Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion
This topic is about
Blue-Eyed Devil
Previous BRs - Authors; I - L
>
Kleypas, Lisa - Blue-Eyed Devil: A "buddy read" starts Dec. 5, 2011
message 151:
by
Lisa Kay
(new)
-
rated it 5 stars
Dec 07, 2011 09:49PM
I think this is the forth read for me. I have read from the "Hardy re-enters the picture" part forward more than that, but I don't like the abuse part, so I don't read the whole book like I do Kleypas' others books. ☺
reply
|
flag
Well, maybe Lisarenee will do them. She wakes up early and gets on the computer. I'll probably be sleeping.
I'm sitting here laughing b/c I don't know where my paperback is, off-hand. However, I do have the ability on my new iPod/Touch to speed up the rate of the narrator's voice. . . and I was just imagining that, as I zip through the chapters, LOL!
If Lisarenee doesn't do them, I will, Jill. Don't worry about it. ☺
Good night, Jill & Jayne! I'm going to go watch Survivor - a show that drives me crazy - and then go to bed.
See. It is 50 minutes later... and I'm still here. LOL!
Ha! Don't sleep much. Though I do take a nap. I'm really going to go now b/c I'm getting cold and I want to crawl under the covers. ☺
Thanks! Have a great day, A! ☺
I'll do the questions, just give me a few minutes (or maybe a few more) to find my book and come up with them.
Questions for Chapter 16 - epilogue24) Anyone else feeling rather proud of Haven at the beginning of chapter 16?
- She understood what Vanessa was doing and didn't fall for it. Favorite line, "Every spider knows how to spin a web."--How true!
- Plus, I loved how she didn't wilt when Nick called her. Loved it when she said, "Well, thank God you're rid of me."
25) I really like how Kleypas uses Todd at times to lighten a mood after a somewhat dramatic scene. "I'm trying to think of a good reason to continue our friendship." lol
26) And now a brief pause for an 'Awww' moment -
"But the past couple of years, I finally got the things I wanted, and it wasn't enough, I was till a miserable bastard. When I'm with you, though..."
"What?" I prompt.
When I'm with you, I feel like I finally have what I need. I can relax and be happy." AWWWW!
27) What did you make of Hardy's break down and how Haven handled him? Loved the line, "But there were certain moments in life when you had to step up to the plate or lose your chance forever." Would you have stepped up to the plate?
28) Thoughts on daddy dearest and his contract? Initial thoughts when you heard Hardy had agreed?
29) Anyone else do a happy dance when Jack heard what Vanessa said to Haven? Ding Dong the witch is dead....
30) Wow! The scene with the gun???? What can I say????
31) Anyone else think Hardy is the ultimate gentleman at the end of this book? From Sugar Daddy to this book does Hardy seem like the same person to you?
32) Overall thoughts on the story?
Lisa Kay’s Answers to Lisarenee’s Questions for Chapter 16 – epilogue 24) Anyone else feeling rather proud of Haven at the beginning of chapter 16?
- She understood what Vanessa was doing and didn't fall for it. Favorite line,
“Every spider knows how to spin a web.” --How true!
- Plus, I loved how she didn't wilt when Nick called her.
Loved it when she said, “Well, thank God you're rid of me.”
I was! **waves hand in the air** LOVE the spider line, but the “...thank God...” was pretty LOL, and I’m sure when right over Nick’s head.
25) I really like how Kleypas uses Todd at times to lighten a mood after a somewhat dramatic scene. “I'm trying to think of a good reason to continue our friendship.” lol
♥Todd♥.
26) And now a brief pause for an 'Awww' moment -
“But the past couple of years, I finally got the things I wanted, and it wasn't enough, I was still a miserable bastard. When I'm with you, though...”AWWWW!
“What?” I prompt.
“When I'm with you, I feel like I finally have what I need. I can relax and be happy.”
Awwww!
27) What did you make of Hardy's break down and how Haven handled him? Loved the line, “But there were certain moments in life when you had to step up to the plate or lose your chance forever.” Would you have stepped up to the plate?
I thought it was pretty intense. I was scared for Haven, but I was glad she “stepped up to the plate.” Yes, I would have.
28) Thoughts on daddy dearest and his contract? Initial thoughts when you heard Hardy had agreed?
That old coot does a whole lot of meddling! I think 70% of him wanted to prove he was right about Hardy (and leave Haven alone), and the other 30% wanted to test Hardy and have him come up to snuff. I always believed that Hardy accepted because of the combo of things that had happened the night before; he didn’t feel he was worthy of Haven (b/c of his dad) and that he had treated her too roughly.
29) Anyone else do a happy dance when Jack heard what Vanessa said to Haven? Ding Dong the witch is dead....
Yes. Great scene! Especially since she was the one who left the com on. LOL! Love Jack: a man of few words.
30) Wow! The scene with the gun???? What can I say????
Another intense scene. Poor Hardy bleeding away like that. Eek! I was so worried about him. I imagine that was very frightening to Haven. I thought it was well done and had echoes of understanding why his mother had been afraid of him when he beat up his father; he was definitely berserk!
31) Anyone else think Hardy is the ultimate gentleman at the end of this book? From Sugar Daddy to this book does Hardy seem like the same person to you?
Yes, the ultimate Southern gentleman. Oh, yes. I think Kleypas did a great job of showing Hardy mature into the man in BED.
32) Overall thoughts on the story?
I must admit, this has been my favorite read of this story so far. It is not an easy one. Time and distance help; however, you ladies made it much more enjoyable, insightful, and fun .
Thanks for doing these great questions, Lisarenee! I appreciate it. ☺
@ Jill#24 – Yes! She is. ☺
#25 – LOL!
#26 – Yes, she excels at men’s dialogue. That’s part of what makes them so dreamy. They are unapologetically male, and yet droolworthy.
#27 – “Especially for Hardy.” I knew you were going to say that, LOL!
#28 – The first time I read this, and if it hadn’t been a HEA romance, I would have been quite concerned; instead I was a little concerned. When authors paint themselves into a corner like that, I always worry they won’t get out well enough to convince me. Kleypas didn’t let me down.
#29 – Really. Poor perplexed Jack. ♥Jack♥ (Loved that Vanessa ended up in a manure company, LOL!)
#30 – Yes! When I first read the gun, I did a double take. Whoa. Serious business, that.
#32 – Really!? Wow. Mine too. ☺
Jill wrote: "There's one more Travis book, right? Well how about next year some time Lisa Kay?"Sounds good, since ♥Jack♥ is my favorite. Though Gage is a very close second.
LMAO! Good, gives me more time with ♥Jack♥.
Only if I let him go, honey! And trust me, he won't want to. ☺
You are! Uh. Guess I'm glad I'm thousands of miles away. ☺
message 171:
by
Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~*
(last edited Dec 10, 2011 06:52AM)
(new)
-
rated it 5 stars
Re. Lisa Kleypas talking about Travis "series":Remember I was talking about what LK had to say about the Travis series. I found these again on that I had posted on the We Love Lisa Kleypas Group. These are from a chat that Lisa Kleypas did after an interview on...hmm...I think it was for Smooth Talking Stranger.
LK: "I actually wrote Sugar Daddy as a standalone (is that a word?) . . . and I planned on Liberty ending up with the “other guy,” not the hero she ended up with! But for some reason their chemistry became so strong that I just couldn’t pull them apart. And then I couldn’t stop thinking about the secondary characters in the book, so that led to writing Blue Eyed Devil. And I NEVER considered writing a book about Jack until near the end of Blue Eyed Devil. I thought the right woman would know what to do with all that unapologetic manliness–LOL!"
LK: “I decided to try contemps because I’ve written historical romances for so long that I wanted to work on something different . . .and also I saw the contemporary genre as a way to explore issues and relationships in a different way. The story of narcissistic abuse in Blue Eyed Devil, for example . . . I think you could tell that in a historical context, but it had more resonance to me in a modern setting. And of course the freedoms and challenges that contemporary women have are SO different than women from previous times, so I can tell very different stories this way.
The idea for Sugar Daddy came because I wanted to tell the story of a woman’s journey, and really show the extremes of her earlier life in the trailer park, and contrast it with an almost Cinderella-like turn of events later in the story. I guess you can tell I’m drawn to the theme of “the outsider” in many of my stories . . . it just always seems to make the book more interesting when a person from the wrong side of the tracks shows up!
The first person POV happened because I was so concerned about finding a realistic, believable contemporary voice . . . my biggest fear about writing contemporary was that it would sound historical . . . so I literally wrote and discarded hundreds of pages, and tried first and third POV, until finally I locked into something that felt and sounded right to me. Now, however, I really want to try contemporary in third person for my Friday Harbor series, so I can get into the heads of multiple characters. I was going to with Jack’s story, but then I realized that I needed to keep it consistent with the first two books.”
message 172:
by
Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~*
(last edited Dec 10, 2011 07:10AM)
(new)
-
rated it 5 stars
I still haven't found my book yet, but I wanted to look through it again so that I can look at the other questions posted here. So sorry! Hope it's okay that I added some questions!
I'm going to search for my book tomorrow so I can go back and skim and then engage in some of the other questions here.
But you gals have probably lost interest in talking about this... Hmm...
message 173:
by
Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~*
(last edited Dec 10, 2011 05:53AM)
(new)
-
rated it 5 stars
I also found this post I had posted in the We Love LK Group, a year or two ago.I know some people didn’t really love BED because they couldn’t stand Haven, though they did acknowledge that we all have different tastes and we connect with different characters. Obviously, we connect more with those whom we can understand, be it because of similar experiences, or similar personalities etc.
One of my favourite quotes, not from the book, is this:
"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." - Anaïs Nin
These were my comments, before:
“I really connected with Haven and her low self-esteem and erosion of "self". While I have never been a victim of domestic violence, I have been the victim of bullying and an upbringing, while definitely not intentional, created a warped sense of "self" and led to an eating disorder. I cried for Haven and wanted her to see her worth and stand up and be strong against these sociopaths that love to kick a person when they're down. I knew what that was like.
This quote really resonated with me, "The urge to please was a sickness in me." (pg. 52 BED)
This urge to please others at the expense of her self was Haven's weakness.
Hardy, as well, had a warped sense of self. He saw himself as having "bad blood". In that scene in his apartment where Hardy is drunk and in the darkness of his apartment and won't let Haven in? That scene tore me up. I understood in that moment why Hardy did the bad things he did. He did it because he saw himself as "bad". *shakes head* I ached for him in that moment.
This was the moment I saw him "grovel" when it was described:
"At that moment he seemed like nothing so much as a large suffering animal, ready to tear apart anyone who came near him".
I wished at that moment that I could get in his head more.
The love-making scene that followed was so intense. Following that scene, well, the next morning, was one of my fave quotes of BED: "I no longer believed in the idea of soul mates, or love at first sight. But I was beginning to believe that a very few times in your life, if you were lucky, you might meet someone who was exactly right for you. Not because he was perfect, or because you were, but because your combined flaws were arranged in a way that allowed two separate beings to hinge together." (pg. 293)
I also love the ending of BED:
"It occurred to me in retrospect that I probably should have been nervous about marrying again, in light of my past experiences. But everything was different with Hardy. His love came with no strings attached, which I thought was the greatest gift one human being could give another.
"You know," I told him on our wedding night, "I'm just as much me when I'm with you, as I am without you."
And because Hardy understood what I meant, he pulled me into his arms, against his heart. (emphasis added, pg.324 BED)
I LOVED how Haven realised that she was a person of worth just because she IS. She does not only deserve to be loved when she's beautiful, when she's the perfect daughter, or the perfect wife, etc. She deserves to be loved simply for being HER. She does NOT have to be PERFECT. But she had to BELIEVE that, deep down in her soul. I cried for Haven in this book. Because I was also crying for who I had been. Someone who was lost. I went on an emotional journey with Haven. I liked how this book dealt well with the issues of healing and moving on with the scars of the past.”
......
I guess I have a question to ask, if I may:
#33: Was there anything that you connected most with in BED? *snickers* And I mean, the book. ^_^
message 174:
by
Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~*
(last edited Dec 10, 2011 06:04AM)
(new)
-
rated it 5 stars
And some other thoughts I had that I found on the We Love LK Group:“As for the reasons behind Hardy’s driving ambition? I don’t believe that Hardy became so ambitious, just because he grew up in a trailer park. It wasn’t the poverty that drove him. I believe it was FEAR. Fear of becoming his father. Fear of becoming a monster. Fear is what I believe drove this compulsive need to leave Welcome and become a success…no matter what the cost… to NOT become his father. And all his pushing Liberty away, was because he believed he was protecting Liberty from himself.
Okay, I’m not eloquent like LK, so I’ll show you with scenes from the books of my understanding of Hardy (with emphasis added).
From Sugar Daddy:
SD pg. 74-75
Scene where they are playing basketball and before Liberty steals her first kiss from Hardy:
“I’m too old for you, in more ways than one. And you’re not the kind of girl I want.”
…
“Want kind of girl do you want?” I asked with difficulty.
“Someone I can leave without looking back.”
That was Hardy, offering the brutal truth without apology. But I heard the submerged admission in his statement, that I wouldn’t be the kind he could leave easily. I couldn’t keep from taking it as encouragement, even though that wasn’t what he intended.
He looked at me then, “Nothing and no one is going to keep me here, do you understand?”
“I understand.”
He took a ragged breath. “This place, this life…Lately I’ve started to understand what made my dad so mean and crazy he ended up in jail. It’ll happen to me too.”
“No,” I protested softly.
“Yes, it will. You don’t know me, Liberty.”
I couldn’t stop him from wanting to leave. But neither could I stop myself from wanting him.
SD Pg. 138:
Scene where Hardy tells Liberty he’s leaving Welcome to work as a welder on a rig:
“Christ,” he whispered. “You want to make this as hard as possible, don’t you? I can’t stay, and I can’t take you with me. And you want to know if I’m sorry for anything.” I felt the hot strikes of his breath on my cheek. His arms wrapped around me, stifling all movement. His heart pounded against my flattened breasts. “I’d sell my soul to have you. In my whole life, you’ll always be what I wanted most. But I’ve got nothing to give you. And I won’t stay here and turn into my father. I would take everything out on you – I would hurt you.”
“You wouldn’t. You could never be like your father.”
“Do you think so? Then you have a lot more faith in me than I do.”
SD pg. 102:
Scene after Hardy helps Liberty study for her maths test:
‘“You need sleep too.” He touched my face, his thumb smoothing the wing of my eyebrow. “You do fine of the test, honey. Just don’t let yourself panic. Take it step by step, and you’ll make it through.”
“Thank you,” I said. “You didn’t have to do any of this. I don’t know why you did. I really -”
His fingertips came to my lips with feather-light pressure. “Liberty,” he whispered. “Don’t you know I’d do anything for you?”
I swallowed painfully. “But…you’re staying away from me.”
He knew what I meant. “I’m doing that for you too”. Slowly he lowered his head to mine, with the baby cradled between us.’
I wonder whether, in a way, even though Hardy still wanted Liberty after all the years, that he didn't somehow subconsciously sabotage himself, because despite all he'd achieved, he still saw himself as not good enough... even though he wants so much to be good enough? But this would be on a deep level, because on a conscious level Hardy just saw what he did to Gage as "just business" and he would do anything to get ahead. In the end, he didn't really fight for Liberty, did he?
Q #34: So, was it Haven's and Hardy's sense on unworthiness, and the acceptance and understanding that they found in each other, were these the flaws that hinged them together? Your thoughts?
Oh, This is so funny, but this quote just popped up today in my GRs favourite quotes app on my blog:'“And I wonder how Gage knew this is what my soul has craved. He turns me to face him, his eyes searching. It occurs to me that no one in my life has ever concerned himself so thoroughly with my happiness.” —Lisa Kleypas
Can you ladies remember what exactly had occurred in this scene?
*sighs* Gage....
Jayne’s General Questions for the Travises Series #33. Was there anything that you connected most with in BED? *snickers* And I mean, the book. ^_^
I would say there is a lot here, but the Astrodome Syndrome really jumped out at me. I remember right after my divorce years ago, it seemed every man I was interested in was a drunk. Was I a magnet? I was totally perplexed by this. I finally bowed to the pressure of a friend to set me up with a friend of her boyfriends, “You’re perfect for each other.” So, I accepted. When he showed up at my door to pick me up, he was drunk. ALREADY! WTF? It had to be me, if even my friends were setting me up with drunks. This caused me to seek counseling, which helped greatly.
#34. Quote from Sugar Daddy: “And I wonder how Gage knew this is what my soul has craved. He turns me to face him, his eyes searching. It occurs to me that no one in my life has ever concerned himself so thoroughly with my happiness.” —Lisa Kleypas
Can you ladies remember what exactly had occurred in this scene?
I’m not sure… and I can’t find my book (again!), but my first response was to think that is the plane scene, when she goes to Gage. But, it could be in his apartment scene, when she confronts him about the P.I. Hmmm. Do tell us. ☺
Thanks for all of these, Jayne! Loved them. Lost interest? Hardly with Hardy. ☺
message 179:
by
Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~*
(last edited Dec 11, 2011 01:24PM)
(new)
-
rated it 5 stars
Oh, yay! You're all still happy to chat about this! ^_^#33: @ Lisa Kay: Ah, no wonder the "Aerodome Phenomenon" stuck with you then. It didn't with me, because I guess I've always had an air - to guys, anyway - of "I take dating and relationships very seriously and I will not be disrespected", even though I was a very shy, reserved girl, with insecurities and an eating disorder. I remember my cousin's friends, who had wanted to ask me out, but they told her they were scared of me. They said I was the kind of girl you didn't just play with (which was, I guess, a huge compliment) but that I had piercing eyes, that it was like I was looking into their soul and they found that scary! LOL Suffice it to say, that I didn't date much. :-P
I can't believe that your friend thought a drunk was perfect for you, though, Lisa Kay! Are you still friends? I'm glad that counseling helped you stop being a "magnet".
Re. that scene in Sugar Daddy - I think it may be on the plane, Lisa Kay, but I can't find my books. I looked on one shelf but they weren't there. I suspect they are deeply buried in one of my boxes. I have too many books and not enough room to store them! Could it be the end scene where he takes her to the ranch?
If any of you have your book handy and can confirm the scene, though, that would be so great! ^_^
message 180:
by
Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~*
(last edited Dec 11, 2011 01:33AM)
(new)
-
rated it 5 stars
@ Jill:#33 - Oh, I'm so happy to hear how much you love Lisa Kleypas' writing and stories, Jill! I think she's just super amazing! She had me with the Wallflowers books.
#34 - Those are really GREAT points you listed, Jill, about them being polar opposites! But yes, despite those opposite life experiences, inside, they both had unresolved daddy issues and a feeling of unworthiness. But they saw their worth in each others' eyes and it was those "flaws" that hinged them together. *sighs*
And no worries about the behind the scenes info. As I said, I love reading interviews and chats with Lisa Kleypas and finding out all these extra tidbits and getting a better understanding of what inspired her in writing a story or where she's headed with something. Always happy to share those sorts of info, if people are interested!
So that's why you have shades on in your avatar, Jayne! LOL! ☺
Lisa Kay wrote: "So that's why you have shades on in your avatar, Jayne! LOL! ☺"LOL! Yes, you got me now, Lisa Kay. It's to cover my "piercing eyes". Pffffffttt! I was shocked when my cousin told me that. I was like, "WTF???" LOL
Did we decide on a date to start
? My January is pretty full.
Lisa Kay wrote: "Did we decide on a date to start ? My January is pretty full."I'll just tag-along, again, if that's okay, whenever you ladies are doing it. I'll have to dig out my book! ^_^
Actually, can I do some questions?
Sure, ask all the questions you want. I just need to know when we are starting so I can add it to the "buddy read" calendar.
Lisa Kay wrote: "Sure, ask all the questions you want. I just need to know when we are starting so I can add it to the "buddy read" calendar."Thanks, Lisa Kay.
I'll read whenever you guys do, since I've already read it a few times...especially certain scenes. *coughs* ^_~ But happy to re-read! Yay!
LMAO! Yeah, Jayne, I re-read those SAME scenes! **cackling like an old hen**
Really, Lisa Kay? What a great coincidence! LOL!
LMAO!!! Oh, I Love it, Lisa Kay! Have you got a garage one? ^_^
No! Drat! But, Man-oh-man! That scene was H.O.T.!
It totally is! I can't wait to read it again! ^_^
February sounds good. Jack will get me all tingly again for Valentine's. LOL
LMAO! Okay, February it is. Now when in February? Do you like to start on Mondays? Or does it make a difference? Valentine's Day is Tuesday here.
Jill wrote: "Excellent. <> *snicker* That's supposed to be hubby's job Jaynie!"Hmmm... *pensive face*
Okay, then, Jack will get me EXTRA tingly for Valentine's! How's that? ^_~ LOL
Hey, Jill, watch out for Jack!!!
Ahahaha! I just made a Jack and Jill joke! :-P Sorry, it's the Tuesday before Christmas weekend and I'm going a bit nuts. That's my story, and I'm stikcing by it. ^_^
So, should we start Jack on Valentine's Day? Well,
my
Valentine's Day - you all being a day ahead.
message 198:
by
Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~*
(last edited Dec 19, 2011 05:02PM)
(new)
-
rated it 5 stars
Thank you, Lisa Kay!@Jill: Actually, I take that back. It's Jack and Jayne. ^_~
**blow raspberry** We still make beautiful poetry together.
Nothing But Reading Challenges
Books mentioned in this topic
Sugar Daddy (other topics)Smooth Talking Stranger (other topics)
Smooth Talking Stranger (other topics)
Smooth Talking Stranger (other topics)
Sugar Daddy (other topics)
More...
