Another busy weekend and another late chapter! We’ll try to get better about that! So without further ado, we are releasing Chapter 6 today. This is a rather special chapter for us. Over the course of four books, we’ve seen Kris deal with all sorts of situations and dire calamities. In this chapter, however, she has to deal a new and even more challenging situation: shopping. Can she handle it? Subscribe to our mailing to find out! (And get all the previously released chapters, as well). Don’t forget the free gift either!
Feel free to discuss the new chapter with your fellow readers in the comments. How did Kris do? We’ll be back next week with more exciting new material!
Thank you for the comments! We are very much enjoying the discussion.
Allow me to pose a question: It was not in our heads that Mariwen and Lora (her late wife), ever stayed in that room at the lodge. Our thinking here was the opposite, but we neglected to say anything, one way or another.
Do you feel that a clarification is in order on that point?
Well, in this chapter we learn, that Mariwen missed Taos quite a bit, she has a lot of friends or at least acquaintance there and she said that the café was Lora’s favorite.
She is personally acquainted with the owner of the lodge and so it is not too far fetched to think, that she also stayed in the lodge, when she was visiting Taos with Lora.
To come to the conclusion, that Mariwen had sex in the same bed as she did with her late wife was thus just the next thought.
For this reason, I would appreciate a clarification in the final book. Thanks.
I don’t think it would hurt to clarify.
Thanks for the input, both of you! It is very much appreciated. We will add a clarification on that point.
I agree completely.
Kris and Mariwen’s interaction are beautifully written and (IMO) much more natural than with Rafe. The sex too, is wonderfully written (though I wouldn’t mind if it goes into more details ).
The part about the polygamy was interesting, because this will maybe be the solution for her romantic problems (married to Rafe and Mariwen at the same time?) (though, I only hope for Kris and Mariwen).
But I do wonder, is it “healthy” for Mariwen to “create” new memories with Kris, in the same town, shops and friends, which she has visited with her late wife?
And if Mariwen and Lora had stayed in the same hotel, honeymoon suite and had maybe sex in the same bed, in which she is now together with Kris, then I would feel very sad for Kris.
One thing I found a bit strange, was Mariwen’s public affection to Kris.
I would have guessed, that she would be more restrained, because of Kris past experience.
On the other hand, I like how they considered each other’s feeling: Kris recognized Mariwen’s wish to go shopping and she understand how good it is for Mariwen to be together with her old friends. At the same time, Mariwen is aware of Kris dislike to go shopping or wearing dresses and she doesn’t want that Kris feels like she doesn’t belong. This shows how good they are for each other and that they understand, trust and love each other.
I agree with you there, Rafe is always so restrained, like he’s holding back? I think that may have something to do with what he knows about Kris’s time as a slave? He’s also so damn polite the whole time. As for the sex, judging by the way it was written in the first books and what we see now, it looks like the authors are just warming up. I’m hoping for more detail too.
As for Kris, Mariwen and Rafe all being together, that would solve everything. I remember thinking that in the last book. I have a page full of thoughts on these three and their penchant for being super considerate of each other all the time (not like during the shopping trip. I loved that they compromise and are so considerate of each other there) but in their feelings regarding what they need and want from the relationship. Rafe didn’t fight for Kris when she left him and Mariwen keeps thinking Kris belongs with Rafe. Sometimes I wish they’d just be more open with each other and say what they really want but they’re always being so careful you know?
That’s a good point about Mariwen having sex in the same bed as she did with her late wife. I personally wouldn’t appreciate it if my partner took me to a place where he’d had sex with someone else, but that’s me. I’d keep wondering if he was having memories of his late wife. I don’t think it phased Mariwen or Kris though, the seemed to be distracted enough 😉
Usually I find poly (or any other non-“””normal”””) relationship in scifi very fitting: it’s just sad how many authors pretend that in another thousand or so years human society will still work like middle-class Western society, with all its norms and standards. Laughable. Good to show other arrangements, not just obsess over advances in technology and such.
But frankly in this case it’d probably feel like a cop-out. I think Weber once said about military scifi that characters people care about have to be killed – otherwise it’s no real war, just playing around.
Romance, in my opinion, is much the same (minus the killing, although it’s an option). It’s got to be dirty, there’s got to be disappointment, and sometimes it has to just not work out, even when people seemingly are meant for each other (or the other way around). And, yes, readers will complain – by now that’s inevitable, no matter the outcome 😉
As for my personal minority opinion, I still think Rafe should die. I’m just not buying him as a hypothetically possible person. Whether Kris can be with anyone permanently is perhaps a different question, but at least this would reduce the variables, heh.
Just loved it! Love the way Kris is when she’s with Mariwen, playful and somewhat softer. Couldn’t stop laughing when Mariwen pranked Kris with the angel tears. So, so funny.
The sex in this book is handled very well, and allows us to see the bond between Kris and Mariwen grow, as well as the trust. It’s playful and sensual and hot without being over-the-top.
And lastly, (I’m jumping around a bit), don’t you just love the description of the painting? So poignant and beautiful and another instance where we see Kris’s softer side. I liked this very much. I think Kris gets a ten out of ten for how she handled this shopping trip.