whiteginger wrote:And then Colin says he can’t let Sarah go. Will Sarah forget he is a rainbow? Is he for real? I think NOT.
dhaupt wrote: I know, right. Did you want to punch him like I did.
elaine_hf wrote: Oh, I absolutely agree, he needs more than a punch. . . . He's a mess - Sarah, run like the wind, honey!!
Yep, he does need more than a punch. But I'm thinking Sam should have overheard this and punched him out. That way, Sarah would be mad at Sam and I would still have a chance at Sam! 
(BTW, Lisa, I really like these little chapter-ending cliff-hangers!)
Mountain_Muse wrote:
elaine_hf wrote:
dhaupt wrote:
whiteginger wrote:
SARAH
And then Colin says he can’t let Sarah go. Will Sarah forget he is a rainbow? Is he for real? I think NOT.
I know, right. Did you want to punch him like I did.
Oh, I absolutely agree, he needs more than a punch. Those ladies are growing up, Colin is wallowing in self-pity and denial. Okay, so he isn't the one who went hunting down Sarah, but if he still had feelings for her, why didn't he? And if he's about to get married - well, WHY? He obviously has a lot of unresolved feelings and tension going on. He's a mess - Sarah, run like the wind, honey!!
A couple of interesting questions for you guys that keeps rolling around in my head?
1,. Why hasn't Colin got married during all this time? Why just now, 15 years later (good timing, huh.).
2. Just how long do you think his marriage is going to last to Miss Society? Or do you think he will actually go through with it now that he has been reminded of what and who his true love was/is?
3. Why would Colin make such a horridly self statement to Sarah when she was leaving? "I'm not ready to let you go?"
For some reason, I don't think this was meant to be a romance novel, but talk about un-requieted romance and longing....you knock my socks off, girl!!! And if truth be told, you have hit a little too close to home for comfort in the telling of this story.
Just Musing again.
Muse, I know an agent and I think a book deal could be worked out, only of course if I get first dibs on all the stuff first. 
1. Colin hasn't found anyone who loves him like Sarah did for all these years, so he decides instead to go for the trophy wife
2. 1/2 hour
3. You know Colin is not the all time bad guy here either, remember the statement he made at the end of chapter 12 "Tell me my Vermont-bred minister's daughter," he said, tracing a pattern in the dirt with his foot, "what kind of sin is it, to want to be the man you think I am?"
see even Colin has a hard time living up to the stars in her eyes, how many of us could or would voluntarily give up "God" status.
lisavergehiggins wrote:
During this month of March, the best part of my day has been coming here and catching up with all of your smart, well-thought-out, and insightful comments. Reading your posts is making me re-live Jo, Kate and Sarah's stories in a way I didn't think was possible. Wow. Just . .. wow!
Thanks!
What a nice compliment, thanks Lisa 
dhaupt wrote:
Mountain_Muse wrote:
elaine_hf wrote:
dhaupt wrote:
whiteginger wrote:
SARAH
And then Colin says he can’t let Sarah go. Will Sarah forget he is a rainbow? Is he for real? I think NOT.
I know, right. Did you want to punch him like I did.
Oh, I absolutely agree, he needs more than a punch. Those ladies are growing up, Colin is wallowing in self-pity and denial. Okay, so he isn't the one who went hunting down Sarah, but if he still had feelings for her, why didn't he? And if he's about to get married - well, WHY? He obviously has a lot of unresolved feelings and tension going on. He's a mess - Sarah, run like the wind, honey!!
A couple of interesting questions for you guys that keeps rolling around in my head?
1,. Why hasn't Colin got married during all this time? Why just now, 15 years later (good timing, huh.).
2. Just how long do you think his marriage is going to last to Miss Society? Or do you think he will actually go through with it now that he has been reminded of what and who his true love was/is?
3. Why would Colin make such a horridly self statement to Sarah when she was leaving? "I'm not ready to let you go?"
For some reason, I don't think this was meant to be a romance novel, but talk about un-requieted romance and longing....you knock my socks off, girl!!! And if truth be told, you have hit a little too close to home for comfort in the telling of this story.
Just Musing again.
Muse, I know an agent and I think a book deal could be worked out, only of course if I get first dibs on all the stuff first.
1. Colin hasn't found anyone who loves him like Sarah did for all these years, so he decides instead to go for the trophy wife
2. 1/2 hour
3. You know Colin is not the all time bad guy here either, remember the statement he made at the end of chapter 12 "Tell me my Vermont-bred minister's daughter," he said, tracing a pattern in the dirt with his foot, "what kind of sin is it, to want to be the man you think I am?"
This isn't the first time he couldn't live up to her expectations, huh?
see even Colin has a hard time living up to the stars in her eyes, how many of us could or would voluntarily give up "God" status. In week one I think I referred to Colin's demi-god status:
I think Sarah has grown Colin from a mere mortal to Adonis or Zeus, and those Greek gods were soooo fallible. I do believe that Colin has found his Archilles tendon (appropriate for a doctor lol).
Mountain_Muse wrote:A couple of interesting questions for you guys that keeps rolling around in my head?
1,. Why hasn't Colin got married during all this time? Why just now, 15 years later (good timing, huh.).
2. Just how long do you think his marriage is going to last to Miss Society? Or do you think he will actually go through with it now that he has been reminded of what and who his true love was/is?
3. Why would Colin make such a horridly self statement to Sarah when she was leaving? "I'm not ready to let you go?"
For some reason, I don't think this was meant to be a romance novel, but talk about un-requieted romance and longing....you knock my socks off, girl!!! And if truth be told, you have hit a little too close to home for comfort in the telling of this story.
Just Musing again.
WhiteGinger: Darn it, Muse, I've gone and finished the book so I'm afraid to answer the questions. I don't think I could answer honestly, as I would have if I had not finished the book.
dhaupt wrote:
Muse, I know an agent and I think a book deal could be worked out, only of course if I get first dibs on all the stuff first.
1. Colin hasn't found anyone who loves him like Sarah did for all these years, so he decides instead to go for the trophy wife
2. 1/2 hour
3. You know Colin is not the all time bad guy here either, remember the statement he made at the end of chapter 12 "Tell me my Vermont-bred minister's daughter," he said, tracing a pattern in the dirt with his foot, "what kind of sin is it, to want to be the man you think I am?"
see even Colin has a hard time living up to the stars in her eyes, how many of us could or would voluntarily give up "God" status.
WhiteGinger: Love your answers, Deb (especially #2!). Your observation about Colin's character in #3 also tells us so much about Sarah. And even though I agree that Colin isn't a total bad guy, I still wanted him punched out at the end of chapter twelve.
lisavergehiggins wrote:
Muse said: "For some reason, I don't think this was meant to be a romance novel, but talk about un-requieted romance and longing....you knock my socks off, girl!!! And if truth be told, you have hit a little too close to home for comfort in the telling of this story. "
((blushing) Well, I guess the secret is out, then. I wrote a dozen historical and contemporary romances back in the '90. So I guess whenever it comes to the guys, a little of that romantic side of me seeps through.
That thread appears in my next book, too -- One Good Friend Deserves Another (not coming out until June 5th, alas!) In that, four friends from college bond during a weekend of communal romantic disasters and create "Rules of Relationships" in order to keep each other on the straight and narrow. The book begins fifteen years later--after one of them breaks the cardinal rule.
... I guess you all can imagine how THAT works out!
Oh I am soooo excited to read this Lisa, as you know RT magazine asked me to read it for review, now I can't wait to get my hands on it.
Also you guys should re-read my interview with Lisa where she talks about "her wicked past", where she talks about her former life as a romance author.
Mountain_Muse wrote:
I DID! Ooo Waaa Laa!! Girl, we need to compare notes. Lol Let me know when you will be in the DC or VA area for a book event. I'LL see if I can get to yor book signing. I'd love to meet you. If you haven't figured it out,we have serious fun on here. AND not all of us are here this month. Muse
not to mention have a very serious and educational discussion on books
dhaupt wrote:
Mountain_Muse wrote:
I DID! Ooo Waaa Laa!! Girl, we need to compare notes. Lol Let me know when you will be in the DC or VA area for a book event. I'LL see if I can get to yor book signing. I'd love to meet you. If you haven't figured it out,we have serious fun on here. AND not all of us are here this month. Musenot to mention have a very serious and educational discussion on books
Yes, Debbie, and that too.
Muse
Mountain_Muse wrote:
dhaupt wrote:
If my middle daughter gets into UVa (fingers crossed), I'll be visiting the great state of Virginia quite often! But as it stands now the closest I'm getting to DC or VA this year is the Baltimore Book Festival, on the last weekend of September. I'll be doing a panel or two and generally making a nuisance of myself.
Mountain_Muse wrote:
I DID! Ooo Waaa Laa!! Girl, we need to compare notes. Lol Let me know when you will be in the DC or VA area for a book event. I'LL see if I can get to yor book signing. I'd love to meet you. If you haven't figured it out,we have serious fun on here. AND not all of us are here this month. Muse
BTW, if any of you are on facebook, please do join me on my page www.facebook.com/lisavergehiggins. That's the main way I try to spread the good news about new books, appearances, etc. Today I posted a photo of my grandparents from the 1920s, where my grandfather looks like he's King Of The World. But most of the time I'm telling stories about "Life With Three Teenage Daughters."
. . . and that picture of the pile of shoes that belongs to my middle daughter? Yes . . . it's real.
Lisa, ducking her head in shame
dhaupt wrote:
aprilh wrote:Jo is trying to handle raising Grace like any other work project she's ever had. In her mind, she needs to hire a team of specialists to get the job done right. After Grace's macaroni and cheese tantrum, I think Jo has realized that no team of specialists is going to be able to tell her exactly what Grace needs. To her credit, Jo is the first person to really hear what Grace wants. When they are toy shopping, Grace picks out a Barbie doll and it occurs to Jo that no one ever thought that Rachel's daughter would have turned out to be a girlie girl. When Jo's phone begins to ring, she looks into Grace's eyes that are full of hope and shuts off her phone. I was so proud of Jo at that moment. I felt like that was a turning point for Jo and she was putting Grace's needs above all others.
I cried at the end of this chapter
By the end of this week's reading, I felt that Kate has realized that her marriage had gotten off course. She is devastated when Paul doesn't show up in Bangalore to see her. After sky diving, I think Kate felt alive for the first time in a long time and she wasn't ready to let that feeling go, so went to Bangalore hoping Paul would follow and they could work on rekindling their romance. I think Kate feels that she's become boring and has nothing to talk about besides her family, so she left thinking she would come back home with interesting stories to tell so people (and maybe a part of herself) wouldn't look at her like she was just a housewife. She wants Paul to look at her the way he used to. We learn that Kate and Paul were adventurous before they had children and Kate wants nothing more than for the two of them to be like that again. Maybe a part of her doesn't necessarily miss the adventure, but more the connection that Paul and her used to have. She thought she was trying to make their marriage better by going to Bangalore, but it backfired and caused a giant rift instead. I don't think Paul was innocent in all this, obviously there were problems before Kate went to Bangalore, but now she needs to go home and see if they can work on their marriage.
I agree with what you said here April, do you think she went a bit off her rocker
I was surprised to read that Sam had also gotten a letter from Rachel telling him to stay close to Sarah these next few months. That makes me wonder if anyone else we've read about so far has gotten a letter from Rachel.
This fact actually blew me away, I wonder what Rachel is doing up there on her cloud watching all this paly out, is she scratching her head or pulling out her hair, or do you think she's satisfied
Thanks April, I think we may have been separated at birth
I do think Kate went a bit off her rocker. Or maybe fell off her rocker is a little more accurate! I love Kate, but it seemed like her decision to go to Bangalore was a little extreme. I understood when she didn't tell Paul about her skydiving. I honestly believe she just wanted it to be a fun surprise for him. I think she thought when he saw her land, that he would be swept up in her excitement and be proud of what she had accomplished. When she took off for Bangalore without even discussing it with him, just announcing she was leaving, I felt like she was trying too hard to stop the opinion she had of herself that she was nothing but a boring housewife. (Maybe part of Kate's problem is how she perceives herself and not what other people are thinking about her.) It seems to me that Kate had taken on marriage and motherhood by jumping in with both feet and not focusing on anything else. By the time she realized she had lost a piece of herself , it was too late. As whiteginger pointed out, according to Sarah, this wasn't the first time she had needed to blow off steam. She puts too much pressure on herself and eventually it blows up in her face and she needs a release.
It would be interesting to hear what Rachel had to say about the aftermath of her letters. I think if Rachel was watching all this play out, she would be happy with how things are turning out. She gave each of the girls a push to do things I believe she would have wanted to ask them to do when she was still alive. I think her intent was to give everyone a push in the right direction and let them make their own decisions about where to take it from there.
lisavergehiggins wrote:
Mountain_Muse wrote:
dhaupt wrote:If my middle daughter gets into UVa (fingers crossed), I'll be visiting the great state of Virginia quite often! But as it stands now the closest I'm getting to DC or VA this year is the Baltimore Book Festival, on the last weekend of September. I'll be doing a panel or two and generally making a nuisance of myself.
Mountain_Muse wrote:
I DID! Ooo Waaa Laa!! Girl, we need to compare notes. Lol Let me know when you will be in the DC or VA area for a book event. I'LL see if I can get to yor book signing. I'd love to meet you. If you haven't figured it out,we have serious fun on here. AND not all of us are here this month. MuseBTW, if any of you are on facebook, please do join me on my page www.facebook.com/lisavergehiggins. That's the main way I try to spread the good news about new books, appearances, etc. Today I posted a photo of my grandparents from the 1920s, where my grandfather looks like he's King Of The World. But most of the time I'm telling stories about "Life With Three Teenage Daughters.". . . and that picture of the pile of shoes that belongs to my middle daughter? Yes . . . it's real.Lisa, ducking her head in shame
Lisa,
I wondered whose pile of shoes that was. No worry. My daughter has a pile to rival hers. Lol At least she has her own house to keep hers in.
Muse
Mountain_Muse wrote:
dhaupt wrote:
Well here we are at the end of week two, my my a lot of stuff still to decide, a lot of hearts still on the shelf and a lot of feelings to get through.
In an above comment Lisa mentioned her upcoming novel and I happen to be in the middle of reading it right now, it's one of my reviews I'm doing for the June edition of RT magazine and all I can say is that Lisa must either be a seer, or a mind reader and her Phd should have been in relationships because she is one of only a handful of writers that I know of that can hit the sticky relationship nail on the head.
Her new book coming out is well worth the pre-order and well worth the read and even a re-read to discover all the minutiae you missed the first go round.
Now on to week three when we finally, or will we, put all these messy issues to bed.
This has been a fabulous discussion so far and you my peeps have gone above and beyond what's expected of you to give us a well rounded conversation.
And Lisa you have added the depth we've needed to understand the things we didn't
Now On to Week Three
Yes, and I think the boxing gloves just might come out. Lol. Lots and lots to say next week.
Muse
Oh muse you have peaked my interest indeed.
