Stories from the Hart: Leaving Lucas, Part 3

Leaving Lucas by Shannon Hart

Part 3

If you missed Part 1, you can read it here.

If you missed Part 2, you can read it here.

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“I left my job didn’t I?” he answered, leaving only half a millisecond gap between the end of my question and the beginning of his answer – if that was even an answer.

“That’s not a real answer, Luke.”

“What do you want me to say? God, Katie. I love you. I want to be with you. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I wasn’t with you. Of course I have doubts. Of course I’d prefer not to move all the way to Georgia and do God knows what for a living! But if staying here means not being with you, then I don’t want to stay.”

My knees started to weaken. He sounded angry and emotional, but what he was saying was so undeniably sweet.

“But Luke, what if you hate it there? Or what if you don’t find a job that you like? Are you going to resent me for it? Are you going to hate me for taking you away from your life here?”

He didn’t answer.

I kind of wished he did answer because then I’d have a good indication of whether I was just thinking crazy thoughts or justifiable fears.

“I don’t want to be selfish here, Lucas. I don’t want to demand you to do something for me and in the end still end up losing you anyway.”

“But you wanted me to go with you! Wasn’t that the whole reason for breaking up in the first place? Because I didn’t want to go with you?”

“Well, yes, in the beginning. But I’ve thought this through. I shouldn’t have asked you to go with me. I mean… you don’t owe me anything. I had no right to demand that you turn your life upside down for me. It’s not fair to you. I don’t want to make you do anything you don’t really want to do,” I said, suddenly feeling exhausted about everything.

The truth was, even as I was saying those words, I didn’t really believe them. I did want him to turn his life upside down for me. I did want him to move away with me. But… somehow I was convinced he didn’t really want to. And because I loved him, I wanted to set him free.

Was I stupid or what?

“Katie, listen to me,” he grabbed my hands and clutched on to them tightly. “I didn’t want to go at first. I admit it. But I’ve thought about it and the two weeks that we were broken up were the worst two weeks of my life. I don’t ever want to feel like that again. Ever. Anything is better than being without you. Jobless or miserable in a new city, whatever; those things I can get through… but I can’t get through life being without you.”

He forced me to look at him and reluctantly, I did. I looked into his deep sea-blue eyes and within moments felt myself drown in them.  It was so comforting and familiar, like coming home after a long exhausting safari. With Lucas, in his arms, looking into his beautiful eyes was where I was supposed to be. All of a sudden, I couldn’t even remember why I was so doubtful of him. I couldn’t recall why it was so difficult for me to believe that he really was willing to do this for me.

“Are you sure about this?” I asked, finding the need to ask one more time before completely surrendering.

He nodded anxiously. “I’ve never been so sure in my life.”

I closed my eyes and closed my mind – I didn’t want to give it another chance to rethink things or over analyze everything again like I always do – like I did the last twenty-four dreadful hours.

What was I thinking – doubting Lucas?

I rested my head against his chest, and felt the sweet lullaby of his heart beating steadily. It was beating harder than usual but all the more comforting – the thought that holding me still had that affect on him made me believe him even more.

“So… are you going to call the travel agent and cancel your flight?” he dared himself to ask.

I shook my head.

“What? But…” he protested.

I looked up at him and smiled. “Not before you put that ring on my finger. I think it’s about time.”

He sighed in relief. He pulled out the beautiful ring from his pocket – I felt the box poking at me when he was holding me – and lovingly slipped it on my finger before drowning me in one of the most passionate kisses I had ever experienced in my entire life.

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What did you think of Leaving Lucas? Have you read Shannon's other short stories and/or her novel? Leave a comment to let us know. Thanks! 

Book Review: Rumor Has It

Kelly's Review of Rumor Has It by Jill Mansell

Jill Mansell’s Rumor Has It begins in the same fashion as many novels of this genre. Main character, Tilly Cole, is spurred to make some dramatic life changes after being unexpectedly dumped by her boyfriend. After a visit to see her best friend, Erin, Tilly impulsively accepts a new job as a Girl Friday and moves to a small town outside of London.

Tilly’s employer, Max, is a successful interior designer who has a thirteen-year-old daughter, Lou. Tilly quickly learns that in a small town like Roxborough, gossip and scandals are virtually unavoidable. She also learns about the local heartthrob, Jack, and his playboy status. Tilly heeds Max and Erin’s advice to avoid getting involved with him, but the more she gets to know Jack, the harder it is for her to stay away.

Mansell creates many interwoven story lines, which is somewhat reminiscent of a soap opera. This style lends itself well to the small town setting where everyone knows everyone’s business. Character development seems to be Mansell’s strong suit, as each character has his or her own idiosyncrasies and quirky charm. While the overall tone is light and fun, Mansell addresses some serious issues as well, such as illness, homosexuality, divorce, bullying and grief and loss. Though the book is just over four hundred pages in length, it is a fast-paced page-turner that was difficult to put down.

Mansell lives with her partner and children in Bristol and writes full time. In addition to Rumor Has It, Mansell has written many other books, which have sold over three million copies. Some of her other titles include Take A Chance on Me, Millie's Fling, An Offer You Can't Refuse, Making Your Mind Up, Fast Friends, Good at Games, and Sheer Mischief. To learn more about Mansell and her books, please visit http://www.jillmansell.co.uk and http://twitter.com/JillMansell.

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Have you read any of Mansell's books? Leave a comment to share your thoughts with us. Thanks!

Pretty Little Pocket Full of Secrets: Careful What U Wish 4

In last night's episode, Careful What U Wish 4, the Liars try to make sense of the creepy video of Ian and Alison. They are interrupted by Ian, though he doesn't see what they were watching, and they all think he's a killer. At school, the Liars decorate for the dance-a-thon dance. Hanna tells Sean that she needs to get a job so she can make money to buy earrings, but she really needs money to pay her mom back for their money that was stolen. Aria's former babysitter, Simone, is back in town and surprises Aria. Aria's mom sets Simone up with Ezra since she thinks he's single. Emily can't reach Maya, so Hanna gives Emily's phone to new kid Caleb to help her. The Liars want to turn Spencer's laptop in to police since it has the video of Alison and Ian on it but they realize that the laptop was stolen from Spencer's bag. Emily tries to get her phone back early from Caleb but he charges her more for his services. Hanna tries to get a job at a clothing store but they won't hire her because her mom owes the store money. Aria shows up at Ezra's apartment without calling first and he tells her that he has to leave to meet Simone for coffee. Spencer asks Ian if he has seen her laptop and he says no. He tells her that he will be chaperoning the dance. The Liars are really uncomfortable at the dance because Ian is there. Simone shows up at the dance and Aria wasn't expecting her to be there. She is there to see Ezra who is also a chaperon. She likes him a lot and Aria is jealous. Emily sees Ian lock his briefcase in his desk, so the other girls try to get the key. Eventually, Aria gets the key and gives it to Spencer. Hanna tells Caleb off for overcharging Emily for her phone. A texts Hanna and tells her that he/she will pay her to dance with Lucas. Sean dumps Hanna because she is dancing with Lucas and she can't tell him why. Emily finally reaches Maya but is disappointed when Maya is really distant. Emily gets upset and drinks all of the alcohol in the flask that Hanna brought to the dance. A keeps texting Hanna offering more and more money to dance with Lucas. Caleb helps Spencer break into Ian's desk but the laptop isn't there. Aria is so jealous of Ezra and Simone that she tries to confront them, but Spencer intervenes and asks Ezra to dance. Emily drunkenly tells Hanna that Hanna is just like Alison for torturing Lucas by dancing with him when she knows how he feels about her and she doesn't feel the same way about him. Then, Emily confronts Ian and says that they all know what he did. Spencer covers it up by saying that she told them that he kissed her last summer. He threatens her if that's not the truth. Lucas wants to take Hanna home but she refuses, telling him that Emily needs her. She pulls her scarf out of her pocket and all of the money she earned from dancing with Lucas falls out. Then, she goes with Emily and Spencer to Spencer's house. Ezra and Aria argue about Simone but Ezra assures Aria that he's in love with her. Hanna helps Emily to bed since she's drunk. She tells Emily she feels horrible about dancing with Lucas and admits that her actions were worse than Alison's. She says she had to mess with Lucas and that it wasn't for fun, but she realizes Emily is asleep, so she doesn't elaborate. Spencer and Hanna find the laptop on the coffee table and discover that the video was erased. Instead, there is a picture of Alison that says, "Watch your backs. I didn't. -A." The last scene is back at the coat check at the dance. Aria's mom gives a jacket and gloves back to someone who is unseen and who is presumably A. 

 

I didn't like the Hanna/Lucas scenes. Before watching the episode, I read somewhere that there were going to be some sweet moments between Hanna and Lucas at a dance, but I didn't think their scenes were sweet at all. I think Hanna is reverting back to her old ways because of A. She came such a long way in the first half of the season and actually became friends with Lucas and seemed to really like him. Now, she's acting like the popular girl again who is way too good for him and just uses him for her own benefit. I was hoping she wouldn't give into A and wouldn't torture Lucas like that just for money but she did. A definitely knows Hanna's weaknesses since he/she made her eat all those cupcakes in the last episode too. I think Hanna needs to stand up to A eventually. I really don't like what she did to Lucas because I was rooting for them and now it's ruined. I doubt they will ever get together. Supposedly, Hanna and Caleb are going to date in upcoming episodes. I don't really like Caleb. He seems like a jerk who has secrets of his own. I bet he will cause trouble for the Liars. I wonder if Simone will be in any other episodes to cause more drama between Ezra and Aria. I also wonder if their relationship can handle anything else. They already have to sneak around but adding Simone to the mix makes everything even more difficult for them. I don't really know what to make of the whole Ian situation right now. He is definitely creepy but it's hard to know exactly what he has done. I'm not totally convinced that he killed Alison, despite the video that A sent to the Liars. The next episode is If At First You Don't Succeed, Lie, Lie Again. Can't wait to see what happens!

That's all for this week's PLPFS. To catch up on the previous three episodes and read my thoughts on them, check out Moments Later, Salt Meets Wound, and Know Your Frenemies. Don't forget to share your opinions with us and come back next Tuesday for another recap and discussion of PLL.

Better lock it in your pocket, taking this one to next week...     

 

Nancy

Book Review: The Love Goddess' Cooking School

Nancy's Review of The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate

In The Love Goddess’ Cooking School, Holly Maguire leaves California after a tough break-up to visit her grandmother, Camilla, on Blue Crab Island in Maine. Shortly after Holly arrives, Camilla passes away, leaving Holly to pick up the pieces and continue her grandmother’s legacy by running her Italian food store and teaching cooking classes. The only problem is that Holly doesn’t know how to cook that well, despite watching her grandmother cook when she was younger. Holly is grief stricken and lacks confidence in her abilities in the kitchen. She must push through her obstacles in order to honor her grandmother. In the process, she meets a group of interesting people who sign up for her first cooking class. One of them is an eleven year old girl named Mia who is determined to learn to cook for her single father, so that he won’t marry his girlfriend who Mia hates. Holly takes Mia under her wing, growing very close to Mia and her dad, Liam, but his girlfriend and an unexpected long-term visit from his ex-wife make everything very complicated. Holly is also determined to start getting catering jobs, so that she can make enough money to keep the business she inherited open. While getting to know the people of Blue Crab Island and reading her grandmother’s diary, Holly discovers secrets from the past and present. She learns more than she ever thought she would about her newfound friends, her family, and most importantly, herself.

Senate writes beautifully from start to finish. She paints an engaging an inviting picture of life on Blue Crab Island and all of its quirky residents. Holly’s shortcomings will be easy for readers to relate to and they will be rooting for her to succeed all the way until the last page. Her relationship with Mia is heartwarming, giving Holly a chance to display her motherly instincts, even though she doesn’t have children of her own yet. The other characters are well developed and will keep readers interested throughout the novel. The drawback of this book is that Holly’s grandmother, Camilla, is not in any of the scenes since she is deceased. Readers learn about her through her diary and Holly’s memories. Camilla seems like such an engaging, wise, and fun woman that it is really a shame that she is not physically present in the story. Understandably, her death is the catalyst for Holly’s journey but, most likely, readers will close the book still wanting to learn more about her. If the story were restructured a bit, perhaps Camilla could have been in a nursing home or in the hospital or had some other reason for needing Holly to take over, that way Holly could have still had an adventure and also spoken to Camilla. But then it would have been a very different book. Overall, The Love Goddess’ Cooking School is an enchanting story that will capture the hearts of foodies and hopeless romantics.

 

Melissa Senate is the author of ten novels in adult fiction and young adult fiction including See Jane Date, The Solomon Sisters Wise Up, Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?, Theodora Twist, The Breakup Club, Love You To Death, Questions to Ask Before Marrying, The Secret of Joy, The Mosts, and The Love Goddess' Cooking School. Check out our interview with her here to learn more about how she started her writing career.

For more information:

Follow Melissa on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MelissaSenate 

Visit her page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MelissaSenate
Visit her website: http://www.melissasenate.com/

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Have you read this book or any of Senate's other books? Share your thoughts in the comments section. We'd love to hear from you!  

Bee Our Guest: Emjaye from The Next Moment

Emjaye blogs at The Next Moment and she was kind enough to write a guest post for us. We hope you enjoy it! As always, let us know what you think by posting a comment. Thanks! 
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“So, how did you meet?”  

That’s my go-to question to stir up a conversation, whether I’m talking to a couple or just half of a happy pair because watching people tell their love story is magical.  AND because I’m wondering how my own love story is going to start and consider poking into people’s intimate lives to be research.

In today’s society, meeting people organically seems to be going by the wayside.  I constantly hear both men AND women lamenting that it’s so hard to meet people these days.  I’m on a dating website and although I know looking for love online makes sense, I like the idea of just bumping into my happily ever after.

I have yet to read a chick lit book that focuses on an online relationship (although I’m sure they are out there).  Most of the books I read involve a random encounter with a handsome stranger, who may or may not be a pain in our heroine’s ass upon first meeting.  As the story unfolds, the encounter proves to be less random and more fated. 

If we can learn anything from chick lit (and we can learn A LOT of things from chick lit), it’s how to meet men.  I suggest trying these:

Elbow a man as you get into a crowded elevator and then to ensure you run into him again, get stranded in a rainstorm without an umbrella (Me vs. Me by Sarah Mlynowski)

Put yourself up in a silent auction to be bid on by a handsome basketball coach (Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer)

Wake up from a coma to find yourself married to Mr. Seemingly Wonderful or chat up the cute guy next to you on a plane (Remember Me? and Can You Keep A Secret? by Sophie Kinsella) 

Get - and give - attitude to a bouncer at a hip club and soon you’ll run into him all over town and realize he’s more than just muscles. I love Sammy! (Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger)

Buy a dog you have no clue how to take care of and rely heavily on your cute new vet (Stay by Allie Larkin)

Move to a small Southern town--I have ALWAYS wanted to do this! (The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews) or move back to your small hometown and reconnect with your high school crush (She’s Gone Country by Jane Porter)

Although not all of these turned into happily ever after for our heroines, you’ve got to kiss some frogs, right?  You never know when your love story will start. How did your favorite characters meet their love interest?

How did you meet your love?  Or, where have you been looking?  

I have met exactly two men I’ve dated by chance (one at a bar, one at a Target) in my 10+ years of dating. The rest have been friends, friends of friends and way too many coworkers (all of which I believe are still fated in a way). But, in an effort to prove that happenstance is still a great way to meet men, I’m challenging myself to meet one every month this year in a serendipitous way. Is it forcing destiny?  Perhaps. But I’m not above trying it. Look for my kick off post on my blog, The Next Moment, soon.  If you’re single and looking, think about joining me for the challenge!

Pretty Little Pocket Full of Secrets: Know Your Frenemies

In last night's episode, Know Your Frenemies, Spencer hears Melissa and Ian whispering in the kitchen after they return from their honeymoon. She tries to hear what they are saying but is unable to. Eventually, she learns from Melissa that they are trying to have a baby but were also trying to keep it a secret. Spencer decides to call the resort in South Carolina where Ian and Alison stayed to see if she can find anything out about their trip together. Emily is skeptical that Ian was involved in Alison's disappearance. The relationship between Hanna and her mom is a bit strained since all of their "borrowed" money was stolen at Hanna's surprise party. A tells Hanna that she will get the money back if she goes to a certain address. When Hanna arrives at the address, it is a cupcake shop. A text messages Hanna and tells her to sit down outside of the store and eat six cupcakes that are decorated with pigs. Hanna agrees and eats all of the cupcakes in front of football players who make fun of her. Aria shows up and Hanna confides in her that Alison used to help her throw up after a binge. Aria tells Hanna that is really dangerous behavior but Hanna assures her that she has changed. When Hanna goes into the bathroom alone, she contemplates throwing up but doesn't. She grabs some paper towels and discovers the money attached to the towels. A kept his/her promise. Elsewhere in Rosewood, Toby is tormented on the street and at school being called a killer and a murderer since everyone thinks he killed Alison. Spencer doubts it is Toby and begins to soften towards him. Emily and Maya have a study date. When Emily's mom comes home and finds them together, she freaks out. In Maya's hurry to leave, she leaves her backpack behind. Emily's mom goes through it and discovers drugs. She forbids Emily from seeing Maya and turns Maya in. The other girls arrange for Emily to see Maya one last time before Maya goes to juvie. Noel threatens Ezra by implying that he will report Ezra to the principal for dating Aria if he does not change Noel's grade on a paper. Ezra refuses to change it. Aria finds out from her brother that Noel is going to tell the principal, so she rushes over to Ezra's apartment to spend the night with him. He reveals that he is going to quit his job and leave Rosewood so Noel can't report him. When they arrive at school the next day, Noel gets in trouble for cheating before Ezra has a chance to resign, so it looks like Ezra will be staying. At the end of the episode, the girls are at Spencer's house when Aria receives a text from A to look at her computer. A sent them a video of Alison and Ian together the night that Alison disappeared. It isn't shown but implied by background noise that Ian killed Alison. The girls are shocked. They hear someone outside, so they chase after him/her but the person, presumably A, gets away.  

 

This wasn't my favorite episode. It was interesting and kept the story moving along but it wasn't as exciting as other episodes. I was disappointed that Lucas wasn't in this episode at all, so there weren't any Hanna/Lucas scenes. I think it will be interesting to see where the Spencer/Toby storyline goes. I think Spencer is going to befriend Toby now that she is pretty sure he didn't kill Alison. I don't think Noel is A, even though he was outside of the bakery when Hanna ate all the cupcakes. I think that was just a coincidence. Hanna's scenes were really sad. I think she is starting to unravel a bit because of A's demands and the money problems. I wouldn't be surprised if she leans on Lucas in future episodes, even though they aren't on the best terms right now. I'm more and more suspicious of Ian. I think he is A. He seems so secretive and creepy. If we are to believe the video, it seems like he really did kill Alison, unless Alison and Ian faked the video and made it seem like he killed her but she's actually still alive somewhere. I really think she's still alive. How else would A know all of the girls' secrets that only Alison knew? I think maybe Ian and Alison are A together. Can't wait to see the next episode Careful What U Wish 4.

 

That's all for this week's PLPFS. To catch up on the previous two episodes and read my thoughts on them, check out Moments Later and Salt Meets Wound. Don't forget to share your opinions with us and come back next Tuesday for another recap and discussion of PLL.

Better lock it in your pocket, taking this one to next week...     

 

Nancy

Stylish Blogger Award

The Chick Lit Bee received the Stylish Blogger Award from three separate blogs! We are so thankful to the fantastic blogs Lip Gloss & Literature, Queen of Reading, and Chick Lit Plus! What an honor! We are so happy to know that our peers enjoy our blog enough to award it. Awesome! We are happy to accept it and pass it on.

Here are the rules of the award:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.
Thanks again to the great bloggers listed above!

2. Tell us 7 things about yourself.

• Nancy's favorite movie is The Sound of Music
• Kelly used to be a cheerleader
• Shannon used to live in Melbourne, Australia
• Elise is a lacrosse coach
• Nancy loves the bands No Doubt and Kings of Leon
• Kelly loves cooking shows
• Shannon is a shopaholic
• Elise loves to travel

Okay, we know those are 8 things but we wanted to include 2 about each of us. :)

3. Award 15 super stylish bloggers this award.
The Next Moment
Cheeky Reads
Novel Escapes
Write Meg
Chick Lit Reviews
Novelicious
Book Love Blog
Glossing Over It
The Little Bookworm
Book Binge
Crazy for Books
Lady and the Books
Girlfriends Book Club
The Debutante Ball
The Divining Wand

4. Contact those bloggers and let them know they have won.
Congrats to all of you!

Happy blogging! :)

The Chick Lit Bee Team

Stories from the Hart: Leaving Lucas, Part 2

Leaving Lucas by Shannon Hart

Part 2

If you missed Part 1, you can read it here. 

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Not that the apartment we were at was actually still home. It was just a nearly vacant place that was formerly our home for almost four years.

“Lucas, what are you doing here? I thought you had that big dinner,” I asked, not daring to even turn around to look at him.

“I already give them my notice yesterday, so they assigned the dinner to Franco instead.”

“You gave them your notice? As in you quit?”

It felt as if my heart stopped.

“Well, yeah. We’re moving to Atlanta. I had to, right?”

 As quickly as I could, I crumpled up the letter I had begun to write and tossed it out the half open window.

I turned around, praying in my head to somehow make the soon-to-happen conversation be less painful for both Lucas and me, and looked at him bravely in the eyes.

Brave on the outside that is. Inside, I was shaking like I was naked in sub zero weather.

“Lucas, I can’t let you do this,” I said.

He wasn’t even looking at me. Instead, he was scanning around the room. His eyes stopped at the two suitcases I had right beside the desk I was sitting at.

“Are you going somewhere?”

The actual conversation hadn’t even begun yet but I already had a tear or two escape from my eyes and roll down my cheek. I had no idea how I was going to actually get through the entire conversation without breaking down and crying like a toddler.

“I’m leaving for Atlanta today,” I said, wincing, terrified of Lucas's reaction.

“What do you mean? I don’t understand. I’m not packed yet. Do we need to leave so soon?” He raised an eyebrow, clearly not understanding where I was going with all this.

Who could blame him? It wasn’t like I truly understood everything either.

“You don’t have to leave. I do,” I answered.

So much for hoping my prayers would be answered. That sentence alone brought on an unbelievable amount of pain for me.

“I can’t let you come with me to Atlanta.”

Instead of screaming at the top of his lungs like I thought he would – or like he always did in the past – Lucas laughed. He laughed like I told the world’s best joke ever.

“Why are you laughing?” I asked, part confused and part angry.

“I’m laughing,“ he tried to say in between his chuckles, “because… because you’re insane! Because you’re a whack job and I feel like I don’t even know you anymore!”

“Stop laughing! This isn’t funny!” I demanded. I had my arms crossed tightly across my chest and whatever pain or fear I had earlier about the whole issue had quickly turned into rage instead.

“Oh I’m sorry. You don’t think it’s funny that you demanded that I go with you and then broke up with me because I didn’t want to? You don’t think it’s funny that I realized how much I love you and how much I want to be with you so I propose to you but you don’t say yes? And come on, you have to admit, it’s hilarious that I quit my job and rearranged my life so I can move to Atlanta with you, but now you don’t want me to go with you!”

He kept using the term funny and hilarious but he wasn’t really laughing anymore. It was more of a sinister sneer or something. It was something I’ve never seen him do before.

“I don’t think it’s funny at all, Luke.”

“Are you sure? Because you seem to be taking everything so lightly.”

I shook my head. “Please don’t think like that. If anything, this is the hardest thing I’ve had to do in my entire life.”

Ideally, this would be a conversation to have while sitting down. But with all my furniture already gone, I had no choice but to lay everything down on the table – without actually having a table.

“Look, Luke, this isn’t easy for me to say but let’s just be honest with each other. You don’t really want to do this.”

“Oh, you’re a mind reader now? You can read whatever is in my head?” he replied sarcastically. “You could make a good living off of that!”

I felt my blood begin to boil, but I told myself I needed to keep calm. The only way we could get through this is if one of us kept sane, and with him being all busy throwing snide comments at me, I figured that I was the only designated sane person in the room.

“So, you’re telling me you really want to do this? You really want to leave your job, move all the way across the country with me to Atlanta and leave your friends, your family and start from zero? You truly have no doubts about doing this?”

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To be continued... What do you think of Leaving Lucas so far? What do you think will happen? Share your thoughts in the comments section. Thanks!

Book Review: Remember Me?

Nancy’s Review of Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

Lexi Smart has amnesia. When she wakes up in the hospital after a car accident, she thinks it is 2004 when it is actually 2007. She struggles to remember how she went from having the nickname "snaggletooth" and working at a dead-end job to being a successful, wealthy executive with perfect teeth and toned body who is married to a handsome millionaire. Lexi can’t find the pieces to the puzzle that is her life. When she leaves the hospital and returns home with her husband, Eric, she enters a world completely unfamiliar to her. She must adjust to a carb-free diet, a personal shopper, a high-tech loft filled with the most expensive furnishings, a housekeeper, and all new friends.

It is difficult for Lexi to understand how her life changed so drastically. At first, she is appreciative of her glamorous lifestyle but soon discovers that it isn’t all it is cracked up to be. She misses her old friends, chocolate, bread, and most importantly she misses being able to be herself. Eric is controlling and annoying, and despite his best efforts to make Lexi happy, she finds that she is not attracted to him. When she encounters the architect, Jon, who works with Eric and he reveals that she was having an affair with him before she was in the car accident, Lexi is floored. She can’t imagine herself as an unfaithful person, trying to resist Jon’s advances and his stories of their relationship. Everything becomes overwhelming for Lexi and she wonders if she will ever get her memory back or if she will just have to start over again.

Remember Me? is another fun book from Sophie Kinsella. Like her other books, this one is filled with humor, surprises, and quirky characters. While most readers will not be able to relate to an amnesiac, they will be able to relate to Lexi as someone who realizes she needs to make changes in her life. She is a character who desperately wants to be herself and be true to who she is, even if it is not what is expected of her in the glamorous, new world she finds herself in. Kinsella’s book teaches a valuable lesson in that it reminds us to never lose ourselves or lose sight of what is really important while pursuing success. The characters in Remember Me? are well developed and lively, painting an accurate picture of Lexi’s world. This is not Kinsella’s best novel, but it is worth the read for fans of her work and those just discovering her incredible writing talent.

Kinsella is the New York Times bestselling author of the Shopaholic series as well as The Undomestic Goddess, Can You Keep A Secret?, and Twenties Girl. She also writes under her real name Madeleine Wickham. To learn more about Kinsella and her novels, you can visit http://www.sophiekinsella.co.uk and http://www.facebook.com/SophieKinsellaOfficial. 
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Have you read any of Kinsella's books? Post a comment and share your thoughts with us. Thanks!

Pretty Little Pocket Full of Secrets: Salt Meets Wound

In last night's episode, "Salt Meets Wound," Hanna arrives home from the hospital with the help of Aria, Emily, and Spencer. Hanna is in a wheelchair and is not able to go back to school yet. She desperately wants a poptart, so she uses one of her crutches to get the box down. When other boxes fall from the shelf too, she discovers thousands of dollars hidden in a box of lasagna noodles. The other girls come back into her house and she tells them to leave. When Hanna's mom comes home, she confronts her about the money and learns that her mom stole it from a customer at the bank to pay the mortgage but intends to pay it back. Elsewhere in Rosewood, Spencer sees Toby and finds out that he is out of jail on bail. At school, Aria tells Ezra that Noel saw them in the car outside of Camp Mona and he promised not to say anything but Ezra isn't convinced. Mona invites the girls to a surprise welcome home party at Hanna's house despite their protests that Hanna won't be up for a party. Noel receives a C on a paper and threatens Ezra to try to get a better grade. Ezra is upset and pulls away from Aria out of concern. He asks her who else knows about them and she lies and tells him that only Noel knows when, in fact, she told Emily, Spencer, and Hanna too. Spencer's boyfriend, Alex, tells her that he has the chance to play professional tennis in Switzerland but he isn't interested in applying for a spot, to her disappointment. Before the party at Hanna's, Emily's parents invite Maya over for dinner to meet her. Emily's dad is much more accepting of Emily's and Maya's relationship than Emily's mom is, who winds up crying in the kitchen and telling Emily that it makes her sick. Maya doesn't want to go to Hanna's party, so Emily goes alone. On her way there, she sees Toby outside of his house. They have a brief conversation revealing that they can't trust each other. After Emily leaves, Jenna comes outside and reveals to Toby that she turned him into the police so that she could bail him out and then he'd be on house arrest and at home with her. He's upset by this. Noel shows up at Hanna's surprise party and she has a flashback to when Alison purposely broke Noel and his girlfriend up so that he would be available for Aria. Lucas also comes to the party even though he hasn't responded to any of Hanna's emails. She wants to study with him but he isn't interested because he's still upset that she put him in the friend zone in the last episode. Lucas picks a fight with Sean, Hanna's boyfriend, but Noel steps in to prevent any actual violence. Hanna goes outside to talk to Lucas who is very upset about how is being treated and reveals that he destroyed Alison's memorial because she was a monster to him in junior high. Hanna tells him that she won't say anything or turn him in but he's still upset and leaves the party. Alex leaves early too when he finds out by email that someone applied for him to the tennis program. He assumes it was Spencer but she denies it. He doesn't believe her. She then gets a text message from A that says A submitted the application. When Spencer gets home, her dad says that he found out that police found Alison's blood at Toby's house, so he thinks Toby will be arrested again. Spencer then discovers a tag on one of Ian's bags from a resort in South Carolina. She has a flashback to when Alison came home from a supposed trip to visit her grandma in Georgia and had the same tag on her luggage. After the party at Hanna's ends and her mom comes home, they discover that the money in the lasagna box was stolen. Her mom is very upset. Hanna finds some of the money in one of her pill bottles with a note from A that she'll get all of it back if she cooperates with A. The episode ends with black gloved hands stuffing all of the money into a clown piggy bank.

 

As usual, I really enjoyed this episode. My favorite scene was between Hanna and Lucas when he revealed that he destroyed Alison's memorial. I loved the emotion of the scene and I love the friendship between them. It's unusual but somehow it works and you get the sense that they are meant to be together, if only as friends. I am really glad that Toby came back for this episode. I wish the scene where he talked to Emily had been longer but I have a feeling we'll get to see more of them together in future episodes. Again, another unusual friendship that I really like. The Aria and Ezra relationship (Ezria) has gotten a bit boring. They are so afraid to be together now since people have found out that it ruins the chemistry between them. I wonder if they will wind up breaking up soon out of fear. Now I think that A is Jenna or Ian and Melissa together. Originally, I suspected Jenna as A but then it didn't seem like it could be her but now I'm back to thinking maybe it is. Another likely possibility is Ian and Melissa as a team. In the last episode, Hanna mentioned that A could be more than one person. I think that was a big clue, especially since now Spencer is discovering that Ian and Alison were together because of the South Carolina luggage tags. I really doubt that Noel is A. I think he is just upset that his girlfriend dumped him because of Alison and now that he's trying to date Aria, she is rejecting him for a teacher. I think he's harmless though. I'm not really on board with the Spencer and Alex relationship. I think it's lacking and they don't really have a spark. I wonder what trouble A will cause in next week's episode "Know Your Frenemies." Looking forward to it!

 

That's all for this week's PLPFS. To catch up on last week's episode and read my thoughts on it, you can click here. Don't forget to share your opinions with us and come back next Tuesday for another recap and discussion of PLL.

Better lock it in your pocket, taking this one to next week...     

 

Nancy

Stories from the Hart: Leaving Lucas, Part 1

Leaving Lucas by Shannon Hart

Part 1

I stared at the blank page for hours. It was as if the white lined page that came out of my favorite notebook was looking back at me, mocking me for not knowing what to write. It was annoying the heck out of me. I was stuck. Completely and utterly stuck.

I sighed.

With only a few hours left before my flight, I had to write something – anything – but I had absolutely no idea what to write. I didn’t even know where to begin.

Thanks a lot, Lucas.

This – my state of blankness – was happening all thanks to Lucas. This was his fault, not mine.

What was I thinking – trying to leave him a cowardly note?

Yes, that’s right – a note. Why? Because I didn’t know how else to tell him.

I was perfectly fine a few days ago. My mind was set. I had my tickets booked online, my new job waiting for me over in Atlanta, my new apartment – furnished and all – waiting for me to move my stuff into, and my stuff already partially taken away by the movers and some taken to be stored in my sister’s attic.

Two weeks ago, I watched Lucas move his stuff out, pack all of it into an oversized van and watched him drive the van away, taking my heart with him in the back seat. Five days ago, I finally embraced the fact that I was becoming single again and about to embark on an exciting new journey in life that involved a better career, a better paycheck, and definitely a better chance of finding a steady, long term relationship that would hopefully develop into marriage and kids five or six years down the line. You know, with a guy who wasn’t so insecure and intimidated by my career; a guy who loved me enough to want to pack up and move anywhere in the world with me because the job offer I got was just way too good to pass up; a guy who would at least give it a try before completely dismissing the idea.

And maybe, as a bonus, he’d have less of a short fuse too. That way, I could actually try and to talk to him like civil human beings instead of fight our way through discussions any time a big decision needed to be made.

So, in other words, I wanted to be on the lookout for a guy who was the complete opposite of Lucas.

What was I thinking – trying to make him turn his life upside down for me?

But when I found him sitting on the cold steps in front of my building yesterday morning, everything that I thought I had decided became uncertain again. By simply pulling out a red box from his pocket and getting down on one knee with tears in his eyes, he undid three months worth of thinking and I was back to being just as confused as I was when I first found out I got offered the lead anchor job in Atlanta.

I didn’t take the ring, but I didn’t exactly decline the offer either.

Instead, I told him I was touched by his proposal but needed to think – because I did need to think about it and because I didn’t want to make some rash decision to accept it just because I was, or am, still in love with him.

The last twenty-four hours were gruesome.  Not only was I sleep deprived, but I had to make the hardest decision of my life.

On one hand, I wanted to be with Lucas. Oh God, did I want to be with Lucas. We had been together for five years and all I ever wanted was to build a life with him and to grow old together. He was the best thing that ever happened to me. My knight in shining armor, my sunshine; you name it – he was everything to me. The only reason we broke up was because I wanted to take the job but he didn’t want to move to Atlanta with me.

So, when he asked me to marry him and told me he’d move to Atlanta with me with tears dripping down his cheeks, I should have been ecstatic, right? Accepting his marriage proposal and starting a new life with the guy I loved desperately should have sounded like a dream come true, right?

But no, I wasn’t ecstatic at all.

If anything, it just got me thinking: Did he really want to marry me, quit his job as a head chef here and move all the way to Atlanta? Or was he doing this just because he was afraid of what life would be like if we weren’t together? Was he just trying to “keep” me because he just didn’t want to be without me?

After clutching on to my pen for hours, I finally took the cap off and started to write.

Dear Lucas,

This probably isn’t the answer you were hoping for.

I stopped writing again.  I finally had the words formed in my head, but I couldn’t bring my hands to actually write them.

Oh God, this is too hard.

Just as I took in a deep breath and tried to write again, I heard keys rattle behind me and I instantly froze.

“Katie?”

He wasn’t supposed to be here. He was supposed to be preparing for a big dinner at the restaurant he worked at.

Crap. Why is he home?

--

To be continued... What do you think of Leaving Lucas so far? What do you think will happen? Share your thoughts in the comments section. Thanks!

Book Review: Elixir

Nancy’s Review of Elixir by Hilary Duff with Elise Allen

In Hilary Duff’s Elixir, Clea Raymond is the seventeen-year-old daughter of a well-known surgeon and a popular politician. At a young age, Clea becomes a photojournalist and travels the world, camera in hand at all times. After her father disappears while on a humanitarian mission in Rio de Janeiro, Clea starts having nightmares that she can’t ignore. She seeks therapy to help her deal with the disappearance of her father, but she is still haunted by her frightening dreams.

While on a trip abroad with her best friend Rayna, Clea gets quite a scare when she thinks Rayna is caught in a building fire in Paris. Luckily, Rayna is okay, so Clea regains her composure enough to take pictures of the enormous blaze. When they return home to Connecticut, Clea views her pictures of the fire and notices a strange young man in the background. She soon finds that he is in the background of all of her photos. She is shocked to see that a stranger accompanied her on her entire trip. The man in the photos literally becomes the man of her dreams as she starts seeing him when she is awake and asleep. Clea can’t get him out of her head or her heart. When she is offered a photo assignment in Rio de Janeiro, she jumps at the chance to go there and delve deeper into her father’s disappearance. Her close friend/guardian Ben accompanies her to Rio where they come face to face with the mysterious man, Sage. Clea learns of Sage’s connection to her father and more about the Elixir of Life that her father was desperate to find prior to his disappearance. Clea soon finds herself in a love triangle as she travels with Sage and Ben to Tokyo in pursuit of the elixir.

Elixir is an exciting adventure that keeps you guessing until the last page. This paranormal love story is intriguing with beautifully written relationships. Readers will want Clea to be with Sage but also wish for more than friendship between Clea and Ben, thus creating the perfect love triangle. Rayna is quirky and supportive, necessary attributes of any engaging best friend character. Anyone who is skeptical of the writing abilities of actress/singer Duff will be pleasantly surprised. She has written a compelling, gripping story that will leave readers wanting more. The good news is that Clea’s story will carry through to a sequel. Elixir is a planned two-book series that may even continue on to more than two books. Clea’s journey is far from over. 

Duff gained popularity with a starring role on Disney’s Lizzie McGuire. From there, she went on to appear in films, TV shows, sell more than thirteen million albums, develop a clothing line for DKNY, and release a bestselling fragrance. She is also actively involved with the charity Blessings in a Backpack and was named the ambassador to the youth of Bogota, Columbia. Elixir is Duff’s first novel, which she wrote with Elise Allen. Allen is a writer of young adult and children’s fiction, as well as television and Internet programs. She blogs every Monday at The Debutante Ball, a group blog for debut authors. Allen’s debut young adult novel, Populazzi, will be released on August 1^st.

Reviewer’s Note: I have a few predictions for Elixir, a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I think it will be extended past two books and will be a three or four-book series. I also think that eventually it will be developed into a TV series that will be produced by Duff.