Separate Schools
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Harrison Wade and Taylor Brooks have been best friends for ten years and professing reciprocal love since they were sixteen.
Two inseparable friends are about to face their profoundest challenge. Taylor is going away to a college twenty-four hundred miles away. She’s leaving her best buddy-slash-boyfriend behind.
Every end-of-summer since Harrison was ten has been punctuated by the weekend bash at Taylor’s parents’ lakeside cottage in northern Michigan. Only this summer it seems like they’re saying goodbye to more than just a season.
As what might be the last Brooks’ bash ever gets under way, revelations are made, and harsh truths come into startling focus. Fear that his separation from the love of his life may be measured in more than miles has them both challenging themselves on how enduring true love can be …
Harrison Wade and Taylor Brooks have been best friends for ten years and professing reciprocal love since they were sixteen.
Two inseparable friends are about to face their profoundest challenge. Taylor is going away to a college twenty-four hundred miles away. She’s leaving her best buddy-slash-boyfriend behind.
Every end-of-summer since Harrison was ten has been punctuated by the weekend bash at Taylor’s parents’ lakeside cottage in northern Michigan. Only this summer it seems like they’re saying goodbye to more than just a season.
As what might be the last Brooks’ bash ever gets under way, revelations are made, and harsh truths come into startling focus. Fear that his separation from the love of his life may be measured in more than miles has them both challenging themselves on how enduring true love can be …
I'm at 12 percent complete so a lot more to read. Have some artwork to do among other things though so I wont be able to do much reading till then it turns out. Thus far I'm liking Harrison and Taylor. Although, I'm sort of getting a bad feeling for Harrison and have a feeling he's going to get screwed besides the literal. Hope that this is going to be a series as I'm enjoying it a lot.
ReplyDeleteAlright, I don’t know what it is about this one but I got a lot of THINKIN-ASS THOUGHTS to share about these COMPLETELY FICTIONAL PEOPLE THAT DON’T EXIST YET I HAVE STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT.
ReplyDeleteTHOUGHT THE FIRST: This was a beautiful take on the chaos and confusion of young people dealing with passions and emotions and making mistakes and petty dramas and I am blown away (and envious tbh) of KT’s range and verisimilitude.
THOUGHT THE SECOND: Harrison definitely exhibited a lot of immaturity throughout, especially flying off the handle in certain scenarios BUT. It feels to me like we’re often asked to give narrative consideration to the ladies’ confusion and indecisiveness about their own desires? I don’t know, I personally don’t feel a person should be given extra consideration/leeway because they’re refusing to be introspective and just sort of passive-aggressively pursuing something that we would find socially repugnant if they sat down and write the whole thing out. Also the dig at Harrison for emotional extortion feels super weird compared to Taylor’s whole game which is emotional extortion on an order of magnitude larger.
THOUGHT THE THIRD: Taylor seems to love Harrison like he’s her pet?
THOUGHT THE FOURTH: Gah just break up already this is gonna be such a train wreck. This begrudging-ass open relationship is poison and not reeeeeally enthusiastically consensual.
THOUGHT THE FIFTH: Kelsey Kay all the way!
THOUGHT THE SIXTH: I think my copy was missing a section… in what chapter do five frat brothers fuck her sister’s face hole? I’m very confused.
THOUGHT THE SEVENTH: Yarrrrrr where be Sea Pirate Schools? I be searchin’ the waters o’ Amazon from port to starboard, aft to stern. I were told there’d be booty!
LOL, thank you! There's more going on in Taylor's head that I kept away for the sake of the book's subterfuge. The groundwork is there but I wasn't going to delve into it unless I do more books. But their relationship being pet-like isn't inaccurate!
DeleteOh I’m sure. I only mean that it doesn’t seem (from the perspective I see only) that she respects Harrison or his feelings very much, in terms of how she’s treated him in the course of the novel. I think she thinks she does, and she says the words, but it almost seems like lip service WINK. And of course, you can say all the pretty words but actions matter. The thought process of “I want to do this thing because it will make me feel good, but it will deeply hurt my partner, so I will do the thing and lie to them about it” is a rationalization a sociopath might use. Only my impression! I think I only analyze this one so much because of the extensive nature of the book and the amount of time it spends on the emotions and dynamics vs the sex which maybe usually doesn’t make me analyze so much haha.
DeleteYarrrr - Taylor be walking Colt's plank!
DeleteAnd her mateys be mating!
I could listen to y’alls pirate talk all day.
DeleteGenders flipped
ReplyDeleteGuy talking to his girlfriend:
Listen babe, I lied. I want to go to university as far from you as possible. Also I'm def gonna fuck every hot chick that comes within arm's reach. We good? Also don't you dare say anything mean to me.
Okay, okay, I see it. But you're leaving out how the guy is torn up and wants the best for the girlfriend!
DeleteListen babe, I’m real sad that the massive amounts of pussy I’m about to nail will make you feel bad. I mean, not quite sad enough about it not to do it, but trust me. How about you sort of wait around and be my fallback option? Also I’ve already started cheating on you. In fact I’m balls deep in Karen right now!
DeleteTo be fair, how many guys in those scenarios are balling their eyes out thinking about what they're doing to their SO?
DeleteI don't totally disagree with you by the way! I just think there's some compassion, just maybe not enough.
Well ... not maybe, definitely not enough ...
DeleteI suppose I'm skeptical of how much... I dunno... credit? A person should get because they cried after doing something shitty to someone they supposedly care about.
DeleteLast one for now I promise -
ReplyDeleteListen, I read erotica too (as defined by KT last post) but the realness of the worlds KT spends time synthesizing makes the erotic power of the scenes in these books crushingly present.
Yeah, that was a really interesting story, and different from the others. Yes, the themes are basically the same as Maggie, or the LHW series, but I leave this story not with a sense that Taylor is going to go too far and fall in love with a guy in Santa Cruz, but that Harrison and Kelsey Kay are going to go too far in Michigan.
ReplyDeleteI totally see where Taylor is coming from...as I always say 19 (or 23 even) is too young to be committed to someone for forever....especially if you've never been with anyone else. You should have experiences, not just sex...but dating, getting to know other people. Figure out if the guy (or girl) you thought was the one is really the one.
Taylor is a little (OK more than a little) emotionally manipulative to get what she wants, but she may find out she opened a pandora's box she can't close between her two best friends. Who will be spending a lot of time together in school with her 2,500 miles away.
I leave this story thinking this will get very messy before it gets better...and I'd be interested to read it. But now, I'm also looking forward to another story about a girl with a name that starts with K...no pressure (but hopefully soon lol)...
DnD here, again.
DeleteWe're 71% through the book. One can tell the book was written by a Canadian. :) The road mentioned for the trip to the lake is convoluted. I-75 is better. :) Also, Grade 5 versus 5th Grade. "Going to university" instead of "Going to college" or "Michigan State" :) No biggie.
Excellent writing, as usual, KT. I think I'm going to start yelling about stuff before this book is over. Daria saw it last night and again a few minutes ago. I hope I can finish the book. Daria will if I can't.
I do think Taylor was very manipulative and played Harrison as a fool. Now that he knows everything and has pretty much capitualted, it will be interesting when Thanksgiving comes. I'll probaby scream then. :)
Great work, KT! Anytime you can get such a reaction, you should smile. You rock!
Dave
I will say this, it'd be fighting words for her to conflate 'Michigan' versus 'Michigan State' where we're from too, haha. I'm referencing the moment of truth when Harrison asked if she could have gotten into the university he was going to, saying just 'Michigan' is a different university.
DeleteGo Blue, btw.
That took absolutely nothing away from that part of the story, which was so powerful. That said, I can't neglect an opportunity to needle the person in charge.
I agree that Harrison is being played but also I think Taylor takes advantage of his feelings for her. I hope we get a sequel for sure.
DeleteAh ha, oh, hey, sorry on the Michigan thing. That's my bad. However, there's kind of a reason. I didn't research the universities too hard because in this book they aren't the real universities. Michigan State is a state school in Michigan, not the Real MSU. These are stand in schools. Santa Cruz is not the real Santa Cruz. Taylor's school will not have the Banana Slugs. Some sexy things are going to happen on these campuses and I don't think the real schools would want that. Nor would they want the implication some of their football players were up at Wolf Lake drinking beers and cavorting with girls during training. My schools have to be fictional representations when I may show them in unflattering light. Like, Harrison can drive a name brand Soob, but it has to be a reliable, well-running vehicle as they are known. It can't be a POS he hates, that's always breaking down.
DeleteBut, yeah, you caught me on the Canadian thing!
I'm going to defend my highway choice. How do you know the way to Wolf Lake, ha ha? It only exists in my brain, and in my brain you def take the 65. I mean, they started on the 75 for sure, but, they gotta go through Whittemore, and then from there, you know, well hell—Wolf Lake doesn't exist.
And thank you all for the nice words!
Just want to make it clear, I give zero shits about Michigan/Michigan State conflation, lol! FYI, there is a 'Wolf Lake' near Muskegon, MI haha! Not that I've ever been, just googled because that's what you make us do sometimes. There's no way you can come up with an original name when there's 11,000 lakes in the state.
DeleteI can't get over how good this author is. What a great time to write about too, can you imagine a time in a person's life that presents a greater challenge, bigger decision, more confidence, and less intelligence? Haha! I didn't like what Taylor did to Harrison either, but I didn't see her as emotionally manipulative, but I did think she was terribly cruel to Harrison by springing her feelings about sleeping with other men on him so suddenly. Deliberately going on the pill, the ease with which Kelsey was prepared to help her friend through whatever fallout took place after the news would break between Harrison and Taylor, even the decision to go to school out of state, showed a lot of forethought on Taylor's part, yet here it is one week before she is separated from Harrison for the first time ever and Taylor's actions are completely foreign to Harrison. She did nothing to prepare him for what she was going to do.
ReplyDeleteThat's not manipulation as much as it is carelessness or ignorance (quite obviously, willful ignorance at that).
I'm going to leave aside the character discussion for another time and just focus on how I feel about the story. In short, I feel everything and it makes reading these stories so worth it. I'll admit when I put this down I felt forlorn. Probably as much to do with the fact that I spent 4 straight hours staring at my phone in the (eventually, at least) dark, as the content of the story, but certainly it's because I'm addicted to what happens next in a KT story.
I feel like I've experienced everything that happened to these characters, except the gf watching and the foursome, and that's what I want from an author. Someone who really knows what they are trying to write, enough to make you believe it.
She brought up Faygo (Rock N' Rye ftw), so I called off the dogs, but honestly she was playing with house money when she brought up Michigan Cherry BBQ sauce, hooo ...
If only KC had come home with a 12 pack of Oberon, then we'd be Michiganing.
Michigan Cherry was in the book before you sent warning of potential rebellion, but you were right about the Faygo and Vernor's. Fortunately Michigan is similar to Ontario, so there's speech stuff that sounds right. We're pop, too. We have Faygo and Vernor's. I've spent time in Michigan.
DeleteI put Eddie Cochran in my music picks there. Even though he's a Minnesota guy, he refs R n' R in that song so it was pretty perfect. Every Goddamn lyrics site says it's 'sing a little rockin' rhyme,' but it's fucking one-hundred: 'sip a little rock n' rye.' I think.
It's totally Rock n' rye ...
DeleteRight? Thank you.
DeleteI'm at about 27 percent now. Thus far I really like Harrison and feel from where things are at this point that Harrison wants a lot more from his relationship than she wants. I get the impression that she just wants to have fun and sex lots of sex doubtless and maybe wasn't happy with Harrison's performance although he was practically a virgin and very inexperienced, (no one becomes instant sex god no matter how big their dick is).
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I think what they have is a sort of deep form of what I think of as sort of puppy love but bigger. My sympathies sadly don't fall towards Taylor as I know some feel that way about her. I think she takes advantage of Harrison's feelings for her and does knowingly or not manipulate him.
This flirting with Colt actually doesn't turn me on but feel more strongly that she's trying to hurt her boyfriend.
I will also say, I'm glad you brought the good stuff to the blog, because when I asked for good music mikey plays bieber, taylor swift, and bruno mars? Good thing he knows Ice Cube and Don McLean because his playlist sucks!
ReplyDelete:)
DnD here, again.
ReplyDeleteWe finished the book. Yeah, WE. No yelling at Harrison, either. :)
KT, you have to continue this--bearing completely in mind that you've set yourself for a truly epic series here. Four years of college? Well, unless things go completely south and there's an ending. I've never noticed a disclaimer in any of your work until this one, too. HEA isn't necessary for this. The kids are young. I know when I was nineteen, I would not have been able to handle that at all. Hell, I barely handled it at 32, (33, soon) Na... I handled it okay. But seriously, it's a lot to dump on a 19 year-old whose girl is coniving her way into a wild college experience.
Since neither of us attended any university in Michigan, I won't yell "Go Blue" or "State". But, both my wife and I appreciate the effort for realism you put into this work. We completely agree with ToBe=ToHave. We'll go one further. When we write our review tomorrow, you will be anointed the keyboard deity you are. You, KT, are brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
Next time you do a campfire singalong, allow me to request "Cinnamon Girl" and if you do, mention the player tuning to double drop D--it's the only way to properly play the song. :)
Thank you again, KT. You ROCK!
Daria and David
Thanks, DnD! I'm really glad you two liked it, and I sure as hell want there to be a sequel as well. There's a lot going on that's only alluded to and I would love to illuminate it. This story is not complete and there are still more revelations to be made.
DeleteI would have thought CG to have shown a Canadian bias. Then again, Mikey does play some Bieber, too, ha ha.
I put the HEA head's up on it because this series will be a 'relationship' series over a 'sex' series, so I didn't want some unsuspecting romance reader wandering in and enjoying it enough they go deep then want to smash their kindle when bad stuff happens.
DnD here.
DeleteYou're welcome, KT. You deserve so much more than we can write, sincerely.
When Bieber's song was mentioned, my wife and I looked at each other and cracked up! No way! Canadian bias? Rush would have been cool. :) Believe it or not, the first side of 2112 lends itself to acoustic guitar quite well!
Our review has been submitted. I just hope it helps you get more readers. I know I've gotten people on OHW to read your work. One in particular whom I showed part of my continuation to "Happy Endings". I was told it was powerful, but it's not BTB.
Anyhow, you Rock, KT. We can't wait for your next work to be published.
Daria and David
Continuation to HE? I’m intrigued ... please, tell me more ...
DeleteAnd thank you so much for your kind review, 2bh’s as well, because I can’t tell you guys how much it means to me when you’re willing to post for others to see how my books make you feel. It is my greatest kick. My book pages are my lifeblood, and I bleed for some of these stories. When you let me know, and others know, that I’m swinging for the fences ... we’ll, I don’t know what to say. But I did tear up today—I’m a regular Taylor, I guess ...
Thanks again, really.
My continuation is not complete, yet. It starts about two months after Africa and will continue on well past your epilogue (which blows us away, still). It's based on those two repeated words--the prequel, Tommy's revelation, the aftermath, and after that. What I shared with a person (a woman) via PM on OHW, was the revelation which included the immediate after Tommy left for Korea. She told me it was powerful, but then in the space of the short bit it took her write a reply, blew what I wrote out of the water. She's extremely talented. I need to get better. I swear to you, I won't steal your characters. I'm not like that at all. I will find a way for you to read what I wrote when I'm done, though--if you have time and the inclination at some point. Know that it's just for Daria and me and we don't do anything that is crappy. We just enjoy your work that much!
DeleteYou're welcome. In my review, I just wish I would have spelled conniving properly. :) I suppose I can edit it.
You not only swung for the fences, KT, you hit a walk-off, World Series winning home run!
Taylor is conniving, though. She knew exactly what she was doing long before that weekend. We think she dreaded telling Harrison, so the weekend started with some not so subtle hints that Harrison in his naivete', didn't pick up on until it was too late. I know when I was nineteen, I would have simply used the Soob to push the vehicles blocking me in out of the way. I was livid even as a thirty-two year-old who has a former hotwife. I would have handled it differently, now. See, that's your brilliance. You took me back to being nineteen, again and got me to be in Harrison's place.
This is not the first time you've done that to me. I still can't read the last Maggie book. My wife did, I know what happens, but I can't read a book where I'm getting up and stomping around every other paragraph. You are THAT good. I'm not one of those guys who watches racing for the crashes. I just enjoy the build-up, then boom!
Daria and Dave
DnD above and here...
DeleteI just read what I wrote above. Never again will I write something at 5am. :) I hope you get what I meant about my continuation of HE.
The characters are yours, not ours and we treat it that way, sincerely.
Dave
No worries on writing my characters at all—I'm just flattered! I know that some people write fan fiction, and it tickles me to have it done with my characters.
Delete[NB Sometimes I can read fan fiction that's sent to me or posted somewhere but if I'm not done with the characters I may not. Same with original ideas. I can't read any original ideas. It's easier to read stories with characters I'm done with.]
As for the blocking vehicles: I think Harrison isn't the freak out type, not yet at least, and the reason he didn't try to manouevre around them was a brewing curiosity with his own sexuality and Taylor's too, and the true devotion to Taylor he feels.
And please read the last Maggie book! I worked really hard on it, ha ha. Kidding, of course, read it when (if!) you're ready ...
DnD here,
DeleteThanks KT. I understand about not wanting to read things on characters for which you still have plans. For that reason, when I'm done, I'll simply ask if you would like to see it. If not, great. If so, super!
I guess what I'm saying about me at nineteen is this: I was a lot less level headed back then. But then Harrison is fiction and he can be however much of an understanding, mature guy you decide. I see him at this point as trying to be as understanding as he can be, but completely torn, yet understanding that there are other ports for the storm ahead.
I tried to read the last Maggie book. I'll try again. :)
Dave
Blown opportunities..
ReplyDeleteHarrison has taylor on the ropes in the boat house than she fires back and he folds like new bed sheets into little squares..he totally fails to mention her text msg....wtf dude...and what about the other couples there are they "sharing"?
Dude should just not argue ..she wants to socialize then he should punch the clock head back wait to see how long it takes for the wtf are you call. But thats not this story that would be anothers tale...one with out emotional commitments that KT so perfectly executes in her stories..
27 % done im savoring this like a thick juicy ribeye steak slowly chewing and taking smaller bites to make it last longer, and also looking for my blood preassure meds i may
Need to up the dosage
..amazing how quickly for myself and other fans that we become so emotionally wrapped up in KT's charactors. A truly gifted writer..(im a use that in my review).
I'm about the same into it and my take is a little different. I feel that Taylor's dropping hints that she wants a good time and feels that her boyfriend is sort of dragging her down. Harrison strikes me as pretty damn mature for a male while Taylor is kind of the opposite to be blunt. Not saying she's immature, just saying her feelings for Harrison aren't at the same level. Calling him Dad isn't exactly a kind thing to do in my opinion, especially when he's trying to lookout for her. But again she doesn't want that or care for it.
DeleteHer desire for alcohol says it all.
I agree! But Taylor is not as simple as she seems ...
DeleteIn my experience theres no such thing as a "simple" woman...
DeleteTheir complexities extend out like the tentacles of an octopus. Taylor is playing with harrison..the way you might tease throwing the ball to a pet dog.
Harrison may get tired of that, of feeling like a wall flower. Its really interesting that this KT charactor had balls enough to speak up about his concerns. Taking Taylor to the boathouse was a gutsy move compared to other charactors who would either hope for something to happen or just sit idley by and hope nothing happened. That might make him more mature than taylor. But i think hes just as naive as Taylor. He doesnt know how to deal with this but hes at least communicative about his feelings just not completely. He left out his real concerns about the situation so far. (Dont forget im only 27%)
The itsy bitsy bikini, the flirting, the text to roxie, and the searching for booze. His naivety is that he is only dealing with his feelings not hers reacting from the emotion of jealousy rather than high ground of reason. If he says that same thing in the "are we done?" Realm but puts the evidence with it not the emotions. Maybe a better opening question at the boat house would have been "what do you want to do and with whom? Is This how you plan to be at your colledge?
Didnt mean to imply that Taylor is simple... thus far i think she is pretty damn complicated.
DeleteMy initial impression of Taylor is that she's kind of a typical 18-year old girl (or guy). She wants to have her cake and eat it too. She wants to date other guys, but she also wants her security blanket in Harrison. Does she truly love him? I'm sure she does, the most any 18 year old can understand a concept like love. But I think she loves what he represents more: safety, security, her best friend...a guy who will never betray her. So she wants to keep him in her life and see if 3 or 4 years down the road she still wants a long term relationship with him. This is kind of the only way to do that and still get what she really wants.
DeleteAllowing him to sleep with other girls is a calculated risk on her part. She's betting that Harrison will stay true, and even if he sleeps with other girls he will remain in love with her. And also notice that concept only goes to women they don't know...she is very explicit that Kelsey Kay is out of the question going forward. Did she see something in their connection that I did as well that freaked her out?
Hi JL, Here we go again with another story! I like your take on Taylor, I think I only differ in that I don't think she sees it as 'wanting her cake and eating too' but I'm probably just focused on semantics. I just think she knows she truly doesn't want to hurt her Harrison but she clearly knows she's doing that, which is not very cake-like to her, but it's the sacrifice she wants to make in order to have the freedom she needs when she goes to California.
DeleteRemember, though she failed to put it into words until the writing was glaringly on the wall and crashing down on everyone saying, "you have to read this," she did say "I have to break up with you" and it was Harrison who eventually suggested they do the open relationship thing, much to Taylor's delight because it took the pressure off herself for fucking up immensely. Taylor failed colossally, but wanted to retain Harrison as a friend and not necessarily keep him as a boyfriend until she knew it's what she wanted (I guess) which I suppose could be the "cake and eating too," I'm beating that metaphor into the ground. And of course she barely changed her behavior after the cat was out of the bag (to Harrison that is, her behavior was completely different at the party of course!). I think that sends a mixed message to Harrison that nothing will change between them (which Harrison is helping allow of course). But of course, how could Taylor know if she'll ever find someone she'd want to actually be with other than Harrison, so maybe she shouldn't change her behavior with him?
And I picked up on what you mention about Kelsey and Harrison in terms of what (or who) Harrison is allowed to do during their break. Notice how Harrison eventually countered with his own rule about Colt, and Taylor resisted? "Why not?" But she won't, she swears!
Remember what rules are made to do in the KT universe.
More thoughts later!
TBTH I like your thoughts on the open relationship thing...that was really a Harrison thought that she jumped on. She was just going to break up with him, and probably try to just be friends for a while, but this gives her an out and a way to justify she isn't really hurting Harrison.
DeleteAs for the Colt stuff, in her mind Colt wouldn't be a threat cause she wouldn't see herself falling for a guy like that. Where Kelsey and Harrison are different...even if their main connection is through Taylor they're also friends themselves and have developed a sense of comfort around one another. That would be dangerous in her mind.
Also, some of it is just I wanna do what I want, but you can't do what you want selfishness apparent in most 18 year olds. Sounds like I'm dragging Taylor but I'm really not...honestly I see her as quite normal. At least until we dig deeper if there are further books.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteIn my judgment of Kelsey I forgot that Taylor purposely lied to her about being with Colt. Now that I read more thoroughly Kelsey and Taylor's plan, I think I understand why Kelsey wasnt chastising Taylor for how she was acting that night, at the end of the night, from what Kelsey witnessed it all went according to plan.
DeleteHow well will Kelsey handle finding out that Taylor gave Stevie a handy, and eventually slept with Colt? At the very least she lied to her.
I think Taylor is right to feel as guilty as she does. For as long as she has been grappling with this decisions she let Harrison down immensely.
I love how much Taylor messed that up, probably ironically.
KT, I notice your Other Works section in this book omits some of your stories, and the omissions seem to align mostly with your earlier definitions of erotica vs not. Are you moving away from those types of stories? Or is it maybe more about pitching what you think is similar to the book you’re including the list in?
ReplyDeleteNo! Nothing’s changing. I’ll still strive for heartfelt stories with depravity, same as always. I do want to do some catalog tidying soon (grab books you want but don’t have yet!) just to streamline things. I narrowed the scope of my catalog only so it would fit on one page rather than have redundant titles on a second page...
DeleteWow 3 works in progress. My favorite Reza book 6! And Open Hearts, Open Minds and Finding Keely. Nice
ReplyDeleteI'm 3% in. I read slow and I'm SO busy. Spoilers don't bother me, so I love reading what I'm about to get into with Separate Schools. I can't wait. And Reza Books 6!!!
ReplyDeleteSPOILER ALERT -
ReplyDeleteFavorite "Oh Shit" Moments in this story (that I can recall)!
1) "Did you tell him, yet?" "No" - Kelsey and Taylor have a secret that Harrison doesn't know about!
Did anyone else think the secret was that Taylor started on the pill? That's what I thought at first until it became clear Kelsey knew about Taylor's plan at the party. Funny in retrospect.
2) "Stevie's body is giving me heart palpitations, I think I'm in love!"
3) "Aren't you supposed to have, like, a really big penis?"
4) "She could have gone to Michigan State" Ouch, Kelsey ...
5) "Let's see them, guys!" Taylor is getting into that nudie bet the guys made!
6) Where's Taylor? Who are those two figures in the water?
7) Taylor lost her toe ring, was it her after all?
8) "I wasn't in the boathouse with Colt ... I was in the boathouse with Stevie"
9) "Did you apply to Michigan?" *shakes her head*
10) "I have to break up with you" then "I can't marry the only boy I've ever been with"
11) Pretty much everything that happened between Colt and Taylor in the room.
12) A thought by Taylor - She had always been over men, not under them ...
By the way, I absolutely loved reading Taylor's interludes in her sexy time with Colt. "And boy what an implement! Satisfaction guaranteed!" LMAO
13) "I built the nerve to show you all summer" this was just fucking precious about Taylor and her attempted peepshow.
14) Why was it so hot he went down on Taylor after Colt stopped by? "I knew I could make you"
15) "I'll get my own stuff. You stay here. This isn't goodbye, okay. It's not goodbye."
I read this with a smile, then got to 15 and started crying. There’s more to these characters than meets the eye and something about that scene got to me when I was writing it...
DeleteHow about funny lines to cheer me up?
Delete"Baby is it your period? How are you going to go swimming - you'll attract sharks!"
Deletewhat a bitch ...
That was pretty fucking funny ...
I don’t want to sound like I enjoy my own books, but frankly I do—I write a lot of stuff then forget I wrote it, and when re-reading it takes me by surprise. Happened twice with SS.
Delete1. When Colt relates the ghost story and how if you see the native ghost you won’t leave sc alive, Harrison says: not much of a ghost story. You’re here. It’s shit like that makes me realize a character’s got legs. Harrison is Max level. I get this guy. Taylor is harder because there’s parts of her way to close to home.
2. When Harrison tries to withhold from Taylor what the secret ingredient in her burger is and Stevie says, Gross, dude. Wow, that makes me laugh. There’s something about casual indifferent dickery...
Ha! One of the most direct connections I had with Harrison's manner of speech was when he commented on how Brady was looking at Taylor as they were going at it it, that it was "bro- like"
DeleteI got a chuckle out of it, I've said shit like that about the exact same type of dude-bro.
That’s Brady!
DeleteHave we seen the last of Brady?
I actually thought it was, now I'm not sure ...
DeleteI must also say that seeing Keely show up in the status bar warmed my cockles a great deal. Also, another Reza chapter but I really need a fix of my flame haired Irish lass and her soon to be Maxy. Oh, and those other two as well...what are their names lol. Team KeelyMaxy 4 eva!
ReplyDeleteI’m writing keely right now and she’s too hot to handle!
DeleteWell I finally finished it. What an awesome book and hopefully it will be a longer series like one guy mentioned Book 2 being year one than book 3 being year two, etc. Seems like a lot of things to explore here. Had a lot of assumptions about Taylor... I should know that she deeply loves Harrison. I feel the guy really under sells himself in ways that he's unaware of.
ReplyDeleteSeems like both feel like they are undeserving of each other. Going down on her though after sex is something I was hoping to see in the Reza book though. Glad to see more oral though, and a little girl girl is good although it's never been my thing as much as it has been for other guys.
Favorite line so far:
ReplyDelete"Its all fun and games until someone gets sand up her asshole" hilarious....!!
that was pretty damn funny, Kelsey has a great sense of humor. And not too cruel when, that is when she isnt advising her friend terribly with how they should handle the potentially devastating news that they are about to pass on to their SO.
DeleteOther than that, I like her.
I kind of like Kelsey but I think of her as a little too hot headed to handle at times especially for Harrison.
DeleteI think kelsey is a good for keeping Harrison balanced.
DeleteI find myself feeling for Harrison the way that i felt for Maggie. I really wanted maggie to end up happy with her choice in the end and think I got that. In this i hope Harrison gets what he wants in the end. Taylor made some dick moves. She should have told Harrison at the tail gate it wasnt colt but it was her. It would have prevented alot of humiliation for Harrison.
I also find myself blaming Riley for taylors behaviors. I think riley was a bad influence on her for the last few years. Maybe in sisterhood she shared juicy details of colledge life that taylor now finds irresistible.
Suffering from the "i gotta try it, have it, and need it or ill miss out" syndromes.
Hmmm, actually at the end I really feel for Taylor as you get to read into more of her motivations. I'm really seeing a lot more good than I did before as she has all similar fears and in a way yes she wanted to break up with Harrison but not for selfish reasons. It was because she didn't want to hurt him more than if they just simply stayed together.
DeleteI think that Harrison and Taylor both have a lot of growing to do and in different ways. Maybe Harrison and Kelsie don't have any sex, but he gets into watching her fuck other guys. Also I think Harrison might find having sex with other girls (I keep getting a feel that it might be with some that were in the party) will build his confidence.
Like I mentioned before I see Harrison really getting into lifting weights a whole more as it was mentioned as well that he was thinking about it. He feels like he can't give her anything that she can't get from other guys besides just being a rock which is complete bullshit. Well at least that's my opinion.
I tend to agree with you that Taylor isnt altogether an awful person, just did an awful thing. It will be interesting to see how quickly they will learn though and how many mistakes will be made on the process.
DeleteInteresting thing about getting rocked up, who knows if he will but I dont think being Taulor's rock is insignificant.
Funny how Taylor commented on how Harrison was like parent-like to her in being more mature than her. Sometimes it takes being away from mom and dad to realize how much you appreciate them, haha.
Honestly, I have a feeling that Harrison finds it and maybe later in the series if there is going to be a series.
DeleteBTW I wanted to add that the word that was looked for that I got confused by was calling Taylor and Brady an extrovert when I think the word was supposed to be exhibitionist. Not a big deal really but it confused me some.
ReplyDeleteIm feeling that this just isnt another cuck story. Maybe it ends up like that but Harrison is no push over.
ReplyDeleteUs weakling nerdy types know that panic when you pushed a muscle bound freakazoid too far, and hope he hits you someplace repairable.
That Harrison has shown he has a set of balls is interesting. I wonder if in between times, he beefs up. Im betting he does. Be nice if he did something heroic for a co-ed on his campus. Then taylor hears about it. Maybe have a couple figuire 8 love triangles going on harrison and his damsel in distress and taylor and whoever, whoever and damsel, taylor ans harrison..maybe more like a rubics cube of mix and match lovers.
In anycase ENJOYING THE HELL out of this one! KT you play with my emotions so well.
Indeed, I don't think it is at all. In fact I don't think any of KT's stuff as typical cuck stuff.
DeleteWho finds Taylor's toe ring?
ReplyDeleteI honestly dont know what part of me should win out between wanting Colt or Harrison be the sentimental hero and find Taylor's toe ring.
I'm envisioning a scenario where Colt shows up with his friends that have been giving Taylor surfing lessons. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to go surfing, what's wrong with that?"
"Why here? I can't see you, Colt"
"I needed to give something to you, like I said I would."
It is something that Colt made sure to look for it even after he got what he wanted from Taylor.
Colt really strikes me as toxic. I didn't agree with Kelsie's thinking about the guy as he's very irresponsible and does strike me as a bad boy which is probably why Taylor is attracted to him.
DeleteAs for her toe ring... I don't think it was ever found was it? Maybe he finds it and intents to give it to her when they are away from prying eyes? Particularly her brother who looks like he can beat Colt within an inch of his life.
Toe ring: too late the catfish got it.
DeleteColt: he's a bad boy and taylor knows it. He'd be a good hook up foe her again. In the "what if" world. If Colt seriously pursues her convinces her shes more than a fling or a conquest but something ro be loved and cherished in other words makes a full play to steal her from Harrison for being such an accusatory dick. Now that would be some angsty stuff...I suspect colt won't have to be there if he has best buds on location he can put some pieces in play.
Oh... an no condoms..
I think that Colt is the sort of person to play the good guy who really isn't. Condoms have to be an issue besides the pregnancy issue HIV and STD's are an even bigger scare.
DeleteI dont think Colt's return would necessarily be romantic, but I do think it would be significant because it would be a violation (on paper). He seems like an absolute player.
DeleteI have to imagine no matter what happens in Taylor's adventures in experimentation she will never forget Colt.
I would personally put the odds at "better than good" that Taylor and Colt are together again at some point. It just feels like that's gonna happen again, doesn't it?
DeleteSomething about a girl never forgetting her first(s).
DeleteShe'll never foeget Harrison got her virginity and all that begging Harrison had to do to be the first one without a rubber. Even though she admitted to wanting harrison to be her first skin on skin. Seems she was trying to put it off. If she had would colt have been her first skin on skin? Wonder how that would have changed the dynamics.
I had some thoughts after thinking about Taylor and why she didn't want to go to the local university and I think Harrison has it totally wrong. She went to California because she wants to get away from her family in a lot of ways, especially her mom. This was something I considered because it seems like she lives in a very messed up (broken) household. Harrison was the one thing that she really doesn't want to give up at all, which is why she was having such a difficult time breaking up or at least being on a break.
ReplyDeleteThe first half had its lenghts. At times I hated Harisson. He seemed stupid and really immature to me. Didn't have any trust in his girlfriend. In the end for good reason, but he got on my nerves.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time I was in awe of the quality of your writing and how real the story and the characters felt. Which let me power through the book. There were a lot of characters, which made it a little hard. And than the second half was a huge payoff for the built up in the first half.
Why I really look forward for the nect Reza book, I also hope there will be second installment to this book. Will Harison has his share of fun at Michigan? What's with Kelsey Kay? There is more to her. Either she wants her own Harison or maybe she's into Tyler? Maybe her job (given by Tyler) will be, to make sure, that Harison got into some fun in Michigan. And than Tyler - she says she wont humiliate Harison. But it feels like there is a little devil inside her - maybe even a big one. Be cautious Harison!
Thank you so much!—and there will be more of both ...
DeleteI sort of agree with you about Harrison. He mainly irritated me because he reminded me so much of myself when I was his age. I wasn't as mature but I did get clingy sometimes and I hated that part about myself. Hopefully like me Harrison learns to get rid of these immature tendencies.
DeletePersonally hoping for more than just a sequel but an entire new series. Maybe 4 more books and each one going into their college lives and then their vacations?
At that point it's a little to much High School-drama for me. But I am a very cool and calculated human. I cant relate to people who run wild like that and may do with that more bad than good for themselves. What I did like was the inner conflict or disruption of Harison and Tyler. It's very far away from a clear picture. Tyler seems like she wants to fuck every hunk, but at the same time doesn't want to hurt Harison. But sometimes wins one side and sometimes the other. That was for me very well done. The picture is sometimes black and at other times white, but most times its grey. ;-)
DeleteI wouldn't complain about a lot more books about them at this point, but I start with small wishes. It's a long book after all and needs some time to write.
Hmm, I guess we have different tastes. Not everyone is calculating and when it comes to that age most people simply weren't. Acting on impulse is pretty common as a teenager and this is really the end of their teenager years. My feeling is that college is going to make them grow up which will make Harrison more calculating I think and less impulsive but who knows really.
DeleteIt actually seems to me that Harrison is going to be going to the gym a lot and workout so he isn't just a skinny kid. He'll fill out I think, but he'll still be far from Colt in my opinion.
@David Silver - What makes you think Taylor just wants to fuck everything in sight, just because she had a crazy night on the very night she circled on her calendar that she would go nuts?
DeleteShe had crushes on Stevie and Colt for ages and they actually show up to the last ever Brooks family summer party and she got a chance to live out a long standing fantasy. And Brady was the original plan that was worked out with Kelsey.
Each one of the people Taylor messed around with had a lot of baggage, I think shes a little more choosy than what you say.
All I'm saying is if she has a quick fling with a nameless, meaningless hunk in college, it'll be a first for her.
ToBe: I have to agree... I think she's messed up on the inside. As a child of divorce myself I think I understand her character pretty well. She's someone who is very afraid of commitment and has a similar fear of becoming 'mom.'
DeleteI thought it was just Colt that she had a crush on and Stevie was a new development though.
Yes. Stevie was a surprise. She’d never met him before, but Colt was a deep seeded crush.
DeleteWell my point wasnt that she is messed up inside and afraid of commitment, let's not forget she dated Harrison for three years exclusively. I think it would pop up once or twice prior with Harrison if that was a problem.
DeleteMy point was who Taylor chose to go wild with were not random dudes and she didn't care who she was messing around with.
Though I may be wrong about Stevie, I thought Taylor knew Stevie as long as she knew Colt.
Well shit, ok now my point is muddied with KT's confirmation. I still think there's something to be said about Taylor's premeditation about that night. She isnt going to throw herself at every dude with a six pack at Santa Cruz.
DeleteNo I don't think she bangs any guy that has six pack abs. I think she wants to broaden her horizons and wants to find herself without her family down her back and perhaps not Harrison who I think she was loath to leave. Taylor kind of reminds me of some girls I knew in the past that basically blow past great guys and go for the horrible ones. She's sort of superficial but I can't really fault her for that as many many guys are the same way.
DeleteI am sort of hoping for a series like Maggie (5 books to 6 books perhaps?) But am aware how hard that is to do.
"everything in sight" may be a little over the top. In California and at a university she will have a lot of choice. Of course I am guessing here and am only describing how I felt about her: Her High School life was very different from her possible true personality. The divorce may have been a big part about that (there maybe more revelations upcoming, about what was going on there). She needed a rock in her life: Harison. Now she realized that there is also another part in herself. I wont make her into a slut, but she is a lot more sexual than she showed so far before this day. That's not suprising, she is just becoming and adult and has much to discover. But she has gone very far in just one day. Harison had to go through a lot: She wanted him watching, licking her after Colt and licking her ass. I am sure at heart she is a good person, but when she starts to play she cant stop.
DeleteWe will see what comes up in the next book. I am really looking forward to it. And isn't it fun to speculate a little bit in different directions. Probably we all have some truth and falsehood in our words. ;-)
Oh yes I think within her is someone she probably doesn't even recognize. I believe that Harrison is going to see it when she has another break and is back in for Thanksgiving or Summer. This is kind of why I would like to see the separate schools become a series each book going into each year of college. I think that each year we'd get a lot more into Harrison and Taylor and the different things they would experience.
DeleteLike you said about the humiliation aspect is very likely to happen in my opinion. I actually think that they are both going to break the rules that they set for each other. As for the condom rule I don't doubt it although I am a huge believer when it comes to safe sex. Thinking that there are majorly important reasons why condoms must be used has less to do with pregnancy and more to do with STD's which seems to be a huge blind spot for most erotic writers. Granted I get it that it's fantasy, but still.
It's an interesting concept, Jeff. A series where we see snapshots in time of each character and the progress of each of them. Knowing KT though, she might start out that way and then end up writing 800 pages about the hour after Taylor leaves the airport.
DeleteOnly half kidding, KT! ;)
I think humiliation will come to play too, I mean since Harrison said he wants the play-by-play from Taylor, it won't take long before comparisons start to get drawn, points of references to Taylor's past experience (read: with Harrison and Colt) will be needed to help give Harrison a reference.
You know stuff like: "his penis was like yours, only longer ... and thicker ... and better, hmm I guess it wasnt like your's afterall." LOL
Quick question - and if it’s cool if you want to keep it a secret - but what’s the conflict in a story about Keely?
ReplyDeleteJusy my opinion: but maxi is still in love with maggie so he might use keeley as a weapon to win back maggie. We know this to be too late but max is max and has done some goofy stuff already. Its probably during this play that he realizes Keelys worth.
DeleteMy theory runs a little different than John C's... I think that Max and Maggie are on the verge of ending it and Max goes through major depression. Keely may break up with her current boyfriend at the time. Something along those lines, but I wouldn't doubt that Maggie is going to be an issue that Max has to address.
DeleteThis is interesting, I doubt you'll get a straight answer Glaucon but it's worth a try! My thought is the conflict is Max struggling to put Keeley first over Maggie, and Keeley maybe not being into Max as much, and how they fall in love (withMaggie and Cole's help?)
DeleteWell I think that Max meets Keely at college? I'm wondering if this is going to be a stand alone or is it going to have a trilogy to it?
DeleteThere is tension to play out IMO....
Delete1) Where are Max, Maggie and Cole in the throple (did I spell that right?) at the time of Keely's arrival? My assumption is Maggie and Cole are ready to be a couple, but they don't want to hurt Max, and Max probably realizes this too and is trying to hang on. How does he react to Keely? Is he hurt and upset that they are trying to "pawn him off" on Keely? What convinces Keely that Max is worth it, and how does she win him over?
2) What are Maggie's thoughts on giving up Max? It's one thing to imagine it, quite another to experience it. Is she jealous as she watches Max and Keely grow closer? Does she try to compete with Keely, even subconsciously, so that she always keeps a piece of Max for her? How does Keely navigate the feelings between Max and Maggie?
3) How does the foursome work with Keely involved? When does Keely and Cole (for the benefit of Max) become a thing? How does Max react initially to this, given what happened with Cole and Maggie? How does Maggie feel about it? How does Keely feel about doing it for Max?
So, even though we know the ending, I feel there is a lot of things we didn't see play out between the Schroon Lodge and Maggie and Cole's wedding 6 years later that I think will be fascinating. And knowing KT I'm sure we'll be in for a heck of a ride.
I would also point out that I love Keely as a character, but we know next to nothing about her background and story (other that the little teaser from a few months ago). So filling in the gaps and getting to know her as a unique character will be great, and also make her appearance at the end in Maggie all the more rewarding when rereading that.
DeleteMax and Maggie arent in the same school though...
DeleteYou could even say they are at Separate Schools (trademark), thank you, thank you *waves to the crowd*
DeleteKeely is going to be a stand alone isn't it?
DeleteDidnt keeley and cole already have a thing before?
DeleteIf so is maxi getting coles hand me down or is Maggie getting keeleys? As for the possibilities mentioned earlier in this thread they all have the possibility of being right at the same time..its why we read KTs stuff we all think one dimensionally why KT amazes us with multi-dimensional charactors.
I don't think we'll be seeing a tone of Maggie in this. I think it's mostly going to be Keeley Max and other characters.
Delete@ Jeff, what makes you say that about Maggie? Keely meets/relationship grows with Max with Maggie and Cole's help, I feel like we're going to be seeing a lot of them in the next story as a result, probably just not as much as the Maggie series, which maybe is your point.
Delete@John - You might recall Cole talking about another notch in his bedpost as a "screamer," that was Keely as a freshman and before Cole and Maggie became an item. I'm not sure how she makes her return though which will be interesting. And it seems clear that at the end of RM, Maggie thinks that Keely is a Cole hand-me-down to Max. Who knows if that's fair, but that seems to be the perception of her character even after this new story will take place.
Because my rising theory is that Max and Keely's relationship grows on its own. I also don't think it would be good to give a lot of Maggie and Cole when this book is focusing on Keely and Max. I don't think that Keely is going to be a hand me down to Max as she strikes me as very much her own woman with needs.
DeleteBTW, I never really liked Maggie that much which I guess puts me in the minority here.
I agree the primary focus will be on Keely and her relationship with Max, and how they develop it. Maggie and Cole are the background characters here, but they do have a big part, especially Maggie. We do need to see how Keely "breaks"...if you want to call it that...Maggie's hold on all of Max's heart. We know she really doesn't fully break it until the end of the "Maggie" novels, but what is the process through which Max opens himself up to the possibility of another relationship.
DeleteAlso, it wouldn't entirely shock me if we get a lot more background on Keely, and if Max, Maggie and Cole aren't even in it much in the beginning. But we'll see...personally I can't wait to find out what KT has in store for us here.
Jeff - I don't know where your theory of Max and Keely's relationship growing on it's own comes from when there's literally discussion from Maggie and Max that Cole and Maggie set them up. Obviously love can only happen between the two people involved in it, but that makes them integral to this next part, plus there is necessarily going to be a shift in Max's relationship isn't there? Entering this story, Max is with Maggie (and Cole), so there needs to be a story about when Keely entered their lives again and Max started dating her too ...
DeleteI'd be disappointed if this story is just about Keely and Max already being in love.
You're not the minority, it's split, if anything 50/50 dislike or like of Maggie.
... Basically what JL said ...
Delete@John - I may have missed your point in those first two sentences. I think I'm picking up what you're laying down. I don't think Keely will feel any jealousy or 'I had him first' type of attitudes towards Cole, but that would be interesting to read!
DeleteNot fall in love right away. Finding Keely means that Max finds this girl that is much after his own heart I think
DeleteWas happy to leave a review on Amazon! I was dragging ass at work the next day, I stayed up way to late to finish it!
ReplyDeleteThe character are very believable. I graduated HS in the mid 1970s had a some what sheltered life but had my share of girl friend through HS no sex, just lots of hot kissing and touching in the car at the Drive-In. I was a lot like Harrison too much the nice guy. Had girls dump me for that vary reason. It wasn't till I was 18 that I lost my virginity. She and I knew each other in HS and dated a couple of time. We met again in JC I was taking night classes with a buddy. I was heading out of class when a female voice called my name. As I turned I was take by surprise as Beth(not her real name) through her arms around my neck and hugged me. I recovered quickly enough to return the hug. It was a very weird magical moment. I've just turned 60 and have been very happily married for the last 30+ years to a wonderful woman. But I still remember that moment the touch her smell every detail. We talked for a good 20-30 min. We exchanged phone numbers and made a date. It took a month or so but one night she very directly told me she wanted me. That was my first time and again still remember it all. She had been very up front that she was still seeing others at that point. After 6 months or so she decided she wanted to be exclusive. We hit the sheets every opportunity we had. This went on for 2 years when I had a geological field job in South America I was going to be gone for 6 months. It was difficult to part but at that point I was planning on asking her to marry me when I returned. Well the project fell apart after 6 weeks and I returned. Needless to say she had already started cheating on me in that time. I was crushed but tried to be understanding and forgiving trying to get things back to normal. Things fell apart after another month and she wanted to be a free to play the field again. I agreed to make her happy so I wouldn't lose her. I was free to date too. It all ended after 3 months or so but the pain took another 6 months to fade.
Contiued:
ReplyDeleteAll of this was good in the long run for me. Over the next 4-5 years I would meet and date many wonderful women and learn a good deal about sexuality and gain confidence. I had always felt a bit inadequate with Beth, she could never cum with just penetration which isn't that unusual for a percentage of women. My relationship with Beth had left me with tremendous control I could go for 30-40 mins if I wanted. Note Beth had no trouble cumming with manual or oral manipulation but she was done after one orgasm. It wasn't till the third girl I slept with that I discovered the joy of a multi-orgasmic woman! Sex took on a whole new aspect for me. What a wonderful confidence builder that was to have a woman that would thrash and peak multiple time till we were exhausted. It would be a few more year till I would meet my wife but I got to enjoy a variety of women and managed to remain on friendly terms with most of them. One of the older women was vary memorable the only down side was she had two young kid from her first marriage. Sex was great and we could talk it was a good relationship but I just didn't want to deal with raising another mans kids. we stayed in touch and even after she moved in with her future husband she would always make arrangements to have her ex-husband when her live-in would go on weekend fishing trips. I would get a call and would make sure my schedule was clear and we would spend the weekend with me. When I met my wife she was here on a visit from a foreign country we met and we fell in love but she had to return to her home this started a 3 year long distance relationship till we got married and she immigrated we soon had a little one on the way and the next 10 years were busy with adding to our family and focusing on parenting. We had a good sex life and discussed things in bed and I would read various stories to her. I began suggesting swing to her it took a couple of trips to the local swing club till we finally had our first experience. I could fill a number of pages outlining some of the experience we had. I just related all this just to say I find KT work is vary believable. This kind of stuff happens and I've live it. Taylor is my Beth and I'm the ever faithful Harrison. Looking forward to more fine erotica from you KT.
Sorry you had to go through all that crap. I had that same issue myself.
DeleteWell I feel like Harrison will have a happier ending with him landing Taylor in the end. Although this is KT and we her endings are hard for me to predict. Mainly I feel that Taylor really didn't need to do this plan. She should have just been honest with him in my opinion, that way she could be with Colt in some relationship that probably would end badly.
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ReplyDeleteJeff B I hope you didn't get the view that my whole experience was negative. I look upon it as a great learning experience. I came out of it wiser but not hardened by it. While the sixties and free love had already happened. You have to understand there were a high percentage of us that still had a 1950 strict moral upbringing. My mother grew up in a small southern town with almost a Victorian view of sex and marriage. I went to Baptist Sunday school, Boy Scouts etc. I had honesty, fair play, respect of other deeply ingrained in me. I realty was a Boy Scout! Sex Ed was provided in school that took care of the basic that informed us of the dangers of pregnancy and STDs. I was luck in that we had a few open minded fathers in our scout troops that filled some of us older (16+ year olds) on the details missing from our limited school classes. The best part of these talks allowed us to ask frank questions that a school teacher couldn't. I have quite a few real life experiences that would make good frame works for stories. This is not the place for that. If KT or any other writer would like to communicate let me know. I have been very fortunate to live an exciting life.
ReplyDeleteRCH
Honestly wondering when the next Reza book is coming out... My feeling is about 4 months maybe a little less depending on KT. The Open Minds Open Hearts one has an interesting title. Keely is sounding hot as ever maybe even hotter in some ways than Maggie as I get this feeling that she's going to be more in touch with her feelings.
ReplyDeleteFinally downed that last piece of ribeye. Amazing tale KT
ReplyDeleteI can see why it had to be so long. Those little sub-stories like with ashley and the toilet torture or her ending up with a guy who is a cuck. Those detaila arent really necessary for the erotic story line...but it gives excellent back ground on kay and Taylor. Its that little bit that makes Taylor more human having rhose kind of regrets. Well done and timely too. See next post..
The story about the poor girl who got toilet bowled is an interesting little glimpse into how Taylor is processing her guilt, I think. I loved it as a detail too! Just like I enjoyed Harrison/Taylor reminiscing about past times they would come up to Brook's family's house. At the very least it adds substance to them. They aren't just high schoolers handling a difficult time in their lives. They were even younger, too!
DeleteThat ending is exactly like something i would and do do (my inner child is screaming "he said dodo"), in my life. Ive always had 2 eyes on the future but often look in the past and i would see my younger self in the antics of someone younger than myself. I ponder even with my own kids about the possibilities about to whack'em from the blind side and how they'll handle it. That last chapter was very poignant to me. Yet another reason why KTs stuff is way beyond just fap material.
Deletehave a nephew whose dating his grade school sweetheart. Hes a bit of a mommas boy. Parents broke up years ago. Had a chance to observe him with his squeeze. They dont even hold hands. He is heading off to colledge and so is she to .... you gussed it " seperate schools"
ReplyDeleteHes gonna lose his gf cuz hes a self centered mommas boy(did i mention that already?) Despite my attempts at teaching him to be more affectionate. He simply is to scared too. Perhaps i should give him a copy of this story and see what happens..
I can see his future already..she'll leave him. He'll eventually get laid and fall in love with the girl that pops his cherry. Than she'll dump him...wash rinse and repeat couple more times or until a child arrives...seen it before.
I don't think of Harrison as a momma's boy maybe self-centered some but all young people pretty much are. I sort of think of Harrison as putting Taylor's needs above his own, but his biggest downfall I think isn't so much as his jealousy but rather how he devalues himself. He thinks of himself as not very special or significant for Taylor and realizes that she wants so much more than what he can offer.
DeleteI also don't foresee necessarily Taylor and Harrison not working out. Believe it or not long distance relationships do work on occasion. Sometimes they end up breaking up and then getting back together again, etc. It's not all tragedy.
Lol ...yea maybe should have added the disclaimer "any similarities to persons fictional or otherwise is purely coincidental." My boy got alot of other issues going on, different then Harrison. Primary of those is keeping his face planted in his fone when GF asks him to go out he refuses burys hia nose back in the fone. Then gets upset because she hangs out with friends..
DeleteIf the boy was my blood id smash his fone and make him do live contact with gf when he felt he missed her.
As far as long distance relationships ...im jaded because all mine failed.. but good thinga come out of that too. Kay could be his healing salve maybe not "the one" but a lubricant to help him crossover to someone who is. The problem for Harrison is going ro be how much change can he handle. He will grow and change and so will Taylor. If they paralell maybe not so bad but if he grows up and she goes down ...urr i mean grows down ahh you get the point. Then when they meet again for thanksgiving xmas or whenevers ...will he recognize her as his taylor. Or will she be this entirely new person he will have to gst to know all over again. I told my second wife after learning my pain from the first divorce. I said if you have to do something i dont wanna know but never do it with the same person twice. In other words dont get attached.
Only rule i had and she broke it...equals divorce #2.
Point being if harrison or taylor get a steady date or FB. Could spell disaster the kind we all like to read about to see how they handle themselves.
I sort of imagine their relationship lasting longer than most. They fail and then get back together eventually. I don't want Kelsie and Harrison to become a couple, well I am not sure... I just don't see what everyone else was saying. I think they will be close friends with Kelsie satisfying his voyeuristic hunger and Harrison having a couple of girls he watches and might develop relationships with.
DeleteIn the end I hope that Harrison and Taylor get back together.
Well my view on the whole thing is our culture is still adapting to all the changes that have happened in the last 100 years. Your nephew and Harrison both are too young to get committed in a lasting relationship. They don’t know themselves yet, mommas boy or not. Not that young love doesn’t work it’s just very risky. There were some studies done looking into the divorce rate in the “American Bible Belt”. It’s high because kids commit too young and marry have kids and then they grow up and apart. I understand their moral/religious beliefs but those standards are unrealistic in today’s society. We’ve increased the age of childhood out into the mid-twenties in the middle and upper classes most young people aren’t ready to commit till their late 20’s. It’s not so much about playing the field as it is to get to know the world and the people in it.
DeleteThings have changed and all the 1950’s romantic crap was a holdover from a different era when the average girl or boy wasn’t going off to college for 4 years. Boys went to work in the factories or the fields and girls stayed home and had babies. I have no problem with this we need to change our approaches to relationship and adapt. Raise our children so they have realistic views of relationships.
Yep....theres some studies that discuss the transitional phases in our history. Like when we went from a farming nation to an industrial one. Farmers married young had a more devout sense of religion and produced low cost workers the most efficient way by knocking boots. More kids the more laborers ypu had for the feilds. That changed with industrialuzation. Reducing family size because more kids cost more. Niw we have this industrial to techno transition ..who knows what will happen with that..
DeleteTechno babies! *Immitates drum and bass beatbox*
DeleteThe ironic thing, in terms of how number of offspring isnt as important, is that millennials and the generation after that (whatever they are called) are engaging in less safe sex and hold views on abortion that resemble older generations, in terms of their aggregated opinion.
Seems like there'd be a lot of babies in that scenario.
A disproportionate amount of them are flat earthers too, sooo we might be doomed.
(I say as a millenial)
DeleteWell that's completely untrue that Millennial are anti abortion. As a matter of fact anti-abortion sentiment has grown more and more older and less and less among the younger generations. Less religious people have always been less on the anti-abortion view and millennial and future generations are leaving religion behind more and more. Flat Earthers are not a trend so I don't know where you are getting this stuff.
DeleteIn fact I googled the whole flat Earther thing and found that one polling company found this to be true and than an article right below it that shows that this is completely false.
Whoops what did I start. A) here's the whole story - Anti-Abortion sentiments seem to be HIGHER THAN PREDICTED among Generation Z individuals based on their attitudes (generation after Millenials), bucking the trend that Abortion support is growing continuously by generational shift and I never said that they were Anti-Abortion in general just that they were most supportive of Anti-Abortion beliefs than Millenials (making them more similar to older generations) contrary to trend, my only error is I conflated the two generations in my post by not distinguishing them in that point.
DeleteB) That whole post is totally over exaggerating, I would think you could tell by the whole tone of it. Obviously you're going to find polls to support whatever, I happen to be in the public opinion industry, so I went off of research that I studied for a class or encountered in the news.
Do I need to cite my sources, fact checker?!
The proof is in the pudding as long as its tapioca.
Deletehigher than predicted doesn't mean they are suddenly like the older generation. It's just a little more conservative than expected. The problems with polling is sampling and bias. Anyway back to the series.
DeleteI'm hoping that we get a series like Freshman year book 2 Sophomore year Book 3, etc. This way we could really see how the characters are panning out, dealing with internal conflicts, etc. Maybe we get to see them together during the summer where they deal with things.
I would love to see Harrison going out and doing a surprise visit for his girlfriend and finding out things much to his dismay.
I am changing my tone a bit on Taylor not being manipulative towards Harrison, to Glaucon and JL's point made a week ago. I have slowly but surely been rereading the story and came upon one of the first moments Harrison pulled Taylor aside asking her why she seemed to be flirting with Colt. Harrison made some rather astute observations about Taylor's behavior and what does Taylor say, knowing full well what she was planning to do that day? "Are you breaking up with me?" "Then why are we talking like this?"
ReplyDeleteThat's a capital B bitch move on her part.
"You're being a possessive asshole right now [now let me go back to flirting with guys that I have been trying to seduce since we came here]" There, fixed that comment from Taylor, looked like it was missing something.
I mean I guess she eventually admitted what she was doing after being caught (kudos for making the heart race for that decision), but Taylor, if ever there was a golden opportunity to come out with the truth of your feelings, that was a good one.
Thats why im in harrisons corner for thia part of the story anyways. Taylor had ample opportunity to get things in order especially about the boat house but she let it slide then it spiraled out on the tail gate.
DeleteIn not hating taylor shes just doing what a girl gotta do...but she didnt show Harrison alot of love not that she doesnt feel it. I get she was heartbroken at the possible breakup. The colt and stevie thing ...wowsers. that smacks of hormones gone wild especially since her bff, bf, bro and sis was in da house.
I'm slow ok, John?
DeleteIts cool ...slow to some is deep thinking to others.
DeleteIll believe in the latter given the history.
I feel like at the very least, Taylor could have at least used that opportunity to say, "Harrison, we need to talk about something, ok? Not now but I promise you I love you," or something like that. Cryptic AF, but at least she would have taken advantage of an opportunity when she is putting her fantasy plan in motion, to remember she has a responsibility here.
DeleteShe said it herself though in a moment of self-reflection, albeit a very self-critical one, she avoids responsibility. The consequences at least.
DnD here,
DeleteTaylor was completely manipulating Harrison long before the party. She knew what she wanted long before she started taking the pill, starting with not applying at a Michigan school.
I can't blame Taylor for wanting to get out and get some life experience and not wanting to be tied down at nineteen, but she didn't need to leave her almost lifelong friend and boyfriend in the dark until the last minute. Both Daria and I agree on this.
Daria and Dave
Hold on I already agreed with everything you said, I know that she had forethought about what she wanted to do at the party, but it wasnt full blown manipulation until she decided she would twist her intentions around using Harrison's own words. She neglected her responsibility in filling Harrison in on what she wanted to do because she was avoiding it. But she only entered manipulation territory when Harrison started getting close to understanding her intentions and she decided to put it on him.
DeleteWell, I've talked myself into a heavily loaded word. There's degrees of manipulation right? So here's what I think. Taylor goes into this party with two minds, one that wants to spend with her lover and boyfriend (her current self), and the other to start doing this next big thing in her life (the exploring self, looking to the future). Up until that point, though, she never reconciled what she needed to given that the two worlds she cared so much about could not meet in the middle without a serious discussion. At the party, when Taylor decided she would start living out this next life at the party, of course Harrison would take notice and wonder who this person is? When the questions start coming out, Taylor found an 'out' because Harrison started saying the things that Taylor needed to say, and she latched on to it and avoided what she was thinking. Now Taylor gets to be on the defensive, keep doing what she was going to do anyways without having to be the initiator of the painful talks that she needed to have with him in the first place.
DeleteBut a full blown manipulation in my opinion would only be a scenario where she made Harrison break up with her because she was so bad that he would have no choice, and she never once mentioned that she was thinking about it herself. As it stands, Taylor was only manipulative when the concept of breaking up got mentioned by Harrison, and rather than own up to her own thoughts she had about it, decided to put it on Harrison's shoulders. She eventually came around to admit it that day, and admitted all of the thoughts she had going into that moment, which is some kind of thing less than utterly terrible, but no question she shirked responsibility for wanting to break up with Harrison in that moment.
Its a difficult path she choose but it happens to play to Harrison's kinky cuck side and the voyeur in him. If he doesnt have that streak of cuck in him. Then maybe he releases the break takes it out of gear and pushes colts car downhill (and into the lake?) And beats feet out of there.
DeleteTheres also that long time love thing going on...so who knows.
Subject change:
As i reflect on the story the thing that makes it so different feom other writers is the secondary characters. Most others keep it to a few mains with rotating bulls. In a KT story we have several possible bulls and some significant Secondary players..what was the last cuck story you read where the husband and wife or two primaries were not in the last chapter together but in this one harrison drops Taylor off before kelsie. Than has a meaningful conversation with her . That makes it KTs style more entertaining to read for me.
Pop quiz whonwas the other peeping tom.....?
ReplyDelete1. Colt
2. Kelsie
3. Riley
4. Trish and/or her bf (Ewww)
5. Mike
6. Some other dude no longer invited to the party.
7. Ashley
I hadn't thought about that, hmm. Mike is a good guess for one of them (somewhat out of left field).
DeleteI'd like it to be Colt, but he's already seen her bits ...
Hmm I don't think it was Colt because I don't think he was around during that party. I think it was someone else that saw them. Interesting though because I was thinking that it was Mike. I'm going to have to reread this book at some point.
DeleteYea i think this mystery wont be resolved until KT has the charactor admit it..colt could have done it when he and KC where just starting in colledge . Could have been doing it all along maybe started it to peep on riley. Then Taylor came of age one summer and put on a show....
DeleteKelsie. Not sure if it is a vibe or just a wish.
DeleteYea thats one of the reasons i put her on the list. Just that girl on girl thing...
DeleteI don't think it was Kelsie because Taylor thought it was her boyfriend so it was probably a guy. One thing that would make sense is that it was one of Harrison's friends who could pass for Harrison. Colt doesn't make that cut as I think she would have recognized him in the shadows and he's more physically built. Am looking forward to us finding out.
DeleteIf it happend years ago then the physicality maybe moot. Also she didnt know who it was because she onky knew someone was watching and assumed it was Harrison. Gonna stick with a slimmer version of Colt or one of the others. We may never know..
DeleteI think we'll know John. It very well could have been Colt but I'm just not feeling it. I think it was someone at the party like Mike. I think it's important for some reason.
DeleteKeeping my fingers crossed for a reveal on that.....gonna be a who shot JR moment...lol
DeleteMmm, maybe it's a big deal, but she was a minor at the time, so it's possible that story was less about who actually saw her naked and more to add layers to Harrison and Taylor's relationship. That was a cute story ...
DeleteI get your point. But if this takes place a few years earlier when bro and company were seniors she was at worst a freshman best case a sophomore. Still i know what i did in HS senior chick wanted to date me. I think she just wanted my virginity.. then my best friend sister was a soph when i was a senior..would have asked her out had my besty not nixed any notions i had. But its a super sensitive topic these days..the reality is im a dad of two daughters high school romance hasnt changed that much from my days there. Only thing is its more public cuz of the internet.
DeleteKT, I see the hotwife authors guild (you guys need a cool name) has put out their first compilation since you've joined the fold, will you participate in that ever, have you even thought about it, or no?
ReplyDeleteI think I would...
DeleteHave they reached out to you for that kind of project, yet?
DeleteFinished this morning, and reviewed (as KindleGuy). I won't repeat it all here. Will just say that this read got a bit uncomfortable at times. But hey, isn't that part of the experience? I didn't have to get too far into the book to realize that I AM Harrison. I'm the guy who cooks for everyone at parties to this day (almost 46 yo here). And boy, do I remember that era of youth, those times when I was lucky enough to have a girl at my side who was obviously too hot for me. And then she would disappear ... Where did she go? Has anyone seen her? And where's that football jock, by the way? As someone who once listened to a girl I was in love with start making out with my friend in the same dark room, back in my high school days, I can tell you that the dread that creeps over you is practically existential. Of course, I didn't peer into the darkness as far as Harrison does ... and I like to think I made it through unscathed. I look forward to learning what happens next. In fact, "Open Hearts Open Minds" sounds like an SS sequel. Hope so.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Open Hearts, Open Minds is the sequel... It seems like KT would call it Separate Schools 2 or year one. Something like that. I too felt very uncomfortable reading this as I realize that I could identify with Harrison in so many ways, especially the clingy aspects and the self doubt.
DeleteHave to agree with you on the clingy self doubt part in my case the closer I tried to get the more it pushed her away! It just makes you that much more unappealing in the long run. If If Harrison had more experience he would have left Taylor to her own devices. My girl friend started this and I got out of the picture it was to painful and life is too short. She played the field got knocked up had an abortion(she used a diaphragm for BC). That messed her up a bit she had lingering guilt. Later she got married and had two kids but her husband was kind of a dud and never was much of a provider. She ended up with a much poor life by choices she made. My life has been wonderful and fulfilling. I don't gloat over her misfortune in fact when I do hear of her trials I still get a little pain in my heart for her. your first is always your first.
DeleteSo glad this is resonating with some of you. That young unsure feeling is so universal. And those boys or girls who jilted you are just as messed up as you, but communication is so damn hard... there’s more to come, and more to discover about these characters. Open Hearts, Open Minds is the tentative title of the second Separate Schools book.
DeleteAnd thank you, PP, for the review—it’s so appreciated!
DeleteOh damn so Open Hearts Open Minds is the title for the next book after all. I stand corrected!
DeleteBTW, I'm just curious what position Taylor's brother plays in football? That Bear guy makes me think he's an offensive line player because he was described as 6' 6" (maybe Center?), and I'm thinking her brother is either the quarterback or a receiver (possibly tight end).
ReplyDeleteHmm, KC is the quarterback, for sure. Care Bear is Defensive End. They just had an excellent season, only narrowly being defeated by the University of Tennessee, which featured All-American Offensive Tackle Shontavious Jackson in the Megalos Bowl, Care Bear had his hands full. That might have sounded dirty now that I think about it ...
Delete:) A little KT Universe giggles.
Football’s the one with the helmets and the pigskin, right?
Deleteyes... I'm taking it that Care Bear and Taylor's brother plays American Football...
DeleteKT, It's the one with the shrunken testicles, and the concussions that cause suicides ...
DeleteWhew! OK, I got the right sport...
DeleteWell you can get a concussion in any contact sport for the most part. Hockey for example... Thinking of that one story KT wrote now.
DeleteIf KT thinks I didn't miss the over-emphasis-kiss-of-death, then she has another thing coming.
ReplyDeleteSaid Harrison to Kelsie and Brady, "While we're apart. We're going to have an open relationship."
"We're in love."
"We are," Taylor said.
Later on, "It's not crazy," Taylor said.
"It's not crazy," Harrison agreed.
Hell even Kelsie got into it, "No, it's not."
Hmmm ...
This is where punctuation matters and anyone of those with a question mark Or an exclaimation mark and the doubts become very obvious.
DeleteWonder if because Harrison is unable to have sexWITH Kelsie. If they don't come to an agreement for him (or dir both) to watch her. Sex by proxy.
Well I believe that Harrison will be watching Kelsie having sex to tie over his voyeurism. He might get with other girls I think and enjoy watching some. Hope we don't get any serious gaps in this series like we got in the Maggie one. It's hard to deal with those and thankfully we'll get a gap novel for the Maggie series.
DeleteLove that you guys get nuance...
DeleteYou just have to wonder, these are young adults, barely an hour or two into making a socially taboo relationship decision and are revealing it for the first time to people (well, person) that they really respect. Do any of them really want to let on any reservations they have about the decision they made? No, in that moment it might be better to just stick with the optimistic take, "we're gonna do this ... truly, we'll be fine ... I have absolutely no doubt that this will be completely fine ... yep, no problems here ..."
Deletelol hows that for nuance?
Incidentally, KT might be the queen of Nuance in Erotica.
Read it completely.. Amazing story.. Is there gonna be a part 2 of this??
ReplyDeleteThank you! There will be more...
DeleteThis is the first KT Morrison story I've read, so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I wasn't was a level of opinion whiplash towards a story that I have not experienced since I read Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Blithedale Romance. I started out hating Taylor with a passion and thus did not like the story at all despite it being otherwise well written. I ended up with some serious appreciation though with a little trepidation.
ReplyDeleteThe point at which things clicked was chapter 52. Seeing how broken Taylor is put details which previously appeared minor under a new light which showed them to be massive in scope. Taylor was no longer a heartless bitch; she was now a victim of sexual abuse as was her older sister Riley. Her feelings towards sex have been warped by her father assaulting her in the vilest way imaginable. She's just using men in the way her father used her and how her mind has convinced her is normal to protect her from facing the horrific truth head on.
While I appreciate the story from a purely literary perspective, I'm somewhat leery at the idea of erotica featuring an abuse victim sleeping around when she's in desperate need of some serious therapy. I read this genre for feelings of catharsis more than titillation, so I can appreciate a train wreck at times, but other people might be jacking or jilling themselves off to this, unaware of the abomination that act is. I can't imagine how I'd feel after finding that out.
I suppose I could be completely wrong in my reading of the story, but I was at 90+% certainty until Taylor called Harrison "Daddy" while having sex when I jumped to 99.999999+% certainty.
what??? I didn't read the father doing any sexual abuse whatsoever....
DeleteThat's because it was implied rather than stated. I'm not motivated to go through and make a list of every hint at the moment, but when a pair of sisters have warped views of sexuality and developing/full blown substance abuse problems along with a father who is absent for reasons never really fully explained, that screams sexual abuse. When one of those characters calls her boyfriend who she cannot bring herself to dump "Daddy" while they are screwing, that scream turns into flashing lights and sirens.
DeleteNo it doesn't. Whatever though it's clear that I think you're making assumptions. Taylor stated that the father and mother were cheating on each other.
DeleteDivorce messes up kids period and sexual abuse isn't necessary the issue.
SPOILER ALERT
Delete(if you do not believe Taylor has a history of sexual abuse you may not want to read more in case it opens too much of the story for you without being revealed by the characters)
Let me allay your fears that Taylor was sexually abused. She was not.
You are astutely picking up on subplots that will develop, but they are not what you think they are. Girls can have complicated relationships with their fathers without it having anything to do with sex.
Chapter 52 and the scene with Taylor and KC on the boat preparing for her to waterski (as well as a few other places) hint at what is going on with Taylor. This is a personal story for me and I don't take anything I do lightly.
I'd also like to note that while I am definitely an erotica writer, this book is not really erotica. While it has sexually graphic scenes they are not meant to titillate but to serve a greater story. The sex here defines relationships between friends and lovers, as two people try and figure out how they will fit together, and what is the sum total of their friendship measured against their burgeoning future. Taylor is running, but it's not from an abusive father. She also does not have a substance abuse problem. Riley may over-indulge in alcohol but she also has a developing storyline that is complicated. Her alcoholism is merely hinted in rumors and extrapolations but, just as in real life, gossip is often overstated.
Please, Unlucky 7, hang with us here. Trust me. Sexual abuse is not something I would toy with. I want you to enjoy this story not mire in people ravaged by abuse at the hand of others. This is a love story about troubled young people trying to find their way. I want you to hate Taylor now because it's the only way you'll love her later.
I kind of assume that Taylor's mom and dad actually still love each other more than either realize. Maybe more to that story as well?
DeleteI guess I'm going to need to reread the book and take notes because I felt like my reading was well supported circumstantially and explained almost all of the unrevealed backstory points. I have a new theory that doesn't feel as elegant, but I'll wait till I can support it with textual citations before posting it.
DeletePart of the issue I think I was having is because I didn't see Taylor's point of view until much later and then when I did I came to the realization that she's deeply troubled and wants what's best for the Harrison who I think she feels she doesn't deserve. I might need to reread myself at some point in a couple of months or so.
DeleteI didn't get an abuse vibe ..
DeleteI wouldn't read that deep into a fictional character in a genre that has no std's or uti's. Just not that realistic given we only know these characters at this point in Their life. Even if you go back and select phrases words and conversations your making facts of a fictional account. The facts would be fictional...? (Is that a real fake thing?)
On the other hand that KT wrote a character so believable that there was genuine concern for her. Wow KT next level stuff..
In any case this is another one of those things I won't be spending anymore time on....
Unlucky7 - First of all, hi, welcome.
DeleteSecond of all - What on Earth are you reading to possibly conclude abuse?
Ask yourself how likely does someone with a history of abuse have a stable three year relationship with one person? Keep good, solid friendships?
When Taylor talks about the infidelity in the relationship between her mother and father it was an 'emotional relationship' with co-workers. Is that the action of a serial abuser? You think sexual abuser dad needed a shoulder to cry on?
How likely is it that that kind of fucked up parenting would lead to a brother who fought valiantly to prevent his sister from underage drinking? I would think he'd be all about drowning his sorrows for his messed up childhood and, hell, the more the merrier.
As someone who overreacted to a couple vague paragraphs in another KT epic, I get the concern when she does leave a mystery behind. And obviously there are lot of stories with dark, dark themes, but you can tell real fast that none of this is going on here.
Made it through without reading the spoiler, nope, I refuse to be spoiled!
I did get a sort of substance abuse problem vibe from Taylor and someone that is going to need Harrison as a friend more than just some lover. I get the sense that she could destroy her life if she's not careful.
DeleteI dont think there is anything to go on about substance abuse other than a 19 year old at her last big party before moving away wanting to drink because shes not allowed to.
DeleteThat kind of behavior is just unheard of among 19 year old Amerixan girls ...
LOL! All too true. However, I think Taylor could get more involved in that scene when she's in college and it could really mess her up at times.
DeleteI'm with John on all this, nothing to worry about, just good old fashioned girlfriend sharing ...
DeleteI want to say thanks to Unlucky 7 for bringing the thoughts here. It' s good to talk and work this shit out, and i welcome this discourse!
DeletePlease read it again (Lordy, if you have the time—it's a long book!) with the knowledge that while what is happening to Taylor is dreadful, she is no victim at the hand of an abuser. Shit, just a few chapters into the next book you'll see the genuine love she has for her dad!
Why do I feel that that her dad and mom still care about each other a lot?
DeleteI don't know... You might change your mind once you meet Trish and Mike... Or you might be right! [shrug]
Delete@2B2H KC alluded to it: everyone laments the bad behavior of college boys, is no one looking at the girls (from a guy who worries about his sisters...)
DeleteMy take on trish is she's the family lush probably cucked the dad. My thoughts for trish went sideways when she decided to spend time with her bff, bf, fb, SO or whatever he was to her, instead of spending her last summer of her daughter's and her SO, last summer party Before colledge. That for me is tantamount to missing Taylor's birthday party for the happy hour at the local pub.
DeleteKT is right though. We haven't officially met Taylor's parents yet, although I get the sense that Trish really isn't the faithful sort which might be why she's not well received by her children.
DeleteOk, thought I'd missed something there. Glad to hear there was in fact *not* an abuse vibe. I didn't get that while reading it. It kinda bugs me, from a male perspective, that there's so often a "presumption of perversion" when it comes to men. Maybe that's why I enjoy this genre so much -- We get to see just how perverse and lust-driven the women are.
ReplyDeleteAlso, never heard the phrase "jilling" oneself off. Nice! Funny as I was just at the hospital this AM visiting my mother-in-law (who lives with us) who just had a surgery. My wife and I were in there discussing whether she might be better off going to a nursing home for a couple weeks of rehab before coming home. On the list of nursing home "cons," my wife (who's a healthcare provider herself ... still working on making her a "hotwife") mentioned that there are no private showers; rather, there's a shared shower in the hallway. She referred to it as a "Jack and Jill shower." Never heard the phrase used in that context before, either.
So, yeah, two new-to-me contexts for "Jack and Jill." Weird day.
While rereading, I noticed something that I had apparently glossed over on the first read which is that Harrison had never brought Taylor to orgasm. Ignoring the fact that I find it hard to believe he never did it with his fingers or mouth despite not being an overly selfish guy, I do NOT read stories where a man is presented as being incapable of sexually satisfying his partner who eventually cheats on him. (The 10 pumps and he's done was an acceptable failure since that was his first time having sex without a condom and he was really worked up before.)
ReplyDeleteI prefer not to judge an author by just one of their stories, so if someone else wants to suggest a different KT Morrison story to read that doesn't feature that, I'd appreciate it. If that's a consistent theme, then that sucks because I'd hate to miss out on a quality author because I'm not a fan of their exact flavor of stories.
Cherry Blossoms and Maggie series. Her best stories.
DeleteBy the way, I disagree with your premise with regards to this story. You isolated the one moment that he FELT he was not satisfying her ... and yeah he was quick, but it was a powerful moment for them in other ways. There were better moments too ...
DeleteThanks for the suggestions. I'll give one of those a look.
DeleteI did not isolate a single moment, especially since I said his failure there was acceptable to me. From Chapter 9:
"He narrowed his eyes and said, “I know two people who are going to be coming soon.”
That got her. She giggled, covered her mouth, her posture slumping, surrendering. She hugged him then with one arm and pressed her chin into his chest.
Bold words on his part, given he wasn’t one-hundred percent sure he had delivered Taylor an orgasm yet. One time she told him she thought she came, and they treated it as a fact ..."
You might not think that matters, but it matters to me. When a guy is presented as sexually inadequate, it partially justifies the woman's adultery and I don't read stories where that is a possibility even if the author doesn't present it as one. I stomach the adulterous partner being better even though it is dumb fantasy because if I didn't I would be too limited in reading selection, but the husband/boyfriend has to be at least good.
As we close out another thread, I'm left thinking about what made it on that note from Taylor to Harrison that she wrote after being with Colt. I have to think he'll get to read it at some point. The fact that they forgot about makes me thinks it'll hold some valuable truth about Taylor's feelings towards Harrison, love or otherwise ...
ReplyDelete