The Bookish Hour

HD Carlton Bookclub: from Haunting Adeline to Where's Molly

• Fab & Jor • Season 1 • Episode 10

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Get ready to embark on a delightful exploration of the curious and the charming as we chat with the most delightful robot around, Craig. Our latest conversation takes us from a laugh-out-loud game of word association to the enchanting streets of Oxford, where Fab giddily anticipates a birthday city trip with her mom. Let us regale you with tales of the allure of British detective shows and the memorable escapades they inspire, all while balancing the tightrope of travel expenses and the lure of souvenir shops.

Imagine a rainy night transformed into an unexpected culinary adventure, just as we did over vegan nachos and a standout cardamom margarita at Plant City. We'll take you through the maze of cocktail cultures we've experienced, from Dallas to Providence, sharing our top tips for savoring the best drinks that cities have to offer. Raise a glass with us as we celebrate the variety of life's flavors in both our glasses and our travels.

HD CARLTON DISCUSSION! Where we discuss all of HD books in this completely spoiler free episode. We discuss our favorites of hers and maybe our not so favorites too.  We talk about all of her books; Haunting Adeline, Hunting Adeline, Satan's Affair,  Shallow River, Does it Hurt and Where's Molly. We'll unravel the complexities of dark romance novels, diving into our evolving perceptions of brooding characters like Enzo and the twisted tales of the Cat and Mouse duet. We ponder the growth of authors, as seen through the lens of one writer's journey from "Shallow River" to "Where's Molly" and eagerly anticipate her next creation. Join us for a candid discussion filled with literary insights, and perhaps you'll find your next favorite read among our confessions.

Cover Art by: Fabienne and Jordan
Contact email: thebookishhourpod@gmail.com
Intro/Outro music: Season Two: Ramaramaray by Aiyo via Epidemic Sound Season One: Sweet Psycho via TikTok’s Offical Sound Studio on Capcut
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Podcast: @thebookishhourpod
Fabienne: @oxonheart
Jordan: @sipsoffiction

Jordan:

this is the 30 talks podcast.

Fabienne:

I am fab and we're your co-hosts two girls who have entered their 30s and just trying to adult talking lifestyle relationships and everything that comes with this new era, and don't forget about the books. So get cozy, grip your poison and tune in now recording. Oh craig so such a such a fun guy. He's such a great guy that man be cracking jokes all the time. Yes, craig, craig, oh Craig. What a wonderful man.

Fabienne:

I feel like we sometimes, oh my goodness, we're just going to insert random words. Nouns yeah, petroleum, Bath, spread Light, ring, light, microphone. Beads, curtains no Okay. Sorry, I'm just no. Beads, curtains, no Okay.

Jordan:

Sorry, I'm just no, I loved it, but I was like man, and then I was like well, he's not a man, he's a robot. And then you see the little bear. So I went bear, so mine had a method, mine had yeah, your madness had some calculation to it, fantastic. But I like your thinking your, your.

Fabienne:

I was just naming, yeah, you know what, skip this. Hi, jor, how are you? Haven't seen you in a long time. Girl, I'm doing fantastic. How are you? I'm doing, uh, pretty damn good myself actually did you not hear?

Jordan:

I'm fantastic, Like as in what I used to say on Smutty all the time.

Fabienne:

Well, you didn't say it like that. You would always say, fantastic, oh, I did, yeah, at least. Oops, or maybe that's what I wanted to hear. Thank you, yeah, fair, yeah, okay, that's the one that's I.

Jordan:

I know we need to just dive in. I want to hear what's something good that happened to you this week.

Fabienne:

Okay, well, I already kind of gave it to you, like that sounded really weird. I already kind of gave it away to you um, um earlier, but I um booked a city trip with my mom for her birthday and we're going to go to oxford and I am so damn excited because it's my second time. It's so exciting, it's really so exciting and she really wanted to go to. We were debating between Dating between, or among, I should say, oxford, bath or York, and they're all like. All three places are pretty close by to London, of course, and we have to fly to London because the other three places don't have national or international airports.

Fabienne:

But my mom actually decided ultimately on Oxford too, because she is a huge fan of all of these bbc one detective shows like oh my god, endeavor. Bbc like inspector lewis, inspector moores, you know, you name it. You, you can just like come up randomly with a title and I'll, I'll, I'll promise you it's like an existing show and she would have seen it.

Jordan:

She's oh my gosh, wait, stop.

Fabienne:

My grandma loves the british it's those british shows, but like, yeah, kind of like the older ones.

Jordan:

I don't know what, I don't know of any of those, but I know I I wish I knew some of the titles but like my grandma's, like, obsessed with those, she loves her british shows.

Fabienne:

It's fantastic. I don't know what it is about them, but they carry this sort of atmosphere and it really translates from, like you know, like the screen into the living room, if that sort of makes sense. Like you kind of feel like you're there in the city where the murder has happened, but actually, but the thing about these shows is that they all took place or are filmed. Um, the majority of the of the show is filmed in oxford and my mom said I want to go to this pub, I want to go to that street, I want to go to that museum because it's been in the background, I wanted the scenes that I have seen. So she has like this list actually, yeah, she's not. Well, I love my mom but she's never really this prepared for places, just like generally, like, oh, we're going to x and Y and I'll just see what happens. But with Oxford it's like, oh, I want to go to this, I want to go to that, I want to see X and Y. It's actually really fun.

Jordan:

It's like you have to go. Well, I think that's so cool. Wait so. Oh, and you're? I wanted to ask, like when you're going, but maybe I shouldn't. Are you going in like a couple of weeks?

Fabienne:

Yes, Fairly soon. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Obviously I won't tell you about the dates, but yeah, fairly soon, and I'm really excited. Just for like another long weekend. Yeah, I'd say so Like Friday to Sunday.

Jordan:

Okay, okay, that's like a decent amount of time, right, I feel like with cities.

Fabienne:

I'm so sorry to cut you off. I also feel like you don't really have to spend any longer because otherwise you just like dole around and just aimlessly, you know, like wonder and or you're going to spend more money, yeah, but I'm not really opposed to that. I mean, if there's books and coffee, I'm a happy gal.

Jordan:

That's true, but then I start spending money on stupid shit?

Fabienne:

true that I didn't need to spend? Yeah. Are you a um, a souvenir kind of person, like if you go to a place?

Jordan:

yeah, really, but I'm trying not to be. I'm trying not to be so, I'm trying not to be so hard. Okay, okay, but like I feel like this is so bad. It's not bad, no, but if you end up spending money on stupid shit that you don't need to spend money on, so I have been better about like either I get like a magnet, which a magnet is not so bad, because I feel like that's very much you just like put it on the fridge, it's out of the way, it's fine, it's just like. I've definitely gone overboard in the past, but I feel like I'm definitely a lot better of just like okay, here's some pictures. This is what I did. But also in the back of my mind, I'm like okay, well, now I have to get Nick something, I have to get my mom something. I should get my sister something.

Fabienne:

And I'm like no, no, you don't need to get them anything I mean, if you start with one person like, the list will just continue and it just goes on and on, you won't stop at, like you know, you just won't stop, period, you'll just keep going stuff for yeah, yeah, yeah, I saw this.

Fabienne:

I saw this. I saw this reel on Instagram recently and it was it was a vacation slash, touristy slash, souvenir type of video and they said that they were also souvenir people, if you can even like categorize that. But instead of now buying like all sorts of like little, you know little trinkets, they took a Polaroid camera with them and snapped, obviously like Polaroid pictures, but then they would keep a bowl on like their coffee table in the living room and they would throw in all their Polaroids. So all these little snippets like the actual polaroids. They would be like the souvenirs wait, that's cool that's really cool.

Fabienne:

I thought so too. So technically I guess it's still like a photo album, but then just like thrown into a bowl and only existing of polaroid pictures, and I thought it was.

Jordan:

So, no, no, that is really cool. No, no, because it's like, let's say, you have like, because usually the polaroids you have like x amount and then they're gone. But it'd be kind of cool. So it's like, all right, you have this amount of pictures for this trip, so, like, use them wisely, and I think that's really cool. And then, like, when you're, when you're bored, or if, like, you have company over that wants to come look through them, that's actually really cool. Oh gosh, darn it.

Fabienne:

So true, maybe I need to do that because it's not that you're not gonna go to places anymore, it's not like you're stuck. I mean, just take this piece of information and do with it what you will and go forward.

Jordan:

Well, I know a lot of people, um, what they've done is, like they'll use their souvenir, is them getting an ornament for their tree? So their tree is filled with like the things they've done and I thought that was really unique. So I tried to do that. But then, like, I've gone places where I'm like, well, I haven't found an ornament. You know, it's not like you can.

Fabienne:

They don't sell it throughout the year. It's like only seasonal.

Jordan:

Yeah, or it's like it's very touristy things, but I would rather it be something like cool and fun. That like fits that place. I went to not just like Tulu, mexico, on like a street side and put that on my like tree. You know it's like not the same, but I feel like it definitely. It's like hard, but I feel like the Polaroid thing's really cool, but I feel like I also need a house and then I need that thing to put it in. I don't have any of that, but one day yet yet, yeah, important distinction, yeah, exactly.

Jordan:

Um also, just keep manifesting, you know, keep manifesting, yeah, it'll happen one day, but tell me, tell me something that's uh, that's happened to you, that was good or fun, or oh, or or or um, actually, yes, my friend and her fiance came up to see me and nick over the weekend and we got like we kind of like bar hopped. It was like really bad weather, so it just like rained the whole time. But she, she was like I want to come up like again. And I was like, ok, well, you got to do it soon because we're leaving soon. And so she was like, oh my God, ok, and so we planned for like that day and it was really it was nice to have her come up and like with her fiance. And then we just like got drinks and then like ate some food and went to another place and got more drinks and more food, and then that is so fun.

Fabienne:

Is that easy for you to do like um in your city to go like bar hopping? Yeah?

Jordan:

which is nice.

Fabienne:

It's like that is really nice like we're in full distance too, or did you have to like order an uber?

Jordan:

so it was, um, it's like definitely very walkable. We did go to two places that are farther, but we knew we were gonna have to drive. Just because it was rain, it was like downpouring, like it was raining, like it was not. It wasn't like just a light sprinkle where we could walk in it, but because hours, yeah, but because her, her, um, they were driving home that night. Her fiance didn't really drink because he was driving them, so he also drove us. I felt bad, but they don't live too far from us. So they picked us up and then we went to the first place and then he drove us to the next place and he drove us home and then they went home. So I felt bad.

Fabienne:

Well, at least he could still enjoy all the food.

Jordan:

Exactly, and I think he had like one drink at like the first place.

Fabienne:

It's very acceptable. What was your? What was your? What was your favorite drink of that like, of that evening?

Jordan:

OK, so one of my favorite places in Providence is Plant City, which is a food hall and it's.

Jordan:

It's a different setup because it's like a giant building, but the way they have it set up is inside there's like multiple restaurants. They're all kind of next to each other but it's supposed to be different restaurants and so, like one's American, so it has like burgers, fries that sort of thing, and then there's a Mexican and then there's Italian, so you have to pick fries, that sort of thing, and then there's a Mexican and then there's Italian, so you have to pick which one you want to go to, and then you can only get food from that place, even though it's within one building. But then there's also like a coffee shop in it and there's like a to go order of like salads and stuff. But we went to the Mexican and so we got this margarita that I think was like it was something and cardamom, like that spice, and it was delicious, but it was like kind of pinkish and I don't know why, but like pomegranates jumping out at me, but I don't know if that was like the actual flavor, but the margarita itself was amazing.

Fabienne:

I love margaritas so much, me too. And then we got nachos.

Jordan:

Sorry, yes, no, you continue first. I'm sorry, yes, no, no, no. Then we got nachos and that's like my favorite thing because so, since it's plant city, it's all vegan. So the cheese is a butternut squash puree and it is, like you would not know, amazing. It's like okay, well, clearly it doesn't taste like cheese, but like it's so good that it's like it doesn't matter, because nick's not a huge like vegan person, but if you go to like the right place that like specializes in it, he's like these nachos are amazing, like we always go, and we go to the mexican place and we get the nachos. Like that is like amazing, okay, oh, my god, now I could really go for some nachos right now.

Fabienne:

I'm not gonna lie, well, because in when we were in dallas, like um margaritas, and especially like the frozen margaritas, they were like a big thing and I feel like margaritas in general are like a pretty big cocktail over like in the us, but here, at least in the netherlands, it's not that big of a cocktail. They prepare it, but if you order it at like just a regular restaurant, like a down the street restaurant, they will. They will go like uh no, we don't have that, even though you can see, like on the shelves behind the bar they have all the ingredients, but they just don't have that, even though you can see on the shelves behind the bar that they have all the ingredients but they just don't know how to make it. So I just want you to prepare yourself just a little bit.

Jordan:

Oh my god, you can't.

Fabienne:

I'll find some place where they. As soon as I said this, I thought you know what? I'm just going to make sure that I have a list where they do sell it, but still prepare. I'm just going to make sure that I have a list where they do sell it, so, but still prepare, please just a little.

Jordan:

What do you do? How do you get a margarita?

Fabienne:

Well, I don't normally, I just don't. Also, I will say that I'm not a huge cocktail drinker when I'm just out for, like you know, a restaurant date.

Jordan:

What more like wine?

Fabienne:

Yeah, we'll order bottles of wine. Okay, bottles, but it's actually just the singular, just the one bottle of wine, and then I'm just poof, I'm dead, I'm down.

Jordan:

It's like kind of interesting. I definitely like, lately, have been leaning towards like champagne or like Prosecco, so I feel like that's usually what I get is like a glass of Prosecco when I go out. Or if we go specifically to get Italian, then it's wine, but otherwise I like the Like. I guess it kind of depends because, like, each place can specialize in something. There's like another restaurant in Providence that has amazing Cosmos and it's like the only place that has like a good Cosmo. So we'll get a Cosmo, or I do, nick doesn't. Now I want him to, but he usually gets a beer where every person.

Jordan:

No, well, he actually we all got margaritas when we went went, but I feel like he's more of a go-to beer person or wine. He loves wine too, so it's like. But I feel like you get wine, like when you go to an italian place, I don't know why, and then like, so it's so, but it's. It's so interesting because I feel like when we were in dallas, like we lived off of wine and kava.

Fabienne:

I actually not too long ago I am. You know how iPhone like creates these memory sort of videos based off all your photos.

Jordan:

Yeah.

Fabienne:

I got Dallas like not too long ago and the one picture where we were looking in that one aisle at all the bottles of wine.

Jordan:

I don't know that you have to send it to me, but wait, can I tell you, when I went to visit my friend this friend that came down I went to visit her when she lived in a different state, like a while ago, like a couple months ago, at this point maybe, in like November, and I brought a bottle of kava with me as like a let's cheers because something big happened for her and I wanted to bring that and I was like I forgot how it came up. But she was like, oh, my god, you brought like champagne. I was like, well, actually it's kava. And she's like I don't know what kava is. And I was like, oh, it's like think Spanish, like champagne essentially. And she was like, oh, okay, and so they like pour it. And her fiance goes, hmm, tastes Spanish. She was like like why do you keep saying kava? And I'm like it's not champagne it's not champagne.

Fabienne:

Do you actually know the differences?

Jordan:

yes, because well, so I know, like champagne versus prosecco, I didn't know kava until you told me, but that was like before you went to dallas. I don't know if you remember, but you were saying it was during one of our boozy book episode. You were drinking kava and I was like I don't know what that is. Yeah, oh yeah, oh shit, but I like I remember you telling me it's like, essentially it's like Spanish champagne or like bubbly.

Fabienne:

It's a bubbly, fizzly wine. Yes, I remember when I told you that I had that high wine with my grandma, with my mom, oh yes, like a while ago already I think, and we had cava as like the starter, like the aperitif, you know, like the the little first drink, yes, and um, she explained, uh, what the difference was, also, um, with the bubbles, because obviously, you obviously know not a difference between, like, champagne, kava and prosecco. It's basically just france, spain italian.

Fabienne:

Yeah, and like italy but the bubbles in kava, they remain longer in the bottle than the one in the prosecco. Just get, just ignore champagne, just just for this one um, for this one um explanation. But the bubbles in the kava they last longer because of the natural progress of, or like process, I should say of how they get. I don't know how it gets carbonated, um, because of the pressure in the in the bottle. It just stays on longer. So if you pour it in your glass, the bubbles they will last longer too. But because prosecco, it gets carbonated from outside of the bottle, it gets pressured into the bottle and then it gets like actually bottled, like the. The cork gets like put inside um. So the carbonation process is artificial with prosecco, but it's natural with cava. So if you pour it like either again prosecco or cava, cava less longer and tastes better for longer because of the natural process as opposed to Prosecco.

Jordan:

I did not know that. I have to say the kava we got I really enjoyed in Dallas. The kava I got her was good too, but it wasn't cold, so that's like the only downside. He put it in the fridge for a little bit, but then we like drink it before going out and then it just like wasn't the same, but doesn't have the same feel and taste.

Fabienne:

Right now, I get it. Just remind me then to uh buy some bottles of uh, the frank's net cover for when you get here yes man, we're gonna be so drunk out of our asses. This isn't tight, no kidding.

Jordan:

We'll behave, are we?

Fabienne:

No, I'll just make sure that I have alcohol stacked and stocked and loaded.

Jordan:

Yes, Locked and loaded. Ok, maybe we should dive in to what this episode is now.

Fabienne:

Well, I mean talking about locked no.

Jordan:

no, I can't find the segue really edeline locked hidden, she was kidnapped, she really she was okay. So I feel like this is the big question are is this going to be a spoiler free episode or is this going to be a spoiler filled episode?

Fabienne:

the silence that you are experiencing right now. That's me thinking um.

Jordan:

Maybe we can say we could try to keep it spoiler free and then if we're going to say a spoiler, we'll let you know, so then you can fast forward. Um, but I feel like this is going to be a HD Carlton filled episode for all of her books. Yes, since we've read them all, and well, all of the ones that have been out, most of them.

Fabienne:

Most of them. I haven't really read all of them.

Jordan:

Okay, hollow, we can't count, because she took that down, so no one can read it now. Okay, cool, so yes, yes, you have okay, did she also?

Fabienne:

uh, took down. Like the other book in that series, it was a two. It was like a duology, was it, was it not?

Jordan:

yeah, but I don't think the second one ever actually came out it never saw light never, never saw light, never saw the light, never saw the light. Okay, but like I have to know what is your favorite, hg Carlton book.

Fabienne:

Does it hurt?

Jordan:

Same Definitely 100%.

Fabienne:

Five stars Definitely.

Jordan:

All day, every day, let's go. I love that book so much and for the fact that I just need to point out this isn't a spoiler, but like it's deaf, I would categorize it as erotica and the it gets into the sexy times, like on page 12. So everything happens very, very fast, but it's still an amazing story. So it's like's like even if, if you like erotica or you like the sexy times to happen very, very fast, then it uh, does it hurt, is good for you, good for you, but like, even if you don't like it, I say highly, I highly recommend still giving it a shot.

Fabienne:

Just because it's like that good I mean mean you can skip technically, I mean, if you're not really into Smarter, like the Sexy Times or whatever, then I feel like maybe HG Carlton, as like an author, might not be really the one for you. But I will say that if you are a reader that doesn't mind skipping through like certain scenes or like reading over, like skimming or whatever the plot in Does, it Hurt is phenomenal and it's so gothic-esque still and it's like suspenseful and it has all of these it's like, but it's like gothic summertime because they're on an island.

Jordan:

Yes, it's a weird, it's a weird, um like a combination actually it is, and it's unlike anything I've ever read before, to be completely honest.

Fabienne:

I remember, I 100% agree and I even remember that when I read this God like 2022 already right yeah. Damn, it's almost been two years, what the hell. I remember reading this book and I felt like so immersed in the story that once I read it I was done. I had to, like you know, you close your book and you sit down and just stare off in the distance. I think I did that for at least 12 and a half minutes at least.

Jordan:

Yes, agreed, it's definitely like it was one of my favorite books in 2022. Like, when I read it, I think I read it in, like I read it in like november and it's like by far one of my favorites, loved it so much and I just I like I don't, I don't, I don't think I would want her to write a sequel to that, but I would love another one of those books. Like I love enzo. I love, like the shark aspect of it yes.

Fabienne:

I liked her too, but I love Enzo more he had such like a bravado to him that I didn't really like him in the beginning. But I didn't no wait, sorry, sorry, sorry.

Jordan:

It's not a spoiler, but when he's like holding her head underwater.

Fabienne:

Yep.

Jordan:

I loved that.

Fabienne:

That was. That was like the first point where, like the first moment where I was like, okay, maybe maybe this, maybe this is getting interesting after all. Maybe maybe you're not. Okay, okay.

Jordan:

Wait, wait and I'm like like do it again that was such a dangerous scene though yeah, but I'm like do it again, do it again, okay, but but okay, it was so good so good and I have to say, like I pick Enzo over Zaid any day.

Fabienne:

Oh, definitely.

Jordan:

Any day. So then, what are your thoughts on the cat and mouse duet? And we'll throw in Satan's Affair, which now I'm thinking about it. Have you read Satan's Affair?

Fabienne:

No, I have not read that one. Fair Okay, I have been told many like like, I have been told about it many times and I felt feel like I kind of have read it like vicariously through all of your stories that you've told me about it. Um, yeah, so okay, I did really enjoy the get a mouse to it. I will say that it was one of the toughest dark romances that I first read, though Same, yes, because of the subjects that it tackles Especially that first half in the second book.

Jordan:

That one is rough, that one's rough to get through.

Fabienne:

For sure it's a well way to put it. Yeah, but I also didn't really felt too comfortable with the, dare I say, meeting between sade and adeline, like how they actually first met, not like is this in the first one, in the first yeah, in the first one, yeah, yeah, when, when she's like in the house and she's I mean you know, this one would blurb like it's haunted right, also haunting, and I feel like I actually love that aspect of it, like I love the gothic hauntingness of it, love that I feel like maybe it could have been explored a little bit more in the first book, I agree, and then it was kind of just totally tossed out of the second book, completely, yeah, and just like kind of a bummer, yeah, yeah then again as the story progressed and you know like in which direction the story again was going.

Fabienne:

It wouldn't have made sense for again the story if, like the first half, that gothic-esque aspect would have like returned. But I still would have liked to have seen more of that in the first book, I agree. That being said, overall I really did enjoy it, but I did have trouble with some scenes that happened yes, I overall really enjoyed it.

Jordan:

I think I completely agree there were some scenes in book one that were definitely difficult for me to get through and, I think, to be completely honest, which lug on smutty. We have a book club for hunting, or, yeah, haunting and hunting, aniline parts one and two for both of them, so you can go in there and listen to that if you want to, because we'll keep this spoiler free. But there were definitely scenes in the first book that if we were not reading it for the podcast, I probably would have dnf'd the first one. But push through, yeah, push through to continue reading for the podcast, which I'm actually glad we did, because overall I really do like the duet and I think I just think I wish I would have started.

Jordan:

I we dived into dark romance like right away, and then we picked one of the darkest like duets to start with to go along with that. So I kind of think if that wasn't the case, I would have had a different mentality towards it. And but again, overall, and like I'm so glad I read it and we had read it and we got to discuss it and I loved it. I do really love it. Does it hurt? Is still on the top. But I think I would have had it would have been a different outcome had we read it later or if we didn't read for the podcast.

Fabienne:

But yeah, that kind of makes sense actually, and what you're saying is true, of course. Like we kind of dove into dark romance Pretty much from the get go as soon as we started talking on the wide world web, um. But then we read dinner vipers. But that wasn't really as dark slash, traumatizing as the cat and mouse duet is and it felt like, yeah, maybe, like you know, like tiptoed into the lake. That is dark romance. And then, of course, haunting Adeline. It would have been better maybe in hindsight. Yeah.

Jordan:

Yeah, it's like it's just without going into spoilers. There's like things that happen that are a little bit Well. I guess like same with Den of Vipers too. But I think too it's like I knew what we were getting into with Den of Vipers 2. But I think too it's like I knew what we were getting into with Den of Vipers and I don't think I knew the level of what we were getting into for Haunting Adeline, but then even for book two, like I actually like book two more than I like book one, but because I knew what I was getting into with book two.

Fabienne:

That makes sense. Actually, now that I think, like think back on it, I think I like the story, like the mental recovery plot line yes, in in hunting at a line better as opposed to the other storyline that happened in the first one yes, agreed, like I love that, that whole, whole part.

Jordan:

and there's that one chapter that still lives rent-free in my mind in hunting adeline, of like working through that trauma and all of that and it's just so good. And I know too we have our where's molly but like order Satan's Affair, haunting Adeline, hunting Adeline. Where's Molly, yes, which I know we've kind of talked about Where's Molly, and if you've read that and want to listen to it's a episode previously titled something, something, but the end is called Where's Molly.

Fabienne:

So you could go listen to that. You have to rifle through the episodes just a little bit, read through the captions and see where like where's molly stands out and that's the one. That's the one you gotta listen, yeah, but I actually didn't enjoy where's molly and I think we may have remarked on it, but I didn't really expect to be where's molly, um, to be like so, um, such like a short book, like I felt like it was more of a short story than than like a novella or like a novel letter.

Fabienne:

I'm not sure what the difference is, but I it read more like, uh, like a short story, and I really did enjoy that because, one, I don't normally read short stories to begin with, and two, I felt like it was literally like textually, such a nice change of pace as well with books, um, and I did enjoy like the going back and forth with the timelines, but sometimes I did have trouble understanding in which timeline that particular or like specific chapter would take place. But then obviously, like, once you finish it, it's like obviously it makes sense because it's right there. Yeah, I get that, I did, I did enjoy it and I felt the like the opening of Where's Molly I thought it was so funny, even though it's very gruesome. Yes, for me actually the sort of spoiler nowlly, I, I thought it was so funny, even though it's very gruesome. Yes, actually, these sort of spoiler, now that I think about it but it's like the first.

Fabienne:

That's the first page, so you would you know, it's definitely very gory definitely um, and I don't really think um, and this is kind of like a nice um circle back how we started this episode, like with your grandma, my mom, like really being into detectives. But I felt like sometimes with these shows, like these series, you see like the most gruesome deaths, right, you see like the most gruesome murders happening, and this actually happened in. Where's Molly, like what she does, happening, and this actually happened. And where is molly, like what she does and like this is so um, I don't wanna, I don't feel like this is the best word to describe it, but it felt like so authentic in the way that um molly was described and like what her profession is yeah, yeah, I can.

Fabienne:

Yep, I can agree with that try really hard not to give away spoilers actually.

Jordan:

I know it's actually so hard.

Fabienne:

It's just what it is, but I really did like it, and wasn't it so that I forgot to really read the actual ending of Where's Molly? Yes, yeah.

Jordan:

Did you ever go?

Fabienne:

back to it. No, still have not read it. I can't. You know how I am, you know how. Okay, listen, I I talked. You know if we're like um making a remark on smutty again, I, uh, I think I talked about how I really don't really like epilogues. When a story ends, it ends, and I do appreciate the epilogue, as you know, from a narrative standpoint, but it doesn't add anything to the story for me, because the story already has been wrapped up. It's just like a nice little gift for you to just take away once you're done with the book. At least that's how I see epilogues, so I don't feel like I've missed too much of where's molly. I see that you completely disagree with me, so I feel like I have to. Okay, okay, I feel but it's also.

Jordan:

It's also really short and I know too, I kind of also gave it away, so like now, you know too, but I actually I okay.

Fabienne:

Well, from what you have told me, again, I feel like I have already read it regardless. Um, fuck the spoilers, man, I can't say too much.

Jordan:

And this book wasn't even wasn't even long okay I know, but okay, wait.

Fabienne:

But now I need to know what were your thoughts on shallow river I um I remember giving it three stars, okay, um, I know that this was her debut novel, right or was?

Jordan:

that hollow book, her debut novel, which, now that I look it up you're at, you're right, and I think there was a sequel that came out, but this was like a long time ago, like back in like 2019, 2018. Yeah, oh, that was her debut, was hollow and untainted.

Fabienne:

And then I think Shallow River came out in 2020 not even too long ago then, actually like only four years, huh. Well, at least she has become a great writer now. So sorry, no, no, oh, no, okay, I see how that came out. It came out really okay. Listen, that came out wrong. I just meant to say that I did it. She, she, she has grown as a writer, as an author. Okay, I really love her books now that is really.

Jordan:

I feel like that is like a really good. Like you can tell, she's gotten stronger and stronger. But not gonna lie, I like shallow river, like I liked it. Yeah, I mean, don't get me wrong, it's like a four star book, but I liked it, wait what do you mean by? Don't get me wrong, a four star is a great rating well, yeah, but it's not like five stars, like what I gave, doesn't hurt yeah, okay, true that it, that that is but I still liked the story fair.

Fabienne:

Well, I feel actually horrible saying this because, well, I mean, it had potential shallow river, okay, I felt like I really did wish that I love it, and not even because of what, like, the female main character underwent, like what she went through, um, but the story for me lacked depth in a way, okay, and I feel like a big portion of the book felt more like added forced, whatever the frick you want to name it like shock value to me, than actual plot progression, if that makes sense oh okay, like you, you think she was just there to like I don't know, okay, I think I I know I just kind of left that sentence off, but I think, like less, less of a story and more of a like oh wow, like okay, this happened and then this happened, yeah yeah, I did think the ending was a bit extreme.

Jordan:

In the attic I was like, oh yeah we're going there.

Fabienne:

We're going there, we're going there yeah okay, there was no, there was no chemistry, if you asked me, between what was his name mako, mako, mako and then river, of course, because that was the entire gimmick shallow river right, make, make, m-a-k-o, mako, mako, but yes, river, river, mcgallister I don't know, I feel I, I just I remember thinking that certain scenes were just added there for the sake of adding a scene and they felt pretty redundant to me at a point.

Jordan:

And I also remember skipping over, like skimming through scenes and I fair because I I think hd has actually commented and said that she is not very proud of shallow river like she wishes she could, under which I'm not sure why authors say this so like anybody should be.

Jordan:

It was her first book technically, again technically, but you should be well, no, no, like what I don't understand, and if any author listens and can explain this to us like that would be fantastic. But like she's mentioned that she can't go back and re-edit it and like change it, so she's like as soon, like she's legally well, that's like.

Jordan:

I know she's like mentioned that in the past and I don't know like why she can't or like what the reason behind it is, and I don't. That's why I'm like if any authors like can chime in and explain that like that would be great, because maybe they're or maybe it's something that she like just doesn't want to, but the way she worded it it seemed like she couldn't and I don't know if maybe that was just her way of saying she didn't want to.

Jordan:

Interesting, but yeah, so I'm very yeah, I don't know okay well, but she's never find out, then but I know she's like said that she's not very fond of Shallow River and she's like she like cringes when she like sees people reading it or something. So I feel, I feel like she's definitely like her like newer stuff.

Fabienne:

That actually makes me feel a little bit bad. Wait why? Because I felt like I was drilling shallow river into the ground then knowing that she was really too fond of it anyways, and now I'm just like you know well, now it's like you're guys are on the same page you and your silver linings.

Jordan:

I swear that is true yeah, which I have to say, I'm very excited for sibby's story, her duet coming yes, I'm very excited for that do we have an aim, like a tentative date?

Jordan:

so the last thing I saw hd talk about was there's no date because she's still currently writing book two and she does not want what happened with the cat and mouse duet. So she's like there's no, we don't even have titles, you just have like the acronym of t, zero, t, t, zero t o e I or something. But she was like not until it's full, both books are fully written. Because I know too like she had to push back hunting adeline quite a bit because that one wasn't completed. So she's like I learned from my mistake, like I'm not going to give there's not going to be any release dates until both books are written and then I'll have them release within six weeks of each other.

Jordan:

I think she mentioned so we have nothing, huh, yeah. So we have nothing, huh yeah. Except I think like she's mentioned that she's like written book one and that one's done. But I, I know too she said that like book one has a cliffhanger, like haunting out of line, and then she that's why she wants to release book two within like six weeks, or that's what she said.

Fabienne:

That's the last thing I've seen her that is very, um uh, admirable actually, so the cliffhanger isn't too cliffhanger-y, right like the waiting do you remember we read book one before book two was released, so it's like we had to wait. No, that was brutal and that was a cliffhanger. Yeah, damn.

Jordan:

So just know, all you people that read it now, after you listen to this episode and we get into it.

Fabienne:

You are love bastards yes. Yes, you are, she said ever so lovingly.

Jordan:

Yep, but I also like it. I have really enjoyed us reading it for the podcast, so it's like it's fine that we had a cliffhanger, fine.

Fabienne:

It was fine. Yes, yeah, yes, yeah, it was fine. I mean we die, but it was fine. Yeah, sure, no biggie, no biggie. Wait. One more question, because I also asked this with the Where's Molly sort of episode and we didn't really came to a conclusive answer. Now that we know for sure we already knew for sure, by the way, but now that it is clear that the cat and mouse do it and Satan's affair and obviously Where's Molly all take place, like they take place in the same realm, if you will do we now think, then that Does it Hurt also takes place in the same realm. Oh, and maybe even Shallow River.

Jordan:

I, I wonder, but because they're so far apart, because it's like we know, you don't? I think it's not a spoiler. I feel like I just need to make sure before I say anything, because I don't okay but like because it's not.

Jordan:

I don't see it in the blurb so maybe I don't want to say it, but we know it's like takes place far away. So I can see that it might not, it might take place in the same universe, but because it's not at that exact spot. I can see that because clearly, like, all of those books will tie together and even Sibby's story we know will tie together without giving anything away. We know who Sibby will story, we know will tie together without giving anything away. We know who Sibby will be with and how. It's already tied in. So we know all of those books are together. But I am, I feel, like, yes and no Like in the sense of like, I don't think they'll ever overlap.

Fabienne:

But I think like they can be in like the same universe. That would be really interesting. By the way, if we have like an overlap with and so and seed.

Jordan:

Honestly, I think it'd be kind of cool, like, for whatever reason I I don't know how they would do it, but it would be kind of cool if she could tie. I mean like Because we know Are you looking it up?

Fabienne:

Are you texting me?

Jordan:

No, oh, I like, are you texting me? No, oh, I like, I just I didn't want to because, like, I love going into books blind, so I didn't want to say something. But like, for what? Who she is? Like sawyer, I feel like I could see that in a way being helpful to Zaid at some point. So I can see, like in a way, so like, maybe in a later time, but I don't know if, because, like, I feel like I know she, I know HG's mentioned that Sibby well, okay, we know Sibby's story is coming because she's like actively writing it, but then Rocco Ro no, rocco Rocco be stories coming because she's like actively writing it. But then rocco row no, rocco rocco, the one that was like rocco, like I think, who is in the cat and mouse duet at some point he, she's mentioned that he gets a story, but I don't think she's like started that. I don't think she's like gone anywhere with that.

Fabienne:

I think just like actively writing sibby's story it'll be fun, though, to see this point of view of things too right and like what character he is and like how we feel about him.

Jordan:

I'm very curious to see how she goes about that. I am like as much as like the cat and mouse duet, like I do like how I felt in the beginning versus the ending, like I actually really enjoy her writing style and I think I will forever read her books, even if, like, maybe I'm not totally obsessed with that one of them, because it's like I mean, does it hurt is like by far my favorite and at the top completely. And but I think, like, even if I were like not like other books, I think I will forever read her, if that makes sense, it's not.

Fabienne:

I will not make sense.

Jordan:

No, but I'm just following, I'm just nodding okay, well, no matter what, I'm going to continue to read her book. That I did understand, yes, that I. I really did it like, enjoy them and I highly recommend, if like, because this is spoiler free for as much as we could be, but, um, I highly recommend trick checking, trigger warnings for every single one of our books.

Fabienne:

Oh yeah, definitely every single one yeah, yes, because even though we did, we were still not really ready for no and yeah, even when you check trigger warnings, just like also go in and just be prepared for it all I agree, could not. Could not have said it any better, sweetheart, well done. Thank you, there's no other books, right, is this it?

Jordan:

I think so. We talked about all the books now and future books, all the books, nice, nice, nice, nice.

Fabienne:

Yes, we'll keep you all updated. Maybe we also add a link to the Smutty for getting mouths to wed, that might be smart.

Jordan:

Haunting and hunting, adeline. Yeah, parts one and two, so there's a lot.

Fabienne:

Give them a listen, please. Thank you. Thank you so much for listening.

Jordan:

And please don't forget to rate and review wherever you can find us.

Fabienne:

So catch you next time. Bye.