Ep. 137: Royal Tea for Royalty

[00:00:16] Welcome to Ink Drinkers, a literary tea party podcast where we discuss books and drink tea.

[00:00:29] Ready?

[00:00:35] What?

[00:00:37] It was such finesse.

[00:00:41] She just threw Teddy his treat in such a lovely way.

[00:00:45] I didn't even...

[00:00:46] I just like tossed it back.

[00:00:48] I thought nothing of it.

[00:00:50] So just who you are?

[00:00:52] Yes, it's just a part of me.

[00:00:56] What I was going to say was when this episode airs, I will be in Iceland.

[00:01:04] Very cool.

[00:01:06] It will be very cool.

[00:01:07] Rachelle, my friend Rachelle and Sam and their husbands are there right now.

[00:01:12] Really?

[00:01:13] Yeah.

[00:01:15] Yeah, I started trying to pack.

[00:01:18] And the guy who's planning the trip sent us an email and said these are the things you

[00:01:23] needed to pack.

[00:01:27] Aim for just a carry on in a backpack.

[00:01:29] And I was like, I'm sorry.

[00:01:31] I'm sorry.

[00:01:33] You're sitting here telling me you don't know what the weather is going to be like.

[00:01:36] It could be warm.

[00:01:37] It could be cold.

[00:01:38] You will probably need multiple layers plus a heavy coat, plus boots, plus this,

[00:01:43] plus that.

[00:01:44] Why don't you, I can ask when our show gets back.

[00:01:46] I'll ask her what she thought was needed and not needed.

[00:01:48] They're there.

[00:01:49] I mean, that's great, but I'm still saying how am I supposed to put all of this into

[00:01:53] a carry on?

[00:01:54] I don't know.

[00:01:56] I'm a bit nervous about that, but we'll see how it goes.

[00:02:00] I would be too.

[00:02:01] I feel you.

[00:02:02] I'm like, sorry, Chris.

[00:02:04] I don't think it's happening.

[00:02:05] I think I want to have a big suitcase.

[00:02:07] Plus if I put everything in a carry on, I can't bring back souvenirs.

[00:02:12] I like that.

[00:02:14] That's what you're concerned about.

[00:02:15] That is absolute.

[00:02:17] Where will all the Icelandic tea go?

[00:02:21] One of my favorite things to do on trips is to go in like crappy little souvenir shops

[00:02:26] where they sell junk and buy it.

[00:02:30] I love it.

[00:02:30] I don't know why it is a thing that I love.

[00:02:32] That would not be if someone said, does she like that or hate it?

[00:02:35] I'd go, this girl, she hates that.

[00:02:38] I would not think that.

[00:02:40] I love it.

[00:02:41] Well, this girl meaning me does not like that.

[00:02:44] Well, that's fine.

[00:02:45] I won't bring you back any junk.

[00:02:46] Thanks.

[00:02:47] But I will be bringing back junk for everyone else.

[00:02:50] I mean, I would like something.

[00:02:51] I just don't want to junk.

[00:02:53] Wait, wait, please bring me a souvenir.

[00:02:56] I'm just joking.

[00:02:57] But only for the nicest of souvenir shops.

[00:02:59] I don't need you to bring me anything.

[00:03:01] Well, hopefully I'll bring us some tea.

[00:03:03] That's all I want.

[00:03:04] That's all I want in this life.

[00:03:05] Can you just bring me the tea bags from all around the world?

[00:03:08] My dad mentioned Babington's the other day.

[00:03:11] Did he?

[00:03:11] He was like, I went off on my own and I hadn't even told him anything

[00:03:14] and he didn't know how to listen to our podcast.

[00:03:16] That is hilarious.

[00:03:17] And he was like, and I went to this.

[00:03:18] It was so cool.

[00:03:20] And I knew exactly what he was talking about.

[00:03:21] And so it's just like Babington's and he was like, that's it.

[00:03:25] He goes, I went in there and I was like, what?

[00:03:28] Where am I?

[00:03:29] And he just went on and I was like, yeah.

[00:03:31] I was like, well if you were listening to our podcast,

[00:03:33] Jamie just went there.

[00:03:34] You would have heard all about it.

[00:03:35] And he was like, oh my goodness.

[00:03:36] And I was telling mom like a specific Carney and sons

[00:03:40] tea or whatever at the beach.

[00:03:41] And he was like, is that, is that the place I went?

[00:03:44] And I was like, no, that's Babington's.

[00:03:46] And he was like, okay, okay.

[00:03:48] All right.

[00:03:48] He's like, I love that place.

[00:03:52] Oh, that is hilarious.

[00:03:55] And he never told me that prior.

[00:03:57] Like they went in 2019.

[00:03:58] So it's so random that he brought it up.

[00:04:00] It was weird.

[00:04:01] Like out of the blue, I think because I had brought,

[00:04:04] I dropped some tea off to them or whatever.

[00:04:06] And he randomly, and again, like they drink tea every day.

[00:04:09] And he randomly was just like, when I went to,

[00:04:13] like out of the blue, it was just really weird.

[00:04:15] That's so crazy.

[00:04:16] Because it happened in 2019.

[00:04:17] He never told me about it.

[00:04:18] Why wouldn't you tell?

[00:04:19] And now all of a sudden, now that I've told you about it,

[00:04:22] it comes up in conversation.

[00:04:23] That's so strange.

[00:04:24] I know.

[00:04:25] It's that weird effect that happens.

[00:04:27] Yes.

[00:04:27] But I'm not going to even try to say.

[00:04:29] Nope.

[00:04:30] Nope.

[00:04:31] Um, well I do, before we get into our books,

[00:04:35] I do feel the need to give a mattress update.

[00:04:38] Oh yes, please do.

[00:04:39] I saw your, um, I saw your post.

[00:04:42] Yes.

[00:04:42] So finally on Friday, my new mattress was delivered.

[00:04:46] I have spent two nights in it and it's still,

[00:04:51] I'm still breaking it in.

[00:04:52] So it's hard for me to say, but I'm hopeful.

[00:04:54] You're hopeful.

[00:04:55] I'm hopeful.

[00:04:56] More hopeful than you were with the last one?

[00:04:58] Yeah.

[00:04:58] The last one, I was like, what is this piece of concrete?

[00:05:04] And then you like, got in bed and you're like, oh yeah,

[00:05:06] I'm sinking into it nicely.

[00:05:09] I was also, I've been sleeping deprived for the last,

[00:05:12] really not only seven months, it's been longer than that

[00:05:16] because at the end you're like, I can't breathe.

[00:05:20] This is terrible.

[00:05:22] So it's really been about three years.

[00:05:25] I know.

[00:05:25] But you just gave her to me.

[00:05:26] And then she was like, oh, they've done it.

[00:05:27] And you're like, yeah, I mean, I could fall asleep really nicely.

[00:05:31] This mattress and I was like, oh, well, I think it's awful,

[00:05:34] but okay.

[00:05:35] Again, wrong audience, wrong time of life.

[00:05:39] I fully understand.

[00:05:40] Give me a bed.

[00:05:41] I will sleep.

[00:05:42] Anyway, the new mattress is here.

[00:05:45] It's here to stay because I have no more exchanges.

[00:05:48] This is it.

[00:05:49] Which is why I spent so much time.

[00:05:51] So is that why you're hopeful?

[00:05:53] Yes, I have to be.

[00:05:54] I don't have an option.

[00:05:56] Okay, okay.

[00:05:57] Yeah.

[00:05:57] So I'll report back in a couple of weeks.

[00:05:59] Please do.

[00:06:01] And let you know.

[00:06:02] Let me know.

[00:06:04] My mom during the whole long process of me trying to find a mattress,

[00:06:08] I was talking about a mattress that I really liked one time

[00:06:12] at the Windsor Court Hotel.

[00:06:14] And I looked when I stayed there, I looked and it was like a,

[00:06:20] it was a beauty, black beauty, black beauty, beauty rest, black something.

[00:06:25] Beauty rest black, I think.

[00:06:28] Anyway, so I tried that one in the store and I didn't like it as much.

[00:06:31] And she was like, well, you know, I'm,

[00:06:37] mattresses in hotel rooms are just going to be so broken in.

[00:06:40] Like think about how often those beds are being slept on.

[00:06:43] And I was like, probably the same number of nights that everyone's bed

[00:06:48] is slept on once a night every day.

[00:06:51] She's like, oh, oh yeah.

[00:06:53] Cause I didn't think about that.

[00:06:54] Like in her mind, hotel beds were slept on more often than regular beds.

[00:07:01] Yeah.

[00:07:02] The same amount of time.

[00:07:05] Yeah.

[00:07:08] Anyway.

[00:07:09] It makes you feel dirtier.

[00:07:12] Sure.

[00:07:13] Cause it's a lot of different people.

[00:07:14] Right.

[00:07:19] But the same number of nights.

[00:07:21] That's really funny.

[00:07:21] Nevertheless.

[00:07:23] So I know before we get into books, have you started and if not,

[00:07:28] do you want to start the perfect couple of Netflix?

[00:07:31] I have not, but I will at some point.

[00:07:34] Yeah.

[00:07:34] I've only watched like the first and episode and part of the second.

[00:07:39] Well, I'm in the middle of my 15 season ER run at the moment.

[00:07:43] Gosh.

[00:07:44] Good luck with that.

[00:07:45] I'm in season eight.

[00:07:46] Oh my God.

[00:07:47] Okay.

[00:07:48] So, um, after that I'll move on.

[00:07:51] Were you a Grey's fan?

[00:07:53] Yeah.

[00:07:53] Okay.

[00:07:54] Which you prefer.

[00:07:56] Oh, you can't compare.

[00:08:00] They're so different.

[00:08:02] Okay.

[00:08:03] Yeah.

[00:08:04] Cause one's like a lot of romance.

[00:08:06] Yeah.

[00:08:07] One has romance but not it's more.

[00:08:09] Yes.

[00:08:10] ER definitely has romance.

[00:08:12] I am absolutely a Doug Ross fan.

[00:08:16] May have cried a little bit when he left the show.

[00:08:18] Not really.

[00:08:18] I didn't, but I did text my friend Carrie and I was like,

[00:08:21] what is even the point of continuing to watch this show?

[00:08:24] And she goes, um, Noah Wiley.

[00:08:26] I was like, okay, fair enough.

[00:08:28] He's pretty adorable.

[00:08:29] Yes.

[00:08:29] Agreed.

[00:08:31] But Grey's is like all sex all the time.

[00:08:33] Right.

[00:08:34] Okay.

[00:08:34] So not comparable.

[00:08:35] Not in my book.

[00:08:36] Okay.

[00:08:37] I liked them both different in different ways.

[00:08:40] Got it.

[00:08:41] All right.

[00:08:42] Well, let's talk about books.

[00:08:43] Tell me about yours.

[00:08:44] Let's talk about sex all the time in my book.

[00:08:46] No, not really, but it is a rom-com.

[00:08:48] Okay.

[00:08:48] It's called The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella.

[00:08:51] Okay.

[00:08:51] She's a British author and you've read her.

[00:08:54] I adore her.

[00:08:55] I didn't know if I'd ever talked about her before.

[00:08:57] I think I've, I think I've read one of her books on this show before.

[00:09:01] I don't know.

[00:09:02] Maybe.

[00:09:04] Anyway, this one was cute.

[00:09:05] It involves like small town England.

[00:09:09] Um, the main character.

[00:09:12] I was about to say Sophie, but her name is not Sophie.

[00:09:15] It's Sasha.

[00:09:16] The main character Sasha, um, is really burnt out from work.

[00:09:21] And I was like, yeah, I can, can relate to that.

[00:09:25] Um, she's really burnt out.

[00:09:28] She's having to do like multiple people's jobs and, um, just not getting any support.

[00:09:36] And she has this one coworker who's like, oh, we all have to go in to the mood board

[00:09:43] once a week and say what our aspiration is for the, and she's like, I can't,

[00:09:49] I can't do my job and do all this stuff.

[00:09:51] And like it's just too much and I'm over it.

[00:09:53] And so she literally runs out of her office down the street and tries to join a convent.

[00:10:00] What?

[00:10:01] Okay.

[00:10:02] I was not my brain didn't go there.

[00:10:04] And that's, that's when she realizes that it's just too much and she needs a break.

[00:10:10] So she, um, her coworkers find her in the convent and bring her back and she's like,

[00:10:17] I'm done.

[00:10:18] And she leaves and she goes to this small little town, um, small little beach town

[00:10:23] that she used to go to as a child with her family for vacation.

[00:10:29] And she ends up staying at the luxury hotel there.

[00:10:33] Or what was once the luxury hotel when she and her family went to town, went to vacation there.

[00:10:40] And they never had enough money to stay at the fancy luxury hotel,

[00:10:44] but they would like get high tea there one of the days.

[00:10:47] Well, this hotel is not so luxury anymore.

[00:10:50] Um, it's pretty rundown and there's like scaffolding everywhere.

[00:10:55] And they only have like a few rooms open.

[00:10:59] So it's like her and this older couple and this one guy who she happened to run into on the train on the way there.

[00:11:09] And he's kind of awful and he made a little kid cry.

[00:11:13] His name is Finn.

[00:11:14] Oh.

[00:11:16] And, um, Finn is also there because he's, he's burnt out in a way.

[00:11:22] And he decides to get away from it all.

[00:11:26] And he goes to this hotel and, um, it's just not quite what they imagined,

[00:11:32] but, um, they are immediately enemies essentially because there's so little space for them to actually like that's how do I say this?

[00:11:47] There's so little space that's actually like habitable at the hotel that they're constantly encroaching on each other's territories

[00:11:53] and just constantly getting in each other's way and getting on each other's nerves.

[00:11:58] Um, there's a few fun little side characters in the book.

[00:12:01] There's actually a little bit of history between Finn and Sasha that they kind of didn't realize that they had.

[00:12:07] It's fun to uncover.

[00:12:09] They met when they were younger.

[00:12:12] Okay.

[00:12:12] And, um, you know, seeing their enemies turn to lovers was fun and enjoyable.

[00:12:21] Um, and the hotel staff is very entertaining because like they are trying so hard to make this like the best, most wonderful hotel ever.

[00:12:30] And it's just not.

[00:12:31] And so it just gets really comical.

[00:12:33] Um, and another fun part was that Sasha's mom like really wants her to do this like burnout process.

[00:12:41] And she's like download this app and there's 30 steps that you have to do.

[00:12:44] And it's ridiculous stuff like hula hooping and whatever.

[00:12:48] And she's like, okay, mom, okay, whatever.

[00:12:51] And one of it, one of them is like eating healthy.

[00:12:54] And so her mom keeps calling the hotel and pretending to be her PA.

[00:12:58] And she's like, oh yes.

[00:12:59] I'm Sasha's PA and she only eats these kale smoothies into the show.

[00:13:05] And I was like, what the hell?

[00:13:07] Like I'm just trying to come here and chill out.

[00:13:10] And now this wait staff keeps bringing me all this disgusting food.

[00:13:14] And I just want to pick out on like Twinkies.

[00:13:17] So it was funny.

[00:13:19] Yeah.

[00:13:19] It was some of Sophie can sell us books kind of missed the mark for me, but this one was really cute.

[00:13:24] Great.

[00:13:25] I don't know why that I guess because you said beach town made me think of my sister was talking with Lucia at the beach.

[00:13:34] And she was reading a book and it was a beach read.

[00:13:39] And Lucia says, Eacy, what are you reading?

[00:13:44] And she said, oh, it's just a book, you know, a book for the beach.

[00:13:47] And she said, what's it about?

[00:13:49] And Lisa goes, I'm like, I'm fooling with Ben and Lisa says, well, this girl, her dad died.

[00:13:56] And after he died, she found out that he had a whole second family.

[00:14:00] And then she decided to go to the beach and, you know, to deal with all of it.

[00:14:06] And Lucia was like, will you read me some of it?

[00:14:13] And then she's like, can I see it?

[00:14:15] And she goes, there's no pictures in it.

[00:14:18] And Lisa is like, no, it's not a picture book.

[00:14:20] And she was like, oh, but it was so quick.

[00:14:23] I was like, stop.

[00:14:24] I was doing, she's like, well, her dad died.

[00:14:26] And then she found out he had a whole second family.

[00:14:29] I looked at her and she was laughing like it was supposed to be funny.

[00:14:32] She was being serious, but telling that two and a half year old who's just like, oh,

[00:14:37] sounds interesting.

[00:14:39] It was very funny.

[00:14:40] Oh my God, speak foster.

[00:14:41] I wanted to see Beetlejuice over the weekend.

[00:14:43] Oh gosh, is that appropriate?

[00:14:44] I don't know.

[00:14:45] Okay.

[00:14:45] It was like him and a couple of his friends and their moms on it.

[00:14:48] And he's telling me about the movie and he's like, let me tell you about the movie,

[00:14:52] Nanny.

[00:14:52] This person died and then this person died and this person died.

[00:14:56] And I was like, oh my God, should you have seen that?

[00:15:00] He's like, it was really funny.

[00:15:02] I was like, okay.

[00:15:05] Okay.

[00:15:07] Good.

[00:15:07] Glad you enjoyed it.

[00:15:09] I don't know if all of you are seeing that one.

[00:15:12] Kids are in music.

[00:15:14] Yeah.

[00:15:14] All right.

[00:15:15] Well, I'll tell you about my book.

[00:15:17] Unfortunately, it was my least favorite Ashley post-in.

[00:15:21] Oh no.

[00:15:22] Not bad.

[00:15:23] Just, I don't know.

[00:15:25] I think I had higher hopes for it.

[00:15:27] But it wasn't a bad read.

[00:15:29] Okay.

[00:15:29] It's called A Novel Love Story.

[00:15:33] The whole premise was really, I was more drawn and then I, I don't know, I just couldn't

[00:15:39] get into it.

[00:15:40] So Eileen Mary Weather goes by Elsie.

[00:15:44] Mm-hmm.

[00:15:44] Yeah.

[00:15:45] I don't know how you get from Eileen to Elsie.

[00:15:46] Sure.

[00:15:47] Why not?

[00:15:48] Yeah.

[00:15:48] No.

[00:15:48] She just woke up and was like, I think the name Elsie is cute.

[00:15:51] And it starts with an E.

[00:15:52] So does my name.

[00:15:53] So that's what I'm going with.

[00:15:54] People are gonna call me Elsie.

[00:15:56] Yeah.

[00:15:56] Cause you would think it would like maybe her last name could some, no.

[00:16:00] Her name is Eileen Mary Weather.

[00:16:01] Hi.

[00:16:02] I'm Elsie.

[00:16:02] What?

[00:16:03] That was confusing.

[00:16:04] I don't get it.

[00:16:05] I don't know.

[00:16:06] Eileen, I, I'll see Elsie.

[00:16:09] No.

[00:16:09] I know.

[00:16:10] I don't get it.

[00:16:10] It doesn't work.

[00:16:11] Eileen.

[00:16:12] Nice try.

[00:16:14] So Elsie is an English professor at the local college.

[00:16:19] She's from Georgia.

[00:16:21] She has a accent, a little silver and accent.

[00:16:24] She and her best friend, Prue, have always, it's kind of been like the two of them and

[00:16:31] she doesn't have a whole lot of close friends.

[00:16:34] She was engaged to this guy.

[00:16:37] What's Prue's name?

[00:16:38] Like Patricia and she just decided to go by Prue.

[00:16:41] Prue tits.

[00:16:42] Okay.

[00:16:42] Well that makes sense.

[00:16:45] Um, she's dated Ian for about four years and a week before their wedding that she didn't

[00:16:53] even really want.

[00:16:54] And it was, you know, his kind of thought process that she then had to plan by herself

[00:17:00] decided at the venue while they were doing their walkthrough that he didn't really

[00:17:03] want to be married.

[00:17:04] Oh my God.

[00:17:06] What?

[00:17:07] Yeah.

[00:17:07] Rude, but also good for you girl.

[00:17:09] Get out of that.

[00:17:11] Yeah.

[00:17:11] So she was pretty down because she thought that this was it and that she found her person.

[00:17:16] They met in this really cute.

[00:17:17] But she didn't really want to marry him, right?

[00:17:19] I think that she, I think she thought that she did but really she was doing all the

[00:17:26] things that he wanted and he said, but do you actually want this?

[00:17:30] Like what do you want?

[00:17:32] And you know, I feel like you're just going through the motions of things.

[00:17:35] He could have picked about her time.

[00:17:37] Well, I mean at least they didn't get married.

[00:17:39] They didn't go through with the wedding and then be like, he did some kind of, you know,

[00:17:42] not, not great.

[00:17:44] He's not great.

[00:17:45] He's not great.

[00:17:47] She's also needed to figure some stuff out.

[00:17:51] So good thing that she didn't get married, but she's, she was a bit devastated by it.

[00:17:54] I think she had someone calls off a wedding like the day before.

[00:17:59] I tend to say good thing that they didn't get married, you know, but anyway, because

[00:18:03] it's kind of like, who does that?

[00:18:07] Clearly you shouldn't.

[00:18:08] And, and what he did too, which was pretty lousy besides other things was pretty much

[00:18:15] be like, well you planned it all.

[00:18:16] So because she was like, what am I going to do?

[00:18:18] Like all of our people coming in, there's not a refundable tickets.

[00:18:21] Like what it, you know, we're, it's a, we're a week out.

[00:18:23] Like people aren't going to be able to, you know, get refunds.

[00:18:27] And he was like, well, you'll figure it out.

[00:18:29] What a jerk.

[00:18:31] I'm over him.

[00:18:32] Yeah.

[00:18:35] So, so anyway, so it's been a year since that happened.

[00:18:39] And she's kind of just gone along with the motions.

[00:18:44] She loves to read.

[00:18:45] Obviously she's an English professor and she and Prue love to read love stories, romance

[00:18:51] novels.

[00:18:53] And she happened to be, this was years prior.

[00:18:56] She happened to be at the library and she saw a book that was misplaced in between two

[00:19:00] classics.

[00:19:01] And it happened to be the first in a series of romance series.

[00:19:05] And the author's name was Ashley Flowers, I think or something like that.

[00:19:09] That's the name of the host of Crime Junkie.

[00:19:12] I know, at least it told me that.

[00:19:13] Oh, okay.

[00:19:17] Anyways, so she's reading these novels and her friend Prue decides to look into

[00:19:26] online book clubs and find people with similar interests to them as well

[00:19:31] and trying to get her out of her funk of the whole Ian situation.

[00:19:35] So they find this online group of people who are just lovely and they're very much

[00:19:40] like them and she finds her people and they have like a weekly or monthly, I don't

[00:19:45] know what the situation is book club but they started to do an annual retreat where

[00:19:49] they all fly or drive.

[00:19:51] I guess she drove they drive to New York.

[00:19:53] She and Prue which because I think most of the people live in that area and

[00:19:57] they rent this cabin and for like a week or couple days or whatever it is,

[00:20:01] they read romance novels.

[00:20:03] This sounds like my real life group.

[00:20:06] I know.

[00:20:06] Oh my gosh.

[00:20:07] So and it's not all women.

[00:20:09] It's like two guys and like three girls or something and they just found each

[00:20:14] up, you know, like they're like connected.

[00:20:16] Yes.

[00:20:18] This brings just the biggest smiles of her face.

[00:20:21] She looks forward to it every year.

[00:20:23] I think they've done two years maybe so far.

[00:20:26] Is that right?

[00:20:26] No, she's only been broken up with a guy.

[00:20:28] Anyways, I don't know my time's timings off but this year.

[00:20:34] Prue tells her last minute that her boyfriend booked a trip to Iceland.

[00:20:39] I'm pretty sure stop.

[00:20:40] Yeah, this is my life.

[00:20:42] Yeah.

[00:20:42] Except for the whole, you know, left at the altar thing.

[00:20:44] But anyway, and you know, she totally wouldn't do it.

[00:20:49] I didn't have a crush on a guy in college named Ian.

[00:20:51] This is you.

[00:20:52] Oh my God.

[00:20:52] You're Eileen.

[00:20:53] Oh my God.

[00:20:53] You're Elsie.

[00:20:54] It's basically right about here.

[00:20:56] Well, my middle name is Elise.

[00:20:57] Oh my God.

[00:20:59] Oh my God.

[00:21:00] This is getting really weird just wait till we finish.

[00:21:07] So anyways, she tells her that that you know, it's this trip of a lifetime and really they

[00:21:14] think that her boyfriend's going to propose and so, you know, she's trying not to be

[00:21:18] too disappointed but she's disappointed.

[00:21:20] Yeah.

[00:21:20] And then all the other people end up having issues.

[00:21:23] One can't get out of work.

[00:21:24] One has to go help his sick mother who just had surgery, you know, she's like one after

[00:21:29] another they all drop out.

[00:21:31] She has been looking forward to this.

[00:21:33] This is the only thing that has kept her mind preoccupied for the last year.

[00:21:38] She has to go.

[00:21:40] Yes, she does have to go.

[00:21:41] Yes.

[00:21:41] So she decides to go by herself.

[00:21:43] Okay.

[00:21:44] She gets in her car.

[00:21:45] Good for her.

[00:21:46] She drives from Georgia to New York and she's like New York suburbs like, you

[00:21:51] know, by the way when I go to Iceland, I'm flying through New York.

[00:21:58] Oh my God.

[00:21:59] Well, he's telling me what happens in New York.

[00:22:01] I need to know what's going to happen in my life.

[00:22:04] Well, good thing you're flying.

[00:22:08] Her car breaks down in the middle of a thunderstorm.

[00:22:12] Oh no.

[00:22:13] She I hope my plane doesn't break down.

[00:22:16] She almost runs directly into a man standing in the middle of the street.

[00:22:20] Oh my gosh.

[00:22:21] She swears to miss him.

[00:22:24] She gets out covered completely drenched and she says, what are you doing in the

[00:22:29] middle of the road?

[00:22:30] And they have this, you know, altercation.

[00:22:33] He obviously hates her.

[00:22:35] She's like, I hate this guy.

[00:22:37] I'm trying to get to my destination, but this doesn't look like the way there.

[00:22:40] I took a mis-turned.

[00:22:43] They go to this diner to dry off.

[00:22:45] Her car is not working any longer.

[00:22:49] Great.

[00:22:50] She starts to look around some of the people for some reason, look familiar and

[00:22:55] she doesn't know why.

[00:22:57] Like what?

[00:22:59] Do I know?

[00:23:00] I can't know him.

[00:23:01] No, no.

[00:23:01] She keeps going on and on and on.

[00:23:03] And he, she says, well, I have nowhere to stay as their hotel and the bartender's

[00:23:08] like, oh, you know, there's no hotel.

[00:23:11] We're in this small town.

[00:23:13] The only available place is Anders who owns the local bookshop is the only one

[00:23:22] that has a loft space that is available.

[00:23:26] It's like a separate little, I think it's separate anyways.

[00:23:29] And Anders is the guy she almost hit.

[00:23:32] Yeah.

[00:23:33] So she says, where is she?

[00:23:36] Okay.

[00:23:36] All right.

[00:23:36] So she says, I'll just leave my car in the bartender says, absolutely not,

[00:23:40] not in our town.

[00:23:41] You're going to go stay at his loft space.

[00:23:43] Like there's no answer, but it's about it.

[00:23:46] Like you're not sleeping in your car.

[00:23:47] Okay.

[00:23:48] She wakes up the next day.

[00:23:52] She goes outside and she happens to be walking like in the little town

[00:23:56] and she starts talking to a woman who owns a flower shop.

[00:23:59] And she's like, why does this lady look familiar?

[00:24:02] And she says her name and it's like a weird name that like wouldn't

[00:24:06] be something normal.

[00:24:07] And she was like, your name is what?

[00:24:09] And then she starts looking around.

[00:24:12] She's in her love series.

[00:24:15] She's in the romance series.

[00:24:17] It's the town that doesn't exist in real life called a Lorten in

[00:24:21] the series that she was reading.

[00:24:23] Yes.

[00:24:23] Oh, and she realizes that these people are all familiar

[00:24:28] because she knows them from the book, but Anders is not in the

[00:24:34] books and the last book that was written in the series,

[00:24:38] the book shop was up for sale and no one had bought it yet.

[00:24:44] And he owns it.

[00:24:45] And the author of the series has recently passed away,

[00:24:50] leaving the last book in the series that she supposedly was

[00:24:54] writing at the time of her death unfinished or unsure of

[00:24:58] what's going on.

[00:24:59] And yeah.

[00:25:02] Interesting.

[00:25:03] Interesting.

[00:25:04] So the whole premise is really cool.

[00:25:05] I just, I just didn't quite hit home for it.

[00:25:10] It was good.

[00:25:10] It just wasn't my favorite Ashley Poston.

[00:25:13] Fair enough.

[00:25:14] It sounds cute.

[00:25:17] Okay.

[00:25:18] So where do I have to drive to like get to this fictional town

[00:25:23] to meet my Anders?

[00:25:28] I don't know.

[00:25:29] Everything else about this book feels like Ashley Poston has

[00:25:32] been stalking me.

[00:25:34] Now that you've told me all the similarities,

[00:25:36] I 100% agree.

[00:25:38] Well, yeah, I don't know what to tell you.

[00:25:40] I'm not really sure how you get there,

[00:25:42] but I will tell you that he has white,

[00:25:44] blonde hair and mint green eyes.

[00:25:46] Hold on.

[00:25:47] Let me pull up a picture of Ian for you because we're

[00:25:49] friends on Facebook.

[00:25:53] And do you listen to our podcast?

[00:25:55] We're talking about you.

[00:25:55] God, I hope not.

[00:25:59] He doesn't have white, blue hair.

[00:26:00] It's Elise.

[00:26:01] It's actually supposed to be Elise.

[00:26:04] It's you.

[00:26:06] He doesn't have white blonde hair,

[00:26:08] but he has blonde hair.

[00:26:10] And I don't, I think his eyes are brown,

[00:26:12] but he's cute.

[00:26:14] He is cute.

[00:26:15] Yeah.

[00:26:16] This is our Anders.

[00:26:17] This is our Elsie.

[00:26:19] We're just really, um,

[00:26:23] but he's supposed to be Ian.

[00:26:24] Right.

[00:26:25] Yeah.

[00:26:25] Ian was not the one.

[00:26:26] No.

[00:26:27] I'm waiting to find Anders.

[00:26:28] Yes, yes, yes, yes.

[00:26:29] If I meet someone in Anders,

[00:26:30] I'm going to flip out with blonde hair and mint green eyes.

[00:26:35] Yeah.

[00:26:35] Can I have blue?

[00:26:37] I'll take green.

[00:26:38] I'll take green.

[00:26:38] It's fine.

[00:26:39] Green is good.

[00:26:40] Look, look, we can't have everything that we want.

[00:26:46] Okay.

[00:26:47] No lie.

[00:26:48] If you get to this town and you find a guy with

[00:26:50] green eyes,

[00:26:50] you're just going to have to deal.

[00:26:51] Okay.

[00:26:52] Legit.

[00:26:52] If I meet someone in real life named Anders,

[00:26:54] I'm going to flip out.

[00:26:56] On your trip.

[00:26:58] Well, you're going to Iceland so more than like you're

[00:26:59] going to find someone with the name Anders.

[00:27:02] Well, I'm going to have to bring him back with me.

[00:27:05] Okay.

[00:27:07] Um, also side note.

[00:27:08] If you do, I would like a photo and a story.

[00:27:14] Well, he's coming back in my carry on suitcase.

[00:27:17] That's why you need to bring the largest case.

[00:27:19] So I can fit Anders.

[00:27:23] I will be stealing one.

[00:27:26] Oh, you don't speak English?

[00:27:27] No problem.

[00:27:29] I got a new bed for you to try.

[00:27:35] I spent a lot of time picking it out.

[00:27:40] Okay.

[00:27:41] All right.

[00:27:42] Our tea is royalty Assam by Darvills of Windsor,

[00:27:49] which was formed in 1860.

[00:27:52] And this was by appointment to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth

[00:27:56] the second crocers.

[00:27:58] I don't really know what that means, but I think,

[00:28:00] I think this is royalty.

[00:28:05] Royalty Royalty.

[00:28:07] Not royalty.

[00:28:10] Right.

[00:28:12] Royalty.

[00:28:13] Two words for royalty.

[00:28:15] Yes, exactly.

[00:28:16] You got it.

[00:28:17] Um, anyway, Darvills of Windsor have been producing

[00:28:22] tea since 1860 for over five generations.

[00:28:24] And we are the oldest established family business in Windsor.

[00:28:29] The Royal Warrant was first granted in 1946.

[00:28:33] This particular tea is a very fine blend of Assam teas,

[00:28:37] rich, multi and full of flavor.

[00:28:42] It's okay.

[00:28:46] After all that, it's okay.

[00:28:49] Now I like it as like just a standard like morning.

[00:28:53] Yeah, it's pretty basic morning tea just to start your day.

[00:28:57] I don't know if I would classify it as Royalty.

[00:29:03] Well, I didn't make that distinction.

[00:29:05] I'm just saying if someone asked me,

[00:29:09] would you serve this to a king and queen?

[00:29:12] I don't know that it would be my my chop choice.

[00:29:15] Well, apparently her Majesty Queen Elizabeth appointed them.

[00:29:19] Yeah.

[00:29:19] Okay.

[00:29:19] So I'm wrong.

[00:29:20] Maybe they maybe maybe our tea preferences aren't the same.

[00:29:25] Maybe I am not royal enough for Royalty.

[00:29:28] I like it and I am something like 10 relations removed from the Queen of England.

[00:29:35] So, oh, well then I that must be why I like it is because I'm related to the

[00:29:41] because you are Royalty.

[00:29:43] So you like Royalty.

[00:29:45] Exactly.

[00:29:45] Yep.

[00:29:46] You got it.

[00:29:47] Okay.

[00:29:48] That was a lot of time saying that.

[00:29:50] Okay.

[00:29:50] So cheers.

[00:29:53] Cheers.

[00:29:55] Thanks for listening.

[00:29:56] Be sure to check out the show notes for the full list of books we discussed today.

[00:29:59] You can find that in your podcast app or on our website,

[00:30:03] inkdrinkerspodcast.com.

[00:30:05] And please support us by subscribing anywhere you listen to podcasts and leaving a review.

[00:30:10] You can find us on Instagram and on Twitter at inkdrinkerspod.

[00:30:15] Cheers.