This Reylo fanfic made me both cringe AND squee 😖 The Love Hypothesis, Howl's Moving Castle, & more

[@rihanshariff2194]

When the professor starts getting jealous you just KNOW that the mating bond has SNAPPED into place

[@withcindy]

WHY WOULD U CALL IT THE MATING BOND DJKLASDKLJSLSAKD

[@rihanshariff2194]

@@withcindy YOU KNOW WHY

[@thedestroyer9024]

@@withcindy you can hide, but you can't escape the Sarah J Maze (I am sorry)

[@Monochrome_11]

Not the "Maze"

[@crakandra9672]

PLEASE 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@lunam828]

“The movie is how he envisions it in his head, and the book is actually how Sophie sees it” is now a theory I fully believe 😭

[@withcindy]

it is not a theory, it is a FACT

[@yichng9088]

@@withcindy it's implied in the book as well that howl dyes his hair the classic blond from his original bland brownish hair. the movie is howl propaganda even the author was like 'i wrote him as ridiculous but girls keep writing to me telling me how romantic he is. i think he'd be a lot more trouble than they'd expect'

[@emmazig]

Now that I have the idea in my head, I like to think it’s the story he tells other people to impress them while Sophie mutters snarky comments under her breath about how much of a liar he is and “Stop being such a martyr, Howl! Sure, you almost died, but you did not turn into a bird-man. I mean, really!”

[@sennnia]

@@emmazig I buy this 1000% bc of how he is in House of Many ways. The story isn't about them but Sophie shows up with her son and another small child (who is howl) and is just exasperated the entire time by her baby and her literal man child of a husband.

[@bonniea8189]

@@yichng9088 Not implied, fully stated. In fact, IIRC (I've read it twice, last time was last year) he puts enchantments on himself to make himself look more attractive. He spends an hour or more in the bathroom getting ready to go out and has all manner of beauty potions in there

[@mango-zy8lw]

Cannot get over the fact that the cover of the reylo fanfic book is literally reylo. absolutely no attempt to disguise it 😭

[@withcindy]

the main guy's name is Adam

[@JJCHAU]

@@withcindy LOLLLL I CANTTTT

[@lauraburnham7461]

@@withcindy you'd think the author would at least ATTEMPT to hide what a freak she is about the ship and Adam Driver but.....alas. She's not even the worst of the reylo fanfic authors turned professional. Others are openly racist.

[@kittykat5090]

@@lauraburnham7461 YIKES

[@kenna163]

@@lauraburnham7461 You're incredibly pathetic and petty. New York Times bestseller Laura.

[@alexinator-hh5fe]

I see the word fanfic and my mind instantly retreats into a dark, dark, place. Fanfic is either the finest of quality or some of the wildest stuff you'll ever read. There is literally no middle ground.

[@withcindy]

we love the range

[@kittykat5090]

there's also the grey space of mediocrity/poor writing

[@angiewinchester3384]

There's also the 'cool story, clearly written by a 13 year old'.

[@aanchalsaxena1135]

Literally read this one fanfic about a ship but one of them is a siren and it was called Lullaby of the Drowned AND Y'ALL I JUST LOST MY FUCKING MIND IT WAS SO GOOD WITH A TITLE LIKE THAT YOU EXPECT EXCELLENCE AND LIKE YOU GET IT OMFG

[@eleonora1]

@@aanchalsaxena1135 she-ra :)

[@jasminebell148]

cindy will never beat the “hates the romance genre” allegations with these rants😭

[@withcindy]

But I still rated the book 4 stars 😭😭

[@Rosenrot0eme]

Women who prefer dating people the same height or shorter are seriously underrepresented in the romance genre (it's me I'm women)

[@Rueescorner]

Ahimè Carlotta hai tutto il nostro supporto!!!

[@FaithTheFallen]

Mood. I'm nearly 6ft, I'm good with a short king, let me have representation that isn't automatically "step on me" in the subtext.

[@katsasden]

Yeeessss!! I'm 5'10 and I want a h who can look the H in the eyes! Who says you can only be feminine if you're petite🙄

[@cat_pb]

same girl... I don't get the hype about tall dudes

[@mellowyellow5865]

I’m novels always have women dating someone the same height or shorter. It’s a little magic called gay :)

[@selectedshipper8282]

“You’ll wonder, are they lesbians or are the witches?” Plot twist: They’re both

[@withcindy]

excellent

[@catestuff]

I laughed so hard when she said "are they lesbians or are they witches?" I was like, are those the only two options for women in that book????

[@bonniea8189]

Yeah I was like, can't they be both?

[@blackgirlmagicc]

So….these witches won’t burn?

[@ladyofways]

@@withcindy that should be a shirt

[@murraymanitos]

I think one of the reasons I like Howl’s Moving Castle so much is actually because of the downplayed romance. It’s definitely entertaining to read a story with romantic twists, butterflies, pining, etc. But sometimes it’s nice to have a more low key romance that just kind of happens. I think that’s how a lot of romances bloom in real life, and I found it refreshing that Sophie and Howl go through all this stuff together and then realize, “Hey, I think I actually love you. Huh.” Again, maybe not the most exciting romance, but something about it just makes me happy. Especially in comparison to Howl’s very shallow relationships that he’d had up until then, which I felt showed the dramatic love story trope gone wrong.

[@withcindy]

aww i totally get what you mean!!!

[@RandomShenaniganery]

Yep although I like romance in media sometimes it can get all over your face so reading the relationship between howl and sophie develop was really nice. and also I love slice of life magic shenanigans so that helped.

[@KitAE0]

You explained how I feel about romance books perfectly. Reading full-on romance, there's almost a detached feeling I get because the whole story revolves around something that I can't feel devoted to the whole time and it feels forced or can become stale. Any other genre with the addition of a small romance is where its at, because I can take a breather from it, whether I'm into it or not 👌

[@sin3358]

Sameeee!!! If you want more of their romance, Dianne wrote a few other books which feature howl and Sophie in there. I forgot the names but I know in one of them, Sophie literally is pregnant

[@nailinthefashion]

I think of love stories like fires. Some are like fireworks, you can see them coming, they're carefully crafted, until they explode into a beautiful show. Some are like campfires, where the embers can sting as much as the heart of it. The build up is slow and maybe not as meticulous as others but it gets the job done keeping you warm. There are all these different ways to fall in love. It can even be as convenient as a lighter-- you don't realize how much you use it, how much you need it, til one day you're halfway through the fuel and accompanying cigs. It's so refreshing to get a cozy lil sweater of a story every once in a while

[@kitsuneliteraria9847]

*Cindy remembering the moments that made her sigh:* all cute moments *Me remembering the moments that made me sigh (as a PhD student):* when Adam says that the main girl can take any reagents she needs from his lab. Man, I need a love like that

[@withcindy]

damn....

[@hellotoday4136]

the most emotional point in the book for me was when main girl failed her Western Blotting, which I read hours after I had just failed my Western Blotting :')

[@kitsuneliteraria9847]

@@hellotoday4136 reading a book suddenly felt like real life. That's not what I sign up for

[@fayla8127]

cindy: unrealistic, cringe, embarrassing 🤢 i still liked it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@withcindy]

exactly

[@dekxu6673]

that's the joy of books, if you're not looking to get an author award the story/writing and be as strange as it can get as long as it's entertaining enough people gobble it up

[@audreyfresquez7605]

I’M CRYING WHY DID SHE EMAIL HIM LIKE “this isn’t you🥺”

[@withcindy]

FORREAL I WAS SO GODDAMN EMBARRASSED

[@emma7933]

I feel like drama that is compelling when the character you are writing is the leader of an evil space empire is sometimes less so when you make him a college professor.

[@ArteoftheMist]

"Cary yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man." This line, this is the confidence I need to live by.

[@tevaiteacerco969]

Thank you, this will be my new motto now

[@booktales1687]

Could you imagine if they turn The Love Hypotheses into a movie and cast Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley lmao

[@withcindy]

my friend and i were talking about that the other day! but they prob could not afford those actors lol

[@helsy1122]

The money I would pay to see that........... god........

[@damatically]

Not impossible since there is a r18 naruto fancomic that became an actual drama cd that is voiced by the actual voice actors from the anime (its sasunaru)

[@hms21793]

Howl’s Moving Castle is one of my absolute favorite books. Howl being a loser is kind of what made it for me. And when he rugby tackles the witch of the waste? My favorite part. Also the weed killer!!!!

[@withcindy]

its so funny how he's just a loser from Wales LOL

[@rileylovebucket6080]

Foreal tho I love the characterizations so much more in the book, they're both so rediculous but somehow still loveable, which is really hard thing to achieve as a writer. I absolutely love the artistry of the movie, but I felt both Sophie and howl suffered the same personality scrub that a lot of characters get when they're adapted to film (i.e Hermione, Tyrion, etc).

[@jazzy8834]

Omg yes !! The whole scene where they visit Howl's sister in Wales and she just exposes him haha

[@Meimoons]

Howl being a drama queen and diva/coward go me laughing when I read it!

[@redgoldcrown3990]

​@@withcindy he's such a loser in the book and honestly it just makes my day, especially cause Sophie is still girlboss and decides this is the one she wants anyway lol.

[@cathybrokeit12]

Sophie's personality coming out when she was old i feel like touched on where it's like, when she was old she was free from society's expectations for women to try to be attractive or try to be quiet, docile, wifey, good daughter vibes.

[@withcindy]

very true!!

[@laurenlebouvier9838]

thank god someone else feels the same about the love hypothesis - everyone loves this book but the second hand embarrassment I felt while reading this book made me want to crawl into a hole and never return to society

[@withcindy]

the things that book made us go thru.....

[@hopekeeley2122]

That’s fanfic for ya, I avoid aus for the most part

[@EliteNormie]

@Mr Jaeger lmao idiot? come on

[@GorloftheMonth]

instead of strictly reading about trauma and suffering, Cindy upgraded to wanting to read about messy and juicy situations

[@withcindy]

i have the range

[@laurenm354]

the title of this video alone was a roller coaster of emotions

[@withcindy]

Indeed it was

[@jeremyyadid2482]

I want to see cindy review Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

[@angiewinchester3384]

@@jeremyyadid2482 I haven't read that book yet but it has poly in it so I'm sure I'm gonna love it anyway. I hope Cindy loves it too.

[@poorunfortunatesoul8610]

@@jeremyyadid2482 yes,I want to read it as well,the plot sounds awesome

[@graciesaunders7418]

I didn't know the love hypothesis was a reylo fanfic until after I started reading it and because of that the whole picnic scene where adam was shirtless all I could think about was that one scene in the last jedi where kylo ren isn't wearing a shirt and has those high waisted pants on

[@withcindy]

NOOOOOOOOO

[@idknamesarehard7119]

I don’t know why, but that scene made me believe that Adam Driver was unattractive for a very long time. Then I saw him in a Breitling watch ad while at IAH airport and was very confused why I suddenly found him hot. Since then, Ive learned that he’s only a turn-off for me in Star Wars movies specifically.

[@agirlnamedbrett.]

@@idknamesarehard7119 see im the opposite! I find Adam Driver only attractive as Kylo Ren, I think haha

[@jljl7531]

didnt watch but know it from the memes-- the ben swolo part?

[@cdavis3054]

@@agirlnamedbrett. you should watch Lucky Logan and This is Where I Leave You. Just suggestions. I also did like him in House of Gucci.

[@beequeen2556]

If I had a nickel for every time I saw a publish romance novel that was just a reylo fanfic in disguise, I would have 2 nickles. Not a lot, but it’s weird it’s happened twice.

[@withcindy]

Valid point

[@YukiCorporation]

What's the second? Black moon rising? (Jenny Nicholson's video reigns ✨🙌🏻)

[@SEH221]

You're gonna have more nickels soon! 😊

[@irenetyler5773]

What's the second??? For research purposes...

[@tuanhnguyen1113]

Are you Jack Edwards in disguise :))?

[@samkathryn4825]

14:05 This sounds like the best friend actually has a crush on the main character and is living vicariously through the professor/telling the main girl to do to her “boyfriend” what the friend wishes she’d do to her.

[@withcindy]

Lol if only!!

[@booktales1687]

The sapphic twist we deserved

[@dahabow8250]

Howls moving castle was so funny- I didn't expect Howl to be so dramatic and whiny but I absolutely loved it 😂 I had to just see the movie and the book as two separate stories due to the vast changes in character and plot

[@withcindy]

i liked book howl more than movie howl TBH

[@sanjanapadhi]

@@withcindy absolutely I hated the movie 😂

[@emmazig]

@@withcindy He’s just so much more interesting! And a rugby lad! And is “cone sold stober,” I assure you.

[@ButterflyScarlet]

@@withcindy I feel like they're two different people like I can't even compare them. Movie Howl is like the most dramatic flamboyant GNC bitch. Book Howl is a desperate whiny dumbass. The only thing they have in common is that they are both himbos. Just absolutely no brain cells. No thoughts, head empty, just love for Sophie.

[@RachelAnnPotter]

Howl is a lil man baby

[@may734]

At first I thought Anh already knew Olive was fake dating Adam, so she was pushing the PDA on them. But turned out, she didn’t know, which was very weird. It probably would’ve been less weird if she already knew and did all that. Lol

[@withcindy]

EXACTLY WTF WAS WRONG WITH HER LOL

[@shakirashipslied9721]

@@withcindy I think she really does have that voyeurism kink.

[@LoReeCm1]

Anh was really annoying for that, didnt like her

[@bachelorette1524]

i haven't read the book but i also have friends like this who always cheer on you to kiss or hug or whatever. idk why

[@MrSteelBubbles]

It was so frustrating to read that. Even if Anh didn't know that Olive was demi, there are plenty of people who are uncomfortable with PDA especially in a professional setting.

[@clariceandrade2255]

Oh god, I also cringed all those moments for "The Love Hypothesis". Like siting on the professors lap in a conference??? shirtless in a university social event??? Kissing in front of everybody just because he helped someone in the parking lot (as if it was her duty as his gf)?? made no sense to me! and in the reviews I watched no one seemed to mention this. Thanks for the video! I feel do validated!! hahah

[@withcindy]

its not just u!! i was so embarrassed

[@jadesmith417]

I knew the Love Hypothesis was a Reylo fanfic just from the cover, and I only watched the first movie in the newest trilogy. The white woman with the floppy bun - Rey. The white man with long black hair and unique nose - Kylo. She has an Asian friend (Rose), a Black gay friend (Finn) who falls for a sexy Latine professor (Poe). In the acknowledgements, the author specifically thanks her friends from the Reylo fandom. I had to look this up - THE LOVE INTEREST'S NAME IS ADAM! Love Hypothesis is like a really good AU fanfic. I personally don’t care for Reylo, yet I enjoyed this book. You can see the inspiration on its sleeve, but it’s transformed into something enjoyable. I think I read so much romance, some of the weird things went over my head. The friend constantly prompting her to be romantic with the love interest multiple times was like the characters in Dear Evan Hansen constantly prompting him to sing. When she got mad at Adam over that guy harassing her I was annoyed, but I think they wanted to show how her lack of experience causes her to make obvious mistakes. Olive was hinted to be demisexual based on her explanation of her feelings. I was sad they didn’t use the word, but maybe Olive herself doesn’t know the term. I liked their connection, they had lots of good moments.

[@withcindy]

i dont care for reylo either but enjoyed the book as well!

[@dkreviews6840]

lmaoooo i did NOT think about finn and poe while reading it. XD i'm so dense!

[@cornflakes-does-stuff]

I was just wondering about who was who in this au, thanks for summarizing! :))

[@lovegood141]

From my time in the reylo fandom, I think it’s usually because they like to have Rey and Ben just be attracted to each other

[@thanysthoughts]

The author apparently confirmed on tiktok that Olive was demisexual.

[@bernicekok6100]

“Are they lesbians or are they witches?” is such a mood loooool

[@withcindy]

A valid question

[@lesbiangoddess290]

Witches are never straight tho

[@THIS.IS.MY.OLD.ACCOUNT-1]

the only good answer is both...

[@lilaboxx]

Why did I read that in the "is he gay or European" tune?

[@lunam828]

For Halloween, I always wanted to be a witch, now I know why ✌🏼✌🏼

[@illmakeitiguess8615]

The way you ranted about the love hypothesis for nearly 15 minutes 💀🤣

[@withcindy]

i still had a LOT more to say too

[@Monochrome_11]

How long till the Harry Styles gynecologist fanfic get turned into a book

[@withcindy]

the what fanfic.

[@tevaiteacerco969]

THE WHAT?

[@ButterflyScarlet]

Hey OP, what the fuck? Why would you put that out into the world?

[@simpingfor2d98]

Please, tell me this is a joke

[@armadilaur]

i could've went on with my life without knowing that this exists 🚶‍♀️

[@bubblypikachastache]

as a grad student in stem I loved the love hypothesis and the representation of women in stem and grad school but why did the author have to include olive wearing knee-high socks when they were getting it on it made me have to close the book and put it down for a while it felts so middle school lmao

[@withcindy]

HAHAHA U KNOW IT'S DEF A THING SHE'S INTO

[@MortMe0430]

Ya know, if I worked in a lab long hours, I'd probably wear knee high socks too: my compression pain relief socks 'cause I'm a prematurely old fart, and for warmth cause I figure those labs would be kept on the cooler side lol. But those aren't as sexy!

[@heyhorinshi]

@@MortMe0430 think again there’s lots of them out there

[@muskaan3711]

Sapphic witches and dark academia sounds like the greatest combo ever!!

[@alastormedial]

sounds like an anime that starts strong, lots of promise but then uh oh, goes off the rails with a much delayed final episode that doesn't really resolve anything, but a minority of the audience thinks is pretty neat. Then it gets an OVA recut many years later that gets rid of all the subtext but has way cooler animation so ends up being more popular.

[@withcindy]

check it out then if that sounds up ur alley!

[@seaweed5269]

@@alastormedial please share the title friend. Right now the description sounds like Evangelion.

[@alastormedial]

@@seaweed5269 lol I was being general, it happens a lot! Think I was mostly mixing up the gay subtext from Puella Magi Madoka Magica with the production derailment of Evangelion. This year's Wonder Egg Priority had a decent helping of both!

[@seaweed5269]

@@alastormedial Yeah, I was getting WEP vibes from the 'delayed final episode', but the OVA with better animation really threw me off Man. You really made me giddy thinking there was a gothic lesbian anime I have somehow missed!

[@alianar.d.8724]

I look forward to her book wrapups every month istg

[@withcindy]

I'm glad!!

[@carolcorreia1245]

me too!

[@katherinedelafuente6030]

i just finished 'Love Hypothesis' and when adam revealed that he's had feelings for olive since they first met i was disgusted by the realization that this PROFESSOR had a thing for an UNDERGRAD. the level of misconduct in this book was insane as it was but this final reveal was probably the most problematic to me.

[@LexMeRep]

Cindy: "Are they lesbians or are the witches?" me: LESBIAN WITCHES!

[@withcindy]

yes

[@beckthter]

Wesbians

[@sophiamccarthy8776]

Roommates?

[@catestuff]

I laughed so hard when she said "are they lesbians or are they witches?" I was like, are those the only two options for women in that book????

[@xXCheshirexXxCatXx]

The book sounds a lot like the song Holy by Zolita

[@faq5011]

I really liked "The Love Hypothesis" but Olive made me MAD sometimes, I know she has some abandonment issues but sometimes I wish I could tell her to stop being so dumb 😭😭

[@withcindy]

SHE WAS SO EMBARRASSING

[@nerdy_swiftie8214]

Cindy hating on a book (that she gave 4 ⭐️) for 10 minutes straight 😂😂😂

[@withcindy]

my usual style!

[@moonie907]

you’re so brave for making this video cindy

[@withcindy]

Someone has to do it

[@cstar3880]

me watching this fully aware that ill never read any of these books

[@withcindy]

love that 4 u

[@yumitokoyo6727]

The way i cackled when you mentioned the size difference, its literally everywhere on ao3 😭😭🤣🤣

[@withcindy]

but to see it so BLATANT in a book... i mean live ur dreams i guess!!

[@Progress234]

Where to read a03?

[@halinahetman6407]

Can you imagine gender swap on The Love Hypothesis? Student kissing his professor, mansplaining how to do her job, and putting her on his lap in the class - this won't have a single chance to be published, but if a woman doing it, it's suddenly okay.

[@sophiedi.2413]

I mean, there were no other seats left and he wasn't her professor or had any power over her work + she is not 18-20 years old ...But it still most definitely is weird.

[@sophiedi.2413]

But I get the point, cliché gender roles are very often used in books like this. Tall man, older, muscles ...., ...higher position,

[@valerieosborne5285]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought the set-up for The Love Hypothesis and their unprofessionalism were ridiculous. The romance was cute but those forced PDA moments were super distracting bc they just weren't realistic at all. The constant reminders of how big Adam was also a little weird...I noticed that in The Hating Game too, idk why romance writers are so obsessed with their male protags being HUGE. I love Howl's Moving Castle though! I get that maybe it's not very exciting, but it just has a certain charm to it that I don't find too often in other books. As good as the movie is, it makes me sad to see how much it overshadows the book. I've heard a lot of people say they prefer the movie, but I love the book a little more. It's refreshing to see a male lead who is just quirky and ridiculous and I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Sophie and Howl grow. I actually read the book before watching the movie and was pretty disappointed by the movie on my first watch bc of how much was changed. The book and the movie def feel like their own separate entities.

[@withcindy]

i think i prefer the book a little more too, because the characters had so much more personality and quirkiness!!

[@AlexanderBrando]

Howl saying “cone sold stober” makes me laugh every time.

[@mollylawrence1178]

YAS LMAOOO

[@RachelAnnPotter]

What a lie that was

[@kianaalagha3988]

"It's kinda gay, it's kinda dangerous-" Yeah no, that's Cindy's entire channel right there.

[@danielle7988]

tbh

[@withcindy]

i---

[@JessCsBooks]

I actually work in a science department like in The Love Hypothesis, and was afraid I would be weirded out by the book, but I ended up adoring it. I think I was able to really suspend a lot of my disbelief and just enjoy it as a fun Reylo fantasy (I used to like Reylo, but now I just like Oscar Isaac (aka Poe Dameron)). Some of the digs, though, at STEM in higher ed had me going 👀 oop

[@withcindy]

That's awesome! Glad u enjoyed it :)

[@dylancotrioa8659]

So glad I wasn't the only one who thought that the reason olive and Adam started fake dating wasn't some 10th grade school yard bs.

[@withcindy]

RIGHT? LOL

[@kikiatrandom4754]

Adam saw the chance and ran with it lol.

[@dylancotrioa8659]

@@kikiatrandom4754 he too desperate for the coochie 🤧

[@sophiethewillow9518]

Howls moving castle is a top book for me, because everytime I reread it, It just becomes better. The romance between Sophie and Howl was underlined, but really was adorable. Their chemistry was in another planet. I would say disconnecting it from the movie makes it better as everything about the world, and characterisations is different.

[@withcindy]

im glad you love it so much!!

[@RachelAnnPotter]

The fanfic "A Woman Fair and True" is great (though not finished and likely won't be). Its HMC from Howl's pov up to the man-baby cold.

[@dreadrex6264]

Howl’s Moving Castle is one of my favorites books. I love fantasy books, but many of them are very heavy and serious. This one on the other hand had great sense of humor and was very fairy-tale like. And i LOVE Sophie and Howl dynamics. Howl is the best himbo ever, period. I'm so happy by favorite booktuber is talking about it

[@withcindy]

yes i prefer lighter fantasy too!

[@Monkeyzforever]

okay but the reveal that Howl is just a rugby lad from Wales absolutely SENT me and is the reason why I love the book so much x'D

[@withcindy]

he's just a loser normie!!

[@lockmonster05]

My mom wouldn't let me be a student at her school because she was afraid that her students would bully me if she gave them bad scores. So I could totally see people, even grad students, giving a professor's girlfriend a hard time in a social setting. Especially if she was also their peer. Not to mention the other professors would definitely side eye the guy for dating a student, even if she wasn't in his department. Cold shoulder for sure.

[@TheOwlQueen]

Howl's Moving Castle is one of my favorite books of all time. My copy is falling apart. Honestly, the book and the movie have totally different plots anyway. Dianna wynne Jones also didn't expect readers to love Howl so much. She was really like why the fuck do yall want to marry this dude, he sucks?

[@withcindy]

my friend also loves the book and his copy is falling apart too from rereading it every year!

[@DarwinRoger893]

That's really funny because she has said that some of Howl's actions are inspired by her husband. She's literally in love with him.

[@AshlieLevi]

I honestly couldn’t stop thinking about hottie Howl is just Howl Jenkins from Wales in the book

[@lizzzz2709]

Cindy: talking about how Adam from TLH was described as being "as tall as Mount Everest" Me: "I guess the main character wants to climb a certain Mount Everest then..."

[@courtneytrying]

I am an avid romance reader, but reading The Love Hypothesis had me stretching the boundaries of how I can suspend my disbelief. Spoilers ahead! I used to be a professor, and I was elated to see a STEM academia romance because the last one I read was horrible. I foolishly thought TLH was about a student-student or prof-prof romance, and I was all for those rare pairings. When it was hinted at the start that Adam is a professor, I was thinking, “oh cool maybe, they will start their romance when she’s a professor”. When the kiss happened during her PhD, I lowered my expectations and instead hoped they belonged in different departments/colleges. When I learned that they are in the same department, I had to take a pause from the book because of how icky I feel towards the pairing. I had to constantly rant and take long breaks from the book during their PDA scenes. Like you, I thought that the whole PDA thing was stupid. The whole Anh problem was solvable if one of the main characters simply mentions that they want their relationship to be more private. I did not understand what Anh was up to in the whole PDA timeline. I thought that maybe she had a hunch that Adam and Olive was only pretending to date, but wasn’t the rational thought process to tell Olive that she can stop the charade? As for Adam’s problem, they just need to be seen together. If I was the department chair, and saw my otherwise starchy faculty member doing that full PDA shtick with a student, I will become extra suspicious that something was up. It may not surprise you that the quote I relate to the most in this book was when Malcolm says, “You two can be so smart and yet so slow”. That was what I felt towards the majority of the characters in the book. After those painful PDA episodes, their romance became quite more palatable. I only had to stop and cringe a few times when my brain forgets to filter the fact that this a professor and student pairing. The banter wasn’t smooth, but nicely done. Now, to the Tom plot. I liked this plot because it is realistic and common in STEM fields where there are predominantly male researchers in high positions. I read on Reddit that this was added when the fanfic was turned into a book, and I’m glad it was included afterwards. I felt so angry for Olive here, and it reminded me of all the famous researchers that frequently gets away with this behavior. Most of their victims are removed from their labs, too, it’s very depressing and the STEM community has a long way to go to weed out creeps like Tom. I have two opinions that haven’t been mentioned in TLH discussions, at least to the best of my knowledge: 1) I found the reveal that Adam was ‘pining for Olive the whole time’ to be creepy and not at all endearing. I don’t think it was an instalove on his part (Olive is a stereotypical grad student after all), but he does develop feelings for her while she was a student, and boy, this felt sooo uncomfortable. I don’t think it even added to the romance a lot, it was just casually dropped towards the end. I would have liked it better if they replaced the PDA episodes to focus on developing their feelings. 2) All the things I liked in this book (him moving to Boston to be with her, them talking about their research frustrations, him helping out with her oral presentation, Adam being verbally and mentally abused by his adviser and Tom) would still work even if this is a professor-professor romance. Where I am from, there are many new professors who struggle to juggle teaching and research life (source: me), and especially when their PhD adviser is not present to help acclimatize them to their new role. Adam’s incredible research trajectory could be something the female main character aspires to have, and envy at the same time. I still have many thoughts on this book, but thank you for sharing your frustrations so I can share mine. This book has a big following, and I am too much of a coward to share my opinions anywhere else. I am so excited to hear about your opinion on The Song of Achilles!

[@withcindy]

I wanted to take time to more thoughtfully respond to this comment since you took the time to write it! Totally agree about the icky factor with them being a professor and student, while also being in the same department. It’s just too damn close! I feel like what would have been an interesting conflict would be the conflicts of interest, but instead the book opted for a different route (with Olive being harassed by the other professor). I guess it would’ve been much harder to resolve the first one and having to choose between your career VS love. And yes, And was a total weirdo. I did not understand her voyeurism deal at all LOL. Adam’s reasoning for agreeing to fake date was also a reach but not as much as Olive’s. But yeah you’re right, wouldn’t Adam look even MORE sus if he were doing full PDA with a student?? Wouldn’t that actually jeopardize him more? I generally LIKE when the male character has been pining for the girl all this time, but you’re right it is creepy with the context of how Olive was WAY younger back then lol. Agreed that the book would be better if the PDA was replaced with actual buildup of a relationship. Tbh the book would still work as a professor-professor OR a student-student romance but my theory is the author probably likes the dynamic of professor-student and decided to go with that. Anyway just wanted to say all your opinions are super valid and thanks for sharing :)

[@yuu_rei]

Omg one time this thing happened in one of my undergrad uni classes where the girl sat on his bf's lap (even though there were seats) and the prof legit called them out and asked them to leave. the second hand embarrassment was real and absolutely MORTIFYING. No self-respecting academician would EVER do that, and definitely not a PHD student. pls how is this book real 😭

[@Amish-Kapoor]

I think Howl's moving castle is a book you need to read several times to really understand it andpick up all of the foreshadowing she puts everywhere! Also Howl is hot, but in a Timothy Chamalet model type of way "angular face" is what I believe he is described as.

[@withcindy]

NOOO DO NOT COMPARE HIM TO TIMOTHEE

[@maurinet2291]

Now I HAVE to see Timothee as Howl! Someday.

[@elihewsonsgf]

@@withcindy i haven’t read howl before so, is comparing him to timothée a good thing or bad thing? because i literally love timothée and now i’m curious 🤔

[@mycatisnamedlucifer1389]

@@elihewsonsgf Cindy hates Timothee 👀

[@elihewsonsgf]

@@mycatisnamedlucifer1389 oh ! 😨💔

[@potatotomato0606]

omg, i too read love hypothesis as just a random book not knowing it was originally fanfiction until this moment... omggg no WONDER i liked it so much HAHAHA. it definitely had its cringey parts (i had to fast forward through the sunscreen part of the audiobook bc it was TOO much lol) but i personally like the trope of the guy obvi being in love first and the girl just being oblivious, so i was willing to let those parts go lol. i also love things set in higher ed contexts, relatively so rare but there are so many interesting situations and dynamics in higher ed that really don't exist anywhere else!!!

[@withcindy]

yes i also love that trope!!

[@mckaelaautumn]

As a graduate student, the love hypothesis sounds like my worst nightmare. But I get procrastinating on your dissertation

[@courtneytrying]

The part where Olive crams a lot of work in an unreasonable amount of hours is giving me flashbacks.

[@ainalove3492]

Listening to Cindy talk about books is my therapy! Just to let you know Cindy that your videos are really comforting and I have such a nice time watching them, so thank you so much!!

[@withcindy]

im so glad theyre a source of comfort for u! :)

[@moustik31]

It's her amazing voice and the jokes!

[@scarletleader5420]

Cindy will really give a description that makes a book sound amazing and then be like "anyway, 3 stars, could've been better" and then spend an entire review ranting about another book only to end like "anyway, 4 stars"

[@withcindy]

thats what i was thinking too while editing lol

[@Azoria_J]

omg Diana Wynn Jones i love her books and series so much! She is so magical and her story so interesting and comforting 💜😻 I

[@withcindy]

she has very charming writing!

[@FreyaEinde]

I kinda hope Cindy and the crew read the Chrestomanci books, even though she kinda hates magic books for kids I still think her take would be funny on them.

[@Azoria_J]

@@FreyaEinde omg chrestomanci series is my life! I've read so many times. I truly believe people should read more magical books for the kids, cause there are a lot of comfort, kindness and wisdom

[@FreyaEinde]

@@Azoria_J I agree with you completely. There’s a lotta surprising insight in kids books and I just like basically all the characters in the Chrestomanci books, even the baddies are worthwhile.

[@AnthonyUly]

Not the sausage fingers 😭

[@withcindy]

theyre so thicc 😭

[@Sky_h]

I couldn’t believe this notification when I saw it! Howl’s Moving Castle is one of my favourite movies and the book is probably my favourite book. I’m glad you liked it 💕 Howl is so dramatic and Sophie is, well, just Sophie. At first glance, they seem like complete opposites but it seems to work lol. I also really love the writing ^^

[@withcindy]

they are so cute together! wish there was more romance in the book

[@tamakikawaii]

To think that The love hypothesis started off as fanfiction, the author must be very happy

[@withcindy]

good for her!!

[@queerlibtardhippie9357]

Anybody who gets fanfic published should be seen as modern gods

[@PichuElric]

@@queerlibtardhippie9357 It's actually more concerning that fanfic are getting published and picked up by publishers more than regular original work

[@dkz_bolly]

Cindy, love seeing that you've got healthier, u look bulked up omg we love a healthy qween!

[@withcindy]

thank u i did not do anything LOL!

[@zoeb3573]

The forced PDA... fake dating couples are always forced to kiss by their friends/families in books/movies... That never happens in real life!! No one wants to see that!! (You're actually not the first to say that the Howl's Moving Castle movie is from Howl's point of view, while the book is from Sophie's pov)

[@withcindy]

i hate it so much!!

[@misssteak1290]

I always skip every book/movie/shows where its premise is about "fake-dating to impress people". Like girl, you live in a fancy penthouse and make 6 figures a month. Who cares if you're single

[@koboldcatgirl]

​@@misssteak1290I did really like the fake dating story about the bi girl trying to prove she's bi to her shitty friend by going out with a girl. Someone's and Someone's Guide to Fake Dating, it's been a bit.

[@zoed130]

The 'big guy' trope seems to be popular. The Spanish Love Deception is another one where the writer goes on and on about how big the guy is like he's a redwood tree or something. People love that book but I found it so cringe and couldn't finish it. 😬

[@Ehreads]

Love Hypothesis was so ridiculous and I still ate that shit up. And even tho there was only a single smut scene the author definitely made it worth it lmao

[@withcindy]

truuuuuu

[@autumnoconnor9641]

Ok I just finished the Love Hypothesis and (⚠️slight spoiler warning⚠️) Anh made me so uncomfortable. Olive had clearly stated in the book that she wasn’t comfortable with sexual stuff until she really knew a person. Then here comes Anh like “oh you guys are dating so you clearly need to show PDA” Like what???

[@withcindy]

Good points! Maybe she assumed that Olive would feel comfortable because If she was dating Adam presumably she feels comfortable enough with him to do so? It's still weird in general though to encourage PDA lol

[@apophis7712]

Miyazaki gets mentioned Me: We talking about BLOODBORNE???

[@samuelline9573]

Appealing to Cindy in 3 steps: Make it gay Make it spooky Make sure it isn't The Midnight Library.

[@withcindy]

yes

[@ioanalungu1463]

I'm so glad Howl Moving Castle is in this! It's verry underated. I also like how the books shows that true confidence is being an old woman 🧓🤣

[@withcindy]

YES it makes me look forward to being an old woman

[@Jamhands9]

Thank you for the Love Hypothesis review! I felt the same. I was like why is she sitting on his lap at a lecture? What kind of school did the author go to that this is okay?

[@withcindy]

dakldjsakldajskl i was MORTIFIED

[@timeisacon4805]

I’m so glad you read Howl’s moving castle, it’s one of my favorite books. It is slower and because of that it may not be for everyone, but I find it so relaxing. It gets better every time I reread it. It honestly feels like coming home. Would totally suggest giving it a reread if you’re ever thinking about it again. I missed so many small but game changing details the first time I read it.

[@withcindy]

aww im glad u love it so much :)

[@mariannesophie154]

As a grad student in chemistry that book gave me the ick. Did I read the bonus chapter tho? Yes 😌✌️

[@withcindy]

there was a bonus chapter?? :0

[@V4ness4_5]

@@withcindy the author posted the link on her tiktok page

[@BudderChezMC]

YAAAS no one ever talks about the Howl's Moving Castle book!!! Howl is a FOOL in the books 😂 and Sophie and Howl's relationship in the books is soooo much more dynamic and hilarious in the books than it is in the movie hahaha 😂

[@withcindy]

YES i enjoyed their dynamic more than in the movie cuz it was more ridic and fun

[@warishakhan9339]

Can we appreciate how Cindy takes her time to heart all the comments?

[@withcindy]

I try!!

[@catherineyan1697]

the way i SCREAMED when i saw that you read howl's moving castle!! diana wynne jones is my favourite author of all time and it makes me so happy that you read one of her books. if you ever read more that'd be awesome bc she has so many good books out there. i didn't like castle in the sky as much, but i think house of many ways is a good sequel to howl's moving castle.

[@withcindy]

her writing is very charming! :3

[@salenaangela]

I’m cryingggg at your review of The Love Hypothesis 😂😂😂 ‘he’s literally described as engulfing her like he’s the fucking ocean’ 😂😂😂😂

[@jazzy8834]

Omg I loved reading the Howl Moving Castle's book ! I was a huge fan of the book trilogy as a kid after watching the movie and liked it much better mostly because the story felt more cohesive in my opinion (even though I love the Miyazaki's version, the animation is amazing and I feel like the characters shined a lot ! Btw The whole red hair scene stays iconic) Again, love your videos Cindy !

[@withcindy]

howl was so charming in the book in a very different way from the movie! LOL

[@carlosdespa9008]

It's a TRILOGY??? I did not know that omg

[@jazzy8834]

@@withcindy yes totally ! In the book he is way more chaotic haha

[@jazzy8834]

@@carlosdespa9008 it is ! The following two books dont have Howl and Sophie as the main characters, but they do play a role on the story.You should give it a try, Diana Wayne Jones has a really nice way of creating charming characters :)

[@carlosdespa9008]

I will look them up, tbh I only knew about the book because of the movie... so it never crossed my mind that it was actually a trilogy :o

[@ems1201]

I've been WAITING for your The Love Hypothesis review I am So Hyped

[@withcindy]

hope u enjoyyyy

[@scipio764]

I have watched the "Howl's Moving Castle" at least 8 times, and despite having never learned Japanese, could sing "Promise of the World" fluently. Never have I known that there was a novel.

[@withcindy]

go check out the novel since u like the movie!

[@mademoiselleluz3631]

It's a serie. I think there's 3, or maybe 4 books in it.

[@maurinet2291]

@@mademoiselleluz3631 Three. None are as good as Howl.

[@beckywl]

i love the transition from love hypothesis into when breath becomes air - gave me whiplash 10/10

[@withcindy]

I have the range

[@vallary336]

not me smiling so hard after getting a notification of a new Cindy video 😌🤚

[@withcindy]

Awwwww 💕

[@Freethefrican]

Thank God someone finally voiced all my feelings about The Love Hypothesis. 😂😂

[@withcindy]

i enjoyed it but man i had to put up with a lot..... LOL

[@LuckyVillainess]

Only understood sophie's mood when I reached my twenties.

[@withcindy]

same

[@mirrorball_12]

Cindy's reactions give me LIFE. I just can't with how giddy it makes me feel. ❤️

[@withcindy]

im glad u enjoy them :3

[@apophis7712]

I saw Reylo fanfic in the title and immediately thought about that Black Moon Rising book read by Jenny Nicholson, lol

[@withcindy]

have not read that!

[@aesrdutfgklnu]

every reader will eventually have a tear stained copy of Song of Achilles on their shelf i'm praying for you Cindy

[@fridalozano7795]

It’s the: “fact that I’d rather watch Cindy rant about books that I’ll probably never read over actually paying attention in class and trying to actually get good/decent grades” for me. 😅

[@Dinaloon]

The Song of Achilles is one of my favorite books I can't wait to hear your thoughts on it! Good or bad it doesn't matter I also like when you roast books I like, makes me laugh XD

[@withcindy]

wheeeeee lets goooo

[@_thepleathersfine_]

I write in the hopes that one day Cindy will find my book if it gets published and absolutely roast the sh*t out of it🤙✨

[@withcindy]

i see ur a masochist

[@heyaitsmexoxo]

damn cindy, feels like i haven’t seen you rant in passion about romance books in ages, loved to see it~ 😏😌

[@withcindy]

it's what i'm here for

[@chloeherl1414]

My favorite thing about Howl’s Moving Castle was how all these small things throughout the book I didn’t think much of all came together in the end. It’s one of my top 5 favorite books!

[@Emy-fh1zn]

Something I noticed in the love hypothesis is that apart from the book being highly unrealistic due to obvious reasons, there’s no way she’d be allowed to wear shorts in a lab, you can’t have any skin exposed

[@MrRorosuri]

howl is so dramatic . i love him 🤣🤣. Thanks miyazaki for hunk ing him up

[@withcindy]

we love a dramatic hunk

[@liacaburian2092]

I think you should read Castle in the air & the house of many ways. While sophie and howl arent the main characters in those 2 books but howl as a background character is still up to his antics and he seems more ridiculous

[@withcindy]

ive heard those are not as good :(

[@NancyDrew56]

@@withcindy I personally really enjoyed both as individual stories! Howl and Sophie do appear in both but it's not at all about them at all

[@maurinet2291]

@@withcindy I didn't think they were either. Both stories had different issues for me.

[@handkerchiefghost14]

If you're looking for more... ahem research material 😏 perhaps consider A Clash of Steel. Found family and a sweet, asian sapphic slowburn

[@withcindy]

thanks for the rec!

[@kat-vp8qu]

when i read the lap sitting scene in the love hypothesis i literally had to put the book down multiple times to take breaths from cringe (but honestly i’m a sucker for romance either way)

[@possumcoffee]

Hiya! Love your videos. Just wanted to say I was soooo excited to see you talk about Howl's Moving Castle. It actually came out in 1986 and I read it when I was in 4th grade before the movie was out/over here. I will say 1) you are totally right about it but 2) That's just how fantasy was for children in the early 80's and 90's, super low-key slice of life affairs with the last 50 pages being super dramatic. We have came a looooooong way, which is a really really good thing! Also omg yes, Howl is such a whiny manbaby. Anyway thanks for letting me relive the days of my youth, hope the context helps, and have a good day!

[@withcindy]

That makes sense!! ♥️♥️

[@Guaca.m011y]

Not being a kiss ass when I say that you’re absolutely my favourite KZbinr, always no bullshit and always honest 💙 always love your monthly book wrap up and helps settle the anxiety a bit :)

[@withcindy]

thanks so much!! im so glad it helps settle the anxiety even if its a little bit :)

[@Guaca.m011y]

@@withcindy thank you so much for replying 💙 appreciate all you do and I hope you know that you’re an amazing person :) - love from Australia 🇦🇺

[@gigi-2204]

Literally finished The Love Hypothesis an hour ago and I agree with you 100% 💀

[@withcindy]

did u like it!!

[@gigi-2204]

@@withcindy meh... I’m giving it 3.75 stars 🤣 It was quite predictable and the MC took ages to realise very obvious things (such as she had recorded the whole Tom thing) but I still ate it up because I’m a romance hoe