I don't understand your first paragraph i thought you commented on the wrong series until i read the second comment
What exactly is the ML controlling? How is he getting in her way? He is literally being dragged around, letting himself be dragged btw, by Agne's plans and needs
I havent read this in like 5 months so my memory is low on this, but i skipped through to jog it and i think i was calling him controlling because he wouldnt let her make decisions for herself and in a "benevolent misogyny"/toxic chivalry way, like that a man you dont know insists he walks you to your car at night, like no, just because it might be manners in one scenario, it doesnt mean you have the right to control how i go about living in every scenario
I really like this take. :) Taking away a woman’s choice isn’t empowering regardless of whether “it’s for her own good.” At the end of the day, you’re taking away her agency because you think you know what’s best for her better than she does and/or to fulfill your own wants and needs. Of course that’s controlling! We let that shit slide all the time, saying “the FL is being stupid/the ML is just looking out for her.” But she should get to choose.
I can’t count how many stories I’ve read where a male lead (or sometimes a father figure) will have a FL shadowed by guards ~for her safety~ without her knowledge or consent. And these guards always end up reporting her movements and activities too!! And this is written like a loving thing, like, “oh he’s just so worried about her,” rather than what it is: disturbing and controlling behavior!!!
Anyway, thanks for this message, I feel like you unlocked a piece of my brain, haha
Ikr it annoys me each time!! I'm reading these novels and a lot of them I'm okay with because the ML is supposed to be obviously toxic, but the ones where the author genuinely thinks that it's a good or sweet thing to do irritate me to no end!
its the usual rebirth formula, which with im fine to eat the slop, but my issue with it is this: the controlling ass ml (which would be okay, if the fl just stood up to him and told him why his actions are fucking annoying and rude, or if he just understood her or listened when she DID tell him), and the fact that there were truly some moments where it was realistic, or that I got invested.
When she went to the ledge to jump and save the dukedom i was literally on the edge of my seat, when she realized she needed to kill sebastian i was wondering "what comes next!", when the prince poisoned her or did literally anything threatening at all i was intrigued
but unfortunately, that stuff is being washed over by this vanilla default blockade of a ml that keeps literally anything interesting/off the beaten path from happening...