DECEMBER BOOK CLUB - The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year

Summary

Podcast Summary: “I'll Read What She's Reading” – December Book Club Episode

Title: December Book Club – The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year
Release Date: January 2, 2025
Hosts: Kennedy, Reggie, & Mikayla

---

1. Introduction and Episode Overview

In the December book club episode of "I'll Read What She's Reading," hosts Kennedy, Reggie, and Mikayla gather to delve into their monthly selection, The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year. The episode opens with a brief exchange of excitement about the chosen book and a tantalizing glimpse into the upcoming January selection, Quicksilver by Cali Hart.

Notable Quote:

• Reggie [00:15]: "But before we begin, we are going to tell you our book club book for January."

---

2. Announcing January’s Book Club Selection

The trio reveals their next book club pick for January, Quicksilver by Cali Hart. The selection process involved a coin flip between Quicksilver and Flum from Blood and Ash, with Quicksilver emerging victorious. They express their anticipation despite minimal familiarity with the book’s synopsis, emphasizing its popularity on platforms like TikTok and its impending Netflix adaptation.

Notable Quotes:

• Mikayla [00:53]: "You guys have been asking and asking. So we're delivering with a bang for 2025. Quicksilver."
• Kennedy [01:15]: "Quicksilver won."

---

3. Review of December’s Book: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year

The core of the episode centers on an in-depth discussion of The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year. The hosts follow their standard review format, assessing the book’s strengths and weaknesses, sharing star ratings, and highlighting favorite and least favorite aspects.

a. Cover and First Impressions

• Reggie [04:44]: "I just. I don't know why. I just love this cover so much."

The cover art captivates the hosts, setting a positive initial tone for their review.

b. Star Ratings

• All hosts agree on a three-star rating, noting that while the book is enjoyable, certain elements could have been better executed.

Notable Quotes:

• Kennedy [06:30]: "I'm going to rate it three stars."
• Reggie [07:39]: "I'm going to say ditto."

c. Likes

• Character Development: The dynamics between the protagonists, particularly the suave and charismatic Ethan, resonate well with the hosts.
• Audiobook Enhancement: Reggie praises the audiobook’s ability to bring characters to life, especially through effective narration during interrogation scenes.
• Notable Scenes: The elevator scene where Ethan describes Maggie's entrance stands out as a charming moment.

Notable Quotes:

• Reggie [12:49]: "I really loved his character... He was just this witty, sarcastic, suave guy."
• Kennedy [15:00]: "He was just this really attractive author and he's got charisma."

d. Dislikes

• Pacing Issues: The hosts feel the book starts slowly, taking too long to introduce the central crime, which affects their overall enjoyment.
• Character Interaction: The shift from antagonistic to romantic interactions felt rushed, leading to a sense of “insta-love” rather than a gradual development.
• Repetition and Dialogue: Overuse of certain phrases, like Ethan repeatedly calling Maggie “sweetheart,” made the dialogue feel corny and lost its charm.

Notable Quotes:

• Kennedy [09:50]: "I feel like the beginning really sucked for me."
• Reggie [24:03]: "I felt like he kind of said, sweetheart a little too much."

e. Plot and Theories

• The hosts engage in speculative discussions about unresolved plot points, such as how Maggie escapes the wine cellar, suggesting possibilities like a secret bookshelf door.
• They also ponder character motivations and backstories, especially concerning James’ role and his knowledge about Maggie’s predicament.

Notable Quotes:

• Mikayla [18:28]: "There's gotta be a secret door."
• Kennedy [19:22]: "He knew she was alive. Somewhere else."

---

4. Notable Quotes with Timestamps

Throughout the episode, the hosts highlight memorable lines from the book, adding depth to their review:

• Mikayla [14:29]: "Ethan grew serious, thinking and remembering and deciding. He said, 'I thought you looked like, forever.'"
• Kennedy [21:25]: "She went from hating his guts to like, I love you in three days."
• Reggie [25:31]: "He said, 'Who did this to you?' three different times."

---

5. Fan Casting Discussion

A segment of the episode is dedicated to imagining actors who could portray the book’s characters in a potential Netflix adaptation. The hosts enthusiastically suggest actors like Chris Evans for Ethan and Lily James or Leighton Meester for Maggie, drawing parallels between their on-screen personas and the characters’ traits.

Notable Quotes:

• Kennedy [26:46]: "He would do so well."
• Mikayla [31:05]: "I actually wrote in a parentheses, like, no one else can be."

---

6. Conclusion and Wrap-Up

As the episode wraps up, the hosts reflect on their overall enjoyment of the book, acknowledging its seasonal appeal and broad readership. They promote their presence on the Fable app for interactive book club discussions and extend warm holiday greetings to their listeners.

Notable Quotes:

• Reggie [35:29]: "So we hope you guys have a wonderful holiday season."
• Mikayla [36:51]: "Happy New Year."

---

7. Final Thoughts

This episode of "I'll Read What She's Reading" offers a comprehensive and candid review of The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year, balanced with engaging discussions and a touch of humor. The hosts' chemistry and insightful critiques provide valuable perspectives for both current listeners and newcomers considering the podcast.

---

Stay tuned for the January episode as Kennedy, Reggie, and Mikayla embark on their journey through Quicksilver by Cali Hart, promising another month of lively discussions and literary exploration.

Transcript

[Kennedy]

Foreign.

[Reggie]

Hello everybody. Welcome back to all. Read what she's reading. I'm Reggie.

[Kennedy]

I'm Kennedy.

[Mikayla]

I'm Mikayla.

[Reggie]

And today we are going to discuss the book club book of December. The most wonderful cry of the year. Nice. And we're excited to chat about it. Felt like it was a good Christmas but like rom com, like I don't know. It felt like a good. A good pick. So I'm excited to discuss it. But before we begin, we are going to tell you our book club book for January. We're gonna start off the year strong with Michaela us the honors.

[Mikayla]

You guys have been asking and asking. So we're delivering with a bang for 2025. Quicksilver.

[Reggie]

I don't remember who C. Cali Hart.

[Kennedy]

Cali Hart.

[Mikayla]

Yes. And we flipped a coin.

[Kennedy]

We did flip a coin. It was between Quicksilver or Flum. Flum from Blood and Ash And Quicksilver won.

[Mikayla]

It did.

[Kennedy]

So now I'm excited. I don't know anything about this book. I haven't read the synopsis and we wanted to start reading the synopsis for you guys on the episode. So you know what the next book club book is about. I don't know if I want to know. I don't want to know if I want to know.

[Reggie]

I don't want to know either.

[Mikayla]

I want to go in blind.

[Kennedy]

I know it's about Fay. It's obviously fantasy. So for all you fantasy listeners, you're going to eat this up. I think it's been very popular on Tik Tok. A lot of people have talked about it. It's also been picked up by a production company. I don't know what Netflix.

[Reggie]

Am I Netflix?

[Mikayla]

I think that sounds right. I don't know.

[Reggie]

I want to say Netflix, which is wild. This book came out.

[Mikayla]

She post about it.

[Kennedy]

She did post about it.

[Mikayla]

Maybe I'll let's you know we're going to fact.

[Reggie]

Did this really. This did not come out. December 2024.

[Kennedy]

It's been republished with a new cover.

[Reggie]

Okay. Because I was going to say I'm like this did not just come out a few days ago.

[Kennedy]

Yeah. I think it's being been republished with a new cover.

[Reggie]

Okay.

[Mikayla]

You're right, Reggie. It is with Netflix. So I feel like Netflix is.

[Reggie]

They're hopping on the vanity on top.

[Mikayla]

Of things more than I feel like other companies when it comes to like book adaptation. Cuz Emily Henry's is.

[Reggie]

Yeah. People we meet on vacation is Netflix.

[Mikayla]

Right. So I'm curious if it will actually.

[Reggie]

I know because they told us we were gonna have the selection and we didn't get it.

[Mikayla]

Maybe they have a harder time coming to, like, agreements. Agreements on things. Yes.

[Kennedy]

Yeah. Maybe some authors are very like, no, you're gonna stick to the book, and this is how it's gonna be. I'm not gonna. I'm not saying that Emily Henry isn't that way, because I think a rom com is very different than a fantasy adaptation. So maybe that's why we're seeing some of these books being picked up. But nothing ever comes of them because the authors are being a lot more picky, which is great. I'd rather them be picky and it not happen than them not caring it be bad. Yeah.

[Mikayla]

No, I agree. I. Yeah, I hope it does. And that's really exciting for her. I mean, I obviously don't know anything like Kennedy said. So maybe I'll be more excited after I read this book. So I wonder if she had to pitch, like, the entire series, kind of.

[Kennedy]

Like Rebecca Yar, probably.

[Mikayla]

Maybe interesting, because I. I feel like it'd be hard to pick something up for, like, a movie if they're like.

[Reggie]

Well, how's this gonna end?

[Mikayla]

Yeah, like, how many first?

[Kennedy]

How many? Yeah. I don't know.

[Mikayla]

I wonder, did it say it was going to be a show or if it was going to be a movie?

[Reggie]

Oh, I don't know.

[Kennedy]

I don't know.

[Mikayla]

It says. It doesn't say. So I wonder if that is maybe undecided. It just says Quicksilver is coming to the Netflix screen. So I don't know if it's.

[Reggie]

It just says two so far.

[Kennedy]

Okay.

[Mikayla]

I mean, I believe it was a duology.

[Kennedy]

Me too. We don't have enough of those, but Quicksilver, Kelly Hart, our book club book for January. It's fantasy. It's about Faye. How many pages did you say it was?

[Reggie]

I think it's like 620something, which is a.

[Kennedy]

Honestly, pretty decent. Yeah, a pretty decent length. Not too long, not too short. I'm excited.

[Reggie]

It's rated very highly.

[Kennedy]

Yeah, I'm excited.

[Reggie]

4.45 stars on Goodreads out of, like, over 100,000.

[Mikayla]

So I'm excited.

[Reggie]

Can't wait. So let's chat. Most wonderful crime of the year. I just. I don't know why. I just love this cover so much.

[Kennedy]

The COVID is cute.

[Reggie]

It's really cute. This was also a book of the month pick. As a reminder, the way that we do our book club book episodes is we start off with our reviews, sharing our star ratings what we thought about the book overall. Then we get into our likes, our dislikes, kind of just discuss, I guess with this one we're not gonna need to discuss anything, like too like theories or anything. But yeah, then we'll jump into a potential fan cast. I can't wait for mine because it's just really fun because, you know, as we were just talking about, you know, adaptations, you just never know what could get picked up. And, you know, maybe we. I would love to like, be able to sit here one day and have something that's like not picked up and I say our fan cast for it and then actually happen one day. You know, we're just manifesting.

[Mikayla]

So yeah, we're putting it out into.

[Kennedy]

The world and honestly.

[Reggie]

Oh, sorry.

[Kennedy]

This would be a really fun rom com. Yeah, a very fun Christmas rom com. Which. Did you guys look at her author bio in the back of the book? She wrote a Christmas rom com for Netflix. Yeah, I watched the trailer.

[Reggie]

Which one?

[Kennedy]

It says in the back, I think it's a castle for Christmas. It stars Brooke Shields, if you guys know who Brooke Shields is.

[Reggie]

Yeah.

[Kennedy]

But yeah, I watched the trailer for it. I was thinking about maybe watching it yesterday. Didn't happen. But the trailer, it looked cute.

[Reggie]

Well, cool.

[Kennedy]

So if you loved this book and you loved Ally's writing, you can go ahead and go to Netflix and watch her Christmas romcom that she wrote.

[Reggie]

Even though, you know, Christmas is over at this point. But yeah, it's fine. Does that. Anyone who has their grading, I. I.

[Kennedy]

Might need to, like, I mean, I can go first.

[Reggie]

I think I know it.

[Kennedy]

I think I'm going to rate it three stars. And it's funny because we had this conversation where obviously the books that you read around the time that you read books affect your ratings of other books. And I was trying really hard to separate myself from the book I read before this to this one because the book I read before was like sci fi fantasy and this is obviously just a rom com, but I couldn't separate myself from it. So I think had I not read that book prior to this book, I probably would have maybe wrote, rated it higher. But for me it was three stars, which is still so great. I would recommend this to so many people because it was just a romcom with a little bit of mystery and it was fun and unserious and I like giggled and kicked my feet. It was a good time, but nothing too crazy or something. I'm going to be thinking about long term.

[Reggie]

Yeah, I'm going to say ditto because that's literally like, exactly what I was thinking as far as, like, I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more had I felt, like, a little bit of a reading fatigue. You know, how, like, sometimes you're just, like, needing something. I wasn't really needing this book at this time.

[Kennedy]

But let's also put in perspective that Reggie is currently also reading Manacled at the same time as this book. So, I mean, you know, I. I.

[Reggie]

Truly just, like, right now, it's just like, eat, sleep, manacle. And then, like, I was. I was trying really hard to, like, immerse myself in this. Like, I. I was putting up some Christmas decorations. I was. I was. Yeah. But I still really, really enjoyed it. It just wasn't, like, the right time for me to read it, I think. I thought that the overall vibes were just fun. I loved the fact. Okay, well, I'll get this and listen to the loves in a second. But I guess overall it was really fun and I loved that. It's very different from a lot of rom coms that I've read because it had that mystery twist and it was also Christmas. So I really like that same three stars.

[Mikayla]

I don't know. I feel like, for me, and I'm no author, I would have laid it out differently. Okay. Yes. Meaning, like, I would have skipped the entire first part of her going to that Christmas party.

[Kennedy]

Okay.

[Mikayla]

And just, like, immediately going into them, flying there. And so it's kind of like. And then you start getting flashbacks.

[Kennedy]

Yeah.

[Mikayla]

I don't know. I feel like the beginning really sucked for me. For me, I just was like, I. I don't. I don't get it. I don't know.

[Kennedy]

And I mean, I guess it was. The whole purpose of the Christmas party was literally just for that one line of dialogue where he says, of course he left her. Like, of course her husband left her. Yeah.

[Mikayla]

But that could have also been, like, a flashback.

[Kennedy]

Yes. Or it could have been done. No, I see what you mean. I totally get what you mean, because I feel like that's the only reason she went to the Christmas party. That was the only purpose.

[Reggie]

Well, and also, like, I was like. I don't even know how far I was into the book. And I finally was like, when is this crime going to take place? Like, because I knew it was a short book. And so I kind of felt like the ending, it was like, a lot happened, and then the beginning felt really slow for the length of the book. That it was. So.

[Mikayla]

Yeah, yeah. The content itself was good. I Just would have outlined it differently so where the crime happened sooner. And then you start putting these puzzle pieces together of like why they dislike each other and like, you know, I don't know. That's. That's what I would say. The reason why I am getting it three stars. But it is still really good. It was good, but yeah.

[Kennedy]

I mean it was everything that I could have necessarily wanted in a book like this.

[Mikayla]

Yeah.

[Kennedy]

I mean there were things obviously maybe they could have. Ali could have expanded on, but very fun. Yeah, Very, very fun. How does this compare? Because you read her Blonde Identity, correct.

[Mikayla]

Yeah, I think I like Blonde Identity more.

[Kennedy]

Okay.

[Mikayla]

But that's just also because I like fast paced books and that one's just more fast paced.

[Kennedy]

Is it still kind of that romance mystery vibe? Like is there still romance in that book? Okay.

[Mikayla]

Yes, I would say it's more so like more intense than just like them being at a house.

[Kennedy]

Like lots of cozy, like lots of.

[Mikayla]

Traveling and like mystery. What's going on? Lots of questions.

[Kennedy]

Yeah.

[Mikayla]

Less cozy, I would say. Okay. But I think they're both still really good.

[Kennedy]

I definitely will read the Blonde Identity by Ali. I really liked her writing. It was really fun. Fast paced, you know, it was, it was really fun.

[Mikayla]

Well, I also really enjoy about her writing is like I feel like I had this vivid picture in my mind of everything. Like how the mansion looked and the scenery of everything. I mean it definitely does help that like it has knives out vibes. And so maybe I was picturing Knives out Mansion. But yeah, it was good. All three stars. Three stars across the board. Yeah.

[Kennedy]

Surprise, surprise.

[Reggie]

Yeah, Surprise, surprise. Let's talk about our loves. Because the thing I think I really loved about this was the fact that like he fell first.

[Mikayla]

Yeah.

[Reggie]

And his point of views I love so much. Which we didn't get one for a while.

[Kennedy]

Yeah. I kept waiting and I was like going on.

[Reggie]

Because when it started, I started the audiobook first and when I saw that. Oh my gosh, what's his name? The guy that narrates Abihiman as his books. Yeah. Love him so much. I got so excited. And I loved if you listen to the audiobook, the tapes, when they did the like interrogation tapes, it like sounded like they were being like recorded on a tape and the dialogue went like back and forth. I loved that so much. So I was really waiting for his chapters and then when they came, like that's when I feel like I finally got really into the book. But I really liked his character and yeah, the whole like the whole Scene where he's describing when she walks into the elevator. I just thought that was so cute. Yeah, I loved that a lot. Yeah, I know that you said on your.

[Kennedy]

I want to know what your favorite Mikayla specifically said on Goodreads. She can't wait to tell us her favorite part. So I'm very excited.

[Mikayla]

Here, here, here's my thought process. Okay. I think some of the things he said were, like, freaking cute. But I wonder if it was a movie, if it would not be cute.

[Kennedy]

Yeah. 100.

[Reggie]

The amount of sweethearts.

[Mikayla]

I do love sweetheart. I don't know why that, like, tell me how you really feel, sweetheart.

[Kennedy]

You want to make out? You share your favorite. Share your favorite.

[Mikayla]

Okay, I took a picture.

[Reggie]

Oh, I can't wait.

[Mikayla]

My favorite part. And like, this is actually genuinely a favorite part of mine. Not like a sarcastic favorite part. Yeah, I was wondering if you guys would take either way. This was just my favorite line and that made me, like, drop my book and went. It was. How did I really look? And then. But Ethan grew serious, thinking and remembering and deciding. He said, I thought you looked like, forever.

[Reggie]

Yeah, that was cute.

[Mikayla]

That had me dropping my book and be like, yes.

[Kennedy]

I feel like Ali had to have known writing Ethan just that all the ladies were gonna be giggling, kicking their feet. He had so many good one liners.

[Reggie]

Oh, so good.

[Kennedy]

And just his character in general is what sold this book for me. He was just this witty, sarcastic, suave guy. But then you kind of hear his backstory about, you know, the Secret Service and his dad and whatever, and he's kind of this softy. I don't know, I guess I just love a. A man in a leather jacket.

[Mikayla]

Oh, wait, you go. You haven't said your favorite part, did you?

[Reggie]

Yeah, I like that he fell first. And, oh, yeah, elevator scene. I loved that.

[Mikayla]

So I will say I loved him so very much. But I wish they would have played more into him being the bad guy. Oh, yeah, yeah. Like, I feel like it went immediately into his point of view and it was like, she's gone. I was like, I felt so betrayed after the ending of that chapter. And I wish it would have gone into her point of view. So you felt a little bit betrayed for a little bit longer. And so, you know, you could have that emotion too. But immediately, as soon as it was his, I was like, okay, he's not the bad guy.

[Kennedy]

Yeah, it's hard because the book, I love short books because, you know, for the most part, they get to the point and they're quick. They're easy to read, but it's hard when it's only like 300 pages.

[Reggie]

Yeah.

[Kennedy]

But if she would have taken some of the beginning out, we could have maybe had an additional chapter where we thought he betrayed her.

[Mikayla]

Yeah. So then we. I don't know, it would. It's a fun feeling. Not fun. Sometimes it's a fun feeling to feel betrayed in a book, you know, to have that emotion. So I just. That was my one thing. I mean, I obviously was like, knew it wasn't gonna be him because he's such like a golden retriever, suave guy, so. But it was, that was a fun little twist to it.

[Reggie]

I didn't really think really hard about that until you said it because. Yeah. When all of a sudden his point of view came in, then I was like, oh, okay. But also one thing that I thought was interesting. I don't know if I would consider this a love or a not love is we still don't know how she got out of the room. I kind of wanted to like. No.

[Mikayla]

You know, I wonder if it was one of those writing processes where like she didn't even know.

[Reggie]

Yeah.

[Mikayla]

Meaning like she's like, oh, the character didn't let me know. You know how they can't like immerse themselves in like. Oh, it just like she just doesn't let me know how she. I don't know.

[Reggie]

So I'm like, is there like a secret door? I don't know why. I was really just like fixated on that part for a minute.

[Mikayla]

But let's, let's come up with a theory on how you think she escaped. I think there's a bookshelf.

[Kennedy]

Yeah. There's gotta be a secret door. Yeah. Kind of like the tunnels. They were in like secret door bags.

[Mikayla]

It was her office with so many books. And I'm sure one of her books pull a lever down because it's not like she's older. She can't do anything like super physical.

[Reggie]

Like she wouldn't have like climbed out a window.

[Kennedy]

No. Cuz the snow was fine. There has to be a secret door.

[Mikayla]

Yeah.

[Kennedy]

She army crawled on the bottom of the floor so the camera didn't pick her up to get out of the door. The lady's 80, she can't. She's. She's not army crawling.

[Mikayla]

Yeah.

[Reggie]

That's why I was like, trap door, secret door.

[Kennedy]

Another thing I also really loved, and for some reason I didn't really see this coming, was the fact that like James was in on it the entire time. The butler Cuz he was there at the end of the book with her.

[Mikayla]

Yeah.

[Kennedy]

And I just was like, oh, they're in love.

[Mikayla]

They're so cute.

[Kennedy]

And he knew the entire time.

[Mikayla]

Yeah.

[Kennedy]

Or maybe he didn't.

[Mikayla]

I.

[Kennedy]

At least the way I interpreted it was he knew the entire time.

[Mikayla]

Yeah.

[Reggie]

Yeah.

[Kennedy]

Where she was. I feel like.

[Mikayla]

Yeah. He was playing into it a little bit.

[Kennedy]

Maybe not who the killer was, but he knew that she was alive. Yeah. Somewhere else.

[Mikayla]

Yeah. Facilitating that they could figure it out.

[Kennedy]

Mm.

[Reggie]

No.

[Mikayla]

That was fun. That made me really want to go to like a resort. Yeah.

[Reggie]

I still don't know where I'm going yet, but.

[Kennedy]

Oh, one last other thing that I really loved was. And this kind of leads into maybe something that I disliked about the book. I really loved that. Ithan was just like, with Maggie, he just kept telling her, like, trust yourself, trust yourself, trust yourself. Because she came from this relationship where she was just gaslit the entire time. Which kind of leads me into something that I didn't really love about the book. The chapter. For some reason, I just thought this was so, like, I get why it happened. But also as kind of like, this just feels weird when they were having a competition of who had the worst Christmas when they were laying in bed and they both were like, oh, well, on this Christmas, this happened to me. And then the other would be like, well, on this Christmas, this happened to me. And it just felt like a competition. It just was weird to me that they were like, having this point. Yeah.

[Mikayla]

Like, you guys don't like Christmas.

[Kennedy]

Yeah. And you guys sucky Christmases. But it just was like, well, I'm gonna beat you because let me tell you, my. My Christmas is the worst. But also at the same time, when you find out that she was locked in this wine cellar for a day and a half and her best friend and her husband didn't notice she was gone. Horrible.

[Reggie]

That was way sad. Horrible, the poor thing.

[Kennedy]

But yeah, that to me, I didn't really love that. And also, I don't know if you guys felt like this, but I kind of. I loved when they, quote, hated each other. Their banter when they hated each other.

[Mikayla]

Was just top tier.

[Kennedy]

And then I felt like it was so fat. I almost felt like it was insta love just a tiny, tiny bit.

[Reggie]

I feel like he fell first and he was so, like, confident in his feelings for her. And then her feelings kind of came out of nowhere to me.

[Kennedy]

Me.

[Mikayla]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Kennedy]

So that's probably one of the main reasons why I didn't rate it a Lot higher was just because I wanted maybe a little bit more pining from her side. Like, I know that he had had this thing for her for years and years and years, but her just. It kind of felt really insta love you. Like, they were together for two days. Three days. Yeah.

[Mikayla]

It's like a Hallmark movie.

[Kennedy]

Yeah. She went from hating his guts to like, I love you in three days, which they went through a lot of trauma in those three days.

[Mikayla]

Yeah.

[Kennedy]

But regardless, I think that's one of the reasons why.

[Mikayla]

I mean, I agree with you guys. I think she was also denying it because she said she, like, knew she liked him since Phoenix, but she was, like, denying it.

[Reggie]

It was like it all just kind of clicked at once. And then it was like, yeah, let's make out.

[Kennedy]

Like, okay, that line was a little cringey to me, but also, I ate it up. I thought it was so funny.

[Mikayla]

It's kind of funny.

[Kennedy]

It was meant. I think, genuinely, this book was meant to be very unseri and not taken, like, extremely literally.

[Mikayla]

Yeah. Also, did you guys call that it was the niece. I knew it was the niece, but I didn't know it was the. Like, they were in collaboration.

[Kennedy]

Like, the lawyer.

[Mikayla]

Yeah.

[Reggie]

I had a feeling it was the niece from the first time she started talking, and I don't know why.

[Mikayla]

Yeah, same.

[Kennedy]

Well, I don't even know why.

[Reggie]

It was just giving. I'm like, it's got to be this giving.

[Mikayla]

You actually don't care.

[Kennedy]

Well, as soon as they mentioned the lawyer's shellfish allergy at the beginning of the book, when they first meet him.

[Mikayla]

I was like, oh.

[Kennedy]

And then she. You know what? I was like, something's gonna happen with the shellfish. And then the fact that, you know, she took away the shellfish. I was like, okay, hang on. Yeah, a little fishy here.

[Mikayla]

Oh, yeah. I was just trying to, like. I also was, like, in the back of my mind, like, who is responsible for all of this while they were making out? I don't. Yeah. I feel like I've already voiced some of my dislikes. Just, like, the pacing. The pacing was really hard for me. It was, like, over halfway before we even got into the crime.

[Kennedy]

Yeah.

[Mikayla]

So that. That was. I feel like a little bit of a bummer for me, but, yeah, I think that was. I've pretty much have voiced it all.

[Kennedy]

Yeah.

[Reggie]

My other thing was just that I felt like he kind of said, sweetheart a little too much. Kind of lost its, like, flavor, you know?

[Mikayla]

Yeah.

[Reggie]

Like, I love. I. I thought it was cute. But, like, it was kind of one of those things where I'm like, okay, it's not as cute when you say it so much. I also feel like he said, who did this to you? And I'm not mad about this, but. But I swear he said it, like, at least three times.

[Kennedy]

He did say. I think three.

[Reggie]

He did say a few times. So, like, when he said it again, I was kind of like, oh, there it is. But that's just me being picky.

[Mikayla]

Do you feel like some of the things he said was a bit dramatic?

[Kennedy]

Yeah.

[Reggie]

A little bit corny.

[Mikayla]

A rom com. Like, I could understand it in a fantasy book. I know that sounds so mean, but I feel like a little bit more high stakes. Like, the things he said were just.

[Reggie]

Like, well, when he found her and she, like, when she, like, went missing. Then he finds her.

[Mikayla]

Yeah.

[Reggie]

The. Who did this to then I was like, okay, when was the other time? He says it.

[Kennedy]

He says it in Tucson.

[Mikayla]

Yeah.

[Kennedy]

When she's crying. He says it and then he also says it. There's a time before she gets taken.

[Reggie]

Yeah.

[Kennedy]

Oh, was it when she gets hit in the head? No, because that's when she gets kidnapped. Yeah.

[Reggie]

I feel like there's one other time. I can't remember there is one other time, but. Yeah.

[Mikayla]

Is she crying again?

[Reggie]

But I kind of love hearing who did this to you? In, like, a rom com. I just thought it was funny that it was said, like, three different times.

[Kennedy]

I think, just genuinely, I already said this, but I think she didn't intend for it to feel super realistic.

[Reggie]

Yeah.

[Kennedy]

And it was kind of. I think this is meant to be ex. I mean, obviously not realistic and very over the top is kind of the vibe that I'm getting. I think that's what she intended and she achieved that.

[Mikayla]

Yeah.

[Kennedy]

So if you kind of just take yourself out of it and not picture it like real people do. You know what I mean?

[Mikayla]

Yeah.

[Kennedy]

And, yeah, it was really fun. I'm really glad we picked this for December. I think it was the perfect Chris. It had a little bit of Christmas. Not too much. Little bit of mystery, a little bit of romance. I. I mean, this happened with our last book club book, June Farrow. I feel like a lot of people would like this. Like, it works for a lot of different type of readers.

[Mikayla]

I think so, too. All right, should we get into our fan cast? Yes.

[Kennedy]

And I. I can go first, kind of. And I. I love that it's compared, you know, to the Knives Out. But also, I kind of hated it at the Same time. Because I just felt like the. I could only picture the characters from Knives out this entire. So Ethan to me was Chris Evans.

[Mikayla]

I actually will take no one else for Ethan.

[Kennedy]

He would do so well.

[Mikayla]

I know.

[Reggie]

Yeah.

[Mikayla]

Well, the thing is. Spoiler for Knives out, if you haven't seen it Skip for, like, 30 seconds. I would like to see him not be the bad guy. Yeah. Like him to be, like, this swap.

[Kennedy]

He could just play as well, this suave author.

[Mikayla]

Or I also pictured Glen.

[Kennedy]

Oh, he would be good to me.

[Mikayla]

I don't really. I don't think he fits. I think he fits the suaveness, but I don't know, like, necessarily looks wise if that's, like, who I would picture. Just maybe more the characters he's played on screen.

[Kennedy]

Yeah. But.

[Mikayla]

Yeah, that's. Yeah, same.

[Kennedy]

From the beginning, I was like, you are Chris Evans. Chris Evans is you. Yeah, I just. That's who I pictured.

[Mikayla]

Yeah. Oh, no. Did you miss Reggie's.

[Kennedy]

Are you gonna say what you said on Fable? Yeah, you missed it, Miguel. I didn't read.

[Reggie]

So Kennedy put on Fable. She was like, I can only picture Chris Evans because of, like, the Knives out, like, similarity. And in my mind, I'm like, honestly, if I had to pick an actor, like, that's who it be. But because I was thinking, like, this really cute author, I was picturing Pierce Brown the entire time.

[Kennedy]

Okay. And let me just tell you guys, I went on a deep dive after I finished Lightbringer, watching so many interviews of this man. Yeah, he 100% could play that character. He just has this charisma. Yeah, he's.

[Reggie]

And he's just like, so. I don't know. And I was, like, looking at the COVID I'm like, okay, obviously this is, like, a cartoon drawing. But I'm like, he's got the, like, dark hair. I don't know.

[Mikayla]

I just.

[Kennedy]

I couldn't.

[Reggie]

I couldn't help but, like, think about it, because it was just. Yeah, he's just this really attractive author and he's got.

[Kennedy]

Yeah.

[Reggie]

Charisma.

[Kennedy]

I'm pretty sure he's really tall. I don't mind that.

[Reggie]

Pierce Brown, you should be writing books. But, you know, if you want to get into acting, I gotta. I gotta roll for you. But, like, on a more serious note, I would probably say Chris Evans, too. I know it's like you're saying, like, I can't help it because of the Knives out thing. But, like, truly, he would slay.

[Mikayla]

He would. In a sweater and a leather jacket. Oh, yeah.

[Kennedy]

Mm. Oh, yeah.

[Mikayla]

Who did this to you?

[Reggie]

Oh, sweetheart, let's make out. Well, just picture him with his, like.

[Kennedy]

Is he from Brooklyn? Where is he from? No, he's from.

[Mikayla]

I don't know.

[Kennedy]

He's from Apotheca. What? That accent. Where is it from?

[Mikayla]

Jersey.

[Reggie]

Jersey.

[Kennedy]

Yeah. Anyways, he has, like, an accent. He's from somewhere where he has, like, a little bit of an accent. Imagine his little accent peeking through and.

[Mikayla]

He says, sweetheart, sweetheart, I'm sold.

[Kennedy]

I'm sold.

[Mikayla]

I. I just. I just will take no one else. Like, I actually wrote in a parentheses, like, no one else can be. I don't know why. And for Maggie, I was really trying not to do on a De Armas, because, you know, she's in Knives out. I. Okay. I had two people I picked. I don't know if these two have been in a movie together. I was also trying to fix people that haven't been in a movie with him. I don't know. I picked Lily James.

[Reggie]

I thought you're gonna.

[Mikayla]

Or Leighton. Leighton Meester.

[Reggie]

Yeah.

[Kennedy]

Yeah, both of those would be good.

[Mikayla]

Yeah. Those were who I was. Like, I was. Yeah, I was trying to pick.

[Kennedy]

I don't know.

[Reggie]

I like that. I like that one. I was thinking. I think she might be. I don't know what the age gap is with this, though. For some reason, I was picturing, like, Lily Collins.

[Mikayla]

Okay.

[Kennedy]

Those are all kind of the same vibe. Yeah.

[Reggie]

When you said Lily, I was like, are we on to the same. Yeah, I was kind of. I don't know why I was picturing her. I feel like it's because I was just the personality of her character was sometimes kind of giving me, like, Emily in Paris.

[Mikayla]

Yeah. I don't know, but I like that one too. That's a good one.

[Kennedy]

I cast Chris Evans wife, Elba Batista.

[Mikayla]

Oh, okay. That's fun.

[Kennedy]

Just like a cute little. Yeah, little rom com with husband and wife.

[Mikayla]

I'm sure he would be obsessed with that.

[Kennedy]

Oh, yeah. I don't know. She kind of fits the vibe. Like, they all. All of those actresses look very similar. And as soon as Chris Evans was in my mind, I'm like, oh, let's.

[Mikayla]

Have his wife play Maggie. Yeah, it just made sense. So cute. So I love that, actually. I feel like that would be so fun. Like you're acting, but, like, you're just flirting with your wife. Like you want to make out. Like, that would be so funny.

[Kennedy]

Ye.

[Mikayla]

I think people would probably eat it up even more knowing, like, yeah, I need more movies with wife.

[Reggie]

People playing opposite That's a great pick.

[Mikayla]

Honestly, I like all of those.

[Kennedy]

Those are all very good picks.

[Mikayla]

But only Chris Evans and Pierce Brown.

[Reggie]

Do you guys. I didn't.

[Kennedy]

I have one for Eleanor.

[Mikayla]

Okay.

[Kennedy]

That's the author, right? Yeah. I don't know why her name is. Give me a second. I think it's because I think she is British. Maybe I'm making it up. You guys know the Old school? Old School 101 Dalmatians, live action. The lady that plays Cruella Deville. Her name is Glenn. Glenn Coast.

[Reggie]

Oh, she's so cute. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Kennedy]

She's British, I'm pretty sure. And no, she's definitely American. It says American, right?

[Mikayla]

Yeah.

[Kennedy]

But in 101 Dalmatians, she has a British accent. Maybe I'm making that up. That's who I pictured.

[Mikayla]

I feel that's a good one.

[Reggie]

I have Meryl Streep. She isn't British, but she's an icon. And she has done movies where she's British.

[Kennedy]

I could see Myryl Streak as well.

[Mikayla]

That's so funny, because I'm writing a book where the character runs into Meryl Streep.

[Kennedy]

Oh, my gosh. Meryl Streep is just the perfect.

[Mikayla]

I was.

[Reggie]

She's an icon.

[Mikayla]

Two rom coms at the same time. So I was reading and listening, and that was a big mistake because I was sometimes, like, getting confused because the first little bit I thought she had red curly hair, but that's the other.

[Kennedy]

Wrong book.

[Mikayla]

Yeah. And then I was looking at the COVID I was like, wait, no, she does not have red curly hair.

[Kennedy]

That's a brave thing to do. Two rom coms at the same time.

[Mikayla]

I'm pretty sure the story. 2. No, no. I was gonna say I'm pretty sure they're divorced. Both of them are divorced. But, no, I don't think so. I know. I was. Yeah. It's just because I was reading that one and I was listening to one.

[Reggie]

I just remembered, like, the part when she's on the phone with the friend.

[Mikayla]

Oh, about her being pregnant.

[Reggie]

Yeah.

[Mikayla]

That would suck. And also why. That's literally the stupidest thing. Why does she need to know?

[Kennedy]

She doesn't.

[Reggie]

Honestly, I was really mad about that. I just remembered that now that you swooped in.

[Kennedy]

My man swooped in.

[Mikayla]

Yeah. I had to set it up for him to say, who did this do.

[Kennedy]

I thought that they had, like, maybe gotten together in Tucson or something else that happened. So I was kind of a little disappointed when that's. I'm not saying that's all that happened. But I thought something.

[Reggie]

I kind of liked it because it kind of kept like them on their toes a little bit around each other because it was like he, he already had feelings for her at that point. But it kind of made her mind, like, made her have this internal battle where she's like, I hate him. But also like on one of my worst days, like, he was there for me. And so then it was like, like she had that in the back of her mind the whole time. I don't know. Yeah, I kind of liked it.

[Mikayla]

I just genuinely can't believe she didn't remember him well.

[Kennedy]

Remember he had.

[Mikayla]

Well, she was having like a panic attack, but like they had a full blown conversation.

[Kennedy]

But also he had mentioned that he had like just been out of surgery. He had lost a ton of weight. He had like, his hair was crazy. He had a beard. But also at the same time he would still look the same. I don't think. No, I don't think he ever said his name.

[Mikayla]

Not say his name.

[Kennedy]

No. And also she was like focusing on her pos husband.

[Reggie]

Yeah, that's true.

[Mikayla]

It's a pretty straightforward book.

[Reggie]

I feel like Christmas.

[Mikayla]

Yeah, I don't think we missed anything.

[Reggie]

We hope you guys enjoyed this book. I thought it was a fun, fun pick for the season. And now we are. We've wrapped up our book Club books for 2024. That actually feels so wild. So wild. So now we will see you guys in 2025 with our next book club book, Quicksilver by Cali Hart.

[Kennedy]

That's crazy.

[Reggie]

We can't wait to, to read along and with you guys, feel free to join us on Fable if you haven't already. As a reminder, if you're not familiar with what Fable is, it's basically it's just like a app for book clubs. It kind of gives like vibes, like Goodreads where you can rate stuff, you can sync your Goodreads to it. But there's a little forum on there when you join where you can go and interact with everyone in the book club chapter by chapter. And so that way nothing gets spoiled for you. It's really fun to see everyone's thoughts and like in the past, like theories and stuff. So feel free to join us over there on Fable. It's linked in our Instagram highlight. If it's not on our link tree, we're gonna go add that. And I think that's everything. So we hope you guys have a wonderful holiday season. Love you lots.

[Mikayla]

Happy New Year.

[Reggie]

Happy new. Oh, wait, I said. Did I just say how we have a lovely Christmas?

[Kennedy]

You said holiday season.

[Reggie]

Holiday season.

[Kennedy]

New year is still holiday.

[Mikayla]

It is a holiday.

[Reggie]

We're recording this before Christmas. So, anyways, have a lovely holiday season. Happy New Year. Bye.