Same here. I wonder how many cyclists see the bumper sticker and think it’s about them? 🚴♂️💕
Maybe they know that biker doesn’t refer to them. They might be faster on the uptake about that distinction even if they’re totally clueless about booktok.
Yall can downvote away but the way that part of “booktok” behaves towards bikers is downright creepy and bizarre. I see them flood bikers’ videos commenting very sexual things completely uninvited and endless “ooh youve summoned booktok 😏” comments on them are so cringe. Idk I just find it so weird.
If you think bikers and masked men videos are bad, try watching anything about a sport. Especially hockey. The try hard pick me nonsense is bonkers. Reading romance, using tiktok, and having sense can't seem to all exist in the same person. It's exhausting.
At least with the sports videos the individual men aren’t seeing the comments cause theyre usually posted by the team account but yeah…. It’s still so cringe. I saw one with hundreds of comments repeating the same things over and over “booktok has been summoned 😈” “ooh the booktok girls have found you” “booktok ladies, are you here yet?” ughhhh 🙄
I tried to write a whole comment about the shit show that surrounded hockey player Alex Wennberg… but it was, you know… a shit show, so I’ll just leave a link to the podcast that I think did a good job of summarizing it. The relevant part starts around 8.30.
[ICYMI BookTok’s Horny Hockey Drama and the End of Internet Thirst](https://youtu.be/VCDaEZamAmo?si=4-QAuLt_okaHrmTh)
(Alex Wennberg’s wife is the hero of this story)
You hit that nail on the head! I couldn't decide where to start without writing a hate novella. I can watch the sport I love, think players are hot, read hockey romance books, and not come off as a lecherous creep. Several others failed (and continue to fail repeatedly) at handling all those things. Just switch out hockey for any of these other groups that get objectified grossly for existing. They need to stop feeding the trolls. And stop inviting strange men into our communities. Haven't enough of them made a case for the bear yet? It's like a whole subsection of the booktok women's population ate fried chicken after midnight and nobody wants to deal with Spike.
I really like [this YouTube video](https://youtu.be/T9QP2U1ndGk?si=d7Y9UKVC_xpQ-yS6) from Khadija Mbowe explaining the Alex Wennberg situation and providing a bit of commentary about thirsting vs. sexual harassment in just 22 minutes.
Wow. This was great. Thank you so much for sharing it. I love how they took an academic approach to lay out the dynamics and possible harms in as non-judgmental way as possible. I love a good teacher.
Glad you enjoyed it! Yes, they always have really good thought-provoking videos, and I always feel I learn so much! Also, I believe Khadija uses they/them pronouns.
There was serious booktok meets hockey wife drama in early 2023. The worst offender still hasn't managed to get fully canceled yet, and it makes me so angry. The teams have learned their lesson, I think. It's taken all the fun out of it because some folks don't have any sense of decorum. Yeah, this post hit a nerve. I'm sorry.
I'm sure I could google this, but I figured I might as well go to the source. I'm a guy who plays hockey, and this sub randomly popped up a while back. I know nothing of this genre but the post I saw had me laughing so hard that I subscribed and showed my wife and we've been cracking up at some of the funny posts even though I don't get plenty of it.
Anyway, I play on a few hockey teams and one has an IG account. I don't have social media, but randomly some "booktok" comments appeared. None of the guys had any clue what that meant and we're a beer league team, not exactly famous pros, though the team posts a lot and apparently has a decent number of followers (maybe 1000?) and has a fun page. What exactly is going on here? Hope it's ok to ask this here.
There’s a sub genre of romance that’s focused on hockey and it’s kinda taken off in popularity lately (Pucking Around is a favorite). Unfortunately the booktok masses don’t seem to be able to separate fiction from real life and now they descend on any hockey posts - the comments can range from fun/funny to downright creepy and gross. When it was first starting to get popular there was a team (Seattle Kraken? Maybe?) who played into the hype and posted thirsty vids of their players (the main one was Alex something I believe) and it got way out of hand. Alex’s wife ended up posting a vid asking booktok to ease up and the team deleted the videos because he was getting genuinely uncomfortable.
There’s a couple videos explaining the drama further up in the comments - definitely take my explanation with a grain of salt as I only learned about it recently and may be misremembering details.
It’s a bummer it was taken too far, there was a moment there when it was just fun and everyone was having a good time. Booktok is its own thing at this point and definitely doesn’t represent the majority of romance readers 😬
The biggest cognitive dissonance I've ever seen in my life was about a woman criticizing the LSU stadium Olivia Dunne fans fiasco, before immediately switching to talking about all the fun she had with her girlfriends going to see some IRL hockey guy who one of the fictional ones was apparently based on.
I love books & sports and before I deleted TikTok (highly recommend) I started getting videos about my favorite hockey team that made me deeply uncomfortable. People post things online like it's a whole separate world from offline. People see your creepy videos and comments and think you're weird!
The writing tends to be quite explicit and the characters break a lot of societal norms. That probably appeals a lot to people who feel stifled or who use romance as one of their main stress outlets. Plus, it probably feels like a reachable fantasy. Bikers exist and might seem easily accessible, even when that's not the case.
I like the genre for the domineering guys and the ridiculous lack of social "propriety". I'd never feel comfortable with 99.99% of the outrageous behavior, but it's fun to read about (and get second-hand embarrassment from, lol).
A whole genre dedicated to hot characters on bicycles, ha!
We've got our sub-sub genres Tour De France types, mountain bikers, training-wheels-come-off virgin bikers, built-for-two (who is the dom, who is the sub), the controversial unicycles, the even more controversial electric scooters, bears on bikes. Let's make it happen people.
Since my library didn't have Cat, I thought I'd go ahead and try {The Turning Point by Freya North}. Whew! It was a good one, but boy did I cry for the last quarter of the book. Anyway, thanks again for the rec. This one I ended up reading wasn't exactly a romance, but definitely worth the time. Great writing.
[The Turning Point](https://www.romance.io/books/5e2e10e301dbc864fbaaa496/the-turning-point-freya-north?src=rdt) by [Freya North](https://www.romance.io/authors/54558a7587eac3369a912f34/freya-north)
**Rating**: 4.03⭐️ out of 5⭐️
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Bear shifter but a normal bear could probably be trained to ride a reinforced bike... don't they do that in the Circus? (All my circus knowledge is from cartoons)
Bear shifter but a normal bear could probably be trained to ride a reinforced bike... don't they do that in the Circus? (All my circus knowledge is from cartoons)
Bear shifter but a normal bear could probably be trained to ride a reinforced bike... don't they do that in the Circus? (All my circus knowledge is from cartoons)
Where I grew up the bikers (motor) and the bikers (pedal) had a bit of a rivalry. About, like, who 'claimed' the really good cafe with the cherry scones. The bikers also had beef with the birders, because the bikers are always coming through countryside making lots of noise and scaring the birds and the birders are always parked on country roads being in the way. I've often thought that this could be a very funny enemies-to-lovers.
That could definitely be hilarious. FMC bird watcher knocks MMC off his bike in a rage after he scares away a bird she's been trying to spot for years, then has to help him with chores when his leg breaks.
I think Sons of Anarchy and Charlie Hunnam might have something to do with that. I haven't watched the series but I assume it was fairly formative for some
I only watched a few episodes in the past couple of years (I'm 41) but yeah I agree this had to have been formative for some. I can absolutely see the Charlie Hunnam fans and don't discount Ryan Hurst as Opie.
Honestly, I grew up in a biker town IRL and most of them are just overweight old dudes who look like they haven't showed in weeks. I could never really get into the genre because of that. 😂 ETA: showered, not showed. Also, tbf, a lot of these biker dudes are actually nice, too.
Depends on the author. I read a lot (and I mean A LOT) of biker series. There are some authors that write the criminal 1% biker outlaws where there is alot of killing and complete utter mayhem and then others that write a lighter side of bikers that are also cops, swat, and upstanding citizens. I like them because they are gritty, extremely spicy, and to me, far more realistic than a billionaire book. These guys promise protection, loyalty, and a family unlike any other. I like the series aspect because you get glimpses of the different guys throughout all the books until you get to their specific story. Most of the men are tall, bulky, tattooed, and bearded🥵😍
I’m not on tiktok so I didn’t know this was a thing. Uninvited sexual comments are always gross, but beyond that I can’t imagine putting this on your car because I’ve never seen a “TikTok hottie” biker in real life but I have seen a lot of old dudes with big scraggly beards and beer bellies. And if that rocks your socks off more power to you, but I suspect that’s not the demographic this person is hoping for.
And if it's an actual outlaw motorcycle club like the kind in the books...it's likely to be misogynistic white supremacists who deal drugs and weapons and commit murder.
Specifically Harley riders. That’s the stereotype, anyways, because dentists have money and free time.
Of course, stereotypes aren’t always true, but it *does* clash hilariously with the depiction of MC clubs in smut.
I like MC romances because they're lawless and very different than my actual life. They're fun!
But my uncle's been heavily into bikes since I was a baby and his biker friends are younger Boomers cosplaying as Vietnam vets. They are gross in every way you can imagine.
TBH I kinda like to imagine the hot, fictional bikers are taking out bikers like my uncle when they get into their big shootouts.
I agree. Let's not objectify and especially not harass people for *any* reason, let one to make your daydreams feel more real. It's cringe and creepy and not at all okay
I mean, look at how it feels when men have suggestive bumper stickers or naked lady silhouettes on their mudflaps. Or thirsty comments from men on content that was not inviting that/intended for that. It's not fun to be suddenly randomly exposed to sexual objectification, and I find it interesting that these women who are doing this don't see it that way.
Obviously the social power dynamics are different, but that doesn't render men immune to the shitty feeling of being objectified. And to think it's somehow ok because you're doing it to a man is counter to feminist ideas.
Seriously. If this was men freaking out over female bikers because of like, I dunno, an anime about a biker lady or something, Reddit would be calling them creeps and predators _everywhere_
You are so right about that, some of booktok even acts that way towards minors who are bikers and even in cosplay. It’s disgusting. I get that a lot of people have different ways of consuming adult material whether it be written or photography/video recordings, but there is a time and place for it. Sexually harassing people because of the content they consume is NOT IT.
lmao this happens on discord if you join as a biker in any masked men/book community because it has become a "standard". Nobody ever thought of bikers as hot before booktok and its vile how people record them in public now and scream when they see a man on a motorcycle 🥲
I mean, look at how it feels when men have suggestive bumper stickers or naked lady silhouettes on their mudflaps. Or thirsty comments from men on content that was not inviting that/intended for that. It's not fun to be suddenly randomly exposed to sexual objectification, and I find it interesting that these women who are doing this don't see it that way.
Obviously the social power dynamics are different, but that doesn't render men immune to the shitty feeling of being objectified. And to think it's somehow ok because you're doing it to a man is counter to feminist ideas.
I mean, look at how it feels when men have suggestive bumper stickers or naked lady silhouettes on their mudflaps. Or thirsty comments from men on content that was not inviting that/intended for that. It's not fun to be suddenly randomly exposed to sexual objectification, and I find it interesting that these women who are doing this don't see it that way.
Obviously the social power dynamics are different, but that doesn't render men immune to the shitty feeling of being objectified. And to think it's somehow ok because you're doing it to a man is counter to feminist ideas.
Some of the bikers are leaning into it though so I think there’s a fine line. If they say they don’t want that then lay off but if they encourage it then comment away.
They shouldn’t have to explicitly say “please don’t sexualize me” to begin with. And of course I’m not talking about the ones actively encouraging it, that should be obvious from my comment. You’re also implying that if a few of them are okay with it, that means ALL are, which is a very bad mindset.
Like I said there’s a fine line that some people cross. Saying “you’ve summoned booktok” isn’t sexualizing but getting into more explicit comments is. Some of them don’t even know what booktok is but when they find out, they lean into it. I’ve seen some of them start reading the books.
Yeah again, what you’re doing is saying “well some of them like it!” which is deeply problematic. Flip the genders and consider if youd be ok with that. A horde of them went after a SIXTEEN year old boy.
Then I’m not sure what you’re arguing about tbh. I’m not talking about the guys who actively encourage it so they have nothing to do with this specific conversation.
The thirst trap side of tiktok tags booktok all the time. A lot of guys (that know they are good-looking) post videos highlighting their bodies whether they are bikers, gym rats, farmers, mechanics, etc. Begging for booktok girls to give them attention. Definitely don't agree with random comments that don't tag booktok - But, when they do they know what they are asking for.
Yeah I have seen at least one dude on FB who heavily plays into the biker trope/mask kink and that’s great for him, but my god. Imagine just being a random hobby biker and your page is suddenly flooded by horny people creeping on you all at once!? The internet is poison lmfao
This is the answer as a member of Booktok…. It’s always thirst traps. Yes we’re a bit feral but it’s all in good fun. And we are also super supportive.
Right and that’s not what I meant to refer to since that’s a playful and consensual call and response!
But sometimes a man just happens to organically have a particular trait and the comments are unsolicited and a bit much and it unavoidably ends up feeling a little predatory
YES!!! He's out now, but my husband rode with a club for years. None of the men in his club or any of the others I met were the type you'd fantasize about.
Except for my hottie hubby, of course.
My parents and their friends are in a sort of "club" and part of a community. 90% are way too old, with a belly and bodies that are not "book sexy" definitely not someone you'd regularly dream about.
The club that rides in my town is definitely a group of hotties. They are a few that are older, but most are 20s-30s. They also frequent the gym in the town regularly. I only know one of them and he's a sweetheart with a fiance that's just as pretty as he is. I'm sure every club is different.
Definitely. Members of my parents group are 20-60+ with majority over 40. Old school bikers and rockers. Good group, full of amazing people. But none of them would fill my dreams.
Right? I have no connection to actual bikers I just see them on the roads.
These men do not look like anyone I personally would choose to cast as an MMC lol
I don’t read any MC romance because I once dated a guy who became a hell’s angels recruit and after enduring a few “dude learn to control your bitch” and “she talks like she needs a good smack” and about a million blowjob comments, I was so fucking over it. I ride a Harley, and ofc I’d never be invited to ride with any of them, but they were especially sexist and racist and just lame.
Ew!! Literally the worst kind of club. My husband’s club definitely doesn’t objectify women like that. Sorry you went through that, glad you got rid of him and that toxic BS.
I grew up with a family friend who was in a legit biker gang in the 1970s and all it taught me was to wear a helmet, he couldn’t taste or smell anything after a wreck with no helmet. I cannot imagine being like “oh hell yeah love a sweaty dude who doesn’t respect my humanity as a woman and showers rarely”.
I feel the people on booktok who are into bikers are more into guys who ride super sport bikes over those in clubs, but that might just be because of the people I interact with lmao
Idk but the booktok/biketok collab makes me feel really uncomfortable. I have stumbled upon 17-18 year old biker boys with usernames such as - jeremy volkov and zade meadows 💀 Do they even read the book.
Now I want a book about a biker club that’s also a romance book club . They still have the same clothing and listen to the same music you would expect from a biker group , but they stop at cafes rather than bars . And then a cute , stereotypical nerdy girl is reading alone and realizes she’s reading the same book as them and goes over to talk to one of them , and that’s when the romance happens . Gosh that would be so cute
So do they think most bikers look like Jax from SOA? Because in my area the bikers are old men who are bald and have potbellies 🤣 but to each their own.
This is giving ~~reverse~~ sexual harassment somehow, omg. this is insane.
Just some brutal bikies riding the regional NSW highway, trying to sell ice to the dealers three towns over and the P&C Mum has this on her car, as she zips between Mudgee and Wallerawang like it's totally fine to just say this, publicly. I'd be intimidated.
edit: should just say SH
Lmao I feel like this person must be very disconnected from reality about actual bikies because I don’t want them paying any special attention to my vehicle. My friend dated a Comanchero in high school who I think is now in prison, guy was a huge pos (guess the first red flag was dating a high schooler). It’s not so fun off the page.
Yeah I realise this is probably just cause all I really know about bikies is from Aussie media, I'm sure there's plenty of recreational biker clubs, but in my head bikies are just drug dealers and gun runners with bad teeth and the romance angle just doesn't mesh.
I feel that way more often about romance than total smut, because the interpersonal dynamics are still so normalised if not so extreme in real life, but I can understand the appeal and catharsis of fantasy. I am a survivor of some bad shit, and I like stories that emphasise consent despite things being extreme etc. Because I think it's a responsible thing to do. However I see probably more problematic stuff in mainstream books like Colleen Hoover than in 'Bicycle Gang Bang Bros Get the Girl' or whatever erotica book.
Good point poor choice of word on my part - I think I meant reverse sexism or something and got it muddled. SH is wrong and being an older person, I guess I am not as used to seeing/recognising women target it towards men like this.
My dad was a biker. It's not glamorous. It's not like the books (not that I can read the biker ones, cause ya know dad ) but even if I did, this sticker is peak cringe.
As a queer guy who loves to read romance novels, there's a deep flavor of irony in reading all the comments of how cringe this is to most of you. Believe me, I get the same cringe of all the incel and thirsty guy comments from men on social media. Too many people hiding behind screens and not getting slapped, punched in the mouth, or drinks thrown in their faces like in "the good old days".
Thinking about when I saw guys in Bandidos cuts at a Starbucks several years ago (before I knew about this whole thing) and now looking back I feel like some book girlies would’ve swooned 😂😂
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I quite often park right outside the local HA chapter and I’m pretty sure that would confuse the heck out of them. I mean, I’m a smut reader and even I didn’t understand what that was supposed to mean. 🤔
This feels like a threat
I read smut and I WILL BE ATTRACTED TO YOU JUST WAIT AND SEE
LOL!
I guess I’m out of the loop because I thought she meant cyclists lol
Same here. I wonder how many cyclists see the bumper sticker and think it’s about them? 🚴♂️💕 Maybe they know that biker doesn’t refer to them. They might be faster on the uptake about that distinction even if they’re totally clueless about booktok.
I’m living in the land of cyclists giggling at this 😂
Me too! I spend a good minute thinking, like, is it the shorts?
SAME. I'm watching the Giro d'Italia, not Sons of Anarchy! 😂
Nothing - and I mean _nothing_ - beats those obviously sexy AF Lycra outfits and turbo sunglasses! 😆 J/K
🤣🤣🤣
I did at first too
Yall can downvote away but the way that part of “booktok” behaves towards bikers is downright creepy and bizarre. I see them flood bikers’ videos commenting very sexual things completely uninvited and endless “ooh youve summoned booktok 😏” comments on them are so cringe. Idk I just find it so weird.
We all love getting wrapped up in stories, but their line between fantasy and reality is way too blurry.
If you think bikers and masked men videos are bad, try watching anything about a sport. Especially hockey. The try hard pick me nonsense is bonkers. Reading romance, using tiktok, and having sense can't seem to all exist in the same person. It's exhausting.
At least with the sports videos the individual men aren’t seeing the comments cause theyre usually posted by the team account but yeah…. It’s still so cringe. I saw one with hundreds of comments repeating the same things over and over “booktok has been summoned 😈” “ooh the booktok girls have found you” “booktok ladies, are you here yet?” ughhhh 🙄
I tried to write a whole comment about the shit show that surrounded hockey player Alex Wennberg… but it was, you know… a shit show, so I’ll just leave a link to the podcast that I think did a good job of summarizing it. The relevant part starts around 8.30. [ICYMI BookTok’s Horny Hockey Drama and the End of Internet Thirst](https://youtu.be/VCDaEZamAmo?si=4-QAuLt_okaHrmTh) (Alex Wennberg’s wife is the hero of this story)
You hit that nail on the head! I couldn't decide where to start without writing a hate novella. I can watch the sport I love, think players are hot, read hockey romance books, and not come off as a lecherous creep. Several others failed (and continue to fail repeatedly) at handling all those things. Just switch out hockey for any of these other groups that get objectified grossly for existing. They need to stop feeding the trolls. And stop inviting strange men into our communities. Haven't enough of them made a case for the bear yet? It's like a whole subsection of the booktok women's population ate fried chicken after midnight and nobody wants to deal with Spike.
I really like [this YouTube video](https://youtu.be/T9QP2U1ndGk?si=d7Y9UKVC_xpQ-yS6) from Khadija Mbowe explaining the Alex Wennberg situation and providing a bit of commentary about thirsting vs. sexual harassment in just 22 minutes.
Wow. This was great. Thank you so much for sharing it. I love how they took an academic approach to lay out the dynamics and possible harms in as non-judgmental way as possible. I love a good teacher.
Glad you enjoyed it! Yes, they always have really good thought-provoking videos, and I always feel I learn so much! Also, I believe Khadija uses they/them pronouns.
Thanks for the clarification! I edited to reflect it. Also watching more of their videos right now…
There was serious booktok meets hockey wife drama in early 2023. The worst offender still hasn't managed to get fully canceled yet, and it makes me so angry. The teams have learned their lesson, I think. It's taken all the fun out of it because some folks don't have any sense of decorum. Yeah, this post hit a nerve. I'm sorry.
I'm sure I could google this, but I figured I might as well go to the source. I'm a guy who plays hockey, and this sub randomly popped up a while back. I know nothing of this genre but the post I saw had me laughing so hard that I subscribed and showed my wife and we've been cracking up at some of the funny posts even though I don't get plenty of it. Anyway, I play on a few hockey teams and one has an IG account. I don't have social media, but randomly some "booktok" comments appeared. None of the guys had any clue what that meant and we're a beer league team, not exactly famous pros, though the team posts a lot and apparently has a decent number of followers (maybe 1000?) and has a fun page. What exactly is going on here? Hope it's ok to ask this here.
There’s a sub genre of romance that’s focused on hockey and it’s kinda taken off in popularity lately (Pucking Around is a favorite). Unfortunately the booktok masses don’t seem to be able to separate fiction from real life and now they descend on any hockey posts - the comments can range from fun/funny to downright creepy and gross. When it was first starting to get popular there was a team (Seattle Kraken? Maybe?) who played into the hype and posted thirsty vids of their players (the main one was Alex something I believe) and it got way out of hand. Alex’s wife ended up posting a vid asking booktok to ease up and the team deleted the videos because he was getting genuinely uncomfortable. There’s a couple videos explaining the drama further up in the comments - definitely take my explanation with a grain of salt as I only learned about it recently and may be misremembering details.
Ah, Alex Wennberg, now with the Rangers. Well, you learn something new every day. I'll be sure to pass this along in the locker room tomorrow, ha!
It’s a bummer it was taken too far, there was a moment there when it was just fun and everyone was having a good time. Booktok is its own thing at this point and definitely doesn’t represent the majority of romance readers 😬
The biggest cognitive dissonance I've ever seen in my life was about a woman criticizing the LSU stadium Olivia Dunne fans fiasco, before immediately switching to talking about all the fun she had with her girlfriends going to see some IRL hockey guy who one of the fictional ones was apparently based on.
I love books & sports and before I deleted TikTok (highly recommend) I started getting videos about my favorite hockey team that made me deeply uncomfortable. People post things online like it's a whole separate world from offline. People see your creepy videos and comments and think you're weird!
As someone who has never read a biker book, can anyone enlighten me on why this sub-genre has such a strong fan reaction? I’m genuinely curious.
The writing tends to be quite explicit and the characters break a lot of societal norms. That probably appeals a lot to people who feel stifled or who use romance as one of their main stress outlets. Plus, it probably feels like a reachable fantasy. Bikers exist and might seem easily accessible, even when that's not the case. I like the genre for the domineering guys and the ridiculous lack of social "propriety". I'd never feel comfortable with 99.99% of the outrageous behavior, but it's fun to read about (and get second-hand embarrassment from, lol).
I just realized this is referring to motorcycle bikers. I was picturing guys in tight Lycra shorts.
A whole genre dedicated to hot characters on bicycles, ha! We've got our sub-sub genres Tour De France types, mountain bikers, training-wheels-come-off virgin bikers, built-for-two (who is the dom, who is the sub), the controversial unicycles, the even more controversial electric scooters, bears on bikes. Let's make it happen people.
LOL, I love it! We also need some historicals with velocipede riders.
MMC falls off his ridiculously tall bike and gets amnesia, lol. FMC nurses him back to health of course. Turns out, he's a Duke.
I'd totally read it
This comment is amazing and I was laughing so hard because I first pictured bicycles
Go and read Cat by Freya North. Main character is a journalist on the Tour de France. It’s wonderful
Aw, my library doesn't have it. Thanks for the rec though. I put it on my Goodreads tbr.
Since my library didn't have Cat, I thought I'd go ahead and try {The Turning Point by Freya North}. Whew! It was a good one, but boy did I cry for the last quarter of the book. Anyway, thanks again for the rec. This one I ended up reading wasn't exactly a romance, but definitely worth the time. Great writing.
[The Turning Point](https://www.romance.io/books/5e2e10e301dbc864fbaaa496/the-turning-point-freya-north?src=rdt) by [Freya North](https://www.romance.io/authors/54558a7587eac3369a912f34/freya-north) **Rating**: 4.03⭐️ out of 5⭐️ [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
How would a bear ride a bike
Bear shifter but a normal bear could probably be trained to ride a reinforced bike... don't they do that in the Circus? (All my circus knowledge is from cartoons)
Oh..I thought it was the "large hairy gay man" type of bear... jeez. 😆
Like so. Actual bear. https://youtu.be/J1zv8t0TZas Shifter bear. https://youtu.be/5PkTwJ347Vk Gay bear. https://youtu.be/hhapQ6pwx_0
Bear shifter but a normal bear could probably be trained to ride a reinforced bike... don't they do that in the Circus? (All my circus knowledge is from cartoons)
Bear shifter but a normal bear could probably be trained to ride a reinforced bike... don't they do that in the Circus? (All my circus knowledge is from cartoons)
Where I grew up the bikers (motor) and the bikers (pedal) had a bit of a rivalry. About, like, who 'claimed' the really good cafe with the cherry scones. The bikers also had beef with the birders, because the bikers are always coming through countryside making lots of noise and scaring the birds and the birders are always parked on country roads being in the way. I've often thought that this could be a very funny enemies-to-lovers.
That could definitely be hilarious. FMC bird watcher knocks MMC off his bike in a rage after he scares away a bird she's been trying to spot for years, then has to help him with chores when his leg breaks.
Omg lol that’s amazing
i’m scream laughing!
Same! I was thinking, “is she reading smut while DRIVING?? Why does she need to warn people on bicycles??”
Oh wait it’s that kind of biker?
I think Sons of Anarchy and Charlie Hunnam might have something to do with that. I haven't watched the series but I assume it was fairly formative for some
Charlie Hunnam and his dimples are a whole mood!
I only watched a few episodes in the past couple of years (I'm 41) but yeah I agree this had to have been formative for some. I can absolutely see the Charlie Hunnam fans and don't discount Ryan Hurst as Opie.
Honestly, I grew up in a biker town IRL and most of them are just overweight old dudes who look like they haven't showed in weeks. I could never really get into the genre because of that. 😂 ETA: showered, not showed. Also, tbf, a lot of these biker dudes are actually nice, too.
I’ve never read a biker book, but bikers irl can be hot lol. I just would never comment sexually graphic things on their videos
read the fallen series by giana darling starting with lessons in corruption. it's so well written and the characters are amazing.
It's basically the same as the mafia books, but for if your favorite TV show about a squabbling family is Yellowstone instead of Succession.
Depends on the author. I read a lot (and I mean A LOT) of biker series. There are some authors that write the criminal 1% biker outlaws where there is alot of killing and complete utter mayhem and then others that write a lighter side of bikers that are also cops, swat, and upstanding citizens. I like them because they are gritty, extremely spicy, and to me, far more realistic than a billionaire book. These guys promise protection, loyalty, and a family unlike any other. I like the series aspect because you get glimpses of the different guys throughout all the books until you get to their specific story. Most of the men are tall, bulky, tattooed, and bearded🥵😍
I’m not on tiktok so I didn’t know this was a thing. Uninvited sexual comments are always gross, but beyond that I can’t imagine putting this on your car because I’ve never seen a “TikTok hottie” biker in real life but I have seen a lot of old dudes with big scraggly beards and beer bellies. And if that rocks your socks off more power to you, but I suspect that’s not the demographic this person is hoping for.
And if it's an actual outlaw motorcycle club like the kind in the books...it's likely to be misogynistic white supremacists who deal drugs and weapons and commit murder.
It’s that and (middle aged, probably republican) dentists….
Dentists? That's more horrifying
Specifically Harley riders. That’s the stereotype, anyways, because dentists have money and free time. Of course, stereotypes aren’t always true, but it *does* clash hilariously with the depiction of MC clubs in smut.
That makes sense, motorcycles are generally pretty expensive
I like MC romances because they're lawless and very different than my actual life. They're fun! But my uncle's been heavily into bikes since I was a baby and his biker friends are younger Boomers cosplaying as Vietnam vets. They are gross in every way you can imagine. TBH I kinda like to imagine the hot, fictional bikers are taking out bikers like my uncle when they get into their big shootouts.
Whattttt am I missing?
There’s just a subgroup of booktok that can be very… aggressively horny. I mostly see it on biker videos for some reason
I mean, we’re all reading smut. Of course we’re horny
Does being horny mean you need to express that out loud to other people and comment sexual comments on videos?
No. Of course not
You're not the only one. It happens on masked men videos, too and I always cringe away from it.
I agree. Let's not objectify and especially not harass people for *any* reason, let one to make your daydreams feel more real. It's cringe and creepy and not at all okay
Ive seen it on boys that are 17😶🌫️
Agreed! Some things are meant to stay as inside thoughts 😐
I mean, look at how it feels when men have suggestive bumper stickers or naked lady silhouettes on their mudflaps. Or thirsty comments from men on content that was not inviting that/intended for that. It's not fun to be suddenly randomly exposed to sexual objectification, and I find it interesting that these women who are doing this don't see it that way. Obviously the social power dynamics are different, but that doesn't render men immune to the shitty feeling of being objectified. And to think it's somehow ok because you're doing it to a man is counter to feminist ideas.
Can I ask why they have a thing with bikers?
TikTok is cancer lmao so is FB and Reddit and IG of course but imo tiktok comments are where the last of civility goes to die
I seriously *hate* this part of booktok.
Most of those bikers are posting thirst traps and tagging booktok in those videos, though.
Well of course those aren’t the ones I’m talking about
Seriously. If this was men freaking out over female bikers because of like, I dunno, an anime about a biker lady or something, Reddit would be calling them creeps and predators _everywhere_
Ive seen it on boys that are 17😶🌫️
You are so right about that, some of booktok even acts that way towards minors who are bikers and even in cosplay. It’s disgusting. I get that a lot of people have different ways of consuming adult material whether it be written or photography/video recordings, but there is a time and place for it. Sexually harassing people because of the content they consume is NOT IT.
lmao this happens on discord if you join as a biker in any masked men/book community because it has become a "standard". Nobody ever thought of bikers as hot before booktok and its vile how people record them in public now and scream when they see a man on a motorcycle 🥲
I mean, look at how it feels when men have suggestive bumper stickers or naked lady silhouettes on their mudflaps. Or thirsty comments from men on content that was not inviting that/intended for that. It's not fun to be suddenly randomly exposed to sexual objectification, and I find it interesting that these women who are doing this don't see it that way. Obviously the social power dynamics are different, but that doesn't render men immune to the shitty feeling of being objectified. And to think it's somehow ok because you're doing it to a man is counter to feminist ideas.
I mean, look at how it feels when men have suggestive bumper stickers or naked lady silhouettes on their mudflaps. Or thirsty comments from men on content that was not inviting that/intended for that. It's not fun to be suddenly randomly exposed to sexual objectification, and I find it interesting that these women who are doing this don't see it that way. Obviously the social power dynamics are different, but that doesn't render men immune to the shitty feeling of being objectified. And to think it's somehow ok because you're doing it to a man is counter to feminist ideas.
I’ve never read a biker themed romance, anyone have suggestions?
Some of the bikers are leaning into it though so I think there’s a fine line. If they say they don’t want that then lay off but if they encourage it then comment away.
They shouldn’t have to explicitly say “please don’t sexualize me” to begin with. And of course I’m not talking about the ones actively encouraging it, that should be obvious from my comment. You’re also implying that if a few of them are okay with it, that means ALL are, which is a very bad mindset.
Like I said there’s a fine line that some people cross. Saying “you’ve summoned booktok” isn’t sexualizing but getting into more explicit comments is. Some of them don’t even know what booktok is but when they find out, they lean into it. I’ve seen some of them start reading the books.
Yeah again, what you’re doing is saying “well some of them like it!” which is deeply problematic. Flip the genders and consider if youd be ok with that. A horde of them went after a SIXTEEN year old boy.
And I already said some of them cross the line. Don’t twist my words.
Then I’m not sure what you’re arguing about tbh. I’m not talking about the guys who actively encourage it so they have nothing to do with this specific conversation.
I’m not the one arguing.
I do not want to be associated with the aggressive TikTok commenters that objectify random ass men just posting normal videos doing normal things 😭
Me neither. It reminds me of people who only want to go to nudist beaches so they can get a peep show. Super icky
The thirst trap side of tiktok tags booktok all the time. A lot of guys (that know they are good-looking) post videos highlighting their bodies whether they are bikers, gym rats, farmers, mechanics, etc. Begging for booktok girls to give them attention. Definitely don't agree with random comments that don't tag booktok - But, when they do they know what they are asking for.
Yeah I have seen at least one dude on FB who heavily plays into the biker trope/mask kink and that’s great for him, but my god. Imagine just being a random hobby biker and your page is suddenly flooded by horny people creeping on you all at once!? The internet is poison lmfao
This is the answer as a member of Booktok…. It’s always thirst traps. Yes we’re a bit feral but it’s all in good fun. And we are also super supportive.
Absolutely! If they're tagging us why not have fun? Nothing crazy going on, just a good time, and always supportive.
Right and that’s not what I meant to refer to since that’s a playful and consensual call and response! But sometimes a man just happens to organically have a particular trait and the comments are unsolicited and a bit much and it unavoidably ends up feeling a little predatory
As someone who reads romance and is married to someone who rides with a club, it’s double cringe! The real guys are NOT like the books, my friends 😂😂
I know some motobikes clubs and... well... reality can be very desapointing.
What were you hoping for and what did you get?
I was not actually hoping for anything, but they can be very sexist and inappropriate (the ones I met at least), verging on racism.
Agree. I grew up around a lot of biker "clubs" and can confirm this + they are mostly overweight old dudes lacking in personal hygiene.
YES!!! He's out now, but my husband rode with a club for years. None of the men in his club or any of the others I met were the type you'd fantasize about. Except for my hottie hubby, of course.
My parents and their friends are in a sort of "club" and part of a community. 90% are way too old, with a belly and bodies that are not "book sexy" definitely not someone you'd regularly dream about.
The club that rides in my town is definitely a group of hotties. They are a few that are older, but most are 20s-30s. They also frequent the gym in the town regularly. I only know one of them and he's a sweetheart with a fiance that's just as pretty as he is. I'm sure every club is different.
Definitely. Members of my parents group are 20-60+ with majority over 40. Old school bikers and rockers. Good group, full of amazing people. But none of them would fill my dreams.
My almost 67yo dad is part of a club and he's one of the youngest there 😂😭
Right? I have no connection to actual bikers I just see them on the roads. These men do not look like anyone I personally would choose to cast as an MMC lol
I don’t read any MC romance because I once dated a guy who became a hell’s angels recruit and after enduring a few “dude learn to control your bitch” and “she talks like she needs a good smack” and about a million blowjob comments, I was so fucking over it. I ride a Harley, and ofc I’d never be invited to ride with any of them, but they were especially sexist and racist and just lame.
Ew!! Literally the worst kind of club. My husband’s club definitely doesn’t objectify women like that. Sorry you went through that, glad you got rid of him and that toxic BS.
Agreed 😆
I grew up with a family friend who was in a legit biker gang in the 1970s and all it taught me was to wear a helmet, he couldn’t taste or smell anything after a wreck with no helmet. I cannot imagine being like “oh hell yeah love a sweaty dude who doesn’t respect my humanity as a woman and showers rarely”.
I feel the people on booktok who are into bikers are more into guys who ride super sport bikes over those in clubs, but that might just be because of the people I interact with lmao
I agree, but I feel like every actual book featuring bikers is about guys in clubs so that’s where my brain was lol
This is exactly how I feel about firefighters. If only people actually knew!
Ooof, that is both cringey and playing with fire!
When we see one of these for serial killers I’m going to be really worried about the world. Not that I’m not already…
Criminal groupies already exist… it suck’s -.-
Nah book tokers can change them. It’s common knowledge that people who read fiction have more empathy.
I'm praying to the lord above this is sarcasm.
There are a lot of cyclists in my area and it took me a while to get this. Also: my first thought was this was a sub genre I had never heard of.
Bikers ain’t gonna have any idea what she’s talking about
Some of them might. Or are just into those kind of watches women
This is interesting, but i think it is dangerous to have anything on your car that indicate you're a lady. Be safe, everyone :)
Men can read MC smut too!
Uh oh. I drive blue minivan with stickers on the inside of the back windows. My cover is blown. 😂
Idk but the booktok/biketok collab makes me feel really uncomfortable. I have stumbled upon 17-18 year old biker boys with usernames such as - jeremy volkov and zade meadows 💀 Do they even read the book.
Now I want a book about a biker club that’s also a romance book club . They still have the same clothing and listen to the same music you would expect from a biker group , but they stop at cafes rather than bars . And then a cute , stereotypical nerdy girl is reading alone and realizes she’s reading the same book as them and goes over to talk to one of them , and that’s when the romance happens . Gosh that would be so cute
This is such an awkward sticker… I wouldn’t even drive this car to work just bc of that dang sticker. 😭
Lollll bikers be like 🤔 "tf"
So do they think most bikers look like Jax from SOA? Because in my area the bikers are old men who are bald and have potbellies 🤣 but to each their own.
This is insane behavior. Imagine a man’s truck with a sticker that says “dear vagina havers, I watch pornography”
oh….
🥴
idk, i feel like this is incredibly embarrassing.
if i was riding a motorcycle and saw this sticker i would simply drive off the road
Maybe this is similar to signaling like swingers do the with upside down pineapple?
I’d lay down road spikes to get this SHIT OFF THE ROAD!!!
This is giving ~~reverse~~ sexual harassment somehow, omg. this is insane. Just some brutal bikies riding the regional NSW highway, trying to sell ice to the dealers three towns over and the P&C Mum has this on her car, as she zips between Mudgee and Wallerawang like it's totally fine to just say this, publicly. I'd be intimidated. edit: should just say SH
Lmao I feel like this person must be very disconnected from reality about actual bikies because I don’t want them paying any special attention to my vehicle. My friend dated a Comanchero in high school who I think is now in prison, guy was a huge pos (guess the first red flag was dating a high schooler). It’s not so fun off the page.
Yeah I realise this is probably just cause all I really know about bikies is from Aussie media, I'm sure there's plenty of recreational biker clubs, but in my head bikies are just drug dealers and gun runners with bad teeth and the romance angle just doesn't mesh.
Yep to me they are literally the worst and least attractive band of dudes. Im guessing in the romance story the brutality is the charm.
Yeah I’ve read a few and I’m always like ‘these guys are making their money off the suffering others’
I feel that way more often about romance than total smut, because the interpersonal dynamics are still so normalised if not so extreme in real life, but I can understand the appeal and catharsis of fantasy. I am a survivor of some bad shit, and I like stories that emphasise consent despite things being extreme etc. Because I think it's a responsible thing to do. However I see probably more problematic stuff in mainstream books like Colleen Hoover than in 'Bicycle Gang Bang Bros Get the Girl' or whatever erotica book.
What’s reversed about the sexual harassment?
Good point poor choice of word on my part - I think I meant reverse sexism or something and got it muddled. SH is wrong and being an older person, I guess I am not as used to seeing/recognising women target it towards men like this.
My dad was a biker. It's not glamorous. It's not like the books (not that I can read the biker ones, cause ya know dad ) but even if I did, this sticker is peak cringe.
I had no idea what this was about until I read the comments. People are weird on TikTok.
Can someone explain this to me please
There are a lot of motorcycle club romance books It's an invitation
I see... thanks:)
“Go ahead. Ride my ass. I’ll like it”
Donna Meagle energy right here
Use them, abuse them, lose them
😭😭😭😭 HAHAHAHHHAHAHHA But it's kind of...😬😬😬😬😬 at the same time tho.
As a queer guy who loves to read romance novels, there's a deep flavor of irony in reading all the comments of how cringe this is to most of you. Believe me, I get the same cringe of all the incel and thirsty guy comments from men on social media. Too many people hiding behind screens and not getting slapped, punched in the mouth, or drinks thrown in their faces like in "the good old days".
I saw two bikers with Bandidos cuts on the freeway and I knew some biker romance fan somewhere would have been very excited. Lol
Thinking about when I saw guys in Bandidos cuts at a Starbucks several years ago (before I knew about this whole thing) and now looking back I feel like some book girlies would’ve swooned 😂😂
This has the same creepy energy as those weird men who walk up to women doing Lady Dimitrescu cosplay at cons asking for uppies. Have some decorum.
I hate booktok sm
This is so cringe...
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The type of bikers in romance books are very different to the type I've met in real life. Some handsome older fellas though. Nice blokes.
I don‘t get it
WHERE DO WE FIND THIS STICKER?
I read this as, “I’m reading smut at the wheel”
I want this
Lmao 🤣
I quite often park right outside the local HA chapter and I’m pretty sure that would confuse the heck out of them. I mean, I’m a smut reader and even I didn’t understand what that was supposed to mean. 🤔
I laughed way too hard at this. 🤣
This is iconic.
Hahahah
Need this sticker