Long Story Short: Female Fantasy by Iman Hariri-Kia
Long Story Short? We yapped about Female Fantasy by Iman Hariri-Kia for our second romance episode this month, and we're excited to tell you why this love letter to the romance genre book should be moved to the top of your TBR!
Please note that our podcast is 18+ and our episodes may contain adult language and themes
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Music by Dani LaCroix
Transcript
Foreign.
Speaker B:Welcome to the Other side of the Page, a bookish podcast where we yap about the books we love and the.
Speaker A:Songs that give us main character energy.
Speaker B:We're here to sift through the chaos that is our tbr and I'll let.
Speaker A:You know why a book might just be your next favorite read.
Speaker B:I'm Brit, dramatic plot twist lover and champion for MMCs needing to be more pathetic and down bad.
Speaker A:And I'm Hannah Read at least five books at once and a detailed fantasy map enthusiast.
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Speaker A:This week we are diving into Female Fantasy by Iman Hariri By Iman Hariri Hariri, right?
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:Okay, I'm gonna start this over.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker A:This week we are diving into Female Fantasy by Iman Hariri Kia yes, we.
Speaker B:Will be talking about our song choices alongside the plot and chatting about our favorite moments.
Speaker B:So grab an iced coffee or iced chai and let's turn the page together.
Speaker A:Dear reader, here is a synopsis of female fantasies straight from the author's website.
Speaker A:Juni is living in a fantasy.
Speaker A:At least that's what people keep telling her.
Speaker A:A copywriter by day and a fanfic writer by night, Juni continues to date and dump disappointing men in search of a happily ever.
Speaker A:But every potential suitor seems to have have one flaw in common.
Speaker A:They can't hold a candle to her book boyfriend, Reich.
Speaker A:The protagonist of her favorite fantasy romance series and notably a sexy merman.
Speaker A:Reich is a symbol for the life Juni craves and the kind of relationship she deserves.
Speaker A:So with a book always in her back pocket, why would she ever settle for less?
Speaker A:But when Juni learns that Reich's character is based on someone the author knows in real life, she embarks on an epic quest to track him down, meet him in person, and determine once and for all if soulmates really do exist.
Speaker A:Unfortunately, her brother's annoying best friend, who doesn't believe in love or happily endings, insists on hitching a ride.
Speaker A:And like any great hero's journey, it doesn't take long for the trials and tribulations to begin.
Speaker A:As Juni fights her way towards her love interest using the skills she acquired through reading, she'll learn an important lesson.
Speaker A:You can Pursue a fantasy, but you can't always write your own plot.
Speaker A:And we think you should read this book if you just want a fun, self aware story about romance readers and just the love story that could be right in front of you.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:And you might want to avoid this book if any of the following are potentially triggering for you.
Speaker B:Kidnapping, emotional abuse, sexual content, bullying, violence, racism, infidelity, physical abuse, and blood.
Speaker B:But as always, check your triggers because you know yourself best.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:Now, our songs, song choices.
Speaker B:I feel like we picked two songs very in like the same vein of each other, just like joyful love songs.
Speaker B:So Hannah, what did you this week?
Speaker A:I chose Opalite by Taylor Swift, naturally.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I picked how you get the girl by Taylor Swift, which is an underrated pop bop, in my opinion.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:All right, so now we're going to move into our pages turned in bridges burned section and we will be discussing the book female fantasy cover to cover, which means spoilers are ahead.
Speaker B:We're going to start with our theme lyric and something really cool about this book before we get like, really, you know, too into the weeds is that it alternates between an actual contemporary romance story and then excerpts from the book itself, the fantasy book that Reich is in.
Speaker B:So we get excerpts of a romantasy and we get a contemporary romance all in one.
Speaker B:And overall it's just like a complete nod and love of the romance genre, which is really cool.
Speaker B:But we're going to be discussing everything that happens right now.
Speaker B:So if you haven't read it, pause the podcast, come back when you have or if you have read it or you're just here for the vibes.
Speaker B:Welcome on in.
Speaker B:Hannah, what is your theme lyric from Opalite?
Speaker A:Yes, my theme lyric.
Speaker A:I have a lot of lyrics for this one.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:But the theme lyric I chose is I thought my house was haunted.
Speaker A:I used to live with ghosts.
Speaker A:And all the perfect couples said, when you know, you know and when you don't, you don't.
Speaker A:And to me it just shows like her previous failed relationships that Junie had and like, you know, she had some bad ones and just all these like past, like, you know, men that are ghosts.
Speaker A:And she thinks that, like something is not like clicking.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So it's like haunted.
Speaker A:But all the romance books are telling her, like, when you know, you know and when you don't, you know you don't.
Speaker A:And that's where she'll find that love that she knows that's out there with.
Speaker A:Yeah, someone's like the perfect couples.
Speaker A:It's like the Romance couples that she's.
Speaker B:Reading about totally at the lyric.
Speaker B:Tell her how you must have lost your mind when you left her all alone and never told her why.
Speaker B:And that's how it works.
Speaker B:That's how you lost the girl.
Speaker B:And I just thought this was, like, a perfect nod to Judy and Nico's past because their entire hang up of their relationship.
Speaker B:Because Nico is her brother's best friend and she strongly dislikes him.
Speaker B:Because we find out that Nico stood Juni up and she never reconciled, being embarrassed from that day.
Speaker B:But it turns out that his parents were getting divorced.
Speaker B:He drank himself into, like, a stupor for the first time.
Speaker B:He passed out, never realized it was a date, and didn't actually have any recollection of leaving Juny.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And so I just thought that this was a perfect lyric of, like, him just saying, like, I must have lost my mind.
Speaker B:Like, I never told you why, because I didn't even know.
Speaker B:And the whole song is just about, like, that's how it works.
Speaker B:That's how you get the girl.
Speaker B:Which I thought is so funny in comparison to, like, her trying to get the man.
Speaker B:And in reality, like, he just got the girl when he was standing right in front of her.
Speaker B:So I thought that was cute.
Speaker B:I love it.
Speaker A:Like you were saying before we did our theme lyrics, the story is set up where it has, like, our current day and then excerpts from the Romanasy novel.
Speaker A:And with the Romanasy novel, we won't go too much in depth in that story because I think it's really there to just help further what's happening in, like, the current day.
Speaker A:And just kind of parallel that.
Speaker B:Correct.
Speaker A:But really quick about the romantic novel.
Speaker A:It is like a mermaid fantasy.
Speaker A:So Mariah is a human woman who's, like, taken to live with the mayor, the mirror, and finds out that her fated mate is Rike, a mer prince.
Speaker A:Like, they just kind of go through.
Speaker A:And then they have all these trials and they have all these situations that they're put in.
Speaker A:And where her faded mates, the prince, but, like, the sirens, have taken over and all this stuff happens.
Speaker A:And then we have our current day, which we will be focusing on mostly for this episode.
Speaker A:But we have our female main character, Junie, who's an avid romance reader and fanfic writer.
Speaker A:And she just compares every love interest she has to the man in her favorite Romantasy book, which, I mean, understandably.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker A:But both chapters would leave it like a cliffhanger.
Speaker A:And sometimes I was like, I just want to skip to, like, the next chapter.
Speaker A:Because it would go like every other.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:I'm like, I don't.
Speaker A:I don't care about this person right now.
Speaker A:I want to know what's happening here.
Speaker B:But.
Speaker A:But our girl Juni, she, like, can't find her happy ending.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Like, she keeps going on dates, but none of these men can really, like, hold a candle to Reich.
Speaker A:Like, Reich is the main character in her Romanasy novel that she, like, picked up after being in, like, an abusive relationship and trying to, like, she goes to the bookstore, and the guy.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:The lady's like, oh, I need something to make me believe in love again.
Speaker A:And she's like, here you go.
Speaker B:Do I have the book for you?
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:And, like, Juni ends up actually writing, like, fanfic about this and becomes, like, a pretty popular fanfic writer and has, like, a group of online friends called the Salty Girls.
Speaker A:And they talk about, like, everything in that chat.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And also, I.
Speaker B:So as someone who is a certified fan girl at heart and everything that I do, I related to this so deeply.
Speaker B:The usernames for the fangirls were, like, the Salty Girls were my favorite thing ever as someone who used to run a One Direction Tumblr and write One Direction fanfiction and fan fiction for other things.
Speaker B:And then I, like, have met so many online friends through, like, the fangirl community.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:So I feel like Juni just had, like, an instant piece of my heart.
Speaker B:And then also, too, like, I. I mean, I am half white.
Speaker B:Like, that.
Speaker B:My dad's American, 100%.
Speaker B:But, like, growing up, like, my mom's Lebanese.
Speaker B:And so there are a lot of cultural differences that, like, she grew up with that I also could see paralleled in Juni and Ye.
Speaker B:I just.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker B:As a girly twirly pop who loves her fanfic and almost fired up my AO3 account with the heated rivalry resurgence came in.
Speaker B:Because I have not felt like this since my 1D days.
Speaker B:But, yeah, I don't know.
Speaker B:I just.
Speaker B:As a main character, I had a blast with her.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I thought she was a lot of fun.
Speaker A:And then, so one day, the author of the book, the Romancy Book, hops on live, and I just love, like, all the Salty Girls are like, ah, Juni.
Speaker A:Like, where are you?
Speaker A:Like, Junie's, like, not.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Paying attention.
Speaker A:Then she, like, hops on live, and the author reveals that the inspiration for Reich is, like, her college friend and, like, says his name.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:I'm just like, what is going on?
Speaker B:I did think that was crazy.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:But did this remind you of, like, it reminded me of the ERAS tour when I was at, like, I can't remember.
Speaker B:I think it was, like, a Halloween party.
Speaker B:And there was a new reputation bodysuit.
Speaker B:And you and Maddie were texting me over and over and over again, and you were like, it's gold.
Speaker A:There's a new sale.
Speaker A:It's a big deal.
Speaker B:It was come to find out, like, when you watch the docu series, it was literally because they just didn't have any more fabric.
Speaker B:Like, there was, like, redid it.
Speaker B:No fucking reason.
Speaker B:We were just losing our mind.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:But, yeah, I just.
Speaker B:A lot of parallels to living a fangirl lifestyle, which I just appreciated the visibility here.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And then this propels Juni to decide to go to New York City to see if the inspiration is actually her true love.
Speaker A:Anyway.
Speaker A:And her brother Tay is, like, a very protective big brother, and he runs a family restaurant after their parents retired.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker A:And his opinion on, like, her dating life is like, he.
Speaker A:It's, like, so over it.
Speaker A:And one of the lines in my song Opalite is, my brother used to call it eating out of the trash.
Speaker A:It's never gonna last.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:And that was, like, one of the lines, too.
Speaker A:It was almost my theme there, because I was like, that's like.
Speaker A:Tay, like, just like, what are you doing with all these men?
Speaker A:And that's just, like, his opinion on all her boyfriends.
Speaker A:Like, you're eating out of the trash.
Speaker A:Like, come on.
Speaker A:Come on.
Speaker A:Let's say move forward here.
Speaker B:I know It's.
Speaker B:I love their relationship.
Speaker B:And their sibling banter was everything.
Speaker B:And then Juni, you know, they've been.
Speaker B:Tay's been pushing her to follow this writing dream.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And so what?
Speaker B:Perfect vehicle to lie to him about why she's going to New York then to come up with a fake writers conference that she got into.
Speaker B:And Tay's best friend Nico, is like, interesting.
Speaker B:What writers conference?
Speaker B:Where is it?
Speaker B:What's going on?
Speaker B:Like, and you can tell immediately.
Speaker B:He's like, this is not going to New York for a writers conference.
Speaker B:However, you know, since Nico is Juni's arch nemesis, he, you know, offers.
Speaker B:He offers himself up because he said he has.
Speaker B:He has business to attend to in New York.
Speaker B:He has business to attend to, AKA he's gonna go meet a girl and have a good time.
Speaker B:So they said, yeah, I'll.
Speaker B:I'll go with you to New York.
Speaker B:Don't worry.
Speaker B:I got you.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And we know, like, right away, like, there's something that happened with them.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:But we don't know exactly what.
Speaker A:And they start the road trip, and Juni just, like, does not like Nico.
Speaker A:She's like, what?
Speaker A:Like, why are you going?
Speaker A:And they, like, argue about who's going to be driving, blah, blah, blah.
Speaker A:And then they're talking.
Speaker A:And then Juni reveals the real reason she's going to New York City to, like, stalk this guy.
Speaker A:And Nico slams on the brakes, which causes them to get rear ended.
Speaker A:But I couldn't imagine, like, being Nico.
Speaker A:You're like, what?
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:Like, excuse me.
Speaker A:Like, okay.
Speaker A:And they're stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker A:Nowhere.
Speaker A:And they, like, have a cute little moment where, like, they fall, like, she falls asleep leaning into them.
Speaker B:And I'm like, it was so cute.
Speaker A:I don't think Reich is your feet and mate.
Speaker A:Anyway.
Speaker A:And then a red Jag pulls up and these idiots get in.
Speaker B:Okay, this.
Speaker B:I was like, joni, you know better.
Speaker B:But then also, you know, they get in and then they get kidnapped.
Speaker B:They get effing kidnapped.
Speaker B:They get.
Speaker B:They.
Speaker B:They're taken and they're off with these people who represent, like, a very niche group of humans.
Speaker B:You know, it's.
Speaker B:You know, we.
Speaker B:We love and hate to see it.
Speaker B:And so at first, my initial reaction was like, whoa, wait, what's happening?
Speaker B:Like, what the fuck is going on?
Speaker B:And then as soon as you take a step back and realize that this is a love letter to the romance genre and romance tropes and, you know, the romance reader, it is a tongue in cheek, satirical, really lovely.
Speaker B:Like, just, hey, these are all of the things that I love in romance, and I'm going to put them in my whack a doodle genre blend, because I want you, like, you guys to all feel seen.
Speaker B:And, like, as soon as that connected that, I was like, this is.
Speaker B:This is satire.
Speaker B:Like, this is intentional.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's fun.
Speaker B:Just, like, let loose and enjoy it.
Speaker B:And it was such a fudgeing trip.
Speaker B:It was such a ride.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Especially when you get to the epilogue, too.
Speaker A:And, I mean, we said we were spoiling it.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:It's like, Juni is writing this, too.
Speaker A:Like, so she's, like, embellishing, like, her life and what happened and throwing in all these little things, too.
Speaker A:So, like, that was fun to be, like, that perspective, too.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Because it connected all of the.
Speaker B:The little pieces back together.
Speaker B:And it reminds me of, like, the way that we would tell stories where you're like.
Speaker B:And then this happened.
Speaker B:And can you believe that this.
Speaker B:This happened.
Speaker A:And so they get kidnapped, they get, like, tied Up.
Speaker A:And Junie has actually read about escaping being tied up from her Romantasy book, of course.
Speaker A:And so they, like, escape, hotwire the car, and then end up in, like, a pay by the hour motel.
Speaker A:Like, which.
Speaker B:Hilarious.
Speaker B:But also, we do find out that Nico is actually in hot water with a mob box.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:Now, the reason, though, is because he tried to make a bet to save their family restaurant because the restaurant wasn't doing well, and he told Tay that he would take care of it.
Speaker B:And his version of taking care of it was, while golden hearted, extraordinarily misguided.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And then when they get to this motel, of course, the tropes keep coming.
Speaker B:Bring them.
Speaker B:Bring them to me.
Speaker A:Because they only have one room with one bed.
Speaker B:Only one bad baby.
Speaker A:And like, like you said, like, once you, like, kind of take a step back and go look and you, like, I was, like, looking for all the tropes or, like, just the fun little things.
Speaker A:And it's like, oh, I know this one.
Speaker A:Oh, I know this one.
Speaker A:I know how it's gonna turn out.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:And, you know, it's, like, cheesy and unhinged, but so self aware that, like, it makes it fun.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Like, while you're reading it, a hundred percent.
Speaker B:And then they get out of the motel, they're like, okay, well, what do we do?
Speaker B:So they take a train, and while Nico is getting food, a psychic comes up and gives Juni her reading.
Speaker B:I put a physic hold, please.
Speaker A:That's not psychic.
Speaker A:I spelled that wrong, right?
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, you sure did.
Speaker B:But I. I did say psychic, right?
Speaker A:Yeah, you did.
Speaker B:All right, let me find the psychic.
Speaker B:Listen carefully.
Speaker B:She's not going to repeat herself.
Speaker B:It says, quote, three men emerge from a shallow pool of damnation.
Speaker B:One is made of tree SAP and ink.
Speaker B:The second, hallucinations and the fog of the mystic.
Speaker B:And the third, flesh fire and the truth of the histories.
Speaker B:When the squatting bird chants twice, go forth to the fallacies of your heart.
Speaker B:Do not use your mind or your eyes to guide you.
Speaker B:Follow the moonlight of your heart.
Speaker B:Beware the goat dressed as a lamb.
Speaker B:Only then will you defeat the fool and the red painted maiden and land in the arms of the steady tide.
Speaker B:For what you seek, you hold in the marrow of your shrouded words.
Speaker A:What were your thoughts right after that?
Speaker A:Were you like, yep, this is how it's going to play out.
Speaker A:Like, oh, no, I just kind of move on.
Speaker B:I did this on audio.
Speaker B:If I went what I said what?
Speaker A:I immediately was like, oh, these are the Three men.
Speaker A:The ink and the.
Speaker A:Like, I, like, dissected it all.
Speaker B:I was like, I.
Speaker A:And then when they do that later, and, like, later in the book, I'm like, oh, yeah, I'm a salty girl.
Speaker B:Love.
Speaker B:Love that for, like, you and the riddle.
Speaker B:Because immediately, I think on audio, it was harder for me to, like, grasp what was being said.
Speaker B:There was, like, shrouds and mystics and fog.
Speaker B:And I said, slay.
Speaker B:I'll figure that out later.
Speaker A:But then they get off the train, and they realize that they have no wallets, no IDs, no money.
Speaker A:That the psychic probably stole that from them.
Speaker A:Because Juni closed her eyes while she was getting the reading.
Speaker B:She had to absorb it.
Speaker B:You know, she had to sense it.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:But Juni does remember that one of the salty girls lives in New York City.
Speaker A:And Juni just mailed her something, so she remembers her address.
Speaker A:And so they venture there.
Speaker A:And angel is hesitant.
Speaker A:They're like, who are you?
Speaker A:But then they end up walking them, welcoming them into their home with warm arms.
Speaker A:And surprise, surprise, some of the other salty girls join them for dinner.
Speaker A:And it's how I imagine, like, dinner with all of our bookish friends.
Speaker A:Like, we all got together, like, all of our online friends.
Speaker A:It's like, can you imagine?
Speaker B:One day?
Speaker A:One day, yes.
Speaker B:But, yeah.
Speaker B:So they dissect the prophecy.
Speaker B:Nico's confused.
Speaker B:He's horrified and confused at, like, what's happening.
Speaker B:But then they go on the roof, and then Nico and Juni talk about what actually happened between them.
Speaker B:And so, basically, Nico's parents were, quote, unquote, like, faded from the day that they were born, but they had a nasty divorce, and that left Nico not believing in love.
Speaker B:So Juni's BFF when they were younger turned out to be racist, and she made fun of her.
Speaker B:And Nico offered to take her to the dance.
Speaker B:And so she was really, really excited.
Speaker B:And when he said, like, it's a day, you know, really cute, like, hey, it's a date, like, it didn't, like, fully sink in that he was, like, missing a, like, date.
Speaker B:Like, yeah, for real.
Speaker B:So he got extraordinarily drunk, like I said in my theme lyric.
Speaker B:Was upset about his parents, and he didn't pick Juny up.
Speaker B:But here's what happened.
Speaker B:Here's what happened.
Speaker B:This was the worst part of all.
Speaker B:Nico was so drunk that she saw him dancing with the racist front, and it shattered her heart.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And so then what Nico also doesn't remember is because he was so drunk, is that he said that she was delusional and living in a fantasy.
Speaker B:He apologized the next day, but he didn't realize, like, what he had done, like, the extent of it because he didn't truly have a memory about it.
Speaker B:And so he didn't realize the impact.
Speaker B:However.
Speaker A:However.
Speaker B:Then they hook up.
Speaker B:Brother's best friend.
Speaker B:Friends to lovers.
Speaker B:Years of pining.
Speaker B:Kind of like.
Speaker B:Like a Arrivals to lover situation, but like a one sided situation.
Speaker B:Because Nico's.
Speaker B:Nico's had feelings for her for a really long time.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:But then in the morning, stupid Junie Jr decides to go find this random man still inspired by break.
Speaker A:And Nico's like, seriously?
Speaker A:Now he's the one heartbroken, like, yep.
Speaker A:I was so pissed.
Speaker A:But I will say, like, my favorite chapter is the one that just.
Speaker A:The only thing in that chapter is I hate the third act conflict.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker A:And I'm like, me too.
Speaker A:Same.
Speaker B:Like, listen, I know it's necessary for plot structure.
Speaker B:I get it.
Speaker B:I understand.
Speaker B:We need conflict.
Speaker B:Intention to tell a story to the end.
Speaker B:But it will hurt my heart every single time.
Speaker A:I know.
Speaker A:Especially like this, because I'm like, no, Nico, like, he just, like, got Juni.
Speaker A:And I'm like, junior, idiot.
Speaker A:We just got there.
Speaker A:But so she essentially goes to stalk Ryan Mare, who inspired Reich.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:This was also cuckoo.
Speaker B:But then I realized it's just kind of like a.
Speaker B:A reverse situation of one of those, like, dark stalker rom coms.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Or like, you know, if, like, Harry Styles was, like, in town, I might.
Speaker B:Yeah, I did used to, like, oh, One Direction's at the hotel.
Speaker B:Like, let's go see if we can meet them.
Speaker B:But, like, this is, like, a real person.
Speaker B:This is a real person, you know.
Speaker A:And, like, not the intent that, like, Juni has.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Like, Juni has, like, this whole elaborate plan to, like, see if.
Speaker A:Yeah, he's actually her soulmate.
Speaker A:She follows him to a dive bar and sits down at the bar and is, like, talking to him.
Speaker A:And she's like, he's what I expected, but it's not what I needed.
Speaker A:Like, yes.
Speaker A:Like, after, you know, everything that happened with Nico, I think she's like, okay.
Speaker A:Like, there's a difference between fantasy and what I actually need.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:And so after then, she finally calls her brother, and Tay's like, oh, my gosh, I'm about to send the National Guard out for you guys.
Speaker B:Like, where are you?
Speaker A:Blah, blah, blah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Like, I haven't got a hold of you.
Speaker A:Juni's like, yeah, well, Nico's, like, going to visit his one friend that he hooks up with.
Speaker A:Randomly in New York City.
Speaker A:And Tay's like, what?
Speaker A:He's visiting his mom.
Speaker B:I love that so much.
Speaker B:And also, I.
Speaker B:One of my lyrics, too, like, kind of ties into this, like.
Speaker B:I don't know, this moment of, like, realization where it just says, like, stand there like a ghost shaking from the rain.
Speaker B:She'll open up the door and say, are you insane?
Speaker B:Say it's been a long six months and you were too afraid to tell her what you want.
Speaker B:Like, as we realize, like, the real reason that he's here and the real reason that, like, he's been holding out hope and all this stuff, I just thought that that was, like.
Speaker B:I don't know.
Speaker B:This song is such, like, a. I just loved it for this.
Speaker A:I know one of my lyrics, too, that I was going to talk about earlier when they were, like, talking on, like, the roof.
Speaker A:I think he says.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:He, like, tells her that, like, she is love.
Speaker A:Like, that he doesn't really, like, believe in love, but, like, she's love or whatever.
Speaker A:And there's a line in the song that's like, never met no one like you before you had to make your own sunshine.
Speaker A:But now the sky is opalite.
Speaker A:So it's just like Nico telling her that she's love.
Speaker A:And he might not believe in love, but he believes in her.
Speaker A:And that's like making his own sunshine, making his own love.
Speaker A:And that's what turned the sky opalite.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:Now, one thing that we left out here that I do have to bring in, like, right now, as we're getting through the end, is that we find out that Nico not only picked up her favorite book while on the trip and was reading.
Speaker B:He's been reading her writing and her fan fiction for years.
Speaker B:For years.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Secretly been absorbing it for years.
Speaker B:He knows all about her weird fanfic quirks that she was so afraid to, like, share with anyone.
Speaker B:And he, like, references something very specific, and she's like, how the do you know that?
Speaker B:And I just.
Speaker B:That is, too, to be seen as to be loved.
Speaker B:Like.
Speaker A:Yep.
Speaker B:I just.
Speaker B:Oh, it melted my heart.
Speaker B:I loved it so much.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And I think that also ties into one of my other lyrics, too.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:But it's.
Speaker A:You couldn't understand it, why you felt so alone.
Speaker A:You were in it for real.
Speaker A:She was in her phone, and you were just opposed.
Speaker A:And I feel like this is like Nico talking to Juni, too.
Speaker A:Like.
Speaker A:Like, you can understand why you felt so alone because you were looking for Reich in your book.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And, like, Ryan Mayer was just Like, a pose of this, but, like, that's why you felt so alone.
Speaker A:Like.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And kind of like what you said.
Speaker A:Like, I, like, Nico saw her and, like, saw that side, and Juni couldn't understand why she felt alone.
Speaker B:Because of all that.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker A:But then they go and leave Nico's mom's house.
Speaker A:And the lackeys find them, the ones that kidnapped them from the Red Jack.
Speaker B:And they have the shrug with them, you know?
Speaker B:And Juni plays dumb and they underestimate her.
Speaker B:And then she beats them the fuck up.
Speaker B:The salty girls appear, live stream the whole thing.
Speaker B:The prophecy, like, comes true.
Speaker B:She realizes, like, what the prophecy is.
Speaker B:And Hannah already mentioned this, too.
Speaker B:But then we get to our epilogue, which is Junie is writing a story, presumably the one that we just read, and, you know, embellishes the truth a little bit.
Speaker B:But then Nico and Juni live happily ever after, which ties into my last lyric, because this is kind of a repetitive song, but it just says, I want you for worse or for better I would wait forever and ever broke your heart I'll put it back together I would wait forever and ever and that's just Nico finally getting Junie to realize that she's the reason that he's there.
Speaker B:He made up a girl.
Speaker B:He's wanted her for years.
Speaker B:And now they get the chance to be together.
Speaker B:I don't know.
Speaker B:I just had so much fun with this.
Speaker B:Like, this was just like Iman said, not only in her.
Speaker B:Her author's note was one of my favorite author's notes that I think I've read in a fiction book.
Speaker B:Because she talks a lot about not only just, like, the Love Letter to Romance, but the disparity in actual, like, education, like, women's sexual education, and, like, lack of autonomy over bodies as we grow up.
Speaker B:And just, like.
Speaker B:I don't know.
Speaker B:I really just had.
Speaker B:I had such a blast with this one.
Speaker A:Me, too.
Speaker A:My last lyric is.
Speaker B:This is.
Speaker A:It's kind of a long one, but.
Speaker A:Yeah, this is just a storm inside a teacup, but shelter here with me, my love Thunder like a drum Life will beat you up, up, up this is just a temporary speed bump but failure brings you freedom and I can bring you love don't you sweat it, baby and I feel like that's the stuff they had to go through.
Speaker A:The kidnapping, Nico's parents, divorce, stolen wallets.
Speaker A:All of those, like, temporary speed bumps kind of brought them to that love.
Speaker A:And just, like, don't sweat it.
Speaker A:Like, we got this together.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And that was Female Fantasy by Haririkia and just like I said, what a delightful adult.
Speaker B:Delightful.
Speaker B:What a delightful romance read.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for turning the pages with us this week.
Speaker A:Be sure to follow us on TikTok, Instagram, Patreon and join our newsletter to keep up with everything on the other side of the page.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:And please, please, please drop a review and a five star rating of the podcast on your preferred platform and share it with your bookish besties.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:And next week we are talking about Isn't It Obvious?
Speaker A:By Rachel Runya Cat.
Speaker B:Yes, we will have a blast talking about love between a podcaster hello.
Speaker B:And her editor on February 18th.
Speaker B:So forever and always keep reading with kindness.
Speaker B:Bye everyone.
Speaker A:See you.
