by

Book Review – When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn

Our Hero

Name and Rank: Michael Stirling, the Earl of Kilmartin

Age:

Backstory: Michael was the older of the Stirling cousins, but because his father was a few minutes younger than John’s father, John was the one with the title, the estate, and most of the money. Not that Michael cared about any of that. There was only one thing that John had that Michael coveted. His wife, Francesca. For Michael, meeting Francesca was love at first sight. Unfortunately, he met her the day before her wedding to his beloved cousin – the one man on the planet Michael would never fight for her.

Michael buried his feelings, never letting either of the Kilmartins know how it hurt to be around them. He became genuine friends with Francesca. Which, rather than lessening his romantic feelings, intensified them as he fell more and more in love with her as a person. To deal with wanting the one woman he could never have but was constantly forced into close proximity with, he did a lot of sleeping around. Becoming known as the Merry Rake, with a list of conquests a mile long, and a rather interesting moral code about those conquests. But, it was all a front. Because he would close his eyes and pretend they were his cousin’s wife.

Our Heroine

Name: Francesca Sterling nee Bridgerton

Age:

Backstory: Francesca is the sixth of the Bridgerton siblings and the third girl. She was always the quietest of the group, and kept more to herself than most of the others. She quickly fell in love with John Sterling, the young Earl of Kilmartin, during her very first season. And had the quietest courtship and wedding of all of her siblings.

But, her quiet, simple life was to be fairly short-lived. John died of what we would now know to be an aneurysm merely two years into their marriage. The only child she had managed to conceive in that time was miscarried a few weeks later.

The Set-up and Premise

John Sterling has been dead for several years. In that time, Francesca has been the one managing the estate for Michael, while Michael was off in India. Whatever most people thought he was doing by abandoning his duties, a big part of it was actually avoiding Francesca. Because she was still off limits, but he no longer had John there as a buffer and reminder that she was off limits. Michael finally decides that it is time to become the Earl in more than name right as Francesca decides she wants children – and realizes that there is only one way she is going to get them. They both return to London, each unaware that that the other was going to be there. Forced into close proximity with the one woman he has always wanted, but could never have, Michael is also forced to consider the fact that she is no longer off limits. If she is looking for a husband, there is no reason why that husband should not be him.

My Ratings and Review

The Love Story

There is something about this one that just hits you. There is a rawness to it. On the surface, it seems to be a sex-fueled romp. And, indeed, Michael does basically seduce Francesca into marrying him. But, that is merely a surface assessment. Looking deeper, it becomes absolutely beautiful. Francesca, like Anthony before her, doesn’t intend to marry for love. Not out of not having a desire for love, or out of fear, like his was. But, rather out of the fact that she has been in love, before. She doesn’t see how she can ever feel that way for any man who isn’t John. In fact, when she first decides to remarry, she is dreading her marital bed, as well. The idea of letting another man touch her is not in the slightest bit appealing. Which makes her relationship with Michael that much harder for her to properly wrap her head around.

Meanwhile, Michael has already taken his cousin’s title, estate, and most of his money – and now he wants his wife, too. Reconciling his feelings for Francesca with the love he still feels for his cousin is not always easy for him. And yet, the reality is that John is one of the reasons why Francesca could never have been with anybody but Michael. Because he was the one man on the planet who would never begrudge the part of her heart that would always belong to John. After all, he had loved him, too. He could understand that in a way that nobody else could. And the whole thing was just stunning.

And, the moment when Frannie realizes she’s in love with Michael… dear Gods! It hurts her to admit it, and yet, she can’t help it.

The Hero

Michael Stirling is sex on legs. One of the funniest scenes in the book is Michael walking into a ball and every woman in the room basically losing their minds. This includes Francesca’s sisters-in-law Sophie and KATE (which, if you’ve read my review of The Viscount Who Loved Me, you know how in love with and devoted to her husband she is). Even Francesca’s mother gets a little goofy around this man. It’s hilarious.

But, there’s more to him than that. He is the man who pined after the one woman he couldn’t have for years. And yet, even after her husband died, he never said a word. He left her to mourn in peace, and didn’t make a move until she had made it clear that she was ready to try to move on. And even then, it took our favorite matchmaking troll saying that he should just marry Francesca to get him to do anything about his feelings for her. He was always completely respectful of her, her love for John, her grief, even her reluctance to let anyone else into her heart. He let her set the pace for their relationship, even as he tried to seduce her into marrying him. Even after she agreed to marry him, he resigned himself to her never loving him the way he loved her. But, he was willing to take what she could give him and accept it. I just loved him.

The Heroine

Francesca is hurting, in ways few people of her time could understand. Love matches were still somewhat rare, so her grief is perhaps a bit of an oddity. She is raw, and she is real. Her angst as she deals with everything is just beautiful. From the pain of deciding to remarry in order to have children, to the denial of her feelings for Michael. The way she is still coming to terms with her loss, after six years. You just want to wrap her in bubble wrap and protect her from the world, because she has been through so much, and is trying to be so strong.

The Secondary Characters

Helen and Janet Stirling are Michael’s and John’s mothers, respectively. And they are a riot. One of my favorite lines is spoken by Helen. The mothers are making Michael go to Violet Bridgerton’s birthday party (AKA the ball where all the ladies present kind of lose their minds), and he is complaining about not getting a reprieve. Helen pipes up with “You did in fact. Last week. We called it malaria.” The dude almost DIED and his mother is now joking about it. With the exception of the scenes at the beginning when John died, any scene with any of the “meddling mothers” is comic gold. I love them.

No Bridgerton book is complete without Colin. Preferably in matchmaking troll mode. And this one doesn’t disappoint, there. I don’t remember much of what he does, except announce his engagement to Penelope and tell Michael that HE should just marry Francesca. But, as usual, Colin is amazing at seeing who everybody but himself should be with. I swear, him and Lady Danbury (more on her when I get to the review for It’s In His Kiss, which is next) should start a matchmaking service. They’d have the entire ton married off in a week.

Kate, Sophie, Eloise, and Violet Bridgerton. The women in Francesca’s family are only in one scene. But, they spend that entire scene swooning over Michael, and it’s hilarious. Let me reiterate. Violet is a widow who is LITERALLY old enough to be this man’s mother. But, even she gets all giggly when he pays attention to her. Kate and Sophie are both quite happily married, thank you very much. But, apparently this does not mean that they can’t look. And Eloise is just… Eloise. She’s not actually interested in Michael, but that is kind of besides the point, it seems. One scene, but it was a good one.

The Story And Writing

This story was just beautiful. The pacing was good. You definitely understood how and why they fell in love with each other – even as they tried so hard not to. And, it was interesting to mostly get away from the balls and parties. My only nitpick is that the sex scenes seemed a bit more gratuitous than the ones in The Viscount Who Loved Me. I’ve seen it described as raunchy. And, while I wouldn’t go quite that far, I would have preferred those scenes to be more tender and less… purely sexual, for want of a better explanation.

Final analysis

Michael is totally swoonworthy. Francesca is relatable. There is a good amount of angst, which I love. And the way they fight their feelings for each other out of respect for John, but just can’t help themselves is amazing. It’s hard not to root for these two to let themselves be happy with each other. Add in fun side characters and an interesting setting change, and I’m all in. Definitely recommend this one.

4.5 out of 5 stars. Docked half a star because I prefer my sex scenes to be more romantic than these were. But, overall, a damn good book.

Please follow and like us:
by

Book Review: To Sir Phillip With Love by Julia Quinn

Our Hero

Name and rank: Sir Phillip Crane, a Baronet

Age: 30

Backstory: Phillip was a second son who expected to have to make his own way in the world. He went to school and studied Botany and plants are still his first love. When his brother died, Phillip suddenly inherited everything: the title, the estate… and in a way his fiancee. Phillip’s first wife had been engaged to George. When George died, Phillip stepped up and married her for… reasons. We never really get that explained to us. But, Marina had her own issues. Namely, depression that she had had to some extent even as a child. Losing George probably made it worse. And then she and Phillip had children. Twins, in fact. And while it’s never explicitly said, this seemed to have added postpartum depression to the mix. And, since mental health care was not a thing in the 19th century, this condition was left untreated. Which eventually led to her suicide.

While their marriage was not a love match, and rather simply him taking care of the woman his brother had loved, her death still hit Phillip hard. Not at all helped by him being left with two young children to raise by himself. Though, to be fair, he was pretty much raising them by himself, anyway. Marina’s depression resulted in her very rarely leaving her bed. She saw her children only when they went to her.

Further complicating Phillip’s situation is the fact that he was badly abused by his father for his entire childhood. Out of fear of turning into his father and being abusive as well, he mostly stayed away from his own children. Which resulted in them turning into quite the little beasts in an attempt to gain some attention, but he was so emotionally damaged and afraid of hurting them, that he couldn’t see that his way of protecting them was hurting them.

Our Heroine

Name and rank: Eloise Bridgerton. The fifth child and second daughter of a Viscount. Though, by the time our story starts she is now the sister of a Viscount.

Age: 28

Backstory: Eloise’s father died from anaphylactic shock as a result of an allergic reaction to a bee sting when she was just a child. She was actually with him, at the time. Though, that particular trauma doesn’t seem to affect her much, anymore. Certainly not the way their father’s death affected her eldest brother. Though, perhaps that is a testament to Anthony’s willingness to step up and take care of everyone, that none of the others seem to be having issues later on.

Eloise is definitely getting to spinster age, though that is not out of lack of options. She has turned down several proposals in her time on the marriage mart. Though, it is hard to tell exactly what she is looking for. She had eventually accepted spinsterhood, and had nebulous plans for her and her best friend Penelope Featherington to just be spinsters and then old maids together. But, then, Penelope married Eloise’s brother, leaving Eloise once again adrift without a plan for her life.

The Set-up And Premise

Eloise was a distant cousin of Marina’s, and when Marina died, Eloise wrote to Phillip, expressing her sympathies. Somehow, they became pen pals. They spent about a year writing to each other, and Phillip would often send pressed flowers with his letters. Eloise was possibly just looking for a friend. It’s established that she is a devoted correspondent, often writing letters to everyone she knows – even people who live in the same house as her. Phillip, though, was looking for something a bit more. Or at least towards the end he was. He was looking for a wife. Not necessarily for himself, though. He was looking for a stepmother for his children. He wrote to Eloise suggesting that she come visit and they could see if they suit. He would, of course, arrange for a proper chaperone in the form of his aunt.

Eloise never replied to Phillip’s letter. But, Penelope’s marriage left her out of sorts and with a future that no longer looked at all clear. So, one night, she uses a ball that her older sister throws as a way to basically run away from home, and goes to Sir Phillip with little more than the clothes on her back – and no warning that she was coming so he could make arrangements for his aunt to be there.

My Ratings And Review

The Love Story

Okay, here’s the thing. Eloise and Phillip are both interesting characters. I liked them both for their own sakes, as you will see in a minute. But, the truth is, that I never really bought them as a couple. Phillip’s romantic gesture at the end is sweet, and very romantic, but it seems to come out of nowhere. I never really got a sense of them falling in love with each other. They just suddenly were. If anything, Eloise seemed to love the twins more than her husband. And Phillip seemed more interested in a glorified governess than a wife. The romance felt a bit forced, to be honest.

The Hero

I actually liked Phillip. His trauma and his way of dealing with it were believable. I’ve read complaints that he was too whiny and standoffish, but honestly, considering what he had been through, I don’t exactly blame him. He was troubled, and conflicted. He loved his children, but didn’t know what to do with them. He was a man who was trying so hard, but had absolutely no clue what he was doing and just made things worse. I like a good tortured hero in a romance novel. And Phillip was certainly tortured, and reacted to that in ways that honestly made sense for the character.

The Heroine

I also really liked Eloise. She had her own issues, and things going on. She was well-developed. Smart, sassy, and took absolutely no nonsense. The whole premise started with her taking charge of her own life in a way that most women of her station in that time and place would never have dreamed of. And, throughout the entire book, Eloise did not shy away from going after what she wanted. She has spunk. And the way she dealt with Oliver and Amanda was so perfect. There is only one point where she bent to anybody else’s will. And that was when big brother Anthony informed her that unless she feared Phillip being abusive, she was going to have to marry him after basically living with him for a few weeks. Which, that was just how things were back then. And, there was still Hyacinth to consider. A scandal would affect her, too. And, headstrong and independent as she may be, Eloise is still a Bridgerton. Family still comes first.

The Secondary Characters

This is where the book really shines, honestly. There aren’t a lot of secondary characters, since this mostly takes place in Phillip’s estate in the country, far from the social Season of London. But, the secondary characters that are there pretty much steal the show.

Oliver and Amanda Crane are Phillip’s twin children. They are… little beasts, honestly. A good chunk of the book is spent telling of the pranks they play on Eloise, attempting to scare her off. But, I adored those little brats. They were so funny, and honestly, considering everything they had been through, I just wanted to hug them. I loved reading about them, and how they came to love Eloise. Actually, their love for her was more believable than their father’s love for her. By the end of the book you could see how these children just adored her, and it was really sweet.

And then we have the Bridgerton brothers. All four of them descend on Phillip’s home to rescue Eloise, and it’s both heartwarming and hilarious. In their scenes, we get the humor that this series is known for. Everything about them is solid gold. From threatening Phillip – complete with pinning him to the wall – to discussing a certain barmaids… umm… attributes… they are utterly hilarious. And then we get the conversation between Anthony and Eloise, where he has to put away the big brother hat and put on the surrogate father one. Their scene was just so sweet. His love for her, and need to see her taken care of and save her from scandal is so beautiful.

The Story And Writing

I enjoyed the story. Just, maybe not so much as a romance. As mentioned earlier, I just never really felt them fall in love. There didn’t seem to be a proper progression of it, at all. It was well-written, humorous in places, the family dynamics that the Bridgerton books excel at were spot on and interesting. It’s great as historical fiction, I just don’t know how I feel about it as historical romance.

Final Analysis

It’s a good book. The family scenes, whether that be the Bridgertons or the Cranes, are great. The problem is that a romance novel should make you swoon. It should make you fall in love. It should make you root for the main couple. And this one did none of those things. I adored Eloise and Phillip separately. I just didn’t care for them as a couple. Which is, unfortunately, a kiss of death for a romance novel.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

Please follow and like us:
by

Book Review – The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn

Our Hero

Name and rank: Lord Anthony Bridgerton – The titular Viscount

Age: 29

Backstory: Anthony was not quite 19 when his father died unexpectedly of anaphylactic shock as a result of an allergic reaction to a bee sting. This left young Anthony to take up Edmund’s responsibilities. He became the Viscount Bridgerton, and had a seat at Parliament. And became suddenly in charge of a rather extensive estate, with not just the family’s personal servants depending on him, but tenants and everything else that came with his title. But, perhaps the hardest for him to come to terms with was becoming the head of the family. A very large family, at that – his mother was pregnant with her eighth child.

Anthony idolized his father. And Edmund’s sudden death left him with some rather warped ideas. He never thought he could live up to his father, and certainly could never best him, in anything – not even years. So, by the time we meet him, he is rather convinced that he won’t live to see his 39th birthday. He knows that he needs to marry and provide an heir to the estate. But, after seeing what his father’s death did to his mother – combined with some slightly selfish ideas of what knowing that his time was to be cut short would do to him – he is determined not to have a love match. To that end, he sets his sights on 17 year old Edwina Sheffield. (Remember, this is Regency-era England. Her age, and their age difference, were not the problems back then that we would consider them now. That kind of age gap was fairly common.)

Our Heroine

Name and rank: Katharine “Kate” Sheffield (Sharma in the t.v. show). The daughter of a Baron’s second son.

Age: Turns 21 over the course of the story

Backstory: Kate is technically an orphan. Her mother died when she was three. She learns later on that she was there and saw it happen, and this is what has caused her debilitating fear of thunderstorms. Her father died when she was 16. But, she has her stepmother, Mary. Mary is far from the stereotypical “wicked stepmother”. She and Kate love each other very much, and they basically consider themselves mother and daughter. Their only concession to not being blood related is that Kate calls Mary by her given name. Mary married Kate’s father very soon after her mother’s death, because he didn’t know what to do with this little girl by himself and needed to give her a mother. They had a second daughter together – Edwina.

Edwina and Kate could not have been more different. Edwina is petite, delicate, soft-spoken (at least in company), and basically everything that most men of that period were looking for in a wife. Kate was tall, with features that could better be described as striking than delicate and “feminine”, and extremely opinionated. Due to their differences and the values of the time, Kate spent most of her life being overlooked in favor of her sister. Kate adores Edwina and has made it her mission in life to protect her, but she can’t help comparing herself unfavorably to her sister. She doesn’t really expect to marry.

The Set-up and Premise

Anthony and Kate meet at a ball, set up by Anthony’s matchmaking troll of a brother, Colin. Edwina has decreed that she cannot marry anyone her sister does not approve of. So, when Anthony decides he wants to marry Edwina, Colin informs him that he needs to meet her sister in order to gain that approval. It’s pretty much hate at first sight (honestly, before first sight – Kate had already formed an unfavorable opinion of him thanks to Lady Whistledown’s columns about him). Anthony makes an unfortunate blunder by telling Kate that she is “as lovely as your sister” – which was the one compliment Kate could never believe. And so begins a classic enemies to lovers romance. Kate and Anthony’s relationship is one of banter and barbs, interspersed with sweet moments. At no point do either of them seem to realize that for all Anthony claims to be courting Edwina, he’s really courting Kate. (Honestly, the first person to realize this seems to be Edwina, who becomes the biggest shipper on deck for these two idiots.)

My Ratings and Review

The Love Story

Okay, when rating and reviewing a romance novel, the biggest, most important thing is the love story, with the two main characters a close second. And this one is top notch. Kate and Anthony bring out the absolute best in each other. They grow together in a way that is absolutely beautiful to behold. They both have traumas in their pasts that make them genuinely think that love is not something that will ever happen for them. And, in Anthony’s case, isn’t even wanted. And then they meet someone who sees them for who they really are, and loves them. Not in spite of their faults, but because of them. Calling someone your soulmate, or the other half that makes you whole sounds like such a cliche. And yet, for these two that is exactly the feeling you get. That they were made for each other. Not just in the sense that this is a romance novel, and obviously the author created them to be together. But, that even in their universe, they were just… made for each other. There’s a line in a fanfic I read about them about all of Anthony’s holes and cracks were really just hand holds for Kate. And that is exactly the sense that you get of them. That they fill in each others’ holes and cracks and… make each other whole, to embrace the cliche. And the fact that the readers recognize this much sooner than they do makes it that much more delicious. I was really rooting for these two, even when I sometimes wanted to strangle them.

The Hero

Anthony is such a tortured soul. I found myself just wanting to hug him. But, he could also be such a bloody idiot, that I also wanted to strangle him. He could be cruel, there is no denying that. And arrogant. He was, after all, a product of his times. But, the thing is, he always felt remorse for his worst offenses, and apologized for them. I adored Anthony. He was a clueless idiot, who needlessly caused Kate pain. But, at the same time, he didn’t really know that he was hurting her. He grew throughout the story. Eventually becoming everything we knew he could be. He faced his trauma, and dealt with it and was a better man because of it.

The Heroine

Kate could be an idiot, too. She has a tendency towards forming snap judgements about people. Sometimes before even meeting them. She hated Anthony and dismissed him as a potential suitor for Edwina based on a gossip column, for instance. But, she really does love her sister, and just wants what’s best for her. To the point that when she realizes that she’s falling for Anthony, her reaction is to tell him that she’s withdrawing her objections to his courtship of Edwina. After all, she’s come to see that he’s a good man, who would make a good husband for some lucky woman. And since she has no reason to ever think she could possibly be that woman, why shouldn’t it be Edwina? And honestly, that pretty much sums her up. Selfless to the point of being a full-on martyr. Kate’s growth mostly consists of learning not to make such snap judgements, but more importantly to see her own worth. The first time Anthony calls her beautiful, she freaks out, thinking that he’s thinking of someone else while making love to her. Eventually, with Anthony’s help, she comes to see her own worth and believe that he, at least, truly does find her beautiful and perfect. Kate is funny, and believable. I really liked her.

The Secondary Characters

This book is very much focused on Kate and Anthony. There are no real subplots or side plots. That being said, some of the side characters were quite memorable.

Starting with Colin “you simply must meet her sister” Bridgerton, the matchmaking troll. Colin cracks me up. He is just that perfect annoying little brother that has you wondering if maybe fratricide should be legal. In addition to arranging Kate and Anthony’s initial meeting, he is involved in the Pall Mall game that is just comedy gold from start to finish. But, he just has this boyish charm that makes you love him – even while his older brother is standing there thinking that if fratricide isn’t legal it damn well should be.

Edwina seems like sunshine and rainbows. But, you definitely get a sense that this girl has a backbone of steel, and you probably don’t want to cross her. And she is completely devoted to Kate. She’s sweet, and she’s fun. And I honestly hope that her finding her own fairy tale romance is one of the subplots for season 2 of the show. Because I need more of her.

Newton Sheffield. Probably actually the third most important character in the book. Newton is Kate’s very overweight corgi. Newton steals absolutely every scene he is in and is a total delight.

Mary Sheffield is Kate’s stepmother. Though, neither of them ever really make that distinction, except sometimes while making introductions. She loves Kate like her own, and is just as determined to see her married well and happily as Edwina. And, honestly, that was refreshing to see. So many stories that give the heroine a stepmother go for the stereotype. Seeing the genuine love between all three Sheffield women was just so beautiful.

While most of the secondary characters weren’t really all that fleshed out, they did have their own personalities and mannerisms, and came to life on the page. And Kate’s and Anthony’s relationships with their families are almost as important as their relationship with each other. And, any time there is more than one Bridgerton in a scene, be prepared to laugh at their antics.

The Story And Writing

Okay, with how much I gushed about the love story, and Kate, Anthony, and the other characters, is it any surprise that I absolutely love this book? This book is the reason that I’m currently on a Historical Romance kick – and trying my hand at writing one, may the Gods save us all. But, this is where I have some nitpicks. Kate’s real trauma of spending her entire life feeling second-best, plain, and just… not marriage material is not given the attention it deserved. More time is spent dealing with her phobia. Which, does serve a purpose. One of the best, most iconic scenes in the book – the moment that Kate and Anthony truly bond and get close – is a direct result of that phobia. But, I think that there should have been more about her inferiority complex and self-esteem issues. They were dealt with a bit too easily.

The other thing that came too easily was Kate’s forgiveness. Anthony leaves her. And it takes only one heartfelt speech – give while she was either in excruciating pain or high on laudanum – for everything to be made right. While that speech was beautiful. I think it should have taken more than that to fix the mistakes he had made. The resolution was a bit rushed, in my opinion.

Final analysis

A truly epic love story. A hero worth swooning over. A relatable heroine. Interesting side characters. A few nitpicks about certain issues not being given the full focus they deserved. But, all in all, an amazing book. I read it twice in 2021, and will probably read it again right before season 2 of the show comes out. Highly recommended.

4.5 out of 5 stars. Docked half a star for the rushed resolution and not enough time spent letting Kate deal with her real trauma.

Please follow and like us:
by

Favorite scenes from One Tree Hill episode 1×01

Skills gives Lucas some tough love

There’s just something fun and cute about watching Lucas’s friends looking out for him. He needed that, I think. And Skills is just amazing here, pointing out that Luke is too good to “waste his time” at the rivercourt and deserves a chance to be something more.

Karen tells off Dan

I just love Karen in Mama Bear mode. To say nothing of her absolutely hilarious line about her “pleasant and cordial side” that Dan is seeing now. If this is Karen being pleasant and cordial to Dan, I can’t wait to see her truly pissed. You go, girl.

Lucas and Nathan’s one on one game

This game was incredible. And Lucas got to be a bit of a badass. Letting the basket Nathan got by elbowing him in the jaw stand, that amazing block (and Mouth’s announcement of that block), and just how he completely dominated the game after that. And then there’s Peyton. I had to laugh at the look of relief on her face when Lucas blocked what would have been the game winning shot. So much fun.

All in all, this was a solid start to the show. The relationships between the main characters were established well. And we got our first glimpse of Leyton in the making.

Please follow and like us:
by

Favorite scenes from The Originals episode 1×22

Klaus feels Hope kick

Klaus and Hayley are just adorable, here. I’ve said it before, but I just love watching them bonding and getting ready to be coparents. And that look of pure joy on Klaus’s face when he feels the baby move is priceless. It is so obvious that he already adores that child. Klaus as a father is seriously the most adorable thing ever.

Davina collecting Klaus’s blood

I’m going to have to come back and add this after I play with my video editor. (I have plans to add all of the scenes I currently don’t have, now that I have a way to make them, myself). But, between Davina being a bit of a badass, Josh being unintentionally hilarious, and just… their friendship, I love this scene. I love these two together. And this scene shows the best of both of them, so well.

Elijah finds Klaus and Hayley

This scene makes me cry. The obvious grief of both men. How downright defeated Elijah is. There are genuine tears in Klaus’s eyes. And the look on Elijah’s face when Klaus holds his wrist out. Like he doesn’t even comprehend what his brother is trying to do. My heart just breaks for them.

“Don’t make me choose”

Another one I have to come back for. But, poor Davina. It’s easy to forget, sometimes, that beneath that power, she’s a sixteen year old girl. I mean, my first scene of her this episode is her being a total badass. But, here she is, in tears, begging the man who has become like a father to her not to make her choose between him and her best friend. And I am crying, too.

And then it’s Marcel’s turn to be a badass. Getting ready to face down Klaus again, while sporting a werewolf bite of his own. But, determined to save his guys. This is why I love Marcel so much when he’s not being horrifically antagonistic to the Mikaelsons. He doesn’t just demand loyalty from his guys – he gives as good as he gets.

Marcel saves Hope

Not the best quality. I’ll be redoing the video portion of this. But, I love this scene so much. Marcel being every bit the badass he is, and using the weapon meant for Klaus to kill Monique and protect Hope. Monique may have only been 16, and so a kid herself, but Hope is just a baby – and, no matter how things may be between him and Klaus at any given moment, his sister. Those witches fucked with all the wrong people when they went after Hope. And then we get to Klaus finally meeting his daughter. Klaus as a father is a sight to behold. That look of wonder on his face, the love shining in his eyes. Baby girl already has Daddy wrapped quite tightly around that little finger of hers.

To say nothing of the beauty of the scene between Klaus and Marcel. Watching them mend the rift between them is amazing. And, I can’t help but laugh at Klaus asking for permission to hold his own child.

(One question, though. Where the heck did the onesie come from? Ain’t nobody had time to dress this child, even if they HAD a shirt available for her.)

Davina and Mikael

While I hate that she actually brought him back, and wonder what her reaction would have been if Josh had been one of the vampires he killed, I do have to give Davina props for her little addition to the spell. This is Davina being a badass again. She has Mikael, the one person that even Klaus fears, completely at her mercy and under her power. And what does this little sixteen year old witch do? Makes him kneel. You go, girl.

Klaus gives Hope to Rebekah

I just love how Rebekah is the one person that Klaus trusts to protect Hope. I always love the relationships between the siblings. How, no matter how much they may fight, when the chips are down, they know they can count on each other. Always and forever. And that’s without even getting into his tenderness with Hope, or the fact that he’s crying while saying goodbye to his daughter. Just a beautiful scene.

Wow! Season 1 really went out with a bang. This episode was intense. Not much humor, except the one bit with Josh. But, I love me some angst, and family moments, and this episode was full of both of them. There were actually more scenes that I loved. This is another episode where a full list of my favorite scenes would pretty much be the entire episode. This may actually be my favorite episode of season 1, the episode with them all trapped in the cemetery being such a close second that I’m actually not sure which of them is my favorite.

Please follow and like us:
by

Accountability week 1 – March 1 – March 7

Well, things got off to a bit of a rocky start. But, I’m baby-stepping my way into this, and am not going to beat myself up about it. Even if I end up not meeting my goal at the end of the year, I will still end up closer than if I don’t track or try to be accountable to something or someone outside of myself. So, anyway, here are this week’s stats:

I wrote 2,814 words in my novel, and 2,218 words of fanfiction. This was over the course of 152 minutes and 7 seconds. (Yes, I have a timer app. Yes, I am ridiculous.) Which means that I averaged spending 21 minutes a day on this. I also added 1,645 words to my CYOA story on Twitter. Which brings my weekly word count to 6,677 words, which is about 954 words a day. Not a great start, but it IS a start.

I have started an exercise program that involves exercising three days a week. I chose Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as my days so as to avoid having to exercise on the weekends. I did this because when I work the weekends, those are my early days. Saturdays, I’m lucky if I have time to eat breakfast. Anyway… I did accomplish that. And, I’ve lost just over half a pound. Not much, but it puts me back under 180, so I’ll take it. And, this was after going to McDonald’s for dinner on Wednesday, and eating a whole frozen pizza on Thursday. (Also TMI, but my period started yesterday, which means my hormones are going nuts and today’s weigh-in might not have been the most accurate thing in the world.) This week’s diet goal is to drink more water, and by extension cut down on soda. It’s noon, and I’m not off to the best start on that, though.

Financial stuff, one week is just not enough time to notice any patterns. I’ll report on that monthly. I haven’t really been using my planner. I set it up, but then kind of ignored it. So, actually using that will also be one of my goals for this week. As for cleaning and organizing, I got my bathroom cabinets organized, at least. It’s a start.

So, that was last week’s accomplishments. This week’s goals are to finish this lesson in my schoolwork (4 questions left in the last practice exercise, and then the quiz). Write at least SOMETHING in both the novel and my fanfiction every day. Get in a couple blog posts – I’m not going to ask myself for an episode a day, yet, but I DO want to get back into it. I’m not going to set myself an organizing goal, other than to at least maintain what I have. (Which includes cleaning off my computer table, again.) I have a new book that I’ll be working through, but I’m not far enough into it to have an idea of the challenges and goals it sets for you.

Please follow and like us:
by

ADHD And Accountability

The problem with things that don’t have external deadlines, is that it’s easy to procrastinate on them. This becomes particularly true when you have ADHD, and so things like Executive Function, and just being able to focus aren’t exactly your strong suits. But, I have things I need to get done. Things I have procrastinated on for far too long. And it’s time I figured out a way to get myself to do them.

So, here is my plan going forward. Over the next 9 days, I am going to finish my last two lessons for school. I am also going to put together a proper Milwordy spreadsheet, and come up with an exercise plan. Because starting Sunday, I need to start buckling down on things. I’m not going to bother tracking word count for January and February. Not in the mood to go back and try to figure out my daily totals. So, I’m going to be starting fresh word count wise, on Sunday. Which means 10 months to write 500k words. Which basically comes out to 10 Nanos in a row. But, the way I see it, if I can get my butt in gear, that’s not actually going to be THAT hard. 1k on my novel, 500 words of fan fiction, my CYOA story on Twitter, and a blog post. That’s all it will take. Granted, some time in April I’ll be losing my current novel as that will hit the revision stage, but that just means I’ll need to also work on another book while I revise that one. It can still be done.

I also want to start exercising regularly, and trying to eat better. And track my spending so I can create a proper budget. And look for another job. And get my bedroom actually organized. And, that looks like a lot of things I’ll be trying to cram into my day. But, exercising shouldn’t take more than 15-30 minutes. I want to do a daily 20 minute organizing sprint. And if I enter expenses into my app and my Happy Planner as they happen, that’s a minute here, a minute there. All in all, I’m probably looking at about 2 hours or so. Hardly a real problem finding the time. It’s more an issue of finding the mental energy, because of the whole ADHD thing.

But, I’ll have apps and my Happy Planner. So, I’ll make to-do lists and a habit tracker. And hopefully checking things off will be helpful. Plus, and this is where the “accountability” part of the title of this post comes in, I’m going to be posting daily check-ins to Twitter. The last thing I do every day before bed will be to tweet what I accomplished that day. Word count, broken down into what I worked on, what I managed to clean, if I exercised, whatever else may seem pertinent. I’ll probably also post weekly updates to my blog. The daily ones were a bit overwhelming. But, no reason why I can’t write something every Thursday (my one day of the week that I’m off no matter what week it is) saying what I’ve accomplished that week.

I have two different timer apps. I have Twitter. I have a to-do list app and a Happy Planner. I have my coping strategies in place. I just need to start implementing them. I can do this.

Please follow and like us:
by

Favorite scenes from The Originals episode 1×21

Davina tries to send Josh away

Can’t find a clip of this (there’s always one). But I love how Davina is so concerned about Josh. Their friendship is one of my favorite things about this show. Seriously, the purest and least toxic relationship of ANY kind in the entire TVD universe, and I am always here for it. And this part, right here, where Davina is trying to put Josh first is not quite a perfect mirror for the “don’t hold back” scene earlier in the season, but it’s pretty close.

Klaus and Elijah find Jackson

Much as I would have loved for Jackson to die here and save us all the heartache that is season two, this scene was a lot of fun. Mainly for the brotherly banter between the Mikaelsons. Because I DO love their banter and snark to snark combat. And Klaus suggesting they LET Jackson die to get him out of the way for Haylijah is kind of hilarious. Don’t anyone try to tell me he didn’t ship them. And then there’s Elijah getting slightly snarky with HAYLEY, and showing off that dry wit of his.

“You will always have a choice”

Here we go! This scene combines two of my favorite things: Haylijah, and a good “just shut up, already” kiss. This is my favorite Haylijah kiss for that reason. And you know that that kiss was Elijah’s way of saying everything Hayley wanted him to say, even before that beautiful line. Pardon me while I swoon.

Elijah takes on Marcel’s army

Oh my Gods! Elijah is just so damn HOT in this scene! I think it can be easy to forget just how much of a badass he is, because Klaus is usually the one doing the fighting. But, Elijah is seriously the living embodiment of the saying “beware the quiet ones”. Because when HE gets pissed and goes all out… look out! And he does it all in a freaking suit, and doesn’t get so much as a hair out of place. And you KNOW that every drop of blood on him at the end of that was someone else’s. Those little baby vamps didn’t stand a CHANCE. Elijah may be quiet and noble, but… you don’t fuck with his family.

I’m kind of on the fence about this episode. A lot of plot-relevant stuff happens in it, which is good. And of course any episode that includes a Haylijah kiss is a good episode. But, for some reason, other than the scenes I’ve included here, not much of it really GRIPPED me. But, I got some Davina and Josh being cute, some WONDERFUL snarkiness from Klaus and Elijah, my absolute favorite Haylijah kiss, and Elijah being a badass. So, not a BAD episode, just… not one of my FAVORITES, either.

Please follow and like us:
by

Favorite scenes from The Originals episode 1×20

Keiran’s funeral

Can’t find a clip of this. But, everything about it. From the way all of the factions came together to pay their respects to the man who probably did more to hold that city together than anyone else, to Leah Pipes’s beautiful acting and how we could just FEEL Cami’s pain. Add in some snarky brotherly banter between the Mikaelson men, because these two can’t go five minutes without snarking at each other, and it was a really nice scene.

“I was going to say you look lovely”

Both Elijah’s and Klaus’s concern for Hayley. Her snarky answer when Elijah asks if she’s okay. His comment. The “suuurrreee that’s what you were going to say” look she gives him, and his self-satisfied smirk like he actually thinks she bought that. More banter between all three of them (I tell you, I live for the snarky banter on this show, it’s seriously a toss-up between that and squee-worthy Haylijah moments). GENEVIEVE, of all people, being the first to notice that there’s something wrong with Hayley, and then actually HELPING them with her. Elijah’s panic. I would imagine that it would take a lot to scare Elijah Mikaelson, and this is TERRIFYING him.

Hayley’s near death experience

Picks up right where the last clip leaves off. I love pretty much everything about this scene. Genevieve still helping to save Hayley, Klaus being willing to do ANYTHING to save his child. Yes, that included letting Hayley die, but baby steps. He’s trying to at least be a father, here. Give the man some credit. Hayley’s confrontation with Mikael. The way, when she thought she was dead, she didn’t even care for herself – it was the idea that the baby had joined her that had her a wreck. (Which also brings it back to the fact that if Genevieve hadn’t been able to save her, she would have WANTED Klaus to rip the baby out of her, so he may have been a bit premature, but he really was doing the right thing.) And then there’s Elijah. Calm, stoic Elijah THROWING THINGS when he thought they had lost her. Does anybody really have any doubts anymore that this is more than just an attraction? Can you really doubt that this man is completely in love with her? “I won’t lose either of them.” *Swoons*

Klaus shows Hayley the baby’s room

While I am 100% team Haylijah and always have been, and have never shipped Klayley, as I’ve said before, they ARE having a child together. Watching them bonding over that, and preparing to be co-parents is always sweet and fun. It is obvious that they do love each other, in a way. It just never quite compares to Hayley and Elijah’s feelings for each other, and definitely evolves into a more brother-sister relationship. But, this scene is adorable.

Hayley and Elijah kiss

It’s about damn fucking time! We’d been waiting for this moment for fourteen bloody episodes! But, it was worth the wait. I could watch these two kiss all day. Not sure what that says about me.

There you go. The factions all coming together to honor a great man. Snarky brotherly banter between Elijah and Klaus. Hayley being a badass. Klaus being sweet. Elijah showing a side of himself that we’ve never seen before. And Haylijah being adorable and swoon-worthy.

Next episode has my FAVORITE Haylijah kiss, though. *Squeals* I can’t wait.

Please follow and like us:
by

Favorite scenes from The Originals episode 1×19

Let me start by saying that it looks like having actual clips for most of these scenes is going to be impossible. There seem to be very few clips from this episode on Youtube, at all. A fact that I discovered while looking for my first favorite scene. Which… I can’t find.

Klaus and Elijah talking about Esther’s grimoire

Brotherly banter. Elijah being the king of snark. Next to Haylijah yumminess, my two favorite things on this show. And, not only is Elijah being the king of snark, he’s doing it by scolding his “naughty” little brother for being foolish. I just love it to pieces, and really wish I could find a clip of it.

Elijah talks to Hayley, Jackson, and Oliver about their deal with Klaus.

Starting with Eve’s comment about how she somehow doesn’t think that Hayley is really going to have to do the whole parenting thing alone – as Elijah walks in. Because she knows, no matter where Klaus might stand on things, Elijah will be there for Hayley. Will help her raise her baby. I hate the whole Hayley conspiring with Jackson and Oliver against everyone else plotline. But, the way Elijah looks at Hayley in this scene. The way he reminds her that she not only signed that treaty, but she looked him in the eye while doing it… That tone of voice… He’s not angry with her. He’s HURT. He trusted her, was proud of her, and he feels like she betrayed him. And there is just something so bittersweet and almost beautiful in that. I’m probably not making much sense, but that’s how I feel about it.

After the explosion

First, there’s Elijah’s concern. Mostly for Hayley, but for the other wolves, too. He cares about these people almost as much as Hayley does. Whether that’s because they’re HER people, him just being a good person, some combination, or what. Yes, he would have dropped everything, possibly even let them die, if she had been hurt and needed him. But, he helped them, all of them. And, then there is Hayley taking charge. Eve was right, she is a natural born leader. An Alpha to her core. And is a total badass in this scene.

Hayly confronts Marcel

I can’t find a clip of this one. But, it’s an interesting scene. Actually, an interesting pair of scenes. Because it really starts with her confronting Diego to find out where Marcel is. She is just such a badass in that scene. And I love how none of the vampires lift a finger against her. Question is, is that because she’s pregnant, or because of what she learns during her confrontation with Marcel, himself? Namely, that she was one of the kids Marcel has saved. But, it kills me how it doesn’t click with her that Marcel would never just send a bomb like that. Marcel doesn’t hurt kids. Period. Marcel doesn’t even stand for kids being hurt by someone else on his watch. I love Hayley, but she can be so STUPID sometimes.

There were other scenes I liked. But, most of them were too short to really count as scenes. Overall, though, I really liked this episode. I mean, there are times I want to smack certain characters. But, that doesn’t detract from my enjoyment of the episode. Just, little (and not so little) things that I wish had been done differently. Like… Elijah should have ignored Oliver and given Eve his blood. Eve liked Elijah. She knew that he was one of the good guys. Even seemed to approve of the attraction between him and Hayley. I don’t think she would have “rather died” than have him save her. But, that’s Elijah, being too damned noble for anybody’s good. And it was perfectly in character. So, nothing to really complain about. All in all, a solid episode.

But! Next episode… I am looking forward to next episode.

Please follow and like us: