthelongestday breathes life into these characters and brought me around to loving them dearly. Peter is an intriguing and enigmatic man. His entrance into the story is memorable and to be honest, damn sexy.
\

"You." The word came out as a growl, and my hand flew to my throat; I wasn't capable of such a sound.

"Sir," the man corrected, raising his right eyebrow in a perfect arch. His skin had a strange pattern etched into it, every few inches semi-circles shone just a little lighter on his flesh, and had I not known better I would have sworn they were teeth marks. The patterns stirred a memory within me, and in that moment I could just barely see his face in a memory of an alley in Laredo; I could almost feel his hands on my shoulders and teeth against my throat, and I bolted backward from him; my back against the wall.

The man laughed darkly, "The danger I present to you has mostly passed."

The most intriguing aspect of this story is the chance to see pre-canon Jasper from the point of view of a member of Maria’s newborn army. Here we get a very different, much darker version of the fandom’s favorite Texan.

Hate, pain, fear, desolation...

It all wound around my neck in a tightening noose, and it was no wonder that Jasper's victim didn't fight back; I couldn't even move a finger with all these constricting emotions flowing over me. He was savage, brutal, and when he finished with the one he turned on the two standing closest to him and ripped each of their limbs off before kicking them off to the side, paying no mind to the screams of agony that tore from their mouths.

He pivoted in place slowly, glared into each of our eyes as he blanketed us in acknowledgment, and we all nodded our understanding tentatively. This was not a man to defy, no matter the order.

In the end this is a story about two people finding each other and finding love under the worst of circumstances. Their careful, compelling dance is fascinating to watch even if you know how it will all end. After all it’s not about the destination, but the journey, right?

If you love AU vampire fic, especially if you love pre-canon and wonder about the world that Jasper lived in before he found the Cullens, Belonging is the fic for you.

TheUnderStudy's Rec of the Week: 10/31/11

2011-11-01T21:41:00.000-04:00

Real Plastic Trees by Hotmessica

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7148003/1/

Review by TheUnderStudy

Rating: M
Genre: Romance
Characters: Emmett & Rosalie

Summary: In the pages of every high school yearbook, there is a girl that everyone thinks they know. I'm her, and sometimes, I don't even know myself. But he does. A/H

There are not a lot of Rosalie/Emmett stories in fandom, but this one was a perfect slice of heaven. Co-authors, Mer & Jessica, have placed our blondie and monkey man in high school. This story is a search of Rose’s journey to discover her true self. This is one of the best written Rosalie’s I have seen in a while.

The first chapter is a bit of a revelation for Rose. She is starting to remove her ‘rose’ colored glasses and realizes that maybe she wants something more. She is the it-girl, the senior, the rich girl with the similarly classed besties and a boyfriend that is expected of her. So why is she not happy?

“Scrolling through my contacts list, I scan every name, thinking about whom I could call to talk this through before I do it. Usually all life decisions, major and minor, involve the input of Jess and Lauren, but lately I've felt this inexplicable distance from them. They seem so happy, so content in their relationships, in their skin. They truly seem to enjoy everything we're doing, the way we're living, and if they're not, they've given no indication otherwise. They're always so much more involved than I am, planning the parties, the outings, reveling in their popularity. They seem to thrive on it all. At this point, I'm just along for the ride, and barely.” – Chapter 1

I love this Rose, even in the first chapter. The ladies have written her with her usual snark and roughness, but we also see the inner workings – the heart of the bitch people think she is. As Rose begins to break out of her old skin, shedding the life that she once thought was for her, she understands that maybe it was all fake and nothing was real. Yet, one night Emmett McCarty changes all that and with a simple extension of his hand, Rose gets a taste of how the over half lives.

The story may not have an Emmett POV, but we see him so clear through Rose. He is strong, yet over-protective. He is charming and flirtatious. His ego could swallow you whole, but his dimpled smile warms your soul. There is no way Rose can resist him. He introduces her to some people she has seen around her high school, but never really given them a chance. However, Edward Cullen, who was once in her social circle, is a familiar face with this new group. She thinks that maybe she can fit among them too.

Bella looks from Edward to Jasper and back again. "Keep it up, you two. Rosalie's never going to hang out with us again."

I know she's teasing, but really, it's moments like this that make me want to spend more time with them. It's so easy to see the real friendship between them, to feel it, and I bask in the warmth of it. It feels so different with my crew. There's no posturing here; there's a depth, a trueness to all of them and how they interact with each other that I never knew I always craved.

Alice nudges me with her elbow and I look over at her, returning her soft smile. "You look happy right now," she whispers.

Coming from anyone else, the statement would sound insane or at the very least completely cheeseball. But Alice is so like that, just telling her truth. And I suppose it's my truth, too. "I am happy right now," I whisper back.

She smiles wider and squeezes my arm, then turns back to the computer. "Okay, so these are amazing," she says in a louder voice. Jasper and Emmett are rough-housing and shit-talking, but in my periphery I see them pause. Emmett shoves him until they're hovering behind us. Bella and Edward hop up, too, and they all crowd around us and murmur their agreement. Emmett's palm comes to rest at the base of my neck, making me shiver.

"Hey look, you got my good side every time," he says, leaning down so that his forearms are resting on the back of my chair. His cheek brushes mine; I can feel the stubble growing in, can smell the grass and cool air and spice on his skin, and my heart skips a beat.

This moment is perfect. I feel like I'm living inside of a picture, like I've captured something that I want to tuck into a picture frame next to my bed so I can forever remember what this is like.

"That, in and of itself, is a win, Ro," Edward says. – Chapter 10

This is a great story that I absolutely enjoyed from beginning to end. There is plenty of drama, comedy, cliffhangers, angst, and a sweet lemon that sex doesn’t have to always be written so descriptive. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I loved this story for its creativity, giving life to our canon couples, and giving us a Rose we can learn from.

Honorella's Rec of the Week: 10/31/11

2011-11-01T10:19:00.000-04:00

Inappropriate Touching by Jenjiveg

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7091486/1/Inappropriate_Touching

Review by Honorella

Rating: M
Genre: Humor/Romance
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: While OCD Edward works on his mental health issues, he meets a girl...who has problems of her own...not the least of which is chronic clumsiness. OOC, AH, BxE. Rated M for future lemons and language.

I don’t know about you, my fellow fic h00r, but these days a story has to have a USP, as well as plenty of UST, in order to grab my attention. Jenjiveg’s Inappropriate Touching is just such a story. It is stuffed with wit, originality and heart, and so many unique and interesting voices and stories.

If you are going to go down the OOC route then why not think big? Here are not one, but two, ginormous dorks. I love a geekward and you cannot get geekier than this one. Edward is seriously afflicted with OCD. His life would be impossible if it were not for the love and support of his brother Emmett and wife Rose who live across the hallway. On a rare mission venturing outside his apartment, he encounters Bella, herself crippled by social anxiety disorder.

Take a deep breath, reader. Jenjiveg can pull this off, and does so with style. Her Latexward, so-named because he can achieve little without donning a pair of latex gloves, is adorable. His condition is a serious one and his backstory heart-breaking, but there is plenty of comedy too and surprisingly little angst. He is innocent and charming and we see his loveliness through his close relationship with his brother and sister-in-law and his shrink, Carlisle. He is desperate to overcome his illness and is struggling every day to make the huge adjustments needed to live a more normal life. Into the mix explodes his almost uncontrollable sexual attraction to Bella, in conflict with his need to remain in control via his compulsive urge to maintain cleanliness and order in his life.

I begin each day by measuring all the food in my pantry.

I used to measure twice in the morning, then measure my breakfast, then all food again after breakfast, twice before lunch, then just lunch, then all of it after, then twice before dinner, dinner, and then three times after dinner. Sometimes I would get up in the night and measure it all again.

I had weened myself off of all but one measurement a day, and I did not measure my meals (I just estimated).

The morning after I met Isabella Marie Swan, I forgot to measure my food.

I was preoccupied. If I didn't already have an unmanageable set of obsessions, I would have thought she was one of them.

I didn't even remember until I went to bed Wednesday evening. I pulled back the sheet, climbed into bed, recounted my day, and realized I had forgotten to measure my food.

So, I got up and went to the kitchen to get started. I was upset, because this could cost me two hours of sleep, and I had a session scheduled with Dr. Cullen tomorrow. I always wanted to be especially well rested on those days.

Unbeknown to him, Edward is spotted on the street by Bella, and followed to a party. Despite her own limitations - social interaction is so difficult for her that she avoids all but the most necessary - Bella is a feisty character who takes this story by the scruff of the neck and makes it happen. It’s going to take a particular sort of gal to manage this Edward, and here we have her. She knows what she wants from the start and she gets it despite her own issues and the obstacles Jenjiveg puts in her path. Bella’s inner voice, so at odds with her the face she presents to the world, is a delight:

There's a moment when I first wake up...really before I'm fully awake...when I'm confident and I say the right thing and I don't trip over my own feet.

I snooze each morning for at least an hour trying to hang on to that moment; desperate in my attempt to right the social ineptitude of yesterday.

This morning, I was thinking about him, that guy, THE guy, the man, the one. My Mr. Darcy, Bruce Wayne, or Malcolm Reynolds. You know, the one who is everything you want a man to be plus all the things you'd feel a little dirty asking for?

Yeah, I met that guy...And then...I ran away from him.

I know what you're thinking: "Oh, honey, he turned out to be Wickham, or The Joker, or Jayne Cobb didn't he?"

Well the answer is no. Mhn. OK, not exactly...

Their relationship develops through letters in the initial weeks. It’s a charming device and suits this story, and, like the rest of the fic, features a curious mixture of the innocent and the profane. Their feelings grow. Bella is very keen “to do the mating dance to get him into my pants”. I anticipated a long lead-in before any this pair could get together but I needn’t have worried, Bella makes sure it’s not long before Jenjiveg lobs the reader a great big, fat juicy lemon unlike many you’ll have read before.

Edward took off his gloves, which caused temporary feelings of dejection on her part...but when he proceeded to procure a fresh pair from a box he kept in a drawer under the bench in front of the sofa, Bella bit her lip and fidgeted with her hands in her lap, looking longingly at Edward.

The UST went from poisonous to deadly in a flash.

Eyes dilated, Edward clapped the lights out in the living room and crawled across the ottoman to cup her face. He wasn't about to kiss her, but he needed to touch her as soon as possible.

Bella threw her head back, baring her neck and reveled in the feel of latex, which may surprise most people to know is quite slippery if only a little pressure is applied. She sat on her hands to keep from grabbing his hands or his dick, she couldn't choose which.

As his hands ghosted over her from chin to neck and then achingly slowly to cup her breasts, Bella moaned. This sound created a feeling in Edward that was so strong, it momentarily trumped his OCD.

Pulling her to the edge of the chair, he leaned in, one hand resting on the outside of her upper thigh, teasingly close to her ass, the other anchored to her breast.He kissed the top of the cupped breast over her shirt, eliciting an even louder response. Then, he moved his hands to the highest buttoned button on her shirt, looking at her intently for permission to proceed.

She nodded, mouth agape, and he deftly opened her shirt, exposing her bra: black lace, see-through.

Edward now had a fetish to call his own.

And that’s just the start. I won’t spoil the rest.

The angst is in short supply so far, but there are plenty of obstacles to love’s young dream. In an interesting plot twist, we discover that Bella’s twin sister, Alice is secretly married to Edward’s sister-in-law Rose’s brother Jasper and determined to keep Edward away from Bella. Alice is a monster, overbearing, scheming and horrid, she is everything that Bella is not. Her and Jasper’s (BDSM) relationship is far from conventional, and through it, Jenjiveg has Alice confront her awful behaviour and horrible personality in an interesting and moving way. I must also mention the awesome Emmett and fantastic Rose. Their scenes with Edward are just comedy gold.

Latexward and Droolella (not so keen on that moniker as his Bella is a feisty little thing and it doesn’t do her justice) are on a fascinating journey. The depth and severity of Edward’s condition is not underestimated but Jenjiveg often plays it for laughs and keeps the action fast-moving and lively. There is so much to enjoy and lots more to come. Do give this sweet, funny, affecting story a try.

One Shot of the Week: 10/24/11

2011-10-28T20:23:00.001-04:00

Summertime Blues by hottygurl7

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7233850/1/Summertime_Blues

Rating: M
Genre: Adventure/Romance
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: The start of a summer road trip leads two teenagers who love to hate each other into a few hot and heavy circumstances - & I'm not talking about the weather. A/H & OOC - 1st place winner for School's Out For Summer contest! - M for Lemons

Submitted Fic of the Week: 10/24/11

2011-10-27T20:28:00.001-04:00

Forever is a Promise You Keep by shelikesthesound

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6433878/1/Forever_is_a_Promise_You_Keep

Review by ImWithPattz

Rating: M
Genre: Drama/Angst
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Bella loves Edward, much more than she should. Edward is an addict,and Bella deals with it. Years of this cycle begin to take its toll, and Bella is fed up. A near fatal accident forces Edward into a coma, while Bella re-examines her previous decision.

It is not often lately that I read a story in this fandom like Forever is a Promise You Keep. To say that this story is angsty would be a tremendous understatement. To say that this could possibly be one of the strongest Bella’s in fan fiction would also be an understatement. Even in the first chapter, you end up crying and cheering for her during her inner monologue regarding her love for Edward.

FPYK begins with Bella moving to Forks, leaving her mother behind to live with her father. Her “voice” immediately draws you in and you find yourself laughing out loud as she describes her introduction to Edward at her first day at Forks High School.

The start of my relationship with Edward Cullen, however, wasn't as simple. I met him my first day of school at Forks High, in first period English. Or, I should say, my ass met him in first period English. I was in a bad mood because my locker had gotten stuck, making me late for class. I could feel everyone's eyes on me when I entered the room. My blush grew in intensity with every step I took toward Mr. Berty's desk. Once he told me where my assigned seat was, I made my way down the rows to the back. I tried to avoid the students that were now whispering probably about me, with my head down and mu hair shielding my face. Two seats away, my foot got caught on something, and I hit the floor with a smack.

My face was angled to the floor and my ass up in the air for all to see. Laughter erupted, and after my prayer for a hole to suddenly open up and swallow me went unanswered, I began to get up with what pride I had left. I pushed off the floor with my hands, rising up on my knees and lifted my head. Looking up, I was startled by the brightest green eyes attached to the most stunning boy I had ever seen. He was slouched in his seat, and his auburn hair was lying haphazardly on his head. I let my eyes roam over him and noticed he was wearing a white t-shirt, loose fitting black jeans, and black Chucks.

Bella describes “The greatest day of my young teenaged life was when Edward asked me to be his girlfriend.” And so begins their love story. FPYK switches back and forth between present day (2003) and their last years of high school. The author describes Edward’s descent into drugs and alcohol and how Bella slowly becomes second to Edward’s “other woman”; drugs.

The night Bella stands up for herself and offers Edward the choice of her or drugs is the night he gets in a very near fatal accident.

"I can't do this," I said.

"You always were uncomfortable doing it at my parents' house," he said with a smile. "It's okay. We'll go home and pick up where we left off."

When he spoke the last sentence, he ran his eyes over me.

"No, that's not what I mean," I clarified. "I can't do it, us, anymore. I thought I could, Edward, but I can't. You're never going to stop, and I can't live like this."

His featured morphed, and the last of my Edward disappeared. A stranger stood before me, and I was, for the first time in my life, terrified.

"No, I won't let you leave me," he stated in a deadly calm voice. "You don't get to throw away four fucking years because you can't 'do this' anymore," he mocked me.

Be strong, Bella. Just end it. You can fall apart later.

"Is that what you think?" I yelled. "That I came to this decision without any thought? Well, you're wrong. This has been years in the making. Each time you chose your drugs, the alcohol, Jasper, or left me alone to let those sluts hang all over you, I was questioning whether or not staying with you was worth it. Every time, I convinced myself that, deep down, you weren't doing it to hurt me. It was just something you had to do, and eventually you'd come back to me," I said.

I took a moment to gather my thoughts. Edward stared me down, with his jaw clenched tightly. His fists were balled up; the tendons in his arms were stretched to their limit. Taking a deep breath, I prepared to level the final blow.

"I'm tired of being hurt all the time. I deserve better. I know that now. I'll always love you, but I can't be your girl anymore. Not when your first love is your addiction. Goodbye, Edward," I said with tears in my eyes.

A large part of the story is Bella’s support of Edward during his long coma and subsequent way back. Her relationship with his family is strained at best. In this story, Alice is someone that you want to throw rocks at and Emmett is someone whose lap you want to crawl into and never come out. While his relationship with Edward is strained in the first chapters, the reader will love his eventual transition into a strong friendship with Edward and a support for Bella. A support she doesn’t feel from the rest of his family.

"So, the treatment didn't work? I thought they were keeping him sedated?" I questioned.

"Don't worry, Bella. These things take time. He's in capable hands."

"Anything else?" I asked in a sharp tone. Obviously, I wasn't important enough to be kept informed when Edward's condition had changed. It was my chance to gather as much as I could, and I was going to take it.

When he didn't answer me, I took his silence as a no, so I stood up and walked to the door. A hand reached out and grabbed me. I stopped, turning to face Carlisle.

"I know you must be feeling upset and confused," Carlisle murmured. "But I promise…everything that can be done is being done..."

I yanked my arm away and all of my emotions rose to the surface. How dare he try to play the concerned father? After everything this man had done to Edward, how could he sit there and act like it was his right?

"Look," I snapped. "I get that you are his father but how dare you keep me out of the loop. I may or may not be his girlfriend at the moment, but I'm still the one person that knows him better than anyone. You know that if Edward was awake right now, he'd be pissed that you have kept me in the dark. The fact that you are a doctor means nothing. You don't have the first clue what he'd want. So from now on, if it's not too much trouble, I would like to know what's going on."

Carlisle stood in front of me, shocked. Really, I think that was the first time I'd ever talked to him in that manner. Propriety had flown out the window, though, and shattered to pieces on the pavement below. Edward couldn't fight for himself, so I had to let go of my insecurities and do it for him.

Bella becomes Edward’s voice while he can’t speak and his champion later on.FPYK is such a beautiful love story and I couldn’t put it down. All of the characters are developed – Jasper as Edward’s best friend and fellow addict; Rosalie as Emmett’s much hated wife; Esme as the grieving mother playing the victim very well and Alice as one of the nastiest Alices you will encounter in fanfiction. You really will want to throw rocks at her.

I promise that you will be cheering Bella on in every chapter. Everything she feels is so familiar to anyone who has ever felt like they have had their heart broken. Yet she remains and she fights for Edward.

The most beautiful part of the story is their eventual reunion and getting through all of the deep angst is worth it to get to this point. I “promise” you will have tears.

I can’t recommend this story enough. I could not put it down for three days and this will remain one of my favorite Bella’s in the fandom. Beautifully written, strong and weak simultaneously, and a fighter.

New Fic of the Week: 10/24/11

2011-10-26T20:37:00.000-04:00

I Never: Edward & Bella by SqueakyZorro

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6886928/1/I_Never_Edward_Bella

Review by AbbyCreations

Rating: M
Genre: Romance
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: OS expanded. What makes a first love special? Is it worth waiting for? Is it worth working for, to make it last? Our favorite couple as college students who find each other and some answers. AH. M for underage drinking, drug reference, and later citrus.

I have come across few stories, if any, that devote much time to exploring Edward and Bella without each other. In other words, most stories have these two character's meet almost immediately. Most readers, and by extension most writers, are eager to get to the meat and potatoes of a story and that involves having their pair meet. SqueakyZorro is a breath of fresh air. The story is currently four chapters in and Edward and Bella are yet to meet. Now I know that this might seem unacceptable to some but please give this story a chance before passing judgment. It's truly a good read.

I was excited to read a story that explored Bella before she met Edward and vice versa. They are both students at William & Mary and their first semester of freshman year is spent making new friends and forging their collegiate paths. They are separate but sharing the same endeavor. We are assured they will eventually meet and get together but it will be a slow journey. The story flows easily and it's a pleasant read. I have no doubt that those patient readers will be rewarded.

As Bella's roommate Kate is the more experienced of the two, both sexually and socially. She offers advice liberally and so far seems to be a good friend to Bella.

Kate's voice matched her smile. "It sure can be." She tilted her head. "Why? Are you thinking about letting Mike or Eric stamp your v-card? They both looked like they'd be happy to oblige."

Mike and Eric are both trying to get Bella's attention and of course there is Jacob who doesn't get the hint. The Jacob and Bella dynamic is a little different in that Bella is much more upfront about her feelings or lack thereof. I am interested to see where SneakyZorro takes their relationship in light of the fact that Jacob might be joining her at William & Mary.

Clearing his throat when he realized I wouldn't bite, he asked, "So, are you seeing anyone?"I sighed.

Like Charlie, Jake's strengths did not include subtlety.

"I've been dating a little, nothing serious. How about you?"

I heard a snort over the line. "Duh, no. I told you; I'm waiting for you, babe."

I snorted impatiently. "I told you, too. It's not gonna happen. Let's not have a repeat of that conversation. Please."

As usual, anything he didn't want to hear just didn't penetrate. "Hey, I applied to William & Mary. Should hear sometime after the holidays. So, who is this guy you're dating?"

"Just another freshman. I said it's not serious." I did not relish the thought of a detailed conversation about Mike when I wasn't sure myself where that relationship stood. "Jake, don't come—or at least, don't come for me. You're just going to get hurt. I love you. You're my best friend. But please let that be all." Why does he have to be so stubborn?

I have found it to be very well written and the characters that are commonly pushed aside and ignored are given a prominent role in these first four chapters. They are fleshed out and interesting. I did not, as I often do, find myself skimming past anything in order to get to Bella and Edward. I'm excited for them to meet but I will patiently wait!

If you're looking for something new to read I strongly encourage you to give I Never: Edward & Bella a try. It's definitely worth it.

Completed Fic of the Week: 10/24/11

2011-10-25T20:37:00.000-04:00

Last Friday Night by KristenLynn

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7189822/1/

Reviewed by AnonymouslySufferingFromOCD

Rating: M
Genre: Humor/Romance
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: On Saturday morning, Bella wakes up to a broken hand, a trashed apartment, and no memory of what caused either of them! When the photos show up on-line, Bella must figure out what—and who—she might have done last Friday night. AH, fun/fluff

Who doesn’t like a song fic? Especially a song fic about Katy Perry’s Last Friday Night. Seriously, this week’s completed fic based off of Katy Perry’s song Last Friday Night, gives us a whole lot of fun as we are along for the ride while Bella and her best friend/roommate, Alice, try to figure out what the hell went on Last Friday Night.

Saturday morning Bella wakes up with a monster hangover, rumpled clothes, her hand in a cast, an indent in the pillow that she doesn’t use and a roll of condom’s on the floor. To make matters worse, she has absolutely no recollection of what happened.

Some pictures on the internet, while embarrassing, do help her put some pieces of the puzzle together as does a phone call from Alice’s older brother (and Bella’s long time crush) Edward, an ER intern who happened to be the doc that helped her with her hand. He lets her know that her tests come back with evidence that ecstasy was found in her system, so she had to be drugged as our Bella, while not opposed to having a good time, doesn’t do drugs.

Edward stops by to help her put some more of the pieces to the puzzle together, like how she ended up in different clothes and who may have stayed with her that night.

"Edward?"

"Yes?" His voice is wary.

"Did you spend the night last night?"

A slight pause, then, "Yes."

"Did we, um… well… you know."

I get no answer other than another frustrated huff.

"Edward…" My voice is a low growl.

"Can you just let this one go?" he asks. His voice sounds a bit desperate. "It might be for the best."

Uh uh. I don't think so.

"I need to know, Edward. What did I—er, we—do?"

So what did Edward and Bella do? And did the cops tow her car? How did her hand get broken? These are all questions that will be answered in this fic. It is a quick read, only fifteen chapters, wrapped up in about thirty five thousand words but it is well written and well worth the time. You will find yourself giggling like a fool the entire story, and while we don’t know all of the answers of what happened to Katy Perry, I do promise that KristenLynn does answer the questions we have about what happened to Bella. In fact she answers them all for us, and then some. I hope you enjoy this one, I know that I did.

On another note, just some personal thoughts, for all of those that have supported my kids and I over the past couple of weeks as we dealt with the loss of their father, I just want to say thank you. Mary (who is not only one of my best friends but also my review beta, yes she actually looks these reviews over every week to make sure that they make sense and aren’t crap before I send them out) you have been wonderful and I don’t know what I would do without you. Bev and Heather (who I beta for) thank you for being so understanding, especially when you have been dealing with some things on your own. Lori, I can’t thank you enough for understanding me taking some much needed time off. I really appreciate all of the well wishes that I have received. It amazes me how an obsession with a series of books has allowed me to find an amazing family of people who I would have never met otherwise. Thank you again. Much Love, Jen

WIP of the Week: 10/24/11

2011-10-24T22:19:00.000-04:00

Soul to Keep by TG81

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7047107/1/Soul_to_Keep

Review by Dragonfly336

Rating: M
Genre: Supernatural/Romance
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: "What if I can give you everything you've ever wanted?" It's an exchange of sorts. All of Bella's dreams can come true, but at what cost, and more importantly, is it worth it?

Who hasn’t uttered the words that they would sell their soul for something? Or at least thought about the possibility of having everything you want to come true? The perfect job, the perfect body, to eat whatever they want and never gain weight, to have Robert Patt...er, Edward Cullen fall in love with them? I know I have and TG81 explores this very concept in Soul to Keep.

We meet Bella Swan when she is at a party, feeling bad because her boyfriend, Mike, is home sick. She feels so guilty, in fact, that she leaves the party to go check on him. Only, when she gets to Mike’s and finds that he definitely is not sick and is in quite the compromising position with Jessica Stanley. After she leaves and gets home, we get a clear picture of who Bella is.

I am average-in hair and eye color, height and weight. I'm not skinny, but I'm not eating eight thousand calories a day, either. I'm a size ten or twelve, depending on the clothing. Like I said, average. I work for a newspaper doing the movie reviews and sometimes fill in for Alice, the girl who writes the daily horoscopes. I'm smart, I can be funny, and I've always gotten along with people. So what is it about me that drives men to be unfaithful or gay, my pets to run away, and have the most mundane existence known to mankind?

After the Mike episode, Bella makes a commitment to herself to not be so average anymore; she starts submitting her resume for bigger and better jobs, and she also starts going to the gym, but is impatient with not seeing any results. She meets Alice for coffee one day and says the phrase that changes her life forever.

I plop down in the chair across from Alice and can't wait to dig into my scone.

"Didn't you just come from working out?" Alice asks me as she raises an eyebrow, judging me.

"Yup." I break off a piece and shove it in my mouth. "This is so good," I moan appreciatively.

"I'm sure," Alice's voice is dripping in sarcasm. I may be able to dip my scone in it.

"I mean, I'd sell my soul for a lifetime of these," I exaggerate. Kind of.

Alice does a spit take and excuses herself. She comes back from the restroom more composed.

Alice is intrigued by what she says and tries to dig and see what Bella would really sell her soul for.

"A lump sum? As in, everything I've ever wanted?" I clarify.

She nods. This conversation has taken a bizarre twist. I thought we were going to have a coffee and gossip about Lauren Mallory and the two grapefruits she recently had bolted to her chest. I scan the room, trying to give myself time to think. My eyes land on a copy of USA Today where Edward Cullen is on the cover. He's the most successful land developer since Donald Trump, and his hair is real.

"Edward Cullen," I declare.

I don’t want to give too much of this story away, but can I just say that this Alice and Jasper is probably in my top five characterizations of them in fic. Here’s a little taste:

"I'm freezing!" He cups his hands around his mouth, warming them up.

"Uh, Jasper, it's at least seventy-five degrees right now," I chime in.

"I'm used to at least at least ninety, and would some humidity fucking kill anyone?" Jasper folds his arms, and wait-is he pouting?

"Bella, ignore him. He gets whiny when he doesn't get to piss is someone's Cheerios every twenty minutes." Alice grins, and I get the feeling that she's spot on and I see Jasper's eyes have turned black as well.

"Just remember, Bella, you wouldn't want to be a Jessica, now would you?" Jasper's voice is deceptively calm. I don't like it.

"What the hell?" Alice pokes his chest, and he winces. "Would you just stop talking already?"

"Why don't you make me by putting your mouth on my cock like a good little minion," he sneers.

"And...that's my cue to go." I really don't want to hear the rest of this.

This story has it all. A little supernatural, a little drama, a little romance, and TG81 is incredibly witty! It is a quick nineteen chapters in and you will get sucked into this story! Please give it a try...you won’t regret it!

Banner by JaimeArkin

What's Your Fantasy? Twilight Erotica Challege Winners

2011-10-21T20:38:00.000-04:00

It was an honor to be asked to post the reviews and get a special award to hand out for the What's Your Fantasy? Twilight Erotica Challenge! I also urge you to head over to PIC's FanFic Corner to read the interviews with the winning authors! Without further ado..here are the winners and the reviews!

Honey, Where's Your Car? by Artemis Leaena

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7465552/1/Honey_Wheres_Your_Car

Review by AydenMorgen and pkmarita

When we decided to host the What's Your Fantasy? Twilight Erotica Challenge, we had no idea what type of entries to expect. We knew what we wanted to see, of course - words that painted a picture and left us feeling breathless... as if we were there - but what you hope for isn't always what you get.

So you can imagine how thrilled we were to read a story that not only painted a picture that drew us in, but one that left us panting before Edward even touched Bella. That entry was Artemis Leaena's Honey, Where's Your Car, our first place Judges' Choice winner and our second place Public Choice winner.

Honey, Where's Your Car begins with Bella arriving home on a special occasion, certain that Edward has forgotten and she'll be made to spend the night doing nothing but cleaning. It doesn't quite work out that way, however, and Edward surprises Bella with one incredibly steamy encounter that leaves us all wondering one simple thing... where is his car?

In less than 9,000 words, Artemis proved that power can come in small packages. She weaved not just a truly erotic piece, but a story with depth. From an Edward that frequently frustrates Bella, to a Bella frequently captivated by her flawed husband to the completely delicious encounter laid out in Honey, Where's My Car, we were hooked.

This entry was, for us, an example of exactly why that old writing adage to show and not tell has become so popular. A reader wants to see what the author sees...and Artemis Leaena gave us exactly that throughout this one-shot.

The room was dark, and it took my eyes a moment or two to adjust, but once they did, I was struck dumb by the sight of my husband casually leaning against the wall wearing nothing but a pair of dark silky boxers. The weak moonlight peeping through the gauzy curtains caused his unruly, bronze hair to appear darker and caused his pale, sinewy body to be thrown into a series of contrasting shadowy depths and illuminated bulges.

Equally as important, she left us shifting in our seats before clothing was ever shed.

He still hadn't laid a hand on me, but I felt surrounded, dominated, and thoroughly captivated by him. His lips were ghosting over my earlobe as he spoke again, but in a lower, wispier voice. "Ten years ago tonight," he finally pressed his full, pouty lips to the point on my neck right behind my ear. The contact was too brief, and his mouth went back to teasing my nerve endings. "You became mine."

As pkmarita, one of the contest judges, had to say when asked why she chose Honey, Where's Your Car as her favorite:

Ask and you shall receive...and boy did I get what I asked for. Artemis Leaena had me hooked from jump, and although Ayden has already quoted a few lines from the one-shot, I have to add my favorite here as well:

Tiny, nipping kisses marked the path his lips took from where my neck joined my shoulder up to my mouth, where he hovered directly above my lips. His moist, pink tongue darted out over his bottom lip before he pulled it slowly back in and audibly swallowed. His eyes were indecisively torn between gazing into my own, or staring at my mouth. They finally settled on my lips as he rasped out, "And your taste," he swallowed again, "is like a drug that I would happily overdose on a million times over."

The way the one shot flows and captivates you is beyond any I have ever read. I couldn’t stop reading, and we had a handful of one-shots submitted that were really great. Honey, Where’s Your Car just did it for me though. It gave me exactly what I was looking for in an erotic tale. The picture she painted literally leaped from the screen at me. I hope to read more of Artemis Leaena’s writing. She truly is a woman who knows erotica.

If you haven't already read Honey, Where's Your Car and are in need of a beautifully written and erotic quick-read, we encourage you to head over to Artemis Leaena's profile http://www.fanfiction.net/u/2605713/Artemis_Leaena and read it now. You won't be disappointed!

We also encourage you to check out Artemis Leaena’s interview with PIC’s FF Corner! http://picffcorner.blogspot.com/2011/10/mrs-white-looks-for-cars-with-artemis.html

Tower 32 by wandb
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7465517/1/Tower_32
Review by beegurl13

Have you ever been to the beach? Ever sat back, relaxing in the sand while watching waves crash into the shore over and over again? How about surfer boys? Ever seen any of them as they ride along the edge of a huge swell, bending and twisting with the waves and the white foam caps on the water? Have you ever swooned over one of those surfer boys as he walked out of the water, on the sand, carrying his board, his shorts slung low on his hips, shaking his hair to the side as water droplets go flying?

Well, if you haven't...you're missing out. Lucky for you, one of the winning stories from the Twilight Erotica Challenge has all those things and more, and you'll get sucked in faster than a wave can crash against the shore line.

Tower 32 by Wandb is the story of Bella, a lifeguard at her local beach. She loves her job, everything about it, especially one special surfer boy that always tends to distract her when she really should be working.

~O~O~O~

Having grown up in a beach town and lifeguarding every summer for the last five years, I had seen my share of gorgeous, physically fit boys. But one stood out. He wore his board shorts slung low on his hips, and his chest and torso were well-defined from the hours spent surfing. He had a tan line at his waist that always made me curious to see just how fair-skinned he really was. It called to me.

The best thing about him was his face. He was so beautiful it was almost painful. He had a chiseled jaw that was often dusted with light stubble, and a great smile that reflected his confidence. Even from my tower, I could see his eyes sparkle with mischief, making me wonder what color they were. They were a brilliant green in my frequent Surfer Boy dreams, where he was on top of me, skin glistening with sweat, neck and back muscles straining, head thrown back in ecstasy…. Dammit!

I sighed as I leaned back in my chair with my binoculars and scanned the water, searching for the bronze god who had driven me to distraction all summer. I could sit and watch him all day long, and that was a problem. He made it incredibly hard to stay focused on my job. I also had to sit by and watch scores of girls in skimpy bikinis hit on him. Watching them, I discovered that girls could be shameless, and I found their attempts at seduction comical.

I shook my head to clear the daydream and started scanning the beach. I quickly spotted my surfer boy and struggled to tear my eyes away as he got out of the water and did that sexy hair shake that all surfer guys seemed to master. He pulled it off like no one else with his unruly, thick mane of bronze hair that was artfully disheveled. Drops of water dripped down his face and onto to his board shorts, drawing my eyes to his toned body. I'd never wanted to be a drop of water so badly in my life.

~O~O~O~

One day as Bella's watching the water, and her bronze haired surfer boy, his board washes up on shore, but he's no where to be seen. Next thing you know, Bella's running across the sand, reaching the water's edge just as a bloodied Edward is being helped out of the water by his friends. Being a lifeguard, Bella insists on taking Edward to her tower and getting him cleaned up, making sure he's okay. After a little flirting, each of them admitting they've noticed the other, and maybe a reference to Baywatch babes, Edward is inviting Bella along to a bonfire with him and his friends, wanting to thank her. And maybe also wanting to spend a little more time with her.

Now, the whole point of the contest was for the author to write a smokin' hot, sizzling, sexy, erotic love scene, so you know there's one coming up. And trust me, Wandb did not disappoint.

~O~O~O~

"And you're kind of a flirt, you know that?" he whispered in my ear. "Not that I mind at all."

"What can I say? You bring it out in me." Truer words had never been spoken.

His hands moved slowly up and down my legs, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. "I like this song," he whispered in my ear before planting a small kiss on my neck. If we hadn't have been so removed from the group, everyone there would have been able to hear my moan, but as it was Edward was the only one. "Hmm…if you keep making those sounds…"

His hands moved to my calves, which were bent up in front of me. Slowly, they slid down my legs and slipped inside my boots.

"Your boots are soft and warm." He gave my ankles a squeeze, and I'd never realized someone touching my ankles could be so sexy.

I let my head fall back against him as he softly rubbed my legs. I wanted to kiss him so badly.

"I've never loved my Ugg boots so much in my life," I confessed breathily as I turned my head into his neck and breathed him in. He was still rubbing my legs, but I was suddenly overcome with his scent. How had I not notice this before? He smelled like surfer – salty and sweet like SexWax and ocean. "And you smell so good."

Did I really just admit that out loud?

"Want to get out of here?"

~O~O~O~

Tower 32 is a sweet love story that leaves me wanting more. More witty banter, more sexy glances, more smoldering kisses, more more more! The characters Wandb has created are real, honest, and totally lovable. The storyline pulled me in and just didn't let go. I was completely captivated from the first word to the last, and to be honest, the first thing I said to the author once I knew who wrote this was, “Are you going to continue this, because I want more!” I can't tell you if she will or not, but I'm hoping and praying that it will happen.

If you want a story that will help you relive those wild, carefree summers of your youth, Tower 32 is the story for you. Sexy surfer boys, hottie lifeguards, evening bonfires on the beach...how can you possibly go wrong? Check it out, you won't be sorry.

Also, don't miss Wandb's interview with Mrs. White over on PIC FanFic Corner. It's kinda fun... :D http://picffcorner.blogspot.com/2011/10/hey-everyone-we-are-getting-special.html

Submitted Fic of the Week: 10/17/11

2011-10-20T08:15:00.002-04:00

Making Memories of Us by AngelGoddess1981

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5939047/1/Making_Memories_of_Us

Reviewed by phoebes.promise

Rating: M
Genre: Angst/Tragedy
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Edward & Bella's life together couldn't have been more perfect: their courtship, marriage & the birth of their beautiful baby girl. When tragedy strikes, can this family pull through? Rated M for language, dark themes & adult situations. AU/AH/BxE

AngelGoddess1981’s powerful storytelling will quickly sweep you into the most beautifully told pain and angst. Within the first chapter past go, Making Memories of Us will grip you in a helpless hold, begging and anxious for the next.

Edward and Bella in perfect romantic soul sold form of love began a path of successful, picket fence life to envy…

"Since that day I saved you from that football in our senior year of high school, I knew that we were fated to be together." I stated with a light chuckle.

Bella's eyes widened in realization. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Edward Cullen?" Her chest began to heave with her heavy breaths. I pulled a small black box from my pocket and dropped to one knee beside her. "Put it away," she hissed.

I laughed and looked her in the eyes as I took her shaking left hand in mine. "Isabella Marie Swan, I can't imagine my life without you. Marry me?"

I opened the ring box and her breath caught in her throat. "It's beautiful," she whispered as she looked down at the half-carat princess cut solitaire ring nestled in the blue velvet pillow. She raised her tear-filled eyes and smiled. "Yes."

My heart soared with joy as I took the ring and placed it on her finger, where it would stay forever. I stood and pulled her into my arms, and our parents started to applaud, which only caused the rest of the restaurant to join in on the celebratory cheers.

I pressed my lips to Bella's, and could feel her smile against my mouth. "Forever, Bella. Without a doubt, you are my forever."

However, as milestones drift and morph to years, layers of their story become raw reality, peppered with hints of truth. A marriage deteriorating, a sweet baby girl growing to know the only parent ever present. Flashbacks laid tenderly throughout each chapter tell and show the brutality of post partum depression and it’s emotional, physical torture. Bella’s battle so severe, it left her desperate, medicated and monitored.

I stood from the bed and gripped her waist firmly as I placed a kiss to her nose. "We always said we wanted more than one," I reminded her. "You loved being pregnant."

She placed her hands on my jaw and smiled. "I did. It was wonderful, and one of the best experiences of my life. But the year after?"

The memory of that dark time stung to the very centre of my being. "There's a chance that you wouldn't experience that again," I breathed.

She shook her head. "And also a chance I could. Edward, you were there, you saw just how bad it was. I missed most of the first six months of her life."

I smiled reassuringly and spoke softly, "I remember, but now we know what to look for, we'd be better prepared to handle it."

Her face fell. "I'd be medicated again," she whispered sadly.

"Again?" Placing my fingers beneath her chin, I forced her face up. "Bella, have you gone off your meds?" She didn't have to answer, her eyes spoke volumes. "Love, was Tanya okay with that?"

Bella pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. "It's been a year since I started them. They made me feel foggy, so I stopped taking them slowly. And I've been doing really well these last two months." She paused for a moment before looking at me with conviction. "Even you couldn't tell the difference," she tried to explain.

I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. "So, you're telling me you came off your meds, and your psychiatrist has no idea?"

"I am," she replied confidently. "I'm also telling you I'm not interested in having any more children. At least…not for awhile." She turned from me then and closed herself in the bathroom.

Family and close friends become key players, supporting… knowing… the past and the present. It is only in Edward’s periphery relationships that he’ll find the healing and hope he craves and needs. A simple phrase, a turn and telling changes the trail to the end. Incredibly well thought and planned, AngelGoddess1981 will have you so wrapped in their world you won’t believe the page and words.

Gentle as it could be the most bittersweet glue and threads remain in the love between father and daughter. This is a beautiful bond that stirs and warms throughout the piece. Edward’s selfless devotion to his child’s heart and mind is intense and poignantly written…

"I drew you a picture, Daddy!" she told me excitedly. She ran over to my bed—where her pink baby blanket was now folded on top of my pillow—and grabbed an eight-by-eleven piece of white poster board. I stood up and moved to my bed, sitting on the edge, and pulled Nessie onto my lap so she could present me with her gift. My emotions caught in my throat as I looked at the image she had drawn with crayons.

"This is me right there," she said animatedly, pointing with her finger to the picture of herself. "You can tell 'cause I has red hair. I'm wearing a blue dress because blue is your favourite colour."

She turned her head up to look at me. "Do you still like blue, Daddy?" her voice wavered with the uncertainty, afraid that maybe I had changed since being here.

"Yes, bug. I still like blue," I assured her as I tucked a loose curl behind her ear before turning my attention back to her drawing. With a smile, I pointed at the person standing next to her. "And who's this handsome man?"

Nessie giggled. "That's you, silly! Can't you see?"

Though complete, Making Memories of Us, features a few lovely, important outtakes that only enhance the emotional journey of love, suffering and renewal. There are authored warnings throughout the postings, heed them for certain, but please don’t allow them to deter your experience. This is a stunning, wonderfully complicated peek of life and love’s greatest challenges.

New Fic of the Week: 10/17/11

2011-10-19T19:37:00.000-04:00

World's Most Dangerous Dad by denverpopcorn

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7453090/1/Worlds_Most_Dangerous_Dad

Review by JaimeArkin

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Humor
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Edward Cullen leads a double life: Doting dad and devoted husband by day, special-op Navy SEAL by night. What happens when the government's number one gun is forced to balance work and diapers? Life's a bitch and then you kill someone. E/B, vignettes.

It’s no secret that I adore denverpopcorn’s writing, I fell in love with her reading her first story, drift, and everything that has followed has been just as wonderful. World’s Most Dangerous Dad is something a bit different, a short series of vignettes she wrote initially for her friends. If you haven’t read anything by denverpopcorn, I will tell you this, she has incredible storytelling abilities and this story is a lot of cute, a lot of funny and a lot sweet.

The first chapter started out with a bang… literally. Edward and Bella are married… with kids. So sneaking in a little bit of naughty when time allows is definitely a must … until life interrupts.

"Fucking, Renee."

"Ignore it," she says, with her mouth half under a pillow. Edward, having not really heard her through his own grunting, decides that's exactly what his wife is saying between her moans.

She's under him, belly-down, and he's thrusting slowly, making sure his body slides on every pass. He's close and Bella's hand, snaking its way under her body to rock 'the little man in the boat', tells him she's close, too.

Nothing feels as good as his wife under him. He can forget the outside world, the dangerous, unapologetic world, while he's rubbing up inside his wife, the mother of his...

The phone rings again and he can't help curse out another, "Fucking, Renee." But in his state it comes out breathy, like it would be a pleasure to fuck his...

"Stop...saying...that," gasps the voice under the pillow. He uncovers a smile under the ponytail stuck to her cheek with sweat. He kisses the side of her mouth.

A few more passes, he thinks.

There's stirring in his belly, and there's stirring from the other side of the baby monitor.

Oh no. Not now.

"The baby," she says, rising.

Don't get up, my honeypot. Don't...

"Edward, the baby's waking up."

A few more grunts; his eyes are closed. When he was younger, he'd have been done and in the other room with the baby by now, but he's older, he found a gray hair on his chest the other day telling him so. He wants to blame work, but maybe he's simply getting old.

"Edward," she pushes her ass up, forcing him to lift on his forearms.

Ass up, just like on his birthday.

But it's too late, she's pushed him off completely, mid-coitus, and it hurts like a son of a bitch. He's a stoic man and can take more pain than the average heavyweight. His breathing is laborious and his jaw is clenched tightly. He's on his back, forearm over his eyes, while the sounds of his wife walking around and pulling clothes out of a drawer take up head space.

His dick is steel in the forge, his hand moves toward it.

"Don't you dare!" she says. "If I go without, you go without." She throws a pair of boxers on him. "Get up. You have to get a haircut today, come with me to Home Depot, pick up my mom, and then I'll need you to go to the grocery store. The school wants Anthony to bring cupcakes again..."

Edward has a secret, one he keeps from his family and friends. He’s a Navy Seal, a top-secret agent, but he’s also a husband and a dad with a ‘honey do’ list. The juxtaposition of these two big elements of his life make up this story and it’s done in a wonderful way. This story is only 3 chapters in at the time of writing this, but I promise you will enjoy each one of them. From a cockblock, to a teen daughters prom drama to the story of how they came to be, this promises to be another wonderful story from the incredibly talented denverpopcorn.

Banner by JaimeArkin

Completed Fic of the Week: 10/17/11

2011-10-18T20:44:00.000-04:00

Public Relations by snshyne
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5781997/1/Public_Relations

Review by fnoslvrvlvo4lif

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Humor
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Bella Swan, the President of Black-Swan, Inc, WANTS Edward Cullen Owner and Creative Director of ECSquared. What is she going to do about it? A fun fic mini-series. M, AH, OOC, E/B, canon pairings.

This story caught my eye the moment Lori asked if somebody could read and review it. So...I told her I would do it. From the moment I started this story, it sucked me right in. I couldn't help but fall in love with Shyward and Aggressivella. By the way, you read that right...Shyward **squees a bit** Pardon me...I had a moment.

This story starts off with Edward going in to pitch an advertising idea to Bella's company for her friend, Alice's new clothing line that she's started. Bella made Edward a bit nervous at how beautiful he found her, but still gave a flawless presentation. The only problem is...Bella said it needed work and he needed to come back. This throws him for a loop because he knows, as well as Bella's partner in the business, Jake, that it was flawless and that she is just a perfectionist. This is funny because so is Edward, which is how he knew there couldn't be anything wrong with it. He shows up in Bella's office to find that it's not his presentation she wants to look over, it's Edward himself! Here's the kicker, Edward has NO experience when it comes to sex. **gasps** I know! Edward doesn't have experience?! It's a crazy thought right? But guess what? He totally doesn't and he is just so loveable. You just can't help it.

Here is a little of what you’re missing...

When his voice came over the speakers, I bit my tongue in hopes to thwart the surmounting wetness pooling behind the thin barrier of my panties. He looked at me periodically throughout the viewing and I so badly wanted to know what he was thinking. I remembered I was supposed to be showing him points of interest and we were halfway through and I had not picked one.

I picked up the remote and paused the disc. "See this here?" I asked, pointing at nothing in particular. Edward looked at me with a quirked eyebrow. "Uh, no."

"This?" I said, standing up and leaning over the monitor in front of his seat. I leaned in dangerously close. So close I could smell his aftershave and that sweet manly-musk that I wanted to taste. My hair brushed against his crotch and he stiffened in his seat before he squeaked out, "I'm sorry. I just don't see what you're showing me."

I sighed out loud, realizing that if I wanted this, I was going to have to be less subtle. It wasn't a problem really, I could be more direct. I just didn't want him to think I was some slut-bag who did things like this on a regular basis. For some reason, his view of me mattered.

I took his hand in mine and leaned forward close to the monitor, now able to see my reflection, and brought his hand with me.

"This," I said one more time. Except this time, I brought his hand to my mouth and sucked on his index finger. Showing him what I was talking about.

"Oh," was his response as I continued to glide his long, elegant finger in and out of my mouth and imagining it elsewhere.

I pushed his chair back, leaving room between him and the table and watched as his hand dropped to his side. My eyes trailed down his body from his sex hair, to his shocked expression, down his chiseled chest, evident from the shape in his perfectly crisp oxford, then down to his crotch where a large bulge was very happy to see me.

"Miss Swan."

"Bella," I corrected him.

"Bella. Uhm. What are you? What?" Poor boy was in so much shock he could barely speak. "I thought you wanted to show me points of interest that needed work."

"That's exactly what I'm doing. Here, here, here, and here."

I can only here the questions now...what the hell is Bella pointing at? Well go read Public Relations yourself and go find out. You won’t regret it.

WIP of the Week: 10/17/11

2011-10-18T13:08:00.002-04:00

Dirt Roads by winehoes

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7303130/1/Dirt_Roads

Reviewed by twilly

Rating: M
Genre: Humor/Romance
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Trucker hats, possums, and dirt roads. Shenanigans ensue. Is there really less trouble in the country, or are the kids just better at not getting caught? ExB, AH. Story contains illegal drug use.

I let Dirt Roads sit open on my desktop for three days after it was mentioned in the closing author’s note of iambeagle’s First of the Month.

“Make sure you check out Dirt Roads by winehoes (collab w/Livie79)”

I always follow directions. Well, most of the time. OK fine, I don’t really follow directions that often; but I did this time! So it sat open in a tab on my desktop for three days, surviving any accidental window closures and computer shutdowns. For me, that’s a sign; it’s meant to be; it’s kismet!

I’ll have to admit, the very first line hooked me.

“I'd never given much thought to how I would die, but even if I had, I could think of a million better ways than this.”

Truthfully, said hooking may have been in small part to my own personal Twilight tradition. When I watch Twilight, and Bella narrates as she enters the ballet studio, “I’ve never given much thought to how I would die…” I always say, out loud, “Yes you have, you were just wondering about it like an hour and a half ago!”

Even though the initial hook was a link to my own private Mystery Science Theater 3000-ish viewing of Twilight, I dare you to read a four hundred and seventy word prologue that starts with the realization that dying for someone else is stupid and covers; road head, a hippie-therapist Charlie, and pretty flower arrangements; and ends with Edward in a trucker hat, and not want to read more!

Seriously; right now. Go. I dare you.

You came back! Awesome. Here’s a little more about the story.

Bella is a New York City party girl. Bailing her out of jail is the last straw for Charlie, who thinks a change of scenery and lifestyle is just what Bella needs to straighten her out for her senior year of high school.

"We're moving."

This couldn't be happening.

"But...your clients! And...you love New York. I love New York!"

"Well, honey, now we're going to love Intercourse," Charlie said, slightly cringing. "It's in Alabama."

From her very first moments in Intercourse, Bella is on edge, starting when she and Charlie move into a house that she is certain is haunted. Eager to escape her own personal Amityville house, she makes a late night run to the local Kum & Go where she meets Edward, “Intercourse's one and only reefer keeper," and Smartie pusher. A couple of rounds of puff puff pass and a ghost story later, Bella has a date with a plate of liver and gizzards.

Bella spends the waning days of summer hanging out with Edward and his friends, doing community service and trying to remind herself, “Inner monologue meant inner, Bella.” Edward spends his waning days pissing her off and then charming the pants off her. Sometimes literally.

Edward stepped closer to me before tilting his head back and to the side a little with a half smile on his face, looking playfully apologetic and cocky at the same time. He bent his knees a little, so he was more eye level with me, making my mind fuzzy.

I was pissed at him, right? I couldn't seem to remember the reason all of a sudden, so whatever it was couldn't have been too important.

With one step closer, he tugged my finger playfully, causing me to stumble forward until our foreheads were almost touching.

Looking directly into my eyes, he whispered, "Seriously, Pockets. I really am sorry."

And I was fucked. So utterly fucked, it wasn't even funny. The look in his eyes was so devilish, I almost blushed. That is, if I were a blusher, which I wasn't.

We were totally going to have sex. But that thought was cut short as I watched him reach into his pocket and pull out a joint.

"Peace offering?" he asked, holding it out towards me.

I really wanted to stay mad, but he did seem sorry. Also, his smile was kind of nice, and that weed was so fucking good. Ugh. This guy. He's one smooth motherfucker, I'll give him that.

A strange feeling crept into the pit of my stomach. One that was telling me he was going to complicate things for me in the long run. But I shut that part of my brain off for now and nodded my ascent.

"We're good then?" He asked with a smile spreading across his beautiful face.

I knew something else he could spread, and it just so happened to be my legs. Not the point though.

Without my consent, because my brain and heart were feisty little fuckers who never agreed on anything, a smile crept across my own face in return.

"Yeah, we're good. You just better not ever do something like that to me again," I added with a lift of my brow.

Edward, even after knowing him for less than a day, accessed me in a way that made me squirm. A mischievous look gleamed in his eyes again and I knew right then it would not be the last time he fucked with me. Unfortunately, it also dawned on me that I didn't even care.

The chemistry between these two is off the charts, leading Rosalie to quip, "Well, damn. Watching you guys is like watching soft porn; just enough to get you going but not enough to slide into home base.”

And a few days later, Emmett to add, "I'm going to have to call Rose and let her know that you two have moved up a few notches. Soft porn, my ass."

Edward and Bella seemed to be cock blocked at every turn whether by ‘possums, Swamp Frog or Emmett’s hairy ass. Until…haha, I’m not going to tell you! You have to go read it. But, I know. Just saying.

One of the things I especially love about this Edward is that he is respectful of Bella as a person and doesn’t use his concern for her as an excuse to be controlling.

Edward grabbed my hand before I could get out of the truck. "Hey. There are going to be a lot of people from school here tonight and I know you smoke weed and drink, but there are some kids here that will have other stuff," he said, looking uneasy. "I'm not telling you what to do or anything like that. Fuck, we've all done crazy shit, just..." he blew out a breath. "It's just some of these guys will not be entirely honest about what they're sharing." He shook his head like he was remembering something then looked back over at me. "Look. If you do something it's cool, but check with one of us before hand to make sure that person is on the up and up, okay?"

Edward isn’t the typical, possessive stud, making sure everyone knows the new girl is his. He doesn’t ‘piss on her leg’, unfortunately; this doesn’t stop Edward’s loyal friend, Jasper from doing it for him without his knowledge. It also doesn’t stop Bella from claiming what’s hers.

I reached behind me and palmed Edward's junk causing him to jump and let out a surprised choking laugh. Maggie's eyes widened as she looked down at my hand.

"You see this?" I asked giving him a little squeeze for emphasis, plus well it was nice. "This is mine. You are not to think about it, look at it, or do anything that would remotely piss me off about it." I said moving closer to her without removing my hand. I could hear all the guys behind me laughing, I think Edward was holding my hand in place on his junk, but I couldn't be sure.

"If you do, I will pussy punch you so hard your kidneys will fall out your ass." I threatened before flinching towards her causing her to fall back. I laughed and gave Edward one more good squeeze before letting go, for now.

"Fuck pissing on his leg Bella," Alice said as we stumbled drunk as shit along the edge of the hill overlooking the creek down below. "You just fucking tattooed your name across his dick!"

Another thing that is amazing about the Dirt Roads is the gang.

Bella first meets Alice at the Piggly Wiggly where she is employee of the month. She’s uncharacteristically quiet and her teased hair makes up for what she lacks in height. But her friends “know better than to give Alice moonshine when she has to be in public.”

Rosalie also works at the Piggly Wiggly, offering yeast products and is known for having the best sticky buns in three counties. She even entices Charlie with them.

Jasper "may very well know every possible situation where the history of Intercourse can be brought into a conversation." His first impression of Bella is when she and Charlie enter the diner where he works.

"Excuse me?" I asked the waiter, who seemed to be more interested in his book, Meeting in the middle; The History of Intercourse, than actually, you know, waiting on us. "Can I have a fork, please?"

Putting his book under his arm, the waiter walked over and asked, "How about a spork?"

"Spork. Fork. I don't give a fuck what utensil you bring me, as long as it's not the one in your pants."

"Bella," Charlie scolded. "You'll have to excuse her."

"Yeah. I'm not used to interacting with others. I was released from the asylum just yesterday. Now, may I please have a fork?"

The look on the waiter's face was priceless. If I was going to waste my time here, I was at least going to make it interesting. I got my damn fork and refrained from stabbing it in my eye. No need to cause a scene.

Emmett is my favorite. He works at the Stitched or Stuffed: Vet Clinic and Taxidermy Shop, claiming, "Either way, you get your pet back." He’s the only one of the gang who knows Bella’s community service isn’t voluntary and enjoys his one guess per day about what she did to earn the sentence.

Your boyfriend cheating on you, then cut off his penis and attempted to sell it on eBay?

You drunk dialed the cops by accident trying to order a pizza, then told them my address so they could bring it to me.

You pistol whipped a Taco Bell employee who wouldn't take my order at the drive through because I was on foot.

The town of Intercourse is almost a character itself. Both in the culture shock Bella experiences in adjusting to the small, rural town and the other is by mentioning the name, “Intercourse” in every possible way.

You should try adding Intercourse to every thought, it’s fun. Come on, try it, you know you want to! “Intercourse at night is a dark and scary.” Or, “Bella is confused by the craziness that is Intercourse.”

See, its fun! But as I said, Winehoes do it so much better;

"Well, honey, now we're going to love Intercourse.”

“I was beginning to think Intercourse wasn't all it was cracked up to be.”

"Not even two days here and you've already made Intercourse so much better for me."

“I needed to have control over something in Intercourse.”

“I wasn't going to survive Intercourse, I just knew it.”

“Apparently, Intercourse had made my lips loose.”

“He's been great, introducing me to all sorts of new things in Intercourse.”

Also, you have to love author’s notes that make sure they’re not calling you the C-word when they say “See you next Tuesday!”

Dirt Roads is a fun read. Really, the summary kind of says it all, Trucker hats, possums, and dirt roads. Shenanigans ensue. Is there really less trouble in the country, or are the kids just better at not getting caught?

One Shot of the Week: 10/3/11

2011-10-08T14:00:00.001-04:00

Saved in the City of Sin by branchirps

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6679229/1/Saved_in_the_City_of_Sin

Rating: M

Genre: Romance/Humor

Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: O/S entry for the Fic A Pic contest. PR hot shot Edward Cullen, crosses paths with Bella the "Ice" Swan,advertising professional,niether one expecting anything; yet everything changes. EPOV Splintered Door Lemons

Submitted Fic of the Week: 10/3/11

2011-10-06T08:02:00.000-04:00

Resident Adviser by addicted-to-romione-bedward

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6531072/1/Resident_Adviser

Review by Agrutle

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Drama
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Bella is in her second year at UW and she ends up paired with Edward –basketball superstar– as RAs for their year. How far would he go to get her? Would she fall for his antiques, knowing his history with girl? Read and find out.

It’s the start of a new year and a new job for Bella. She’s going to be one of the new resident advisers, but what she doesn’t realize is that her enemy of sorts, Edward, is the other RA. Bella is instantly on edge because Edward never takes anything seriously. Edward is the star basketball player and a playboy. Bella can’t stand to be around him, but because all of their friends are friends they are thrown together constantly. To show the people in their dorm that they are friends, they decide to get along and show a united front, they start going to things together, and Bella goes to Edward’s basketball practices. Bella tells Edward he needs to learn how to date women instead of using them and so he asks her to go on dates with him to show him what he needs to know.

"I thought you said something about a hypothetic kiss."

"Did you have fun?"

"I still am having fun," he chuckled, and opened the door of our dorm building.

"After all that beer, everything is fun."

"I had fun too," I admitted.

"That means… under other circumstances… I would have kissed my date?" he asked, hopefully.

"Yes. Just a kiss. Close mouuu-" I stumbled over a stairs and started laughing hysterically when I fell on the stair.

"Are you okay? And what do you mean… close mouthed?"

He was in shock. I was on my feet again and with his help, I made it safely to our floor.

"Just what you heard. Haven't you done it before?"

"No," he answered, shocked. "You?"

"We're talking about you," I blurted out. No need for him to know about my non-existent experience.

"I don't know about that… Care to show me how to do it?" he asked, cockily.

"Just don't stick your tongue down the girl's throat. That means closed mouthed."

"Can't we… experience it?"

Soon she realizes that she is starting to actually like him, not just in a friendly way either, but she fights it hard, knowing that he’s a player. What she doesn’t know is that there is a reason that Edward doesn’t let people get near him, and it has to do with his biological parents. It has shaped the way Edward deals with ties to people, he doesn’t. One night stands and flings are his way of making sure no one gets close enough to hurt him. Something about Bella, though keeps him coming back for more and all too soon they are as close as two people can be. What do you do though when you find out that he may not have been as honest as you though, or was he.

I woke up later to an empty bed. it was dark outside, being winter, I couldn't tell the time. Had he left? Just like that? I was angry and disappointed, but I wanted to find him and hurt him. That's when I heard his voice outside the room or nearby, anyway. I spotted his shirt at the end of the bed and slipped it on along with my knickers before padding to the door. From the sound, he was arguing with someone. Then, everything went silent. I opened the door just in time to hear his groan. The same groan I had heard earlier, a groan of pleasure.

There he was! In the middle of the hallway, a few feet away from my room. Jacob's sister in his arms. They were kissing, and she looked like she was dry humping him. A dry sob escaped my lips and distracted them.Cullen's head snapped to me, and his eyes widened. The girl looked at me then at him and she started shouting something. I couldn't pay attention. I wanted to crawl in a hole and die.

"I told you no, Rita!"

"REBECCA!" the girl wailed.

"What the fuck ever! I said no!" he shouted, glancing at me. "Bella…I ehh motherfucker," he groaned and gripped his hair with a hand.

"You were with her all this time?" the girl yelled. His eyes widened further, and I felt sick.

"Look, Rach-"

"RE-BE-CCA! Fuck you, Cullen!"

He moaned when she slapped him and dashed down the stairs. His eyes turn to me. I stood there, petrified.

Bella is broken after that, she feels like a fool. Why would he want her when he could literally have any girl on campus. She starts seeing someone else that treats her nice and is only seeing her, Jake. He is on the basketball team with Edward and everything seems to be going along great when Bella finds out that Jake is Rebecca’s sister and is out for revenge for his sister. Not too long after Bella sees Edward sitting in his car and thinks he’s sleeping when in reality he is trapped and is passed out. The near death experience shows her that she really does want to be with him and he wants to be with her and so they try again, still keeping it from their friends that they had been together before.

"I think it's impossible for us to be friends. Especially after… December."

"Haven't you forgiven me?"

"I meant that I can't be just friends!" I whispered and blushed.

"That means we're going to try again?" he asked, hopeful.

There is so much going on in this story that you get hooked immediately. The author has a way of making you laugh at the best times. You have to come and read this great story and find out all about this cocky Edward and his Bella, and where life takes them. I know I eagerly wait for each and every update!

Banner by JaimeArkin

Completed Fic of the Week: 10/3/11

2011-10-04T07:56:00.002-04:00

A Compendium of Thoughts by ItIsRaining

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6878388/1/A_Compendium_of_Thoughts

Review by AnonymouslySufferingFromOCD

Rating: M
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: After Edward is struck with a serious illness, Bella offers to give him a ride to school every day. His musings on life are priceless and unique. Based in its entirety on a true story.

This story is a short but sweet one, based on a true story, and enhanced with our favorite Twilight characters. It is about a young girl making friends, and forming a bond with a boy who is facing the biggest fight of his life.

We start off with an email asking Bella and Angela to help get Edward Cullen to and from school as he is once again having seizures that make it impossible for him to drive himself. Bella and Angela while never being close with Edward are two very thoughtful and caring students that Mrs. Cope thinks will be the perfect duo to help out. Edward has been suffering from a brain tumor and the effects of the multiple brain surgeries he has had over the past year and Bella, seeing all that he has gone through and that he really doesn’t have any friends of his own anymore is determined to be there for him.

Finally, he spoke in a low voice. "I'm not really used to making friends, Bella. When I found out about the…tumor I just kind of let all of mine go."

This explained his hesitation to open up to me in the beginning, as well. He had yet to talk to me in any detail about his illness, or whatever it was, but I wasn't going to push him. Edward was the kind of person who would come around when he was ready to tell me, when he trusted me enough.

"Edward," I said softly. His head turned slightly in my direction.

"Look at me." He did, his deep green eyes looking sad and defeated. "You're allowed to have friends. They could help you through this. You just need to let people see how special you are."

He absorbed this and looked down in thought. I waited for a few minutes before I looked at my phone, checking the time.

"We have to go inside now. It's up to you, okay? I would love if you came and sat with us today, but I won't force you. Think about it, I'll leave a seat open for you next to me and you're welcome to it if you choose."

The amount of bravery that these two young teen’s show is so inspiring, and to know that it is based on a true story, the author’s own story, is positively amazing. This one is a quick ten chapters, but completely worth the read. I have read many Edward and Bella stories, but I can tell you this one moved me in ways that I didn’t think was possible in the world of FanFiction. If this story doesn’t touch your heart, then none will. I hope you like it as much as I did.

Banner by JaimeArkin

WIP of the Week: 10/3/11

2011-10-03T21:49:00.000-04:00

A Multitude of Sins by lvtwilight09

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7411404/1/A_Multitude_of_Sins\

Review by Maxandmo

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Drama
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: New parish priest & school principal Edward Cullen finds himself tempted by the person he least expects. Will he be able to keep his vows or will he find himself lost in a multitude of sins?

The minute I heard the term 'Priestward' I just had to check out A Multitude of Sins. I had no idea what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. It deals with the feelings and desires of a priest and a nun. This fic is considered a drabble, meaning that the updates are short, but often. Ivtwilight09 is a very receptive author who responds to reviews and is extremely gracious.

Father Cullen is the new principal of a Catholic School, and is also the parish priest. Sister Isabella also teaches at the school, and is a nun at the parish. The minute they see each other sparks fly.

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit…" And that's when I see her, causing me to lose my train of thought as I feel stirrings within my body…ones I haven't had to truly deal with for years. Channeling your focus onto God kind of helps keep those feelings in check, and now I feel guilty…it may not be in the bible, but I'm pretty sure that being a priest and sporting wood while conducting mass is frowned upon.

They both feel guilty about their desires, trying to ignore their attraction, an attraction that is unbeknownst to each other. They are left secretly wanting one another, and no matter how hard they try to ignore it, their dreams are a different story.

I wake up panting, my body covered in sweat, the dream still lingering in my memory.

Looking around my bed, the sheets are a tangled mess and I become well aware of an uncomfortable stickiness that has taken up residence in my boxers. I groan at the realization that I've had a wet dream, something I haven't had to deal with since I was a teenager.

Sighing, I get up strip out of my soiled clothes and take a shower as I try to wash away the memory of the fact that not only did I have a wet dream, but I had a wet dream about a nun…I'm so going to hell.

Sister Isabella confesses her impure thoughts to Father Marcus who instructs her to spend as much time in her room in prayer and reflection. Father Cullen decides a visit to his family's home will give him the opportunity to confess to his brother.

What will happen when they learn that they're not alone in their temptation? Will they continue to fight against their hearts, or will they give in to their feelings?

Now is a great time to give this fic a try. It's 14 chapters in, and only 8,000+ words.

One Shot of the Week: 9/26/11

2011-09-30T08:06:00.000-04:00

Running the Option by coachlady1

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6103859/1/Running_the_Option

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Humor
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: After being hurt by her former boyfriend, Bella has sworn off relationships for good that is until a hot U-Dub quarterback pulls a trick play on her. Will he drop the ball or will it be enough to make her change her mind and try again? o/s TWBB contest

Tianiichan's Rec of the Week: 9/26/11

2011-09-29T10:35:00.000-04:00

I'm In Here by Adair7

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6905472/1/Im_In_Here

Review by Tianiichan

Rating: M
Genre: Angst/Drama
Characters: Edward

Summary: Edward and Rosalie have a symbiotic relationship until Emmett returns to school. Now Edward is on his own, left to struggle with new relationships, his identity, and his sexuality. Edward/Jasper, Edward/Bella, AH-AU, M

I've been reading Twilight fanfiction for a few years now. I have, in fact, read so many stories that sometimes I have difficulty separating one from the other. Plots cross, characters blend, places mix. . .sometimes, though, I'll come across a piece of fiction that just sticks with me. I don't forget a moment of it, the name of the story, or the author. Adair7 is one of those, as is their stories. I'm In Here is no different.

Maybe it's the fact that the summary mentions Edward and Rosalie. Maybe people see that and don't read any further. I hear of so many in our fandom that do not wish to read anything other than canon pairings, so this reason is, to me, most obvious. It's there at the end, though – Edward/Jasper, Edward/Bella. Again, there's another pairing other than just Edward and Bella, so maybe that's why? Because, for the life of me, I can't understand why this story has so few reviews.

It has pretty much anything you could ask for – a slow burn, a canon pairing, pretty boys, and a non-annoying Alice. Of course, that's only a few things. To find them all, you just need to read for yourself. But why should you? That's the question, isn't it?

It's true that much of the story thus far does have to do with Edward and Rosalie's relationship, or, the change in it, to be more exact. As we enter the story, we find that Edward and Rosalie are pretty much inseparable. They're in high school, which is confusing and lonely enough, and lean on each other. They are so close, that most of the school believes them to be a couple. They don't correct anyone, instead they let the student body make their own assumptions, and it works just fine for them.

I had nothing to gain by owning up to my unsoiled virtue, but I was always shocked that Rosalie had gone along with it. She'd eventually admitted to allowing the rumors to persist as a means of keeping the lowly potential suitors at bay. Despite Olympia Academy being the most prestigious private school in the Pacific North West, there was a notable amount of classless boys residing within its walls. Using me as a shield to protect her from their hormones seemed to be worth the price of being identified as my girlfriend. I also suspected, though Rosalie would never admit to it, that she believed in waiting until marriage and doing things traditionally – an idea that didn't really fly in Olympia's halls of debauchery, popular or not.

So everything's all fine and dandy. Everything's going perfectly for the two of them, until a certain blue-eyed, dimple-cheeked, handsome Emmett McCarty swoops in and steals Rosalie's attention. She begins pulling away from Edward and their friendship – at least so far as Edward chooses to believe – which opens the door for Jasper Whitlock to befriend our dear Edward.

Jasper seems to be just what Edward needs to take his mind off of the crack in his friendship with Rosalie. He's laid back, witty, he takes none of Edward's shit, and he provides Edward with distractions in the form of alcohol, cigarettes, and mind-altering drugs. When the two decide to take the pills together. . .interesting things happen.

My skin tingled like ice beneath his touch. He was the ice to my fire and I could feel our elements duel on the surface of my too-sensitive skin. My heart raced in my chest, pounding with the thrills of sensation. I thrived beneath the touch of ice as it stroked my face, tugged at my hair, pulled me close and wrapped around me.

Jasper spoke again and I smile in response to the noise, but I still wasn't listening. I gasped as the sensations crushed against my lips and gave in to the growing desire to push back.

Somewhere my mind registered that I was kissing, that this motion, this game of give and take, was a kiss, but I pushed it below the surface and only felt.

Edward wakes up in a cloud of confusion, one that only grows larger as he realizes exactly what he and Jasper did, and exactly how much he liked it.

And then – because poor Edward wasn't lost enough – a new girl starts school. Really, Edward could care less about a new girl. He could care less about the buzz running rampant through the halls about her. He could care less about anything except being left alone. So when the only empty seat in AP Biology – the seat next to Edward – is suddenly occupied by her, well, he pretty much hates her on sight.

I frowned, realizing my extra leg space and independence were about to end. The seat next to me was the only free seat in the room, and judging by the way she stood beside the table, she was actually intending to sit in it. Before I could gather my wits and collect my things, she made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat and glared at me silently. At least I was fairly certain she was glaring, I had avoided eye contact, sulking moodily about my loss of privacy as I scooped up my books and pulled my legs back over to my side of the table. She sat down quickly, as if worried I'd reclaim her side of the table if she didn't act quickly to occupy it herself.

There's something about her, though, and Edward can't let it go. His little world has been turned upside down, and then flipped on its axis. Edward has a long road ahead of him in order to figure what he really wants, and if it's really what is best for him. Will Edward figure out who he really wants? Will his friendship with Rosalie completely crumble? So many questions, but the only way to get the answer is to read. Well, and enjoy – I know you will.

JasperLuver48's Rec of the Week: 9/26/11

2011-09-28T07:57:00.000-04:00

A Madness Most Discreet by Vampireisthenewblack

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6367008/1/A_Madness_Most_Discreet

Review by JasperLuver48

Rating: M
Genre: Romance
Characters: Edward & Jasper

Summary: I'm pretty sure Edward Cullen hates my guts. It's the way he looks at me, the way he stares so intensely. If that were the extent of the problem it would be easy to ignore, but it's not. Because I'm pretty sure I'm in love with him. AH E/J Slash NC-17

A Madness Most Discreet was originally an entry for the In the Closet anonymous one-shot contest on FFn and I fell in love with the story instantly before I ever knew that vampireisthenewblack was the one who wrote it. When the contest was over and I got the alert in my email that Vamp posted a new story, I ran to check it out and when I saw that this was her story, I squeed out loud.

I should have known from the way the story was written that it was hers. The way she writes brings a quality of realism that isn’t seen too often in the fantasy world of fan fiction. She makes the characters believable and their personalities are those of people you’d want to be friends with in real life. She immediately draws you in and completely takes you on a journey that you don’t want to end.

In the story, told from Jasper’s point of view, he is pretty sure Edward Cullen hates his guts and that is not a good thing, because Jasper’s pretty sure he’s in love with him. Jasper’s sister Rose is dating Edward’s older brother Emmett and so his parents have decided to have their whole family over for dinner.

They warn Jasper to be nice, Edward’s family is rich so they must impress them and they don’t want to be embarrassed. When Jasper is forced to be social at the party, he can’t help but be bewildered by Edward’s actions. He still ignores Jasper but has some nice things to say about him when asked.

When dinner is over and Jasper is sent in to do the dishes, Edward is quickly volunteered to go help him.

The tension of the situation is palpable and builds intensely until finally Edward breaks the silence and demands to know why Jasper hates him, why he won’t talk to him. Jasper is shocked to his core to find out that Edward Cullen is in fact gay and Edward likes him.

The make out session that happens afterward is hot and then Jasper invites Edward up to his room to play video games. Yeah, like that’s really what’s going to happen… *giggle*

The rest of the story is the sexy journey the boys take together, discovering how fun and difficult being in a relationship is. The story is twelve chapters in so far and on a hiatus until the new year while she works on her other projects. It ends at the perfect spot for part one and I for one am stoked for the next chapter of these boys’ journey to start.

I’ve been a big fan of vampireisthenewblack since someone recommended her fic Say Something Else to me a while back and I read the story in one night, bawling my eyes out along the way. So with her on author alert, you will never ever be disappointed.

Take a moment and check out the story, don’t forget to leave her some love, and of course, you are very welcome, because I’m sure you’ll all be thanking me for getting you addicted to this wonderful, wonderful author!

Camilla10's Rec of the Week: 9/26/11

2011-09-27T07:52:00.000-04:00

No Fate but What We Make by angel eyes1 UK

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7066089/1/No_Fate_But_What_We_Make

Review by Camilla10

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Family
Characters: Renesmee C./Nessie & Alec

Summary: Post-Breaking Dawn, a thirteen-year-old Renesmee sneaks away after her second senior prom to find Jake, and finds him doing something that shatters her dream of happily ever after. Nessie runs away, only to come across a young bad boy vampire in the forest. Can she find the freedom, love, and understanding she wants? And at what cost?

"Your father found your purse and Jasper found the body. At least you hid him well." Alice pauses and I can't think of anything to say in reply. "It seems they aren't the only ones following you, Nessie. You need to come home right now—the Volturi are following your trail, too."

This is Alice, awfully worried, trying to convince the errant Nessie to come home. Shattered by Jacob’s behavior, the Cullens’ most precious jewel has run away, and is befriended by Alec. Unfortunately, encouraged by the company she is keeping, Nessie has already killed.

She is horrified at herself and very afraid to face her family. What poor Nessie doesn’t know is that Alec isn’t just a young nomad, as she believes—he is a trusted member of the Volturi, and has a dark agenda that concerns her. Nessie might have sharp teeth, but she is the lamb in this situation.

Angel Eyes1 uk (Leanne Golightly) writes in a way that scares me. She fearlessly explores the reality of vampires, and, you know, vampires are not bunnies–the Volturi even less so—but once you enter into one of her stories, you are captured.

In the chapters written so far we also learn many details of Alec’s (and Jane’s) past. A terrible past, which at least explains, if it does not justify, why the Evil Twins are the way they are. And you cannot help but feel pity for them.This is how their agony is described:

Through my coughs, I beg her not to do this—that I don't want to have to see her burn first before it's my turn. She is doing a good job and the flames are avoiding me completely, though the black smoke is getting thicker and choking me. Through my watering, stinging eyes, I see a twisted smile play on her face, and then it gets too painful to see anything.

At this point of the story we don’t know what exactly Alec’s plans are, or what his mission is. He is bored by Nessie, and everything he says to her is a lie—plus, he is also very rude. Consider this: he was changed at a much earlier age than Edward was (and certainly wasn’t educated by Carlisle)-- he is ancient, but is at the same time an early teen, almost a pre-teen boy and wonderfully so. As such, young women haven’t a great appeal for him. For now.

But due to the author’s ability, we also feel that a change is slowly happening inside this flawed Alec & Nessie relationship.

Look, for instance, at this text exchange between Alex and his sister:

I look down at my phone and see that Jane has replied again. “Well, do it as quickly as possible. How is Renesrat Cullen? Send her my regards.” Jane ends her message with a smiley, and I can picture her actual expression. For some reason, I'm not finding the humor where I would normally.

“She's okay. Wait until I bring her back to Volterra and you can give her your regards yourself—but be nice. She's not really as bad as I thought she would be. She reminds me of you.”

So, a reader like me (one who thinks that the Twilight saga is about redemption, that is) starts hoping. Hoping that somewhere there is a possibility of redemption, even for Alec.Well, what more can I tell you? Read it, and you’ll be biting your nails like I do, waiting for the next update.

AbbyCreations Rec of the Week: 9/26/11

2011-09-26T21:48:00.000-04:00

The Last Man on Earth by MrMax1911

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7154786/1/The_Last_Man_on_Earth

Review by AbbyCreations

Rating: M
Genre: Adventure/Humor
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: In a world torn in two, by the military and the creatures that inhabit it, an unlikely pair cross paths. Will this be the beginning of something beautiful or deadly? What choices would you make? AH/AU, OCC

I'm always excited to see a man's take on the craziness that is the world of Twilight fanfiction. I find that a lot of writers take themselves, and the material way too seriously. The Last Man on Earth is an irreverent breath of fresh air. The author cautions in his bio that there will be no flowery language and he makes good on that promise. That's one of the many reasons I've enjoyed reading this story so much. It doesn't take itself seriously at all. It's written for fun, it's cheeky and mocking. It's the perfect counterbalance to the angst and fluff that permeates the fandom.

Edward and Bella are living in some sort of post zombie breakout in rural New Hampshire. Their home is an abandoned bank vault and Edward's pet rat is none other than Jacob. This is one of my favorite parts of the story. Edward is a foulmouthed pervert who seems anything but desirable to feisty Bella but the dynamic changes somewhat when he comes to her rescue.

"Please, let's get out of here. It's getting dark," she said between sobs.

Edward took off his shirt and hands it to her. "I'm so sorry that happened."

"Its not your fault. They came out of nowhere." She looked down as she put the shirt on.

He walked up, wrapping his arms around her, and whispered in her ear, "I promise I will never let anything like that happen to you."

"Let's get out of here," she repeated, still in shock.

"Okay," he agreed, taking her hand as they walked back to the bank.

The lemons are crude and raw, and they're unlike what you read in most other stories. Some of the things that Edward says to Bella are so whacky that I can't help but giggle at the vulgarity. I'll leave you to find those gems on your own.

Here is a taste of pervy Edward doing what he does best:

He walked out of the room, leaving her alone. She surveyed her surroundings before letting her towel drop to the floor. Edward took a peek through the string hole on the side of the blind in the office, constantly aware of his shadow from the candle to the left of him. As she disrobed, he finally laid eyes on the gaps in his imagination he had been longing to fill. The excitement of seeing her naked started a throbbing in his pants which soon became a turgid cock in his hand. He stared contently at her beautiful supple tits, trying not to ignore her pretty face. She lifted one long, pale leg to step into the tub, and he gave his cock a gentle stroke, down to his balls, as he imagined being buried deep inside the tiny, wet pussy he got a glimpse of for only a moment. As she sat in the tub, he continued stroking his stiff cock as she washed the tits he dreamed of licking.

While the writing isn't the most polished it lends itself well to the story and the characters and for this reason I wouldn't change a thing. I encourage you to show your support for MrMax1911 by taking a peek at this delightfully funny story. It was especially endearing to read that MrMax1911 got into the fandom in order to be closer to his wife. His efforts are to be commended!

One Shot of the Week: 9/19/11

2011-09-25T10:24:00.000-04:00

Blame it on the Alcohol by jtmd24

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6977125/1/Blame_It_On_The_Alcohol

Rating: M
Genre: Humor
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: 1st place Reader's Choice, 3rd place Judges Choice. Entry for The Awkward Turtle Contest. After a night out with friends, Bella wakes up with a raging case of WTF did I do last night? Might as well blame it on the alcohol. AH/AU

Submitted Fic of the Week: 9/19/11

2011-09-23T07:54:00.000-04:00

Confessions by morethanmyself

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6198159/1/Confessions

Review by SammieLynnsMom

Rating: M
Genre: Friendship/Angst
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: They've been best friends almost their whole lives. Bella has been his fierce protector; Edward has been her safe haven. Can their friendship survive his changing feelings and her screwed up past? What happens when she forces him to walk away?

"Bella, all you have to do is ask me to stay and I will." Please, please ask me to stay.

"You have to go, Edward. Your life is waiting, everything is waiting for you. She is waiting for you."

I could see the tears she was holding back, her slightly too pink cheeks betraying her emotions, and her breath stuttered minutely on the exhale. Our almost 17 years of friendship allowed me to see the chinks in her carefully constructed armor. To anyone else, she was as calm and collected as always, the mask firmly in place.

"I love you, Bella. I'll always love you."

"I know," she said sadly, as she kissed my cheek, gave me one last tight hug and walked away.

When I first read the story Confessions by morethanmyself, the first thing that stuck out to me was how every word mattered. Even the title of her chapters hold meaning as they help tell the story that revolves around what happens each time Edward tells Bella that he loves her.

Confessions opens up with a prologue that will immediately pull you in. It’s obvious that the characters, Edward and Bella, are close, perhaps even closer than either realize. As each chapter unfolds, we learn that these two best-friends grew up together, formed a bond most of us wouldn’t understand, but, while Edward is the sensible and responsible person, Bella fears she’s destined to be like her flighty mother for the rest of her life.

Eventually, as this pair grows up, we see Edward attempting to move on to better his life, while Bella believes that by letting him go, she’s set him free. The readers eventually meet the character Kate, who takes up residence in Edward’s life, and, in one of the few fics twists, I actually felt sorry for her. While our fandom is known to throw any non-canon pairing under the bus, even if it’s only temporary, my heart hurt for Kate as she realizes she can never be in first place. When reality eventually comes crashing down on Bella, we learn how she comes to grips with who she is versus who she thought she was. And, just how Edward learns to trust Bella again.

I recommend everyone reads Confessions. It’s angsty, well-written, and complete. Morethanmyself has even included an outtake at the end that delves into the future, leaving the story a completely fulfilling experience to read!

New Fic of the Week: 9/19/11

2011-09-22T07:58:00.000-04:00

Duet by evilnat

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7363300/1/Duet

Review by Maxandmo

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Drama
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: duet doo-et, djuːˈɛt — n 1. Also called esp for instrumental compositions : duo a musical composition for two performers or voices 2. an action or activity performed by a pair of closely connected individuals AH ExB

Duet is evilnat's first multi-chapter fic. It's only two chapters in and definitely makes you want more.

Bella is singer in a band while also working at the bar Alice and Jasper bought. Alice is a breath of fresh air with a bubbly personality who is one of Bella's close friends. Jasper met Bella when she took voice lessons from him. She is constantly asking him to form a band with her but he is concentrating on renovating Twilight Tavern.

My smile widened, there was only one thing I wanted and I knew Jasper would say no.

"Start a band with me."

"No. Anything but that."

Bella is living in the engaged couple's spare room until her apartment above the bar is completed. Edward is Jasper's best friend. He has been touring as a concert 'peenist' as Alice says, and is very popular in those circles. He decides to spend time with his best friend when his tour concludes, and is going to help him with the renovation. Emmett is Edward's brother, and so far, is a very likable character.

As soon as Bella sees Edward she thinks he is very good looking. Edward's reaction to her is confusing to her. She notices that every time she walks into a room he leaves. After a while she starts doing it on purpose. She has no idea why he's acting that way toward her.

The story's alternate POVs gives great insight into what the characters are thinking. Edward alludes to the fact that they have met years ago, and that she is not the girl he remembers.

I only got a quick look, but it was her. She looked different, she was a little curvier but she was still as beautiful as she was the night I saw her for the first and last time. But she wasn't the girl I had been dreaming about all these years, this Bella had tattoos all over her arms and her jeans were so tight they left little to the imagination. No, this was not right at all.

His distaste is obvious, and she has no idea why. He is especially irritated that she is friends with his brother.

This fic has great potential. Bella and Jasper can sing, and Edward is a piano genius. Things are definitely going to get interesting!

Completed Fic of the Week: 9/19/11

2011-09-21T12:32:00.000-04:00

Land In My Arms by luckyirishtart

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6687950/1/Land_In_My_Arms

Review by AnonymouslySufferingFromOCD

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Drama
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: A pilot, a flight attendant, a bond with unconventional origins. When the thing you're not supposed to feel is inevitable, what delays would you fight against to make your connection? AH, E/B

Imagine Edward Cullen as a very sexy commercial airlines pilot all dressed in that awesome uniform. Oh and then add in that he is also an Air Force reserve pilot–oh, him in a flight suit. It is almost too much to handle, but it is exactly what you will get when you read Land In My Arms.

Bella Swan is a History major, not quite ready to settle into a teaching role, when she decides to become a flight attendant and see a bit more of the world first. After trying to date a very slimy pilot, Mike Newton, early on in her career, she has sworn off dating all pilots. That is until the day she takes a flight to Hawaii, and meets a very sexy Edward Cullen.

Edward and Bella have an instant connection, as they always do, and after spending a not quite lemony night together they go there separate ways. A few weeks later when they see each other in passing at another airport they agree to meet later in the week to talk and get to know one another better.

As I said earlier, Edward Cullen is a sexy pilot both for a commercial airline and the Air Force Reserves. He is a bit of a rebel, as he has some tats and piercings that are easily covered by his uniforms. He comes for a predominant family in Chicago and has many friends all across the country.

Their initial “date” is great but Edward has just gotten out of a relationship and Bella is working full time, while attending grad school, so she doesn’t have a whole lot of time. Edward suggests that they continue getting to know one another, and meet up when they can but only as friends. Don’t worry though, our Edward isn’t a player.

He paused for a moment, looking out at the ocean. "Well, until recently I had been dating someone on and off, but it started to get really complicated. High expectations from both our families. I don't know... I think at this point in my life I prefer to keep things casual."

Inside, I was a little disappointed. Maybe a lot disappointed. I'd had a really nice time with him tonight...as well as the time in Hawaii, which was simply mind-blowing. But it didn't seem as if he was looking for much more than a no-strings-attached relationship. I wasn't sure what to think about that, or if that meant that...whatever this thing was between us was more than I was hoping it could be.

But, then again, that could be fun, too...

"I get that." I understood. A guy like him who had everything going for him, and was active and committed to his career, wouldn't want to get attached. But I was also omitting a significant portion of the truth—how could I not want to be with someone like Edward?

I needed some kind of tangible label for this. I looked over at him and said, "So," I waved my hand back and forth between us, smiling. "What's this?"

He stopped. He grinned back at me, making my insides go warm. He pursed his lips, furrowed his brow and looked pensive for a moment. Then with the most beautiful and conflicted face, he said, "Friends? But good friends. Where I have license to hang out with you whenever I want."

"Whenever you want?" I said laughing. A little part of me went gooey inside and I didn't think my face could contain my smile. Put on your big girls panties and go with it. "That's cool."

It doesn’t take long for their “friends” relationship to turn into a “friends with benefits” relationship. Of course Bella’s feelings are much more than that, but she is willing to take what she can get for as long as she can. Unbeknownst to her, Edward may just be feeling the same way.

This story has it all, there is quite a bit of humor, especially when Emmett tries to fix his good friend Edward up with Rosalie’s best friend Bella.

Emmett was making introductions, I think, but I couldn't hear a thing. My mouth popped open and before I could say a word his gorgeous friend grinned widely. Stepping forward, he cupped my face in his hands and laid a kiss on me that would have made any girl swoon.

The kiss was initially hard, all fast and full of tongue. I couldn't even begin to regret my reaction. Lifting my hands to his neck, I gripped at the buttery soft cotton of his t-shirt, melting into his lips just as easily. The kiss slowed, smoothing into a full-blown make out session.

If not for the hoots and hollers of the patrons around us, I could have easily kept going, public place be damned.

As we broke apart, he looked into my eyes with this big grin on his face. I was stunned, but pleased nonetheless.

Hello, hot lips.

And then I remembered myself. Breaking away sheepishly, I glanced around and right into my friends stunned faces. Rose, who I didn't think had ever been at a loss for words, looked like a fish gasping for air.

Emmett let out a huge guffaw. "See, Rose! I told you. Didn't I tell you? You totally owe me five bucks."

Luckyirishtart does a great job of keeping us interested throughout the entire story. There is some drama, actually a little bit more than I was expecting, but I wouldn’t classify it by any means as angst. We get a little bit of everything with this one, plus we get it all while traveling to some really cool cities. The story itself is completed at twenty chapters and about one hundred thousand words, I think that this one is a great read and I think you will too.

WIP of the Week: 9/9/11

2011-09-19T21:07:00.000-04:00

Lights by truthinvienna

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6973570/1/Lights

Reviewed by phoebes.promise

Rating: M
Genre: Drama/Romance
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: It's shocking how fast your life can change. Happiness is fleeting, it's true. Dancing was my freedom, now it's a mere memory. A bad memory I can't escape. All I'm left with is insurmountable guilt and a pair of pointe shoes.

Lights, by first time author, truthinvienna, is a beautiful, quiet love story full of life’s truth and tragedy. A poignant blend of loss and hope weaves through important moments of growth and discovery. The open and backstory shocks and stings, settles deep…

She whispers and without even hesitating, falls gracefully from the cliff. She always does everything with grace, I think. I don't even move, all I hear is a splash against the rocks below.

Kate managed two suicides that night, because not only did she end her life, she also ended mine.

With a best friend gone, complicated pain and confusion is all sweet, young Bella knows. Repeating her senior year of high school as time was lost, gone in her grief allow for new faces and experiences.

I find myself taking more care of my appearance in the mornings when getting ready for school. I no longer sloppily tie my hair up. I take the time to brush it, even straightening the stubborn curls I have so that it looks sleek and shiny. I was never one for putting on makeup, but I've succumb to lining my eyes and dressing my lashes with a coat of mascara. Brushing some blush across my nonexistent cheek bones and painting a pale gloss on my light pink lips.

I do these changes subtly at first, trying something new on a different day. The last thing that I want to do is draw attention to myself. It works, no one seems to really notice a difference. If anything starts to feel strange, it's the even more acute glare I get from Edward. His arm is tensely placed on top of the desk, knuckles a straining white color.

Edward, is an old, sensitive soul with the most gentle way. He adores, admires and offers Bella tender comfort, creating a wide open path to healing.

I go tense, my spine straightening at the simple words. My turn to announce my name and my reason. And I'm not ready, I don't think I'll ever be ready. Saying it out loud only makes it more real. Even more painful than that dull ache I feel every single day.I close my eyes and take a deep breath and then I feel a weight on my left hand. When I open them, I see that Edward has covered the top of my hand with my own. I turn my head to face him, his deep green eyes gazing into mine. I can almost hear him gently telling me to go ahead, you're all right. "I'm Isabella Swan, and my best friend Kate Denali committed suicide last February."

Edward's hand doesn't leave mine the rest of the session, he only grasps it tighter.

Truthinvienna guides us through the past and present by alternating chapters of each. And as love grows and the plot builds, secrets are uncovered, realities are understood.

Maybe that's what I need. A common ground. Someone who knows what hurt is, what being alone signifies. Edward is an example, a pure result of what I can strive to become. He's experienced hardships that no child should ever have to. He's risen from them, he's happy, he's positive and sometimes his good moods are strangely contagious.Of all of this, he makes me want to be better.

Periphery characters, well told and textured, add dimension to the sweetest journey. Concerned parents, a protective brother, an optimistic sister all add to the steady swell of Edward and Bella’s love. And ultimately, it would seem in that love, the path from darkness to peace breathes.

Banner by JaimeArkin

One Shot of the Week: 9/12/11

2011-09-17T22:25:00.000-04:00

How I Remember You by tanglingshadows

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6353775/1/How_I_Remember_You

Rating: T
Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Drama
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: 'What a beautiful dream that can flash on the screen in a blink of an eye and be gone from me...' Edward Cullen lives in a nightmare where he finds solace in his dreams. What happens when he's saved from hell? Age of Edward 2010 entry! Vietnam era, 1973.

Submitted Fic of the Week: 9/12/11

2011-09-15T21:08:00.000-04:00

Plain Jane by Day Domme by Night by vbfb1

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6059692/1/Plain_Jane_By_Day_Domme_By_Night

Reviewed by LadyTazz7

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Hurt/Comfort
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Bella is just plain Jane secretary by day but at night, she is Mistress Izzy Domme extraordinaire. What happens when her days and nights start to merge?

I don't read to many BDSM stories and this was the second I have ever read where the Domme was the woman.

In the first chapter we meet Bella and find out the tragic and horrific events that lead her into the BDSM lifestyle. We also find out that her current two year Dom/sub relationship with Jake has grown stale and unchallenging for her. She heads to a play party with Jake in hopes to find him a new Domme and herself a new sub.

At the party, Rose, Bella's friend and mentor, introduces her to a potential sub, Edward. However, Rose didn't know that Edward was Bella's boss at work and the one she has had a crush on.

From chapter 3:

I started making my way around the room looking for Rose, mingling with the other Dommes as I went. I was chatting with Mistress Kate when I felt a tap on my shoulder. What I saw when I turned around almost made my heart stop.

It was Rose and my boss, Edward. He was standing there, head bowed. Dear god, please tell me this isn't the sub Rose is planning to introduce me to.

Before Rose could say anything, I grabbed her by the hand and dragged her over to the corner of the room.

"Rose, do you know who the fuck that was?"

"Yes, it was my brother in-law." My heart skipped a beat, fuck what had I gotten myself into.

"Your brother in-law, Edward Cullen is your bother in-law? Fuck, Rose, that's my boss. I'm his secretary. I see him every day of the week. Please tell me you don't think he should be my new sub."

"Ok, I won't tell you." I felt like my mind was going to shut down as the realisation that Edward was my intended new sub hit me like a ton of bricks.

Now, here is a peek at the hot and heavy part of this story (this comes with a sham wow warning)

"Now, Eddie, I would like you to put that mouth of yours to work and fuck my cunt. I want you to make me come hard and fast. You are not to use your hands only your mouth. Understand? You may respond."

"Yes, Mistress."

He stayed still for a while, obviously trying to figure out where to start. I decided to give him a hand. I grabbed hold of his hair and yanked him forward until his face was buried in my pussy.

Slowly, he slid his tongue between my lips searching out my bundle of nerves. He flicked, sucked, and nibbled on my clit. It felt so good, fuck, this boy knows how to use his mouth. Just when I thought I couldn't take anymore, his tongue moved down to my entrance. Holy fuck, this boy really does know how to use his tongue. I had never had a guy's tongue buried so far in my pussy before. I almost came right then. I could no longer hold in my moans and groans, it just felt so good. My hips started to buck of their own accord, unable to hold still.

"Fuck, Eddie, that feels so fucking good. Don't you dare fucking stop. Oh, fucking hell, I'm going to cum. You better fucking lick up every last drop."

What happened next was the most amazing experience of my life. Just as I was about to explode, I felt like I needed to pee, but I was too far gone to stop what was about to happen. As my orgasm hit, I completely let go and it was the most intense of my life. For the first time ever, I had squirted during an orgasm. I had read that these types of orgasms were extremely intense and extremely pleasurable, but to experience one first hand, there were just no words. As my body shuddered in pleasure, I heard a grunt that rather sounded like a moan coming from Edward. I guessed that he had cum too.

As I came down from my orgasm, Edward continued to lick at my pussy, cleaning me. When I couldn't physically take any more, I grabbed hold of the hair at the back of his head and tugged to get him to cease his ministrations.

This story is not just all about the hot steamy lemons, the story line is wonderful and had me hooked immediately. Can a relationship like this work for them? Can they separate the office from their Dom/sub relationship? Will the feelings Bella already had for Edward grow? Will he return them? I can't wait to see were the author takes us next on this journey.Trust me when I say this story is amazing, run and go read it. There are currently15 chapters up, and the author has told me she is working on the next chapter.

New Fic of the Week: 9/12/11

2011-09-14T22:20:00.001-04:00

Turning Pointe by Viridian6

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7308154/1/Turning_Pointe

Reviewed by Agrutle

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Angst
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Edward's life was a non-stop party – drinking, drugs, girls – he's completely out of control. Determined to win back his father's approval, he befriends sweet & innocent Bella. His plan backfires, but can he give up his new addiction?

After an accident that killed Edward's parents when he was eight, he was adopted by Esme and Carlisle Cullen. They had recently adopted eight year old Emmett, who was excited to have a brother, Edward just wanted to go home.

A drunk driver killed my parents. I was in the car too. I survived, they didn't.

I lie when I say I don't remember them. In truth, I remember everything about them. I remember my mother's chestnut-colored hair and green eyes; I see them in my own reflection when I look in the mirror. I remember how she would always smell like vanilla and the songs she would play for me on her piano. I remember my father's booming voice and the way he would ruffle my hair when he was proud of me. I remember our house in the small town of Forks, Washington. I remember the way my father's shoes would tap against the kitchen floor every morning when he would leave for the office in his black suit and tie. I remember my swing set in the backyard and the surrounding forest I would play in for hours. I remember fishing trips and camping trips, birthday parties and neighborhood friends coming over to play. I remember being happy.

Playing the piano connected Edward to his mother, he had stopped playing piano until he met Mrs. Cope. He then began to learn all the songs his mother loved. He would spend weeks working on songs, working until the last song he had to work through was finished, then he felt like he had lost her all over again. He hasn’t played the piano since. When Edward was fifteen, he started heading in a different direction. While Emmett was concentrating on football and being an all around good guy, Edward did none of that.That’s when he met Jasper, and they began their crazy journey. Skipping school, cliff diving, shoplifting, and then later the partying and drugs. He didn’t stop until he wrecked his car and woke up in the hospital broken bones and a charged with felony possession of a controlled substance. As a result, Carlisle was just finished, he quit speaking to Edward unless absolutely necessary.

So, I have been staying out of trouble. I want Carlisle to regain some of his faith in me just as Esme has done. I have adopted the philosophy that my actions speak louder than my words, assuming when he sees I am making an effort to be good, my spoken apology would carry more weight. I started going to class every day, finishing my junior year with straight A's. I never miss a meeting with my probation officer and my drug tests are always clean. I even try spending less time with Jazz, all in an effort to appease Carlisle.

A few months have gone by and my good behavior continues to go unnoticed. It's irritating to work so hard and have him completely ignore my progress. It's so easy to fall back in to my old habits when I get aggravated by Carlisle. Like last night, hanging with Jazz and getting drunk at a rock concert. Of course, I regret it now and not because of my splitting headache, but because I feel like I'm always taking two steps forward and one step back. What the hell do I have to do to get back in his good graces?

Isabella is a dancer and she is coming to stay with the Cullen’s so she can study under Victoria James at the Washington Academy of Performing Arts on a scholarship. Charlie is friends with Carlisle and is super overprotective of Bella, so much in fact that he almost didn’t let her take the scholarship, that is until Carlisle offered for Bella to live with him and Esme. Edward isn’t excited, neither is Emmett really. Bella is so thankful that the Cullen’s have let her come to stay with them, she is overwhelmed at the acceptance and the studio that they had built for her. She and Edward seem to hit it off and she is glad to have a friend. She also thinks he is the most beautiful person she’s seen. All the while, Edward is thinking that if he is nice to her and befriends her, Carlisle will lay off of him.

I begin to form a plan.

If Carlisle sees I'm playing nice with the good girl next door, maybe I can score some points with the doctor. Perhaps Bella and I can even be friends. Certainly Carlisle will like that – me spending time with someone like Bella. He detests Jasper. Maybe befriending somebody who is Jazz's polar opposite will help level the playing field. Besides, I wouldn't mind spending more time with Bella. Furthermore, if a person like Bella thinks I'm worthy of their friendship, maybe Carlisle will see I'm not all bad.

Virtuous by association.

The whole situation might actually work to my benefit.

The author has a way of making you feel bad for Edward, even though he has done this to himself. He has caused the issues he has with Carlisle. I am intrigued to see how this relationship with Bella works out. How she does with school and handling Edward. There is so much more that I wanted to say but I want you to read it for yourself! Run over and read and review it!!! You won’t be disappointed!!

Completed Fic of the Week: 9/12/11

2011-09-13T22:17:00.001-04:00

Worth the Burn by My-Bella & eternally addicted

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5478891/1/Worth_the_Burn

http://www.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/library/viewstory.php?sid=478&ageconsent=ok&warning=3

Review by AnonymouslySufferingFromOCD

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Drama
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: A night of Halloween trickery & secrets leads to some unexpected treats for Bella. Will this night of debauchery be a one time occurrence? Or will Bella & Edward risk the burn and attempt a relationship? Rated "M" for mature language & situations.

In the story Worth the Burn, My-Bella, author of the Vampire Bella Trilogy, Life’s Little Choices and Our Little Man, teams up with Eternally Addicted, author of The Game That Changed It All and Truth, Lies, and Alibis, to write the best snarky Bella you have ever met.

I have read Worth the Burn twice, once while it was in process, and again a short time ago when it was completed. Both times it completely captivated me. The dynamics of each relationship in this story are amazing as are all of the emotions that you feel throughout. The characters are not only devoted to their significant others, but to each other and all of their loved ones.

The story, which is mostly from Bella’s point of view, introduces us to a twenty-one year old college sophomore, Bella, who is snarky and a touch foul-mouthed. Okay, maybe more than a touch, but it is part of what makes this Bella so different from many others and so much fun as well. Not only is she sarcastic and funny, she also loves completely and is fierce in all that she does. Especially when it comes to protecting those she loves.

Bella has been through a lot in her short life. Her mother left her when she was young, and because of that it is hard for her to trust people. Then add to that some teenage angst and rebellion and you have someone that has learned the hard way to protect herself and her heart.

The Cullens include the siblings, fraternal twins Emmett and Edward, and little sister Alice, along with their completely devoted and loving parents Carlisle and Esme. Next we have Charlie, who is Bella’s daddy through thick and thin, and Jake who is like a little brother to her. Finally, throw in Bella’s loyal group of friends Rose, Jazz, and Bree and you have a big, happy, uniquely put together, but completely loving, family.

The dynamics of the group are rounded out with Alice being Bella’s best friend who has been there with her through all of her good times and bad. Emmett, who refers to her as his sister from another mother, is her protector, comic relief and partner in crime. Jasper is her emotional support, he is the one that can calm the storm when needed and Rosalie is her big sister and confidant whenever needed.

Edward is the one Cullen that has always just been there on the sidelines never really getting along with B. However, that doesn’t mean he has never noticed her. In fact he is very much aware of her. Things begin to change as we meet our favorite fictional characters when Alice decides to throw a Halloween party as only Alice can do—costumes, ghost hunt, the whole shebang.

"Time to partner up for the spooky ghost hunt," Alice called out. For a small girl, she had one hell of a voice on her.

"Alice, I haven't had my drink and I seem to have lost my dog," I said, looking all over for Jake. You'd think a six foot tall guy in a dog costume would be easy to spot.

"Here's your drink," Edward said, passing me an orange plastic cup. "As for Fido, he must not know Jessica's reputation because he left with her."

"Edward, you'll be Bella's partner then," Alice ordered, handing him the pad and pencil we were supposed to use to mark down our ghostly sightings. I didn't understand why Alice still found this fun, but I'd pretty much play any game to make that girl happy.

"Is that alright with you, Bella?" Edward asked, actually looking me in the face. I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen his green eyes straight on this way. They were a really nice emerald color and framed by long, dark lashes. Standing this close to him, I could see features from both Esme and Carlisle so clearly; her eyes, lashes, brows, and lips with his chin, cheek structure, and nose.

"It's fine," I said with a shrug.

Bella quickly learns there is more to Edward or as Bella loves to call him, the cheesy Cullen, than she ever realized. Before long she discovers they are actually quite compatible in a lot of ways. Although Bella doesn’t open up easily because she has been burned before, she realizes that Edward may just be worth it.

One of my favorite things in this story is that instead of jumping head first into their relationship, like in so many other fics, Bella and Edward really take their time getting to know one another, much like you would in a normal relationship. While there is plenty of love and happy times to be shared by these two, there is also some drama. Because of Bella’s trust issues and Edward who can be a big dumb man that is hopelessly in love and so afraid of doing something wrong, there are some rough patches for our favorite couple. I wouldn’t classify this story as angsty, but there are some issues that this couple will have to face along the way. I personally think that the trials and issues that they face helps to make the story more real and also makes the love they have and all the dreams they fulfill together so much more worth it.

As I said the dynamics of all of the relationships are amazing. You will grow to love each and every character more than you ever have before. The dynamics between Edward and Bella are even more amazing, now that Bella has finally found a person that can not only take all of the crap she throws at him, but dish it right back.

"I wasn't too bitchy to you, was I?" I asked.

He smiled and lifted my free hand to his lips, kissing the back of it. "Not even a little."

"Are you lying?" I asked.He chuckled against my skin, his green eyes the brightest shade of green I'd seen yet. "Slightly misappropriating the truth."

"A boyfriend who not only fixes me coffee, but sweetly lies about my just-waking-up attitude. I have hit the dating lotto," I joked.

He rolled his eyes at me and set my hand back on the bed. "Finish your coffee and get your lazy self out of bed so I can take you to the coffeehouse for breakfast."

I snorted at his attempt to be demanding. "Who the fuck died and made you king?"

I should probably warn you that Worth the Burn is a long one, it is over seven hundred thousand words on FF.net and even longer on TWCS. I highly recommend reading over at TWCS as it includes all of the juicy lemons for you to enjoy. FF.net gives you the cleaner version of the two. My-Bella and Eternally Addicted are a great team and are currently working on another story together, which promises to be even better than this one, although I may be a bit biased because of the subject. I hope you will give Worth the Burn a try, I promise you it is completely worth the read.

WIP of the Week: 9/12/11

2011-09-13T19:12:00.001-04:00

Seven Day Weekend by JandMsMommy

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6218782/1/Seven_Day_Weekend

Review by dragonfly336

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Angst
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: They were young, in love...and they raised hell for seven days. AH, E/B, Very OOC, lemons, Promised HEA

Did you ever make one wrong decision in your life that snowballed into bad decision after bad decision? Well, if so, then you know what Edward is going through in Seven Day Weekend by JandMsMommy. Although, his wrong decision is probably a little more drastic than something you would do!

This story takes place in Lincoln, NE, during 1957. We meet bad boy Edward Cullen, complete with a Lucky Strike dangling from his mouth. The reader gets a glimpse into his past as he wakes up from a nightmare of his parents demise.

And that was how I found them when I returned home from school at nine years old, lying in bed, expressions of false tranquility on their faces. I'd never be sure of the exact sequence of events since most of what I know is based on what neighbors claimed to have overheard.

But I am certain of one thing. When I, formerly Edward Cullen, was nine years old, my father killed my mother…then turned the gun on himself.

Edward is now nineteen and madly in love with his seventeen year old girlfriend, Bella Swan, or Little Devil as he affectionately dubbed her. I really love this Bella. She is a sweet, innocent, dutiful daughter in her parents eyes, but Edward knows the real Bella, snarky, foul mouthed and sexy.

One day Edward, who loses yet another job, needs to get more cigarettes and decides that he is going to have to steal them, something he doesn't like doing. Things go very, very wrong at the service station.

"Listen, man, just give me the smokes, and I'll let you leave. Take one more step, and I'll fire," he warned.

Fear quickly gave way to anger at his words, and my eyes narrowed.

Prick.

He had no idea that I had a gun of my own and was more than willing to use it if he dared to fucking threaten me again.

"Turn around, asshole! Give me the packs now, or I'll shoot!" he yelled.

Rage boiled my blood. This son of a whore, who was about the same age as I, was trying to intimidate me with a gun he probably barely knew how to use.

It would not fucking work.

I snickered mutely. "Okay," I said, playing along, and began to reach for the pistol. "I'm gonna grab the smokes, alright? Then I'll turn around and toss 'em on the counter."

As I spoke, my hand met with the cool metal tucked behind my buckle.

"Slowly, man. Real slow," he said.In an instant, I brandished the gun and whirled around, aiming it right at his head.

Blood pumped violently; adrenaline coursed its way through my veins as time seemed to move in slow motion. But I didn't hesitate, even for a second.

Edward knows that he needs to leave town, but that he can't live without Bella. He goes to her and begs her to come and after weighing things, she decides to go with him. This starts a chain of events that are full of action. And, have I mentioned the lemons? Oh my, can JandMsMommy write them!!

This story is ten chapters in and the perfect time to start. Our favorite couple just ran into Alice and Jasper and I am excited to see how their relationship develops. If you are looking for something different with a promised HEA, then this is the story for you!

WIP of the Week: 9/5/11

2011-09-12T17:13:00.000-04:00

substance clad in shadows by hollelujah

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7267735/1/substance_clad_in_shadows

Review by Obsmama

Rating: M
Genre: Angst/Romance
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Bella's only release comes in the form of distantly orbiting the life of Edward Cullen. As with any addiction, however, she's always left wanting more. "Mad is a term we use to describe a man who is obsessed with one idea and nothing else." Ugo Betti

"Mad is a term we use to describe a man who is obsessed with one idea and nothing else."

Ugo Betti.

That quote is used in the summary of this story and I was hooked just from that. Most of us read and enjoy a Darkward, an Edward who has issues or possessive tendencies, but what about Bella? What if she’s the dark one, what if she's the possessive one?

My other hand drops from his neck to unzip him, and then I am reaching in and pulling out and he's long, hot, hard in my hand as I stroke, stroke, stroke and he lets out a long, low moan.

"Good?"

"You… ah… you know it is," he answers breathlessly.

"You're big," I observe conversationally. "I'm very small. I don't think there's any way you'll fit inside me."

He frowns. "Stop… teasing me."

"Teasing you?" I ask with a squeeze.

"I'll fit," he gasps. "Of course I'll fit. I'll fill you up…" he groans again as I squeeze harder. "Shit."

"You'll fill me up?"

"Yeah…"

"You mean while you're fucking me?"He nods quickly, his breathing a harsh sound.

"We'll see about that," I whisper. "I didn't come here to stare at your bedroom ceiling while you get off."

He huffs a sharp laugh. "You don't think I can get you off?"

I smile, and there is fire in it.

When I began this story I was intrigued, to say the least, by Bella and the different masks she seems to wear in her life. She is a very well developed character with layers and flaws. Yet, at the core, the reader is always rooting for her, always seeing some light within her. I always want to see what she will do next, as she slowly begins to expose herself under the cold wall she’s constructed. As her past is revealed and the trouble she’s gotten herself into and also out of, you can’t help but feel as if your taking this journey with her. It’s a complex story of desire and what a person is willing to do to get their desire.

The scenes between Edward and Bella are so phenomenally done. You, as the reader, are rooting for this woman who is stalking this man. You want him to talk to her, you want him to ask her for dinner. It’s amazing how the author is unraveling this story. Edward is also a very well developed character I can’t wait to learn more about him. I have to say there are scenes in stories that stand out for me that I always associate with a character and one of mine for him is this scene in which Bella is finally interacting with the object of her desire.

"Bella. Bella, Bella, Bella," he rambles.

"You're drunk," I laugh lightly.

"So? Go somewhere with me."

"Where?"

"Anywhere. The bathroom. My car." He leans closer, his hot breath fanning over my shoulder.

"Anywhere," he repeats.

"Hm. And what would we do there?"His head comes up, eyes burning blearily into my own. "I'd—we'd do—I'd fuck you, Bella."

"Would you?"His face falls back into the crook of my neck. "Mmhm," he mumbles. I can feel him speaking against my skin.

"I can't hear you."

"I said," he sloppily scream-whispers into my ear. "You look delicious. I could eat you up."

"You're too kind."

"Not kind, Bella," he sighs, all drunken arousal and exasperation. "Look." My eyes follow his hand to where it gestures to his lap. It's too dark to see anything, but I'm fairly certain what he's trying to say.

"What?" I ask innocently.

"This," he growls, grabbing my hand and placing it on his semi-erect cock.

After a millisecond of hesitation, I flex my fingers experimentally and he makes a small sound against my neck.

"Again," he commands.

That second when something dark flashes in his eyes and he tells her he’s not kind you can tell that there is something dark and deep brewing between these two. I can’t say enough about how well done this story is with 15 chapters so far and without feeling as if I’m giving the plot away. But, I’m beyond impressed with this new to twilight author, she really seems to have a talent at creating strong, realistic, broken characters. I can’t wait to see what she does next with them.

One Shot of the Week: 9/5/11

2011-09-10T09:41:00.000-04:00

The Inadvertent Voyeur by FFReaderRW

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6898703/1/

Rating: M
Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Romance
Characters: Edward & Carlisle

Summary: Although tortured by guilt, Carlisle cannot stop watching Edward from his kitchen window. He feels an indescribable connection to him that takes him years to comprehend. AU Vamp slash. WARNING: Some child abuse is briefly mentioned.

New Fic of the Week: 9/5/11

2011-09-09T22:13:00.000-04:00

Give a Little by The Little Wise Owl

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7276098/1/Give_A_Little

Review by Dragonfly336

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Drama
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Bella, oppressed by her family's expectations of her, has spent her lifetime playing it safe. Edward, Hollywood actor, has never been afraid of taking a risk. This is a story of what happens when two people, with two different lifestyles, meet. Rated M.

Who out here in fandom doesn’t have a fantasy of one day meeting and catching the eye of one Edward Cullen as played by Robert Pattinson? That he could fall for the likes of little ol’ non-important us? Well, that is basically the premise of this new story by first time writer The Little Wise Owl. Bella is a college student, home for Thanksgiving break to her family’s farm in the small town of Forks.

We first meet her while she is pushing the broken down truck through the mud with her 14 year old sister, Alice. They are anticipating the return of their brother, Emmett, from his home in LA.

"Who is that tall drink of water?" I look up and catch just a glimpse of a tall, slender guy with the messiest hair I've ever seen climbing into the passenger seat of Emmett's jeep.

"Must be Em's friend." I have little to no interest in the matter. All I want is to take a hot shower and put on some dry clothes.

"Didn't Em say he was British?"

"Something like that." I confirm.

"Hot with an accent? Thank you Jesus! Score one for Ally!" I laugh at her. She's all hormones these days, which worries her dad to no end.Emmett pulls up to us and rolls down the window.

"Ya'll got it?" His friend is sitting in the passenger seat with his head down, hood pulled up, and sunglasses on. Weird.

Hmm, sounds like this Edward is based off a certain actor that is near and dear to our hearts. It turns out that Edward is an actor, living in LA, that all the girls have a crush on...all except Bella, that is. She doesn’t even know who Edward Cullen is, which definitely appeals to our favorite celebrity. She is the product of an overbearing mother, who wants Bella to follow in her footsteps and practice law, which Bella isn’t even sure she wants to do.

"I am going to go ahead and tell you too. Don't go and fall for this boy, Bella. You'll be the one ailing a broken heart when he goes to leave."

"Seriously, mom? I'm not interested and he definitely is not interested. I've talked to him for a whole 5 minutes. You should expect more of me than that." She gives me that look that only a mother can give and continues.

"I'm serious, Bella. He's good looking and charming and everything that a young girl could easily allow herself to fall head over heals for. I just want you to always use your brain when it comes to things like that. He's a big time movie star from Hollywood. He would be around long enough to get you interested and then leave you wondering what the hell had just happened."

"Mom, we've been through this before. All I said was that he seems nice. That's all." And it's not a complete lie. Just because I left out the part about how gorgeous I think he is doesn't negate the point I am trying to make.

"Plus, I think Alice is the one who could really benefit from this little pep talk." She sighs and nods her head. She's obviously thought of that too.

"Well, just remember what I've said, K?"

"K," I agree and go back to putting my salad together.

"You've always been smarter than that anyways, Bells." I am not quite sure why she feels the need to keep going, but I just hum my response.

"I'm really proud of the woman that you've turned into. Not quite sure I say that enough." Mom has always let her opinion be known that she really appreciates it when she sees young women who value their education more than their love lives. This was not a secret to me. It's probably the reason why at 21 years of age, I've only been on a handful of dates. Instead of starting an argument, I thank her and take the salad to the dining room table.

Edward asks Bella out on a date and after much considering, she finally agrees. They hit it off great, but Renee is livid and tries to talk some sense into Bella about what she is doing. She begins to see her mother’s point and lets Edward go.

I don’t want to give the whole story away, since it is only 5 chapters in. This is a great story from a first time writer and deserves more reviews than it has. I am so interested in how this is going to play out and how Edward and Bella are going to make it work out being from two different worlds. Go read it! You won’t regret it!

Banner by JaimeArkin

Submitted Fic of the Week: 9/5/11

2011-09-09T08:02:00.000-04:00

Divine Providence by Ayah Papaya

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5454716/1/Divine_Providence
Reviewed by AnonymouslySufferingFromOCD

Rating: T
Genre: Adventure/Supernatural
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: From the moment he laid eyes on her, he knew she was no ordinary human. The last of her kind had disappeared over 90 years ago. Can Edward help Bella reconnect with her past, and overthrow the Volturi? Can they restore order to the vampire world?

Divine Providence is a thrilling, suspenseful, alternative universe, Vamp Story, that will grab your attention from the prologue and hold on until the very end.

This story spins a tail of an old world vampire culture that is demolished and its only hope of resurrection relies on two people born 100 years apart. It begins with a prophecy in the year 1673, seen by Marie Chevalier, whose powers are like no other.

"My Lady?" He called, smiling weakly as he took her two hands in his. What she allowed him to see frightened him. The Underworlds, all of them, left abandoned and destroyed. Obviously ravaged by war, these once thriving communities were little more than pulverized stone, covered in a thick layer of vampiric ash.

"I see the fall of our kind, dearest Aro." Her voice was hollow, as if it were coming from another part of the vast throne room. Her expression was devoid of all emotion, and he clutched her hand tighter, to ferret out more of Her thoughts. He saw nothing that She didn't want him to see, and that moment became the most terrifying moment of his un-life. "There is but one to bring balance to our people, and she is not yet born in this life."

"How can you be sure, Marie? Can a single woman truly bring balance to our race? When will she come to defeat the Romanians?"

Her waxen eyes looked to the horizon. Her voice was vacant; not her own. "She shall be 'bone of my bones; flesh of my flesh'. I shall bear her into existence when I find the one with the flaxen eyes."

After her vision she seeks out none other than Carlisle Cullen a young pastor at the time, who practices the vegetarian lifestyle and counsels those in need of spiritual guidance. He becomes the only other vampire that knows of Marie’s true vision. Not only is he truly trustworthy, with no ulterior motives, but he will sire one of the Vampire’s that will save them all.

Bella Swan is a 25-year-old teacher with extreme intelligence. She helps out a local Washington area TV station with their version of Ghost Hunters during her summers. Her latest job brings her to Ireland where she meets her future in one Edward Cullen.

He held out his hand for me to shake. A well-mannered murderer; how refreshing! "Hello," He said politely, gently curling his fingers around my hand. "I'm Edward. Edward Cullen." He flipped my hand smoothly over, and kissed the top. Smooth fucker. "What's your name, Miss?" The stinging in my eyes lessened, but now my vision felt funny—different, as if I had been dosed with Novocaine. I could somehow see much clearer, and wondered if I really needed my flashlight, at all. In adulthood, I had always had superior eyesight; I guess I just acclimated to the absolute darkness quicker than I thought.

"Bella." I gave him a lazy half smile, and shook the cobwebs from between my ears, before launching into interrogation mode. "Do you have a permit to be here, Mr. Cullen? I thought Mike arranged to have this place cleared out until early Monday morning." He raised his hands in a sign of surrender, and gave me his most reassuring smile.

Edward was sired by Carlisle in the early 1900’s as our original story tells us, however in this version he is made aware of the role he will play in the prophecy early on and because of it becomes more of a loner than we are used to as he waits to meet his one true, love—his soul-mate. While Edward and Bella are always meant to be, this story prophesies it more than 300 years before Edward is even born.

The connection between Edward and Bella is immediate as is their dedication to helping the prophecy that will save all vampire kind. This story gives us an older more mature Edward and Bella, which is always great to see. It also introduces us to new characters and different outlooks that we have never seen before.

Divine Providence is basically complete with the last full chapter posted; we are just waiting on an epilogue, and let me say I wish that Ayah would post it already (hint, hint). Ayah, is in the process of going back and polishing the story up but really it is truly a well written and captivating tale that I know you will very much enjoy.

Completed Fic of the Week: 9/5/11

2011-09-07T21:00:00.000-04:00

La Morte Nera by AydenMorgen

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7128579/1/La_Morte_Nera

Review by Les16

Rating: M

Genre: Mystery/Supernatural

Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: La Morte Nera, an incurable virus, is ravaging Edward's world, killing vampires and wolves alike. Now Bella is being hunted by those infected. Is she merely a mortal caught in a world that refuses to let her go or is she the answer Edward seeks? AU/OOC.

I'll be honest, I'm always a bit nervous when one of my favorite authors branches out and tries something new. I already know what I like. I find my happy place in their writing and when they change that up, well, there is always that chance that I might not like something new and different. Like when you have a favorite restaurant and get the same thing every time then one night, you decide to be adventurous and try something totally unexpected. If that is what you are looking for, look no further than La Morte Nera. We all know Ayden Morgen can write, and write well. Her stories: Empty Panes and Pretty Things, Rapture, When the Bough Breaks, and All Falls Down are all incredible stories of love, loss, anguish ... not to mention some really hot, steamy lemons, too!

La Morte Nera is NOTHING like anything else she's ever written. First and foremost, it's an AU Vamp fic, her first ever. Second, it's action packed ... I'm talking edge of your seat, hold your breath and peek through your fingers while you read action. There's some sizzling hot chemistry that brews between Edward and Bella but if you are looking for lemons, you won't find them here. Believe me, you won't even miss them.

A deadly virus, La Morte Nera, is running rampant, ravaging vampires and wolves alike, annihilating entire covens and packs. Edward Cullen and his brothers Emmett and Jasper are working tirelessly, some would say foolishly, to do all they can to stop the virus before it wipes out everyone and everything they know and love. Armed with homemade weapons – diamond-tipped knives, swords, flame throwers - not to mention Emmett's strength and Jasper's cunning, the three search out and destroy the infected. It's ugly and messy work. It's dangerous, and deadly because if any of the three come in direct contact with the infected, their death sentence is all but signed and delivered.

It's a race against time, trying to wipe out the virus before it infects them all. There's a cure, they just don't know where to find it or who to ask. Every time the brothers have to destroy one of the infected, Edward is able to glean bits and pieces of information. They're searching for someone, someone who has the key to the cure.

And that brings us to Isabella Swan. The wolves are frantically searching for her. Every time she turns around, another one is there, ready to kill her. And every time, Edward and his brothers are there to unknowingly save her.

Besides, she had no idea where to run… or if any more of the insane wolves would find her if she did. For all she knew, they had some built-in Bella finding radar and running wouldn't do any good. It certainly hadn't so far. Three of the things had found her already, hunting her down like she was a rabbit.

She didn't much like being prey.

But lucky for her, every time she was sure she wouldn't escape, the same three men would appear out of nowhere to kill the wolves and carry them off. She hung somewhere between gratitude toward them and fear of them. Strange men didn't appear out of nowhere to save the damsel anywhere save in movies. That these three seemed to be making a habit of it made her nervous.

Once Bella and the Cullens meet, under somewhat less than ideal circumstances, it's obvious immediately that there is a connection between Edward and Bella. It's also obvious that Bella knows a lot more than she lets on at first. She's well-acquainted with the supernatural, her best friends are the Shifters from La Push, and she has firsthand knowledge of how cruel vampires with red eyes can truly be.

Ayden's take on our beloved characters is refreshing. Sure most of the characteristics we know and love are there ... Emmett likes to make people laugh, Jasper has a way of making you feel calm while making you want to spill your deepest, darkest secrets, and Edward broods and has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Bella is clumsy and as skittish as her kitten Zee, but she's so much stronger than she even knows. She's been through hell and back, and now, she has to face the past that destroyed and took all she loved to help try to save those she's just met.

This story will have your heart in your throat as you hope and pray for an outcome you're not sure is even possible. Can Edward and Bella ever be together? Can they find a cure in time before it destroys them all? Is Bella strong enough to face her past? Is Edward strong enough to save her, even if that means he has to save her from himself? Read La Morte Nera and find out. You won't be sorry!

One Shot of the Week: 8/29/11

2011-09-03T10:13:00.000-04:00

Canvas by Jen328

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6793425/1/

Rating: M
Genre: Romance
Characters: Edward/Bella

Summary: Bella's skin is a blank canvas, and Edward is going to mark her for the first time. But Bella has a surprise in store for him. Short one-shot based on a picture, really just some smutty fluff. Rated M for smut and language. Mostly smut. Enjoy!

ImWithPattz's Rec of the Week: 8/29/11

2011-09-03T10:03:00.001-04:00

The Homestead by esmegrace

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6649011/1/The_Homestead

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Supernatural
Characters: Edward/Bella

Summary: Bella is a chef hired at an exclusive resort. She must deal with an overzealous boss, an enthusiastic golf pro, and a mysterious guest who appears only in the library late at night...

Being a die-hard Ghost Hunters fan, I had been looking for a good “ghostly” fan fiction to addict myself to. The Homestead by EsmeGrace has it all – A mystery, a love story, some ghosts and a real backdrop which is the Homestead hotel in Virginia. About halfway through the story, I found myself going back and forth between the hotel website and her fic so I could picture some of the settings she describes.

The Homestead begins with a prologue where the reader meets James in 1901. He is the General Manager of the hotel. I won’t spoil anything else but suffice to say, the prologue managed to be creepy right from the start.

In the next chapter, we meet Bella Swan – winner of the Top Chef competition on the Food network. She has just left her job in NYC as a sous-chef at the famous Babbo to take a job at the mysterious Homestead hotel in Virginia.

I had only been a sous--chef at Babbo for a few months before Edward Cullen called out of the blue to offer me the job of head chef at his famous resort. Kind of strange, but he had seen a TV spot on the Food Network about the competition I had won as a culinary school graduate. He'd said on the phone, he just felt I was "right" for the position and just what he'd been "looking for." I didn't know what that meant. I'd still jumped at the chance. Of course, this was my big break. If I ever expected to be mentioned in the same breath as Paula Deen, Giada, and Cat Cora, I had to start somewhere.

Bella’s first meeting with the Cullens – “James” and Victoria, manages to leave her with an alarming sense of dread. EsmeGrace has done a wonderful job describing them to the reader –

"Ms. Swan, I presume. Welcome, welcome, please come in and have a seat." He took a step back and waved me in. He was dressed in a mint green golf shirt with the Lower Cascades logo, khaki pants, and a braided leather belt. He looked very much the southern preppy gentleman on holiday. I stepped over the threshold and into his office. The air seemed to chill as I entered. The room was decked out like a turn of the century gentleman's smoking room with lots of dark wood, heavy fabrics, thick oriental carpets. I moved toward a set of lovely dark green carved chairs as he motioned with his hand for me to sit. There was a fireplace with a cheerful fire sparking and cracking quietly. I suddenly realized that we weren't alone when a figure stood from one of the chairs by the fire. She had been hidden by the tall back. I stared at her rudely.

"My, my, you are the perfect little thing, aren't you?" she said beginning to shift toward me. Mr. Cullen was still standing by the door, which he had apparently just closed behind us. I felt a flash of panic, like I was trapped. I dismissed it quickly, and turned back to the formidable women coming at me.

I knew she had to be in her 80s, but her hair was a shocking shade of red, cut in a stylish, softly waving bob. As I examined her coloring, I realized that the color didn't look out of place or fake. If I had to guess, I would say she was trying to capture her natural color, what had once been before time had leeched away the color, leaving her with a dim gray. I didn't know many women her age who continued to bother with hair color. I also noticed that she was wearing slightly too much make-up and that her skin was too smooth, clearly she had had work done. However, the overall effect was not pathetic as it might be on another woman. This lady stood straight in 3 inch heels, a fitted pencil skirt, and décolletage blouse. I decided she frightened me. Mr. Cullen cleared his throat.

"Welcome to the Homestead, Ms. Swan. We are delighted to have you here and look forward to great things from you. I am James Cullen, and this is my wife, Victoria." Here, he nodded toward the woman who was now directly in front of me. She put her hand out to touch my face, like she was inspecting a sculpture or a painting. It felt cold and lifeless. If his eyes had alarmed me before, they were nothing to what I saw when I looked into hers. They were bottomless, empty. I was reminded of a cat, not a house cat but a dangerous jungle cat. She smiled slightly while still examining me, and I added canary-eating to my list of cat adjectives. I took a step back from her; I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. A burst of wind shook the windows, and smoke from the fire subtly wafted into the room, blurring my vision. She smiled delightedly.

Bella’s first instinct is that maybe she had made a mistake in leaving her job in NYC but realizes quickly that she is stuck.

I must be getting paranoid, but I just wanted out of the room at this point. I shook his hand firmly and turned to shake Victoria's hand, but she pulled me into a tight embrace. Her breath was cool on my cheek. I stepped back quickly, chilled, then thanked them, and headed quickly for the door and the first floor.

The mystery surrounding the Cullens is a large part of this fan fiction. There are twists and turns in every chapter and EsmeGrace keeps the reader guessing. Things did not start to click for me until half way through the written chapters when Bella encounters a mysterious figure in the library.

I exited my room quietly, heading toward the library again. There was not another soul around, the passageways dim and silent. I entered the library, and it looked just as I had left it. I suddenly felt very silly. What was I hoping to find here? I slumped onto a chaise lounge and looked up at the ceiling. I was momentarily distracted by the crown molding. It was a lovely specimen, and I tried to remember if it was the same in my restaurant's dining room. Suddenly, just as I had the night before, I thought I glimpsed movement out of the corner of eye. The curtain hiding the alcove, swayed slightly, as if caught in a breeze. I moved stealthily to my feet and inched toward it. Once there, I pinched the material between my fingers and roughly jerked it back, revealing the alcove. I gasped in surprise. Tonight, it was not empty.

A young man, a very handsome one at that, was seated at the desk inside the alcove. He was wearing what I thought at first was a tuxedo, but then I realized it was actually an old-fashioned dinner dress suit. He was staring at me in shock, probably the mirror of my own expression. He hastily replaced the book he had been pulling from the open glass-covered shelves above the desk and stood awkwardly. I continued to stare like an idiot, desperately searching for some words to say. I felt like I recognized him; he seemed so familiar. I decided he must be a maitre d' for the restaurant, given his attire. I opened my mouth to speak.

"Hello, I apologize. You startled me. I thought I was alone in here," I laughed nervously, trying to alleviate some of the tension of the moment. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped open. I noticed then that his eyes were very green. His skin was fair with pink undertones, and his hair was a lovely reddish-brown, that some might describe as bronze or copper. Irrationally, I thought that his appearance was the opposite of Jacob and that it appealed to me more. Then, I realized that he was still staring at me as if I had two heads and had yet to answer my platitudes. He shook his head as if trying to clear his thoughts and looked at me as if he might have something to say at last. Then, his eyes narrowed and his brow lowered. He strode forward, pushing past me, muttering "Please, excuse me," under his breath. And he was gone. A faint breeze lingered nearby, left over from his passing me. I turned in astonishment at his odd behavior to try and follow him, but he was already gone from the library. He must have run once he'd left the alcove.

Enter Edward, but is he really Edward?

One of the things that struck me about this fic almost immediately is that every one of the characters has a huge personality. The author has done such great things with each Twilight character that the reader almost feels they are original. Some examples; Alice as a Spa Manager with a sixth sense, Emmett as a Real Estate agent, Ben as a Sous-Chef and Jacob as a love sick Golf Pro!

I know this fic is not complete yet but it is a tragedy that it has so little reviews. It has everything a voracious reader needs including ghosts, mysteries, humor, food and a love story that I have not seen done in another Fan Fiction. It never gets too deep or angsty and is wonderfully descriptive with full characters and exciting story lines. I would highly recommend it.

Banner by JaimeArkin

JaspersIzzy's Rec of the Week: 8/29/11

2011-08-31T22:22:00.001-04:00

Prima Nocte by Elvirina

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7103292/1/Prima_Nocte

Review by JaspersIzzy

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Humor
Characters: Emmett/Rosalie

Summary: Disarmed by a woman as crude and brash as himself, Emmett experiences a truly electrifying connection with the striking Rosalie Hale. Beauty is only skin deep and beneath the tough surface is a person of depth he never expected. This is their first night.

I usually don't care for Emmett fics, no matter the pairing. I also usually don't care for a bitchy, snide Rosalie, but a friend of mine on twitter had been talking about starting this story and sent me the link, so I checked it out.

I'm glad I did.

The prologue was very powerful. Just the few short words she used to describe future events had me hooked. Being struck by lightening, not in the physical sense, but in the metaphorical. This is what Emmett has experienced, and with Rosalie Hale nonetheless.

Emmett is a football player who, trying to be a good friend to his new acquaintance Edward, attends an event with him and his famous ex-girlfriend Rosalie. No one knows that Rosalie and Edward have broken up, and Edward is now with Bella, but he goes and “fakes” a relationship for her sake and the media.

Little does Emmett know, the spitfire that walks into his life will change him forever. Rosalie might not be as hard-ass as she comes across, and meeting Emmett might be just what she needs. As the night goes on, they learn things about each other that disarm them both and pulls them together in ways that have yet to be seen, but you can feel it growing and blossoming into something that will either be beautiful or devastating.

This story is short, only 7 chapters in so far, but the banter between Rose and Em is amazing. They honestly are the typical canon couple, but somehow Elvirina has made them unique through her breathtaking words. She's taken Rose's insecurities, along with the wall she's built around herself because of them, and given her Emmett, who has fallen hard and fast in just one night of meeting the beautiful woman who's stealing his heart. He calls her on her bullshit, and is also tender with her when she needs it.

Honestly, if Emmett and Rosalie were human in our day and time, this is exactly how I would imagine them, and it's fascinating to see these two interact. Their snark with each other is rather entertaining, but it's in the way they eventually soften to one another that makes me fall in love with them both.

This is a really good story, and I hope that those of you who love Em/Rose fics, and even those of you who don't, will give it a try. It's very well written and it has my full attention.

Banner by JaimeArkin

RandomCran's Rec of the Week: 8/29/11

2011-08-30T18:00:00.000-04:00

De Immortalitate by Raum

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7116125/1/De_Immortalitate

Review by RandomCran

Rating: M

Genre: Drama/Romance

Characters: Edward/Bella

As the summary of the story reveals, this is a vampire story set in ancient Roman times revolving around a human soldier Edward (renamed Antonius) and a beautiful slave named Bella:

"The life of the Roman patrician Antonius is put at stake by his father, Felix. When Felix brings to his only son a new slave, Bella, more reasons arise for Antonius' concerns. Felix's secret can change Antonius' and Bella's destiny." ExB AU/vampires.

In an intriguing break from canon, Felix is Antonius’ father, a revered warrior who leaves for battle when Antonius is a young boy, only to disappear for ten years. During his father’s absence, Antonius seeks a paternal role model in Caile, a man who provides a moral education to counterbalance the military upbringing Antonius received from Felix. It is easy to sense that over time Antonius has every possibility of evolving into a very powerful man as a result of these dual educations. He is a fascinating character from the very first chapter.

When Felix returns from war, Antonius is more than willing to welcome back the man who left a decade before, but it quickly becomes clear that Felix is a changed man with a sinister side. As a result, great tension begins to build as Antonius must accept that the father he remembers as a young boy is not the same man who has come back. Although Felix is fueled by his belief he is more powerful as a result of his great change, it is clear that the power his acquired abilities has given him has only corrupted him.

Among the possessions Felix brings back to Antonius is a young woman named Bella. She has been forced into slavery after enduring the slaughter of her entire family at the hands of Felix. Felix has brought her to Antonius as a gift. As he becomes familiar with Bella, Antonius cannot help but become intrigued by her. He finds her to be a most wonderful addition to his life but wrestles with the fact that he has Felix to thank for bringing the exceptional young woman into his world.

However, the situation is something Antonius cannot run away from. He is held under house arrest by Felix, his requests to return to the battlefield falling on the deaf ears of his father. He is held firmly in place by threats from Felix to cause harm to others living within the family villa should Antonius escape. Although it is clear he yearns to return to his life a solider, Antonius shows incredible restraint and compassion for others by staying put. One can only admire his determination to keep others safe even at the expense of his own personal freedom. And as a reader, I can’t help but feel that his time spent at the villa will only serve him well in the future.

Spending time with Bella helps Antonius to pass the time during his imprisonment and his fascination with her begins to grow. The boundary line between Master and Slave begins to fall under pressure in a stirring and effortless narrative that is a joy to read:

"Bella, come here," I instructed.

The first image that came to my mind when I saw her approaching was of the goddess Diana. Although covered in a simple tunic, Bella was more attractive than many patrician women I had met in the city just because of the way she stood. She was lean, but not too thin, and well-proportioned. Her skin was like the finest alabaster – smooth and flawless. Her cheeks, framed by some loose strands of hair that had escaped from her braid, still held the traces of her previous blush.

She's so innocent.Her voice was hesitant, soft. "Yes, Master."

Shifting on the triclinium to make room for her, I directed her to sit beside me. "Have you tasted it?" I asked with a nod to the pie.

Her eyes widened. "No."

The urge to touch her made me feel in a daze. The thought of the food in front of me was strangely alluring. She had touched the things I had just eaten, she had made them with her hands. For me, in a certain sense. I was aware that they weren't made out of love, just out of duty. But regardless, I felt cared for.

Esma had always been as a mother to me, always loving. I was used to being spoiled by her. But arriving to dinner, finding a room well prepared, eating the food that Bella had cooked...It was new, and it felt so good.

I took a small piece of the pie and, holding it with my fingers, I offered it to her. She didn't move, and I stared at her glorious mouth. Her lips were slightly parted, and they seemed like a juicy pomegranate. I wanted to feel them. In a slow motion, I put the piece of pie directly in her mouth.

She remained still, and the blush to her face came back, this time in a shade of deep crimson.

As his interest in Bella takes shape, the young slave is also cultivating feelings for her Master. For the times, she is an educated woman but also takes joy in the tasks that keep her busy in her new reality, particularly if they can benefit Antonius:

I did the ordinary darning work for the simple tunics and cloaks of other slaves and freedmen who didn't have a wife or a daughter who could do that for them. Then I could devote my attention to the work I liked most. At home, my wet-nurse had taught me to weave and to embroider, and I was making a new tunic for Antonius. After working with the coarse fabrics of the servants' clothes, the fine wool that had been purchased for the master seemed even softer.

The wind outside had grown and rattled the pine shutters, creating drafts around the small room where the loom was. I felt at ease there, more than in the spacious, rich rooms reserved to the master and his guests. At first, I had been impressed by the mosaics and the frescos that decorated the master's quarters, but then, I preferred the intimate atmosphere of the kitchen or of the cozy room where I was weaving. I was so focused on the task that I barely heard the sound of footsteps. I imagined it was Esma who was coming to see how my work was progressing or to give me a different chore to do.

"Do you think that the master will like the new tunic I'm making for him?" I asked without looking behind me, as soon as I sensed that she was entering the room.

"I'm sure he will!" I heard. But it wasn't Esma's voice. I spun around and felt the rush of blood to my cheeks.

Antonius was just behind me, almost laughing, his eyes bright and shining as the sea on a summer day.

As Antonius and Bella are drawn closer together by their mutual attraction, one can also feel the encroachment of tension surrounding them from every direction. Raum’s buildup of suspense is quiet but undeniable and it is deceptive to think that their shaky sense of peace can maintain itself for long. It feels as though Antonius is gathering his focus, summoning his courage for an upcoming battle. He knows that he and Bella are likely to lose against the powerful Felix and is trying to prepare for that possibility.

De Immortalitate is a work in progress with ten chapters posted. It remains to be seen what will ultimately happen to any of the main characters but with Raum posting updates faithfully on Saturdays, one doesn’t have to wait for long to see what happens next.

And I am not alone in my enthusiasm for this story. It has been nominated for the Emerging Swan Awards and is more than deserving of the accolades. Raum’s work is an absolute delight to read. Please take the time to do so.