Everything We Never Said: A contemporary sapphic romance

by L.A. Wright

Some loves are never lost When Polly stumbles across her husband’s infidelity, she does the one thing she thought she’d never do—she flees Sydney and heads back home to England. But her hopes for a safe harbour are dashed when she finds herself haunted by a past she thought she’d left behind. Most painful of all are memories of Mari, her estranged best friend, who disappeared without a word nearly twenty years ago.

As Polly searches for direction in places from her childhood, she confronts a reality she had been too naïve to face when they were still she’d been in love with Mari from the very beginning. Now, as she tries to piece her life back together, Polly finds herself determined to track down the woman whose heart she unwittingly broke to see if they might have a second chance. But divorcing her husband isn’t the only complication she needs to deal with—Mari has her own wounds, her own secrets, and a life Polly may no longer fit into.

Can Polly find the courage to confront the mistakes of the past, rekindle a love that never quite faded, and reclaim the life she was always meant to live?

Genres: Lesbian, Romance, Second Chance, LGBT, Contemporary

322 pages, Paperback

Published December 29, 2024

About the author

L A Wright is a New Zealand-born queer writer. After more than two decades living in Sydney and abroad, she currently lives in Auckland with her wife and her laptop. By day, she works in research, but the rest of her time is reserved for writing stories featuring strong sapphic leads that explore the realities of queer life and the journey of self-discovery.


When not writing (or thinking about writing, or talking about writing), L A Wright enjoys reading and watching all things sapphic, travelling, cycling and spending time with her wife, family and friends.

Reviews

[Diane Wallace · Rating 2 out of 5]

**'Please, please be crafty when telling a story. Don't just put any words/sentences on paper that you think readers will like. If you cannot, then scrap telling any story..'

Meh!
A very frustrating and questionable storyline...


The rating is for effort, title and cover!

[Luna · Rating 2 out of 5]

After being on my TBR list for what felt like eighty-four years, I finally got around to this, but I was ultimately left feeling disappointed. The book was not what I expected and, unfortunately, I don’t mean that in a good way. It took longer than I would’ve liked for Mari and Polly to reunite, and while I appreciated the spilled tea, I was a bit frustrated because it dragged. I was ready for the pace to pick up, but I ran into another issue and that was Mari and Polly themselves. Mari and Polly both made some decisions that led me to question their judgement and some of their actions made me want to scream. There were a lot of moving parts and I just couldn’t root for them as a couple because I didn’t see a reason to. Sure, now you realized you had feelings for her in the past, but it’s been almost twenty years, so convince me. I didn’t think the protagonists were likable and the idea that they were in love seemed far-fetched. Well, in the end, I wasn’t convinced, and I wouldn’t categorize this as a romance. Seriously, one of them ran like she was training for a marathon and the other was booking flights like she was trying to earn travel points. This being a buddy read with Stuffl made it bearable, but it’s not a reread for me.  

[Misha · Rating 3 out of 5]

(rounded down from 3.25)

I think I would have enjoyed this more if it was marketed as a contemporary queer book instead of a romance because the actual time we spend with the main leads is honestly minimal and that's just not enough to get someone invested in a romance. We spend so much time in Polly's head just thinking about the past and various landmarks in three countries and far too little with Polly and Mari interacting or showing us why they are best friends and soulmates. I also find it difficult to reconcile current spouses that are just there to be roadblocks for the main couple to eventually get together who are absolute arseholes. Meg and Dave are the worst and I cannot believe that someone would have such a one-eighty in their personality over a few years when they are described as being actually lovely people at the start of their respective marriages because they are borderline abusive (locking someone in the house? What the actual fuck, are they not both lawyers??) or long term cheaters (Dave carrying on with an affair and a pregnancy for THREE YEARS while married to someone else).

Every single character in this book except Mari is a terrible person and Polly is just a pushover, despite being apparently in-house counsel so one would assume at least able to hold her own in discussions with her ex-husband or mother without just letting them steamroll over her. Speaking of mothers, I found the resolution for Rosemary being shitty all her life to Mari and Polly incredibly unsatisfying because until the end of this book, Polly simply cannot grow a backbone and just tell Dave she is not interested in reconciliation or her mother that she is being bigoted and homophobic and shitty and she needs to cut that out or be cut off entirely from her child's life.

As you can imagine, most of this was very unsatisfying for me because it feels like aside from a revelation about her queer crush on Mari from their younger days, Polly doesn't really grow much at all throughout the book and both of them are ridiculously quick to make assumptions about a situation and then flee the country for women over forty.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐

En general ha sido una buena lectura, tanto Polly como Mari tienen sus pros y sus contras, algo que agradezco porque hace de los personajes algo real.

He disfrutado mucho descubriendo una autora nueva, no es un debut propio, pero si una segunda publicación bien hecha, con trama y mucho drama. Y ese es quizá mi pequeño punto en contra, son muchas páginas contando las desventuras de las protagonistas y muy poco lo lindo, esta falta de proporción nunca me gusta, es abrumador y le resta calificación, ya que uno espera tanto por el final feliz, que no esta en balance con el sufrimiento.

Algo qué también falto en el cierre, es la historia del resto de personajes, en este caso lo veo necesario ya qué son un eje central en la historia, todos a su manera jugaron un papel central y dieron muchos problemas, y al final se sabe poco o nada, digamos que cuenta un final apresurado y atropellado.

Punto a favor, una ambientación muy buena y que se agradece, porque de verdad estas en el mismo lugar que los personajes.

También tiene una portada muy bonita para ser independiente.

En fin, es una lectura recomendada y como petición especial a la escritora, yo no descartaría una historia independiente para Claire, me dejó con muchas ganas de más.

[Qingwen Huang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t want to finish it as I didn’t want to stop reading it. And yet here we are, me writing a review for the book I read too fast because I couldn’t put it down.

This book was something I could disappear into and oooffff the sesbian lex scenes 🥵🥵😵 Mari and Polly have great chemistry.

Call me a sucker for punishment but I do enjoy the angst. Things aren’t always easy and don’t always get resolved with a bow on top. Life can get messy especially when hearts are involved.

Another things I’m a sucker for is stories with second chances. And speaking of seconds, how’s this for LA Wright’s second book! Definitely a fresh author to follow. I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next. Happy 2025 indeed!

[The Wild Weary Cow Reads Sapphic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my gosh this one!

Talk about a ride of emotions...

To start with I wasn't sure I was going to get on with this book.
It seemed very heavy on words and a lot about Polly and her arsehole husband Dave... I did wonder if it was one of those that we wouldn't see Mari till towards the end of the book.

I was wrong on both counts..

As the book goes on you're sent on an emotional journey that covers everything, frustration, anger, heartache, love, full on hating some characters, shock, wanting to slap a couple of characters including the two main ones 😂🤦🏼‍♀️...
But these are my kinda books!. . MESSY!!
I WANT to feel fully involved in their frustration, their heartache.
I cried a few times and I had moments of saying "Wtf are you doing???"

I'm so glad I gave this book a chance.
It ended up being a "Just one more chapter" for me and staying up till 1am.

Polly and Mari met when they were 6 and fast becoming BBFs...
Spending all their time together through to University.
One night together after a party leads to their friendship ending abruptly.

20years later and Polly has just found out her husband has not only been having an affair but also got his gf pregnant!.

To try and clear her head she leaves Australia for home, England, and while there starts to remember all the memories she has Mari.

Setting out to find her again sends her down a road she didn't really understand before.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

[queer_aussie_reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

L.A. Wright returns with her second novel, Everything We Never Said, and it’s a whirlwind ride of angst, healing, and love across three countries.  

Right up until Polly’s husband cheats on her, she thought she was living her dream life. One half of a respected power couple, a successful lawyer, and a gorgeous house in Sydney, Australia. As her world crumbles, and she retreats to her Mums home in the UK, she begins to question the choices she has made.

This leads her to Canada, where her childhood best friend and first woman lover, Mari, is also a successful lawyer. Mari being married doesn’t stop the attraction instantly being reignited, and hearts are breaking all over again.

It isn’t until Polly is back in Australia that she comes to terms with her past and her future, but decides to live in the now.

Polly and Mari’s journey is an epic tale, and condensing it into the length of a romance novel couldn’t have been easy. While I would have liked more from Mari’s perspective, Wright does a brilliant job of keeping a steady pace and a natural flow.

With a hard-fought but well-deserved happily-ever-after, Everything We Never Said cements Wright as a sapphic romance author to watch.

[Lynae M Henkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book!

I had а feeling about this book and I'm so glad I bought and read it! I couldn't put it down once I started. Surprised at how little reviews there are, I will make sure to recommend it on IG. There were moments where I couldn't read fast enough cause I needed to know what happened next! I loved their connection, I totally understand being their best selves when together. I've been watching Big Brother Italy where Helena and Zeudi are their best selves only when together, so joyful, so giddy, so affectionate, so sparkly eyed, deep feelings for eachother yet the homophobic show keeps trying to keep them apart Just like her Polly's Mom in this book! Anyways as а wlw who reads а lesfic book а day this is definitely one of the good ones. Read this book, you won't regret it. I look forward to seeing what else L А has written or reading whatever she writes next! Thank L А for the much needed escape!

[Tessa La Vella · Rating 5 out of 5]

EWNS made me think about how there are things that you don’t develop a taste for until you’ve reached a certain level of maturity. Like coffee or wine or Brussels sprouts. You probably won’t like this book if you’ve never been through heartbreak, if you’ve never questioned the decisions you made in your life, and if you’ve never wondered what could have been.
But if you have, this is for you. I loved how much time L.A. Wright allowed herself to explore Polly’s journey from the moment her - what she thought - happy marriage combusted. How step A led to step B but not to step C, but spiraling back, because that’s how life goes. How she unraveled her past bit by bit to figure out what she really wanted. I wish we could have spent more time with Mari to get more of her perspective, so I’m hoping for a sequel (or prequel) of some sort.
I also wish I could give more than 5 stars, but alas.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loads and loads of angst with a pinch of infidelity and a HEA (of course!)

[Linda Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will drop everything to read this book.

Love the story. Can absolutely relate to both main characters in a way. Especially if you were out in the 90s. Anyhoo, this book would clearly make a wonderful movie. Highly recommend to all reading the reviews.

[Gaja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, a lot of angst and therapy along the way.
Couldn’t give it 5 stars for the extended Dave situation post Vancouver. I still didn’t get it. And the lack of smut.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very mixed feelings about this book. A lot of angst and pining that i love in the right context, but not so much in this one.
What i can say i liked about this book was the build-up to the meeting between Polly and Mari, including the chemistry they had.
The infidelities that were commonplace were uncomfortable to read, to say the least. I know that situations can be nuanced and have different sides, but i can't get over the fact that it's everywhere in this book.
And don't get me started on that Dave re run. I was frustrated.
There were definitely moments where i was confused at why the characters were acting in such a way, but oh well.
The saving grace was the writing. It really was what pulled me through the later part of the book.
2.7 stars

[Menestrella · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I picked this book, I thought that it would be something I might enjoy very much, but unfortunately I found myself dragging page after page and wishing I could get into the long lost love between the two main characters. I just didn't feel it.

Polly McAllister has a thriving career as a lawyer and a husband she's been married for eleven years, but she doesn't seem happy. She moved all the way from England to Australia, but she doesn't seem to have found her "home" yet. The day she discovers her husband has been cheating on her she starts reevaluating all her choices in life and what is her biggest regret: losing contact with her childhood best friend Mari, the only person in the world who made her truly happy. It is thinking about Mari that will set Polly on a self discovery journey that will push her to first go back to England and then to Canada to find Mari. Seeing Mari after eighteen years they have been apart, with no contact whatsoever, is a crude reality check to Polly. From there, things will escalate fast.

Everything We Never Said had all the premises to be something I would possibly enjoy, but somewhere down the road, my interest starting lacking and I kept on wanting to know more about why the two characters couldn't forget each other. I have read more pages about the cheating husband and the homophobic mother than pages about how Polly and Mari were inseparable.

I thought 1/3 of the book could have been edited and shortened, and other parts (eg. flashbacks in the past) added.

In short, I didn't believe it, unfortunately. I didn't believe that after so many years, Polly is divorcing and the first thing she thinks about is her best friend. I didn't believe that when Polly shows up at Mari's work, Mari goes loses completely her mind (can't spoil this part). There needed to be some premises.

There should have been more editing, especially for British historical landmarks and classical novelists mentioned in the book.

I also didn't believe therapists judging directly a client. It made me cringe a bit.

I think there is good work in this book, but some things should have been cut, and more space should have been given to Mari and Polly's story.

I am glad others liked it, although.

[Stuffl · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was really difficult for me, and I probably wouldn't have finished it if I hadn't read it as a buddy read with Luna. I have to admit, I was somewhat misled by the beautiful cover and the interesting blurb. I actually expected something completely different from what I ultimately found in the book.

I had quite a few problems with it! First of all, I wouldn't call it a romance, because the time Polly and Mari saw each other was very limited. Most of the time, we got to see Polly's life, because Mari's POV was only in scenes where she saw Polly. I also found this fact more than irritating, because in some places it would have been so important to read what Mari was thinking.

I couldn't understand some of the decisions made by both women, and the plot was a bit far-fetched in places. The recurring conflicts also frustrated me. How many times was Mari going to run away? All this miscommunication was exhausting.

I also found the “cheating” in the book very unpleasant. Spoiler alert: How can Polly, who was cheated on herself, sleep with Mari even though she is married? Cheating is a red flag for me, and I wish the plot had been different in this regard. If I had known it was going to happen, I wouldn't have read the book in the first place.

I found the plot to be uneven and poorly thought out. There was no common thread, and I found myself searching for one quite often. Unfortunately, I also didn't find the connection between Mari and Polly. Yes, there was some chemistry between them, but I didn't see any real strong attraction. But maybe that was because they had so few scenes together.

Unfortunately, the book didn't convince me at all.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the things I like about L.A. Wright's style is how we get to explore other countries vicariously through her characters. This story takes place in England, Sydney, and Canada (Vancouver specifically).
Mari and Polly were childhood best friends, all the way through college, until a one-night encounter between them left Polly confused, and their friendship fell apart. Eighteen years later, Polly is getting divorced and, after some convincing from a friend, decides to fly to Canada to find Mari and confess her love. Mari, now living in Vancouver, runs a law firm with her wife, Meg. After Polly appears out of the blue at her office and tells her she's there on holiday, old feelings of the strong love she had for Polly resurface.
Divorce and the individual marriage dynamics they each share with their respective partners pretty much build this story. For them to be together, they first had to figure out their feelings for each other and sort out their marital statuses. There's some morally gray behavior between these two, but you kind of see it coming, and it's hard not to root for their love once you get to know their partners. I read the book in two days. I felt intrigued as to what would happen next. Meg's reaction to their divorce made me laugh because, well...that is exactly how you would expect her to respond.
The right amount of spice, given the time they got to be able to be with each other.
Liked the book. Thank you, L.A. Wright, for the ARC! I always appreciate your writing.

[Petrina Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, but it was also a very frustrating read. These were my main issues:

Firstly, it feels more like a contemporary drama than romance. Despite all the pining and yearning, there isn't much interaction between the 2 MCs.

Secondly, the characters themselves. I really wanted to root for Mari and Polly, but good grief, they really got in their own way. A huge chunk of the book is taken up with Polly internally saying she plans to leave Dave, while she simultaneously says nothing to him and letting him believe they were reuniting.

Which leads to the 3rd thing - the supporting characters. Polly's mum is a piece of work, a complete homophobe at the root of making both Mari and Polly miserable. And while Polly gets "angry", she doesn't really convey this to her mother and the mother is never really held to account for her interference or cruelty.

Finally, the ending was rushed, and didn't feel like a really satisfying conclusion to the rest of the book.

Despite all these issues, the book is well-written, dramatic and engaging. The issues above come about because you root so much for the MCs that you want other people, and themselves, to get out of the way.

Final note: lack of communication and miscommunication are rife in this story. If you're not a fan of those tropes, this may not be for you.

[Cara Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Polly and Mari’s story is heart wrenching. At its core, we see the harm that homophobia and hostile parents can cause to young queer people. And we also see the consequences of failing to communicate, instead with each running from unintended heartbreak. Polly’s response is to leave England for Australia.

Twenty years later Polly’s life implodes. Married to a man for the last ten years, she is stunned to find he cheated on her, not just once but continuously for three years, and that his mistress was pregnant. Polly runs once again, this time from Sydney, Australia back home to England.

In England she decides to look up Mari. And discovers Mari is a lawyer in Vancouver, Canada. This is where things get interesting because, once again, when Mari mentions she is married, Polly reacts badly without ever asking Mari for more information.

Let’s just say that Mari’s marriage to Meg is problematic and that Meg is a super controlling jealous woman.

The rest of the story is mistake after mistake, driven by failure to communicate, leaping to conclusions, and assuming the worst. However, love wins and they find their way back to each other. The only thing missing from the epilogue was if Polly cut off her lying, manipulative, homophobic mother.

I enjoyed this book because I’ve had a couple DNFs recently and finding a story I enjoyed brought me comfort.

[Tu Way · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were quite a few things I liked about L.A. Wright's Everything We Never Said, such as the writing style, the pacing, and the emotional depth in particular. The angst was well done and pulled me in.

That said, the things I didn't enjoy stuck with me more. Out of all the characters, I only really liked two and neither of them were the MCs. Although the book is described as a second-chance romance, it read more like Polly's journey of self-discovery with a touch of romance. I found myself wanting more scenes between Polly and Mari, whether in the present or through flashbacks. It would've helped me better understand the depth of their feelings and what made their connection so intense.

Still, the story pushed me to reflect on where I personally draw the line when it comes to emotional boundaries and infidelity, which I appreciated. I always like when a book leaves me thinking.

I'd recommend Everything We Never Said to anyone who enjoy stories heavy on angst and light on romance.
This is the second novel from L.A. Wright, and I'll be keeping an eye out for more of their work.

[Jackie D · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title is the whole book…it’s just a series of miscommunications and Polly keeping the worse kind of people around her. The whole book can be described from Polly’s pov as “Everyone in her life lied or omitted truths for her entire existence.” From the very limited pov from Mari it’s something on the lines of “My feelings were hurt because you didn’t feel the same way as me even though I never directly told and even though we had been friends for 15+ years I couldn’t get in contact with you the one time I tried after the event so I ran away forever.” Then Mari makes terrible decisions and Polly does the same but they end up together…

On another sore spot this did not read as a romance…the mc’s interacted for approximately 100 out the 315 pages…other then that it was watching Polly muck around the world with what seemed to be unlimited expenses. In the very small amount of time they interacted it was over 1.5 days and some text messages. Mari could’ve just left her wife. Polly doing to someone else what her husband did to her that started her downward spiral did not make any sense to me.

[Shannon Luchies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Polly McAllister, after discovering her husband is cheating, decides to leave him and Australia to return home to England.
Talking to her mother Polly is shocked to learn that she had deliberately sabotaged Polly's friendship with her best friend Mari, having decided she was a bad influence. Furious, Polly leaves.
Reflecting on everything that happened, Polly realizes she was in love with Mari, until Polly fled in a gay panic.
Encouraged by a friend Polly flies out to visit Mari... who is married to a woman, Meg. Who is ALSO her partner at their law firm.
Mild gripe: the author is quickly painting Meg as shallow, money grubbing and resentful, which is the easy way out for the love triangle. I'd much rather see her as a decent person who was just unlucky to have fallen for Mari while she was still in love with Polly.
Then Polly gets back with Dave. Seriously? After he cheated on her for three years? Ugh. Then Mari leaves Meg and shows up....
Solid 2.5 stars. It's decent but by the end I was just not buying it. Sorry...

[Hope Freed · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took we a while to get into this but once I did I became thoroughly invested in the characters. The story is mostly told from Polly’s perspective and although I did on occasion want to give her a good shake, she was a likeable MC. My main unresolved frustration was that I so wanted Polly to let loose two barrels at her awful, interfering mother, but she never does. For a 40 year successful lawyer, she’s very cowed by Rosemary. Instead of picking a justified bone, she deals with her anger by taking long walks! Would so like to have been given an insight into ‘how matters are now’ in the Epilogue!
Polly’s husband was another character you love to hate; with all the emotional intelligence of a warthog! And the object of Polly’s attraction and attention, Mari, doesn’t deal with matters well either!
But in spite of these issues I enjoyed the story and wanted Polly and Mari to resolve their differences and find their HEA. Do they? I’m not telling…you’ll have to read this to find out!

[Mitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a refreshingly realistic take on second chances. I understand why some readers might be unsettled by the cheating and the deeply toxic dynamic between Polly and her mother, but to me, it rang true. I’ve seen firsthand how complicated familial relationships can be, and it’s rarely as simple as walking away. The portrayal felt flawed, yes, but also deeply human. The same goes for divorce: leaving what’s familiar, even when it’s no longer right, is often harder than choosing what you know is intellectually best. I appreciated how the book didn’t shy away from that emotional tug-of-war.

The dialogue sparkled with authenticity, and the pacing kept me fully engaged. Claire absolutely deserves the Best Sidekick award; she’s funny, loyal, and quietly wise.
For anyone drawn to stories of emotional complexity, imperfect love, and the quiet courage it takes to start over, this one hits home.

[Lyric Vickers · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This book took a million years and a day for the main characters to get together. With the epilogue not even being satisfying enough for me although they did achieve their goals they wanted prior to them, skipping off and leave each other from a miscommunication/assumption. The entirety of the book, the characters side relationships while they weren’t together just completely pissed me off to no end. But the writing was gorgeous as well as the verbiage and I greatly enjoyed the new terms that I learned, the sites from the places visited in this book, especially as an American. Anyway, still a fantastic book. I’m just incredibly frustrated about the structure of this book, but that’s not a reason to not read it.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read from an another I have never read before. An extremely believed plot line that had me cringing and laughing right along with the characters. There were a few points that I really didn't enjoy but overall, a good read.

I do wish to never read the word Schadenfreude again though, literally no one ever says that in real life so why did the MC's say it at least 5 separate times??? Better ways to say that the characters are happy over something bad happening to someone else.

[Lauren Schulman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phew, this book was quite the emotional rollercoaster! I did really like this book, and I liked the characters but it was tough to read sometimes during the many incidences of self-sabotage by the MCs. I legit found myself yelling out loud at the characters on multiple occasions I was so frustrated.

But with that being said - the story is wonderful. Despite how frustrating it was at times, it was also very beautiful watching them literally chase each other around the world for a second - and third - chance at love.

[Susan L Osborne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not My Cup of Tea

This is really not a romance. It’s the story of a woman finding herself and there’s a LOT of angst. Too many pages of Polly’s interactions with her mother and (maybe, eventually) ex-husband. I get that she’s finding herself but she put up with her appalling mother’s comments far too long. She knew her husband’s faults but wasn’t sure about leaving him. The actual time the two women spent together was minimal. When I read romance, I love a plot but I don’t enjoy being frustrated the whole book!

[Sandi D · Rating 5 out of 5]

thank goodness..

What a great book!! Brought back too many memories. Thank goodness Polly and Mari were able to find their happily ever after. Would like to think those same struggles don’t exist today but can’t be that naive. Gail and Claire were the only ones pushing and even Gail lost faith.

Was the first book I’ve read by this author but already bought Changing Gears. Might need a small break found Everything We Never Said very emotional. In a good way.

[Samantha Holder-Venter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a tough read, not because it wasn’t excellent (it absolutely was), but because it hit me hard emotionally. The heartache, the pining, the constant uncertainty… it all got under my skin in the best possible way. This isn’t your typical light beach read; it’s a story with real depth and weight, tackling difficult topics like infidelity while still keeping me completely hooked. I was consumed from start to finish and couldn’t look away until the very last page. Truly a powerful book.

[melisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
i was in the need of a romance and what better way to satisfy that need than reading sapphic romance 🙏🏼
i just wish the dave parts were muchh shorter and also mari being that involved with polly while she was still married to meg didn't sit right with me :(