Julie > Recent Status Updates

This is a wonderful book but knowing the context of the show makes certain moments either more painful or more comedic, no inbetween.

I feel like there could have been an easier solution to the double endings problem, like an author's note, but hey, what do I know?

When the Eagle Squadron showed up at Scarlett's house, I did not think they were American. They had eagles on their shoulder, so I did not think of the Allies. I thought of the other ones, who also wore eagles.

Oh, he did not just do that.

Love-interest-whose-name-I-forgot, to Georgia, "If I could fly off and fight the Nazis to win your love, I would."
Only to win her love? Rather than common basic decency? Love interest, you have the context of the post-war period. You know what happened. You should have chosen to fight, that would the Right Thing To Do.

It's so interesting to me that they talk about U-boats sinking ships when that is a risk, yes, but they have the convoy system and landmines now, which severely reduces the amount of tonnage sunk. Unrestricted submarine warfare was more of a WWI policy because of Germany's desperate situation, here, the German Navy slowly gets worse and worse as it's proven . . . ineffective.

Ah, and right on time, his uncle, another flying ace! The book does not mention the Great War, why would it need to focus on a silly thing like that? What matters now are our heroes, not the pointless war that led to them being in this predicament! Now they're in American uniform, and that's something to be proud of, apparently.

Ah, and the wonderful line about the British bombing Cologne, and the Nazis--or should I say Germans?--bombing them in retaliation. A lot of German cities were just rubble by the end of the war. The book does not think of this, only focuses on the air raid sirens ringing in Britain and not the people Jameson could have killed.
They may be Germans, but they may be children.

I think the problem is that the author does not want to write the enemy with a motivation. It's always some nebulous force we must fight against. There's no defined goal, even in WWII. Nazi evil is not touched on. It's only a problem when it affects our MCs, not when it's taking countries and killing people. It only matters when it hurts our brave soldiers.
Then, we must go to war. Only then.

I think the problem is that the author does not want to write the enemy with a motivation. It's always some nebulous force we must fight against. There's no defined goal, even in WWII. Nazi evil is not touched on. It's only a problem when it affects our MCs, not when it's taking countries and killing people. It only matters when it hurts our brave soldiers.
Then, we must go to war. Only then.

But Scarlett is affected deeply by this war. She's seen people she loves die. Jameson is terrified by that, but Scarlett has seen it happen. He does not understand.
Then Scarlett makes it worse. She calls their marriage a dictatorship.
Bold words, in this age of Mussolini and Hitler, in the age of concentration camps and police states. Hitler isn't even mentioned in this book, only Nazi Germany!

But Scarlett is affected deeply by this war. She's seen people she loves die. Jameson is terrified by that, but Scarlett has seen it happen. He does not understand.
Then Scarlett makes it worse. She calls their marriage a dictatorship.
Bold words, in this age of Mussolini and Hitler, in the age of concentration camps and police states. Hitler isn't even mentioned in this book, only Nazi Germany!

But Scarlett is affected deeply by this war. She's seen people she loves die. Jameson is terrified by that, but Scarlett has seen it happen. He does not understand.
Then Scarlett makes it worse. She calls their marriage a dictatorship.
Bold words, in this age of Mussolini and Hitler, in the age of concentration camps and police states. Hitler isn't even mentioned in this book, only Nazi Germany!

Jameson is only fighting for his country. If the war had not come to America, he would not even be here. If America was safe, then he would not be in Europe. He justifies his decision by saying that Scarlett also fought for her country. Because she loved it!
She had no choice! Jameson, you could choose war, but she could not run from the bombing. It had come to her home. And she is lucky.

Jameson says he can't just be sitting there while his country goes to war. But he has been fighting this war for so long! He's an ace, he's a hero, and America is at war with Germany, don't you forget! He worries about how long America will take to deal with the "German threat" but by this point in the war, almost all of Europe has been taken by the fascists. America should have been here much earlier

This has to be my least favorite part.
Context for the rant I am about to go on: Jameson's squadron has requested a transfer back to America and over to the Pacific. He does this without his wife's knowledge, but the transfer is denied anyway.
So this blue-eyed man was willing to go an ocean away to fight Japan, forgetting about his ties and his war here.

I am beginning to sense that Jameson only cares about America in this war.

I'd like to remind my main character, the one who did "her duty for her country" that Jameson is also off doing his duty for his country, he's keeping your newborn child safe, and he's making sure that child doesn't have to live in a world ruled by a fascist dictator.

"You willingly sent a lamb to the slaughter." It's a great line, but considering this is a WWII book, I think this could be used in a better context . . .

"He carried her to their bed and showed her with his body exactly how lucky he was to have found her." I assure you, you could have written this line in any other way and I would have liked it better.

"Why Constance, when it was Scarlett's love who risked his life every day?"
Because War is cruel and unflinching, and because innocents die in war--this war, especially.

Why the most important to know about Edward after he dies is that he has BLUE EYES? I can think of hundreds of other adjectives to describe a fallen man, also, do you understand your war? The fixation on these characters' blue eyes is just getting into weird territory to me.

"He was so much bigger than she was and infinitely stronger, but she'd never felt more cherished."
I have begun to tire of "small woman, giant man" couples. I just really don't like it. It's all I am offered.

"After a year of wearing issued garments that made her feel like just another identical cog in a large piece of machinery, she felt completely and utterly feminine."
Two things:
1. Yeah, that's the point of a military. You're a cog in the war machine.
2. Maybe it's just me, but why does this make you feel feminine? Can you explain that? Do I just not get it, but WHY?

"The three of them had seen combat. War was no longer something romantic, something to glorify." All we have seen so far is one dogfight. There is no mention of the harsh realities of war, not as they really are. Jameson is still the hero, he is still fighting a Good War, and he does not have any scars, neither on his skin nor in his mind. This war is good! War is good! Being a soldier is good!

Noah, stop checking her out like a creep.

Scarlett, when she's talking to her parents, she says the parents "have elected not to serve in a war you have never approved of." So either the parents are antiwar (which is fine!) or are approving of fascism and Nazism, but the book does not explain what it is. That's just wonderful.

Jameson and Scarlett get into an argument about capitalism but neither of them fully understand what they're saying so it just comes off as stupid. Also, this book is very heavy on American freedom again.

The main conflict in the present day section is about giving the Book Scarlett and Jameson a happy ending. Let me tell you: World War II had millions of deaths and millions more unhappy endings. It would be awfully realistic for the story to end sadly. But the happy ending can come in the form of healing from the war, too. It can be more than a clearcut, black and white answer

Please stop calling Noah "drop your panties gorgeous"
I want to retch. He is not that hot. He is mediocre.