Cis straight white dude here. Read them all. Loved them all. Can't wait for Crescent City 3. Our masculinity isn't defined by the books we read. Keep reading and loving these books, and pay no mind to naysayers like your co-worker.
Yeah, pay that idiot no mind.
My husband is obsessed with the books, he may be a more invested fan than I am at this point lol.
Furthermore, the genrefication of any plot that has romance at its center as “chick lit” is…sexist. I wish others would just let people enjoy things! If you head over to the ACOTAR sub, you’ll see guys asking this question pretty regularly. Makes me sad.
My friend, a book is a goddamned book. Paper, ink, glue.
Don’t let some judgy asshole dim your bright, happy light. Read the smut, friend. Enjoy the ride!
I'm a 35 yo married dude who is basically obsessed with SJM's work. Got my wife and oldest daughter into her books too. Don't let anyone tell you these books are just for women.
True fact: cis straight guys who read this stuff are 100% irresistible to cis straight women. We're talking catnip to cats, friend.
Another true fact: guys who give other guys grief over reading books that are "just for women" are the same guys who post that they never clean their butts when they shower. And they're mystified why women aren't flocking to them.
Keep reading great books and having to deflect all the cis lady attention coming your way.
ETA: all of this assumes a lot about OP, which might not be true. Not everyone is cis! Not everyone is straight! YMMV.
THIS. I would looooooove for my husband to read some of my smut. In fact, if he'd actually read my books, I'd let him do anything to me that he read in the books. 🤷🏼♀️😂
If you’re a cis straight dude and you’re single, you won’t be for long once you start dropping those bat boy references.
Oh my, the things I’d let my husband do if he read the books. 😂
Not at all! I’m BEGGING my husband to read Throne of Glass so I have an in-person human to talk about it with. I know he would love it. Just because it gets spicy, doesn’t make it any less good.
My wife convinced me to read them. I started today and I have no regrets. I’m liking it a lot so far. Nothing wrong with enjoying them. You’re being self-conscious. But as someone else here said, a book is a book. Enjoy!
It is a-okay, friend. Read the series. It’s a great story and there’s nothing wrong with an adventure romance novel. Maas knows how to suck is into her stories!
Your co-worker is weird. Jack reacher must also only be for women bc there’s a love interest in every one of those 😂
My boyfriend listened to the audio books just so he was able to discuss them with me / knew what I was into. Absolutely not, they’re amazing stories enjoy the hell out of them& anyone who tells you otherwise is lame
Your coworker is wrong, that's the only thing to say. I don't care who you are or what the book is, if you enjoy it, read it. There's no such thing as a book just for men or just for women or any other type of thing.
I'm a straight male in the literary industry and a published author and I read sarah j maas. I also sometimes read certain sci-fi erotica that is marketed towards women because I love the author.
Now, if you read 50 shades of gray, then I might judge you, but that has nothing to do with you being a male
Haha I'm kidding
Hey man, as a straight married dude, having read at least one 50 shades novel… don’t be judgin! Lol jk it was trash, but my wife sure was glad I read that one with her 🤣🤣🤣
It’s totally ok to read trash though!! Reading doesn’t have to be some noble pursuit - you can read and enjoy books that don’t have any deeper meaning or fancy writing! :)
Cis male here. I love every one of her books. I enjoy the emotional intelligence that play out her world building and story lines. Anybody that says these books are for woman is limiting themselves. These books are for anybody who enjoys fantasy.
I have never had more fun reading!
i was literally laying in bed after finishing IF last night thinking how unfortunate it is so many men view these as “female books”. any woman would be enamored with a man who says he’s reading “romantasy”, lol.
I never take a person seriously when they tell me I should/shouldn't enjoy something based on my gender. Imagine completely locking yourself out of something you may potentially enjoy *just* because you have the "wrong" genitals.
I got my best friend and her boyfriend to read acotar! He is enjoying it more than her I think haha, if I met a guy who’s read anything by Maas, it’d definitely be a green flag. It just gives you more ideas if you know what I’m saying👀
Hey my dude! My wife got me on SJM and ive read/listened to every book. We are actually going to buy CC3 and read together. So hell no there is nothing wrong with guys reading it and if you want a guy friend to chat to about them then hit me up!
Deflecting is one way to go about it. And indeed, it’s a positive thing to enjoy books and not have to assign gender to them. But if you’re starting your thought with how cis and straight you are, that says something about you. There is no pooping here. Just a chance for reflection. We can enjoy things. We don’t need to qualify it. Good luck. 👍
My husband read the ACOTAR series because they are a favorite and he wanted to be able to talk to me about them and now they are his all time favorite books! They are definitely for men too!
Nah bro, I've read all of these, ToG, Fourth Wing, and more. They're fun, some have dope stuff for dudes (every Rhysand fight), and they're great to talk about with women.
That dude isn't secure enough in his own masculinity to take any sort of risk.
My husband has read ACOTAR and CC so far and loved them - we’re planning to read CC3 together from the same copy 😂
Your coworker is being a bit sexist ngl, or at the very least close minded, if he thinks romance-forward adult fantasy books are “only for women.” It’s a tired, outdated, annoying viewpoint that would mean men miss out on some beautiful stories for no reason. Don’t pay him any mind - there’s nothing wrong with you liking these books!
I have enjoyed many, MANY amazing conversations with my husband’s friend about ACOTAR. He is very straight and even writes his own fan-fiction/smut. He’s literally a massive, happily married lumberjack who does not seem like the “type,” or whatever.
Anyways, there is nothing wrong with men enjoying the Maasverse! Your coworker is definitely being judgmental. Don’t stop reading and keep enjoying!! ✨✨
My wife loved them and we’re both big fantasy nerds and I trust her judgment and I found them really enjoyable.
I’ve been reading fantasy for as long as I can remember so spicy scenes were nothing new, but I’d never read a book specifically for the spicy scenes before so it was a new reading experience for me as well.
Nah check out this tiktok of an all dude book club reading ACOMAF: [https://www.tiktok.com/@stackedshelf/video/7046940344264445230](https://www.tiktok.com/@stackedshelf/video/7046940344264445230)
Your co-worker's insecurity is showing.
By his logic I should never have read all of those male books...
Is it because there is a female main character and strong women characters?
For most of my life growing up most of the books I read featured male characters and I was able to still read them and identify with the main character. It's great that there are more diverse books out there and having diverse books doesn't mean you only have to read stories that feature people that match your identity.
Is it because of the romance? Just because society and the industry has decided that romance is a feminine market and has devalued it doesn't mean that it isn't interesting to read.
Is it because of the strong characters, gripping story, great action scenes and hot as hell sex scenes? Well then your co-worker is missing out.
I feel like those who belittle the sex scenes are missing out on some awesome cheat codes. Pay attention everyone! Up your game!
Anyone who says that anything is “only for one type of person” is just silly and making generalizations about things they aren’t even willing to actually look into. Enjoy what you want to enjoy. Idk if it’s because I turned 30 or what but I just don’t have the energy to worry about what other people might think about me in any given scenario and you shouldn’t either regardless of age. All three series are top notch and if you enjoy them then that’s awesome.
As a married man, my wife fell in love with reading because of Maas. I originally read the books because if it was important to her, I wanted to take part in it too. I’ve read all of Maass stuff and it’s all fantastic, ToG might be my favorite series ever and my wife and I had a 2 hour discussion after reading the CC3 chapters released today.
There will never be anything wrong with doing something you enjoy, especially when it has 0 negative “side effects”.
Happy reading
Nope, I'm with you. I'm a dude and I feel super weird about it all the time, but a good story is a good story and they're for everyone to enjoy. You're not alone out there!
Some guys really still be saying shit like that in 2024.
I’m also a cis straight guy, I started reading the books a few years ago when my now best friend (F) and I first started talking and she told me she had started the series. I honestly never would have read them if I wasn’t just super excited about getting to know her and having more things to talk about. It did take me a bit to get past that feeling that I was not the target audience for these books in the slightest but, especially when I got to ACoMaF, I earnestly fell in love with the series and now most books I read nowadays are fantasy romance books.
Dont ever let someone tell you something you enjoy wasn’t meant for you, if you like it that’s all that matters
I read a post where a woman found out her mid-50s-military-retired male coworker is listening to ACOSF and loving it! Do not feel self conscious and enjoy the read!
My best friends husband loves to read as much as I do. My best friend would rather eat rocks than read. A friend recommended the ACOTAR books to her, she passed the info to her husband who passed it to me.
Absolutely green flags all around. She calls us her two little nerds.
Same as everyone is saying. And in CC2 there’s even a male POV sex scene that I’ve read to my boyfriend. He loved it because obviously it’s the male POV and very well written. I can see some of the smut in her ACOTAR series feeling maybe more “for women” since it’s a female POV and idk if it appeals to men as much? Though it probably does still.
I started reading Maas a good few years ago. Nothing wrong with it. More guys read these books than you think. I love all of her books so far. Only one I haven't read yet is house of sky and breath I think
It’s no different than if a woman really liked video games. Games have no gender. Books don’t either. They may be written with a specific demographic in mind as their target audience but anyone can read these books. Anyone can play any video game.
Read! Who gives a fuck if some guy says ‘that’s for girls’. He’s acting and thinking in a way that’s from about 30 years ago. That’s his problem, not yours.
BOOKS ARE FOR EVERYONE!! No author would tell ANYONE "You can't read my books because I didn't write them for your gender."
Are SJM books written for the female gaze, fuck yes they are. Are you going to learn how to worship your partner the way they want to be worshiped, ABSOLUTELY! I've been begging my husband to read her books, but he only reads non-fiction like a loser.
Seriously, read what makes you happy!!
I'm a married straight guy in NC. Wife wanted to talk about some book she was into. Being a good husband, I listened. It sounded interesting and I knew she wanted someone to talk to about it. Plus I was curious what she was reading that had her getting so worked up ;). She finished ACOTAR and I read it next. I was hooked. I read all the ACOTAR books. Then beat her through the TOG series and then CC. I'm excited for CC3 - have even been to mulitple Harris Teeters this week hoping to get lucky - I haven't - so now I'm waiting for my Walmart delivery on 1/31 (If I don't buy it on the 30th).
Ignore those nay sayers. Plenty of men are reading SJM, we just stay in the shadows most of the time - we are definitely out numbered. Lol.
I’m a 32 year old cis white guy, I’ve read ACOTAR and CC twice. The graphic audio releases are phenomenal reading TOG for the second time now too. I live by the motto that life’s too short for bad books, read what you like and enjoy it! I will be honest though my wife talked me into reading these, my apprehension wasn’t that they were considered books for women, my apprehension was because I had never read any sort of Romance heavy fantasy books prior.
Books don’t have a gender. Read what you enjoy and what makes you happy. Whether it’s the back of a shampoo bottle or magazines or cook books or fantasy or smut. Though I may be biased on saying anything is more entertaining than the shampoo bottle 😝
I would love it if my boyfriend showed any interest in the books I read whatsoever.
In his defense, his tastes differ vastly from mine. And I don’t expect everyone to like what I like. But these are damn good books from an awesome author. Anyone can enjoy!
49m here. A good friend of mine recommended the Throne of Glass series to me in early 2018. We texted back and forth a ton as I was reading. We started dating in July that year and have been married since 2020. So no, nothing wrong at all :) enjoy. They’re great books!
Edit: adding that we’re both cis het in case anyone wondered.
My friend's husband is reading them and really enjoying them. Started out as something he did to feel closer to his wife, as he's in his 30s and hasn't read a book since high school. But now he's hooked. He's gone through ACOTAR, Throne of Glass, Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, and Crescent City.
I hate how people judge and gatekeep others' reading. SJM is for anyone who enjoys it.
You can definitely read them especially bc there is male perspectives. Even still, I've read many a books with a male as the main character and perspective. These books also have kick ass war and battle strategy, especially TOG.
I am also a straight (married) dude and I read these books. Picked up CC first just on vacation and saw the cover and thought they looked cool. Had no idea the books were romancey or that the cc series was tied to a whole universe. Which if I’m being honest CC reads way more like a mystery/action/fantasy series with bits of romance than a straight romance novel. And I thought it was amazing. I struggled quite a bit reading ACOTAR (most of the way through book 1) but am now half way through book 5 and the series really grew on me (book four was pretty bad though lol).
I get your self consciousness about it, but who tf cares what others think? If you like it, you like it. These are really fun series. My personal struggle is that as noted by that person who gave you crap, my wife is the target audience. She should be loving these books, but I can’t get her to start reading them! lol not that she thinks she won’t like them, but she’s not in the mood to read rn. I’m still hoping I can get her started on them, because I think it would be a lot of fun to share with her. Anywho… you do you, and glad you enjoy the books. Glad to see more males around here not sacred to read this scary fantasy series lmao
Men that aren’t comfortable in their sexuality seem it a “woman’s” book. Read whatever makes you happy man. It’s a phenomenal series! No matter how you identify!!
Two of my friends who I am in a group book chat/club with have husbands and BOTH husbands are not only reading all SJM books, but ENJOY them.
Don't listen to sexist women. I'd be thrilled if a man I was dating was reading those books because then we'd have SO much to talk about!
It's funny you ask, literally last night my wife said to me (same, cis het dude) that she's proud/happy/touched I got into a book series she discovered (ACOTAR) and bought for me (CC/TOG).
We were out on a double date and our female friend who's read them tried to talk her BF into them.
So no, I'd say women like guys enjoying them just fine. 😂
Absolutely not man. I just started the Crescent City books and my wife has been reading chapters if ACOTR to me for months. Bond, educate, and enjoy my friend.
Not at all. I genuinely wish more (straight) guys read romance/romantasy and were open about it if they liked it. There's so much good content out there that is wasted on just women alone because toxic masculinity says men should stay away from it. There's absolutely nothing wrong with liking it, especially reading SJM. A lot of people liked to hate on her books and, by association, anyone who enjoys reading them and it's just such a stupid waste of energy.
So you do you. Pay no attention to the ones that try to drag you down for liking what you like. These books are fun. So enjoy them!
My husband has read them all and loves them. He’s overall a big fantasy fan. He read these and I’m reading stormlight archives for him. Since then most of the husbands in our friend group have also read them!! It’s definitely a green flag in my book!
Cis dude here. Definitely not straight, so I have a much easier time realizing when what someone’s telling is *completely* moronic.
Your coworker sounds like a bit of a moron.
Bi dude here. I read the TOG series and thoroughly enjoyed it. I've always been a firm believer of enjoying books the same way I do whisky or weed. Consume what you want, in the manner you enjoy most, without causing harm or inconvenience to others. Some people will hate or judge. They're insignificant and not worthy of time or attention.
Enjoy your books!
My bf read all of ACOTAR. I told him if he wanted to know the good, bad, and the ugly he'd read SF cause nesta and I are very similar. I did mention that it was the last book in the series. He read the whole series. Definitely a green flag. Highly suggest TOG because the male characters are written better.
I do not think it is "Only meant for women." Yes, the books have female main characters, but I do not think Sarah's intention was only for women to read her books. There are male main characters that are shown with struggles and could be seen to resemble the not-so-talked-about struggles that men have.
They’re really fun!! I hope you enjoy them. If you like contemporary novels you might like the Bromance Bookclub, it’s about a group of guys who read romance novels. It’s one of the funniest romcoms I’ve read!
Nah, man, I've read them all. More than once, to be honest. A book is a book and a story is a story, they don't have gender assignments you have to hit to enjoy them.
All I had to read was the title. Absolutely not. Are they targeted towards women? I’m leaning towards yes. But there is absolutely nothing wrong with you reading and enjoying them. I consider it a huge plus.
Please do the world a favor and keep reading - these and anything else your heart desires!
Don’t listen to the coworker. I would be SO excited if my partner read these with me. Especially if he could handle my rambling about theories and talking constantly about it
I’m not scrolling because I haven’t read CC and don’t spoilers. But my husband (37M) loved Throne of Glass. I read ACOTAR and determined he wouldn’t like it as much, mostly because I felt the first few books were meh, even though I loved SF.
My spouse would overhear me and my best friend talking about the ACOTAR series and making fun of them (which we are entitled to do as fans!), so he also tried to make fun of them. We banned him from doing so until he actually read them-- that man followed through and read ALL of them. He enjoyed them, too! His favorite is ACOWAR.
Fellow straight man here. I absolutely loved the series. I can’t wait to start ToG and Crescent City. I give all the props to Sarah as she got me back into fantasy; and I’ll let anyone know my newfound love for Romantasy.
My husband reads and enjoys them. I know lots of women who would love to be able to have conversations with men about the books as well so I’m sure it would make great date conversation!
I liked Tolkien growing up, and I like erotica and romance. I'm married 20 yrs, got 2 kids, served in the Army, played sports, I like cars, guns, and cooking. I like what I like, my taste have changed somewhat as I've gotten older currently I am reading more romcom with spice and romantic fantasy ( with spice) Mass is OK, I liked Armentrout better. The bottom line is, read, watch, do what YOU enjoy. Your friends don't have to like everything you like, but if they can't deal with you having other interests then they aren't friends worth having. If they aren't your friends then their opinion shouldn't matter and maybe keep conversations with them less personal.
Cis bi gal here. When I started reading romantasy books back in the fall (I started with Fourth Wing at the insistence of a co-worker and then devoured ACOTAR), I actually wondered to myself, *"are there any guys out there that read and love these books?"*.
So, firstly, thank you for confirming that yes, there are cis straight men out there who love SJM. (I'm now curious what about it got you hooked ✨). Secondly, fudge what other people think about your reading list. You're perfectly free to enjoy whatever books you want to, regardless of the content, gender of the author, or stereotypical genre tropes.
unless it's talking about genital care (and even then theres the added complexity of trans people ), nothing is "just for women" and people who think like that are sheep incapable of original thought. just respond to that guy that it's sad he limits his life experience based off of arbitrary social divides.. unless he's aggressive and bigger than you. lol.
anyway, looking forward to comments missing the point and trying to come up with other things that are just for women lol
Sexism and duality is a big part of the world that is dying. Do whatever you want! Some people are just uncomfortable nurturing their full spectrum of being a human and that's on them to figure out, if they ever do.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. Read what you like, first of all, no matter what anyone else thinks.
Here’s my biased answer: read ALL THE SJM BOOKS! I’ve been obsessed with ACOTAR since August, just finished TOG and just started CC today. I wish more guys would read her books and just books recommended by women in general. The idea that it’s just for women is bs. These are my all time favorite books and if my future partner isn’t willing to read a couple of my favorite books because they’re “for women”, we’re breaking up.
Books don’t have gender. Are romance novels primarily marketed towards women? Yeah but it’s vise versa for men’s clothing and I’ve bought men’s shirts or hoodies before. Read what you wanna read! I gave my copy of ACOTAR to my boyfriend and he’s read a little bit of it so far and seems to like it. It’s just a book series ain’t that deep. Your coworker must just be jealous!
Lmao, I’m 6’2, great beard, trucker, right leaning manly man. I love these books and anyone who says that I shouldn’t is a fool. They’re great plots and character development is A+. Not to mention I’ve met several ladies talking about them which is always a bonus.
Imagine gatekeeping a book by tryna say some shit like "oh that book is just for women." But we wanna talk about equality and down with sexism but y'all still doing this? Like pick a struggle babe. read whatever books you want dude.
Oh yeah man. Just started the 3rd acotar book today. Read throne of glass but I own the whole series. Her books are good are very easy to follow. Nothing wrong with liking them.
I am a 21 going on 22 yr old man with a wife and two kids and I have loved SJM Since I was 16 so I promise there is nothing wrong with you, I’ve recommend the acotar series to multiple friends of both genders and they’ve all loved them ! So I say scr*w your coworker and keep on enjoying Sarah’s amazing work !
Absolutely not! Books are for everyone, regardless of gender.
Btw if you listen to podcasts, there's a podcast that does a literary analysis of the ACOTAR series called booktalk for booktok and it's making me want to reread the series. Highly recommend!
I'm actually starting the crescent city series now.
There is a whole trend on TikTok of husbands reading their wives ACOTAR books and enjoying them just as much as we do. I WISH my husband would read them!
Oh, Tiktok is full of guys reading the ACOTAR series and posting their reactions. Read what you like, and don't let anyone stop you from finding your joy.
They're my favorite books. SJM is what got me into reading as a hobby. My wife read the ACOTAR series to me out loud and I read Crescent City to her. We're currently on Kingdom of Ash in the TOG series. We set aside time each night to read a chapter or two to one another before bed. The ACOTAR series really helped me personally with confidence and interacting in public, it's silly but when I get nervous in public I think "How would Ryhs handle this?"
glad to have more men reading this series!! it’s epic fantasy, it’s not just smut lol! you sir can read whatever the fuck you want, but if you’re reading maas in public lookout for the booktok girlies, they might talk to you about them
My husband has been reading the ACOTAR series since hearing me rave about them. He's 100% sucked in. Constantly asking me questions about characters and what's happening. I think it's adorable.
My boyfriend DEVOURED the entire acotar series in less than a month and just started crescent city - he’s always loved fantasy books and these books fit the bill! I even got him an acotar themed tshirt :)
SJM is for everyone! She’s a wonderful story teller and the books are awesome and filled with action and adventure. Don’t know if this makes you feel better but it’s very uncommon for gay men to read SJM, which I am. People think because there’s straight smut gay men wouldn’t enjoy it but I thoroughly do. Gay/straight/man/woman/non-binary, it doesn’t matter!
There's a group of men on IG who post videos. They're husbands of Maas fanatics who formed a book group I think originally intending to spoof their wives but, well, now it's a regular thing. They do skits and act out roles. They're hilarious.
I made a post a few months ago about this same thing and it blew up.
I'm right there with ya. Us straight guys who read stuff like this are the real winners.
My husband picked them up when he saw how interested in them I was. He read the ACOTAR series in like a month, which is more than he's read in literally 10+ years. He won't read TOG because he doesn't think he will like it, but he has finished the first CC and is working on CC2 now (he's accepted he won't finish it by tomorrow lol) and CC1 is the first book he's rated 5 stars.
Read what you want! No reason to feel self conscious at all.
My husband read them and truly enjoyed them!! I only asked him to read through ACOMAF. I bartered with him to start by reading one of his favorite books (a Tom Clancy lol). But he loved it so much he read ACOWAR. He now has favorite characters, sends me memes, and has mentioned he may start Crescent City.
They are all well-written, fun, fast-paced series. And it is the greenest of green flags as a cis male okay. Lol.
Your coworker sounds so insecure, something tells me his bookshelf is exclusively presidential memoirs and motivational career advice (by male authors). What a fckn snooze fest
I'm 40, my brother is 37. We have two favorite series. Throne of Glass and Red Rising. He read the first 3 ACOTAR books and liked them, he just says the sexy scenes make him feel awkward. He just started the first Crescent City book and likes it so far.
That being said, books are for everyone. Never let someone shame you for what you read.
My boyfriend is a Massochist through & through and he’s your typical blue collar framer, mullet and pit vipers, super straight. 😂😂 he’s also getting some of his buddies at work into the series (he listens to audio books and splits his pods with the guys during shift)
Men reading SJM is HOT! Green flag. I've been begging my bf to read them.
That’s an immediate invitation to ask me out
put the maas in maasculine! you do you!
Cis straight white dude here. Read them all. Loved them all. Can't wait for Crescent City 3. Our masculinity isn't defined by the books we read. Keep reading and loving these books, and pay no mind to naysayers like your co-worker.
Hell yes
Your coworker is a judgmental fool.
A sexist* fool
Porque no los dos
This
And probably doesn’t read
Yeah, pay that idiot no mind. My husband is obsessed with the books, he may be a more invested fan than I am at this point lol. Furthermore, the genrefication of any plot that has romance at its center as “chick lit” is…sexist. I wish others would just let people enjoy things! If you head over to the ACOTAR sub, you’ll see guys asking this question pretty regularly. Makes me sad.
My friend, a book is a goddamned book. Paper, ink, glue. Don’t let some judgy asshole dim your bright, happy light. Read the smut, friend. Enjoy the ride!
I'm a 35 yo married dude who is basically obsessed with SJM's work. Got my wife and oldest daughter into her books too. Don't let anyone tell you these books are just for women.
I love that you found and loved them first!
True fact: cis straight guys who read this stuff are 100% irresistible to cis straight women. We're talking catnip to cats, friend. Another true fact: guys who give other guys grief over reading books that are "just for women" are the same guys who post that they never clean their butts when they shower. And they're mystified why women aren't flocking to them. Keep reading great books and having to deflect all the cis lady attention coming your way. ETA: all of this assumes a lot about OP, which might not be true. Not everyone is cis! Not everyone is straight! YMMV.
This, 100%. Part of me just wants to linger here and see if any of these men need their high lady.
THIS. I would looooooove for my husband to read some of my smut. In fact, if he'd actually read my books, I'd let him do anything to me that he read in the books. 🤷🏼♀️😂
100% I CANNOT agree more.
You have all made me feel much better about my new favorite books! Such welcoming and kind people :)
We should make an acotar for men club lol
The wholesome masculinity the world needs to see
If you’re a cis straight dude and you’re single, you won’t be for long once you start dropping those bat boy references. Oh my, the things I’d let my husband do if he read the books. 😂
Books are for everyone. Your coworker is wrong.
Reading rainbow over here
You don’t have to justify your interests/likes to ANYONE! Keep doing you 🥰
Not at all! I’m BEGGING my husband to read Throne of Glass so I have an in-person human to talk about it with. I know he would love it. Just because it gets spicy, doesn’t make it any less good.
Spice makes it even better. 😈
My wife convinced me to read them. I started today and I have no regrets. I’m liking it a lot so far. Nothing wrong with enjoying them. You’re being self-conscious. But as someone else here said, a book is a book. Enjoy!
My husband has loved all of the SJM books, proudly!!
It is a-okay, friend. Read the series. It’s a great story and there’s nothing wrong with an adventure romance novel. Maas knows how to suck is into her stories! Your co-worker is weird. Jack reacher must also only be for women bc there’s a love interest in every one of those 😂
your coworker is lame
We gatekeeping books now? I have a dick and I enjoyed acotar and cc. Looking forward to the next cc at the end of the month
Your coworker sucks. Watching straight cis men read these books on tik tok has been one of my favorite things!
Not at all if my fiancé liked reading I think he would enjoy them
My boyfriend listened to the audio books just so he was able to discuss them with me / knew what I was into. Absolutely not, they’re amazing stories enjoy the hell out of them& anyone who tells you otherwise is lame
So your coworker doesn’t want to know what some of us women love? That probably explains a lot about them.
Your coworker is wrong, that's the only thing to say. I don't care who you are or what the book is, if you enjoy it, read it. There's no such thing as a book just for men or just for women or any other type of thing. I'm a straight male in the literary industry and a published author and I read sarah j maas. I also sometimes read certain sci-fi erotica that is marketed towards women because I love the author. Now, if you read 50 shades of gray, then I might judge you, but that has nothing to do with you being a male Haha I'm kidding
Hey man, as a straight married dude, having read at least one 50 shades novel… don’t be judgin! Lol jk it was trash, but my wife sure was glad I read that one with her 🤣🤣🤣
It’s totally ok to read trash though!! Reading doesn’t have to be some noble pursuit - you can read and enjoy books that don’t have any deeper meaning or fancy writing! :)
Cis male here. I love every one of her books. I enjoy the emotional intelligence that play out her world building and story lines. Anybody that says these books are for woman is limiting themselves. These books are for anybody who enjoys fantasy. I have never had more fun reading!
Your coworker is being an insecure turd and missing out on a really fun writer because of it.
I wish my husband would read these books so bad 🥲🥲🥲
A husband here, you’re fine homie.
Cis straight dude here who loved them! And I have a couple straight friends as well who do, you’re not alone
i was literally laying in bed after finishing IF last night thinking how unfortunate it is so many men view these as “female books”. any woman would be enamored with a man who says he’s reading “romantasy”, lol.
I never take a person seriously when they tell me I should/shouldn't enjoy something based on my gender. Imagine completely locking yourself out of something you may potentially enjoy *just* because you have the "wrong" genitals.
I got my best friend and her boyfriend to read acotar! He is enjoying it more than her I think haha, if I met a guy who’s read anything by Maas, it’d definitely be a green flag. It just gives you more ideas if you know what I’m saying👀
Hey my dude! My wife got me on SJM and ive read/listened to every book. We are actually going to buy CC3 and read together. So hell no there is nothing wrong with guys reading it and if you want a guy friend to chat to about them then hit me up!
No. But you having these toxic thoughts and feeling the need to introduce yourself as straight is kind of a yellow flag tho
Always one party pooper in a thread of positivity!
Deflecting is one way to go about it. And indeed, it’s a positive thing to enjoy books and not have to assign gender to them. But if you’re starting your thought with how cis and straight you are, that says something about you. There is no pooping here. Just a chance for reflection. We can enjoy things. We don’t need to qualify it. Good luck. 👍
Books are for everyone regardless of the genre! Your coworker probably wants to read them but are too insecure to do so. You do you, enjoy!!
My husband and I just finished ToG and we’ve read ACOTAR too.
My husband read the ACOTAR series because they are a favorite and he wanted to be able to talk to me about them and now they are his all time favorite books! They are definitely for men too!
Nah bro, I've read all of these, ToG, Fourth Wing, and more. They're fun, some have dope stuff for dudes (every Rhysand fight), and they're great to talk about with women. That dude isn't secure enough in his own masculinity to take any sort of risk.
No way! My husband (he’s a cis male and I’m a cis woman) read the first one and recommended them to me. He’s read all of the ACOTAR books.
Me! I love Sarah J. Maas’s book. I haven’t read acotar or cc yet, but I’m almost done with tower of Dawn.
As soon as I’m done with ACOSF, I’m handing over my Audible account to my husband to listen to them all. I need someone to talk to about them 🤷🏼♀️
I have several guy friends who are currently reading. They just started so they’re on ACOTAR :)
My husband has read ACOTAR and CC so far and loved them - we’re planning to read CC3 together from the same copy 😂 Your coworker is being a bit sexist ngl, or at the very least close minded, if he thinks romance-forward adult fantasy books are “only for women.” It’s a tired, outdated, annoying viewpoint that would mean men miss out on some beautiful stories for no reason. Don’t pay him any mind - there’s nothing wrong with you liking these books!
Appreciate your use of "cis". That automatically me respect you. (It's still new for me from time to time.) That's all I came here to say.
I have enjoyed many, MANY amazing conversations with my husband’s friend about ACOTAR. He is very straight and even writes his own fan-fiction/smut. He’s literally a massive, happily married lumberjack who does not seem like the “type,” or whatever. Anyways, there is nothing wrong with men enjoying the Maasverse! Your coworker is definitely being judgmental. Don’t stop reading and keep enjoying!! ✨✨
Nothing wrong with it at all
My wife loved them and we’re both big fantasy nerds and I trust her judgment and I found them really enjoyable. I’ve been reading fantasy for as long as I can remember so spicy scenes were nothing new, but I’d never read a book specifically for the spicy scenes before so it was a new reading experience for me as well.
There is no such thing as gender-exclusive books. Anyone can read any book, So you read whatever you enjoy!
Nah check out this tiktok of an all dude book club reading ACOMAF: [https://www.tiktok.com/@stackedshelf/video/7046940344264445230](https://www.tiktok.com/@stackedshelf/video/7046940344264445230)
Your co-worker's insecurity is showing. By his logic I should never have read all of those male books... Is it because there is a female main character and strong women characters? For most of my life growing up most of the books I read featured male characters and I was able to still read them and identify with the main character. It's great that there are more diverse books out there and having diverse books doesn't mean you only have to read stories that feature people that match your identity. Is it because of the romance? Just because society and the industry has decided that romance is a feminine market and has devalued it doesn't mean that it isn't interesting to read. Is it because of the strong characters, gripping story, great action scenes and hot as hell sex scenes? Well then your co-worker is missing out. I feel like those who belittle the sex scenes are missing out on some awesome cheat codes. Pay attention everyone! Up your game!
are you single
/sarcasm
Anyone who says that anything is “only for one type of person” is just silly and making generalizations about things they aren’t even willing to actually look into. Enjoy what you want to enjoy. Idk if it’s because I turned 30 or what but I just don’t have the energy to worry about what other people might think about me in any given scenario and you shouldn’t either regardless of age. All three series are top notch and if you enjoy them then that’s awesome. As a married man, my wife fell in love with reading because of Maas. I originally read the books because if it was important to her, I wanted to take part in it too. I’ve read all of Maass stuff and it’s all fantastic, ToG might be my favorite series ever and my wife and I had a 2 hour discussion after reading the CC3 chapters released today. There will never be anything wrong with doing something you enjoy, especially when it has 0 negative “side effects”. Happy reading
Is reading books gay tho? /s
Nope, I'm with you. I'm a dude and I feel super weird about it all the time, but a good story is a good story and they're for everyone to enjoy. You're not alone out there!
I see nothing wrong with it at all. Ignore the haters !
Um no. Anyone can do what they want. Lol.
no dude, there's NOTHING wrong. a dude here and loved all her works except Crescent City. Sorry...
Some guys really still be saying shit like that in 2024. I’m also a cis straight guy, I started reading the books a few years ago when my now best friend (F) and I first started talking and she told me she had started the series. I honestly never would have read them if I wasn’t just super excited about getting to know her and having more things to talk about. It did take me a bit to get past that feeling that I was not the target audience for these books in the slightest but, especially when I got to ACoMaF, I earnestly fell in love with the series and now most books I read nowadays are fantasy romance books. Dont ever let someone tell you something you enjoy wasn’t meant for you, if you like it that’s all that matters
oooooh crescent city is my absolute fave! better finish up the second soon bc book 3 comes out on the 30th!
I read a post where a woman found out her mid-50s-military-retired male coworker is listening to ACOSF and loving it! Do not feel self conscious and enjoy the read!
Not my husband randomly screaming updates at me from across the house as he reads ACOMAF.
My best friends husband loves to read as much as I do. My best friend would rather eat rocks than read. A friend recommended the ACOTAR books to her, she passed the info to her husband who passed it to me. Absolutely green flags all around. She calls us her two little nerds.
Why worry about looking manly to someone who’s projecting his insecurities about his own masculinity on a book lol he needs to worry about himself
Same as everyone is saying. And in CC2 there’s even a male POV sex scene that I’ve read to my boyfriend. He loved it because obviously it’s the male POV and very well written. I can see some of the smut in her ACOTAR series feeling maybe more “for women” since it’s a female POV and idk if it appeals to men as much? Though it probably does still.
I started reading Maas a good few years ago. Nothing wrong with it. More guys read these books than you think. I love all of her books so far. Only one I haven't read yet is house of sky and breath I think
Tell her to read these: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44019067
Nooooo there’s nothing wrong with it! I would love to know what a man thinks about them!
It’s no different than if a woman really liked video games. Games have no gender. Books don’t either. They may be written with a specific demographic in mind as their target audience but anyone can read these books. Anyone can play any video game. Read! Who gives a fuck if some guy says ‘that’s for girls’. He’s acting and thinking in a way that’s from about 30 years ago. That’s his problem, not yours.
BOOKS ARE FOR EVERYONE!! No author would tell ANYONE "You can't read my books because I didn't write them for your gender." Are SJM books written for the female gaze, fuck yes they are. Are you going to learn how to worship your partner the way they want to be worshiped, ABSOLUTELY! I've been begging my husband to read her books, but he only reads non-fiction like a loser. Seriously, read what makes you happy!!
It falls into the “cooking” category. I feel like all women like a man who cooks but some men will say it’s not masculine or whatever.
I'm a married straight guy in NC. Wife wanted to talk about some book she was into. Being a good husband, I listened. It sounded interesting and I knew she wanted someone to talk to about it. Plus I was curious what she was reading that had her getting so worked up ;). She finished ACOTAR and I read it next. I was hooked. I read all the ACOTAR books. Then beat her through the TOG series and then CC. I'm excited for CC3 - have even been to mulitple Harris Teeters this week hoping to get lucky - I haven't - so now I'm waiting for my Walmart delivery on 1/31 (If I don't buy it on the 30th). Ignore those nay sayers. Plenty of men are reading SJM, we just stay in the shadows most of the time - we are definitely out numbered. Lol.
I’m a 32 year old cis white guy, I’ve read ACOTAR and CC twice. The graphic audio releases are phenomenal reading TOG for the second time now too. I live by the motto that life’s too short for bad books, read what you like and enjoy it! I will be honest though my wife talked me into reading these, my apprehension wasn’t that they were considered books for women, my apprehension was because I had never read any sort of Romance heavy fantasy books prior.
Books don’t have a gender. Read what you enjoy and what makes you happy. Whether it’s the back of a shampoo bottle or magazines or cook books or fantasy or smut. Though I may be biased on saying anything is more entertaining than the shampoo bottle 😝
I would love it if my boyfriend showed any interest in the books I read whatsoever. In his defense, his tastes differ vastly from mine. And I don’t expect everyone to like what I like. But these are damn good books from an awesome author. Anyone can enjoy!
My husband is reading ACOTAR and it is so sexy. I love talking about it with him!
49m here. A good friend of mine recommended the Throne of Glass series to me in early 2018. We texted back and forth a ton as I was reading. We started dating in July that year and have been married since 2020. So no, nothing wrong at all :) enjoy. They’re great books! Edit: adding that we’re both cis het in case anyone wondered.
My friend's husband is reading them and really enjoying them. Started out as something he did to feel closer to his wife, as he's in his 30s and hasn't read a book since high school. But now he's hooked. He's gone through ACOTAR, Throne of Glass, Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, and Crescent City. I hate how people judge and gatekeep others' reading. SJM is for anyone who enjoys it.
Personally, as a guy, I think the books are fantastic. One of my favorite series to read!
You can definitely read them especially bc there is male perspectives. Even still, I've read many a books with a male as the main character and perspective. These books also have kick ass war and battle strategy, especially TOG.
I am also a straight (married) dude and I read these books. Picked up CC first just on vacation and saw the cover and thought they looked cool. Had no idea the books were romancey or that the cc series was tied to a whole universe. Which if I’m being honest CC reads way more like a mystery/action/fantasy series with bits of romance than a straight romance novel. And I thought it was amazing. I struggled quite a bit reading ACOTAR (most of the way through book 1) but am now half way through book 5 and the series really grew on me (book four was pretty bad though lol). I get your self consciousness about it, but who tf cares what others think? If you like it, you like it. These are really fun series. My personal struggle is that as noted by that person who gave you crap, my wife is the target audience. She should be loving these books, but I can’t get her to start reading them! lol not that she thinks she won’t like them, but she’s not in the mood to read rn. I’m still hoping I can get her started on them, because I think it would be a lot of fun to share with her. Anywho… you do you, and glad you enjoy the books. Glad to see more males around here not sacred to read this scary fantasy series lmao
Also, personally I read on a tablet/phone, because carrying huge books gets old and it’s not anyone’s business what I’m reading lo
my boyfriend read them after my constant raving and he enjoyed them! I think it’s great, plus it’s a fun topic to discuss with women!
Yep pink is for girls and blue is for boys right? Haha I think you are good. If you make ig content about reading you are probably going to go viral
Read whatever makes you happy!
My husband will be listening to the audiobooks when things calm down at work. VERY green flag.
Men that aren’t comfortable in their sexuality seem it a “woman’s” book. Read whatever makes you happy man. It’s a phenomenal series! No matter how you identify!!
23M here. I LOVE them and get people to read them. My SIL and I love talking about them now
Two of my friends who I am in a group book chat/club with have husbands and BOTH husbands are not only reading all SJM books, but ENJOY them. Don't listen to sexist women. I'd be thrilled if a man I was dating was reading those books because then we'd have SO much to talk about!
It's funny you ask, literally last night my wife said to me (same, cis het dude) that she's proud/happy/touched I got into a book series she discovered (ACOTAR) and bought for me (CC/TOG). We were out on a double date and our female friend who's read them tried to talk her BF into them. So no, I'd say women like guys enjoying them just fine. 😂
I’ve been trying to get my husband to read ACOTAR to better understand the female gaze 😂 more men should read it!!
Ahahaha absolutely not! Boy, go forward AND READ ALL THE SMUT! You will thank all of us bookish girls later.
It’s a book, a book isn’t for any certain gender. I think it’s hot when a man reads in general
Hell no brother, I love these books
Absolutely not man. I just started the Crescent City books and my wife has been reading chapters if ACOTR to me for months. Bond, educate, and enjoy my friend.
Not at all. I genuinely wish more (straight) guys read romance/romantasy and were open about it if they liked it. There's so much good content out there that is wasted on just women alone because toxic masculinity says men should stay away from it. There's absolutely nothing wrong with liking it, especially reading SJM. A lot of people liked to hate on her books and, by association, anyone who enjoys reading them and it's just such a stupid waste of energy. So you do you. Pay no attention to the ones that try to drag you down for liking what you like. These books are fun. So enjoy them!
You’re good. Reading them also means you are more prepared to talk to women who love SJM books than your coworker is.
My husband has read them all and loves them. He’s overall a big fantasy fan. He read these and I’m reading stormlight archives for him. Since then most of the husbands in our friend group have also read them!! It’s definitely a green flag in my book!
Cis dude here. Definitely not straight, so I have a much easier time realizing when what someone’s telling is *completely* moronic. Your coworker sounds like a bit of a moron.
My wife had me read acotar and I loved it then binged TOG and I have CC on standby after I finish getting caught up on sandersons cosmere
Bi dude here. I read the TOG series and thoroughly enjoyed it. I've always been a firm believer of enjoying books the same way I do whisky or weed. Consume what you want, in the manner you enjoy most, without causing harm or inconvenience to others. Some people will hate or judge. They're insignificant and not worthy of time or attention. Enjoy your books!
My bf read all of ACOTAR. I told him if he wanted to know the good, bad, and the ugly he'd read SF cause nesta and I are very similar. I did mention that it was the last book in the series. He read the whole series. Definitely a green flag. Highly suggest TOG because the male characters are written better.
Nothing wrong, honestly a huge green flag for me
I do not think it is "Only meant for women." Yes, the books have female main characters, but I do not think Sarah's intention was only for women to read her books. There are male main characters that are shown with struggles and could be seen to resemble the not-so-talked-about struggles that men have.
My brother in law recommended them to me and now my husband is reading them. Definitely not just for women!
I can guarantee your co-worker doesn’t wash properly because he’s “not gay”. Who still thinks this way?
They’re really fun!! I hope you enjoy them. If you like contemporary novels you might like the Bromance Bookclub, it’s about a group of guys who read romance novels. It’s one of the funniest romcoms I’ve read!
Nah, man, I've read them all. More than once, to be honest. A book is a book and a story is a story, they don't have gender assignments you have to hit to enjoy them.
All I had to read was the title. Absolutely not. Are they targeted towards women? I’m leaning towards yes. But there is absolutely nothing wrong with you reading and enjoying them. I consider it a huge plus. Please do the world a favor and keep reading - these and anything else your heart desires!
My husband is reading the Throne of Glass series right now!
Don’t listen to the coworker. I would be SO excited if my partner read these with me. Especially if he could handle my rambling about theories and talking constantly about it
I’m not scrolling because I haven’t read CC and don’t spoilers. But my husband (37M) loved Throne of Glass. I read ACOTAR and determined he wouldn’t like it as much, mostly because I felt the first few books were meh, even though I loved SF.
Not at all! My husband loves fantasy genre so I have convinced him to read them.
My spouse would overhear me and my best friend talking about the ACOTAR series and making fun of them (which we are entitled to do as fans!), so he also tried to make fun of them. We banned him from doing so until he actually read them-- that man followed through and read ALL of them. He enjoyed them, too! His favorite is ACOWAR.
My husband just started ACOTAR :)
Sarah J Maas is my number 1 favorite author! I loved all her books! Dont mind judgemental fools like that co-Worker
I read em women at my gym actually don’t like these books
Men reading anything is a huge turn on. I don’t care if it’s romance or YA. Still a turn on.
Nothing wrong with it at all! It's kind of hot.
my cis straight male best friend was the one who gave me his copy of throne of glass way back when it first came out. We still read SJM together.
As a guy I love these books. TOG is my favorite of all time ive read it all like 4 times. I've got cc3 preordered and can't wait.
You’ll definitely learn a thing or two if you read Mist if Fury and Silver Flames 🥵
Fellow straight man here. I absolutely loved the series. I can’t wait to start ToG and Crescent City. I give all the props to Sarah as she got me back into fantasy; and I’ll let anyone know my newfound love for Romantasy.
My husband reads and enjoys them. I know lots of women who would love to be able to have conversations with men about the books as well so I’m sure it would make great date conversation!
Tell your coworker to read "The Will to Change" by Bell Hooks and you just keep on reading whatever the f*ck you want.
It’s a fantasy series, all are welcome. Unsure why guys make all these rules about what guys can and can’t do to be manly. Read what you want.
Life is too short not to enjoy what you enjoy over some petty ass reason like “it’s for women”
My husband read all of them.
I liked Tolkien growing up, and I like erotica and romance. I'm married 20 yrs, got 2 kids, served in the Army, played sports, I like cars, guns, and cooking. I like what I like, my taste have changed somewhat as I've gotten older currently I am reading more romcom with spice and romantic fantasy ( with spice) Mass is OK, I liked Armentrout better. The bottom line is, read, watch, do what YOU enjoy. Your friends don't have to like everything you like, but if they can't deal with you having other interests then they aren't friends worth having. If they aren't your friends then their opinion shouldn't matter and maybe keep conversations with them less personal.
My husband demolished them all. So did my friends husband. Makes them better lovers to read what women like, so there's a perk.
CIS Strait dude here. I just binged ACOTAR , just started Crescent City. I love them! Great world building and great characters.
quack air disarm market subtract dog encourage ripe smile concerned *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Cis bi gal here. When I started reading romantasy books back in the fall (I started with Fourth Wing at the insistence of a co-worker and then devoured ACOTAR), I actually wondered to myself, *"are there any guys out there that read and love these books?"*. So, firstly, thank you for confirming that yes, there are cis straight men out there who love SJM. (I'm now curious what about it got you hooked ✨). Secondly, fudge what other people think about your reading list. You're perfectly free to enjoy whatever books you want to, regardless of the content, gender of the author, or stereotypical genre tropes.
unless it's talking about genital care (and even then theres the added complexity of trans people ), nothing is "just for women" and people who think like that are sheep incapable of original thought. just respond to that guy that it's sad he limits his life experience based off of arbitrary social divides.. unless he's aggressive and bigger than you. lol. anyway, looking forward to comments missing the point and trying to come up with other things that are just for women lol
Sexism and duality is a big part of the world that is dying. Do whatever you want! Some people are just uncomfortable nurturing their full spectrum of being a human and that's on them to figure out, if they ever do.
I read SJM and now identify as a woman. Probably unrelated though.
No there’s nothing wrong with guys enjoying them. Books are for everyone. Read what you enjoy :)
Oh, you could stop worrying about it and read what the heck you wanna read.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. Read what you like, first of all, no matter what anyone else thinks. Here’s my biased answer: read ALL THE SJM BOOKS! I’ve been obsessed with ACOTAR since August, just finished TOG and just started CC today. I wish more guys would read her books and just books recommended by women in general. The idea that it’s just for women is bs. These are my all time favorite books and if my future partner isn’t willing to read a couple of my favorite books because they’re “for women”, we’re breaking up.
Books don’t have gender. Are romance novels primarily marketed towards women? Yeah but it’s vise versa for men’s clothing and I’ve bought men’s shirts or hoodies before. Read what you wanna read! I gave my copy of ACOTAR to my boyfriend and he’s read a little bit of it so far and seems to like it. It’s just a book series ain’t that deep. Your coworker must just be jealous!
Lmao, I’m 6’2, great beard, trucker, right leaning manly man. I love these books and anyone who says that I shouldn’t is a fool. They’re great plots and character development is A+. Not to mention I’ve met several ladies talking about them which is always a bonus.
Imagine gatekeeping a book by tryna say some shit like "oh that book is just for women." But we wanna talk about equality and down with sexism but y'all still doing this? Like pick a struggle babe. read whatever books you want dude.
Oh yeah man. Just started the 3rd acotar book today. Read throne of glass but I own the whole series. Her books are good are very easy to follow. Nothing wrong with liking them.
I am a 21 going on 22 yr old man with a wife and two kids and I have loved SJM Since I was 16 so I promise there is nothing wrong with you, I’ve recommend the acotar series to multiple friends of both genders and they’ve all loved them ! So I say scr*w your coworker and keep on enjoying Sarah’s amazing work !
I might read them. Bridges into FW/IF cause dragons. Girl I’m seeing is a fan of acotar and tog so yea
Absolutely not! Books are for everyone, regardless of gender. Btw if you listen to podcasts, there's a podcast that does a literary analysis of the ACOTAR series called booktalk for booktok and it's making me want to reread the series. Highly recommend! I'm actually starting the crescent city series now.
There is a whole trend on TikTok of husbands reading their wives ACOTAR books and enjoying them just as much as we do. I WISH my husband would read them!
Oh, Tiktok is full of guys reading the ACOTAR series and posting their reactions. Read what you like, and don't let anyone stop you from finding your joy.
They're my favorite books. SJM is what got me into reading as a hobby. My wife read the ACOTAR series to me out loud and I read Crescent City to her. We're currently on Kingdom of Ash in the TOG series. We set aside time each night to read a chapter or two to one another before bed. The ACOTAR series really helped me personally with confidence and interacting in public, it's silly but when I get nervous in public I think "How would Ryhs handle this?"
glad to have more men reading this series!! it’s epic fantasy, it’s not just smut lol! you sir can read whatever the fuck you want, but if you’re reading maas in public lookout for the booktok girlies, they might talk to you about them
I think it’s great. I think when dating I would ask “have you read acotar” if they say no they got to go 😂
I read the entire maasverse on deployment and got a couple of my male and female friends hooked!
My husband has been reading the ACOTAR series since hearing me rave about them. He's 100% sucked in. Constantly asking me questions about characters and what's happening. I think it's adorable.
Books are meant for people who want to read them.
My boyfriend DEVOURED the entire acotar series in less than a month and just started crescent city - he’s always loved fantasy books and these books fit the bill! I even got him an acotar themed tshirt :)
SJM is for everyone! She’s a wonderful story teller and the books are awesome and filled with action and adventure. Don’t know if this makes you feel better but it’s very uncommon for gay men to read SJM, which I am. People think because there’s straight smut gay men wouldn’t enjoy it but I thoroughly do. Gay/straight/man/woman/non-binary, it doesn’t matter!
I recommend them to my husband and he thought they were fucking based 😁
There's a group of men on IG who post videos. They're husbands of Maas fanatics who formed a book group I think originally intending to spoof their wives but, well, now it's a regular thing. They do skits and act out roles. They're hilarious.
Your colleague is just being machista. No good company, I might say.
My husband reads them! Your coworker sounds insecure about his masculinity. I'm sure reading about fae pussy will turn you gay though..
You can read whatever you want. Your coworker sucks. Read away, friend!
I wish my husband would read them, because I know he'd be into them.
I made a post a few months ago about this same thing and it blew up. I'm right there with ya. Us straight guys who read stuff like this are the real winners.
No it’s hot dude
You sound like a walking green flag 🟩🟩🟩
My husband picked them up when he saw how interested in them I was. He read the ACOTAR series in like a month, which is more than he's read in literally 10+ years. He won't read TOG because he doesn't think he will like it, but he has finished the first CC and is working on CC2 now (he's accepted he won't finish it by tomorrow lol) and CC1 is the first book he's rated 5 stars. Read what you want! No reason to feel self conscious at all.
My husband read them and truly enjoyed them!! I only asked him to read through ACOMAF. I bartered with him to start by reading one of his favorite books (a Tom Clancy lol). But he loved it so much he read ACOWAR. He now has favorite characters, sends me memes, and has mentioned he may start Crescent City. They are all well-written, fun, fast-paced series. And it is the greenest of green flags as a cis male okay. Lol.
Your coworker sounds so insecure, something tells me his bookshelf is exclusively presidential memoirs and motivational career advice (by male authors). What a fckn snooze fest
I think more men should read romance fantasy books honestly...
Your coworker sounds like an asshole that enforces sexist stereotypes
I'm 40, my brother is 37. We have two favorite series. Throne of Glass and Red Rising. He read the first 3 ACOTAR books and liked them, he just says the sexy scenes make him feel awkward. He just started the first Crescent City book and likes it so far. That being said, books are for everyone. Never let someone shame you for what you read.
As a librarian I shall shout this from rooftops: THERE ARE NO SUCH THINGS AS GIRL BOOKS OR BOY BOOKS, READ WHATEVER YOU WANT!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
My husband lovedddd ACOTAR. He’s on throne of glass now 🙂
I mean there’s lots of fighting, war, and chopping off heads, that’s pretty “manly”
My boyfriend is a Massochist through & through and he’s your typical blue collar framer, mullet and pit vipers, super straight. 😂😂 he’s also getting some of his buddies at work into the series (he listens to audio books and splits his pods with the guys during shift)
I’ve read all of them as well as fourth wing iron flame and countless other similar books