My fantasy brain really enjoys this series. There's enough legit BDSM info, explicitly shown enthusiastic consent, and realistic practices to keep me turned on and engaged but not so much that it becomes boring/ clinical. The kink/ smut is hot, I like the characters, and I think this series has a lot of potential. I thought the last chapter was hot af.
My reality brain also still enjoys it overall but I, much like many other irl kinksters, I could write an essay (and pretty much have across multiple comment threads) on where there are problems, where things are nuanced, where things are totally fine, and where readers are projecting all over a fictional couple engaging in not real BDSM. I would genuinely love a story where flawed people are shown engaging in BDSM and how they mess up, miscommunicate, have fun, learn their limits, process their feelings, and grow. That's the most realistic and healthy depiction of kink to me, tbh. Let it be flawed and use that as a way to help the characters grow as well as educate the readers.
My advice is to read this with an open mind and grain of salt and if you still don't like it, that's totally fine. You're valid and you shouldn't read stuff you don't like. But at the same time, maybe refrain from saying this series is toxic/ unhealthy as if it's irredeemable or that people enjoying this overall decent kink series means they're enabling toxic behavior or don't know how healthy BDSM works. And if you're gonna get angry at fictional characters for not practicing BDSM to an unrealistically perfect standard, either do some research/ talk to people who DO engage in kink IRL or write the story you want to see.
My fantasy brain really enjoys this series. There's enough legit BDSM info, explicitly shown enthusiastic consent, and realistic practices to keep me turned on and engaged but not so much that it becomes boring/ clinical. The kink/ smut is hot, I like the characters, and I think this series has a lot of potential. I thought the last chapter was hot af.
My reality brain also still enjoys it overall but I, much like many other irl kinksters, I could write an essay (and pretty much have across multiple comment threads) on where there are problems, where things are nuanced, where things are totally fine, and where readers are projecting all over a fictional couple engaging in not real BDSM. I would genuinely love a story where flawed people are shown engaging in BDSM and how they mess up, miscommunicate, have fun, learn their limits, process their feelings, and grow. That's the most realistic and healthy depiction of kink to me, tbh. Let it be flawed and use that as a way to help the characters grow as well as educate the readers.
My advice is to read this with an open mind and grain of salt and if you still don't like it, that's totally fine. You're valid and you shouldn't read stuff you don't like. But at the same time, maybe refrain from saying this series is toxic/ unhealthy as if it's irredeemable or that people enjoying this overall decent kink series means they're enabling toxic behavior or don't know how healthy BDSM works. And if you're gonna get angry at fictional characters for not practicing BDSM to an unrealistically perfect standard, either do some research/ talk to people who DO engage in kink IRL or write the story you want to see.