All's Fair re-read challenge: Fair Play

[Elena]

Trio wrote: "I wish I could get Elliot's recipe for the cheesy mashed potatoes and I think there was a salmon recipe too - I'm going to scan through the books and make a note and see if we can coax Josh into giving them to us."

That would be great, Trio!

[Jordan]

Trio wrote: "well Fish & Chips and Stars & Stripes were the best, I agree... but K. don't stop reading Abi Roux - give According To Hoyle a try, I think you'd like ..."

It's amazing what cooking can do. I hate cooking. For myself. But if there's someone I care about coming over, then yes, I'll cook for them! I want someone to cook for me though... well, a special someone. I have cousins coming to visit in a couple of weeks and they have offered to cook for me because I'm putting them up for a weekend. :-)

But cooking for others always reminds me of Swift from CUTYS. He does a lot of cooking. Of course, a lot of it was something soothing to do for himself too.

Here's a thought, Josh can put out a cookbook based on all the dishes that get mentioned in all of her books. I seem to recall the yoga mystery series had a recipe at the end of every book. :-)

[Josh]

Teal wrote: "The three series with my favorite couples are ALL getting a new book this year: All's Fair, The Art of Murder, and Dangerous Ground. I feel extremely fortunate! It's so nice to have things to look ..."

It's my pleasure. It's actually one of the most fun schedules I've had in a long time. There's a special pleasure in revisiting old worlds.

[Josh]

Trio wrote: "well Fish & Chips and Stars & Stripes were the best, I agree... but K. don't stop reading Abi Roux - give According To Hoyle a try, I think you'd like ..."

The salmon recipe is in All I Want for Christmas. I'm not sure about the cheesy mashed potatoes. Those might be there too -- I thought I did share them somewhere.

[Trio]

;)
I'll do some digging

[Karen]

The salmon recipe is on p. 64 of All I Want for Christmas: Holiday Codas Vols. 1 & 2, following the Fair Game coda. Didn't spot the cheesy mashed potatoes.

[Karen]

Finished my re-read/re-listen this afternoon. J.F. Harding does such a great job narrating this story. Love, love, love Elliot and Tucker's dialogue, even when they're arguing. This book has always been a slower (by Josh-book standards) read for me; there's a lot going on, and I have personal experience with those war years.

I'm closer to Roland in age/experience than to Elliot or Tucker, and was a bit younger and perhaps more sheltered/naive than Roland and his pals, but shared some of their feelings and some of their experiences. I was in high school when the National Guard attacked students on our university campus. I had a (short-term) boyfriend who was drafted and come home addicted. I had another (even shorter term) boyfriend who was an SDS member. The boys/young men who were my peers were mostly terrified of the draft lottery.

So it was interesting on my very first read to find while I could empathize with Roland's feelings of betrayal over Elliot's career choice, I more strongly empathized with Elliot's. Josh does such a beautiful job of conveying the complexity of the experiences and emotions of all of the characters here, while clearly portraying Elliot's moral compass as "right-on."

With each re-read I appreciate this more, and also appreciate this story as a truly magnificent romance exploring the issues of trust between the MC's and other characters. I very much empathized with Elliot's feelings of hurt and betrayal when he realized Tucker had been withholding information to protect him. When someone does that it feels like you've been placed in a dependent/less powerful position. It feels like a lack of respect, even when you understand that your partner has the best of intentions. As has been mentioned, for Elliot it's very important to keep the "weaker"/submissive side of himself confined to the bedroom. It's wonderful how Josh brings Elliot to recognize how he's been behaving similarly, and to choose to change that. Wonderful also how she writes characters who actually talk with/to each other and find adult ways to work things out.

[Karen]

So I assume Josh realized this would be a trilogy when writing this book? Think that Will MacAuley will pop up in the next one? : )

[Josh]

Karen wrote: "So I assume Josh realized this would be a trilogy when writing this book? Think that Will MacAuley will pop up in the next one? : )"

:-D :-D :-D

[Josh]

Karen wrote: "Finished my re-read/re-listen this afternoon. J.F. Harding does such a great job narrating this story. Love, love, love Elliot and Tucker's dialogue, even when they're arguing. This book has always..."

Thank you for those very thoughtful comments, Karen. It's especially enjoyable when readers can offer their own experiences and insights about that period.

[Calathea]

Karen wrote: "Wonderful also how she writes characters who actually talk with/to each other and find adult ways to work things out."

This. Yes. *nodnod*
I come to appreciate this more and more with time.

[Calathea]

Should we have a LAUNCH PARTY for Fair Chance? What do you think?


Yes, that’s what I thought! :-D

Head over to the party topic to learn more.