Library Musings…Marriage Proposals, Literally

Happy Valentines day all! I thought in honor of the official day of love I’d share a few romantic scenes from literature, both classics and YA alike.

Proposal Scenes to be exact.

They’ve been picked randomly…mostly because I was able to remember that a proposal scene happened in these particular books! Some of them surprised me during the re-read…Did you remember that Mr. Darcy proposed to Elizabeth twice? That Rhett was unromantic? or that Ash really did it when he became Meghan’s Knight?…I didn’t either. So please, find some chocolate and enjoy this post of love.

Without Further Ado…Marriage Proposals

Gone with the Wind

“I always intended to have you, Scarlet, since that first day I saw you at Twelve Oaks when you threw that vase and swore and proved that you weren’t a lady. I always intended having you, one way or another. But as you and Frank have made a little money, I know you’ll never be driven to me again with any interesting proposals of loans and collaterals. So I see I’ll have to marry you.”

“Rhett Butler, is this one of your vile jokes?”

“I bare my soul and you are suspicious! No, Scarlett, this is a bona fide honorable declaration. I admit that it’s not in the best of taste, coming at this time, but I have a very good excuse for my lack of breeding. I’m going away tomorrow for a long time and I fear that if I wait till I return you’ll have married some one else with a little money. So I thought, why not me and my money? Really, Scarlett, I can’t go all my life waiting to catch you between husbands.”   (1160, Mitchell)

Pride and Prejudice

I’d like to note that I have this very saying on a tea towel…and you can have one too, or a mug, or a t-shirt…just check out Brookish’s Etsy Shop.

“In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” (172, Austen)

But she rejects him…he was a bit of an ass up until this point…But we all know the poor man tries again, with success…

“You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever.” (326, Austen)

That’s 150 pages of groveling that Mr. Darcy had to do! I think he’s earned his happy ending…I may have folded for the first proposal *sigh* it was pretty good, never did have Elizabeth’s pride…

Twilight – Eclipse

“Now, I want to do this right. Please, please, keep in mind that you’ve already agreed to this, and don’t ruin it for me.”

“Oh, no,” I gasped as he slid down onto one knee.

“Be nice,” he muttered.

I took a deep breath.

“Isabella Swan?” He looked up at me through his impossibly long lashes, his golden eyes soft but, somehow, still scorching. “I promise to love you forever – every single day of forever. Will you marry me?”

There were many things I wanted to say, some of them not nice at all, and others more disgustingly gooey and romantic than he probably dreamed I was capable of. Rather than embarrass myself with either, I whispered, “Yes.”

“Thank you,” he said simply. He took my left hand and kissed each of my fingertips before he kissed the ring that was now mine. (459 – 460, Meyer)

The Iron Fey – The Iron Daughter

This is officially the closest they come to an actual proposal…and it’s just too good to pass up!

“My name is Ashallyn’darkmyr Tallyn, third son of the Unseelie Court…Let it be known–from this day forth, I vow to protect Meghan Chase, daughter of the Summer King, with my sword, my honor, and my life. Her desires are mine. Her wishes are mine. Should even the world stand against her, my blade will be at her side. And should it fail to protect her, let my own existence be forfeit. This I swear, on my honor, my True Name, and my life. From this day on…” His voice went even softer, but I still heard it as though he whispered it into my ear. “I am yours.”

Entwined

“Mr. Bradford,” she said. “I’m not going to propose to you.”

The twinkle in Mr. Bradford’s eyes faded. So did his smile. He managed to keep it on his face. It looked painful.

“Oh,” he said.

“Mr. Bradford?”

“Yes?”

“Would you mind it so very much if…you know…you proposed to me?”

The light in Mr. Bradford’s eyes jumped to life. He beamed so largely it almost wasn’t crooked.

“If you want.”

Romeo and Juliet

Did you remember that it was fair Juliet that did the proposing?…

JULIET

Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed.
If that thy bent of love be honourable,
Thy purpose marriage, send me word to-morrow,
By one that I’ll procure to come to thee,
Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite;
And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay
And follow thee my lord throughout the world.

(Act 2, Scene 1)

Thought I’d end this post with the above picture of Leo and Clare *sigh* this very scene started a crush (on Leo) that lasted for YEARS…

…Ok, might still be prey to it. While searching for the photo above I found this:

Yep, still have a thing for Leo…Enjoy that one with your chocolate too 😉

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The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

BookTalk

Carrie McClelland is a bestselling author of historical fiction. She’s made enough off her writing to travel the world, living in the locations where her books are set. Carrie begins her journey at a French Castle. She’s decided to track Nathaniel Hooke, an Irishman deeply involved in the failed Scottish uprising of 1708. But, Carrie is finding that in addition to a mostly forgotten plan to reinstate the Scottish King Mr. Hooke is giving her very dry writing material.

What Carrie needs is a change of scene…Drawn to Slains Castle, ruins of a stronghold perilously close to the sea, Carrie begins to feel the whispers of a story. Her tale changes shape. Carrie is being led not by Nathaniel Hooke but instead by a young woman. Carrie believes she names this girl after her own ancestor Sophia Paterson for sentimental reasons. But as Carrie’s Scottish nights grow thick with the voices of her characters, her writing takes on a life of its own. And Carrie begins to have the sneaking suspicious that it is not her imagination creating the heart-breaking love…Instead it looks as though Carrie is remembering ghosts of her past…

Review

This book came with some mixed reviews. Some people were 5/5 star in love with the book…others hung-up on an ending plot choice that not only didn’t ring true, it also incited anger and fury amongst readers.

I’ll admit I fall into the middle of this group. If you’d like a *Spoiler* as to the plot choice (or you’d just really like to see myself and RachelKiwi debate the point) check out the Book Club of Two breakdown tomorrow.

So without mention of the *Spoiler* I’ll let you know what I thought of the book as a whole. It’s why your reading this right? Just checking, lol…

Know that the book is extremely addictive. Told in alternating chapters of modern-day Carrie, the woman writing the historical fiction novel, and Sophia, Carrie’s main character and ancestor. While Carrie has action enough on both the paranormal and romantic front it is Sophia’s love-story that sings.

You see, the premise of this tale is that Carrie has genetic memory of Sophia’s life. It’s rationalized much in the same way that we explain how our baby has the exact same smile or mannerism as our dead grandfather. That somewhere in our strands of DNA in addition to deciding the color of our eyes and the size of our feet we also inherit physical movements and skills from past generations. While this theory is completely legit Kearsley stretches science to include actual memories of the past. Like…remembering an entire year of another persons life.

Kearsley weaves past and present together fluidly. Carrie’s own life begins to reflect Sophia’s past. In the beginning this is what Carrie blames her story on. Later it simply becomes a nice plot point. I will note that Carrie’s modern romance didn’t have the spark that Sophia’s did. I think had more time been given to the modern couple. Or had Stuie been cut from the story. Carrie and Graham’s romance would have been fleshed out a bit better. This is sad, not because this tale lacks love…nope, Sophia provides that in spades…more so because I liked Carrie and Graham and would have enjoyed a bit more time with them as full characters and not as a mode to view Sophia’s story.

Another problem some had with the text was its historical component. Be Warned my bookish friends…Kearsley knows her history, and doesn’t deviate for a minute. I think this also muddied up the plot a bit. It was a lot to wade through at times, and some characters/schemes could have been cut altogether. But still, I maintain the camp of a happy historical reader. I have a lot of admiration for Kearsley’s ability to stick so stringently to fact and make history work for her. Just always sad to watch the Scottish uprisings…You know they all end poorly…and yet those strong Scottish men are always so sexy and stalwart. I just wish they would have caught a break every now and then.

Know that this is a great read. Plot *Spoiler* or not, it’s a well told tale that is both addictive and different.

Rating: 4/5 Perfect for a snowy winter’s day…remember the warm coffee and a box of tissues!

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The Last Letter From Your Lover by Jojo Moyes

BookTalk

“”You are a whore,” he said

“With you I was,” she said quietly. “I must have been, because I certainly didn’t do it for love.”” (193, ePub ed.)

Jennifer Stirling wakes up to a world and a life she doesn’t remember. Surviving a car accident that killed other passengers she is unfamiliar with the reflection of a mirror not to mention the man who visits her bedside as her husband. Jennifer finds that her life is one of luxury. She has social standing, a fashionable home, and a closet full of jewel box worthy dresses.

But memories are slowly coming back. A pair of emerald-green shoes that she remembers exiting a taxi in. A dress connected to memories that seem unpleasant. But then she finds it…hidden amongst womanly trappings in a place her husband would never think to look. It’s a letter, full of love and desperate passion. Beginning with the words “My Dearest and only love” Jennifer stumbles upon a past that goes far in explaining her lack of love for her husband and gives her hope for a future that is more than she has come to expect.

Review

Is there anything better than a love letter? Written conformation of emotions and feelings. There are anthologies of them, famous ones, personal ones, anonymous ones.

Jennifer Stirling awakes from a major car accident completely amnesic. She remembers nothing – not even the look of her own face. But as memories begin to come back to her she feels as though all is not right – her relationship with her husband is not what a marriage – a fairly new one at that – should be. And then she finds it. “My dearest and only love…” A love letter s full of passion and desperation she knows immediately it was not penned by her husband. Written by the mysterious “B” it ends begging Jennifer to join him “I’ll be waiting on the platform from a quarter to seven. Know that you hold my heart, my hopes, in your hands”

So begins a slightly convoluted tale of the great love story. Parts 1 and 2 reveal pre-and post- accident views of the romance from the perspective of both Jennifer and her B. Their’s is a love that the fates were not kind to. Giving them a love that most people only dream of while thwarting them at several key turns as well.

The restrained passion of Jennifer and her B is juxtaposed with Ellie Haworth and her married lover. John’s txt messages. Which is again foiled by the loose footed Rory the librarian. As Ellie becomes more involved in Jennifer and B’s love she is also falling down the rabbit hold of her own love affair.

Didn’t see modern part coming. I thought that was what the book was about but after parts one and two stuck in the past I kind of assumed I was remembering the wrong synopsis! At first I was annoyed to find myself in the present. I wanted to stay with Jennifer and B…I needed to learn more! But after becoming more acquainted with Jennifer and watching her trace the path of these letters, I really began to enjoy the final section of the book.

This is a story that unwraps slowly and every time you think you know whats around the corner what you find is not quite what you were expecting. This is a love story for the romantic…and inspiration for letter writers everywhere.

Rating: 7/10 A life long love, a beautiful letter, and a modern girl who learns a lesson of love and life…

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The Wild Rose (Tea Rose #3) by Jennifer Donnelly

BookTalk

We left our adventurers Willa and Seamie in the middle of their story. Willa tragically disabled after a climbing accident left her without a leg…Seamie forever scarred by making the executive decision to amputate the leg. You see, while the surgery saved Willa’s life it also banished all hope of continuing her climbing dreams. Both are now living their lives as half people…desiring nothing more than each other but split apart by Willa’s anger and Seamie’s remorse.

Ahh, but it wouldn’t be a Tea Rose novel if their lives remained so simple. Donnelly never allows her characters to wallow for long. Seamie journeys on through explorations, marriage, and becoming a Captain of the British Navy in a war that will impact the entire Finnegan Family. Willa, ever the strong and determined woman will find her own glory through photography. Pictures of vast mountains, Arabian Deserts, and Paris streets will feed her need for adventure and desire for fame.

Remember that Donnelly’s characters never have a straight path toward Happily Ever After. Their lives are too full of adventure and love to be simple. But life is ever a journey and readers will have faith that these two broken souls will eventually heal together.

Review

This started a little slow for me. Though not due to lack of plot(s). Don’t worry out there. Donnelly has outdone herself with plots. So many intertwined threads it wasn’t until about page 250 that I realized how they were beginning to be combined. Thus, it’s actually the multitude of plots…some left over from The Winter Rose…that clog up the reading speed.

There just isn’t that “I can’t put this down” feeling in the beginning of this one. I think it’s because that spark of love between the main characters, Seamie and Willa, happened in the last book. I was hoping that Donnelly would shake up her plotting a bit because she seemingly began her third book in her second. But alas it seems as though The Wild Rose simply picks up Donnelly’s general plot pattern from book 2. You begin the book in the mires of separation and you stay there…locked in that desperation for a love that can’t connect.

Where the book begins to sing is during Part 2. I beg you…hold out for it. Part 1 is all set up and Part 2 shows Donnelly’s gift for connecting people and events. It’s full of adventure, impossible situations, and tears of both joy and sadness. Sid and his big heart and Willa’s escapades were two of my very favorite parts of Part 2. It’s here that we begin to see what we’ve been expecting from The Wild Rose.

I’m content with the ending. I think that of all the romances Donnelly has done in her trilogy Seamie and Willa had the roughest path. Not that others didn’t run into some pretty fantastic road blocks. But Seamie and Willa seem to live with more tragedy than happiness throughout their journey. This is a haunted couple. I think that’s why their ending was not joyful…not an impossible reunion a la India and Sid or a chance meeting at the perfect time like Fiona and Joe. I think that Willa and Seamie had the most to learn through their experiences. Acceptance, forgiveness, and learning to simply ‘be‘ and be happy are the hardest lessons for these two driven explorers to learn. Their ending is a quiet one…soft and tentative. Perfect for the couple.

As an end to the series I think it feels complete. I don’t hunger for more from the Finnegans. It could very well be because they’ve seen more drama in three behemoth books than anyone truly gets in 5 lifetimes, lol. They all deserve a break…a little Happily Ever After. And with the ending of this third book I’m willing to let them have it.

Rating: 3/5 – Solid ending, great middle, slow start

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Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls #3) by Maggie Stiefvater *Spoilers*

Click Here to enter to win a Signed copy of Forever

*Spoilers*

Review

This was by far my favorite book of the series. I know it ends without resolving the wolf/human problem…but still, it seemed strangely finished to me. Having that last image of a fall leaf as a wedding band around Grace’s finger is a beautiful one. Leaving the couple on the verge of transformation and future. Whether that future be a traditional marriage and family, or a life in the wild as wolves remains to be seen. But I guess ultimately the reader feels as though whatever the choice, the love between Grace and Sam will have its forever together.

I think Isabel and Cole will also have a future. Maybe if Cole is ever cured he’ll join Isabel in California. Their relationship was always far more realistic than Sam and Graces…never an instant forever attraction…instead it seems like one that will grow over time. Not everyone needs to find marriage at 17.

Now for just a few things I loved about Cole and Isabel’s relationship this book:

• The little black mustang Isabel gave Cole, and that scene where Cole drives the car around Isabel’s body. Seeing Cole play with it at inopportune moments. Very endearing.
• The scene where Cole and Isabel are hiding underneath the lab table – making out!? – and getting caught by Isabel’s mom…who (luckily, lol) just kind of rolls her eyes and lets the two of them off the hook.
• Isabel watching Cole give his life for Sam and Grace and then rolling that SUV off the road to save the pack. She, more than anyone, has given to a cause that has done nothing but hurt her throughout this series. For that I will always love Isabel as my favorite character from Mercy Falls. That girl has heart and guts and deserves the kisses and affection of that hot St. Claire boy.

*sigh*

Now more random notes about Forever…

I also loved the scene in the beginning of the book where Isabel loses it at the Italian restaurant and her mother again saves the day with understanding rarely seen in parents in this series. The way her mother instantly understands the situation and helps her daughter was unique and heartwarming. It was just perfect to see Isabel finally show some emotion over all that she’s been dealing with and then getting the support of her mother. That scene made me very happy.

Another happy moment was when Sam and Grace drive off to see the northern lights. Throughout these novels Grace and Sam get one good scene per book. One happy, uncomplicated, field trip where they just get to be two crazy kids in love. The whole thing reminded me of getting lost in the country with my hubby when we were teens. Granted he was never lost because he has a good sense of direction…where as I couldn’t find my way out of a paper bag with a map. Still it’s the thought that counts, and it’s always kind of romantic to be alone in a car watching the stars with the man you love.

I guess I’m a little sad to be leaving Mercy Falls. Part of me wishes I knew what really happened to all the characters in the future. But I think that the strength in the ending is really that Stiefvater picked her battle. She chose to focus on the struggle to find a new leader of the pack and the escape from the shotgun of Tom Culpepper. Her characters matured and are now ready to face their lives as adults. At the age of 18 there’s no way to ensure a happily ever after anyway…Because fans of Mercy Falls are all hoping for a long life and relationship between Grace and Sam and to have a full life is to have one full of both joy and sorrow. The ending of this series is really the beginning of life for its characters.

Who else is hoping for a 10 year update? lol. Maybe Stiefvater will return to the falls someday…

Rating: 9/10

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The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

BookTalk

Willa Jackson left her hometown, Walls of Water, infamous. Revealing herself as the Jokester after 4 years of pranks. Willa left high school in handcuffs, unwittingly inspiring more than a few of her classmates to take more risks in their lives. Unfortunately, after failing out of college and the death of her father, Willa remembers her prankster years as nothing more than a warning to embrace the normal and mundane.

Paxton Osgood is picture perfect. The type of woman who does the work of 3 with not one hair out-of-place and matching shoes. The type of woman normal women hate. But Paxton’s life is not as perfect as it seems. At 30 she’s still living with her parents, the love of her life may or may not be gay, and quite frankly, it’s awful lonely being perfectly alone.

It all started with the renovation of The Madam, that beautiful historic mansion on the hill. It was released that day the peach tree came down. The dead body found buried will unearth secrets women spent their lives keeping. Now there’s magic in the wind and love at the door. Willa and Paxton soon find themselves untangling their shared history and luckily, neither will be the same.

Review

This book was not what I was expecting. It sounded good, I thought it was going to be a lite chick mystery. But this book was far more about friendship than suspense. And the mystery is not traditional. Allen uses magical realism to her advantage playing it both to increase the mystery and at the same time tone it down. All the magic swirling through the air is somewhat comforting, giving the plot threads a sense of inevitability. That the secrets need to come out so everyone can breathe a little eaiser…move on with their lives.

But it’s the friendship that’s the strength of this novel. Two women coming together and not just finding themselves, but each other. Willa and Paxton find themselves reconnecting to the larger web of women, helping and supporting one another. Realizing that when times get tough no one has your back like a girlfriend. Because you know the boyfriend is not going to help you with the dead body. Nope, crisis’ like that are strictly reserved for best friends, the girl you can call no questions asked. This book is heartwarming in that way, I found myself pausing to think of how lucky I am to have a group of women that I can hide my dead bodies with…It’s nice to see Willa and Paxton find the same type of friendship for the first time.

With the friendship, the romance, the magic, and the sweet scent of peaches you’ll find that this book is an easy feast for the senses to be finished in one sitting.

Rating: 7/10

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