Top Five Christmas Songs

There are a ton of Christmas songs out there and while some are good, I get annoyed by most by the time Christmas actually rolls around. To keep myself in the correct mood, the following are my top five favorite Xmas songs.

1) Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt

There are numerous versions of this song out there and none come close to how amazing Eartha Kitt is. So saucy and sassy and hot. Definitely my favorite.

2) Baby, It's Cold Outside from Glee

I know that some people have a problem with this song, but it is fun and entertaining and the Glee version is my favorite. Think of it as a romance novel!

3) 12 Days of Christmas by Bob and Doug McKenzie

I like this song mainly because it reminds me of listening to it on record at my grandma's house every year. Also, back bacon!

4) All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey

This is literally the only Mariah Carey song I like. And I especially like it when hockey players are dancing to it.

5) Los Peces en el Rio by Manheim Steamroller

 I like this for two reasons. I really enjoy Manheim Steamroller and I learned all the words (in Spanish) in high school.

Honorable Mention:

My friend Sarah introduced me to this song last year because I had never heard it/heard of it. It is made of crack and wonderfulness!

Midweek Mancandy: Benedict Cumberbatch (Again!)

We decided (independently but on the same day, because our brains are connected, apparently) that we want to revive Midweek Mancandy, our blog feature when we feature hot celebrity dudes every Wednesday. This week is a bit of a cheat - it's a guy who is in the news right now, but we've already featured him once (back in July 2011). Still, he rocks, so ... 

This week's Midweek Mancandy is ... BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH!

Cumberbatch, best known for being AMAZING on BBC's "Sherlock," is in the news right now because he's playing the yet-unnamed villain in May 2013's "Star Trek Into Darkness."

(Photo from here, related to this article. 

Click for bigger, for maximum Benedict Cumberbatch studying!)

Cumberbatch, as I said, made his name here in America as Sherlock Holmes on BBC's "Sherlock," (which ran on PBS' "Masterpiece Mystery") and he amazed us with his unique brand of hotness. He's downright otherworldly, actually. It's the cheekbones, which you can see much better in this photo of him has Sherlock Holmes:

 

(Photo from here. Also, yum.)

 

The words we used last time were "exotic," "unique" and "enticing," and it definitely still fits. Plus, now we're going to see him in what looks to be a very different role in "Star Trek Into Darkness," and, trust us, we're freaking out!  Hopefully he'll take his energy, unique look and excellent acting skills and bring to life whoever he is playing in "Star Trek."

What do you think of Benedict Cumberbatch? Who would you like to see us feature on Midweek Mancandy? Sound off in the comments!

Waiting For "Star Trek"

By now, everybody who's even remotely nerdy has seen the "Star Trek Into Darkness" trailer about 700,000 times.

Though, if you somehow missed it, here it is:

Heck, I just watched it again as I went searching for it, because OMG.

It's probably a good thing, honestly, but there isn't much to go on there, as far as figuring out what the hell is going to happen in the movie. I mean, we see all the main characters, except Chekov (off drinking some vodka, no doubt), and we get several glimpses of Benedict Cumberbatch as the new villain.

BUT WHO IS HE? Is he Khan? Gary Mitchell? Garth of Izar? Paramount called him John Harrison, but they also said that he's an original series character from canon, and there is nobody named John Harrison. That's a red herring, of course. I wonder how long we'll have to sit through the movie before his true identity is revealed.

We don't see Peter Weller, who is rumored to be playing a mentor of Cumberbatch's character. Who could he be!?

A teasing tidbit came out today that there is somebody in the trailer who was in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," but it's not Khan. However, the blond woman played by Alice Eve is none other than Dr. Carol Marcus, a scientist for the Federation and the mother of Kirk's son - at least in the original timeline (this is all alternate timeline, remember).

I'm interested to see what other information comes out about "Star Trek Into Darkness" between now and May 17. On one hand, it seems inconceivable that we'll go 5 months without information about the movie leaking, but J.J. Abrams is pretty notorious for secrecy. It would be great to walk into the theater not knowing who the villain is!

All I know is, I can't wait to see "Star Trek Into Darkness." I loved the 2009 movie - as a huge original series fan, I didn't think there was any way that modern actors could come CLOSE to the original actors, but they did a great job - and every time I read about the new movie I get a big tingle of excitement!

What do you think? Who do you think Benedict Cumberbatch and his magnificent cheekbones are really playing? Do you think we'll make it to May without knowing for sure? And what do you think about Dr. Carol Marcus' appearance in the movie?

Pop Tarts Book Club: When Beauty Tamed the Beast

It's time for another installment of the Pop Tarts Book Club. This time, we read "When Beauty Tamed the Beast" by Eloisa James. Spoilers ahead, of course.

The cover. Read more from Eloisa James at her website, here.

Synopsis: Beautiful Linnet Berry Thryne starts out "When Beauty Tamed the Beast" as a ruined woman. She's been flirting with Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, so when she pukes at a musicale after eating a bad prawn, then shows up at a party in a gown that makes her look pregnant, she's screwed, even though she hasn't been, well, screwing. (It doesn't help that her late mother was notorious for having lovers that were not her husband.) Prince Augustus can't marry her, since he's a royal duke (and, perhaps, a royal ass), so Linnet's father and her chaperone hatch a plan to marry her off to a so-called beast - Piers Yelverton, Earl of Marchant. He lives in a castle in Wales, working as a doctor and being generally foul-tempered. He has a terrible leg injury, which reportedly also left him immune to the charms of women. Piers challenged his father, the Duke of Windebank, to find the perfect woman, and his father finds him Linnet - who he also believes is pregnant, which would give him an heir even though his son can't give him one.

Linnet journeys up to Wales to meet her husband-to-be, and they almost immediately agree that they don't want to get married. However, she sticks around and starts to get to know Piers. They go swimming together - the pain in Piers' leg is only helped by swimming in a beautiful salt-water pool overlooking the ocean - and Linnet gets to know a few patients and changes a few things at the makeshift hospital - she sees the value in allowing family members to visit and other human things like that.

Also in the middle of all of this, Piers' beautiful French mother, who is divorced from Piers' father, shows up to meet Linnet, and Piers' parents flirt and fight.

Of course, Linnet and Piers can't help but enjoy each others' company, not to mention noticing that they are two very attractive people. After much flirting and fighting and swimming, they get caught in a storm while they're swimming and have to dash to the guardhouse. Pretty soon, they have sex - turns out that Piers isn't impotent after all! He just made that up to make his father feel bad because his father injured his leg while he was hallucinating on opium! - and soon they're doing it all over. They still say they don't want to get married, and that they're only playing, but things are more complicated.

Things get even more complicated when Piers realizes that a patient has scarlet fever, and that it's starting to spread. He kicks his parents and Linnet out of the castle, and tells Linnet that it's over between them. Linnet gets in a carriage to go back to London, while Piers' parents shack up in the guardhouse. Unfortunately, Linnet has already caught scarlet fever, and when she shows up at an inn with the fever, she is put in a chicken coop by an innskeeper and slips near death. Once the epidemic is under control at the castle, Piers realizes that Linnet had been dancing with someone who came down with scarlet fever, and he is sure that she has the fever too. He takes off on a desperate search, realizing that he wants to marry her after all. He finds her in the chicken coop near death, kicks the innkeepers out and drags Linnet upstairs to begin caring for her. After a tough, dramatic night, Linnet begins to recover, but she has horrible scaly skin and scabs. For about a week, Linnet won't see Piers because she's ashamed of how she looks, so he brings her to the pool. She is still embarrassed, but Piers tells her that he loves her for her wit and personality, not just her beauty. The saltwater helps the scabs fall off, they reunite and all is right with the world.

Kel's Thoughts: I sped the hell through this book I loved it so much. Linnet Thynne goes down as one of my top ten favorite romance novel heroines. No, she wasn't perfect, what with her epic freakout over having blisters all over her body. But I think I can forgive her for that since if it happened to me, I would probably have a bit of a meltdown also. I wouldn't probably worry quite so much about losing my looks, but I can definitely see how one would need an adjustment period. Also, she had almost died, so I think we can cut her some slack. Other than that, I loved her. She was funny and smart and had no problem standing up to Piers, who tended to be an epic dick most of the time. Plus, she was really nice and kind to everyone and didn't mess with Piers' head. Speaking of Piers, who doesn't love a House-type doctor in the Regency period? I mean, come on. In real life, I would smack him, but in romance-novel world, I love him.

I really enjoyed their relationship. An engagement before they had met, a genuine dislike of each other's personalities, a stubbornness for admitting that their dislike was not really probably all dislike. I mean, what more could you ask for? My favorite thing was right after they had sex for the first time, they went right back to arguing and not wanting to marry one another. And even after admitting to themselves (though not each other) that they liked one another, they still didn't want to marry. As I said...stubborn!

I thought the drama was really good. Obviously, you know that Linnet is not going to die of Scarlet Fever, but knowing that she has it when Piers doesn't and then figured it out...oh so good. And the scene in the Inn when Piers is carrying her and trying to nurse her and struggling...so good. So Good!

And besides that, it was a genuinely sweet and funny story. I laughed and giggled multiple times. And found myself doing little girly sighs. It was great. Exactly what I look for in a good romance novel. I occasionally have issues with Eloisa James characters being too dumb to live (Annabel from "Kiss Me, Annabel" comes to mind) or just really weak, but I thought all the characters were really good. And I absolutely loved the side-story of Piers' parents. Overall, I really enjoyed When Beauty Tamed the Beast and would highly recommend it to anyone.

Jen's Thoughts: I really enjoyed "When Beauty Tamed the Beast" as well. I thought it started out a little bit too slow - there were a lot of scenes showing that Linnet was beautiful and able to charm men, and naive, but also very smart and sassy, and lots of scenes of how much of a dick Piers is. I did like the whole aspect of Piers being basically Dr. House in regency times. He was a pretty great character, and I liked his various layers - his issues with his parents, his injury, his interest in medicine, his stubbornness in not letting patients die ...

Once the book sped up, it really sped up and I couldn't put it down. I loved them getting caught in the guardhouse, and all the "playing" thereafter, and then Linnet getting scarlet fever and Piers having to save her. Apparently I like the medical drama subplot of historical romances - most of my favorite romance novels have somebody getting a fever or an injury or something - and this had a good one! It was especially great to see Piers trying to save Linnet the first night in the inn. It was sweet and dramatic and just plain great.

I thought Piers and Linnet were a great pair. There was a lot of chemistry there, and that makes for a good book. It was nice to have two intelligent protagonists - Linnet was naive, but it was understandable since her mother died when she was young, and Piers was incredibly smart with his brain if not with his heart. They both had real, complicated personalities, which was also great. They weren't just a series of quirks, but they both seemed to be pretty well thought-out. Their relationship really made sense, going from being not particularly interested in each other and then slowly, as they spent time together, falling in love. It was very romantic and fun.

I really enjoyed this book, and I, too, would recommend it. It wasn't too deep, but it was dramatic and also had a lot of very funny parts. If you're looking for a good romance novel, check this one out ASAP!

Next time on Pop Tarts Book Club: Next, we're reading "The Lady Risks All" by Stephanie Laurens, which was recommended by our mom! Thanks, mom!

Let's Geek Out Over ... "The Hobbit!"

It is LESS THAN A WEEK before the release of  "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," also known as "The Hobbit: OMG THE HOBBIT IT'S REALLY HAPPENING OMG OMG OMG!"

Here are ten reasons I am extremely excited about "The Hobbit" next week:

10. It's one of my favorite books! "The Hobbit" is a delightful novel. My grandma bought it for me when I was in middle school, and it was my very first trip into Middle-Earth. I read the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy in high school when the movies were coming out, and it was a wonderful place to escape and enjoy, and "The Hobbit" was my first foray into the world. It's also an easy, fun little read.

9. Gandalf is coming back, yo! I love Gandalf. He is one of my favorite literary characters, and he's played to perfection by Sir Ian McKellan, who I lovelovelovelovelove!

8. It has dwarves! Dwarves are cool! Pretty self-explanatory. Who doesn't love dwarves? They're tough and honorable, but also fun and funny.

7. I really loved the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy on the big screen! My friends from high school can attest - I was rather obsessed with the "Lord of the Rings" movies when they came out. I'm not quite so crazed anymore, but the movies still rank among my favorites, and seeing them rank among some of my favorite moments in the theaters (especially giggling at the hobbit orgy at the end of "Return of the King").

6. Howard Shore is doing the music again! I loved the soundtracks from the "Lord of the Rings" movies - they were epic and soaring, perfect for epic fantasy movies.

5. It's going to look fantastic! The "Lord of the Rings" movies look fantastic. They did a great job with the sets, costumes, computer effects, etc., and the technology has only gotten better with time. It's going to be great!

4. Legolas! It doesn't look like our favorite pretty-boy elf is going to be in the first movie, but he is showing up in the trilogy. I saw pictures! That is just plain fun, y'all.

3. Peter Jackson! After seeing and loving the "Fellowship of the Ring," I watched pretty much everything else Jackson has done, and he became one of my absolute favorite filmmakers. He is diverse, talented, creative and funny, and I am a big, big fan. I'm glad to see him make something else - especially something Tolkein-related!

2. Gollum! 'Nuff said, preciousssssssssssss?

1. Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins! Most. Perfect. Casting. Ever. Ever. Ever! EVER!!!! He's sweet, but has an underlying toughness, and he is absolutely adorable. Once they cast him, I knew it was going to be great.

Are you excited about "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey?" What are you most looking forward to?

Squee-Worthy Things I Saw Today: Lando, R2-D2, "The Heat" and more

The "Star Wars" sequel trilogy treatment very well may feature Lando Calrissian. If it does, that would be totally and amazingly awesome, because Lando is an utter badass. Also, I am sure Billy Dee Williams would be on board, because he is also an utter badass, and he always does voices for Robot Chicken when they do their "Star Wars" specials. Speaking of which ... did anyone else think "MORE ROBOT CHICKEN STAR WARS SPECIALS!" when you heard about the new "Star Wars" movies? Just me? Hmmm. (via Moviehole)

Speaking of "Star Wars," I am tempted to get divorced just so that my husband and I can get re-engaged with an R2-D2 engagement ring. Perhaps it could just be an anniversary present? Seems easier. (Via The Mary Sue)

Want to feel old? Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of the airing of the Seinfeld episode "The Contest" - notable because it dealt, indirectly, with masturbation. Also, because it is hella-funny. Nowadays it would be no big deal (have you watched "2 Broke Girls" or "2 1/2 Men" lately? I'm no prude but those shows are FILTHY), but in 1992 it was a big deal. (Via Romenesko)

Have you seen the trailer for "The Heat" yet? It is a buddy-cop action movie starring two of my favorite comedic actresses of all time, Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. It's directed by Paul Feig, who directed "Bridesmaids," and written by Katie Dippold, who has written on "Parks & Recreation." Watch the trailer!

And finally, I don't care who you are ... if you don't love this photo of President Obama and Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney doing the "not impressed" face together, you have no heart. You can see it here (via Twitter).

Pop Tarts Book Club: "Just Like Heaven" by Julia Quinn

For our book club selection this ... month? quarter? whatever ... we chose "Just Like Heaven" by Julia Quinn. Warning ... there are spoilers ahead.

Synopsis: Just like heaven follows Honoria Smythe-Smith, a member of the famed Smythe-Smith family - famed for holding an incredibly terrible musicale each year. The unmarried women who are old enough perform for the musicale must perform, and Honoria is one of them.

As "Just Like Heaven" opens, Honoria Smythe-Smith meets up with Marcus Holroyd, her brother Daniel's best friend from school, a man who she has known for years. Marcus, the Earl of Chatteris, is a very lonely man who spent a lot of time during his formative years with the Smythe-Smith family. However, Honoria and Marcus haven't seen each other in many years, because Daniel left England in disgrace.

Honoria and her friends plan a party and invite many eligible bachelors, including Marcus - although Honoria advises him to not to come since he hates parties. She lays a trap for another man she is chasing - a fake mole hole for her to get her foot stuck in - but, unfortunately for him, Marcus chooses that time to come find Honoria, and he sprains his ankle. By the time he gets home, one of his servants must cut his boot off and cuts him. His cut gets infected and he gets very sick.

Marcus' housekeeper lets Honoria know, and she and her mother travel to his house to care for him. He nearly dies, but when he gets better, they have a minor conflict when Honoria finds out that Daniel had Marcus watch over her when he had to leave the country. However, by then Marcus has realized that he loves Honoria, and of course Honoria loves him.

They perform the musicale, they have sex, Daniel comes back, Marcus defends Honoria's honor,  they get married. Tra la la, all is well!

Jen's Thoughts: "Just Like Heaven" is a frothy, fun little romance novel. There's not a lot of real conflict, and it's not terribly consequential. However, it's nice that neither Marcus nor Honoria have real problems that cause strife in their relationship. They come together naturally, and it's sweet. They probably should communicate more (like all romance-novel characters), but it makes sense that they don't because Marcus is shy and Honoria is embarrassed about falling in love with her brother's friend, who has known her since she was a rather obnoxious child. Honoria and Marcus are also super fun and very, very likable, which is a great after reading "Love Only Once" where I didn't really like the main characters very well. Overall, "Just Like Heaven" was a perfect light read when you're looking for something that's high on fun and humor and low on drama.

Kel's Thoughts: I really really enjoyed "Just Like Heaven". I read a lot of romance novels and most are fun and amusing, but rarely do they make me laugh out laugh. Julia Quinn makes me laugh. What I enjoyed most about "Just Like Heaven" was the relationship all the way through between Marcus and Honoria. Honoria was the youngest of her family by a lot. Her next closest sibling was Daniel, who was four or so years older than her. As adults, that isn't a big deal, but when Honoria is six and Daniel is ten, it is a stretch. Marcus is incredibly shy, but ends up hanging out with Daniel who is anything but, which means that Marcus hangs out with Honoria from the time he is ten. I liked that the love between Honoria and Marcus as adults was based on friendship instead of insta-love. It takes them both a while to figure out that what they are feeling is love and even longer to admit it to one another, but I really didn't have a problem with their lack of communication.

As Jen pointed out, most romance novel problems can be solved with the characters talking to one another honestly and usually it annoys the hell out of me when they don't. However, with Marcus especially I felt like he really would not have talked to Honoria about why he was always scowling at her when they were out with the ton. Nor would he have told her about his deal with Daniel to make sure she didn't marry anyone unacceptable. Marcus is shy and really doesn't like being the center of attention so he isn't going to call attention to himself, even with Honoria.

Another thing I really enjoyed about Marcus and Honoria is their panic. Constant panic. When Marcus is sick with a fever, Honoria has no idea what to do about it. Usually romance novel heroines magically know how to nurse a guy back to health. Honoria just sort of freaks out about not knowing what to do. And then after Marcus eventually wakes up from his fever, he kisses Honoria and they both panic. And then don't really discuss it for a while. Panic and denial! And lastly, the best thing about Honoria and Marcus is their shared love of sweets. All their fun stories about sneaking treats as kids are adorable and show that their relationship really has solid ground. And right at the beginning when Marcus saves Honoria from the rain, he has chocolate cake and the descriptions of them eating was amazing. Marcus eats his cake in two bites while Honoria savors hers, which makes Marcus eye her cake. So great.

Overall

We loved "Just Like Heaven" so much more than "Love Only Once". The characters were super likable and though it was fairly low on drama (especially since you know Marcus isn't going to die when he has a fever for half the book), it is a sweet, fun story. It also segues really nicely into the sequel "A Night Like This" which starts at the musicale that ends "Just Like Heaven". And you get to see the aftermath of Daniel and Marcus's fight from Daniel's point of view. And really, if you thought Marcus and Honoria were likable, you will also love Daniel (Kel already read "A Night Like This").

Next Time, on Pop Tarts Book Club ...

We will be reading "When Beauty Tamed the Beast" by Eloisa James. Read it, and we shall be talking about it soon!

Squee-Worthy Stuff I Saw Today: "Doctor Who," "The Walking Dead" and more

So, we haven't been blogging much, so I'm going to try a new tactic ... a daily link roundup of cool crap I've seen on the internet, with short commentary. Let's see how this works out!

The BBC and Children in Need have released a minisode prequel to the "Doctor Who" Christmas Special, and it's introduced by Matt Smith and new companion Jenna-Louise Coleman:

And, holy shit, there's also a trailer:

And BBC America has a gallery of images, which you can see here. Is it Christmas yet, and is it bad that I'm looking forward to the Christmas Special more than, say, Christmas presents?

"Last Resort" and "666 Park Avenue" may have been canceled (no big surprise there), but one of my favorite shows, "The Big Bang Theory" had all-time high ratings Thursday night, with 17.4 million viewers tuning in! I was one of them - even though my DVR situation is getting desperate, BBT always gets watched immediately. I did love last night's episode - I was touched by Leonard & Penny's exchange at the end, and I cracked up at Sheldon messing with Howard and Raj - but I was sad that Amy Farrah-Fowler was nowhere to be seen, because she cracks me up.

And finally ... Norman Reedus, who plays Daryl MFin' Dixon on "The Walking Dead," has a bitchin' "Walking Dead" Hello Kitty iPhone case. My favorite thing is the zombie ear necklace. OK, so it's a bit old (the link is from March), but I just saw it today and it made me giggle wildly. (To tell the truth, Daryl makes me giggle wildly almost every week. Love. Him.)

What do you think? Are you looking forward to the Christmas Special of "Doctor Who?" Is "Big Bang Theory" on your must-watch list? And how much do you love Daryl?

Pop Tarts Book Club: "Love Only Once" Chapter 32 to End

Reminder: This is a book club, so there will be spoilers!

Synopsis of Chapter 32 to the end

So Nicholas is woken up because Thomas is hungry and he doesn't want to wake up Regina to feed him. He takes the baby and feeds him without waking Reggie up. Unfortunately, though, Reggie believes that her passionate sex with Nicholas was a dream of some kind and doesn't believe that he actually loves her.

They get to Silverley, and Miriam tells Nicholas that she's planning a party. And what a party it is ... she invites all of Nicholas' ex-lovers! Reggie is (understandably) jealous and Reggie and Nicholas snipe at each other and just generally don't get along. At one point, Reggie catches Nicholas with Selena (from the beginning of the book) together ... Nicholas was ambushed and has no interest in anyone but Reggie, but Reggie doesn't believe that.

Then, Reggie's friend George Fowler comes to visit, and it's Nicholas' turn to get jealous. Reggie tells Nicholas she's going to leave, but as they argue, Nicholas throws Reggie on the bed and she realizes that she really wants him (remember, consent is important, kids!). They have passionate sex again, but the next morning Reggie is back to being jealous when she goes downstairs to get breakfast and sees Nicholas talking to Selena.

Reggie and Nicholas talk, and Reggie finally discovers what Nicholas' big hangup is ... that he's a bastard. Reggie is like, "Whatevs." And, as an extra special bonus, Nicholas gets to discover who his biological mother is ... his favorite aunt, Eleanor (who is going to go get married). Nicholas thanks Miriam for helping him rekindle his love with his wife and then kicks her out of Silverley. Then the Malory boys come to visit, and everybody lives happily ever after. THE END.

Jen's Thoughts:

FINALLY! That's the big thing I got out of this. Reggie and Nicholas FINALLY talked and they FINALLY worked out their issues. It was waaaaay past time. I was so frustrated when Reggie got mad at Nicholas yet again over stuff, and when Nicholas wouldn't just tell Reggie that he was worried about his parentage. I mean, seriously.

I did love the party with all of Nicholas' ex-lovers. That was extremely diabolical on Miriam's part, and I loved it. It was a good way for them to rekindle their romance, too ... the jealousy was finally enough to drive them both crazy. However, it was just overall a little annoying how long it took them to figure this all out.

And then their coming-together again was a little sketchy. I was glad that Reggie suddenly realized that she really wanted Nicholas, but if she hadn't, I would be worried that Nicholas would have barreled on ahead anyway, and that's not cool.

And then the end was just so ... neat and tidy. I liked that everybody lived happily ever after, and Miriam got her comeuppance for being a bitch, and Eleanor finally got to tell Nicholas she was his mother, but it was a little abrupt and a little too good to be true. I did, however, like the Malory brothers coming to visit and annoying Nicholas. I will probably read more Malory books, and I look forward to meeting those guys again.

Jen's Overall Opinion: While I had high hopes for Reggie as a female character and really enjoyed the Malory brothers, "Love Only Once" was just OK.

Kel's Thoughts:

The end finally got a little bit good. But I will go chronologically. Nicholas feeding Thomas without Reggie waking up...kind of weird. Reggie thinking the sexytimes with Nicholas was just a dream...frustrating. Miriam's party...very entertaining concept. Nicholas and Reggie yelling at each other...way overdue. Nicholas chasing Reggie around her bedroom...could have gone badly. Reggie's reaction to Nicholas when he tells her he's a bastard...my favorite thing ever. The ending...happily ever after.

I really did enjoy when Reggie and Nicholas kept yelling at each other. It seemed very therapeutic and long overdue. Nicholas obviously had a bad childhood and therefore doesn't handle his emotions very well. And Reggie grew up with the Malory uncles so she is no stranger to fighting. They seem like a couple whose passions run high and yelling is a good way to deal with problems. I was highly amused when Reggie told Nicholas he was being a bastard and he got overly upset about it. He says something to the effect of "See, I knew my birth would come up in all of this" and she responds along the lines of "I am calling you a bastard as in you are being an ass. Your birth has nothing to do with it". She also had the reaction that I knew she would have with finding out he was a bastard...not an issue at all, since as she pointed out to Nicholas, the Malory family already has bastards in it.

I liked the Malory's coming to visit at the end, especially when Tony and James started to gang up on Nicholas. They will continue to do so throughout the series until they meet the Andersons...who they hate more than Nicholas (something to look forward to in future books). But my favorite thing was that James and Tony never got around to really giving Nicholas a hard time because they got distracted by fighting with each other. And as a special teaser...in future books they comment upon the fact that Reggie really takes her uncles and her husband fighting. If she catches the uncles bating Nicholas, she yells at them. If Nicholas fights with the uncles, she makes him sleep on the couch. Excellent.

Kel's Overall Opinion:

I think that you can definitely tell that this was Johanna Lindsey's first book. It is a bit inconsistent and the sex scenes tend toward being a bit too forceful for my likes. I really do like Reggie, but I almost wish she was slightly older and more mature. Though then I suppose that a lot of the problems would have been solved way easier, making it a short and boring book. I think what Love Only Once did was really set up the Malory family well which does make me want to read more of the books (I've read Gentle Rogue, book 3 and No Choice But Seducation, book 9). Not my favorite novel, but definitely not the worst I've read.





Don't forget! The next Pop Tarts Book Club selection will be "Just Like Heaven" by Julia Quinn. We are both already reading it, so we will be reviewing it soon! We will be reading the entire thing at one time and writing just one recap of it, unlike what we did with "Love Only Once." We hope you join us!

"RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars" - Half-Baked? You bet.

As our three or so faithful blog readers know, I've been recapping "Dancing With the Stars: All Stars" for several weeks now. But I must confess, I am epically bored with that shit. The dancers are too good this season, and without Kel to tell me how the dances are actually supposed to go, I am lost.

But there's another all-stars show that is running on Monday nights, starting this week, that does feature something I know a little more about ... drag queens! That's right, bitches ... it's time for "RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars," and I'm going to recap it! You don't have to worry about me dropping out halfway through the season, because RPDR is the most perfect reality competition in the history of the world, and I obsessively watch it. So let's start the show!

(OK, the show was several days ago. I know this. I wrote notes on Monday night. And then, BOOM, it was Thursday night and I still hadn't blogged it. Shame.)

After each queen came astruttin' into the room, RuPaul gave us the BIG TWIST. In addition to Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve & Talent, the girls also have to have Synergy ... because they have partners! AND, when they sashay away, BOTH people have to sashay away.

I like the partner aspect, because there are many chances for great drama there. But I don't like them both sashaying away, because that means this is going to be a hella-short season of "Drag Race." WTF, Ru? I want drag queen realness for more than a month!

The partners were:

Raven & Jujubee
Chad Michaels & Shannel
Tammie Brown & Nina Flowers
Manila Luzon & Latrice Royale
Yara Sofia & Alexis Mateo
Pandora Boxx & Mimi Imfurst

Immediately, I felt bad for Pandora Boxx. She's one of my favorite queens (even though I want Latrice Mutherfuckin' Royale to win, because she's LATRICE. MUTHERFUCKIN'. ROYALE.) Mimi Imfurst, meanwhile, is totally cannon fodder, and is there simply to cause controversy. She was the one who picked up another queen during a Lip Sync For Your Life. Why, oh why, did she have to get paired with sweet Pandora Boxx? I immediately felt some dread.

Anyway, they had to produce a high-fashion photo spread with two photos - one where they were partly put together with no wigs, then a wet & wild photo that shows how the pairs are dynamically different. Also, they had to do each other's makeup.

I'll just go ahead and spoil it right now - the partially put together photos were pretty much all stunning and cool, and the wet & wild was a hot mess. The concepts were vague and kind of dumb (naughty & nice, trashy & classy) ... although I really, really, REALLY admired Jujubee & Raven for their dressed & undressed shoot, where Raven posed naked. That takes some, well, balls.

I was kind of underwhelmed by the photo shoot challenge, overall, because it's not really the super fun challenges I've come to expect from RuPaul's Drag Race. I like the campy, funny stuff like the Snatch Game. It seemed a bit serious, especially for the first episode.

Then it was runway time, with judges Michelle Visage, Santino Rice, Ross Mathews and special guest judge Rachel Hunter, a supermodel.


The runway is always fun, because I LOVE the outfits.

First was Yara & Alexis, who wore their faces on their chests. Feh. I don't like them very well so whatever.

Latrice & Manila were Teletubbies, which was hilarious and fun. They were put together well and pretty, but they were totally fun and campy too. That's what I love!

Mimi & Pandora wore neon & fur, which was a little amateur but fun, since they're campy queens.

Raven & Jujubee wore Chicago-esque burlesque outfits, which showed off the fact that they're body queens.

Tammie Brown and Nina Flowers wore basic black, but they looked fierce. (Also, side note, I missed season 1 of RPDR because I didn't know it existed, and I am VERY sad because Tammie Brown is cray-cray to the max and I LOVES IT.)

Shannel & Chad Michaels wore crazy outfits with big headdresses. LOVE. IT. Shannel called it "Birds of a feather flock together meets Dungeons & Dragons."

Rujubee & Latrila were the best of the week, and Latrice & Manila won. (They got gowns as a prize.)


In the bottom were Mandora - they loved the half-baked photo, but not the other one, and they didn't love the lime-green fur, especially since Mimi wore some around her waist in a weird, unflattering way - and Shad (WHAT!?) because they overthought their photos even though their runway presentation was FAB-U-LOUS. (WHAT!?)

One queen from each team had to lipsync, so they made it Mimi vs. Chad. Ru explained the Shemergency button, where they can tag out during the first minute of the lipsync. It can only be used once in the competition.

Well, if you've been every paying attention to this show, you know who won. Mimi reeked of desperation, Pandora didn't press the Shemergency button, and Miss Chad Michaels kicked ass in her own fabulous way because she is a classy professional, and so Mimi & poor, sweet Pandora sashayed away.

Poo. This episode was a bit of a let down. Let's make it better next week, shall we?

Pop Tarts Book Club: "Love Only Once" Chapters 23-31

Reminder: This is a book club, so there will be spoilers!

Synopsis of Chapters 23-31

A pregnant Reggie is living at Silverley, Nicholas' estate, with Nicholas' stepmother, Miriam. She's a little bored, but she also loves the solitude and general tranquility. She goes down to the lake to sketch, but decides it's too cold, but before she can get back to the house, she gets kidnapped and taken to the port city of Southampton. The kidnappers talk of using her to "catch a bigger fish." It turns out, she's been kidnapped on the orders of a captain, but she doesn't allow her captors to see her worry. Eventually, the captain walks in ... and it's her Uncle James! He has kidnapped Reggie before to take her for a little pirate adventure (much to the dismay of her other uncles), but this time he has kidnapped her for a much darker reason. He didn't realize that Reggie has married Nicholas, who is James' old nemesis. Turns out, James "thrashed" Nicholas for insults, ended up in jail and was nearly hanged for being a pirate. James escaped and arranged his death, and now he wants revenge on Nicholas and thought he'd lure Nicholas out by kidnapping his wife. Reggie also finds out that she has a cousin, Jeremy - James' son. Tony and Jason find them, and they all sort of reunite over Reggie and her plight and their mutual dislike of her husband.

Meanwhile, Nicholas is on his plantation in the West Indies. He is getting ready to go back home and try to smooth things over with Reggie, but before he can, James and his first mate, Connie, find him and take him back to England to see Reggie. They tell Nicholas who James really is (he's been going under the pseudonym Captain Hawke), but don't tell him about Reggie's pregnancy.

Nicholas comes back to his home in London to find that Reggie has redecorated and, oh yeah, had a baby named Thomas. Nicholas doubts the parentage, of course, but is also immediately attracted to Reggie once again. He also discovers that Reggie has been getting along quite well with Eleanor, his aunt, and Eleanor begs Nicholas to try to fix his marriage.

Nicholas sees Reggie and Thomas playing together and voices his suspicions, pissing Reggie off even more. They get bitchy with each other, but early the next morning Thomas is awakened by Thomas' crying and he walks in on Reggie nursing Thomas. He knows that it's his son, but he feels horrible for leaving his pregnant wife.

He decides to pack up Reggie, Thomas and himself and take them all back to Silverley, and Reggie convinces Eleanor to go, too. Nicholas realizes he needs to woo his wife again, but knows that when they get to Silverley they'll be able to sleep in separate beds. So, before they get to Silverley he makes them stop at an inn for a night, forcing Reggie and Nicholas to sleep in the same bed. He climbs into bed naked and pretends to be asleep when he throws his arm and leg over Reggie. Reggie is turned on by the contact, and, even though she thinks he's half-asleep and doesn't realize what he's doing, they have passionate sex, then fall asleep in each other's arms.

Jen's Thoughts

There are some major pluses to these last few chapters, which is nice because this book has been a bit of a slog at times, due to the idiocy of Reggie and Nicholas and their complete and utter inability to tell each other what they're feeling or be nice to each other.

As it was in the last group of chapters, the biggest plus was PIRATES! I loved finally getting to meet James Malory, his first mate and his son. Who doesn't love pirates!? I liked their talk with Reggie, but I really liked James screwing with Nicholas by not telling him about the baby.

I was also genuinely touched by Nicholas & Reggie in the nursery, when Thomas woke Nicholas up. I liked that little bit of family time, and I think it was a real step in the right direction for them. Yeah, Nicholas left his bedroom because he wanted to watch Reggie sleep (kinda creepy, dude), but I was really glad to see that genuine love for Thomas and Reggie, and his dismay at leaving his pregnant wife (even though he didn't know she was pregnant when he left). I thought that was some maturity for Nicholas.

However, Nicholas' maturity was short-lived, because then he uprooted everyone and made them go to Silverley on a whim (mostly because he was whiny about Reggie doing her thang after he LEFT HER ON THEIR WEDDING DAY), and then his trickery in getting them to have sex. I am really divided on this sex scene. On one hand, Reggie thought she was taking initiative while he was half-conscious, which is a little rapey (how often do you have women getting rapey in romance novels?). On the other hand, Nicholas was being awfully manipulative, feeling her up in bed and getting her all hot 'n' bothered. I guess that makes it OK, in a way ... especially since we know they were both secretly jonesing for each other. But still, it wasn't quite the wonderful romantic rejoining that I wanted!

Kel's Thoughts:

First, big reveal that the pirate who beat up Nicholas is James Malory! I already knew that since I read James' book (much better than this one, fyi), but still a fun reveal. Jeremy may be my favorite Malory ever due to his charm and cheek. I also thought reuniting Reggie with her family made everything better. Anytime the Malory men are fighting, I am interested.

 And I agree with Jen that it was super fun that though James went and found Nicholas like his older brother told him, he did not tell him about Reggie giving birth all so he could see Nicholas' face when he found out. Mean, but come on...Nicholas totally deserved that.

I also liked the scene in the nursery though pretty much since the wedding Nicholas has acted like a child. He keeps just doing random things (going to the West Indies, moving the family to Silverly) on a whim and is just generally mopey that things are not falling into his lap.

What I will say about this section of chapters is that Reggie has finally grown on me. I still got annoyed when she once again was playing the "I'm sad because Nicholas didn't want to marry me" since she knew that all along! However, she seems to have decided that Nicholas can be as grumpy as he wants and she is not going to worry about it. I think that speaks to a maturity that we haven't seen from her before.

I agree with Jen that the great "romantic rejoining" was not romantic at all. I'm not sure it was really rapey since Nicholas planned the whole thing...even though Reggie didn't know that. If I'm remembering correctly (from this morning when I read it...apparently I didn't pay too close attention), Nicholas was obviously awake before anything really happened. And even as inappropriate as it was, it really made me laugh when Reggie thought how she wished she were the guy so she could just straddle Nicholas and relieve her tension. She has been hanging out with the Malory men too much!

Note on book club: 

We are going to be doing the next book club differently since this hasn't really worked out as planned. We haven't been reading very fast and there isn't enough in each book to really break it down this much, so for our next book we are going to read it all and then do one book club post. Our next book is Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn. We encourage you to grab a copy and read it so you can add to our discussion which will be happening within the next few weeks. You don't want to miss it! (Again, Kel has a slight advantage because she has read the sequel...why does she read series out of order? No one is sure...including her.)

New Series Review: Arrow, Vegas, The Last Resort

I promise I have not been slacking off on blogging...I have been slacking off on watching tv! Seriously, I got two weeks behind on my DVR due to being busy and then reading instead of watching tv when I had spare time (what a librarian nerd, I know!). However, I am finally starting to catch up on the new premieres, mostly hour long dramas. My only problem is that I forgot to record one show (Beauty and the Beast), so I will have to try to find it online. But that is beside the point. Onward with today's reviews!

Arrow

Arrow is a super hero show based on the Green Arrow by DC comics. I know absolutely nothing about the Green Arrow, so it is all new to me and so far in the show nothing much has been revealed about why or how Oliver Queen is a super hero. I think he has super hero powers (like...not being able to be killed by bullets? Ninja like fighting skills? Excellent Aim?), but is also just generally bad ass. He was shipwrecked on an island for 5 years, right before which his father told him a dark secret that now motivates him to clean up the scum of the city.

I liked it. A lot. Apparently (according to my brother-in-law) the dialog is bad, but I've been watching CW shows since they were the WB so I think I am immune to it. The fighting was excellent and the show was exciting. I want to know more. I want to find out what Oliver knows and how the island made him so bad ass. I want to know if his best friend (who's name I don't remember at all) is good or bad. This is going on series record for me. It probably should for you, too. Also...John Barrowman is going to be on it at some point for some number of episodes. That makes it all worth it.

The Last Resort

This is going to sound slightly strange, but though I really liked The Last Resort, I'm definitely not going to watch it again. It was a really good show. It was exciting and has intrigue. There seems like there is a lot going on and will be exciting throughout the season. However, military and political intrigue are just so not my thing. It also is a show that if you miss an episode, you are totally going to be lost forever. I just can't handle that kind of pressure. But seriously, it was a great pilot. If it were a movie, I would really enjoy it. I want to know why the American's fired on their own ship and made it seem like it was Pakistan who shot at them. I want to know what the other branch of the military who the sub picked up know and did. I want to find out what the government is trying to convince Scott Speedman's wife that he did wrong. However, I don't care enough to watch the show again. But if military/political dramas are your thing, you should totally watch.

Vegas

I'm torn. I really liked Vegas. It is a western, set in the 1960s. It has violence and drama and fighting and awesome people. It seems like it is going to be a crime of the week show, but also have a good over arching storyline. It has all sorts of elements that I like in a show. But I have already missed the second episode and I'm not sure that I liked it enough to search it down online. With the little time I dedicate to tv viewing, I'm not sure Vegas is going to make the cut. However, you should watch it. Michael Chiklis plays the best mob-style villain ever. He so looks the part it is ridiculous. And Dennis Quaid was made to play the role of an ex-military, now rancher, now sheriff. He was so wonder and I want to see more. And Jason O'Mara is in it. And I love him so much. Again, if this were a movie, I'd buy it on DVD, but it is a tv show that will take some dedication and I'm just not sure I have the time to give. But I do feel like this is a show that deserves to stay on. I may watch it just for that reason. It is good enough that it deserves to have a chance of survival. 

Dancing With the Stars: But What I Really Wanna Do Is Direct!

So apparently, "Dancing With the Stars: All-Stars" is becoming a season of twists. This week, the so-called celebrities were the art directors of their dances. Also, there's a double-elimination tomorrow. Also, apparently they got the ideas for the dances from other "Dancing With the Stars" dances, but I missed that until about halfway through the show so there are no mentions of that in my actual recaps. Because, really? I don't think I can name one dance on "Dancing With the Stars" that made an impression on me past about two weeks.


But, anyway, they danced their little hearts out, and it was a pretty good night. Everyone did very well, with good art direction and a lot of fun dances. However, there was just something about the show that was a little flat for almost all the dances. The judges went crazy for pretty much everything, but I felt like many of the "Stars" were dragging a bit. Maybe I'm just cranky today.


Anyway, without further ado ... here are the dances!

98 Degrees member Drew Lachey & Anna Trebunskaya danced a chacha to "Crazy In Love." It was a fast, energetic dance, but it was so fast and sharp, and Anna was so energetic, that I felt like Drew was dragging a little bit. They just didn't seem terribly together, and even though it was a fine dance with a fine concept, I was underwhelmed by Drew. The judges, however, really seemed to like them, with Carrie Ann even going so far as to say that it was "tight" and "precise." I'm not sure what she was watching.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 8; Len - 8; Bruno - 8. Total: 24.

Actor Gilles Marini and Peta Murgatroyd danced a tango to "Sweet Dreams." The dance had a really strong feel to it, with Gilles starting out in a harness and soaring over the dance floor. OK, so a ballroom purist might not be impressed *cough*Kel*cough* ... but it was neat. And I liked the whole dreamy look of the dance floor, combined with the strong, clean, powerful dancing. It was a fast tango, without the sensual beauty that makes a tango, but it was a nice, well-done dance. The judges loved the performance, but Len thought the dance could have been cleaner, and Gilles had a few problems in hold.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 8.5; Len - 8.5; Bruno - 8.5. Total: 25.5

Reality TV star Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani danced something latin (I missed which kind of dance) to "Conga." The costumes and feel were very, very appropriate, and overall it was a cute dance, but I felt like Melissa was a little bit skippy - like she was skipping around with Tony instead of dancing like she should have been. However, the judges were falling all over themselves for Melissa this week, with Len calling it "satisfying" and Carrie Ann calling the technique "fantastic." I think the judges might have borrowed a little crack from Heidi & the gang over at "Project Runway.
Score: Carrie Ann - 9; Len - 9; Bruno - 9. Total: 27.

Olympian Apolo Anton Ohno & Karina Smirnoff danced a foxtrot to "Fever." This was one of my favorite dances of the night. Apolo looked dapper. Karina looked sexy. The dance was smooth and passionate. Yeah, it wasn't as exciting as all of Melissa's skipping during "Conga," but it oozed sex appeal. The judges really liked the classy sensuality of the dance - Carrie Ann even declared it "stunning" - but both Len and Bruno thought they needed to clean it up just a little.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 9; Len - 8; Bruno - 8.5. Total: 25.5.

Soap opera actress Kelly Monaco and Val Chmerkovskiy danced a paso doble to something very traditional. I'm really not a big fan of Kelly Monaco, but it was a very, very clean, very sexy dance. (It didn't hurt that Val had his chest out - I love it when those Chmerkovskiy brothers dance in open vests!) It wasn't a terribly creative dance, but it was very solid and powerful. The judges really loved it, too.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 9; Len - 9; Bruno - 9. Total: 27.

Actress Kirstie Alley & Maksim Chmerkovskiy danced a chahca to "Moves Like Jagger," which I did catch was inspired by Carson Kressley's chacha to the same dance in his season. This dance was just plain fun! Maks portrayed Mick Jagger, complete with open vest; tight, low-cut pants; and a terrible wig. It was just silly. But you know what? It was also sexy, because Kirstie and Maks have fantastic chemistry - the best of any couple on the show. Carrie Ann thought it was their best dance so far, and Len said it was "great" and that they had the "whole package." Must have been watching Maks! *roguish wink*
Scores: Carrie Ann - 8; Len - 8; Bruno - 8. Total: 24.

"Cheetah Girls" member Sabrina Bryan & Louis van Amstel danced a paso doble to "Free Your Mind." It was a super quick, intense, strong dance, but I have to admit that I was distracted by alternately watching Sabrina for a wardrobe malfunction and wincing in sympathetic pain as her boobs bounced everywhere. I didn't even get a chance to really watch Louis van Amstel, which is a shame, because he is fantastic. The judges liked the dance a lot, and len even praised their technique (always a good sign).
Scores: Carrie Ann: 8.5; Len: 8.5; Bruno: 8.5. Total: 25.5.

Football player Emmitt Smith & Cheryl Burke danced a paso doble to something traditional. It was a nice dance with good choreography, but I felt like Emmitt was kind of plodding through. Yes, his face and upper body did have some sex appeal, but in his feet - plod, plod, plod! He did redeem himself somewhat, though, at the end of the dance when he started charging toward Cheryl and slid under her legs. Who doesn't love a good floor slide? The judges praised Emmitt for his strength and how he dominated the floor, but Len said he would like more "finesse" when he dances.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 8.5; Len - 8; Bruno - 8.5. Total: 25.

Indy 500 Champion Helio Castroneves & Chelsie Hightower danced a quickstep to "Mr. Pinstripe Suit." This was another of my favorite dances - I think I was feeling the classic jazz feel this week. It was a super fun dance, and I thought Helio looked absolutely thrilled to be there - more than anybody else in the whole show. The judges were a bit mixed on Helio, on opinions if not on the score. Carrie Ann and Len thought it was really good, and Len said they deserved to be back next week. However, Bruno said that while they started with a blast, they lost sight of some of their steps.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 8.5; Len - 8.5; Bruno - 8.5. Total: 25.5.

Conservative activist Bristol Palin & Mark Ballas danced a paso doble on a chessboard. BUT FIRST ... there was drama on Wednesday when Bristol told Mark that she feels like he wants someone like Sabrina or Shawn to be his partner instead of her, and that he wants to get eliminated. Mark said that definitely wasn't true, and I tend to believe him - he is a professional dancer, after all, and I can't imagine he would want to not be on TV. However, I understand where Bristol is coming from. She is in a tough spot, because she is a polarizing person on "Dancing With the Stars," and she's not super skinny and conservative in a place that focuses a lot on being skinny and has a lot of liberals. I'm not saying she's right - it seemed a bit whiny - but I can see where she could feel self-conscious. However, Bristol did the right thing and channeled her emotions into her paso doble, because it was, far and away, the best dance she's ever done on either season of "Dancing With the Stars." She had a lot of intensity, but she didn't seem too tense. She knew her steps, and she had a great concept. The judges praised her highly for dancing her best dance ever and really attacking the dance, though Carrie Ann told her that she needs more dimension in her expression. Still, that's a quibble - much better than Miss Bristol usually does!
Scores: Carrie Ann - 7.5; Len - 7.5; Bruno - 7.5. Total: 22.5.

Olympian Shawn Johnson & Derek Hough danced a quickstep to "Hey Pachuco," and it was fantastically fun to watch. They bounced on trampolines, did the splits, jumped around and had more energy than a couple of overcaffeinated flying squirrels on crack. It was a lot of fun to watch, but I knew immediately what would be the problem ... it didn't really have a lot of quickstep in it. Two of the judges loved it. Bruno called it "Incredible! Spectacular! Unforgettable!" and declared it the best dance he'd seen in 15 seasons. Carrie Ann agreed that it was the best dance on "Dancing With the Stars." Crotchety old man Len did bring the love-fest down a bit, thankfully, admonishing them for breaking the rules like Bristol & Mark did last week.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 9; Len - 8; Bruno - 9.5. Total: 26.5.

So, who goes home? Who the hell knows, honestly! The scores are extremely close ... it really depends, I think, on who the people love. My least favorites, surprisingly, were Drew (draggy), Melissa (skippy), Emmitt (ploddy) and Sabrina (bouncy). My favorite was Kirstie, as usual ... but I was also incredibly impressed with Bristol. We'll just see ... it's a double elimination, which means that there will be major heartbreak.

But don't worry too much, because next week will be DELIGHTFUL. Not only will the so-called stars get to pick the dance styles for each other next week, but Paula "You Made It Your Own!" Abdul is the guest judge. IT'S ON.

Pop Tarts Book Club: Love Only Once Ch. 13-22

Reminder: This is book club, so there will be spoilers!

Highlights From Chapters 13-22

Jason, the oldest of the Malory's, shows up and approves of the marriage between Nicholas and Reggie.

They all go to a party, where in the garden Reggie and Nicholas get it on in the gazebo.

Charlotte and Edward Malory throw an engagement party, where Nicholas and Reggie fight (a common occurrence). Reggie and Nicholas go to a musical performance, where Tony also is. Everything goes to hell and Reggie ends up leaving with George Fowler. Which causes Tony to gloat to Nicholas.

Cut to a shady bar where a man and a boy are meeting with a shady sort to decide that if Nicholas leaves alone from the performance alone, the shady man is going to grab him. Per the request of a man in the other room (very mysterious).

Nicholas leaves the performance alone (as Reggie already left with George), gets grabbed, and then has the snot beat out of him by Hawke, a gentleman pirate that Nicholas beat years ago on the high seas.

After recovering from the beating (Reggie is told he is just ill), Nicholas tells Reggie she should break off the engagement, Reggie gets pissed that he still doesn't want to marry her nor seem to like her anymore.

They end up married, Nicholas takes Reggie to his home, where his mother lives, and drops her off. Reggie doesn't get along with Nicholas' mother (who we know isn't really his mother, even though Reggie doesn't know that yet), but they decide to just ignore each other.

Tony comes to visit and can tell that Reggie is really unhappy and also mentions that she seems to be gaining weight. She admits that she is pregnant, but hasn't told Nicholas, who she hasn't seen since the wedding. Tony tells Reggie that she should come back home, but she decides to stay.

Kel's Thoughts:

This was a bit of a rollercoaster section, no? We have sex, marriage, fighting, and isolation. Right now, I am not sure that I like Nicholas or Reggie. Reggie is still a bit bipolar in her dealings with Nicholas. She has known since the beginning that Nicholas did not want to marry her, but then I hurt that he really doesn't want to marry her. Nicholas, for his part, obviously likes Reggie, but instead of being nice to her, he turns into a third grader and is mean to her instead. These two are the epitome of "if you would just talk to each other, all these problems could be solved!"

I did, however, like the stuff with Hawke, gentleman pirate. Nothing is better than a good kidnapping and beating to make a novel more exciting. It is especially good if you have, like me, read other books in the series and know more about Hawke. And speaking of exciting...sex in the gazebo during a party? Kind of hot, though I actually found the entire scene a bit middling. I kept thinking someone (probably Tony) would find them and bad things would happen. But it all turned out fine. Except that Reggie got pregnant.

Speaking of...why won't she tell Nicholas? It isn't like he won't notice when she pops a kid out. There is absolutely no point to not telling him.

It may be that I have been reading other, really really good, romances along with this one, but I find Nicholas and Reggie annoying and the story to be dragging. This could all be taken care of with "Oh hey, btw, I'm a bastard" -- Nicholas. "Oh, ok. Well, I really don't care because...have you met my family?" -- Reggie. "Fair point, well made. I love you." -- Nicholas. See? Done. But now they are both going to be pissed at each other when they find out the respective secrets. They are making everything harder on each other and themselves!

Jen's Thoughts:

OK, so for the good thing first: PIRATES! I love pirates! And pirates that kick the crap out of Nicholas, who, let's face it, kind of deserves it.

Because Nicholas? Is kind of a dick. So it Reggie, come to think of it.

I kind of like the whole, "If you'd just FREAKING TALK TO EACH OTHER, this would ALL BE SOLVED," which is good because it's a pretty common romance trope. But I am a little lost as to Reggie's motivations. Nicholas, I get - he doesn't want to get married but he agreed to marry, so his honor doesn't let him break it off. Although, his honor doesn't stop him from deflowering her in the gazebo and then abandoning her immediately after their marriage. But, then again, I suspect it's less honor that keeps him from breaking it off, and more fear of Reggie's Uncle Tony, which is understandable.

However, when we found out that Reggie was pregnant, I could find literally no reason for her not to tell Nicholas. Since she insists on being married to him knowing that they are horrifically incompatible, she might as well give him a piece of information that will keep him from being a complete rat-bastard to her. And, what she doesn't know, of course, is that telling Nicholas that she's pregnant would have guaranteed that he marry her willingly, because he wouldn't want to have his own child be a bastard, because he's so ashamed of being a bastard.

I don't really mind the trajectory of this novel as much as Kel does - one of my all-time favorite novels is "Gone With the Wind," which has a lot of "JUST FREAKING TELL EACH OTHER THAT YOU LOVE EACH OTHER, YOU MORONS!" in it - but it does seem to be going a little slow. I can't even put my finger on why - every scene seems to have a purpose - but I'm just ready for some big revelation to come out somehow. In this next couple of chapters, Reggie needs to find out that Nicholas is a bastard or Nicholas needs to find out that Reggie is pregnant, or else I'm going to be frustrated!!! Also, they should stop acting like 10-year-olds. Just saying.

New Series Review: Elementary and 666 Park Avenue

It is that time of the year now that I hate...when I have to watch hour long dramas. Not that I am opposed to hour long dramas, per say, I just find that they take up way too much time. Especially if they are bad. But alas, for the good of the blog, I will soldier on!

666 Park Avenue

While I was watching, I enjoyed 666 Park Avenue, but it apparently didn't stick with me since I could not for the life of me remember that I had watched it. Not a great sign. However, I did enjoy it. Overall, it reminds me of a Stephen King novel. Creepy, not sure where it is exactly headed, don't want to get attached to any characters since it is a good possibility that everyone will end up dead. You know...that old thing! I am not sure how exactly the premise will be able to expand into a show with multiple seasons. Kind of like Heroes, how it was amazing for season 1 and then had no where else to go in season 2 because they had saved the cheerleader and saved the world.

The good with 666 Park Avenue is the cast. Terry O'Quinn and Vanessa Williams are so fantastic it is just sickening. And while most people were probably like "Oooo it is that guy off of lost", I was like "Oooo it is Joe from Hawaii 5-0". O'Quinn plays the best baddie who seems fairly benign at first and the best good guy who seems like a baddie. And his role in 666 Park Avenue exactly utilizes that skill. The audience knows that he is bad, but you can totally believe that the main characters would miss that. I am planning on tuning in for at least one more episode (if I remember it exists), but I'm not sure it will get a DVR record from me.

Elementary

The one thing that Elementary has working against it is Sherlock. Benedict Cumberbatch is the best Sherlock ever and Martin Freeman's Watson is also unmatched. As much as possible, I recommend pretending that Sherlock doesn't exist while watching Elementary. That being said, I found that the shows are different enough that I wasn't really drawing comparisons. Jonny Lee Miller plays Sherlock Holmes while Lucy Lui plays Dr. Joan Watson. Both are really great. (Random Fun Fact: Miller and Cumberbatch starred together in Frankenstein last year at the National Theatre, where they alternated who played Dr. Frankenstein and who played the monster).

Elementary is a pretty standard procedural crime show, where Sherlock with the help of Watson will solve a case a week. I look forward to trying to solve the crime before them as I try to do with any mystery I read or crime show I watch (because I am a nerd). I like the dynamic between Miller and Lui and I look forward to seeing where it goes, as the creators claim they will not be doing any romance between them. I think that as long as the stories are good, the show will do well. I think that Miller especially will be a great Sherlock as he definitely looks more like a villain to me (particularly he looks a lot like Moriarity from Sherlock). Elementary has received a series record on my DVR.

Did you watch 666 Park Avenue and/or Elementary? Did you remember watching Park Avenue? Did watching Elementary make you want to run to NetFlix and rewatch Sherlock?

Dancing With the Stars: All Stars recap: Jive Turkeys

"Dancing With the Stars" is back, and it is FABULOUS! I kind of regret missing the first episode, but I was busy last Monday, and tonight was all fast bouncy dances, so it was a total win!

This year, the judges are being marginally more picky (but not really, since the lowest scores were 6s), and they can give half-points, which means that Brooke-bot has to add more complicated numbers. (She failed at least once tonight.) Other than that, it's the same D-list Sparklefest as last time! And we LOVE IT!

Reality TV star Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani danced a bouncy, fun jive to "Shout." Their footwork was very together, and it was nice to see dancers interacting well right out of the gate. It was definitely Melissa's type of dance, because she looked like she was having a blast. The judges loved the dance, and they were impressed with her technique, although Bruno (who was a little nitpicky all night) pointed out a couple of little problems.
Scores: Carrie Ann: 8; Len: 8; Bruno: 7.5. Total: 23.5.

Conservative activist Bristol Palin & Mark Ballas danced a quickstep to "Redneck Woman." She definitely looks and dances better than last time, and although there were a few footwork problems, Bristol seemed competent. She still doesn't have a great presence, looks like she's trying too hard and is kind of stiff on the dance floor. The judges were impressed with how far she's come and her enthusiasm, but they said her technique wasn't up to snuff. Len and Carrie Ann also dinged Mark for taking them out of hold in the middle of the dance, which is apparently a no-no.
Scores: Carrie Ann: 6; Len: 6; Bruno: 6. Total: 18.


Indy 500 Champion Helio Castroneves & Chelsie Hightower danced a jive to "Everybody Talks." It's a cute dance, and Helio has tons of personality. Their technique is really good, too, but the best part by far is the exuberance and personality of Helio and Chelsie! The judges all really enjoyed it, praises Helio's charm and style. Bruno did say that Helio pumps his legs a little high and had a few problems with his footwork, but enjoyed the "spark."
Scores: Carrie Ann: 8; Len: 7.5; Bruno: 7.5. Total: 23.

Olympian Apolo Anton Ohno & Karina Smirnoff danced a quickstep to a big band-sounding song that I believe was called "Hurry Home." It's a very classic dance and very cute. The footwork was good, and it kept getting better because by the end of the dance, they were doing some fancy moves. Apolo, who I love, also has a great personality when he dances. The judges enjoyed his dance, with Len calling it a "gold medal" and Bruno praising Apolo's determination and hard work. Carrie Ann also praised him for leading his partner - something they are looking for in the all-star season, apparently.
Scores: Carrie Ann: 8.5; Len: 8; Bruno: 8. Total: 24.5.

"Cheetah Girls" member Sabrina Bryan & Louis van Amstel danced a quickstep to "Black Betty." Sabrina apparently has a tendency to overdance, but she had a perfect amount of control on this dance. In fact, I felt like she was a little bit constrained at times. However, Sabrina did a nice job and I enjoyed their dance. (Not gonna lie, some of that is that I LOVE Louis van Amstel.) The judges loved it, with Bruno calling the dance "a dazzler." Len praised the way that her upper body was under control even as her legs were going.
Scores: Carrie Ann: 9; Len: 8.5; Bruno: 8.5. Total: 26.

Actress Kirstie Alley & Maksim Chmerkovskiy danced a jive to a song that was in French. She had a few little problems with her footwork, but she has SUCH great personality on the dance floor, and Kirstie and Maks have fantastic chemistry. Kirstie was working the floor like it owed her money! (I also enjoyed watching Kirstie dance around in practice with her knees tied together in order to get the jive steps right - she called it "50 Shades of Maks." Tee hee!) The judges were impressed with Kirstie's hot, naughty dance, and Len, after calling her "dirty, dirty Kirstie," praised her neat, precise dance.
Scores: Carrie Ann: 7; Len: 7; Bruno: 7. Total: 21.

Football player Emmitt Smith & Cheryl Burke danced a quickstep to a song that had something to do with being a "cool cat." He had pretty good footwork and did a good job with the dance, and although Emmitt and Cheryl had decent chemistry, they seemed kind of flat after Kirstie and Maks. The judges enjoyed their dance, but said Emmitt's frame wasn't good and he lost his timing a few times.
Scores: Carrie Ann: 7.5; Len: 7.5; Bruno: 7.5. Total: 22.5.

98 Degrees member Drew Lachey & Anna Trebunskaya danced a jive to "Dance Dance." They did a great job together, with good chemistry and a lot of strength and power in the dance. I really enjoyed watching their dance, even though the song was distractingly slow. The judges enjoyed the dance, but told Drew he needed to get on the balls of his feet and watch the beat.
Scores: Carrie Ann: 7.5; Len: 7.5; Bruno: 7.5. Total: 22.5.

*NSYNC member Joey Fatone & Kym Johnson danced a quickstep to a bouncy version of Radiohead's "Creep." Joey Fatone was dressed up as Charlie Chaplin, and the whole thing had a great old-school feel to it. They had a great personality, and Joey just completely went for it. The dancing was pretty good, but the character more than made up for it. That's what the judges said too - there were some problems but they loved the personality.
Scores: Carrie Ann: 7.5; Len: 7.5; Bruno: 7.5. Total: 22.5.

Olympian Shawn Johnson & Derek Hough danced a jive to "Nicest Kids in Town" from "Hairspray." It was a super perky, fun dance, and Shawn actually kept up with Derek's insane energy. They were crazy and fun, and did a great job. What a cute dance! The judges loved the dance, though Len cautioned them to make sure they have plenty of dance content and technique in their dances.
Scores: Carrie Ann: 8.5; Len: 8; Bruno: 8.5. Total: 25.

Soap opera actress Kelly Monaco and Val Chmerkovskiy danced a quickstep to some song with a lot of "nananananas" in it. It was a nice dance, but not great. I felt like it was kind of flat after all the great dances we had seen, and she was a little bit off on her footwork. The judges warned that she needs to watch herself with she's in hold, and Len liked it better when she was out of hold.
Scores: Carrie Ann: 7.5; Len: 7; Bruno: 7.5. Total: 22.

Actor Gilles Marini and Peta Murgatroyd danced a jive to "Don't Stop Me Now." Beside the fact that I kept kind of expecting someone to come out and start killing zombies (yay, "Shaun of the Dead!"), it was a great jive. Very quick and crazy, and Gilles moves incredibly well. It was one of the best dances of the night, by far! The judges agreed, with Carrie Ann calling it the best of the night. Bruno praised his man-cleavage as well.
Scores: Carrie Ann: 8.5; Len: 8.5; Bruno: 8.5. Total: 25.5.

For me, the most boring by far was Kelly Monaco. However, I think Bristol could be in trouble if she doesn't have the legions of conservative fans who voted for her last time. Overall, though ... what a great night of dancing!!!!!

New Series Review: Animal Practice, Men with Kids, The Neighbors

I am finally done watching all the new sitcoms, with the final three being Animal Practice (which actually aired the pilot of back in August), Men with Kids, and The Neighbors. If you don't feel like reading the entire post, I will give you the short reviews first...
Animal Practice: Shit and not funny at all
Men with Kids: Fine, a bit funny, a bit sweet, a bit blah
The Neighbors: Weird and funny and too high concept to really last

Men with Kids

I enjoyed Men with Kids. Way more than I thought I would. It really isn't a show about men raising kids and the hilarity that ensues. It is more about the friendships and relationships of three guys who have kids, two who are married and one who is divorced. I wanted to really like this show because I really love Jesse Bradford (Romeo + Juliet, Swimfan, Bring It On). And it was a decent show. It had a few laughs and everyone in it was pleasant. But that is kind of all I can think to say about it. It was fine. Everyone was good. The jokes made me laugh internally a bit, but nothing about it really made me want to watch again. It was very middle of the road and non-offensive in any way. I'm not sure I'm really the target demographic.

Animal Practice

I have actually now watched two episodes of this (the pilot and the premiere) and they were both terrible. While watching the premiere I almost turned it off because it was not any better than the pilot. I want it to be good. The only good thing in it is Tyler Labine who I find likable in everything I've seen him in (Reaper, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil). Nothing about the show makes me laugh. Nothing is funny. I feel the same way about Animal Practice that I feel about Family Guy...I actually feel dumber after watching it, like I literally lost some IQ points by association. And the frustrating part is that it seems like a show that wants to be good. It has good people in it and it even has a monkey as a character! But the "jokes" aren't funny. The "sweet" seems overly contrived. The plots are dumb. I just don't get it at all. It is just all together shit. Don't bother watching.

The Neighbors

I really liked the Neighbors. Probably more than most people. Jen and I were discussing it and I liked it way more than her, even though she enjoyed it. It is a high concept show about a human family who moves into a subdivision that has only aliens living there. It is a weird-ass show. I can't even pinpoint what it is about it that I really like. It just had a good rhythm. I liked that it kind of gives a new way to look at culture from an outside perspective and what comes across to someone who is unfamiliar with humans. It also brought up male/female dynamics, which was interesting to see done in a comedy. And most importantly, it was weirdly funny. Aliens get nutrition through their eyes, so instead of eating they read cook books. And to have sex, it is no contact and done all through looks...which was a really really funny scene. I am fairly sure that this is one of those shows that will not even make it through the season, which is a shame because I think it a unique concept and a fun show.

Overall Sitcom Ranking

Things I will be DVRing:
Ben & Kate
The Neighbors

Things I will be watching at least another episode of:
The Mindy Project
The New Normal (I watched like...3 episodes and am now out)

Things I enjoyed but won't be watching again:
Guys with Kids

Things you couldn't pay me to watch again:
Partners
Go On
Animal Practice

What were your thoughts on the sitcoms that premiered this season? Which ones are you keeping on your schedule? Which made you want to throw things at your tv?

Stay tuned this week for my reviews of Vegas, The Last Resort, Elementary, Made in Jersey, and 666 Park Avenue (all of which are on my DVR waiting to be watched).

New Series Review: Ben & Kate and The Mindy Project

I was not really looking forward to either of these two shows. But I ended up really enjoying both (though one more than the other).

Ben and Kate

Oh my gosh, how dumb did this look based on the description. Terrible, right? Well, it wasn't. In fact, it was by far the best new sitcom of the season and probably the show I have enjoyed the most (though it is a hard call between this and Revolution). Kate is the main character and she is a single mom. And super awkward. And not awkward in a "oh, look how awkward and adorkable Zoey Deschanel is". She is legit awkward. She wears a fanny pack and thinks that is ok. My favorite scene of the entire show was when Kate is on a date and she gets hot and wants to take off her sweat. While doing so, her shirt pulls up, too and then she gets all tangled up. As a fairly awkward and clumsy person, I can totally relate and I laughed so hard. Ben in Kate's brother and he tends to act like a 12 year old, even though he is in his late 20s. He should be unlikable, but he isn't. And that is what really makes the show work. He is a bit of a screw-up, but you can tell that he definitely cares about his friends and family. You can also tell that he doesn't act like that because he is trying to be funny...he just didn't have any guidance growing up and as a result, he never grew up.

Other things that work in Ben and Kate: Kate's daughter is adorable! All the main characters seem to really get along and you believe that they are actually friends. Lucy Punch is hysterical. Some of the lines were really subtle, but sweet. For example Kate is talking to their friend Tommy who has a thing for Kate and Kate tells him "We kissed once and it was during my fat phase" while Tommy says over her "during your hot phase". Subtle, but awesome.

And the second funniest thing of the entire episode (after the sweater thing)...Ben making a U-turn in a station wagon. Oh my goodness. Seriously, do yourself a favor and go watch Ben and Kate. It is far and away the best new comedy this season.

The Mindy Project

The other sitcom that I watched last night was The Mindy Project. I had very few feelings going into it since I have never watched the office and therefore know nothing about Mindy Kaling. After watching The Mindy Project I now know that she is extremely likable and really really funny. I didn't think the pilot was particularly spectacular, but I really enjoyed a lot about it.

First, I like that the character Mindy, while a bit of a mess in her personal life, is really smart and great at her job. She also gets along with her coworkers, both the hot British doctor who really likes her but in a totally casual sex sort of way, and the hot shot almost douche who she verbally spars with. Both guys could be extremely unlikable, but I found myself liking both. And the representation of and man and woman having a fun back and forth argument without any hurt feelings afterwards. You know...like normal life.

Other things I liked about The Mindy Project: Bill Hader and Ed Helms both guested and were fantastic, the jokes while they didn't make me laugh like Ben and Kate did, they still made me giggle and chuckle a few times, and finally the fat feminist in me really likes that there is a show with a normal sized woman as the creator, writer, and star that doesn't focus on her weight, but on real issues like...oh hey, probably shouldn't be sleeping with the hot British doctor.

I can't pin point anything that I disliked about it and I'll definitely watch again (there isn't much good on Tuesday nights), but it just wasn't my favorite.

How many more sitcoms are going to air this season (at least 2 more that I am recording tonight)? Have you watched any/all? What are your thoughts?

Pop Tarts Book Club: "Love Only Once" Chapters 6-12

Welcome back to Pop Tarts Book Club! We're reading "Love Only Once" by Johanna Lindsey. Remember, since this is a book club, there will be lots of spoilers. Also, remember that we would love to hear what you want us to read! And don't be afraid to join in the conversation!

Summary of Chapters 6-12: The Drama Starts

So, when we last left Regina Ashton and Nicholas Eden, Nicholas had accidentally kidnapped Reggie instead of kidnapping his (ex)lover, Selena Eddington. After Nicholas realizes his mistake and the pair do a little making out, Chapter 6 opens with Nicholas dropping Reggie off at her uncle Anthony's house ... but not before they flirt and kiss again, of course! Reggie also warns Nicholas, though, that Tony has a dreadful temper and will not like the fact that his niece was kidnapped by a notorious rogue. And, of course, Reggie is correct - when she returns, Tony's worry quickly turns to rage. Reggie talks him down, convincing him that there was no harm done.

Unfortunately for Reggie, though, there WAS harm done - to her reputation. Selena let it slip, and now everyone thinks Reggie is ruined, since she spent time alone with Nicholas. Tony, of course, wants to duel with Nicholas, but Reggie convinces him to try to convince Nicholas to marry her, despite his extreme reluctance to marry. Reggie's uncles, Tony and Edward, and Nicholas' grandmother and aunt try to convince him of that, but Nicholas thinks Reggie deserves better. It's not because of his reputation, though - it's because he is secretly a bastard. The woman who raised him was not really his mother, and he is ashamed. However, Edward convinces him to marry Reggie by holding a piece of land he wants over his head.

We soon find out, though, that Nicholas doesn't really intend to marry Reggie. He is going to try to convince her to break off the engagement ... but not without doing the things that everybody thinks they already did. Nicholas doesn't want Reggie as his wife, but he sure does want her as his lover. However, Reggie says that they're stuck with each other, especially after they spend time together in public as an engaged couple ... though Nicholas doesn't think that's the case.

Jen's Thoughts

Things are getting interesting! Nicholas is a character I really understand. He is ashamed of his parentage, which makes his roguishness and reluctance to marry more understandable. He also thinks Reggie is super hot and wants to have hot, hot sex with her. He definitely seems like your basic horny guy until you find out how ashamed he is of being a bastard. I suspect that Reggie - and most of her family - wouldn't give a crap if he told her right now. Nicholas is still his father's heir, and Reggie's cousin Derek (who is Nicholas' friend) is a bastard and nobody seems to care. However, if he keeps it from them, it's going to cause problems later.

Reggie is slightly more complicated to me. I understand why she wants to marry Nicholas - it clears up a lot of problems. She doesn't have to worry about her reputation anymore and she doesn't have to fight with her uncles over who to marry. It's really quite logical. However, she's also clearly attracted to him. My biggest question is whether she is going to insist that they wait until they're married before they do anything other than make out (which they've already been doing). If she doesn't wait, it's going to be easier for Nicholas to drop her, since he is really wanting to love her and leave her. But I don't know that she'll be able to resist his charms!

I am also wondering what will happen with Selena Eddington. I think she is going to complicate matters for Nicholas and Reggie. She is hurt and angry that Nicholas didn't want her anymore, and she's even more ticked that she pushed Nicholas and Reggie together into marriage. I predict that she is going to be a fly in the ointment of the budding love between Nicholas and Reggie.

Kel's Thoughts

So, I have slightly cheated and now a fairly decent plot point that is coming up because I just read Gentle Rouge, the third book in the series. I also know all the reactions Reggie's family has to Nicholas, even after they have been married (not a spoiler because Romance Novel...duh!). However, I shall try to keep that from clouding how I'm reading this book.

 After initially finding Nicholas fairly distasteful, I find that I now rather like him. He may be a rogue and a rake, but he definitely has some legit reason for being so, being a secret bastard. Though I definitely agree with Jen that Reggie's family will definitely not care about that. The Malory's have quite a few bastards in the family and treat them no different. What I can't figure out is why Tony hates Nicholas so much. I mean, obviously he is pissed that he has essentially ruined Reggie, who all the uncles are over protective of. But Tony seems to go above and beyond in his hatred.

My problem with this section that we read is Reggie. I don't get her exactly. I understand that she wants to just get married so it is over with and Nicholas has ruined her. But she is really all about this marriage. She seems really young to me...younger than her 19 years. She just seems to have gotten the idea of marriage and run with it instead of analyzing why that might not be the best plan of action. I still like her because she is fine with Nicholas being against their marriage, which is rather unique. But I just don't really understand her motivation for jumping into life with Nicholas.

I definitely agree that Selena will be a problem all the way through. She accidentally has thrown Nicholas and Reggie together and is now going to be a pain about it. I'm guessing that she will use some of the other Malory boys to try to pull the two back apart.