YA Addicted Book Club discussion

Jo and I will be starting this shortly for anyone else who wants to join us!

I started this today

Just a few minutes into Part 2 chapter 2 41:50 total into the book (view spoiler)[ Felicity and her reaction to the marriage proposal was rather amusing. Sad how true her difficulty getting anyone to listen to her as a female would've been in that time. Loved her quick actions on sewing up the finger. Too bad the baker was in love with the idea of her rather than Felicity herself. How can you spend a year with someone and not actually know them at all? Sad.
Looking forward to seeing more of her meeting back up with her brother. Him in his poverty lifestyle which is so different from what he was used to. Hope he is being more true to himself now too. (hide spoiler)]

I'll hopefully be starting this tomorrow, I have about 6 chapters left of my current read.

No problem! I'll likely listen to a bit more after work tonight but I won't be super ahead.

No worries! You'd probably finish before me anyway, I'm not the fastest reader :)

Just started this last night. (view spoiler)[ I don't understand how Callum could have known her for a year and think that the marriage proposal was something she wanted? It also sucks how much he dumped on her dreams of being a doctor (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Right?!
I'm in chapter 3 now 1:10 in 10:13 left. (view spoiler)[ I still love Percy. He's just so sweet. Oh and Monty's job, very amusing.
Felicity and her telling the board she wants to make a donation to get a hearing was an interesting choice. I'm just before that meeting., looking forward to hearing how it goes. (hide spoiler)]

We're around the same place, I just finished Chapter 3. (view spoiler)[ Yes Percy is adorable. Of course Monty couldn't have a normal job, would have been very strange if he did! I love that he decided to go with Felicity to the meeting to support her. Yes, definitely very interested in seeing how the meeting goes, I assume it probably won't be well! (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

I just saw this now and all I can say is that it is such an amazing book!

Middle of chapter 5 now. (view spoiler)[ The medical board were just as sexist and awful as expected. Definitely hit me what Felicity said about women's health being ignored, not great that's still relevant when this book is set in the 1700s! Anyway, now she's going to Stuttgart in order to convince this Doctor Platt to take her on. I have no idea what she did to this old friend Johanna, but it doesn't sound good and I'm guessing she won't be received well! (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

I haven't listened to any today so you're ahead of me now but Ill get some done this weekend.

Glad you enjoyed it Olivia. Feel free to add comments!

No worries!
Up to Chapter 8 today. They're in Stuttgart now. (view spoiler)[ Felicity's looking down on Johanna for wanting marriage and stability and a more traditional life definitely reeks of internalised misogyny and "not like other girls". I'm interested to learn more about Sim. It's quite big of Johanna to just accept Felicity turning up like this, I would be very annoyed if someone showed up to my wedding uninvited (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Somewhere in chapter 6
(view spoiler)[ So Felicity and the pirate girl whos name I have already forgotten are about to go travelling. I am curious about her and what this item that need retrieving is.

I agree the medical board was extremely sexist. And its sad that so much of that is still true. Especially with women's health!

Wondering how Joanna is going to receive her old "friend" showing up at her wedding without an invitation.. (hide spoiler)]

Start of chapter 8 (view spoiler)[ yes to everything you said. I wouldn't (and wasn't) be okay with random people showing up to my wedding uninvited.
I am sick of the not like other girls trope. I too am curious about Sim. I want to know more about her pirating background and the mark on her forearm.
Also curious what drove Johanna to change from who she was to who she became and if that glimpse of nerves was something more. Is she happy to be marrying? (hide spoiler)]

Made it to Chapter 10. (view spoiler)[ I'm glad Johanna called Felicity out on her attitude about women who enjoy traditionally feminine things. She's definitely dealing with some internalised misogyny which is understandable given the time period, plus I'm pretty sure we all have at some point! She's finally met Dr Platt and it was super awkward.....but worked out okay in the end, it seems like he might want to take her on in some capacity. Sim is doing some shady stuff, but we're not really sure what yet. Honestly, Johanna is way too nice and patient, I would be super pissed if I found out my friend had brought a thief into my home. Also Felicity at the party, feeling awkward around everyone and making friends with the dog? Been there, done that. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Brittany wrote: "Start of chapter 8 yes to everything you said. I would (and wasn't) be okay with random people showing up to my wedding uninvited.
I am sick of the not like other girls trope. I too am curious abo..."

(view spoiler)[ I don't think so? It definitely doesn't seem like a love match, but that's not all that surprising, those were very rare back then. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Up to Chapter 12. They're in Zurich now. (view spoiler)[ Dr Platt is a piece of work! I think Felicity is realising "don't meet your heroes" as the only job he offered her was as a secretary. He's also using her in order to get to her father, and is using Johanna to get to her family's money. Johanna ran away and now she and Felicity are trying to obtain her dead mother's possessions which can apparently only be claimed by a male family member, because you know, sexism. I'm wondering what exactly it was about Johanna's mother's work that is making both Dr Platt and Sim so desperate to get their hands on it. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

I'm in chapter 9 somewhere. Thought I could listen and bake but kept getting lost when I had to check a recipe so didn't get much listened to today.

Ooh what have you been baking?

Made it to Chapter 14. (view spoiler)[ Johanna really ripped into Felicity's internalised misogyny and I'm glad: someone had to! So it seems like Dr Platt has taken credit for Johanna's mother's work, typical man in the 1700s! Felicity just stole Johanna's mother's possessions back from the museum, but Sim was there too, trying to get them. I wonder what's so important about her belongings that everyone wants them??? Anyway, Felicity got to use some of her doctoring, as Sim got accidentally poisoned during their fight from a vial that broke in Johanna's mother's bag. I wonder if all three girls are going to work together now? (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

I made lemon and regular sugar cookies! So good. Brought a bunch to work. Sometime soon I'm going to make blueberry cheesecake bars!

Chapter 13 somewhere
(view spoiler)[ OMGosh the sexism. As true as it was its still hard to read sometimes!
Dr. Platt seems like a useless specimen and I agree, don't meet your hero, you might find they aren't who you thought they'd be.

The fact it took so long for Felicity to realize Johanna was running from Platt shows how niave she can be as well. I'm glad she is noticing, however slowly, that there are all kinds of females and no way is wrong. Also that you can be smart and like pretty things and there is nothing wrong with that. I quite like how Johanna stood up for herself on that point.

I want to know why the work in the museum by Johanna's mother is labelled as Platt's and why it has the cleaver on it. What does Sim have to do with all this and what is her family's legacy?

The "thieving" of the articles from the museum was amusing. Sim and Felicity's fight kind of ridiculous. Looking forward to seeing how she stitches her back up. Also what is this wax bodies place they are in? (hide spoiler)]

Sounds delicious! Me and my mum made cheesecake a couple of weeks ago, we were trying to make this one that we usually get at the supermarket. It didn't taste quite the same, but it was still pretty good.
I'm somewhere in Chapter 17 now. (view spoiler)[ So they've gone to Algiers, and it's taken a turn for the strange as they've found out Johanna's mother was studying these sea dragons which supposedly have scales that can cure poisons? Anyway, so they're trying to find these dragons so Johanna can find out what her mother was doing, and Felicity can make this big medicinal discovery that might mean she can make her name as a doctor. Also Sim seems to like Felicity, romantically and they kissed but Felicity obviously doesn't feel the same way (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

I'm at Chapter 20 now, will definitely finish tomorrow. (view spoiler)[ Platt was just as much of a jerk as previously suspected, he forced Johanna to marry him by threatening to kill her DOG? NOT OKAY, YOU DO NOT GO FOR THE DOG. Anyway, he kidnapped Felicity and Johanna from the beach in Algiers, and now he has the map of the dragons nesting grounds. Monty has been following Felicity and Johanna this entire time (because of course) and he got them back from Platt by pretending to be a sailor taking them back to England. Now they're planning to steal back the map. I'm interested to see how this all works out since there's only two chapters left! Also Johanna having a crush on Percy made me laugh! (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Have finished! It was a little slow in places, but overall I really enjoyed it and looking forward to the final book coming out over the summer.
(view spoiler)[ Felicity ending up working as the surgeon to the pirates and staying in Algiers with Sim is kind of perfect for her. I'm glad it all seemed to work out for everyone, the pirates don't have to worry about European invaders, and Felicity and Johanna both get to explore their passions. If only real life worked out as well as ficition! (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Jo wrote: "Sounds delicious! Me and my mum made cheesecake a couple of weeks ago, we were trying to make this one that we usually get at the supermarket. It didn't taste quite the same, but it was still prett..."

I'm in chapter 17 somewhere so everything you said here sounds about right. Not sure how I feel about (view spoiler)[ the whole sea dragon thing? I appreciated it being semi-realistic and well this isn't so much.
I kind of guessed that Sim was interested in Felicity prior to the kiss but yeah Felicity doesn't seem into the idea. (hide spoiler)]

I'll finish today or tomorrow probably

(view spoiler)[ I was kind of expecting it to take a turn for the fantastical since that's what happened in the first book! I actually didn't really mind it, I can use all the fantastical escapism I can get right now. Yeah it was pretty obvious that she was. (view spoiler)[

No worries, I've had so little to do that I've been reading faster than normal! (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

And no worries, I've just been reading faster than normal because I've had so much time on my hands!

Finished it! And loved it more than the first one. (view spoiler)[ I too was amused by Johanna's crush on Percy! So perfect. Would be wonderful if real life the "good guys" all get what they wanted. Love that Felicity and Johanna will get to continue with their passions. And that Johanna now gets to use her sham of a marriage the way that she would have been used if Platt had gotten his way. She now gets his money and possessions to use to learn and explore. Love it.

Oh and agreed, going after the dog not okay at all. He deserves death and suffering for that alone! (hide spoiler)]
So read the last book together when it comes out?

Yay, so glad to see you enjoyed it! Yeah that would be great, would be fun to do another buddy read :)

Sounds great! It comes out in August I believe.
So did you prefer Felicity or Monty as the MC?

I preferred Monty's book, but of the two characters, I think I like Felicity better!

Fair enough!

I just realized this got pushed back again! :(
The new book is now set for April 2021

Ah really, it still has it as December 1st on the Audible page, but I guess they just haven't changed it yet! I'm still happy to do a buddy read when it comes out next year :)

Yeah its sad that it keeps getting pushed back though! Totally want to buddy read it with you still when its out :)

Definitely!