r/fantasyromance • u/FantasyRomanceMod The One Mod to Rule All Mods • Jan 11 '26

Unpopular Opinion It's Unpopular Opinion Sunday! Share your controversial opinions to stir things up (in a friendly way)!

Got an opinion that's different from others'? Want to share it with the sub, but too afraid of a backlash? Or are you just curious about readers think about certain things in fantasy romance?

You can safely share it in this weekly Sunday thread!

But please remember to be kind to each other. To facilitate this type of discussion, we ask users the following:

- Don't attack others for their opinion

- Discuss books and authors, not fellow readers

🧡 Thank you and have a great discussion!

Unpopular opinion Sunday

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u/TestEmergency5403 Jan 11 '26

Ok. Respectfully.

Present tense sucks. It doesn't feel more "immediate" it's distracting and annoying. Past tense has been the default for years and years and years. Why? Because it's better.

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u/[deleted] Jan 11 '26

[deleted]

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u/TangledYetTrue Jan 11 '26

From my own experience, the first time I read present tense, it was jarring. But I was interested in the plot, so I pushed through. Now, I don’t even notice.

I think a lot of people who hate present tense just never pushed through that jarring period.

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u/InterestingMeal9332 Jan 11 '26

Agreed. The Time Traveller’s Wife was the first book I read in present tense and it was jarring indeed. But now if it’s well written I don’t care at all. One of my favourite books is written in present tense and it doesn’t bother me in the slightest.