Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen spoiler thread
It occurred to me that it might be useful and amusing to set up a thread where people who had already read the book (currently in eARC only) could talk to each other about it freely, and the spoiler-sensitive could safely steer clear. So, you speed readers (the book took me 4 years to write, you know...), this comment space is yours.
The book may be seen at:
http://www.baenebooks.com/p-2892-gent...
if you missed the note. Four free sample chapters are up there.
***
Meanwhile, someone had asked about the audio version -- there will be one, from Blackstone Audio, due to release simultaneously with the hardcover on February 2, 2016.
http://www.blackstonelibrary.com/cata...
The downloadable version, which is 99% of my audiobook sales, does not yet have a page on downpour.com but I expect one will appear closer to time. I'm not sure what the lead-time is over on that e-arm. (I know they can't have recorded it yet, because they won't have the final version in hand for several more weeks.)
***
Later: It also occurs to me this thread could be used by folks to report typos. I already have "as she forced herself though what had seemed the endless gauntlet"... Feel free to mention any others below.
Ta, L.
Later still: The file has gone to the printer, so the shop is now closed for further typo reports. Thanks, all!
Ta, L.
The book may be seen at:
http://www.baenebooks.com/p-2892-gent...
if you missed the note. Four free sample chapters are up there.
***
Meanwhile, someone had asked about the audio version -- there will be one, from Blackstone Audio, due to release simultaneously with the hardcover on February 2, 2016.
http://www.blackstonelibrary.com/cata...
The downloadable version, which is 99% of my audiobook sales, does not yet have a page on downpour.com but I expect one will appear closer to time. I'm not sure what the lead-time is over on that e-arm. (I know they can't have recorded it yet, because they won't have the final version in hand for several more weeks.)
***
Later: It also occurs to me this thread could be used by folks to report typos. I already have "as she forced herself though what had seemed the endless gauntlet"... Feel free to mention any others below.
Ta, L.
Later still: The file has gone to the printer, so the shop is now closed for further typo reports. Thanks, all!
Ta, L.
Great book, as usual :)
I'm also extremely impressed with the quality levels of your books even in eARC phase - a lot better than the final product for other authors.
Jole and Cordelia were great viewpoint characters.
The only bad thing is now I want a glass-bottomed boat (and an interesting lake to use it on)...
I'm also extremely impressed with the quality levels of your books even in eARC phase - a lot better than the final product for other authors.
Jole and Cordelia were great viewpoint characters.
The only bad thing is now I want a glass-bottomed boat (and an interesting lake to use it on)...
Is it childish for me to hope that the little tidbit about Hegen Hub negotiations will not get cut from Admirals’ Jolie Memoirs? :-)
I'm currently giggling out loud because of all the herms in the universe... Jole just happened to meet Bel!
Zachary wrote: "I'm currently giggling out loud because of all the herms in the universe... Jole just happened to meet Bel!"Well, not total chance... of all the herms in the Nexus, Bel was probably the one most primed to target Barrayarans.
Details left to your imaginations, but no question who seduced who.
Ta, L.
Well, not total chance... of all the herms in the Nexus, Bel was probably the one most primed to target Barrayarans.
Right - it was pretty clear (to me) that Bel was probably acting as an ImpSec agent, maybe doing a security check on Jole - not as innocent a week as Jole thought. (That assumes I've got the timeline right - this was after Bel got fired from the Dendarii, right?)
Right - it was pretty clear (to me) that Bel was probably acting as an ImpSec agent, maybe doing a security check on Jole - not as innocent a week as Jole thought. (That assumes I've got the timeline right - this was after Bel got fired from the Dendarii, right?)
I can't help imagining the look on Bel's face if/when he finds out he'd slept with someone who'd slept with Miles' dad.
Mike wrote: "Well, not total chance... of all the herms in the Nexus, Bel was probably the one most primed to target Barrayarans.Right - it was pretty clear (to me) that Bel was probably acting as an ImpSec a..."
I'm not at all sure that ImpSec had anything to do with it, at the time. In retrospect, maybe... but I doubt either party was talking much.
Ta, L.
but I doubt either party was talking much.
I got "checking security for ImpSec" from Jole saying
Although I have to say, the herm was not so bad, as Betans went. Had the most endless fund of bizarre questions about Barrayar and Barrayarans, though.
I got "checking security for ImpSec" from Jole saying
Although I have to say, the herm was not so bad, as Betans went. Had the most endless fund of bizarre questions about Barrayar and Barrayarans, though.
Never mind my question about the audiobook. I hadn't time to check the page at first; now I have. Honestly, I find it rather a pity that it's assigned to Grover Gardner again as I simply cannot listen to his reading. The Vorkosiverse is about the only series I re-read on a regular basis that I don't have on Audible... Oh well. Not much one can do about it.
Mike wrote: "but I doubt either party was talking much.I got "checking security for ImpSec" from Jole saying
Although I have to say, the herm was not so bad, as Betans went. Had the most endless fund of biza..."
Aha. No, I was thinking of all Bel's frustrations re: Miles, its hopeless crush of the (recent) past.
No reason it couldn't be both, I suppose.
Ta, L.
Until he said the captain asked questions about Barrayar, I thought maybe Thornes are the herm equivalent of Smiths or Joneses, and the name is just a coincidence :)
I was up until 4 AM last night reading it and it's taken me all day to sort through my feelings about this book and just why it charmed my socks off.I loved that we had Cordelia as a POV character again. We hadn't really had a chance to be inside her head since Barrayar and it was so nice to hear her voice, which is so different than Miles.
I adored Oliver Jole. Adored him to bits. I'm so so so glad that both he and Cordelia have found happiness post-Aral, both in each other and in their future children.
And the little mentions that you dropped, from the throwaway mention of Bel Thorne as a past fling for Jole, to Miles and Ekaterin naming a daughter Taura (and didn't that just punch me in the gut there), to the mountain-top memorial for the long-dead Reg Rosemont and all the memories of Shards of Honor that brought up, to the secret history of the Cetagandan Invasion which made all the past events look very different...
...also reflected in the revelation of the Cordelia-Aral-Jole partnership of twenty-ish years, which makes me want to re-read all of the previous books yet again so I can look at them in a new light.
I do think this is my favorite Vorkosigan book since A Civil Campaign.
I have to go back and reread the Vor Game now! (Is that when Jole is first mentioned?) Have to admit he completely escaped my radar. Did you know about him and Aral back then, or was that a later authorial discovery?That ocean-side (big lake-side?) plot of land sounds idyllic! So, are they going to raise the kids as siblings, then, but in different houses?
Karl wrote: "I can't help imagining the look on Bel's face if/when he finds out he'd slept with someone who'd slept with Miles' dad."Ha ha ha! Indeed. The revelation about Bel was perhaps more surprising to me than the one about Aral! I am curious about when in the timeline that happened.
Thank you Lois! It's a wonderful story. And a great one to follow after Ivan's book. I just love getting different perspectives and viewpoints still in this marvelous worldverse you have built. I love Miles! But I will admit my favorite book was always Cordelia's Honor. I appreciate your willingness to tackle difficult and perhaps less commercially-viable topics with no punches pulled. A lot like Cordelia actually.
I really felt like this book was a warm hug to your long-time fans. Thank you.
I thought the book was as usual beautifully written, but I cried at the end of it. I think because it made me so disillusioned both with Aral and Cordelia. I bought the EArc to see if I would want to buy the actual book and this is the first of the series where I really am not sure if I will buy it.
Beatrice wrote: "I thought the book was as usual beautifully written, but I cried at the end of it. I think because it made me so disillusioned both with Aral and Cordelia. I bought the EArc to see if I would want ..."Huh. What were your illusions about Aral and Cordelia, that being dis't of them was so distressing?
Always curious about variety in reader-response, L.
Kim wrote: "I have to go back and reread the Vor Game now! (Is that when Jole is first mentioned?) Have to admit he completely escaped my radar. Did you know about him and Aral back then, or was that a later a..."The possibility was there from the time I wrote The Vor Game, but held aside in what I call "Schrodinger's Cat Carrier". Exploring same didn't belong in the books I was writing then, not to mention I didn't think the commercial market would be friendly to the development. (I've had many ideas over the years for series stories; few are chosen, most fall by the wayside. I never know which are alive and which are dead till I open the box/write the story.) But for whatever reason, I didn't write anything that would rule it out. I didn't come up with the idea of Aral and Cordelia and Jole on Sergyar till after I wrote Mirror Dance, so part two was not in my eye till then. But finally, the time was right and the ideas were ripe.
Ta, L.
Am I the only one who does not know where the name Kosigan came from?
I love this book, its been nice to see other characters from the universe, as well as that key characters other than Miles had way more interesting lives than just being supporting characters to Miles. It would be fun to see the whole thing from Simon and Alys viewpoint now because it seems everyone knew something. I have noticed now in this book there has been a lot of social change based on population demographics (less Vor to take prime jobs) and the influence of the preceding books introduction of new technology. I love the tie in to Capt. Vorpatril's Alliance and Diplomatic Immunity and the implications of future military/political concerns.
William wrote: "Am I the only one who does not know where the name Kosigan came from?"It's Russian, I suspect you know by now. I first ran across it attached to Andrei Kosigan, ambassador to the UN in my youth.
Ta, L.
But why are all the kids to be named Kosigan?
Lois asked why I was so disillusioned. I have read this series from the very start beginning with the very first. I loved the story in Shards of Honor and I loved Aral and Cordelia. In your minds eye you see the hero and heroine the way you want to see them. The loved the whole way they were treated as a couple through the books I saw them as a couple. I did not see them as part of a threesome. It hurt, I don't know why. It made me think less of them I don't see that they could have lived that way for so long without someone telling Miles.
Karl wrote: "I can't help imagining the look on Bel's face if/when he finds out he'd slept with someone who'd slept with Miles' dad."I couldn't help thinking of it the other way around - the whole last two thirds of the book I was praying for the scene where Miles finds out about Oliver and Bel! Lois, you MUST have written it, right? Even if just for private amusement? :)
I really enjoyed the book, but it struck me as very much 'for the fans' - I'd be curious if that was a concern for the publisher. Probably the majority of the material in the book only works if you know all the history.
As a gay guy I've always been really thankful for Aral as a character, but especially with this book, I can't help noticing that when Lois really focuses on a romantic pairing, it always seems to be hetero (please excuse any I'm forgotting, she's written a lot of books!). Even Miles and Bel is not, really, about Bel so very much; again it's a while since I've read those books but my memory is that Bel isn't so much present in that relationship as a main character but is more of a sort of cipher for Miles' discomfort with, you know, modernity in general. I'm not going to start writing letters in red crayon or leading torch-bearing mobs, or anything, it just seems interesting given that she's clearly entirely fine with non-standard sexuality and relationships in the abstract that we don't seem to get many of them in detail - maybe it's just a case of not being confident in doing them justice? I'd be curious to know, if Lois is willing to tell! (Or of course if I'm forgetting some great pairing and am consequently talking through my hat).
I've read the book twice already, each time discovering something new. The one trepidation I had at first glance was the disparity of authority between Oliver and Aral. The author did a great job viewing this from different pov's. I forget that this world is not present day here. I especially liked Cordelia's thought that Betans wouldn't blink at the gender thing but would object to the rank part. Great way to show how different cultural filters interpret the same situation.My favorite insight is on how having children can change your past as well as your future. I recall a similar observation in CvPA.
Beatrice wrote: "Lois asked why I was so disillusioned. I have read this series from the very start beginning with the very first. I loved the story in Shards of Honor and I loved Aral and Cordelia. In your minds e..."Well, I shall not attempt to talk you out of having had the reading experience you did -- always a futile exercise -- but I will present a few other angles.
A friend of mine who had health issues that he thought, correctly as it turned out, would make him short-lived, once said he would never marry, because he did not want to leave a widow. However, he did eventually find a loving poly relationship, which solved that problem for him. (Still devastated the survivors, but at least they weren't left alone, which was apparently his horror.) Aral was always less in denial about his likely lifespan than Cordelia was. When Jole wonders if Aral meant him and Cordelia to inherit each other, he's closer to the mark than he realizes.
Another: as Cordelia ruefully realized, not too far along in her time with Aral, she was in a poly relation from the beginning -- him, her, and Barrayar. Adding Jole was hardly a stretch for her after that, him being far less high-maintenance. Plus, Betan. Really, she always was, if alas hopelessly renegade on issues of reproduction.
Fwiw, the first 20 years remain much as you pictured. I can assure you Aral loved Cordelia with all his passionate soul from the hour they met till the hour he died; no change there, either. Their relationship may may be more than you imagined, but it was never less.
bests, Lois
William wrote: "But why are all the kids to be named Kosigan?"After Aral. Claiming him emotionally without entangling anyone legally.
Also because Cordelia may be a little geeky about naming. She might think better of it as she goes along.
Ta, L.
You know I had the best mental picture of when Miles finally found out- brain just stopped processing for a few minutes the classic fish out of water look. Its funny we never think of our parents or their generation having a very interesting love life and I think for most of us we try very very hard to find out so I found it very plausible between the time Miles spent off planet, the constant swirl of rumors that could of easily been conflated with distant distant past and then time off planet for Miles, I surely can see how such a major relationship managed to be not noticed for all that time.
at 25 Adam wrote: "Karl wrote: "I can't help imagining the look on Bel's face if/when he finds out he'd slept with someone who'd slept with Miles' dad."I couldn't help thinking of it the other way around - the whol..."
Have you forgotten Ethan Urquhart? Mislaid an entire planet...?
Viz: detail, you may have noticed (or, if you have an especially vivid imagination, maybe not) that all the sex scenes in the VK books are fade-to-black mode. By this time, it's sort of a branding issue. Rather a lot of my readers claim vociferously to not want chocolate in their peanut butter; how George R. R. Martin and Laurel Hamilton are achieving their sales figures is in this light a mystery.
Ta, L.
Ah. This whole series might be enlightening...
http://kriswrites.com/2014/01/08/the-...
It might be because I just stayed up until 3am to finish, but I'm not quite sure I can remember what Miles is referring to here in Chapter Fifteen when he says:>"The only decision I ever made that put my heart on the line like that..." He stopped rather abruptly.
>
>"Mm?"
>
>"Wasn't about a woman," he finished. He added after a meditative silence, "It was about ambition, though. Um. Yeah. I don't think I envy Oliver his dilemma."
My best guess (that doesn't involve a woman) is... the lie about Lieutenant Vorberg?
Tom wrote: "It might be because I just stayed up until 3am to finish, but I'm not quite sure I can remember what Miles is referring to here in Chapter Fifteen when he says:>"The only decision I ever made tha..."
By extension... Miles was thinking of the wrestling-with-temptation scene, two falls out of three.
Ta, L.
Hey, I got the wrestling-with-temptation thing right!Lovely read, although as someone who never bonded with Aral I had to work to accept the Aral-is-the-center-of-everything-in-the-universe part.
This seems to be a book about The Making of a Parent as much as anything.
One minor niggle... There is much discussion of Cordelia's eggs that were harvested after the soltoxin. But she mentions eggs that were harvested pre-Aral on Beta Colony. Are they still around? It feels like a loose thread.
Serendi wrote: "Hey, I got the wrestling-with-temptation thing right!Lovely read, although as someone who never bonded with Aral I had to work to accept the Aral-is-the-center-of-everything-in-the-universe part...."
Yes, I had that niggle too. I decided to leave it unaddressed for now. There are several possibilities, including eggs destroyed if not claimed by such-and-such a date, or Cordelia losing legal control of them due to any number of reasons including her criminal charges or her renouncing her Betan citizenship, and so on. They are Eggs That Do Not Enter Into This Story, anyway.
Ta, L.
What I find fascinating is that I was gripped throughout this book as though there was some tremendous battle/murder mystery as there often is in the other Miles books. That didn't really happen here but I found it just as gripping.I think I found it harder to imagine a 76 year old grandmother having 6 new children than the Aral-Jole-Cordelia scenario. Thank you for the Miles, Cordelia and Jole viewpoints that made me giggle.
I was properly surprised, which I always enjoy. And I'm going to have to reread before I can say anything sensible.
There was some internet discussion that I read, a few years ago, about Chekov's gun: " If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off." (from Wikipedia)
One of my favourite reads round that time was Forrest Reid's 'Young Tom' and I liked it precisely because the rifles are never fired.
For me, 'Gentleman Jole...' was a similar reading experience, but I need to reread it to know how many of the rifles were actually on the walls, and how many I hung there myself. I blame Miles, a bit. If Prince Serg had been decommissioned on his watch, it would never have gone so smoothly.
Overall, I'm just really pleased for Cordelia - it's not that I'd have expected anything less from her, but I like knowing how her story is continuing. (She hasn't thought it through, though. In fifteen years time her idyll is going to be shattered by endless arguments about who borrowed whose Sergyarian hair straightners...)
I really enjoyed this book. It is now among my favorites, alongside Civil Campaign and Memory. I am reading through it for the second time, then back through the whole series. I was surprised by the poly aspect and Aral and Jole's long term relationship. I hadn't vaguely thought about it. I guess I'm not a good 'shipper.
I had wondered how, or if, you would continue the series without Aral.
Thank you for handling this with your usual grace and style. It was both beautifully written and fun.
Lois wrote: "Have you forgotten Ethan Urquhart? Mislaid an entire planet...?"Well, look, in my defence it's just *one* planet! There's so many lying around here! :)
Yes, of course I had - silly me. (And it's one of my favourite books, too! All the business with environmental regulations cracks me up every time, and how many books can you write *that* about?). And Ethan is indeed a great character. I have to be honest and say it's been a while since I read that one too and I don't entirely remember how much of a love story he gets in it - I remember we get a lot of his existing relationship back story. Of course, one of the questions of that book is what does sexuality mean in a situation where you really don't have many choices? Is Ethan *gay*, exactly? But yup, I had entirely forgotten him when I wrote my initial comment. :)
I really enjoyed the book - Cordelia being one of my favourite viewpoint characters - and even though I usually get annoyed by 'retcons', I thought the revelation of the Aral-Cordelia-Oliver Triad made sense in light of what we already knew about everyone (well, except Jole since he didn't feature much).I will say that I reached the end of the book and felt it came a little quickly, if only because - unlike all the other books in the Vorkosigan Saga - there wasn't any obvious crisis that needed to be dealt with! This isn't to say that the emotional drama wasn't gripping enough, but all the other books seemed to feature *some* escapade and I was oddly ... unsatisfied that the Ghem Consul, Plascrete and Kareenburg complaint threads were so neatly wrapped up. Some part of me expected one of them to escalate and require a Military and Civil authority team-up to resolve :D
Christopher wrote: "I really enjoyed the book - Cordelia being one of my favourite viewpoint characters - and even though I usually get annoyed by 'retcons', I thought the revelation of the Aral-Cordelia-Oliver Triad ..."What, you missed the Great Picnic Blowup...?
Explosions! Fire! His soon-to-be-adopted planet bio-napalming the Admiral of Sergyar Fleet in front of hundreds of witnesses! People running in circles screaming! Oliver (with his shirt off, no less) heroically throwing his body across Miles's children to save them! (Cordelia appreciated that one. On so many levels...)
The rest being just Cordelia and Oliver doing the jobs they are paid for, quietly and competently. Which pretty much cuts escalation off at the knees before it can jump, alas.
:-), L.
Lois wrote: "What, you missed the Great Picnic Blowup...?:-), L. "
Hahaha - I would classify that more as an exciting incident rather than a major crisis. Sorry Lois, but once you've raised the stakes to surprise invasions, sinking buildings and butter bug bombardment, the bar is set pretty high :D
Lois, I haven't read it yet, but am enjoying the comments very much. I actually started to purchase the eARC, but realized that I would *have* to read it immediately. I started a full series re-read (via Audible.com - I love Grover Gardner's reading of the books)of the Vorkosiverse, in anticipation of the new book, which I will get in hardback and audiobook formats(already planning my Feb audiobook!). I am currently almost finished with Memory, and savoring each book enormously. I find the audiobook version to be a completely different kind of experience, and it has made my daily work commute a thoroughly enjoyable experience, instead of hell on wheels. I want to give each book its due--and then get the reward of the new book, and knowing spoilers won't change my enjoyment. Will you--by any chance--be coming to Phoenix again for the book tour? I have been hoping, and we'd all surely love to see you again! As for Ethan of Athos, I really would love to see another book set in that part of the universe--I want to see Ellie Quinn's and Ethan's boys. I want to know how Terrence Cee and Ethan are doing! Cannot wait for the new book--I have missed Cordelia.
Lorraine wrote: "Lois, I haven't read it yet, but am enjoying the comments very much. I actually started to purchase the eARC, but realized that I would *have* to read it immediately. I started a full series re-rea..."No book tour this round, sorry, I pleaded my arthritic spine, which does not get along well these days with airplane seats, hotel beds, and travel stress, and escaped.
There will be a limited signed hc edition, about which I will have more information a bit later, and of course Uncle Hugo's Science Fiction Bookstore here in Minneapolis will have signed copies, and does mail-order to all seven continents.
Ta, L.
So another thing I was curious about, Lois - how hard did Miles try to take over the book, when he showed up? Did you have to fight to keep the little maniac from stealing the POV and running around (thinking he was) fixing things?Christopher: I wouldn't say the Cetagandan diplomatic situation was 'neatly wrapped up', exactly - not in the sense that it was badly written, I mean, but in the sense that it leaves some interesting threads dangling that could certainly be taken up in future if Lois wants to go in that direction. It leaves several opportunities for the Cetagandans to take offence in different directions, and if there's one thing Cetagandans are good at...
Christopher wrote: "Lois wrote: "What, you missed the Great Picnic Blowup...?:-), L. "
Hahaha - I would classify that more as an exciting incident rather than a major crisis. Sorry Lois, but once you've raised the ..."
Yes, this is an inherent problem with on-going series. If you aren't going to offer Bigger and Bigger (always trending in the one direction), what else can you do to raise the stakes? The canonical example is the Doc Smith tales, which progressed from blowing up spaceships to planets to solar systems to entire galaxies. (Although little else than the scale changed.) Many writers have made a fine living with this sort of scheme.
Or one can find another direction altogether, and explore a new unknown.
Ta, L. Thinking that Tolkien was artistically lucky to have been stopped at four.
Adam wrote: "wouldn't say the Cetagandan diplomatic situation was 'neatly wrapped up', exactly - not in the sense that it was badly written, I mean, but in the sense that it leaves some interesting threads dangling that could certainly be taken up in future if Lois wants to go in that direction.Oh I agree that all of those threads could certainly be expanded in the future - but for the context of *this* story they've all been more or less dealt with. I would also be amused if Plas Dan came back as the 'big bad' in the future, but as long as Lois doesn't introduce Radial Kaiju lurking in the depths of Lake Serena, I would enjoy reading more books set on Sergyar ;)
Lois wrote: "Lorraine wrote: "Lois, I haven't read it yet, but am enjoying the comments very much. I actually started to purchase the eARC, but realized that I would *have* to read it immediately. I started a f..."Well, I'm glad for you that you escaped, sorry for us! I'll look for the signed hardcopy info, then. And look forward to reading the rest of the comments and answers.
I loved it. A quiet tale is just what I need lately!Since you mention collecting typos, here are three more:
I have Blaise Gatti go find a classroom of ten-year-olds to test them on. -- had Blaise Gatti
It seems to have been rough sailing for both them. -- both of them
She didn’t break confidentiality, I guessed. -- I think a semicolon would do better than a comma.
Adam wrote: "So another thing I was curious about, Lois - how hard did Miles try to take over the book, when he showed up? Did you have to fight to keep the little maniac from stealing the POV and running aroun..."Yes, one of the many long pauses in the composition of this book was over the question of whether to let Miles in, and if I would lose control of the tale if I did. Denying him the viewpoint seemed to do well at keeping him under control, however. And good grief, he's hogged the viewpoint enough already.
Miles wasn't the hero this round; he was the mid-book crisis, and quite nonplussed with the demotion.
Ta, L.
Karenhunt wrote: "I loved it. A quiet tale is just what I need lately!Since you mention collecting typos, here are three more:
I have Blaise Gatti go find a classroom of ten-year-olds to test them on. -- had Blais..."
Aha! Those are all three new ones. Thanks!
Ta, L.
It does make me very happy to know the formal release will be the week preceding my 30th birthday, though. ;) I think I know what Amie will be getting me as a present. Who's reading this one in audio, do you know? I don't have most of the Vorkosiverse in audio because I so dislike Gardner's reading (sorry!), unfortunately.
To be honest, I was quite surprised by the amount of my headcanon that was confirmed in this book, and said so (without spoiling) in my review proper. I always did think Aral and Jole might have been involved on the quiet, and that Cordelia wouldn't mind, so long as she wasn't kept in the dark about it.
The triad aspect to that marriage made me very happy - it has always been very uncommon for a polyamorous relationship to be essentially validated in fiction without explicit content like a threesome, or being mistreated as one side of a pair cheating with a third party. This is much more what it's really like, especially in the existing legal climate(s) where only two members of any polyamorous relationship can marry each other and that's treated as though their relationship is more important and the other people just playthings.
Whoever helped you with your research, Lois, you've done very well in this. Hence the hug in my spoiler-free comment. ;)
I have to hop off now - volunteering at a literature festival event in an hour. Will post more later, probably.