Reviews for Please Pretend
Erimia chapter 12 . 5/25/2019
This fic has an intriguing premise but overall is dissapointing. The writing is really not great, which stands out even more in comparison with your own fics, and the plot ended up being weird and unappealing.

With the role reversal, it looks at first like the author wanted to explore both pairings in detail, but there is a strong feeling that Raoul is just some idiot that should have minded his own business and who keeps clutching to the past for no reason whatsoever, it's not that his girlfriend was forced into marriage with a murderer or something. Speaking of the marriage thing, it's handled really strangely in this fanfic. Is it me or does everyone treat this marriage as if Christine willingly chose Erik? But it seems it wasn't like this at the beginning? It looks more like a forced marriage, which was illegal even then, why nobody had alerted the police, even Christine could since she wasn't locked under the opera house like in most fics featuring forced marriage. And I doubt that Raoul would have let her return to Erik from that hotel room when she clearly didn't want to. If the author wanted to make a parallel to BAMS, it would have worked better if she promised to escape with him and then left him and returned to Erik when he was sleeping. Raoul becoming his LND self after such events is realistic, but this also wasn't explored here enough for my taste. Here, his role is basically being an unlucky love rival, which is not different from his usual role in fics, except here in these circumstances it's even less realistic than usual. (Also Christine keeps loosing Gustave while distracted with having sex with either of men, not a flattering picture at all.)

This fic was so frustrating. This premise could have been explored so much better.
Guest chapter 1 . 9/23/2018
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Violonaire chapter 11 . 1/19/2017
Je recopie ici le preview que j'ai donné à la version française. Mais je crois que tu le mérite aussi.

J'ai enfin fini de lire ton histoire, via Ingenlode Wordsmith.

Bien que ton français - couch, cough* je ne suis VRAIMENT pas mieux - m'ait un peu dissuadé de lire la version française - J'ai ADORÉ, avec un grand A, ton histoire.

Et c'est ma favorite à date sur ce site.

Sérieux, je préfère ta version à celle de Andrew Lloyd Webber. C'est peu dire! Je la trouve plus réaliste, plus crédible. Je reconnais là mon bon vieux Érik : ce personnage si abîmé de la vie qu'il en est devenu un manipulateur fini, prêt à tourmenter psychologiquement ceux qu'il aime... Dans Love Never Dies, je ne reconnaissais plus trop Christine. Raoul était crédible, même dans ma propre histoire, Raoul est un peu pareil... mais j'avais subitement de la difficulté à reconnaître Christine et le Phantom. J'avais de la misère à croire à leur subite histoire d'amour et à la conception de Gustave. Ici, tu rend ça tellemnt mais tellement plus plausible! Tout en conservant le caractère d'Érik. Peu de gens ici renouent avec le côté psychologiquement abusif et meurtrier du Fantôme. J'apprécie vraiment. Vraiment, là, bravissimo! À chaque fois que je vais écouter Love Never Dies, je vais songer à ton histoire!
Violonaire chapter 12 . 1/19/2017
Oh my god. I just... LOVE this story. The ending give me shivers. Thank you so much for translating that
Violonaire chapter 6 . 1/18/2017
My god. I'm devouring this story. So far, i even like it more than the original. The twisted side of the Phantom is there and i find it a bit more credible! Can't wait to finish it!
Violonaire chapter 2 . 1/18/2017
So far, I've read the original and I like a lot how you've translated this story. It's fluid and well written!
nerdyninjaunicorn chapter 12 . 8/29/2015
I'm surprised this doesn't have more reviews. I am glad you posted this in English, it was a highly original read, and even though I've seen Love Never Dies, I had no idea what was going to happen at any point.
emeraldphan chapter 12 . 8/26/2014
Even though Christine has probably survived (as far as we can tell anyway) it still feels very bittersweet, which is probably due to the relatively sudden ending. I realise that was out of your hands but there is still a darkness about that ending and Erik's farewell to Raoul - after all, it's not a farewell to an old friend but to an old rival.
The difference with this story is that Erik did not start out lonely and dreaming of Christine in his Aerie; he already had Christine and now he still has her, with no threat from Raoul any more, so he is in a far better position than his stage persona. In fact he is even more fortunate than poor Raoul was in the original, although going home without your wife and stepson is not a particularly happy ending either...
Thanks for all your translating work on this great story. I have really enjoyed reading it.
Not A Ghost3 chapter 12 . 8/26/2014
I hope Christine will be all right, and I was really hoping that it wasn't Raoul who got shot! But it is what it is I guess...

Erik's little thank you at the end was sweet and a little sarcastic all at the same time. Ha ha.

I loved it!
Toriana chapter 8 . 8/5/2014
Considering that the way ALW wrote Raoul ten years after I'm absolutely convinced that he is both physically and mentally abusive, good riddance, I say.
Toriana chapter 7 . 8/4/2014
Yep! The first time I saw LND, that was my question, too. What the neck does/did she see in him that was worth pursuing?
Elphaba'sGirl chapter 11 . 6/10/2014
Mmmm... Will you update this? It's so wonderful, and Oz, I don't even know who lives and who dies!

Please update!
emeraldphan chapter 11 . 6/4/2014
This is exciting stuff! And it looks like Christine is one of those bodies that has slumped to the ground. I was really hoping she would live. She is actually more sympathetic in this chapter - she is realising that she is older and less brave than she used to be and she is trying to grasp the enormity of what her actions have caused.
An interesting look at that fatal scene on the pier, with Raoul playing a more pro-active role than in the original.
Not A Ghost3 chapter 11 . 6/3/2014
Oh my gosh! Who was it?!
Dunadan Ranger chapter 10 . 3/23/2014
Wow, I totally thought that it was Erik who'd taken Gustave. So glad it wasn't! Unless there's another evil plot twist... Anyway, love the story and the writing, no complaints. Keep up the good work!
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