What are your icks in books?

[⊹ ⁺ ₊ ✧ she's book obsessed ✧ ₊ ⁺ ⊹]

when the FMC's virginity is a big thing. shut up 😭

[Valentina]

Hi Guys, Add me on Instagram and also FB and check out my book Laura of Nix on Amazon - free on Kindle, let me know what you think. Love Vale Laura Of NixLaura Of Nix

[Moon]

-the use of real people for book covers
-too much smut (I like spicy scenes but why make it 3 chapters long? or why every 2 or 1 chapters? )
-very kinky scene (like public masturbation, like please, why so suddenly like that?)
-love triangles (tolerable but still don't like it)
-stupid stupid main character whose decisions are so stupid I would love to stop reading
- couples that can solve problems by talking to each other but refuse to do it.

[Kitty Bit]

- Those Clipart looking cartoon covers that are on every modern romance book
- Alpha type love interests or playboy characters
- ShE's NOt lIkE OtHEr GirLS (also when the mc is the all powerful Mary Sue character)
- Clearly abusive love interests, like no him isolating the mc from everyone else and being obsessive is not cute and romantic.
- Unnecessary preaching of politics in books
- Overuse of smut scenes. Not every book has to be spicy, and smut scenes aren't the only way to show that two characters love each other.

[Zoē]

- When the book is all smut, no plot (and isn't advertised like that.)
- Surprise pregnancy (I don't mind pregnancy, but at least let me know.)
- MISCOMMUNICATION (It always sucks, ALWAYS)
- Odd pet names.
- When a character gets on their soap box about real stuff happening in the world. (I usually agree with what they're saying, but it immediately takes me out of the story.)
- Real people on covers/movie covers.

I look past a lot of these and keep reading, except for miscommunication (f*ck miscommunication.

[Shadow girlie (Aelin’s version)]

When there is only smut n no plot

[Sweta]

Cheating, definitely. Oh, and also if there's some sort of love triangle.

[Sweta]

And miscommunication. I hate hate HATE it.

[maddie]

i hate when there's any mention of pop culture

[Kreela]

I am currently over 60% through a novel where the FMC is frustratingly obstinate in hiding her “Fated Mate” status to her potential perfect companion. I just want to smack her across the head.

Is that ICKY? No. Just frustrating. What I find ICKY:
😝 SPANKING. Some people may like it; I find I prefer control over my body.
😝 Knife Play. I am on the fence about this.
😔 BDSM. I love a tortured, guy gets too close and personal scene but bring out the bindings and I freak out. Again, it’s a control issue.

I have discovered my inner disgust usually results from total lack of control in the personal arena. I love a scene where the guy cages the girl in, gets too close, may sniff/feel/or threaten her. But as soon as the idea of torture in any way starts, I am done. Whups.

[Leslie]

ridiculous names

[s.]

When a couple is so cute together before they get together, (BECAUSE THEY HAVE GOOD COMMUNICATION) but then once they get together they seem to forget that they can have deep and important conversations.

[Violet’s Book Shelf]

Cringey language
Non recoverable stickers on the cover
Reeeeally bad cover page design

[Vanessa]

miscommunication😒 its always the same exact argument

[BeanSchnitzz]

Real people on covers and WHEN THE HEROINE ACCEPTS MASSIVE RED FLAGS BY THE MMC. Not dark romance red flags that are what encapsulated you in the first place, but awful shit.

[abijah]

forced chemistry, real people on covers, really small print, shallow characters, and not believable insta love

[⊹ ⁺ ₊ ✧ she's book obsessed ✧ ₊ ⁺ ⊹]

Insta love

[sky ⋆]

insta love and when they are forced in a relationship, LOVE TRIANGLES🤢, miscommunication in really small problems like buying the groceries or something, real ppl on the cover or ugly covers in general tbh, when they talk about social media not just a bit but like a lot and its unnecessary.

[Anna]

the main characters trying to be baddies and then thinking they ate when rlly they should be dead for whatever they just did

[Gianna ♡]

when the main characters are the most insecure people on earth, it's like the only topic for like 20 pages

[Macey]

1. pregnancy
2. long, drug out stories
3. tiaras (iykyk) and unnecessary characteristics

[Rocío]

insta love kjskasjahdja

[Fallon]

1.pregnancy
2. spice with young MC's, skilled beyond their years
3. Real people on cover of fiction

[Skyler]

The only ICK that I have found that I have is 3rd person narrative. I will close a book SO fast. I just cannot do it. But now that I'm thinking about it, story lines that are SO back and forth between time that it is hard to keep up with the story. Those will also make me DNF a book.

[caity :)]

Real people on covers for sure

[Jennifer 🎀]

Finishing a romance novel with pregnancy

[Kate]

When theirs a small battle in a Fatansy book that lasts 1 chapter and doesn't contribute to the plot, JUST DON'T PUT IT IN!!!

[Kate]

Munashe wrote: "specific social media names
lust not love
pregnancy
miscommunication
real people on covers"


agreed!

[Milla (active on week days)]

When the antagonist kisses the protagonist… I just hate it

[Milla (active on week days)]

Oh and alpha talk

[fixitfelix]

when the relationship is built on lust instead of love
when there’s no diversity
boring characters with no depth
when there’s nothing going on for 2+ chapters
no magical elements 😔😔😔 /hj

[Courtney]

-fights that lead to character development that could have been avoided if there wasn't miscommunication
-pregnancy that magically solves all problems
-fmc where her whole personality is being a virgin and its constantly brought up
-weird terms to describe male and female genitals
-buildup to a major event through 95% of the book then when that event finally happens its rushed and you're left feeling let down
-fmc is described as a strong independent woman who needs no man but the second she meets the mmc her character diminishes to I need him to survive and I'm not capable of doing anything anymore
-the overuse of the based off of Hades/Persephone stories, especially if it is not mentioned beforehand, (I love mythology, but I don't want every fantasy book to be based off of them. For some reason it bugs me if I'm reading a story I'm fully invested in and then I see something along the lines, "We are Hades and Persephone reborn." instant vibe ruined.

[Callista]

When a book says it has romance but really it's just lust and the two don't care about each other besides that.
Insta-love
When a character has trauma and has PTSD symptoms but it's somehow magically healed when they get into a relationship and there's nothing to show their healing journey

[ᴺⁱᶜᵒˡᵉ]

Love interest with a beard😭 I’m sorry guys it’s just not something I can get down with but if it’s your thing it’s your thing

[Kayla]

Real people on covers, long chapters, dog-earing book pages

[Kristin]

"nub"

[Molly]

I relate to so many of these! My icks are real people on the front cover, miscommunication, and long chapters