swsa really summed up the thing I dislike the most about the Bittersweets series. It feels like Buffy gets punished over and over again, that she has to always suffer horrible tragedies, and that on some level she deserves it because she's cold and incapable of love. Spike, on the other hand, is practically saintly in his devotion to her. That's not the way I see the characters at all. And I absolutely agree about the humor. Spike and Buffy are *funny*. That's one of the things that makes Spike a more appealing partner for Buffy than Angel ever was. Disregarding that means disregarding one of the most appealing things about the characters.

That said, I did like the Bittersweets stories up to a point, before the babies and the missing leg and before it became clear that Buffy would always be cast in the role of coldhearted bitch. I didn't read the last one at all, but I have been skimming this latest time travel story, because I like the premise. And of course, Herself is a talented writer and her skill draws me into the story. My favorite story of hers is the one set post-Chosen, "Disenchantment".