epistolary

The Novel: Love Unexpected (Some Kind of Love #2)

The Author: Jenny Proctor

The Guest: Lyndi Macke, Co-Host of Hello Out There

The Synopsis: A famous boss. A secret identity. And a hilarious road trip to love.
Yes. Yes, Rosie does have a crush on Isaac, her YouTube-famous boss.

Does she ever talk to him? Absolutely not. Crippling social anxiety can do that.

But Rosie is nothing if not tenacious. Ignoring her friends’ advice to just talk to him already (Nope, that’s way too hard), she instead opts to pursue a virtual relationship with Isaac using a secret identity.

The plan is genius. Online, Rosie has social skills she’d never dream of having in person. She’s possibly even cool. If Isaac can just get to know her, he’ll see how amazing she is.

But then a spontaneous road trip throws Rosie and Isaac together, and their virtual and in-person lives collide. (Eleven hundred miles in a seventy’s era VW hatchback? What could possibly go wrong?)

Much to Rosie’s surprise, she doesn’t constantly humiliate herself. Conversation is easy, and their chemistry? It’s pretty much off the charts.

But every road trip is bound to hit a speed bump or two.

Will Rosie’s secret identity be the thing that brings them together? Or the thing that tears them apart?

Show Notes:
- Words matter... stop calling it "clean" romance
- Hidden coding and allegories in Twilight
- Hello Out There, an improvised podcast (00:08:45)
- Introducing today's read, Love Unexpected (00:12:44)
- A brief discussion of blurb-writing
- "Chick Lit" during the "Sex and the City" era (circa 2002-2006)
- The not-so-brief synopsis for this slightly-stalker-ish romance (00:22:34)
- When you know the book just isn't for you...
- Books written AFTER their time
- The Marty Stu
- A few positives: How social anxiety impacts all facets of life (including dating), a diverse cast, and an incredibly powerful support system
- And a whole bunch of negatives...
- The very anti-climatic third act (00:49:50)
- When the hero is basically a robot...
- The best friends are the ones you tell you when you're doing something wrong
- Heart, Humor, & Heat Ratings (01:13:10)
- When your family is also your friend group... and co-workers...
- What this book COULD'VE been
- Is there hope for the camera man in Book #3?

Links:
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The final entry is a letter from Salus to a younger daughter. It includes conlang content and some concluding remarks from the author.

Every few years, executions happen according to a humanized version of the old Sabaji Tveshi way. Salus watches from among the advisers.

Salus cannot describe the ceremony that made lim an adviser. However, le can describe the sacred text that inspired it — the oath-ritual the Karatha made thousands of years ago.

Salus goes to the Reclaimed Zone to see Sehutañi for the first time after the events of 28 Poråkol 1865.

The trial continues, this time with Liga's testimony — with the same questions asked over and over. Author's note: I was moving last week, and it was more complicated than expected! (A total ordeal, actually.) Apologies for missing a week. ~*^___^*~

Interplanetary politics has forced a real murder trial — which everyone in Tveshė knows is just a formality. Salus recounts some of Sehutañi's testimony.

Salus weaves in and out of a conversation with Karatau about the upcoming murder trial and Salus' safety.

Salus has a crash course in political marketing and learns what happened to Kelta.

Salus is thrust back into politics only a few days after ler awakening — this time, via a summons to the palace.

Salus awakens in the hospital after surgery and days spent drifting in and out of consciousness. The room is empty save for Liga.

Today is the fateful day. The assassin's target travels along ler high road towards an epiphany, Salus in tow — each acting out their place in the dance that is set. The rest is up to chance.

Today is the day that Daybreak might strike. Salus joins the procession, filled with trepidation over the inevitable.

Salus and Kelta have reached someone close to the assassination target.

Salus and Kelta come together the morning after the revelation. Due to the political environment, it's possible that Karatau Meiyenesi and the Kohjenya cannot work fast enough — but no one can afford to fail.

Salus has the opportunity to achieve everything le needs — the name of some 'lim,' the Daybreak Movement's assassination target.

Salus and Kati leave the house to find Karatau Meiyenesi waiting for Salus — who has a proposal.

Salus returns to Deo, the librarian, in search of answers to burning questions about Aneti, the Kuresa family, and all of the other cracks in Salus' understanding.