northie

organised

What a disparate collection of things you had to include...! And include them you did in a funny, sweet tale which made me smile and was a perfect antidote to the last horror-filled, grim story I'd read.

I started reading this late at night – I'm so glad I only skim-read it. My dreams would have been anything but peaceful. Your writing glued my eyes to the page – even the most graphic, sickening descriptions held me, fascinated, wanting to know what happened next. The interlude in the stables was almost cruel – was there hope? Of course not! A dark, gothic, cruel tale very well told.

An atmosphere of dissatisfaction, passive-aggressive manipulation and the souring of personal relationships pervades much of this story. It was so easy for me as an observer to urge Elliot to do something about it ('Why don't you …'). Of course it's never like that and I could sense that Elliot would dither and put off any decision, possibly for a long time. My stomach lurched in sympathy with his at the pivotal point of the story but it forced him to consider his future and come up with a Plan B – one which finally allowed him to follow his interests and his new-found love. I wasn't sure he would succeed, right up until the end – which made it all the sweeter!

Ahhhhhh! *sighs contentedly* Bravo! *salutes author* You've certainly been able to mess with my emotions over the last few chapters!

I read two late last night - too late to have the brain to write reviews. I'll be back later.

Okay, I was wrong. I was wonderfully, gloriously wrong! Yay!

I woke up to a ridiculous number of notifications - in large part because of you! I'm off to read the chapters now ....

There is so much going on is this chapter and yet the wretched press briefing looms over all the action and almost never seems to be getting there until the final cliffhanger. Xavier and Vi are coming into their own but, do they have a Plan B? Will Ezra rediscover his courage? What the hell is Patrick doing calling Ezra? I (and a heck of a lot of other people) will be eagerly awaiting the next installment!

Wow! You're on fire. Maybe it was the prospect of continuing to torture your long-suffering readers which inspired you? I so identified with Ezra at the crucial point: hesitation, being tongue-tied, opportunity lost. I'm not sure Henrik is capable of such life-changing off-the-cuff speaking. But it's difficult to see how else the situation could be resolved. Back to you, Quinn! Don't let us down ...

This story came with a health warning – just as well really, because the graphic, vivid writing at the start made me feel disgust, anger and sadness. Those are feelings you should have when reading about the actions described here. However, once past that part of the story, what predominated for me was how the principal characters dealt with the horrors in their different ways. Each successfully managed to get past them, not on their own but always with assistance. This was a very strong, positive message. The journeys weren't without problems on the way: I found the short section about Toby and Alan distressing. The fact that Toby felt able to forgive his abductor / abuser was a victory for him – forgiveness is a strong, decisive action which allows for closure. A real journey from darkness into light.

A pair of poems whose contrasting views are both different yet somehow complimentary, and very affecting. Andy's fear and insecurity permeate almost the whole of the first poem while Zander is portrayed as a panther: sinuous, graceful, dangerous, and magnetically attractive. And yet, Andy does allow his love to win in a strange, slightly macabre way. The anxious, hunted tone of before is replaced in the second poem by calm, tenderness, loving consideration. The peaceful joy of watching a loved one sleep is beautifully portrayed – even more so when that sleep is hard won. Of the two, this is the one that moved me most.

Oban, Scotland

alcohol

thespian

I suppose it depends on what drama means. If it means human interactions, well, there are relationships starting, developing and deepening all over the place. If it means conflict, then yes, there's not been much of that going on. But who knows what's cooking ...? Having the twins' dad back on the scene would be interesting.

tearful

terse

Not being the slimmest female around, I found this good news ... One small victory for realistic body images! http://www.today.com/style/plus-size-model-iskra-lawrence-celebrates-unretouched-lingerie-ad-t94441

shunt

Milan, Italy

smashed

lethargic

Yes, I agree with this. I just hope that Ezra has the sense to stay away or at least, not be visible. I can't see Henrik walking away from his career - I think he would regret this and it would probably poison whatever relationship he developed with Ezra. We'll see ...