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While I truly enjoyed this chapter, it left me with mixed feelings. I do feel that much like JP and Stef that Matt and Wade are destined to end up together; I just hope they don't have to wait 30 years to really figure that out... I do think that Wade is hiding and afraid of being hurt again, but I can really understand where he is coming from. I think Matt has finally gotten a handle on his issues, but needs to realize that there is still work to be done on coping with all not only he has been through but the rest of the family. I honestly think they probably need time apart and Matt going off to watch over Will and Zach might be the best move for everyone at this moment. For all that Wade has going for him, he will be poorer without Matt in the end more than Matt will be without him. Because of his past, Wade will always have trouble really connecting with anyone plus, I think he will end up comparing anyone he tries to end up with to Matt; and they will never quite measure up. From a theraputic standpoint, Matt has a much higher probability of entering into another fullfilling relationship rather than Wade. I have to say that I do hope they end up together and each of them realize they are truly better together than apart. They may both have to kiss a few frogs to realize they have already met the prince in their life... I think we will learn alot about Zach over the next month or six weeks. How he reacts to Will's gift and what he does with it will tell alot about him... Oh wow, I just realized; Matt is going to be the responsible adult on this adventure.... Hell......

I really thought this whole chapter was just sweet. It was so nice and just completely enjoyable on so many levels. That may have been one of the nicest things that I ever saw Brad do; if the connection with Ben and Sean is true then Ben must be a top as well, so I guess it might not have worked out with him and Brad anyway... This was just a really nice suprise for a Saturday morning...

Truly enjoyed this chapter a great deal, I do find the new Major very compelling as well. I am glad nothing happened with Hornblower but am glad that Granger is taking him under his wing so to speak. I could see him helping him maybe down the line somewhere. I have to wonder who the young men will be, I do hope that Kingsdale is back and maybe our Welshman can make a re-apperance... Keep up the great work...

I really loved this chapter but no comment I could make is better than this... “If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were.” ― Kahlil Gibran

This was an interesting chapter. I really liked the conversation and other developments between Matt and Wade, plus I was so right about how Wade was going to react on the morning after; but Matt handled the situation just right. I know we don't know much about Ben yet, but I am not seeing him at first glance as someone that would hold Brad's interest at least to the extent that he appears to be going to. There must be a hidden depth to him that we have yet to find and explore. I wonder how long it will take everyone including Matt to realize that Stef probably pulled the strings to get Matt into the MBA program at U. of C... Of course, that does put him much closer to Wade then staying on the west coast. I have to admit I always like the stories in Chicago. It is such an interesting town... Can't wait to see what Mark is up to with Ben and Brad... Keep up the great work...

I so enjoy the early chapters of the Bridgemont stories. I really do find the outfitting and getting ready for sea to be a fascinating process. I think that the early chapters often set the stages for some of the most thrilling action that occurs later. While I was excited to see the progress with the ship; the tour of the house was just first rate. This is going to be something else to make all those Admirals and other Captains just a little more jealous of Granger. Not only can he afford such a house and in that location, but he can keep and eye on the channel fleet as well. Seeing Horatio Hornblower was just a gem of a gift to all your fans. I can't wait to see what you do with his presence on the scene. This is shaping up to be a very interesting story, of course; when is one of Mark's stories not???

As much as I liked where Matt and Wade ended up at the end of this chapter; I am not sure that Matt sleeping with a semi-drunk Wade is a great idea. Sometimes what we think we want when we are inebriated isn't the same as our thought process the next morning. I could easily see Wade backtracking when he comes to in the morning. I really did think the conversation between Matt and Will was letter perfect. Matt was able to get Will to understand how far he has sunk and what some of the consequences were and yet; Matt was still able to be suprised by how Will was still viewing his ongoing living arrangment. Will walking out naked did not really suprise me; but glad to see that Matt understood what the issue was if had done anything more than run his hand down Will's ass. From a therapist standpoint, a great deal of what Matt said is valid. I am glad to see that he is willing to immediately move back to Escorial and out of Tony's to help try and salvage a relationship with Will. In some ways, I could see Matt and Wade as just really close friends that always had each others back and occassionally slept together; but I don't. There has been no one for me since JP and Stef that I truly believed belonged together in the long run more that Matt and Wade. I don't think that either of their lives will ever be truly complete without the other; and because Mark does have a penchant for truly happy endings; irregardless of the last story, I am going to bet on one at some point in the future...

Well, I hate to say that I can tell where a Mark Arbour story is going but I have a feeling that I can with this one. Of course, now that I have said that; Mark will throw a complete monkey wrench in and I will be completely wrong... A very interesting start to what I hope is a restorative story in this saga....

So happy to have a new book start in this saga but so sad at the way it has started....

An excellent start to what I know will be a grand adventure. I am glad that we will have so many of the cast back for this adventure. I was hoping that Kingsdale would be back but I guess that was asking for too much. I don't think it matters what area Granger is sent to, he will find himself in the middle of the action and prove once again how valuable he is to all.

Bravo Brava to you and your team...

As I write this, I just can't stop crying. There has been so much tragedy for this family; not just in this book but as JP's speech reminds us all through the years but as with everything there is also renewal, growth, and hope for the future. This story brought up a lot of painful memories for me of dealing with the trauma of 9/11 when I was in New York after the event. I think I will need a little distance from this story to really decide how I feel about it but after this family dinner, I do have hope for the future. A big thank you to Mark for putting up with all our bitching and second guessing on this story as well as one for all those that help him tell this remarkable tale. Bravo, Brava!!!

The scene on the plane really did not bother me that much. I can see the reasoning for it and how it would effect those involved so I sort of understand how it plays into the story. I can see how it might help heal the issues between Will and Gathan and Gathan and Zach, or at least start to with the latter pair. I am not sure how invovled to really feel about the issues at Goodwell. I know that Wade is very tight with JP and Will but the fact is that throughout this saga only those that are connected to the family by a realationship really stay in the story. No matter how important they have been to even JP; once the relationship ends they eventually get moved to the side lines or out of the story completely. Wade breaking up with Matt means that he is no longer really connected to anyone in the family on a level more than friendship or mentorship; so I can't really see him staying in the frame much longer unless Mark decides to start another saga with the Danfields as the key family.

I am so glad to see Frank coming out of his funk and working to help Zach. I was going to make an issue out of the location they were moving to but Tim beat me to it. I still can't quite commit to liking Zach but it is really nice to see another side of him. I am really glad Gathan finally saw how talented Zach is on the field. This is something that can really bond the two of them, if they can each let go of some of the hurt from the past. Zach is tired of always being in Gathan's shadow and I think Gathan is still hurt that Wally and Clara choose Zach over him when everything happened at the end of the Poor Man story. I am really starting to sour on Will. I want to see some progress but just don't seem to see what the rest of you are seeing in him. I was really happy to see Ethan, even in a cameo performance. LOL... I think a little more of him could be very interesting. I am just not commenting on the Wade and Matt situation because I have choosen to view this part of the story as a horrible nightmare that I will one day awaken from.

Well, DAMN....

JJ was great in this chapter. I really do think he is going to grow into a truly interesting young man. I really do feel that coming back to New York has helped him come to terms with some of the issues he is facing after 9/11. I can't see JJ and Zach ever being really close but they are both very high achieving sports figures and can understand each other's issues in a way that some of the others in the family cannot. I hope that JJ really does try and spend more time in therapy to help him continue to heal and find his way. I would really like to hear more from JJ. I am still not sold on Zach, I guess because I can't see that he and Will can ever really go anywhere. I don't think that Will would ever be able to really hide himself to protect Zach without beginning to resent it. I do think he could continue to be an interesting diversion not just for Will but others to interact with but I can't ever see him being a central player. Frank may be able to really help Zach with his parents. I can't see him being the final word but maybe he can help mediate between the two factions. Frank might be able to help himself by trying to help others and Zach would be a great person for Frank to work with. Frank may have been around the clan a little to long; not sure I know that many teenagers still in school that have a credit card, a debit card maybe but not a credit card.

Okay, for everything I found wrong with the last chapter; I found something equally positive about this one. I was really impressed with how Will went to Frank and talked to him and reached out not to just apologize but get him to come and try to get Frank into Zach's corner. It does still bother me that everyone seems to be catering to Will's point of view to some extent because I really do think from a theraputic standpoint it will do more damage in the long run than help anything even in the short term. I do agree that the bond between Will, JJ, and Darius seems to have strengthened even more after all the trauma. I do appreciate that Will is willing to give up some of his Zach time in order to make sure that JJ's visit back is backstopped with additional support. I don't think that Will ever really treated Matt like a brother until he decided that he would play the brother card in order to deny Matt from making his own choice about sleeping with Tony. I think the fact that everyone acts as if Will and Matt should have some kind of sibling bond when neither has really done anything to establish or build upon that type of relationship is puzzling. I do think that Will's therapist and the family are making a mistake in how they are handling Will but since we can't see every aspect of the story from every point of view it is hard to say that with as much passion as I went with last chapter. I am sad about Aaron. I really enjoyed The Box and really developed a touchstone for the whole series in how Aaron and Steven handled their life. I didn't think Aaron's decision was as horrible as some did but in view of the time and how being gay was viewed might have even been a really viable alternative. I can see why both Stef and JP would be more effected by his passing but don't really see how Frank can blame Aaron for all of the issues his father had and turned on Frank and his brothers. I can see why Stef would want to take some time to decide if Zach should really be given full access to the diary and all the information about the past. I do hope that Frank and Zach can get on a level playing field with how they view each other. I think that if Frank can see the good in Zach and even the positive in Zach and Will's closet relationship he will be able to help with Wally and Clara and maybe even help Zach's relationship with Wally. I will be very interested in seeing JJ's point of view. In some ways, he lost more of his support network after 9/11 than any other member of the family. I think this is partly why he has tried to bury himself in his skating and not dealt with the issues as well as others in the family has done so.

I honestly hated this chapter. I really feel that a number of people in the story are acting just so out of character for how they have been written and portrayed up until this point. I feel as if I have entered a weird episode of the Twilight Zone. Wade is acting like a total ass. This is just completely unlike any reasonable facsimile of any previous development of his character. I am willing to agree that he is under an unusual amount of pressure with his father's death, Elizabeth's continued machinations, finding out about a new brother, Matt's meltdown, and even just getting ready for the next aspect of his life but his behaviour is so out of place that as a therapist I would recommend either intensive therapy with probably a drug cocktail or at least a short hospitilization. Wade's behaviour is so unbelievable that I am really having trouble even staying in the story in any way where he is involved. Will's continued ability to dictate not only every aspect of his life but seemingly everyone else's around him is just truly idiotic. I realize that everyone is trying to help him to recover from the tragedy but he is not the only one that suffered a tragedy and enabling him in this course is causing significant ongoing issues not only for himself but all those around him. Matt is acting like an ass but at least this does fit into some of his past behaviour. I do think that between him and Wade that Wade is much more to blame for the current crisis than Matt. Matt needs to start dealing with his ongoing issues and moving in the Tony was an idiotic move but both Wade and Will's reactions are as out of place as his behaviour. I am so exasperated by the reaction of anyone else following this story to even remotely believe that Brad and Wade could even remotely be a good possible match in anyway. I can't believe how much I am in agreement with Tim on this chapter. God, does that annoy me... LOL... I can say that the writing is good but for maybe the first time in all the time that I have been following the CAP series I find the action completely unbelievable. The last few chapters have taken a story that was full of power and majesty and reduced it to the level of a cheap Spanish novella... I do hope that the last few chapters of this story in the saga can right the ship so to speak....

Okay, first a question; at first you say that Granger's father is made Duke of Sussex and then at the end you say that Granger has been granted to right to sit on the King's right next to the Duke of Suffolk, which is correct? Neither title would have existed in 1798, the Ducal title of Suffolk never existed after the 1500's and the Ducal title of Sussex was created in 1801 or 1802 for the sixth son of George the III, who died without legitimate issue and the title ended with his death in the 1840's. Sorry, I am not being exact on dates, it is too late for me to research and I need to get to bed. The Suffolk title I guess would make more sense since it would not otherwise be used in the future but in a couple of years the King's youngest son will be created the Duke of Sussex so that could cause issues. Now with all of that being said, I just loved this chapter. I really enjoyed the ride that Granger and Winkler had and their conversation along the way. I am glad that Granger came to the correct realization about Caroline's reaction. I am even glad that he doesn't seem to hate Calvert, but I can't hide the fact that I am happy that he is rid of him. I hope that Calvert and Gatling have years of happiness ahead of them both; although I would suspect they would have to leave the service for that to happen. The wealth they have acquired thanks in no small part to Granger could make that possible though. I was glad that we got to find out about Winkler and Jacobs and that they seem to be still together and happy. I have to admit I would like some follow up on this in the next story if possible, maybe a trip to the United States to engineer a divorce and a few other adventures along the way. I really appreciate that Granger understands how important Winkler is to him and shows that it matters. The King must really want to get back at the Guild. A jump of two spots from an Earldom to a Dukedom was damn near unheard of anywhere close to the time frame of this story. I know it is petty of me and Caroline both but I hate that Freddie and Davina get to take advantage of the Duke's and George's hard work. I still think an accident might need to be arranged for Freddie and Davina. I could easily see Davina working against the family and with the Guild in order to get back at George and Caroline. If there was an unfortunate accident, I am sure that George and Caroline would raise the new young Marquess until he comes into the Ducal title. How exactly does getting to sit on the Right side of the King with the Duke get Granger jumped above his brother, who will be a Marquess, in precedent? I don't really understand that. I know that being placed on the right side of the King or Queen is a sign of high honor but I don't see how it would really effect precedent? I am happy for Bertie. I actually would like to see if he might not get to come home even for a visit to see his parents before it is too late. He could always return to the Far East where he seems so happy and content but a visit home would be wonderful. I can sort of see where a new book in the saga might go but can't wait to see where Mark takes us next. A couple of wishes would be Winkler and Jacobs traveling to America, Granger getting to stay on land a while, and seeing if Granger can keep help Jardines get somewhere else... Take a little break and gather yourself Mark, then give us another grand story in this wonderful saga you have created for us all....

This was a great chapter. It was filled with just enough hope and promise to keep me going this week. A great way to start a Monday is finding an addition to the CAP saga in my inbox. JP should rule the world, it would run much more smoothly.... Stef at his side to keep it just a little spicy and interesting...

I am so excited to see a new chapter of the Bridgemont saga. I know this story in the saga is ending, a little early in my opinion but... LOL... I loved the interview with Spencer and getting to relive a little of the voyage and adventure that Granger had during this story. It was nice to see how the actions were viewed back in London and how his choices were looked upon even if not fully understood. It was nice to see how Spencer took time to explain some of the reactions to Granger and how Spencer even really checked with Granger to make sure how he felt about certain actions and the consequences of some of the issues involved. Caroline and George have repaired their relationship fully and are a true partnership in every sense of the word. I do hope that Caroline is always there to help George and keep him abreast of the actions on the home front. I do find it amusing that the Countess looks down a little on Caroline for her understanding and participation in commerce and the world of business and intrigue. I am glad that the Earl and Caroline are little more anchored to the reality of the real world. Certainly was glad to see Kingsdale and hope that we get to see some more of him, not just in the next chapter but maybe the next story as well. It would be interesting to see how he progresses with the help of Granger and his family. A truly great story and I can't wait to see where you take Granger in his next adventure....

I am really going to hate this if Matt and Wade end up breaking up in the long run. I could really see them at seperate places for graduate activities such as Harvard for Wade and University of Chicago for Matt. This would be okay if they retained some type of relationship and then maybe got back together afterward but I am not sure that it what I see happening based on everyone's current actions. Matt and Wade have always struck me as the only couple beside JP and Stef that really seemed destined to walk into the sunset with each other and I am not going to be happy if that doesn't happen. I am going to comment on Mark's comment in another review about Matt and his maturity level as someone else has as well. I agree with MDK, which is unusual, that Matt is actually acting like the 90 percent of the guys his age, especially if you factor in the other things that have happened to disrupt his life recently. It has been my experience that most guys like Matt that know they are going off to graduate school spend the last part of their college experience really partying and putting off growing up until they hit the graduate school level. If you factor in losing Robbie especially in the manner that he did; I could totally see Matt handling things just as he has been and I would not call this immaturity at all. I am dissapointed that he has put his relationship with Wade in jeopardy by his actions but am not especially suprised by it not would I see it as a level of maturity issue. I do think that Matt has to not just apologize to Wade and Will but has to have the actions to go with the words and I am not sure that he is quite there yet nor am I sure that Wade or Will is ready for his words or actions either one. I am actually really dissapointed in how Wade is starting to handle this situation. I can see Wade with his sense of responsiblity needing to move forward and prepare himself and even those around him for the next stage of life, it is an issue of control. That being said, Wade is really the one that set up his and Matt's current relationship format and now is punishing Matt for adhering to the format that Wade himself established. I do think Matt went off the deep end but I don't think that Wade really tried to understand how differently Matt was dealing with Robbie's loss versus his handling of the Senator's death. Wade has always been the more mature person in this relationship but at least in my opinion, some of that maturity is slipping.... I do really believe that Wade is trying to handle everything in a manner that will benefit not only himself but the others in the long run; the problem is that you can't make those decisions in a vacum and he seems to be trying to do just that. Honestly, if he and Wade end here; I will blame him a lot more than Matt, for all of his actions, at this point. With Will, I feel I am watching him dancing a Texas two-step. For every two steps forward, he seems to take one step back. I do think he is being incredible self aware about his relationship with Zach and is handling that better than most people two or three times his age. I do appreciate that he seems to be taking a look at it from so many different aspects and trying to understand and decide his future. You rarely can pick the person you fall in love with but it is good that he is going in with no blinders on. On the other side, Will is starting to develop one of Brad's most unattractive traits of making unilateral decisions that effect others around him. Only JP really has the ability to ban someone from Escorial and while I think JP will explain to Tony why it would be better not to be around at least for a while; Will should not have made that decision or move. I know that Will is still seeing his therapist but they need to be working more on his anger issues and his need to control everything around him. With all the loss in his life recently, the control issue is really a common manifestation but it is one that needs to be dealt with. Will is still moving forward but he needs to make sure that recent events don't overtake his advances. Can't wait to see where the story goes from here; keep up the great work Mark...

Well, I was really busy yesterday and just got to this chapter today; it was so nice to have something like this to help me deal with a Monday... I am still uneasy about Will and Zach because even though I can see how Will needs Zach right now and how he is helping him; I can see a time in the future where Zach will clearly choose his own self interest over any kind of relationship with Will because of football. I don't think it will be something that happens anytime in the near future but it still worries me. I was impressed and amazed at how well Brad handled finding Will and Zach on the rooftop engaged in sex. I found his conversation with Stef to be very telling in more than one way. Brad seems to be recovering better than I anticipated. I hope that he continues to have help and support from his family and others to move forward in his life. What are the odds of running into Chris's mom on a tour bus of New York? I found Brad's conversation with Val and then the conversation in while getting ready to eat was just priceless. It is amazing how often others will assume that no one near them understands another language and how interesting the consequences can be. I don't know that I see the encounter with Brad and Chris going much further but it is an interesting diversion. I hope that Frank and Matt going off together will help them both. They need to find a way to try and help each other come to terms with what they both lost. Matt is going to have to get his act together or he is going to alienate everyone around him to the point that he cannot make amends. If my memory serves, Brad, Stef, and Matt all ended up with the same amount of stock in Google after Stef gave them the initial infusion of cash. I don't remember if Stef and Brad ever picked up any more. This is going to end up giving Matt a healthy infusion of cash on top of making Will, Darius, and JJ even richer than they were to start with.

This was a really great chapter. I thought that Brad handled the situation with staying at the condo really well. In a situation like this, it is hard to know what will and won't exacerbate the situation with Will and his dealing with 9/11. Brad seems to find it helpful to be in New York at the condo and I can see why he would but that may not be the same for everyone. I think that Will had Zach and was so involved with him may have kept any really bad memories away. This is the first chapter that I have actually liked Zach at all. I admire him for being so upfront with Will about what life with him would be like moving forward. This if nothing else will be the reason that Will and Zach could never end up together if Zach does make it professionally. Will would never be able to hide himself and life like that for anyone. I actually know a guy that I met in college that made it to the NFL and his life is just like Zach said. Even though he has been retired for several years, he is still deep in the closet with everyone but a few people. Can't wait to see where you take us now, great job, Mark.

I am not sure how I feel about this chapter. I can say that I enjoyed the writing and feel that Mr Arbour has created a diverse and intriguing situation. There was such a feeling of doom that seemed to permeate this chapter from start to finish. I am really worried about Will. His ongoing issue with anger is starting to worry me. I understand the reasoning behind his therapist explanation but have to wonder if there isn't more going on than it appears. I do think his attitude about Zach is spot on. Zach is making Will happy and right now that may be what he needs more than anything. I still don't trust Zach but until he does something to Will then Will is right, he deserves to be taken at face value. I even understand Will's reaction to Tony and agree to it up to a certain point; plus I have never been a huge Tony fan. Will does not have a right to try and force anyone else to take his side against Matt. I do think that Matt was wrong in sleeping with Tony but like Will he is going through a lot and instead of destroying personal property of those around him; he has choosen to be a slut. Not saying this is right but Will needs to get off his high horse and realize that Matt is family and he needs to grow up some and understand that not everyone reacts to every tragedy the same way. I am not saying that Will and Matt will ever be truly close and view each other as brothers but they are going to have to find a way to repair their relationship at some point. Matt seems to be trying to reach out to Will and Wade and others but the he needs to realize how much he has damaged his relationships and what he needs to do to begin repairing them. I am not sure that forcing him away from hockey is a sound decision. Matt has a lot of his life wrapped up in hockey and a lot of his friends and support system tied to that group. Removing that support from his life could actually cause more damage to his life and recovery than helping him to manage his relationship with that group and learing how to put others people in their place. Matt needs to fix Matt before he can really fix the relationship with those around him. Wade needs to work on his anger as well. Wade needs to decide if he wants to make his relationship work with Matt. He also needs to decide how involved he wants to get with Will and his ongoing battle not just with Matt but with so many of those around him. I know that Wade has always viewed Will as almost a little brother but Wade isn't even over all the trauma and I have to wonder if he is really in the right frame of mind to be mindlessly supporting Will. Brad backing down that quickly to Will worries me as well. I know that Will is legally an adult but you are never to old or so sure of yourself that you cannot use some advice or a different point of view. If Brad isn't willing to deal with something as important as Will's relationship with Matt, then he may lose all ability to involve himself in Will's life when he needs to. Okay, I have changed my mind. This chapter has left me more worried about some of the people in this story than I have ever been before...