#100-150k

First up on my list of recommendations... (drum rolls would be appreciated) is Everyone’s a Critic by Englandwouldfall. I thought long and hard about what the first one should be, and this is what I came up with for you lovely folks (appreciate that I’m not busting out the 500,000 word angst fest for week one)

Summary: The one where uninspired chef Dean Winchester has a one night stand with the male (!) food critic who described the flavour of his garlic bread as 'closeted' and accidentally ends up dating him to try and prove that he's a kick ass chef, thank you very much.

(He may have a point about the 'closeted' thing).

Word Count: 109,418

I have read this one twice and it is so funny to me! Dean has a one night stand with Cas, and then realizes Cas was the food critic that gave him a bad review. Naturally, this leads to Dean making Cas a kickass omelet to show that he can cook, and one thing leads to another until Dean is dating someone who doesn’t even know he’s a chef. Miscommunication is in full effect here, as well as Dean being in the closet, so obviously don’t read it if that’s not your jam. BUT I am normally not a huge fan of miscommunication as a plot device, and I absolutely adored this story. It is hilarious, and you should totally give it a read and give some love to the author (as well as reading their other amazing fics!)

Bel Canto by bendingsignpost

pairing: johnlock, mentioned Irene/Kate

word count: 127,481

rating: teen and up

Author’s Description:

After years of waiting for wealthy patrons to faint, Dr John Watson discovers a far more interesting patient in the opera house basement. (AU through a Phantom of the Opera lens.)

My Notes: I’m not sure what my problem is, but I kept seeing this fic recced or in people’s bookmarks, and I kept not reading it.  I have no idea why.  Do I like Phantom of the Opera?  Mostly, yes, though let’s not talk about Andrew Lloyd Webber because that’s another topic.  Do I like the story of Phantom of the Opera? Yes.  Do I like Johnlock? No, I don’t.  I LIVE Johnlock.  (no, that’s not supposed to be love, though that would be true, too; I meant it in like the “johnlock is my religion” sense.)  Do I fucking love everything that bendingsignpost ever writes? YES.  YES.  YES.  Do I love and constantly search for fics over 100K that are well written, absorbing, and in character? GOD YES.  Do I fucking love AUs, especially those in different time periods?  YES.

SO WHY THE FUCK DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ THIS?!

I don’t KNOW.  It’s SO GOOD.  Mrs. Hudson is amazing.  Sherlock is AMAZING.  SO FUCKING AMAZING.  Irene Adler is excellent.  Moriarty is fucking GREAT.  and JOHN IS GREAT.  AND JOHN AND SHERLOCK ARE GREAT GOD I LOVE THIS SO MUCH I CAN’T STOP CAPS LOCKING.

ahem.  Seriously, this is so well-written, and so in character.  Like all of bendingsignpost’s works, the attention to detail is wonderful.  The universe is built so smoothly and easily that it’s easy to forget this isn’t John and Sherlock’s usual time period or profession.  All of the characters are so richly crafted, and there’s a constant sense of urgency as you read this - maybe not urgency, per se, but something like it - because as a reader, you’ll start to fill in the dots on identities and mysteries, and you are both dying for everyone to find out the truth but dying for it not to happen because it seems like shit will hit the fan.  And it does.  but it’s fucking GREAT.

I love this fic so, so much.  Seriously.  If you are an idiot like me and have been avoiding this fic for any reason (was I afraid of the commitment??  IDK, but I was clearly an idiot), please go read it.  And if, miraculously, this is your first time coming across this lovely gem, please go read it.  And if you’ve read it before, well, please go read it again. :)

Although he decided to quit working as a con-artist, Edward Cullen somehow finds himself at the airport - about to board a plane to his next target. His bad mood is getting even worse as an infuriating, yet astonishingly beautiful young lady, starts nagging him about the number of carry ons he intends to check in. When said lady is also put in the seat right behind him on the plane, and turns out to be his partner in crime, Edward is sure that the gods have conspired against him... After their arrival in Austin, Texas, Edward and Bella, as the infuriating lady is called (though Edward calls her anything but) meet their employer Marcus Volturi and are briefed about their new target: Marcus wants former Homeland Security officer Jasper Whitlock to work for him, yet the latter declines any kind of offer. Bella and Edward are send to Whitlock's neighborhood where they pose as the Masens, a slightly weird yet happily married couple, while trying to find incriminating information. Too bad that they can't stand each other in real life! If you are familiar with the writing style of FictionFreak95 you know that this story is going to be hot and it's going to be very funny. Reading about Edward and Bella's little fights and banters is hilarious to say the least. The two seem to hate each other's guts but deep within, oh yeah, there is a lot of love and passion! Definitely as must-read!

Meet the Masens consists of 24 chapters and a total of 148,978 words. The story is rated MA for foul language, violence, graphic description of sexual activities. If you're under the age of 18, I'll advise you not to read the fanfiction.

When Bella Swan notices that her beloved old truck is gone, she sees red. Hastily grabbing the cell phone of her best friend Rose, Bella calls her own phone that she left in her car and is both surprised and angry when someone actually answers. A young, cocky and somewhat charming young man is waiting on the other end of the line and assures her that the car jacking was simply an accident. He promises to bring the car back and really, just three minutes later Bella's red Chevy stands right in front of her.

And although Bella must admit that her trucknapper is astoundlingly handsome and looks like he just jumped out of a Vanity Fair photoshoot, she forces herself to hate each and everything about him. It's too bad that Bella is forced to spend more time with him than expected as her charming trucknapper turns out to be Edward, older cousin of Jasper and in town for the the latter's upcoming wedding with Alice. Damn karma...

This fanfiction is close to perfect. The writing is interesting, the characters extremely funny, and the plot almost angst free. Anyone familiar with the Gilmore Girls? Well forget about Lorelai's wit and Rory's charm - here come Edward and Bella, who are both too smart for their own good and are always in for a prank or two. It's a shame that Mk Marie decided to stop writing fanfiction - a real waste of talent!!

The Tales of a Charmin TruckNapper consists of 34 chapters and a total of 114,368 words. The fanfiction is rated T and thus suitable for all teens who are at least 13 years of age. The sequel to the story, TruckNapper and DB Hit the Windy City, has never been finished.

Edward enjoys exactly two things in his life: freedom and women. Being a manwhore extraordinaire Edward is far from being interested in settling down; so when one of his former flings shows up at his doorstep and hands him over a newborn, Edward is lost for words. The little bundle in his arms is his daugter Sofia - and from now on Edward's responsibility.

Needless to say, Edward has a problem. Not only does he lack any kind of experience with children, but he also doesn't know how to incorporate Sofia in his busy work schedule. As a doctor, he often has to stay longer than anticipated and is often called in in the middle of the night.

Thank God for Bella Swan! The shy neighbor from next door offers Edward her help and expertise. As a kindergarten teacher Bella knows how to handle small children and it doesn't complicate things when she and Sofia also take an instant liking to each other. And it doesn't take long until Bella manages to capture Edward's heart as well!

Fatherhood, Formula, and Other F-Words is an incredibly sweet story. Without virtually any kind of drama or angst, the reader can just lay back and enjoy seeing Edward with his newborn daughter (whom he calls "Little One" - too cute!). The dialogue is very well written and the characters nicely developed. Taking into consideration that anhanninen actually prefers the pairing of Esme/Carlisle she does an amazing job in portraying the wonderful relationship of Edward and Bella. If you're looking for a story that makes you swoon and sigh happily, go ahead and read!

When young and aspiring chef Bella Swan realizes that she is more than unhappy with her current life in New York she decides that it's time for some changes. She moves to Napa Valley and opens her own first class restaurant, Confidential. Along with the help of her sous-chef Alice and sommelier Rosalie, Bella works hard and tries to make a name for herself. When she meets cold and reclusive winery owner Edward Cullen, however, she is more than distracted.

Edward seems to absolutely hate Bella. He hardly ever speaks to her, looks at her with coldness in his eyes, and is convinced she only wants to be part of the new who-is-who in Napa Valley. Though Bella is hurt by Edward's words (and immensely angry) she can't keep him out of her head. Every night she is haunted by dreams of green eyes and a bronze mop of hair. Too bad, that Bella has a boyfriend waiting at home and Edward is seen with a new supermodel like woman at his side almost every day...

Whenever I stumble upon a story in which Bella is a chef I'm both intrigued and skeptical at the same time. So far, I have found only a few good fanfics that portray the life of a first class chef convincingly. In Confidential Bella and Edward are both experts in their respective fields and that is shown throughout the whole story. Whether Edward shows Bella around his wine cellar or Bella prepares a dinner for the Cullen family everything seems authentic without being too much. Additionally, Edward's character is very mysterious. It is obvious that Bella is on his mind, yet he seems to avoid her at the same time. Only step by step wandb reveals Edward's past and the reasons for his unusual and cold behavior. It's an amazing story that I read in two sittings because I just couldn't put it away!

After Bella graduated from university she is looking for a job as an English teacher. Because she always despised the rainy and dull climate of her home state Washington, she decides to move to some place warmer. Sooner said than done, Bella finds herself in Parma, Florida and gets a job at the local high school. On the first day in the sunshine state, she meets Edward, one handsome specimen of a man. Bella later finds out that Edward is one of her colleagues at Parma and teaches English as well. The two hit it off soon and get closer and closer to each other. Yet, when Bella thinks they are going to go third base, Edward makes a rather shocking confession: he will live celibately until he meets the woman he's going to marry. Huh. Wonder why? Read the story!

It is always great to have an author who let's his/her own experiences at work be part of his/her story. Lady Gwynedd is a teacher herself and lives in Florida. Thus, she really knows what she's talking about, which makes this story so authentic. To top it of, Parma High is very funny, especially because of little Poncho and Bella's stoned mom. It's a joy to read!

Parma High consists of 33 chapters and a total of 126,373 words. All characters are human. The story is rated T and thus suitable for teens over 13 years of age.

Bella and Edward know each other since high school. While Bella developed some kind of crush on her best friend, Edward didn't seem to feel the same. After a night of too much partying, the two sleep with each other and Bella gets pregnant. Nine months later, Mackenzie Carlie Cullen is born and has been keeping her parents busy ever since.

Though Edward and Bella are not romantically involved they live together for the sake of their daughter. Bella has been harboring deep feelings for the father of her child, but is convinced that Edward doesn't feel the same. And because of Edward's job as a freelance photographer (which forces him to travel more than spending time at home), she knows that any kind of bonding would be immensely difficult, if not close to impossible...

Family of Perfection is nicely written and very emotional. The characters are spot on - especially the interactions between Edward, Bella, and their daughter are sweet and adorable. You just can't help but desperately wish that the three can finally manage to become a real family!

Family of Perfection consists of  45 chapter and a total of 114,387 words. All characters are human. The story is rated M for mature content.