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Into the Whirlwind
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❀Abbi, Caitlyn, Megan and Melanie❀ Into the Whirlwind by Elizabeth Camden
Hey ladies! :)I just got my copy of this book, so I can start it whenever the three of you are ready! :D
So excited to buddy read this one with you Abbi, Megan, and Melanie!!! :-D
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I just got my copy yesterday so I'm ready too! Halves will be 1-15, 16-epilogue! I'll try to get to it some time this week!
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:-D I will also try to finish the first half by the end of this week! :-)
Just wanted to let you gals know that I have finished the first half! :)So I am ready to discuss whenever the three of you are, no rush! It was just so good that once I got started I had a hard time stopping, and the next thing I knew I had finished chapter fifteen! :D
This is an awesome book! I absolutely loved it and just might have to read it again.Sorry to interrupt your group, just saw your posts on my email update and had to comment.
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I'm really enjoying this book!I have often heard about the Great Chicago Fire but I never really took the time to think about how terrifying it would be and just how difficult it would be to set everything to rights again!
I loved how Mollie's dad hired so many of the men from his battalion to work for him despite the fact that they almost all had physical handicaps of some sort. And it was cool how Mollie did the same and cared for them all like family!
Sophie drove me crazy and I wanted to smack some sense into her! I couldn't believe how spoiled and rude she acted especially since these people had saved her life and were taking care of her!
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I also loved that. Her dad seemed like a great guy. Yeah, it was great how Mollie followed his example.
I know! She made me so mad! I couldn't stand the way she had no respect for others and was just so rude!!
I like how the romance in this book seems different from most novels. Usually the couple doesn't get together until near the end.
I'm so glad that Mollie was able to fix her dad's watch! It would have been terrible if it had stayed broken - especially since it survived the war.
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I've read many different things about the Chicago Fire, but I think the way this author portrayed it was just fabulous! It brought a whole new perspective to the story. I felt like I was right there with them, almost felt like I could smell the smoke, and it was horrible! I can't imagine being having to live through something so devastating.
I loved that too!
I know! I couldn't believe how horrible she was! Unfortunately I think a large part of the reason she behaves the way she does is because her parents coddle her. I couldn't believe the way her father let her behave towards him and then he rewarded it!
Its nice that Declan seems to be back to his old self now. I was so glad when he showed up with Colonel Lowe and many of the other men from the 57th. I was becoming concerned that he might have been hurt trying to get the watches back or something, since he went missing at the same time the men ran off.
I'm not sure how I feel about Mollie trying to sell the property to Hartman. She believes her father was already paid for it, so I kind of feel it's wrong of her to try to get paid again. But at the same time I think it was underhanded the way Hartman and Zack tried to get possession of it.
And I am having a hard time liking Zack now! At first, I thought he was wonderful, but once I found out that he knew about the true reason Hartman wanted to buy the 57th I was disgusted with him! Its horrible that he's willing to deceive Mollie into selling for much less than it's worth.
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That part I do like, but it almost seems strange how strongly Zack feels for Mollie when they have hardly spoken to each other at all. Really how can he expect her to marry him when she barely knows him?
I was relieved she was able to fix it! Especially since it's now the only thing she has of her father's things.
I completely echo everything you three have said! I am loving this book! There is just something about Elizabeth Camden's writing that makes me you feel like you're right there, living the story! :)
I too really disliked Sophie! She was so getting on my last nerve, I hate to say it but I was really glad when her father finally came to get her!
Yeah I'm not too sure what to think of Zack right now either! It does seem a tiny bit unrealistic that he could be so in love with her, but I absolutely loved the night of the fire when he shouted how he felt about her!
Yeah I too was glad she was able to fix her father's watch!
I thought it was incredibly brilliant the way she hid the deed in her hair! I was really impressed that it didn't fall out!
It made me so sad when Frank was killed!
I love the idea of them making a watch to commemorate the fire!
I loved the fact that they found shelter in a church! That was so awesome!!!
I'm having some mixed feelings about Zack too for the same reasons you all mentioned but I do love how he lets his parents stay in his home and how he offered it to Mollie.I was so happy the watched was able to be fixed!
I was worried that Declan was off to chase the thieves to and I never expected him to round up the rest of the battalion! It's so cool how they all came and plan to stay and help rebuild Mollie's company!
Yeah I'm not sure how I feel about her selling the property either but I also couldn't believe the way they underhandedly tried to get the deed!
That was cool how she hid the deed in her hair!
That was so horrible!
Yeah that is a really awesome idea and I love the fact that they are able to easily change the design on the current watches!
That was neat!
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It is a little underhanded the way Zack & Hartman went about trying to get the property, but I really don't fault Zack for that. There's that whole client/lawyer confidentiality, so even though he might have wanted to be straight with Mollie, he couldn't break that trust.
It is a little strange how strong his feelings are for Mollie when they haven't been seeing each other that long, but he has been secretly infatuated with her for years... I agree, though, I can't believe he expects her to marry him already.
Caitlyn - I was also very glad when Sophie's father came for her! She was just annoying me so much! I did like how she seemed to get along (sorta) with Frank, though.
I loved when Zack shouted his feelings for Mollie too - It kind of seemed like a "if I'm going to die, I want you to know this" moment and I don't think he would have told her his feelings if it wasn't for the fire.
Me too! That was a genius idea and I'm glad the deed survived the night.
I know! That was so sad!
Me too!
Same here. I thought it was great how a church was their shelter.
I thought the story of when Zack dumped the fish in that guy's office was hilarious! Definitely shows you his personality. :)
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Melanie, ✞Moderator, Avid Reader, & Blogger ✞
(last edited Aug 21, 2013 02:39PM)
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rated it 4 stars
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Yeah the story of Zack dumping the fish on the desk completely cracked me up! :)I too love how Zack brought his parents to live with him!
I found it interesting that the story started in the midst of the fire, then backed up six days and gradually brought the story through to the night of the fire again! That surprised me, but I actually really liked it! What did you all think?
I love how Zack helps his parents on their quest to help the people of Poland, even though he considers it an unattainable goal!
I was so happy that the train with all the watches, equipment and Zack's parents suitcases of papers made it out of the city, when Zack's parents second bag was found and returned I literally cried out "Yes!" That's how into the story I was emotionally!!!
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I love that too!
I was SO glad when they found the second bag! :D
I agree, the fish story was really funny! That was interesting. Personally while I liked the whole way it played out, when I was reading the first scene it just felt so off since we didn't know the characters yet. So I wasn't the hugest fan of the way it was executed but I liked the idea!
Yeah it's cool how he helps them despite his feelings!
I was glad all their stuff made it too!
I thought it was funny how Zack's mother refused to tell them what was in the flaki and then Zack's reaction when he found out she had given it to them! Mollie was way cooler about it than I would have been!
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I was really curious where she was going to put the deed to keep it safe and agree it was a brilliant spot!
That was such a sad thing! I so wish he would have just handed over the watches, because, to me, nothing material is worth your life.
I love the idea too.
That was neat :)
Yes there is client/lawyer confidentiality, which he couldn't break, but he didn't have to make it sound like she was getting a good deal. He could have suggested she find another lawyer or something because he couldn't advise her. To me if he cares about her that's what he should have done.
That was HILARIOUS! :D
It surprised me too! I did like it, but I agree with Abbi that because I didn't know the characters yet it was hard to feel connected to the story and it just felt a little off.
I like how he helps them too! Maybe this will be something else he will be wrong about, like the watch, and they work will end up being a huge help :)
I was so sad when their bag went missing and was extremely happy when it was found! I would have liked to have know his parents reaction when the first bag was brought and they were told that the other bag was missing, but I guess we are just supposed to guess at it.
That was funny! When she wouldn't say I had all different ideas running through my mind, so when Zack told Mollie it wasn't as bad as I thought but it was still gross! I agree, she was surprisingly cool about it.
I liked the message it gave when Mollie was willing to lose her father's photo of the 57th when they were all still healthy, but I really think she could have saved it. Since the photo along with several other items were all in a pillowcase it couldn't have been that big, so I don't know why she didn't just dump out everything else and put it by itself in the pillowcase and carry it herself - it couldn't have weighed that much. Or Frank could have carried it - since later on he carries Sophie.
Yeah I felt the same way about that, Megan!Well I can't think of anything else-you girls?
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I found that funny too!
Yeah, that kind of bothered me too. Once Frank started carrying Sophie, I wondered why he couldn't have carried the photo.
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I completely agree with everything you have said!And I too can't think of anything else to discuss either! :)
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I'm done so I'm ready to discuss whenever you all are but no rush!
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I was a little frustrated with Zack when he was sending those notes to Mollie, but I LOVED how he orchestrated the capture of Frank's killers and didn't take credit for it. I also loved how he got the diamond powder for Mollie and got Mr. Magruder to make those center posts.
Even though I didn't love this one as much as Against The Tide, I still really enjoyed it!I completely agree, Melanie. I didn't like really like Lowe very much either!
Completely agree! It was such a fun scene when Mr Magruder brought over the post!!!
I loved, loved, LOVED it when Sophie said she wanted to " Do Something Hard" It was so awesome how Mollie put her to work, and I loved watching Sophie's attitude transform! :)
It made me so happy to see that Dr. Buchanan found love and a family! I loved how Zack's parents basically adopted him!
It's so fun that in those days the White Sox were called the White Stockings!
It made me smile every time I read their name, what a great historical detail! :-)
I was kinda surprised by how much opposition to making the clocks Mollie got from some of her employees! I can understand where they were coming from, but it annoyed me a little bit that some of them didn't seem to see that Mollie was just trying to ensure the future of the company!
I felt the same way Caitlyn! Good but didn't beat Against the Tide!Yeah I had the same feeling about Lowe and was so happy Mollie didn't end up with him!
Totally agree!
It was really cool to watch Sophie's transformation and I loved how the author made it realistic rather than just making her suddenly perfect!
That made me happy too! As soon as Anka showed up on the scene I was pretty sure she'd end up with him!
:) Shows how much I pay attention to baseball since I didn't even notice the name change!
That surprised an annoyed me a bit too!
I found it kinda amusing/sweet how Zack kept Mollie's burnt scarf in a place that it was seen often!
I was surprised when Declan quit but was cool how it turned out to be just what he needed.
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I was more than a little frustrated with Zack throughout the story, but I did love how he was able to help Mollie with Magruder (both times) and figure out how to catch Frank's killers - brilliant! I don't think he asked the men not to tell Mollie that he was involved, if he did I missed that. I think he assumed they would tell her and he was surprised they hadn't.
I loved that too! Sophie transformation was great!
That was really nice and I was glad for him :)
Actually, the Chicago White Stockings were what we know as the Chicago Cubs, it wasn't until the 1900's that the Chicago White Sox took that name (after it was abandoned by the Cubs). But it was nice to include in the book :)
I was surprised by that too - you'd think they would have been grateful that she was trying to find a way to keep them in the business! I think a lot of them didn't understand the magnitude of what machine made watches meant...good thing Mollie did!
I did too! That was one of the things that I loved about Zack.
It shocked me when he quit too! But I was glad that it turned out to be exactly the best thing for him. I felt badly that he didn't want the others to see him when the 57th was attaching their first clock, I think they all would have loved to see him again.
I hated that Zack sold his painting!
I couldn't stand the way Richard behaved when Mollie only brought a can of peaches to the party - it was ridiculous! And when he said she didn't embarrass him, she embarrassed herself I just wanted to slap him! It obviously bothered him, or why else would he bring it up? If it didn't bother her, and he claimed it didn't bother him, why make such a big deal about it?
Yeah I was kinda sad that he sold the painting too.Ugh that made me so mad! You think if it was such a big deal he could have taken the time to explain to her what was expected before the party!
It was cool how Zack bought a building for his parents to store and work on their Polish stuff!
I loved that Zack kept the scarf too!Oh, I agree that made me so sad, but I too was happy with the way it turned out!
I too didn't like that Zack sold the painting! But I was quite surprised that he went through with it, I was honestly expecting that at the last minute he would decide not to sell it!
I completely agree, that made me really mad with him too!
That was cool!
I actually really liked it when Zack quit his job in order to do what he knew was more important! I loved how he didn't give in to Mr. Hartman's blackmail, but that he wasn't rude either! :D
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Melanie, ✞Moderator, Avid Reader, & Blogger ✞
(last edited Aug 27, 2013 10:58AM)
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rated it 4 stars
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I know!! I loved how Dr. Buchanan found love! It was really cool how Zack's parents took him under their wings. ;)
I smiled when I read the White Stockings' name too! I agree - it was a great historical detail! Megan, I didn't know that the White Stockings were originally the Cubs...hmm, that is interesting!
Yeah, that kind of surprised/annoyed me too.
I loved how Zack did that!! So sweet! :)
I was also surprised when Declan quit.
Me too! I wish Zack would have kept the painting, but I get why he sold it...
That's one of the things I really disliked about Richard! He annoyed me so much during that scene!
I loved how Zack did that -- so cool! It was kind of funny how Mollie thought they were moving when she saw them emptying the house out -- there were that many Polish papers/things!!
That was great! I'm glad he finally had enough of doing whatever Mr. Hartman wanted -- even if it went against his better judgment -- and quit.
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I was expecting Zack at the last moment to withdraw the painting too! I was a little disappointed that he didn't.
I was glad he quit too. I know he felt a debt to Hartman, but it was about time!
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I loved that too and they did sound beautiful! Well I can't find anything else-you girls?
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I loved the deal with the Copernicus watches too!I completely agree, they did sound gorgeous! :D
I'm out of things to discuss too! :)
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After her father's death, Mollie Knox takes over his watchmaking company and uses her head for business to solidify the good name of the 57th Illinois Watch Company. Her future looks bright until the night her beloved city is destroyed in the legendary Great Chicago Fire. With her world crumbling around her, Molly must do whatever it takes to save her company in the aftermath of the devastating fire.
Zack Kazmarek is an influential attorney with powerful ties to the political, mercantile, and ethnic roots of Chicago. His only weakness is Mollie Knox, a woman who has always been just beyond his reach. However, all bets are off after the fire destroys Chicago, and Mollie is in desperate need of assistance. Just as Zack finally begins to pursue the woman he loves, competition arises in the form of a hero from her past who can provide the help she needs to rise from the ashes.
While Mollie struggles to rebuild, the two men battle for her heart. One has always loved her, but the other has the power to save her. In the race to rebuild the city, can she survive with her business and her heart intact?