Meanwhile, in Rivendell . . .

I had the privilege of being an advance reader for Rachel Kovaciny's latest novel , My Rock and My Refuge , which retells the classic fairytale "Beauty and the Beast" in an Old West mining town.  I genuinely enjoyed it, and for today's stop on the virtual book tour, I'll be sharing my Goodreads review. 😊  Read on, Lizzy! ⸻ Another satisfying installment of the Once Upon a Western fairy tale retellings, My Rock and My Refuge features my favorite love story in the series so far.  It is what we could call swoon-worthy. 😉  Retelling the “Beauty and the Beast” romance can be tricky, but I genuinely loved what the author did with it here.  Definitely the healthiest, most relaxed, most adorable take on the couple I’ve ever encountered.  I won’t say too much here, because I don’t want to spoil the fun of experiencing it firsthand, but I loved how well-adjusted and forthright it was.  There’s no pretense, there’s no melodrama; everyone is pretty upfront abo...

more like the Taking No Crap in Imperial Regalia Tag, am I right The lovely Chloe at Movies Meet Their Match tagged me for this, and I'm thrilled she did, because I really wanted to squeeze in one more post before Rachel's Tolkien Blog Party , but have had no time or energy to finalize anything else.  Admittedly, this did take me a while to finish, as well, because I wanted to select options that I genuinely might wear, might genuinely be able to "pull off," etc.  But it was fun, the perfect break from heavier duty posts. 😃  Thanks, Chloe! This tag was originally created by Elizabeth at Autumn Ink , and the rules are simple:  select an outfit that you'd love to wear to each location given, tell us which fictional character you'd bring along with you, and link back to Elizabeth's blog.  Beyond that, you have creative freedom!  Tag people if you so choose, change the locations, whatever strikes your fancy.  I personally opted to use only movie/TV outfi...

Let's get spicy , shall we? ⸻⸻ (Starting PSA:  I am aware that I should use photos of Bertha in this post because I'm talking about her so much and because she is a Human Person and not a Plot Device and all that.  I get that.  But Bertha was the bogeyman of my childhood, and old terrors die hard.) Jane Eyre has always been controversial in classic lovers' circles.  Charlotte Brontë's novel has been eliciting strong emotions for years.  Those who love it generally love it passionately.  Those who hate it generally hate it passionately.  (A smaller portion of the population appear able to regard it with moderation. 😄) Whatever their opinion of the story itself, though, many people seem united on two opinions:  that Edward Rochester is gross, and that Bertha Mason is mistreated.  There's plenty to discuss on both fronts, but the first topic I want to dive into today is the blending of these objections.  I want to explore one of the most c...

HERE I AM, FINALLY.  You would not believe how long it has taken me to finalize this list. *collapses*  And even now, I'm none too sure of these choices, or their rankings.  Still!  We are here now, and we must proceed.   This post is brought to you by Cordy's Lovely Blog Party and Heidi's Valentine's Day Period Drama Party .  And it may surprise you. *wiggles eyebrows* ⸻ #10. Mary & Frank Doctor Thorne These two are just very wholesome, with an adorable history as childhood friends.  They also have to work through many obstacles in order to be together as adults.  They are very pure, sweet, earnest beans, and they earn their happily-ever-after. 💛 #9. Danielle & Henry Ever After I love my fiercely good political powerhouse and my lovesick himbo.  They listen to each other.  They forgive each other their moral ignorance and their personal deceit.  They make each other better.  #8. Mary & Joseph The Nativity St...

"Aww."  "Aww." What-ho, all!  I'm currently participating in not one, but two delightful, romantical online events:  Cordy's Lovely Blog Party and Heidi's Valentine's Day Period Drama Party .  As such, it is my plain duty to fill out the tags that both ladies have so graciously provided.  Let's begin! ⸻ ❀  Cordy's Questions   ❀ Would you ever go for a walk in the pouring rain to avoid the company of a gentleman caller? Oh, I absolutely would.  The lengths to which I will go to avoid encountering someone I do not wish to see are truly remarkable.   (And that's not even a tiny bit sarcastic.  I have been known to resort to tactics which could even be termed deceitful.) these are precisely the awkward sorts of situations we wish to avoid , people. Would you ever, truly, try your hand at matchmaking? I guess it depends on your definition of matchmaking.  Would I manipulate logistics and what-not to encourage favorable tete-a-tetes...