Ep. 123: Positivity Only

[00:00:04] Welcome to Ink Drinkers, a literary tea party podcast where we discuss books and drink tea.

[00:00:30] Try that again. Hello! Hello! It was still really loud. It's fine. Hi everyone. Um,

[00:00:39] I need to give Teddy a treat before we start so he leaves us alone.

[00:00:43] And Jamie just made us a breakfast treat. Uh, delicious cinnamon rolls.

[00:00:49] And I just would like for you all to know that Marissa is having a rough week and I listened

[00:00:57] to a good 20 to 30 minutes of frustrations and I just want to tell you all that you're welcome

[00:01:06] that I got it all out of her before we began. Yes, my apologies. She's spilling one thing after

[00:01:13] another this week. Um, and I needed to vent. Only positivity on here. I'm good with that.

[00:01:22] Uh, quick programming note though. We will be taking off the week of Memorial Day,

[00:01:29] so you will not have an episode from us next week, but we will be back in your ears

[00:01:36] right after that. In your hearts. In your ears, your hearts, your minds. Uh, the very following week

[00:01:45] we hope that you do okay and don't miss us too much. And for anyone missing our joint

[00:01:51] read segments, we'll have a joint read for you for the first time in 2024. Is anyone

[00:01:58] missing those? Or is it just Marissa that likes doing them?

[00:02:05] You don't like doing them? I feel like the episodes are much shorter when we only have

[00:02:10] one book to talk about. Okay, okay. I could see that. I could see that. But I feel like the

[00:02:15] conversation is more... Oh, I'm not saying I don't enjoy the conversation. What if we do,

[00:02:22] this is more work for you, well and more work for me. What if,

[00:02:27] what if we start a Patreon and our Patreon episodes are joint reads and then we can discuss

[00:02:36] like the full... We can go through the ending and everything. Like it will be spoilery episodes.

[00:02:43] I'm into it. Okay. And then people pay us money.

[00:02:47] Sure. I'm sure like two people would do it.

[00:02:55] Okay, we can yeah. We'll work it out. We'll think about it. Yeah, sounds good.

[00:03:00] Food for thought. Yes indeed. Um okay. Are we here to talk about books or what?

[00:03:08] Marissa's had a week. Well that was more of like an excitement and I came off a little snarky,

[00:03:18] but I meant it like well let's get into it in a positive fun happy way. But the way you looked

[00:03:23] at me it was like we were about to fight. Tell me about your book now. Actually you're up

[00:03:30] first so you tell me about yours. So unfortunately I did not love this book.

[00:03:34] I said only positivity. But after I looked at reviews people loved this book. So maybe my week

[00:03:42] was really rough and there were spots in my brain where I just would listen to it and be like

[00:03:48] I didn't. And do now? Yeah so maybe it's not the book. Maybe it's just you okay. Maybe it's

[00:03:54] just me. So my book this week is This Summer Will Be Different by Carly Fortune.

[00:04:00] This is the one that takes place on PEI. Yes which is why I was really excited to talk to you

[00:04:04] about it because I was like this is gonna be great. She's gonna love it. Did you read it?

[00:04:08] No I haven't read it yet but yesterday was the release of the Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer

[00:04:15] Reading Guide and this was one of the books in it. Okay. And I don't keep up with Carly

[00:04:20] Fortune because I've only read one of her books. And you weren't crazy about it. And it was

[00:04:23] fine. So I didn't know that this was coming out and I was like oh okay another Carly Fortune

[00:04:29] book. And then she said Prince Edward Island and I was like I have to read this. I know I thought

[00:04:32] I was gonna come on here and just blow you away and be like you have to read it. It's your

[00:04:37] favorite place. And it was fantastic. And it just fell flat for me. I don't know again

[00:04:42] I don't know why. It's just something like it had all the makings for a great romance. Yeah.

[00:04:48] Story. Great backdrop. I just did. Backdrop? Yeah like the like. Like a setting. Yeah like

[00:04:57] the setting was great. But when you say backdrop I just think of like oh photography. Sure.

[00:05:04] I don't know something about the characters I just couldn't connect.

[00:05:08] That's kind of how I felt when I read the only book that I've read of hers. I didn't really

[00:05:13] connect with the characters but. And I loved the first one. The second one I was okay with

[00:05:17] her second novel and every all of them are like by a lake or like by water. Right. And

[00:05:22] they're all set in Canada. In different locations. But I don't think I realized that.

[00:05:30] I'm almost positive they're all set in Canada. I'm not doubting you. I'm just saying I didn't.

[00:05:34] Yeah. So the main character is Lucy and she is best friends with Bridget who is her college

[00:05:45] roommate and they just hit it off and Lucy doesn't have like a ton of friends and she's

[00:05:51] not really close with her parents and I think she has a brother. They just don't have like

[00:05:55] a great family dynamic but Bridget's family is just really welcoming and wonderful and she

[00:06:02] ends up over time you'll see like that relationship and how that works where she

[00:06:07] feels like she's part of the family. She does have a aunt who is single and has never been

[00:06:13] married who owns a flower shop and she spends summers with her. I'm already enjoying this.

[00:06:20] I know. And she falls in love with the aunt's business and when the aunt decides to retire

[00:06:27] she takes over the flower shop so in present day she owns a flower shop and it's just it has all

[00:06:32] the feel like all the feel good. Yeah. So the premise is that she Bridget they're in college

[00:06:40] this is in the past like five years in the past and Bridget invites her to Prince Edward

[00:06:46] Island where she and her family live for the summertime and she had a Bridget had an interview

[00:06:52] and so she was going to catch a different flight or something like that and then she

[00:06:55] ended up being delayed and so when Lucy gets there she goes and has lunch at like a random

[00:07:03] I don't know just a little bar restaurant place and she sits at the bar and of course

[00:07:09] the guy checking the oysters is really hot and they kind of pick up a conversation and

[00:07:15] one thing leads to another and she ends up going home with him. Oh. And she and this isn't like a

[00:07:25] giveaway but she after after the hookup realizes that she's in Bridget's family home.

[00:07:35] Oh no that was her brother? Yeah. Oh. And the rules that Bridget set it was like three

[00:07:42] rules and the last one was don't fall in love with my brother. Oh. Because she had a best friend

[00:07:49] who was engaged to her brother that like she grew up with and the girl ended the relationship

[00:07:55] and it devastated the brother and then they weren't friends anymore so that was just like

[00:07:59] a funny like also don't fall in love with my brother and so yeah. Oh my gosh. Yeah so um

[00:08:08] mm-hmm so over this five year period Lucy is going back to Prince Edward Island at times.

[00:08:15] She oh and the reason why she didn't know is because his name is Felix but Bridget has

[00:08:22] nicknames for everyone so she's Lucy but she calls her Bee and she calls her brother Wolf

[00:08:29] and so she always knew her brother as Wolf as this nickname so she never heard Felix because

[00:08:34] she never said. Well you know what this is all Bridget's fault then. Yeah so anyways

[00:08:40] so the story basically is all of these summers or fall or whatever leading up we hear the

[00:08:47] backstory of whenever she goes and visits Prince Edward Island and the interaction she

[00:08:51] has with him basically lying or withholding information from Bridget and where we are in

[00:08:59] current day is that Bridget is supposed to be getting married in a week. Lucy is doing her

[00:09:03] flowers for the wedding. She's also her maid of honor and she's playing her maturette party.

[00:09:09] She has a lot going on with work she's very stressed out and Bridget just takes off and

[00:09:14] texts her and it's like um I'm in Prince Edward Island I just decided to leave they live in

[00:09:19] Toronto and I need you and she won't explain anything she gets there she will not discuss

[00:09:26] anything about the wedding they don't even know if the wedding is going to like happen

[00:09:31] she won't explain anything she's starting to feel really guilty that she never told her about

[00:09:36] the situation with Felix there's always still something there and Bridget is kind of picking

[00:09:41] up on things um so I'm gonna leave it there of what of what's going to happen with that but

[00:09:48] it's just kind of I just didn't I don't know why I didn't feel connected to the characters.

[00:09:53] Bridget kind of aggravated me because she wouldn't tell them what was wrong and she just

[00:09:57] refused to discuss it and they were telling her you have people flying in from out of the

[00:10:01] country for the wedding like it's kind of rude to not give them a heads up if it's you're not

[00:10:05] gonna go through with this your wedding's in a week Lucy's trying to purchase the flowers for

[00:10:10] your wedding like there's just all these things and she was just like I am not discussing it

[00:10:14] it just felt kind of bratty so I didn't love her character that is really annoying

[00:10:19] Felix was great like he's hot and the relationship's like you know steamy and that

[00:10:25] I just I don't know I just couldn't connect and again I had a rough week

[00:10:29] so maybe it's not this book because everyone was like this is such a feel good the setting was so

[00:10:34] wonderful makes you want to go straight there you know like and I get all of that I don't know

[00:10:39] I don't know prove me wrong yeah but you don't like you're not you're not crazy about

[00:10:44] about this author so I don't I just really thought that it would be a little bit more

[00:10:50] my speed and for some reason it just didn't it didn't hit well we'll see because I am

[00:10:54] definitely gonna read this one okay and so I will report back and let you know please do

[00:10:59] and it does sound the way you're describing it I'm like this sounds so good I really want to

[00:11:04] read it I know it's okay Marisa I know it just was kind of a bummer well I'm very

[00:11:11] sorry about that maybe I need to reread it at a time where where I have a little less of

[00:11:17] a heck of a week give it another chance well I really did enjoy my book and I didn't expect to

[00:11:25] so kind of the opposite of your situation right it's called just some stupid love story by

[00:11:30] Caitlin Doyle and it's not out yet it comes out on June 4th and I got a free advanced

[00:11:38] listening copy through Macmillan audio so thank you for that so the description says

[00:11:45] for fans of Emily Henry so yeah like okay well I'll probably enjoy this yep um and it's this is

[00:11:52] also a debut the reason I didn't think I would like it is that it's about a screenwriter

[00:11:57] and you know how I get with movie world whatever but it wasn't like too entrenched

[00:12:02] in that world um it was very like on the periphery so it didn't bother me at all so

[00:12:08] the main character Molly Marx is a screenwriter and she's written a couple of like rom-com hits

[00:12:15] um but lately like she's just been struggling her stuff isn't selling

[00:12:23] she like gets tied to a big actress and then the actress cuts it off it's just things just

[00:12:28] aren't really going well for her um and then our main our main male character is Seth

[00:12:35] so the story starts off at a high school reunion and so Molly lives in Los Angeles now

[00:12:44] and Seth lives in Chicago but they're from Florida originally so they go back to Florida

[00:12:50] for this high school reunion and by the way I forgot to mention they dated in high school

[00:12:56] um and so but she broke it off just kind of like out of the blue we're done at the end of

[00:13:05] high school it yeah I think it was towards the end um she was just done with the relationship

[00:13:11] and cut it off but Seth in his own words has still been carrying a torch for her all of these years

[00:13:19] so when he sees her he you know tries to woo her back um and she is not into it she hates

[00:13:27] parties to begin with she does not want to be at this high school reunion she does not want

[00:13:31] to be talking to Seth um but they end up going back to his hotel room together

[00:13:40] or wherever it is I guess it's a hotel room I do not want to see you but I will but I will screw

[00:13:45] you uh well I guess if we're here may as well take advantage of the situation um yeah honestly

[00:13:56] I can't remember exactly how that bit plays out because it was at the very beginning of the

[00:14:00] book probably alcohol I don't know and I did read this a little while ago um

[00:14:07] anyway so she is obviously like look this was a one night thing we're not this is not happening

[00:14:12] again and he says I bet it is and I know that sounds creepy sorry it's not a creepy thing

[00:14:22] let me hold on let me back up a little bit they make a bet not about them having sex again

[00:14:28] they make a bet they're kind of looking around at all of the couples at their reunion

[00:14:34] god I am doing a terrible job explaining this book I'm so sorry I forgot to mention that he's

[00:14:37] a divorce lawyer oh okay and so they are looking around at all the couples and she's saying I'm a

[00:14:46] romance writer I know romance and love and weddings better than you do she's you say she

[00:14:51] was a romance writer yes she's a rom-com screenwriter so that's right yeah I'm screaming

[00:14:55] um and she's super jaded by it meanwhile he the divorce lawyer is not at all jaded by it

[00:15:03] and he's like well I kind of think that I probably know relationships better than you do

[00:15:09] so they make a bet they pick five couples at the reunion

[00:15:14] and say which ones are still going to be together by their next reunion the next reunion

[00:15:20] in five years yes okay so one of so they each like go back and forth getting to like pick couples

[00:15:31] teddy's being so sweet with marissa right now um okay so they each go back and forth getting to

[00:15:37] like pick couples and um at the end she's like all right well you you can have the last one

[00:15:44] and he picks the two of them and he says we're gonna be together by our next reunion

[00:15:48] okay okay okay okay okay okay okay okay okay okay okay okay okay okay okay okay okay okay okay okay

[00:15:53] all right so the thing that I really liked about it is it doesn't just happen quickly like it takes

[00:16:02] years for them to find is it a five year it's a 10 year I can't remember if it's five or

[00:16:06] two I think it's a five year okay but uh or maybe it's I don't know anyway it doesn't matter

[00:16:12] they she kind of realizes that maybe she actually does still have feelings for him

[00:16:17] but their timing just keeps being off and obviously like she lives and like they live

[00:16:24] very far away from each other and so it's just really difficult for them to kind of sync up

[00:16:29] and at one point like he's in a relationship and so when she finally realizes she's into

[00:16:34] him you know whatever um but I really like that because it was it's more realistic to me

[00:16:39] than like in two weeks you fall in love and you're together forever for sure yeah so this

[00:16:43] was a years-long thing there was genuine conflict um it was really it was really really good and I

[00:16:52] just yeah I wasn't expecting that like I wasn't expecting it to be so good well I'm so glad

[00:16:57] and I really enjoyed it yeah well Emily Henry I know it really does now that I think about it

[00:17:04] I didn't I actually didn't read that description before I read the book but now like thinking

[00:17:08] back like it is so Emily Henry because her stuff takes place over years sometimes

[00:17:13] and is really just the characters are really in depth and it was very Emily Henry so looking

[00:17:18] for more from this author in the future absolutely perfect absolutely all right Marissa chose our tea

[00:17:26] today and even though it's very similar to what we always drink she needed a little comfort

[00:17:33] after the week that she's had so we're drinking creme brulee earl gray from plum deluxe

[00:17:41] what do you is it good it's what you wanted I think it's good it's not um I think I liked

[00:17:48] last week's earl gray better I can't remember oh the Paris yeah Teddy please quit hitting

[00:17:55] the table and making noises in the microphones I'm just gonna set him down he's fine okay okay

[00:18:01] um yeah I think I liked Paris better because it was a little more bold in flavor but this is

[00:18:08] soothing and good yeah agreed um so let me tell you about it it is black tea with orange peel

[00:18:14] jasmine flowers blue corn flour bergamot oil and vanilla extract and to be honest I was a little

[00:18:21] nervous about it because it does not smell great it smells a little um like uh fermented

[00:18:30] I didn't smell it ahead I know I purposefully didn't say anything because I didn't want to

[00:18:34] like cloud your judgment okay so I'm glad that it tastes good and I'm glad that you like it

[00:18:41] and I'm glad that um we got to talk about books me too well I hope that everyone has a really

[00:18:48] fun and safe memorial weekend coming up and I'm looking forward to getting back on the mic

[00:18:55] and discussing more books with you yeah I can't wait thank you for taking time out of your

[00:19:00] busy and crazy week to discuss books with me cheers cheers thanks for listening be sure to

[00:19:06] check out the show notes for the full list of books we discussed today you can find that in

[00:19:10] your podcast app or on our website ink drinkers podcast.com and please support us by subscribing

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[00:19:22] twitter at ink drinkers pod cheers