Also, it's always disappointing when, every time a male friendship becomes less important because a het romance pops up, the female character in it is less developed. Broster can definitely write good, interesting female characters, so I'm always disappointed when I see one that's only a plot device! (We really need more Raymondes and Valentines!)

Totally—poorly developed female characters in annoying het romances are just double the frustration :P I'd really like to see some good female characters with no love interest at all—fingers crossed for the later books...

Well, you're certainly not alone in your pettiness! —seriously, I'm glad to know someone else had the same reaction to this sort of thing—and, oof, I can't say that's an aspect of the later trilogy books that I'm looking forward to :(

And yay for fic writing... it sounds like a good way to cleanse your palate, ha!

I'm trying how many different ways I can come up with to explain in a fic why canon is so wrong here. Right now I'm doing the thoughtfully optimistic take, then when I've read GitN I'll do the tragic-but-affirming take, then I will get over myself and go on happily ignoring the question entirely.

Hehe, it wouldn't be a proper Broster story otherwise! ;)

:D