Latest / Cait & Court's Cozy Corner: Romance Readers / Let's Talk About: Into The Blue by Emma Brodie
Transcript
- Caitlin Stryker: I'm Kate. Courtney: And I'm Court. Welcome to Kate and Court's Cozy Corner Romance Readers. Caitlin Stryker: This is a podcast for lovers of romance and romanticy books who want to go into all the salacious details and give romance books the respect they deserve. Courtney: we like to say when people say you don't need spice to make a book good, well you don't need running shoes to run, but they sure fucking help. Caitlin Stryker: And you know the drill, like and subscribe wherever you listen to our podcasts. Court: Book Hi. Cait: Exactly. Hi. Welcome back to Kate and Court's Cozy Corner. we are so excited to be talking today about a book called Into the Blue by Emma Brody. Wow. I think this might be my top read of all the books we've done so far. Court: Into blue. my gosh. 100%. Like my top read, one of my top reads of all time, and I'm not even saying that lightly in the romance, like it is just so good. Like I more than I ever expected. I put it off. I'm not gonna, we're not gonna go into spoilers for a bit, so don't worry. but I did know it is known like as a sad girl summer romance. Like it's like sad girl read, which I tend to stay away from and we tend to stay away from because who wants to be sad when you can read romance? Cait: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Court: But this is a sad girl romance in the best possible way. This is the ones that people flock to for a reason. Cait: In In the best way. Yeah. And it's like 'cause yes, our w our friend and fellow producer Holly had read it and she was like, my god, I was sobbing, but it's like so good. And I was like, Okay, you know, and a little nervous and you like you said, you had heard like, you heard from a few people like this was pretty sad and I was like, god, what are we getting into? But then I'd also heard and then I heard like, it's you know, it deals with actors and everything and obviously like that's Court: Mm-hmm. So many people. Cait: Court and I both of our background and and Holly and everything too. And she was like, Yeah, but in and kept me like, but in a real way, like in a way that feels like good, not like cheesy, 'cause a lot of times right. Court: Yes. Let's well let's get into that. So let's do a mini synopsis of it so that we can really dig into because I think that's what makes a part of what makes this book so good is that view. So basically this book is about two characters. There are a million characters in this book, to be honest, but the main two are Noah and AJ. Cait: Yeah. Yes. Court: And they meet as teens. AJ is seventeen, sixteen, seventeen, and then Noah is a bit older. I think he's twenty, nineteen, twenty, twenty when they first meet. Yeah. Cait: He's nineteen twenty. Yeah. They're that awkward age to like meet at. You know, it's a small gap. Mm-hmm. Court: Yes, like she's a little too young for him to make a move on yet. Like it's too much of an age gap at that age to be like deemed o appropriate at the time. But they work at a video store together. That's kind of like how they first get thrown together. And her favorite show of all time is this old, kind of like a Carol Burnett kind of show, but in like a space setting. So like an improv Cait: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Court: show but within a setting is basically which I'm sure there's one that exists. I couldn't think of it and I should have looked it up before this, but some kind of show like that. Cait: Can't think of one but it's called Astronauticals, the sh the fictional show. But like the real show, I couldn't think of anything that was sort of like but maybe there's something culty that's like going over our heads. Yeah. Yeah. Court: Yes. Yeah, exactly. Something we just don't know yet. But basically, yeah, like it's an improv show in a space setting that was her favorite, and she watches it at the video store. And he is the nephew of one of the two main characters of that show, his aunt. Eldorora. Alora? Adora, thank you. This is gonna be a rough one for for names, guys. There's a lot of people in this book. but I do know AJ and Noah. Cait: Mm-hmm. Udora, youdora. There are. Yes, they're really the key players. They're the key ones we're concerned about. Yeah. Court: So, you know, and then I'll kind of give ex But anyways, he's her nephew. And her brother, who's the same age as Noah, is a huge Dungeons and Dragons master and like culty geek stuff, generally speaking, is like you should at that's Mike. Yes, her brother Mike, who knew AJ from school. Cait: Yeah. Yeah. And that's Mike, right? Yeah. Court: says to her like an AJ's been away. He was away from like he graduated high school, went away, and just came back to town. No, my god, Noah. I've got this. Cait: Noah. Noah's been away. Noah's been away. Mike and Noah were in the same grade in school. AJ here's where there's all the names. AJ has like five siblings. So that's chaotic. And then we get into later where we'll go. Then there's a bunch of other like players, you know, and that's another, yeah, yeah. Court: Yes. Yes. Yeah, which we got too, but yes. And AJ. So AJ stands for Amy Jade? Ashley Jade? Ashley Jade. Which she's never gone by sh which I don't blame her. AJ is a much better version of that. so she Mike is like, yes, all things and Noah has been away since high school and just come back. He went to the military and he's just come back to town and his family's kind of like a bigger story than life. And so this is when AJ's first getting to know him, and they Cait: Ashley Jane. Yeah. Court: Go to this meeting with Mike. I can't remember why Noah goes with AJ to the meeting, but they're there. And then Noah kind of hints to AJ, like, we could ask my aunt. Mike's like, ask your aunt if she'll come to this panel. It would bring so many people. And then he's like, sure, we could ask. And so that's how AJ and Noah find themselves going to his aunt's house, this huge mansion, this old mansion. And she's this like old other New York actress. Like Cait: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Court: Whatever you would picture in your hair in your head of someone sweeping in, always looking fabulous, always talking about the work and the art, that's her. And basically she strikes a deal with them saying, Okay, I will come and do this panel for you, but you have to show up here every day this summer and act with me. Basically, I'm gonna put you through this improv training every day this summer. At this point, AJ has never acted. but Noah, she's always thought I'd have skill. She has them. Cait: In Green. Court: Read, cold read, Romeo and Juliet together. A scene from Romeo and Juliet together. And it like sparks something between them intense and the aunt is like, yes, we are gonna do this every day this summer, and I will do your panel at the end of the summer. And that's kind of the setup of the book. So starting there, because we're gonna slowly go through it because there is so much to this book. But I do believe, like Emma Brody, writing about even just the improv, the training they do that summer, they're there every day, and they start with like Cait: Mm-hmm. That's the setup. Yeah. Yeah. Court: Little improv exercises, the hi, hi, hi, hi, hi, hi, hi, hi, hi, hi, hi, that you do that use the same word to have a conversation. So you use it and you get different tones and different actions, and that makes you play with each other and end up having a conversation using one word. And it's really fun. Kate and I have both done improv stuff and played with it. But to read someone that's done it, that describes it and gets it is a gift. Because I stay away from actor romances generally. They're not usually my thing. I they're they're hard to read, they're cringe. Cait: Yeah. They're super cringe 'cause they're so cheesy and it's like yep. The the industry is not like that at all. Yeah. Yeah. Court: There's a part that's like so cheesy, and someone's dream just comes true, and you're like, okay, great for them. But like, it doesn't help me escape from my life. Reading about someone else's imaginary success with everything so easily. so I tend to not be drawn to them. No. No. Cait: Yeah. No. Yeah, which is just not true for anyone in the business. It's not true for anybody in the business. They present it that way because that's what people want to believe. That's the like the money story. Nobody wants to know how much work an entertainer puts into their job. Like that, that's a turnoff. But but it's really annoying then when you are in the entertainment business in any facet and you read these books and you see these stories and you're like, that is such a lie. You know what I mean? And it just like Court: Yes. Yes. Yes, exactly. It just pokes holes and you're like, I can't escape right now because I'm seeing so many things that are wrong or like would never happen. But this doesn't do that. Like this is kind of primarily ends up kind of being about two actors. I mean, AJ takes a different style with her career, but it really is about that, but it's done in such a grounded and real way that even for me, I'm like, this is one my husband should also read. Like this is a Cait: Yeah. Just doesn't happen that way. Mm. Yeah. Court: romance it's a fiction book, it's a romance, but it's one that can go across audiences. It's definitely one you can read with your partner that likes reading. It's just a good book. Cait: This is the thing. So it's a good book. It's very well written. It's it's it's almost written a little bit more in the literary fiction style than in the romance style. it's more of a literary fiction with a romance, yeah, with a romance angle. and so that's where I when I finished this book, I was like, I can recommend this to so many different people who Court: A hundred percent. It is a literary fiction. Like that's where it lives on the shelf. Yes. Yeah. Yes. Cait: read in so many different genres and especially for people who are like, I'm not really into like romance. And I'm like, okay, I get that. Like romance romance books have a very they have a particular candor, a particular type of sort of like arc and level of reading style and all of that that's like, okay, that's fair if that's not your thing. But this one is one that's like a literary fiction book with a romance angle to it. Court: Yeah. An arc. Cait: that I would highly recommend across the board, even if you're not an you know, I mean there's definitely an appeal because we're in the industry and this represents it so well. But I think even if you're not, this is such a good look into something that you might not know. And it and it actually does have like total S N L there's an S N L storyline later on, which is fun. Court: Yeah. Yes. So there's an SNL storyline. So they have like post-the strike or COVID strike. Which listen, that this part, even alone, that Kate and I went through this from the strike, when COVID happens, like the industry changed. So they basically, at this point, she's taking improv classes. They've gone their separate ways. So they, okay, little this isn't a spoil, this is like beginning, but they basically do this stuff together all summer. They become inseparable. They are like soulmates. They they transcend This level of improv that they can actually pick up and become attuned to each other's emotions and what they're feeling. They get that connected. They work that many hours together. They get that feeling. And listen, like I've never gotten to that with someone, but I have had those moments in improv where you're doing like you're saying a word to each other and respond and respond and all of a you're saying the same words and you can just do it and you get in this like place and you're literally just saying the same words to each like you find that place of each other that you're just existing in this plane. This is a much deeper version of that that I obviously have not found. Cait: Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Court: I wish I did. Maybe. I don't know. It's very they're very in tune to each other's feelings. They like feel it come at each other. But his aunt had that with her late husband, and that's they wrote this improv script. So the end of that summer, he disappears again. He's gone. He leaves no explanation. He's just says he has to go. Cait: Mm-hmm. Yes. Which we get a little hint that that's gonna happen because the book actually opens further in the future. So we're not giving you necessarily a spoiler yet, because you start in the future and then you go back in time to win their kids. So you know at this point, you like you know something's gonna happen and you know that it's gonna be Noah that like somehow disappears. So when that happens, you're like, Okay, that's where we are. And then you're in with AJ in her life and she's Court: Yes. Yes, the book opens in the future. Yes. Yes. Cait: training at U C B and she's, you know, she's kind of like, okay, like I acted with Noah but like I'm not an actor. Like she didn't want to go that path. Yes. Court: Her dream is to be a writer. She wants to be a writer, not an actor. That's always been her thing. But yes, she kind of fell into that with Noah. She was very good. But then when Noah disappeared, his aunt kind of like downplayed her abilities. Like, even though she was gonna give her a recommendation letter to Juliart, yeah, pushed her away, was like, I'll still give you a recommendation letter. And she's like, No, I'll do this on my own merit. Thank you very much. I don't need your recommendation. And she's now used to be doing that underground world. Cait: Mm-hmm. His aunt pushed her away. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Court: And basically the actor strike happens, and this producer from a show comes and is like, We're doing this showcase because he's casting people. Because basically, the strike happened, so now they have to like make this show non-union on a set. They're looking for improvers. And this would happen. Like, we saw some crazy stuff happen after COVID and strike. Like the industry always wants to keep going and they find these loopholes. I was I was on set for COVID and Cait: The writer's strike, yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. They always find a way. Court: You had to have tests between times. But Canadian actors and American actors had different time frames, which within which you had to have your tests back negative. So at one point, on the show, the Americans weren't allowed on the Zet. So just the Canadians were, and we had like stand-ins of Canadians trying to shoot those angles to keep the day until like two o'clock when the test could come back because it got so backlog because so many shows started up and the labs couldn't keep up with it. And then at one point, Cait: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Court: Hair and makeup weren't allowed to touch us. So then we're like standing, they were just like standing back with their masks with their shields and passing us tools and like, can you just touch just right here? And and then going back and shooting. And then like 40 minutes later, I was like, okay, we're all back. And then we're all going. And like everyone was back in the scene, and hair and makeup could touch. But like that's what happened. They never stop. Nothing stops production. They find these ways, these loopholes. So the idea of them going and just casting from UBC. Cait: Yeah. Yeah. Court: upright Citizens Brigade and like starting the show a hundred percent is something I think that would happen. Like it it's so perfect. And it turns out so Noah has become a famous actor in this time. He went and made a name for himself in Hollywood, and he's at this Imrop show. It's the first time she has seen him in how many years has passed? I think Cait: Yeah, absolutely. Court: Five or something maybe? Something around that. But and so she gets selected to be on this show with these other people that she's been at the is it UBC it's not UBC P, that's our union. what is it? Upright says UCB. UCB, my gosh. So many acronyms. She Yes, I know the full term, I just couldn't think of the letters in order. Cait: Five at least. Yeah. You see it. Yeah. Upright state of business agreed. Yeah. Court: One of those mornings. Anyways, she gets like she's they're just bringing me on as a producer because the main producer of the show, the guy that's gonna be like producing with the director, is someone she's been partnering with and they've been doing for a long time working with this company, making this non union reality show stuff. So he's like, We're just gonna have you there in the background. Like we just need you there so can keep the story going, jump in, like kind of thing. She's like, Okay. But really, it turns out Noah obviously picked her. Purposely and like has planned for her to be the big reveal love interest. And so we kind of spend these few chapters, like in this world of this improv show being shot in space, again, a space show, and then reconnecting through their scenes and then like kind of ignoring each other after. And it's this weird, it's not something you'd ever think of in a book, but it's perfect and done. Cait: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Court: so well and no one knows about her history with no one they're why are you so good at this and people are getting jealous and having feelings that also absolutely would happen and she's not asking for it she doesn't want to be the main lead but like there's not they're just drawn to each other they can't there's nothing they can do and they and they have a level of improv that people don't have so obviously it works on this show. but I want to say at this point one thing about this book that did drive me a little bit crazy is that there's no chapters. Cait: Yeah. Yeah. Yep. Mm-hmm. Court: There's no chapter numbers, there's no chapters. I hated it. Cait: See, I liked it because I I once I figured it out, cause they had breaks. There were these page breaks with a line. And so I was like, okay, those are my breakpoints if I need to like where I need to stop reading and move on. So for a hot second I was like, fuck no. And then when I realized that those lines were there and they were they were quick enough. Like they were it was quick tight. Court: Yeah. It's not it's not that. In the book form, it's fine. But on digital, you can't see that. So if you lose your page or you are, you have no way of going back. It's just in three parts. So as a digital book, it's awful. I'm sorry. That's my one critique, Emma Brody. I know you wanted it to be like a script and scene breaks. And I think that's really cool in theory. The digital book needs chapters. I think that's why. It's supposed to be like a script. But even that we have scene and page numbers. Cait: Yeah. Well that would be miserable. that yeah. Yeah, that would be awful. Was that the idea? Scripts don't work that way either though. No. I think it was Court: I know. I don't understand it. I really don't. It's my thing that I'm like, I I just like can we just it's a book. Give it chapters. Cait: I think I think it was probably so that it would sort of flow more like improv. I think is probably what that was. in the actual, but it does, but it does in the physical copy. Because in the physical copy, you're having breaks like that. You're also getting, hang on, I'm gonna find when we early on, you get these, these like lines here. So they felt Court: Yeah. It's something to do with the story, but it doesn't work in a book. Yes. Yes. Yeah, but I think these are like the main break things. Like books always have those little lines. I think those are them. But digitally, it Kate, it took me 25 minutes to find my spot because it slid and I could you can just go back. It's 200 pages. And you're like, I guess the parts is what the digital shows you. So, anyways, don't read this book on an on your app because you can't find your spot. Or please can someone update this so that digitally you can find your spot? This is torture. Cait: Set. digitally it would be a Yeah. That would be a nightmare. And then it had like parts, you know, like it had parts. don't read it digitally then, though. Yeah. That would be a that would be a huge issue. Like so in the the physical copy was was I found it easy to flow with. Once I figured that out and I knew where I was gonna whoops, take my breaks. I was okay, I'll look the books lewd out me. then I was like, okay, no problem. But I agree, when there's no chapter break or when the I also struggle sometimes when the chapters are extremely, extremely long in any book. You need to find a stot spot to pause, you know. like Court: Yeah. Yes, 'cause you need to find a spot. You don't need super long chapters. Cait: We all have jobs and families and you know, as much as we would all love to just be it's gonna fly at me it wants to be in the scene. as much as we would all just like love to be reading all the time. You y you know, you have to stop at some point. so no that would that would be a thing. But I just kind of went like, okay, this is like 'cause it's flowing. And it was wild as somebody who's like I've Court: Doesn't want to stay. Yeah. Cait: Done the full like route of training at UCB and like been on teams and like done the whole thing and I absolutely fucking love improv. I I was very impressed with how this like wrote out like scenes and improv because it's very esoteric to like grab onto and to like explain to write and then to write like they're in this astronauticals. Court: Me too. Yes, it's hard. Like I've I've never seen it written so well. Yes. Cait: So it's actually like a they kind of do a reboot of the astronautical show that AJ was always obsessed with for during the writer's strikes, they can't have writers. So and and then they're doing the show and they're actually like she's actually writing like the scenes and like how they're kind of like picking up and feeling and playing off one another. And it was so fun. I was like, my god, what a dream job, first of all, like so fun. Court: Yes, yes. So well done. Right? Cait: But so fun 'cause it really did make sense. Like even if you weren't in the business at all, if you've not ever done improv or whatever, like you would get what was going on because it was all about the internal monologue of the feeling. Yeah. And it felt like set. Court: Yes. Like set. It felt like set. She captured set. So I know, okay, so I know, like, there's a group of like 10 women, and we had all read this. nine out of ten loved it. The one that didn't, her feedback was like she felt like too many characters, no chapters, couldn't follow it. Like, it is kind of an ADHD nightmare, a little bit, the design of this book. And and I get that, but what I my Cait: Ні. Court: respond to that in terms of like when they're on set and there's so many characters for anyone reading this. That is literally the energy of set. And I feel like Emma was so in that world, like it comes across in the writing because there there are a million people and you bond super fast and you become closer than family. And then emotions get high and these big reactions that aren't normal, that wouldn't happen normally happen in these small time frames. Like you literally come together, they're like the most important people in your lives for a few weeks and then you don't talk again. Like that is what happens on set. It's like these mini summer camps. It's crazy. And we do it to ourselves over and over. But that's what the show was, and that's what these energies and everyone trying to figure out who's gonna get apart, who's getting attention from the director, who's getting this, who's getting that. It was very real and hard to capture in a book, and she did. I Cait: Yeah. That's the saddest part. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Court: amazingly well and say like I felt like I was back at Second City doing the Toronto training again. Like I just it immediately and I also looked at Jake I'm like, we should do improv games again. Like around the house. Like it totally made me like, let's just do this for fun while we're like doing dishes again. And like let's get back into that place. Yes. Cait: Right? Because they are so fun. This book also, I don't know if it was like on the back or or something I read about it before diving in, but somebody said, 'Cause we're about to this is my pitch if you f to get you to read it, if you haven't read it. Someone said, like, if you've read tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, then you would love this book. And I have to agree. If you like that book, like this book is in that vein, and I love tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. So Court: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yes. Cait: And I think other a lot of people did. And that's where it's like, this is so easy to recommend because this this really flows in that way, but brings in a totally different story. And so now we're gonna get into some spoilers and stuff because I wanna jump all over, but yeah. Court: Yeah, it's a huge book. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So if you haven't read this and you're listening, thank you. We love you. But also go read this book. This is one you need to read. I okay, so spoilers won't listen, it won't wreck it for you because I can fully admit I j read ahead because I knew everyone kept telling me it was such a sad book and such a sad book, and I can't handle it. I I can't. I read about halfway and I jumped to like see what the spoilers are, what happens at the end. I needed to know where it was going. So I spoiled myself before finishing the book, and I still Cait: Yeah. You c yeah. Happy Way. Court: Loved it. I'm just, I'm gonna be totally honest because I can't handle it. I'm not I'm I'm bad. Cait: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Court: I need to know I need to know what's gonna happen. I can't just like dive in. I find out the sex of my children as soon as I can. Like I am not a surprise person. I can't handle it. That's why I read so fast because I just need to know what happens. So but this isn't one you can just power through, like there's a lot to it. So I wanted to enjoy it and not be like on edge the whole time. So I spoiled myself. So all that to say, even if you want to hang out and hear the spoiler, you'll still like reading this book, but you should go read it. Cait: my gosh Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, there's much. Mm-hmm. Yeah. You should go read it. You should do yourself a favor and read it because like the tear the sadness I was having when reading it, it was it wasn't it wasn't like despair. It was just like depth of emotion, you know, and like heartbreak and these things, but also like, my gosh, like I love these characters and I love all the side characters and everything in it too, you know? Court: Yes. Heartbreak. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Cait: I was like, this is just so and I mean, I definitely found myself getting so annoyed with Noah as it goes on. Once we find out why he's pulled away from her, you know, why he why he took off when they when they were young, when they were like sixteen seventeen and twenty. and why he just left, you know, with no knowledge. And so his mom was sick. Court: Yes. Yes. Cait: And they didn't know what it was. And then they found out that it was Huntington's disease. And then he finds out through some testing that he has the genetic the genetic mutation for it. So like he has it basically. It's like a 50 50 chance. And so he knows, and this is wild too. I mean, this is where this book just goes into like so many things. So he kind of knows like where his life is going. And he's been like caring for his mom on his own because his dad's out of the picture. Court: Yeah. He's going to hunt it. Yes. He watches her right to the end. Yeah. Cait: watch her deteriorate to the end and he knows that's gonna be his end and he doesn't wanna put AJ through that, you know, because they have this incredible bond and he wants her to have Court: And also she visited his mom early on in her deterioration and had said to him an off side comment just saying, like, I couldn't do that Which stuck in his brain when he found it just to be a little bit fair to him, like that would stay in your brain that and him realizing he wouldn't want her to do it. Cait: Right. Totally. It would. And they were yeah, and they were both really young and it would stick in your brain as a thing, especially when you you know, you haven't like gone through more of life yet and all that. But but you know, that was such an offhand, like that wasn't she didn't have an emotional connection to his mom. You know, like that was her first time ever meeting. So of course that's gonna and also that's also her way of saying, like, wow, it's pretty amazing, you know, like what you're doing, this is so hard. This would be so anyway. so then it's He he makes the decision for her. And we've talked about this in a lot of these books, right? Like the guy makes the decision for. And he decides, right? He decides that that won't be her life. But it already is. And I I mean, I just like once I kind of under once I got like I was about halfway and I was like, or maybe three quarters, and I was like, and then I was crying because I was like, they've lost so much time together, you know? Cause I'm like Court: Mm-hmm. you boys, just stop. Stop deciding for people. Yes, that's the point. That part is the killer. Like they waste so much time with him trying to protect her when she's loved him. And she does, she gets a fiance, she meets she dates this really nice guy that he discovers on a night. She becomes a writer in SNL. He comes and hosts SNL. He kisses her on camera, on SNL, breaks the cardinal rule of going off script on SNL, and then comes to the after party, and Brian, her boyfriend at the time, shows up, which he has like forced her to do. And he and then he's. Cait: So much. She fries, yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Court: Happy that she's met someone, but like heartbreaking and he's dating someone on like all of it. Whenever she'd see him dating the model who it turns out like they weren't still together, anyone he dates, I'm like, ugh, stop! Like you ugh, I hate it. I hate it. No, like stop. This isn't it always bugs me, but in this one, you're like, no, they are so meant to be together and she has so much love for him and would take care of him and isn't holding back. I mean, to be fair to him, she does Cait: Yeah. I know. Yeah. Court: Shy away from like she thinks she knows and she thinks that she is aware, but she really is hiding from it. She won't admit a lot of things until closer to the end. And I have to say the first time I read it, I didn't cry. I heard from everyone's like, I was sobbing, I was this, and I didn't, I think, because I knew it was coming out, I was like protecting myself. And then I reread again before we recorded this a little bit because I wanted to like, you know, I read twenty-five books a week. I needed to get like back into the mindset. And I was like, sobbing rereading. Cait: Yes. Yeah. Court: At this time. I was so emotionally there with them when they finally like connect after his aunt's death again. I was just like, ugh, this is so there's this scene, guys, Kate. When he finally gets to give her oral sex. After they've been through so much as Anne has died, they finally are truthful with each other. She tells him she never wants kids so much. And he goes down on her on the couch and he comes up. First of all, it's really hot. Cait: Yeah. Yeah. yeah. yeah. My God, we've been through so much at this point. Yeah. Court: Second of all, he comes up crying and he says like, I never thought I'd get to do and like cuts off like he never thought he'd get to taste her and that's something that's like been in his mind, which can sound crass, but like in their storyline it's like they'd slept together once at this point or twice. Cait: Yeah. Well they so they had the one night. They slept together like five times in one night, but they gave themselves one night at the end of Astronauticals. Court: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. One night at the end of the set. Yes, at the end of that, and then he pieced off again and was gone. And then into the blue, into the blue, the new show. They wrap it and they finally sleep together, and he has told her the truth about why he's gone. And then he's gone again for like a couple years again. They run into each other into each other SNL. She has her boyfriend. Cait: Sorry, at the end of Into the Blue. The new show that they do together is called Into the Blue. Yeah. Mm-hmm. I felt her heartbreak every time. Like her heartbreak every time he left and her depth of heartbreak, I was like I was so right there with her. And it was like I felt like I was going through a breakup every time. Which why the fuck if you hear this, you're like, I if I was listening to this right now, I'd be like, I don't wanna read this book. Court: Yes. Right? Which is I know, but for some reason it's worth it. It is worth it. I don't know why. It sounds horrible every time someone described it to me. But it's so good. Yes, you go on the ride. It's so good. Cait: I want to read it again. Like, I don't reread books, and I want to reread this book. Like, I want to start again tomorrow. Also, you know, and it's wild too, like the timing. It was, I mean, so they wind up putting up a play at the Helen Hayes Theater, which is one of the smaller theaters on Broadway. It's really great for for theatrical plays, like that aren't musicals. and Court: Yes. Cait: I was like reading this in the back of the Barrymore theater where Brad's doing his play right now, which is another one of the like small, intimate, like it's such a great theater to see a show because every seat is good. You know, it's Broadway size, but it's still like some of them are so big where it's just like but like these are intimate theaters. And so I'm like reading this backstage at the thing, and you know, both both my husband and I being actors and like all these like crossovers and things and like different things I'm going through in my life. Like Court: Mm-hmm. Yes. Like intimate Broadway. Yes, you're in a crazy place to be reading it. You're in New York. You're do like holy cow. Yes. Yes. I was thinking of you with that. I'm like, Kate's like l living a version of this right now. I mean you're not, you're in a happy relationship. He's not breaking up with you and he doesn't have honey tens, but you're like in immersed in the world in a crazy way. Cait: Like just like all of it. I was like, wow, this is Was like Right. Immersed in the world and also married to somebody, like if it were that, like he's very much so in Noah temperament, my husband. who is definitely who is sneaking around right now because he has to come in and like start getting ready to do the show. So if you hear anything in the background, it's because Brad has to like, you know, do his thing because he's gotta go do a matinee here. but so Court: Ha ha Cait: As we're as I'm like reading it and then even like even AJ's connection to acting and like writing and comedy and all this and like there's so many by the time we get to the end, I was just so glad with how it ended. I was like okay, like everything will be okay. Even when he's like 'cause he's like in his forties, you know, like men have a much longer career trajectory in the entertainment business as well. There's just more roles for them as they get older and there's less roles for women as we get older and that has not changed. Court: Even how it ended. You know, it's not well, well, and there's another catch-word. Here's the part that I think I just want to throw this in because it's something obviously Kate and I have become very familiar with. and I don't think people really get it. Like, aside from less rules, there's roles for women in the forest for Kate and I. We have auditions, they are there. But the problem is because there's less, all the women that we've also been working with and playing the best friend of and playing this to, and all these things through our career. Cait: At all. Yeah. Court: They also no longer have their leading roles. And so these smaller roles, these roles that are for women in the forties, especially if there's a meaty one, a great one, there are these lined up lineups of women that had been the leads that got to do these parts, that had been series regulars, movie stars, that are now also like, where's the work? What's happening? There's nothing to do. And they're doing all these roles that normally skate and I were built our career and really good at. So it literally not only gets less. Cait: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Court: There's just literally and there becomes a feeding frenzy. There's more women available to work in our interge and there's not as much work. It just literally is not even like you age out of the industry because you're no longer good or good looking or any of this stuff. It's just literally not enough parts to stay in it, which is insane. And i something I didn't even realize till we were in it. Like, we just it just stops existing. It's crazy. Cait: Mm-hmm. Okay. Mm-hmm. Yeah. It just stops. Yeah. It's really wild. And it's almost it that's not the case for men. There are because if you pay attention as well, there's lots of plays and movies and everything that are just male cast members and that's it. It's like ten men and a girlfriend. Court: Crazy town. No, it just stays. yes. So he's like, guess what? We've cast the most amazing men ever for this eight-person play. Come see them keep working, because we took this all female play, but turned it on its head and made it a male cast. Like it's literally, I'm just waiting for vagina monologues, all male, to get staged. Cait: Yeah. which all female play. Right? It's just it's a it's a numbers game. Anyways, and so like he says, you know, 'cause his his disease starts to really kick in in his in his forties, and he's like, Well, you know, I'm gonna get maybe five more years than most female actresses. And I was like, Yep, I feel you, but like forty-five, it's like gonna be kind of done for him 'cause how he'll degenerate, towards the end. But but then the Emma has woven all these other elements of real life, you know. Court: Yes. Yes. Cait: that pick up the s where that leaves off, where that like massive passion for him leaves off. Like they they finish and they have their independent production company 'cause Noah's not a little bit famous. He's like top five superstar off the top of your head, you could name them famous level. Court: Superstar famous. What an author. He wins an Oscar in the book. He is Oscar winning level. Cait: Yeah. And but he also and he comes from like family a family of like legendary performers, dynasty actor. Which I think also is where when you're reading this book, you're like, Yes, like that then tracks. Yeah. So you're like, okay, that tracks. Like that Court: Yeah. Dynasty. Yes. He's like Gwyneth Paltrow, like a male Gwyneth Paltrow. That yeah. Cait: i it makes sense. Like that's how the industry works. And then I loved even when they broke down like AJ's doing she's at one point I was like, Can we stop playing down the fact that she writes for S N L? Like that's actually incredible. Court: Was just this easy thing to get, like it's insane. She got on as a writer's SNL, she got her dream of that. it's incredible. Cait: Yeah. It's incredible, but they break down the finances of it, which I love because that's also very true. And it's like it's more of a glam job in the industry where it's like it's a great job that you could have and you could build more of a career off of that after and make some money. But like she's making like $85,000 a year living in New York, you know, which is nothing. and I was like, thank you for like not lying about how this actually works, you know, because Court: Yes. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Cait: people will read these books and they're like, my gosh, see it's so easy and look, everybody in the industry is rich and it's like, no, not at all. It's Court: No, that's why we say you gotta love it. You have to love your craft because there's very few people that actually get the money side of it. It's a lot of just it's a lot of doing it for the love and no return. Cait: Yeah. Yeah. So then, you know, the all these other characters. So we we go through and and they have their, you know, like they're in their twenties and they're they're both rising up in their careers. And then we have AJ's family the entire time. And they're such a like there's such a a grounding base because Noah's family is kind of wild, you know. I mean his dad's off doing whatever he wants, his mom is d dying of degenerative disease, and his aunt is this like Court: Mm. Cait: wild flamboyant, you know, amazing woman. And that's it. And it's very small and he's really on his own. And AJ's got this like kind of loud five siblings, you know, there are issues with the dad being a bit of being an alcoholic and there's and there's, you know, her twin sister has Down syndrome and mom is just trying to keep it all going and and and the the washing machine breaks. But like but it feels like such a real loving Court: Yes. Mm. Cait: family, you know, and her older sister is like kind of mean and everything. And then her brother, her brother Patrick, gets in this really tragic accident. And that's such a turning point because it's she feels like this is kind of like later in the book when it's been all about the career and it's been all about the heartbreak. And then it's like she's like, okay, now she's just like there for her brother and like trying to Court: Yes. There's a lot of dynamics happening. Yes. Mm. Real life happens. Cait: Well, family is has Court: Yeah. Cait: come around. And that storyline point, when it happened, when the accident happened, I was like, what is this thread that we're pulling on? And then by the time you get to the end of the book, it's like, that's the thread that brings Noah back in in a very real way. You know what I mean? And has like it kind of grounds. Court: Right. Yes. Cait: Both of them. they come back together again through doing the conventions to raise the money for the medical bills, you know. But I love Court: Mm-hmm. It was a really long smart way. Like it was a long game to get to that. Like what went with Pat, Brian, her fiance, her boyfriend, was there and like being a great fiance. But th she again wrote it in a way that you weren't you always knew Brian wasn't the right person, but she wasn't awful to him. But it was like it's hard to manage that and not feel bad for Brian or d you know, and they kind of resolve their they realize together like they just can't Cait: Yeah. Mm? He was a great guy. Mm-hmm. Court: be together, but she did give it a good fight and he was there for the family. And she ran into Noah in the hospital. Like it set up them reuniting. It set up the convention conversation, as you're saying, and them trying to raise money because Pat's bills become insane. And also, like she could have just asked Noah. He's a millionaire at this point. There's a small party just like that much pride. Like he has so much money, he has no family. He would never have cared. Cait: Insane. No, but it would be s but it would be weird. Like it would have shifted the dynamic of their it that even that, like even that moment when she doesn't just like say it there, I got it. Whereas sometimes like things like that will happen to a book, I'll be like, come on, just take care of it. But I was like, No, because the number of times he's broken her heart, really, and that he's pushing her away and all this stuff, she's kind of like Court: Yeah. Feel like he might have tried to behind her back though. Like I feel like he might have tried to just pay it or gone to Pat. Like I know he helps her by going to conventions. Yeah. Cait: But that's why he that's why he did it that way, because I think he also knew and he had that's also where you're like, they both do have this real love for each other. Cause yeah, he could have just found a way and walked away, but he he couldn't walk away, even though he kept walking away. And that was really and that comes back around again, you know, in the book and everything too. And that's when you realize and that's also where, you know, at a certain point I was like, Court: Yes. Yeah. Yes. Cait: They're wasting so much time. They're gonna be you guys can't fight this. Why are you fighting this? Like, yeah. Court: I know, they do a whole summer going to conventions and like they're to decide each other, but they're not together for into the blue. It's all these like hardcore called the Into the Blue, and they get money for every appearance, and the fans love it, and they're loving their story, and they're like growing together. It's so beautiful. And again, she's with Brian the whole time. And it is, it's I mean, it's not always they do connect, but you're like, this could have what it could have been. And he lies to her. He's like, my Cait: Mm-hmm. Court: Paulus wants me to do these conventions because people think I'm out of touch. Oscar, it's great for my image. She's like, okay, because she tells like, I'm doing these to raise money. He's like, me too. but it turns out, of course, as we know, he just did it. He rearranged, canceled movies to like go do these conventions so that he could spend the time with her. But we do get at the end when they're together and they have the like the pre end, they're like after the funeral hookup, he admits all these thoughts and feelings. We get to hear his side of it through his own experts, which I loved. Cait: Yeah. Yeah. Mm. Listen, that whole part is like wonderful. And they have this wonderful time at the sum at that his aunt's house and they're in the Berkshires, you know, which is where like she lives and everything. It's just like beautiful, like countryside New York. It's all stunning. And they have this great summer and then it falls apart again, but in such a real way. Again. And you're like, and he pushes away again. Like, my God. And then I love how she comes up with the idea of like, okay, we'll put on this show. And he's like, Yes. And we'll lose twelve. Court: Yeah. Yeah, the plays Ant left for them. Cait: And then you're back at the beginning of the book and you're like, okay, but no, you know he's still gonna try and leave. And you're like, if he leaves, I will never like recover from reading this book. And then he does leave. And I love their performances and how they kind of are like playing it out. Court: Yes. So you know it's not gonna go well. You know he's still like fighting to leave. Yeah. And he does try. He does leave. They and she's devastated. so good. Her the writing, I mean the tool of using that, like Emma, listen, it she literally uses the 12 performances. If you haven't read if you have great it's she they go through both their perspectives. So like every time that it's AJ's turn to initiate the improv Cait: Mm-hmm. Court: She goes through some kind of scene of trying to make him see what it's like from her end, how she wants to be there for him, how unfair it is. Because his plan is to kill himself before the disease disease gets too far. He wants to be gone from her. His planned since he was a teen is he will end his life, end of life care before it progresses to the point that he's not himself anymore. And she's been devastated by this and it's like, I would stay for you, I would fight. And then he flips it on his head, keeps getting annoyed with her, and then he shows her how bad it really gets, which is also this hard. Cait: Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Court: Heartbreaking scene to read. Like that's this sh this book kills you. Like it, it takes you. But the romance, their love is so amazing. And and their sex scenes, when they are there, they are fire. Like it's still there. It's very much in the underlying of this story. Cait: Yeah. It kills you. Fire. So good. Cause it's and also it's so deep. And the journey to get there is really fun. Like it's not like your typical, it's not a slow burn. You're like taken on this ride, it's earned. Yeah. So by the time you get there, you're like, okay. Like you had fun getting there. Yeah. Court: And it's not even a slow burn, it's just like it's just earned. Yeah. And listen, Noah is hot. Noah is super hot. Hollywood star jacked, like dominant and the best, like the scene when he's decided at the end, like before they start the play, that he's like, we're done. He his airplane breaks his hands and he's like, we're done. And then she, he like forces her. Yes, she has sex with him on the couch, comes, and then he like gets off him and like wipes her mouth and is like, fuck you, and leaving. And then he just yells across, doesn't even yell, like just dominant is like, get on your knees. And that whole thing, and then just, ugh, such a good. Cait: Yeah. my God. Get on your knees. Yeah. Done. Done. Done. Uh-huh. Court: Scene. my gosh. Like, and Cait: Yeah. Court: just his way and you're in his brain, he's like in deeper and just trying to consume her and round into her and all their anger and their emotion and their love. Like, just it's like tactile. The way she wrote it. Like that she's such a good writer that she wrote the emotion, she wrote the acting, she wrote the like family dynamic, the job dynamic, the career, but also the romance, and then also the spice, the Cait: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yes. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Court: Like it's not even smut it's not the right word. The sex so Cait: The space is yeah. Court: well. Like it's it's incredible. It's an incredible piece of fiction, honestly, this literary fiction, because it covered it did everything at the same level, which is really, really hard to do. And Am I Brody did it. Like sh it's amazing. This book. my god. I I just it's gonna stay with me for so long. Cait: So well. Really is. Really hard to Yeah. It's so good. And then you get to the end and you get your you get your happy ending. Which I was I was like, how are we gonna get it? I mean Court: I well, it's kind of a it's a happy, it's a happy right now ending. H R N. So instead of happy ever after, this in our book world is called a happy right now because he is gonna die a bunch of like he is only gonna have five to ten years left. That part's still very real. But they're gonna be together. And he was still trying to do it apart from her. And she honestly, he walks out and she actually she can't leave. She she falls apart. Cait: Totally. Yes. That's very real. But they at least are together. Yes. Yeah. No what's that? She actually couldn't leave. She like physically couldn't Court: And she Cait: leave. Court: thinks about committing suicide. That's what actually gets her to start leaving the theater. She's like, okay, I'm gonna go too then. Like that's actually what her like action to go is like, then I'm not staying. Like she knows she's done. No matter how much he thinks he's protecting her, she's done. Like he's the love of her life. He's her other half, he's her soulmate. She doesn't want to be in a world that he's not, even if he's not with her. It doesn't it's past the point that walking away saves her from anything. Sh she's too emotionally there. Cait: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. It doesn't work. Mm-hmm. Exactly. Court: And then he's waiting for her when she comes out. And he's like, I was just trying to watch you leave the theater. And I thought, once she leaves, I can walk away. And he doesn't. Because he was waiting, because he was waiting though. He was waiting outside the theater to see her leave, and she doesn't because she's having her emotional breakdown. And catches her as she's crossing the stage. Like she is on her motion to leave. And he catches her. And that's when he's like, Okay, I can't actually walk away from you either. And we finally get them like. Cait: No, she he comes back in the theater. She doesn't leave the theater at all. 'Cause he was waiting. Yes. So he goes back in after a long ass time. Yeah. Yeah. She's like, I got it. Yeah. Finally. Yeah. Court: deciding to stay. She fought for him all summer. She fought for him then. And finally he's going to let her in. And she's also come around to like he will pr go the suicide route at some point. Like he doesn't want to stay. And she now understands it's not about leaving her. Yeah. Like he needs that. Cait: Yeah. She's reached a real level of understanding about it as well. Yes. And through and through her everything that happens with her brother's accident and the slow recovery for that. And then seeing like her brother's wife and and all of it. Yeah. yeah. No that. But I mean that she really kind of goes through this like thing where she's like, no, like that's like Court: And his improv. When he does that on stage, when he fully goes to the end to end and she realizes like Cait: Nobody knows. So he thinks that he knows how his life is gonna end and exactly what it's all and it's always gonna be that way. And then she realized she was like, Nobody really fully knows, and nobody gets to know. And that's like you don't we don't get to make those decisions, you know? which again is like another beautiful metaphor that like flows through this whole book. And it's kind of like too the the improv thing. It's like when you're improvising, like nobody really knows where it's going. But there's such an such a Court: That's true. Cait: a mirror to like life like that. You know what I mean? Like you can have ideas and plans and things you want and but it's the the best improv and like the best times in your life are when you just kind of like go with it. You know what I mean? Stop trying to force it to like be this. But yeah, just like say yes and like see what happens if you just keep showing up, you know? and just like being appreciative of where you are and everything. but Court: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Say yes, yes and Cait: That's that's where this book lands so well, I think, in that like yes, it's sad, but it's also got tons of humor. It's also really sexy, it also feels grounded and real, and then it also feels like elevated and fant and like you're living in a fantasy at some point. You know, like it it does all of it. No. Court: Yes. Yes. That's the you're not like sad the whole time you're reading. You're not just like in a depressed mode. You are going through emotions, but in a fantastic way. Listen, I hate sad books. I really do. It's not like what I want to do with my reading time. And this isn't that. It is a sad girl book, but it's not it's it doesn't destroy your life, sad girl. It just like gives you a gift, sad girl. Like it's a gift, not a depressing. Yeah, it I don't also explain, but yes, this should be in your sad girl summer. Cait: No. Yeah. It's not like depressed, sad girl. Yeah. Court: Reading list, which is honestly so many romances this summer. It's a very sad girl summer. I've been reading them across the board and it's like, yeah, that's just the vibe. You know, I I feel like it's been earned the world fair enough. There's a sad girl summer happening. Yeah, it's gotta come out somewhere. Cait: To just we can't escape. Yeah. Yeah. Everyone's going through it. So sometimes it's like it's just nicer to read something and be like, Yeah. Like, okay. Court: Yeah, fine. This is what's happening. This is what it is. the world, we're all a little s life is sad. It can show up in our smack books too, and our romance books and our literary fiction books. But I will what before we do our pumpkin spice ra rating and get out of here, I wanna touch back one more time because I think it's really interesting for you, as more of our literary expert and me. So you really even in the physical book. Cait: It's not just me. It's the vibe. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Court: The no chapters doesn't bother you. Cause I have a part of me that's like, why? And I wanna debate it, like, why are we redesigning what already works? Like I think there's that part of my brain, like books work, books have chapters. Like what do we need to just test it out? Do we need to go like, I'm gonna take that away and make it this to make it feel like improv? Like, does that need to happen? Cait: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Well, we're not So it's not a redesign. This isn't the first time though. Like the there there's old Court: No, I know, but it's still like a big one. Like it's still duh. I just hate it. Books have chapters. Books have chapters. Every book on my shelf, except for this one, have chapters. Cait: That's fair. I again because I read the physical copy and there were break marks that I could use, I was good. and you know, based off of Court: I wouldn't have ruined it to see chapter twenty one under that break mark. Cait: think again when what I said went back earlier, I think there was a there was a flow. There was a flow thing that she was going for that I do think she achieved. So but yeah, I think on this one a full hard like this is a new chapter would be like a full hard stop and we're like setting parameters on it. And I think what she's doing with this is being like, this is a go with the flow, right, babe. Like this is not their Court: Okay. Okay. Cait: This is a little bit more of an existential, you know, like a loose. Now, if I had been reading it, if I yeah, she's not cutting scene. If she's just letting the camera roll. If I had been reading this digitally and there had been no marker of anything or whatever, like you had it for a bit, that would have driven me nuts. Like cause then it's like, well, I can't just read continuously. You know, like I need to stop at some point. But yeah, this is more like, this is more like when you Court: Okay. I can see that perspective. She doesn't want the hard end. She doesn't want cutscene. Yeah, got it. Yeah, okay. Yes. Cait: You know, when you watch the Everybody Loves the Warner, the Warner's a big thing right now, right? And so this is like a wonder and there's there's something you get flow wise that you don't get when you have cuts. and I think that happens with the book as well. Yeah. Court: Yeah, yes. This is a wonder. Yeah. We still gotta stop. All right, well let us know if you're listening. Let us know your take. All right, if chapters or not with this book. Cause I hear I hear your point on the reading, but I still my age man like I can't. I I need I need to know. I need to know where I am in the book. I need it like I like to also know I mean she does have part one, part two, part three, which is you kind of know where you're at that way. But like it reminds me of Alchemiz, like Alchemiz has the three parts. Cait: Let's see what you're saying. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Court: But there's still chapters within those parts, so you know where you're at. I just okay, but I think I did it digitally. So that was my issue. There's only three parts digitally, and it really got frustrating. And I hate that because I love everything about this book. So but I hear I think you painted a good picture of why. Because you're right. It is very much you're just in their lives and there is no cutscene. There it is just a flow of things happening with them. You're just on for the ride. Cait: Yeah. That's a different story. Court: into the blue. So and into Cait: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Court: the t style of how they film the show, into the blue. It was very much just cameras always rolling. You're just going, you're diving in. Yeah. So Cait: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's what was go what she was going for there. And I think it was achieved. But yeah, so just I think we come away from this is read the hard copy of this one. Court: What? Read the hard copy That's what we come up with. Read the real book. Be a book vile with this one. And Emma Brody, you are amazing. I will read anything you write. You have made me a lifelong fan now. Cait: Yeah. This one. Yeah. This is amazing. This gets a this gets a three point five on the pumpkin spice meter for me. Court: yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's a three point five. I almost it's almost a four for me, but not because it's explicit, but but the feeling it gives you. I feel like the vibe is a four. The vibe when we get it is a four. The actual content is probably a three, three and a half, but the vibe is definitely a four. It's it's a juicy, spicy, like it's good. Yeah. Cait: Almost a four. The feeling is so intense. Vibe is a four. It gets you yeah. Yeah. It's so good. Do yourself a favor, if you only read one book this summer, this is the one you should read. In my opinion. Like this is Court: This one. A hundred percent. This one. This one and actually I'm gonna have to do this one and the one we're talking about next. Those are my two that I'm like you need to read this summer. Cait: I know. I know. I know. This is my this is my top. This is my top, top recommendation. Yeah. Yeah. All right. On that note, that is it for today's episode of Kate and Cord's Cozy Corner, all about Into the Blue by Emma Brody. Our main takeaway, you have to read it. You gotta read the physical copy. Court: Fair enough. Fair enough. Yes. Yep, get the physical and it's pretty. It's really pretty on your bookshelf. It's worth getting the physical. It's a recess pick. It's everything. Get into the blue. Yeah. Cait: It's it's everything. Yeah. You're gonna want you wanna read this one. All right. Have an awesome summer. I mean, I'm sure we'll we've got more books we're gonna be talking about, but it's it's summer read season. Yeah. Enjoy. That's what it is. Bye. Court: Ha ha ha. Enjoy the sun. Sad girl summer. Here we go. Bye. Caitlin Stryker: You know the drill. Be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to our podcast. Courtney: Thanks for tuning in to Kate and Court's Cozy Corner Romance Readers. Caitlin Stryker: Executive producers and hosts, Caitlin Stryker and Courtney Richter, producers, Kinesha Ngo and Holly Lebowski. Original music, Cassie De Silva.