Fabulous Fic Rec Friday

Friday is upon us, and that means the fic loving ladies here at RobNation have some weekend reading recs for you!

 

blueeyedcherry puts a little hope in your heart with Cups Full of Wishes by Chloe Masen

 

I'm an angst-loving fool. I've said this more than once. BUT ... I also love smooshy, sappy, love-filled stories too. And that's exactly what this gem of a fic is.

 

Cups Full of Wishes has a ridiculously amazing cast of characters, most of whom have lost something along the way. Edward lost his wife and child, Bella lost her husband, and Lily (Bella's daughter) watched her mother lose the sparkle in her eyes as a result of their unfortunate circumstances. But Lily isn't the type to give up, and it's her genius idea to sell hot cocoa to raise proceeds to mend her mother's broken heart that kick starts the romantic path Edward and Bella travel down.

 

Cups Full of Wishes is a short read, coming in at only four chapters, but it's also the type of story that will leave you wanting to revisit it over and over and over again. Lily is one of the best original characters I've ever encountered in a fic, and she'll work her way into your heart quicker than you can say "go."

 

So, go grab yourself a cup of you own wishes, and snuggle up with this sweet and fluffy fic today!

 

Story Link:
FanFiction

 

WitchyVampireGirl leads us down an angst-filled, dominating path with Release by writingbabe

 

Everyone knows that there is a bit of trepidation when you follow a story in progress. I have heard from many fic friends who have given up reading WIP’s after being burned too many times when the story never finishes. I tend to have a bad habit of never remembering all the stories I have on alert, so I tend not to notice if a story has updated. Such a thing happened to me earlier this week when I got an alert for Release by writingbabe.

When I read the summary in my email window my first thought was,  why doesn’t this sound familiar. From the summary it had a very New Moon-ish vibe that I wasn’t sure if it was human or not. But, because I had it on alert, I began to reacquaint myself. Boy am I glad that I did! As I read, all over again, I realized just what made me put the story on alert.

It is a haunting tale about choices and the devastating, and unimaginable consequences that come from them. Can you already smell the angst? The story opens with Bella in Forks packing up Charlie’s belongings after his death. Right away you sense that Bella wants to be anywhere but in that house. Not because of losing Charlie, but due to painful reminders of a day ten years ago.

We don’t really discover what happened all those years ago with Bella, but we soon learn that it had to do with Edward, and indirectly with his sister Alice. The air of betrayal, sadness and survival are weaved so intricately in each chapter, you can’t help click next to learn just one more nugget of information.

What we eventually learn is that Edward pulled a New Moon and pushed Bella away. Just like book, he tells a lie that sets everything into motion, and sets the characters on a journey they may never have otherwise taken. As part of the collateral damage done by Edward’s lie, he severs the close tie Bella shared with Alice. In essence, he has taken away everything and everyone Bella loved and who she thought loved her.

Fast forward ten years later and we see that Bella, in order to cope with the pain of losing Edward, turned to a rather unique form of distraction. One that involves pain, concentration, and complete obedience. In short, Bella discovers BDSM, and the escapism of being submissive. I will pause and say that where the story stands at 14 chapters, the D/s aspects are NOT a major part of the story. How much they will be later is unknown. However, even if D/s stories are not your cup of tea, I do ask you give it a go, as the focus is on how this lie has impacted everyone.

 

What I love about this story is that it is told in 3^rd person, allowing the reader to delve into the mind of everyone. And when I say everyone, I mean everyone. Because along with Edward’s and Bella’s relationship, this story is also about the relationships of those around them. We get to see that while Alice and Jasper may be married, it has been slowly falling to pieces. We get to meet a severely damaged, but in no way a victim Rose, and hear her story of brutality and survival. She befriends Bella in her time of need and that sends Rose on her own journey of healing. Of course what story wouldn’t be complete with Emmett, who is on the cusp of writing the story of his career, if he could just locate Edward.

As each chapter unfolds we begin to realize just why Edward callously pushed Bella away. It is revealed that for the past ten years he has been in his own fight for survival, being dealt a losing hand with no chance of ever cashing out. Now, as the house of cards he has been living under begins to topple, the ever present danger he tried to protect Bella from may take her away from him once more.

I won’t give away exactly what danger Edward is in, that is best discovered for yourself. But I will tell you that this story in one of a kind, refreshingly different, and a highly engaging read. Other good news is that it was announced with the latest update, the author has pre-written the rest of the story, which hopefully means regular updates. I for one will be pouncing on each update as they come into my email. In the meantime, I highly suggest you get caught up so I have other readers to commiserate with as we wait anxiously for the next chapter.

Story Link:
FanFiction



 

WitchyVampireGirl is hitting the airwaves with So Be It by SophiaAnne

 

Do you have that one movie that is like your favorite blanket? You bring it out when sick, depressed, nursing a broken heart, or even when bored. The characters are familiar and comforting, and you love spending time with them. Now, imagine melding that favorite movie with fanfiction. Sounds pretty awesome, doesn’t it. That is what you get with So Be It by SophiaAnne. It is a wonderful mix of Twilight meets Pump Up the Volume. That’s right, Edward is Christian Slater AKA Happy Harry Hard-on. *cue the swoon*

This wonderful little story is a short one; 5 chapters and a little over twenty thousand words, and the author does a great job making the most of those words. She is able to blend the best of Twilight Edward and Bella with PUtV Mark and Nora. We have dark, seductive anonymous words sent over the air waves. We have Bella and most of the student body of Forks High listening, wondering just who Hard Harry may be.

While the movie is full of angst and school intrigue, this fic concentrates more on Bella’s need to discover more about Hard Harry and the elusive new boy, Edward. Finding out that they are one in the same thrills her and we see sparks fly between them. Edward is adorkable, shy, awkward, and hating that he had to move Forks. His nightly radio show is his way of expressing his feelings and treating the listeners to a little smexy fun.

Bella is a sassy, witty girl who is inspired to write some steamy poetry after Hard Harry’s shows. With every show, we get to watch as Bella’s determination to discover the true identity and cheer when the pieces fall into place. If you aren’t smiling and laughing by then end, well, then you don’t fully understand the joy that is Pump Up the Volume. For those of you who get it, when it is all said and done, you’ll want to grab the DVD and cuddle up with a blanket and a bowl of popcorn.

In the words of Happy Harry Hard-on, So Be It!

Story Link:
FanFiction

 

blueeyedcherry shares her passion and her muse with High Fidelity by IReen H

 

There are two things I am certain of in this life: music is my muse and writing is my passion. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when I found a fic that was brilliantly well-written AND filled with a ridiculously wonderful amount of music references (hell, even the title has to do with music).

 

High Fidelity by IReen H is ... well, it's amazing. Bella and Edward work in the same office building. His family owns Cullen Insurance, and he's quick to file a wrongful claim against Bella after she (and Jasper) point out that she isn't at fault for a mishap that took place in their parking lot. Edward is a total dick, a typical rich boy who uses his looks and his money to his advantage, bedding a different woman every week and never fully giving himself or his heart to any of them. Bella is a free spirit with a sassy mouth and an I-don't-give-a-fuck-what-anyone-thinks-about-me kind of attitude. Both of them have gone through a lot of shit and are carrying around baggage that must weigh in excess of 100lbs. They're damaged, each of them with a painful past, and when their worlds become intertwined ... well, let's just say there's fireworks, to say the least.

 

Finding out the backstories of these two was one of the highlights of reading this one for me. I hated Edward for the first ... probably half of the story? But then the more I found out about him, the more empathy I felt for him, and eventually I fell in love with how IReen had written him. And Bella ... I can't say enough about how much I love this Bella. Both of these characters rank in my top five, and this fic also ranks in my top five favorites.

 

IReen's words are poetic. She paints vivid pictures for her readers, invokes so much emotion with her words, and really shows instead of tells the story.

 

And the music ... Oh, the music. Honestly, I came away from this with a good 10-15 new songs in my collection, and even made a High Fidelity mix that I still listen to in my car a lot of the time.

 

This story touches on some pretty deep, difficult topics, and IReen handles that aspect of writing about them beautifully. She does justice to these issues (I won't give them away), writes accurately about them, and doesn't leave any loose ends or emotional oddities.

 

So, if you're into angst, looking for a story about two damaged souls that come together and start healing, enjoy music, and love a well-written story ... High Fidelity is something you should start reading. Right now.

 

Story Link:
FanFiction