The Words - Book Report

Hola Smut Gang, we are diving into one of our all time favorite books The Words by Ashley Jade. Dive into the world of Lennon & Phoenix with us and get ready to cry. 

Check your triggers, spoilers ahead. 

Live, Laugh, Mortal Trash 

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:07

Yo yo Smut Gang.

SPEAKER_01 0:09

Welcome back to Smut Syndicate. I am Charlie. And I'm Danielle. Today we are covering a book that is near and dear to our hearts. We are talking about a contemporary dark rock star romance. We're talking about Lennon and Phoenix. We are going to be talking about the words by Ashley Jade. I'm so excited.

SPEAKER_03 0:30

And I just can't have it. Yes, the words. Oh my god. Um, okay. I say this every time. But this time, this time I mean it for real. Okay. I think this is my favorite book. And I think Phoenix Walker is my favorite MMC. I think he might be a liar, but no, I mean it this time.

SPEAKER_01 0:54

This time I mean it for real. Okay, okay. Uh so this book is a thick boy. Yeah. It is very plot-heavy, and some of the plot in the story crossed over a bit with the choice, and I believe we'll cross over in the upcoming book, The Consequence.

SPEAKER_07 1:11

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:12

So we will give a brief summary, but we'll pass over it. Um, as always, do not rob yourself of the joy of reading this book. It is so freaking good.

SPEAKER_03 1:21

Yes, agreed, agreed. Um, a few quick shout outs before we jump in. Firstly, our narrators, Aaron Malone, Malone, Malone. I'm not gonna get names. All of those sounds great. Every, every, yeah, Erin. Erin. And she was our FMC Lennon Michael. Yeah. Man, killed it. She did. Killed it. And of course, Teddy Hamilton as our MMC Phoenix Walker. Ugh. It you're gonna see we have a sample that we're gonna play later. It's a very popular one. You've seen it on book talk. He just ooh nailed it. Yes, it is. Um, another hauler is to Ashley Jade's Angry Girls. This is a super loyal, super supportive, awesome group on the old Facebook. I have been a part of this for a number of years, and I just love it so much. Like, they're so supportive of Ashley. They like love that she's a new mom. They don't even care. Like, you know, they're just so supportive that she's like taking her time writing this book. They know that she needs to get this book right, and they are just always like active. And it's also one of the first times that I ever encountered an author chatting with the fans. And it was just, oh, it was so special. Like, so thanks, guys. Shout out. And if you're looking for like a good Facebook group to join, this is the one. Um, check your trigger warnings, lock in your seatbelts, spoilers ahead, away we go. So, Phoenix Walker, we meet him, he is the kid from the wrong side of the tracks, his mama left, Pops is a drunk, he blames everything on Phoenix, and he takes it out on him emotionally, verbally, physically. His dad, yeah, it's freaking sad. His dad had the same talent that he passed down to Phoenix, only his talent has been wasted on the drink. And that ain't gonna be Phoenix. He's gonna get out of this one horse town, and he's gonna become something.

SPEAKER_01 3:22

He's just gonna be a he's gonna be a somebody. You'll see one day. You'll see. Self-taught, no lessons. Thank you very much, Pop.

unknown 3:30

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 3:33

We meet Lennon Michael. Her mother has passed away, so it's just her and songwriter Papa, and he named her after one of his favorite songwriters, John Lennon. I absolutely love the names in this book. So original, they're so fun. Yes, I love it. Honestly, I love it. Um, Lennon is your average teenager. She is a bigger gal, she's size 18, she struggles with bullying about her size and about like being the smart girl. And she has one real shitty bully in particular, Sabrina. I gotta warn you, if you have ever struggled with weight or like bullying, this book is gonna destroy you. Yeah, it's gonna hurt your feelings. Oh my god. The first time I read this book, I remember just bawling through the majority of like their teenage years. So, like five stars, obviously.

SPEAKER_01 4:24

Obviously. It's like an emotional torture chamber for sure. Yeah, you're gonna feel a lot.

SPEAKER_03 4:31

You're gonna feel some stuff. All of it. Um she sees Phoenix in high school, and he's like the rocker bad boy, don't give a shit about nobody, nothing. He smokes, he's in a band. Like, he's my bae.

SPEAKER_01 4:47

Yeah, he is definitely somebody that I would have been into when I was in high school. Yeah, 100%.

SPEAKER_03 4:52

Like it's a good idea.

SPEAKER_01 4:53

I also think that I was like I was Phoenix Walker in high school.

SPEAKER_03 4:59

Yeah. Um and I was thinking about that too, and I was like, this kind of fully explains like why we're friends. So yeah, it does actually. You know, don't look into it. It just is what it is. It just is what it is. Um and so Lennon, again, she's a smart kid in school, so the English teacher has asked her to tutor Phoenix. He's having some trouble. We find out later that he has dyslexia and he's keeping it secret from everyone because he doesn't want them to think that he's just like the stupid poor kid from the trailer park.

SPEAKER_01 5:31

Like, ugh, so heartbreaking.

SPEAKER_03 5:34

It's so heartbreaking.

SPEAKER_01 5:35

But it's also like so real. Like he's so real. This is such a realistic thing that kids go through in different stages of their lives, and like having that shame associated to your class is like it's it's so relatable for so many people.

SPEAKER_03 5:50

Well, and that's why I really like it because a lot of times when you read something where there's bullying in it, you know, in a high school book, it's normally the love interest that is bullying them. No, this girl is being bullied by everyone else. Like Phoenix is actually like quite nice to her, everyone else is treating her like shit.

SPEAKER_01 6:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:07

And I think that's why Phoenix understands because like he's got a dad who's beating him up on the daily, and he's he only has him and one friend, his bandmate Storm, which again, badass name. Of course, his name is Storm, right? And they're gonna like leave this shitty town behind and move to LA and become somebody.

SPEAKER_01 6:26

Yeah, his his home life is horrible, and Lennon's school life is horrible, and they kind of like that has to be something that you immediately would be bonded to. Like you have this like trauma bond to this person, but for different reasons.

SPEAKER_03 6:40

100%, 100%. Um, so Phoenix needs Lennon's help to graduate, but we also find out a little bit more about Lennon and about what this bullying is doing to her and this, like, oh Ashley, why did you write this book? When she gets home from school, you know, we find like she's got issues with like not eating around people, she's like trying to starve herself, she's trying to lose weight, but she's also like really, really hard on herself. She's like her number one bully to herself. Yes, she's like taking a Sharpie and like writing all this mean shit on her body that people are saying, like hiding it, but also so that she knows that it's air, so she's like, you know, calling herself like fat and like pig and like it's so heartbreaking. Yeah, I it man, I cried a lot even I've read it probably like ten times. Yeah, I it doesn't get easier, like it doesn't get easier, but it feels good. Um and they really go through um like kind of some growing in the beginning, you know, like Phoenix is kind of a dick to Lenin, like just assumes, kind of in a nice way, in a nice way, in a nice way. Like he, you know, he's like, you have it easy, like you come from a good home, you have money, your dad loves you, you're smart, like you have all this stuff, and she's kind of like, bro, like you kind of have like the thing that I want. Like I want to be talented, you know, like her dad's really talented. He writes these songs, and you know, like music is like a thing that she again, this is rock star romance. Like, she wants to be a musician, but also like, bitch, my mom died. My life ain't easy, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 8:29

She has this like father who loves and supports her in such an insane, like involved way, and he is in the music industry, he is a songwriter, he's he works with these famous musicians, and Phoenix has a dad that beats the shit out of him, and he wants to be this guy that's just like Lennon's dad. Oh, and it's so opposite, but like yes, also, yeah, dude, like she's got problems too. Like, you're you're not the only problems, your problems are just different.

SPEAKER_03 8:55

Thank you, thank you. Um, so they're supposed to meet up for like one of their tutoring sessions, and she catches Phoenix banging banging Sabrina, the mean super bully, which number one, this is like the guy that she's crushing on. Yeah, but also you know, she's kind of like this Sabrina bitch is like she a real hoe. She makes fun in the school life of fucking hell. Yeah. Right? And she's like mean, and you know, like she's just she's a real I hate her. I hate her.

SPEAKER_01 9:27

Yeah, I hate her too. I hate her too. It's just a classic Sabrina move to just be that girl.

SPEAKER_03 9:33

Yeah, yeah, right. And so like Lennon catches them finishing up and she gives Phoenix shit and she's like, I'm not hurt because of my little crush. I'm hurt because you're banging my tormentor, and we're supposed to be friends.

SPEAKER_01 9:46

Oh. Like, I literally hate how this book makes me feel, like, especially when it's like their kids and they're going through these insane growing pains because she she is she is bullied relentlessly by people, yeah, but she never questions her worth publicly. Like, yeah, she goes home and she writes all this horrible shit on herself with a Sharpie, but she's always standing up for herself because nobody else is. And that's just so sad.

SPEAKER_03 10:12

It's so sad, it's so sad. And so then, like, Phoenix tells her, he's like, I I won't bang Sabrina again. Like, I, you know, I want to be your friend, like, I won't do it again.

SPEAKER_06 10:24

Like, oh damn right you won't.

SPEAKER_03 10:27

Right? Like, don't do that to me. And so uh she buys Phoenix a reading pen, which I didn't even know that these were things. Yeah, like this is so cool, it's so cool, and you know, to help him so that like when he goes over because he's not okay, so the thing is he has this big fear that people just see him as like trash and that he's stupid. But the and she like really champions him and is like, you're not stupid, you suffer from this, like you have dyslexia. It's not there's nothing wrong with you. This isn't just jumble the words, and she's like, when I help you and I like read the stuff to you, you get the answers right. And she's like, you know, he's really worried because he's like, if they find out that I have this, they're gonna make me stay. And I cannot, like, my dad is beating the shit out of me. I cannot stay. I gotta go. I got places to be. We've got a life in LA, like he's saving all his money for this. Like, I've got dreams, and it's not just my dreams, it's also like Storm's dreams. Yeah, and so she goes and tells all this shit to the teacher, and like kind of guilts the teacher, and is like, you know, you said you wanted me to help him, you're and you're gonna hold him back. Like, girl, don't do that. And so she's like, it's all your fault. He can take it, he can use it, he can like take the final with the pen.

SPEAKER_01 11:41

Yeah, she is literally such an angel. Like, you know that Phoenix being her first real friend has opened up this part of her even more, and she is so sweet. And the fact that he took a chance on her as a friend, it's just like it's so wholesome. They're like polar opposites in every way, but not, but like socially, yes. And yes, yeah, he takes a chance on her, and she's taking a chance on him, and it's just so bad.

SPEAKER_05 12:07

Just so beautiful. I just love it so much.

SPEAKER_03 12:10

Um, so his little band that he has with Storm is called Sharp Objects, which again, the names, like where did she get these?

SPEAKER_01 12:18

I feel like she listens to a lot of the used.

SPEAKER_03 12:21

Yeah, yeah. She might be the used girl. She might be. We gotta find out. Um, and he says it's because they have a tendency to cut and hurt people, so the name fits so edgy in there, right? Like, yeah. Um, and Lennon tells him, like, I write songs, like, and he's like, Okay, well, bitch, sing it to me.

SPEAKER_01 12:44

And it's so funny because he calls her groupie, like, that's the nickname that he gives her throughout their entire relationship, yes, friendship, everything. Is he he calls her groupie all the time, and like she's also writing music, like she's not just hanging around you because you're in a band.

SPEAKER_03 13:04

She also loves the magic of music, and you know what? You are right, like, she must be listening to like the used or something that's got like this crazy emotion. Because for a rock star romance book, normally you get one and it's like, oh, rock star, you know, he money, he's just like famous people like him. But this is actually a collection of people that love the music, that love the performance. That's like these are musical baddies, you know, like it just it's musical baddies, musical baddies. Um so of course, she sings and he loves it. She has a gift, he's instantly just like turned on, like Lenin, which like get it, girl.

SPEAKER_01 13:52

Yeah like absolutely so much, and even Storm is like noticing, like, Phoenix, you kind of you're down bad. And he's like so delusional that he's denying it, and it's just like such young teenage love.

SPEAKER_04 14:07

I know.

SPEAKER_01 14:08

I love like get your head out of your ass.

SPEAKER_03 14:10

No, but I love it, I love it so much because again, like he also doesn't want to get tied down, like he, your boy going. He gotta get out of town.

SPEAKER_00 14:18

Like staying here.

SPEAKER_03 14:19

I can't stay, we can't be together. Um, he ends up taking the test, he passes, and when he comes out, he kisses Lennon and there's time. Get it, girl! Get it, get it, get it, girl. And he like freaks out because he's like, Again, you know, I I'm supposed to be leaving. Like, I didn't want anything. Just friends, we're just friends, and he avoids her. So, like, he just like bolts and then avoids her. Flash forward like a few weeks, they're graduating. Thanks to Lennon, like, sir, I deserve that tongue.

SPEAKER_07 14:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:54

Also, Storm's grandma is like the only adult that supports either of these boys, like Storm or Phoenix, and her being like the only adult at this graduation supporting him is so heartbreaking. Like, his dad doesn't show up to this graduation that he shouldn't have even been at. He wasn't supposed to graduate, like, Lennon helped him do that, and like he still doesn't have anyone there to support him, and it just makes me so fucking sad.

SPEAKER_03 15:17

Well, and especially like a lot of times, uh, and I am like a huge believer of this. I think that one of the hardest things to do in life is to graduate school. Like, high school is the hardest time. You have all this bullying, you have like, you know, and especially, man, I can't even imagine what it'd be like now with all the social media. No, um, horrible. There's no way.

SPEAKER_01 15:42

I didn't even make it through high school when we didn't have social media, right?

SPEAKER_03 15:47

Like, you know, it's just going through all of that, but then also he's dyslexic, he's not understanding the tests, he has to and he's from like the wrong side of the tracks, you know. Like he's got like his looks and like his talent going for him, but when you're from like the poor side of talent, like anything that people can pick on and like pick apart, oh my god, it just adds like a whole new element to it. Whereas, like, as an adult, people don't give a shit. People don't like they don't care what kind of car you drive, they don't care where you live. Like, they're like, oh hey, what's up? Like, and the people that juice care can those people are insane. They're insane.

SPEAKER_01 16:23

If that's something you genuinely have concerns over about other people's choices, like get a hobby, take up knee. You need to work 40 hours a week.

SPEAKER_03 16:31

Yeah, that's what's going on. You need to like turn off the social media and you need to work 40 hours a week. Exactly. It'll give it'll take away your free time. Um, so she's like keeps texting him, but he's not responding. And she's like, Okay, like, you know, she's like, Hey, congratulations! Like, you graduated, that's awesome. Um, she got invited to this graduation party, and in her mind, she's like, Okay, like I know I got invited to this, but like this is my last chance to like see these people. We did it, like, let's go out with a bang, even though like a lot of people weren't nice to me. I'ma get dressed up nice, I'm gonna wear something cute, and I'm gonna go to this party and like leave this town. Cause she also has plans in her life. Like, she's gonna go to Dartmouth. She's like, you know, this is I'm not I'm not Josie Grossy anymore. Like, she's gonna like say she's gonna do her yes, yeah, right? Like, which we all like, you know, everybody wants that. Like your last, your little last, like, hurrah. Phoenix doesn't go. He's like, I'm not going. I hate all those people. They're like shit from a butt. So he doesn't go to the graduation party.

SPEAKER_01 17:35

Exactly. But she's there, and then Phoenix gets a phone call from Storm. He's like, Man, some shit went down at this party.

SPEAKER_03 17:42

The fucking bullies threw pig slop on Lennon and circled her yelling, Suey.

SPEAKER_01 17:50

It's so fucking aggressive.

SPEAKER_03 17:54

It is so aggressive. Like that, man, that's fucked. So story comes and like helps her out. He throws her in his truck, and he's like, Okay, fuck. Like, you're just covered head to toe. Like, he's like, You can come to my house. Like, he lives with his sweet old Gran, who like, you know, the one who like takes care of him and like Phoenix, and it's kind of like it's a safe space for Phoenix. And he like calls him and is like, yo, I'm bringing her to Gran's house. And he's like, Okay, I'm gonna come, like, I'll get her, you know, and we'll like get her cleaned up and like take care of her. He walks in on Lennon, like changing, you know, like she has a shower, he gives her some clothes to like wear, and he catches sight of some writing on her body.

SPEAKER_01 18:42

Like, it's so sad. I'm gonna say that like 150 more times before we're done this, but it's so sad. But it's like Lennon is having like a full good sad. Yeah, she's having like a full-blown mental breakdown. Yes, which like yes, rightfully so. Yeah, and she her like crush breaks down in front of Phoenix, and she is not the type of person to show like that she is upset emotionally around people because she just like puts up those walls, and she takes all of this abuse from all of these bullies, like man, this book.

SPEAKER_03 19:14

Oh, okay. I know like I already just read it, I want to read it again because I just want to feel something. Like it is one of the most like feeling books because you feel something, the whole frickin' book. Um, and she's pissed at him. She's like, yo, like we kissed, and you've been like ghosting me, like what the hell? Yeah, he apologizes and he, you know, like obviously she just had like the worst time. He can see like she wanted to go to this graduation party when she never goes to parties, she never socializes with anyone, and he's like, Okay, let's make the best of our graduation night. Let's play never have I ever. Which is it's better than fuck till you come.

SPEAKER_05 19:58

Whoa. Close. I think it's fuck until you can't. Oh, yeah, that's what it is. Whoops. They're children. Oh, yes, that's right. They're children. My bad. You know what? Just pretend like I didn't say that. I am pretending. Perfect.

SPEAKER_03 20:20

I don't want to go to jail. Um they switched to truth or dare, and he's like, I dare you to show me your tattoos. And she's like, I don't have any tattoos. And he's like, Okay, weird. And she's like, Why like why did you kiss me? And he's like, because I wanted to. And she's like, okay, and he asks her again, like, I want to see the writing on you then. And she shows him, and it's like, pig, fat ass, Lardo. And he's like, Why why are you doing this to yourself?

SPEAKER_01 20:50

Gutted. Like, this fucking gutted me.

SPEAKER_03 20:55

Cause we have all been every single person.

SPEAKER_01 20:58

There's never single person that I've ever met in my entire life that hasn't at least once in their life looked in the mirror and been like, wow, I'm absolute shit from above. And you're wrong.

SPEAKER_03 21:07

You're wrong.

SPEAKER_01 21:07

We've all felt it.

SPEAKER_03 21:08

But we've all felt it. And it that's what this book just puts it in your heart. Yeah. Like it it hurt me. Um and she's like, okay, well, now I showed you my horrible shame. Yeah. You know what'll make her feel better?

SPEAKER_04 21:24

Show me where you live.

SPEAKER_06 21:28

Yeah, right. What a bitch.

SPEAKER_04 21:32

Jesus. They go to the trailer park and it's the worst trailer at the very end. And you know what'll make him feel better? A blowjob. His drunk ass dad catches them in the car mid blowjob, and he's like, just shouting. The most horrible shit. Come back here and he'll beat your house.

SPEAKER_01 22:01

What do you mean? Like, also, is this happening like mid dick and mouth? Like, is she like just slowly removing herself and like, oh, we'll just leave.

SPEAKER_06 22:12

It's nice to meet you. I'm lending. Like, you know what? Now, when you put it this way, it sounds crazy. But every other time I've been like, yeah, checks out. Yeah, that's that's what happens.

SPEAKER_01 22:25

I'm so glad that they're like sharing their like deep down drama and their secrets with each other. No, this is weird. It's a weird series of events. It's a little bit weird. Um, but she's like immediately going into her head about like, how can I get him out of this house and out of this situation? Which just like shows you everything about her character because she just admitted that she's like writing horrible shit on her body. She just saw that the guy she's crushing on lives in this shithole trailer and her and his like drunk dad is like abuse throwing bottles at his car. Yeah. And this happened like while she was having like her first sexual interaction with a dude, and she's like, How can I fix him? Yeah, girl, maybe worry about yourself for a minute.

SPEAKER_03 23:06

Yeah, let's try therapy first, and then we'll worry about everything else. Um, they drive to Lennon's house, yeah, the action picks back up again because nothing's gonna stop these horned up teens. No. Um, but he like lets her know. He's like, I can't start anything with you. Like, me and Storm are leaving for LA. I gotta chase my dream. And she's like, I don't want to hold you back. Like, I just want to know if a girl like me could get the guy.

SPEAKER_01 23:38

Girl, like, oh my god. Why are you putting yourself in that situation? Why are you setting yourself up for that heartbreak? Because you know it's coming.

SPEAKER_03 23:49

Right? Like it, it really hurts. Um now that they've kind of had this little interaction, they're like, okay, we're friends on again. We have a couple weeks, they've got a big showcase coming up at this like voodoo, this dope like club. Um he's practicing. She, because she's the groupie and she's like in the friend, she's been like hanging around. She plays Sharp Objects for him again, and that's her like song that she has that she wrote. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:19

But I'm it's like her music, her lyrics.

SPEAKER_03 24:22

I don't know if it's called Sharp Objects, like or I don't remember now, but we're calling the song Sharp Objects. That's what it ends up being called at the end. And they are kind of like their friendship is like progressing and they're gonna bang. And she's pretending that she's not a virgin, which is awkward. Why are you lying? Why are you lying? Like, but also, girl, yeah, I get it. Like the hottest guy in school that you've been like crushing on forever. He's like, Yeah, I don't do virgins. I'd be like, me.

SPEAKER_04 24:55

Me neither.

SPEAKER_01 24:56

Why don't I put the dick out of here? Just we'll just wrap this one up and I'll just move on to the next one.

SPEAKER_05 25:00

Like, why are you lying? Why you always lying? Why you always lying?

SPEAKER_03 25:08

Yeah, I don't know. Girl, just tell the truth. Whatever. Storm walks in and catches them, turns on the lights, they freak out.

SPEAKER_01 25:16

Phoenix is like, oh my god, there's like just scattering like cockroaches. They're in a garage, too, like on a fucking dirty.

SPEAKER_03 25:25

Um, and the worst part is she assumes that he stopped because he saw how fat she was. That fucking hurts me. No, he realizes you're a virgin, and he's like pissed that you fucking lied to him. Fair. Which, yeah, facts, girl. Phoenix takes Lennon home and he explains like virgins come with feelings, and girls already clingy enough, you know, whatever. And she's like, Okay, well, my bad. Like, I don't know, I was interested in you. And then he's like, you know what? Fuck it. I guess I'm pursuing this. Woo! And then her dad catches them in the car.

SPEAKER_01 26:01

They just have a really good track record with dads.

SPEAKER_03 26:05

Get out of the car, get out of the car, right? Just wait, just settle. Um, he's like, no, let's call it a night. Next time I'm gonna make those 40 44-hour drives worth it. And 44 hours is the time that it will take for him to drive from LA to Dartmouth because he's been like putting the work in and thinking and planning a future for them. And it's like it's just my childhood dream. No, it's my childhood dream. I'm like, she got the guy, I love it so much. Like, it just it's so good. Her dad is like, I thought you said he was gay. Like, why he's gonna hurt your feelings, yes.

SPEAKER_01 26:47

It's but she also has that relationship with her dad. She doesn't have her mom, so she like tells her dad everything. She tells him about the pig slop, she tells him about Phoenix and Storm's band, and her dad, super supportive, loves her more than anything in the world, but is also fucking ruthless. Yeah, like he's like, Phoenix is gonna use you, and then he's gonna abandon you. I work with guys like this. Trust me, that's what he's gonna do.

SPEAKER_02 27:13

He would never do that. He's just a sweet little baby. He would never do that. Well, he might do that. He might do that.

SPEAKER_03 27:20

So it's the night of the showcase. Yes, there's like a fancy record exec that's gonna be there, and Phoenix is like freaking out. He's like, we need something special. Like, we've been practicing these like songs that other bands have done.

SPEAKER_01 27:34

Yeah, they've been doing like covers of like 80s hair bands.

SPEAKER_03 27:39

Like people like this, right? Right, but they're like, we need something original to get seen.

SPEAKER_01 27:46

So this part is fucking bananas because he tells Storm, he's like, Oh bub, I've just been working on something new. Like, again, why are you guys lying? You spend your time 95% with Storm, 5% with Lennon. Yeah, you think he's not like I feel like if you were working on something, he would know, yeah, right? Yeah, but also Storm's like, yay! Love that. Let me let me just let me just learn this in four seconds, this thing that you wrote.

SPEAKER_03 28:16

So we can perform. We've been preparing for weeks. I don't know why you didn't tell me about this till right now, but okay. Like, let's do it. So Lennon gets to the club and she finds Storm banging on the door of like the back room. Phoenix opens it and Sabrina comes out, and Phoenix is doing up his pants.

SPEAKER_00 28:37

That motherfucker. You should have listened to your dad Lennon.

SPEAKER_03 28:42

Motherfucker. He comes out and tells Sabrina, like, I'll text you later. Lennon looks at Phoenix and is like, fuck you. Kicks him in the balls, tosses a picture of beer on him, and fucking leaves.

SPEAKER_01 28:57

Uh yeah. Like sounds like your dad was right, Lennon.

SPEAKER_03 29:02

Yeah, which should have listened. Should have listened to your dad.

SPEAKER_01 29:04

I don't love that your dad was right, but like, Papa was also the fact that she writes this, this scene where it's like he just completely betrays her. Yeah. And then we were like, okay, and uh four months later.

SPEAKER_03 29:19

So like, what do you mean? What do you mean? I would burn his trailer down. Like, what do you mean? So four months later, summer has happened. She's now attending college, she's at Dartmouth, and she's listening to the radio, and they're like, and now that new like killer band, Sharp Objects, and they start playing Lennon's song. Like Phoenix. Why'd you do that? Why'd you do that? I want to take a cry break.

SPEAKER_01 29:53

Like, why'd you do that to my girl? We'll just report back here in a few minutes.

SPEAKER_05 29:59

Why'd you do that? She trusted you.

SPEAKER_01 30:02

Look, he just he has to get to LA. He has right, he's just I have to do it. He's gonna do whatever it takes.

SPEAKER_02 30:09

He's gonna do whoever it takes.

SPEAKER_03 30:12

I don't like it. I don't like it. Too bad it happened. And then four years later, it's now Phoenix and the band. They just won Grammy for album of the year, which like dope. They are celebrating. Yeah. They've got a whole band now. So we've got Phoenix, we've got Storm, and then they've got Josh and Memphis. These are two guys that have been added to, right? Like it's so Josh Phoenix Storm Memphis.

SPEAKER_02 30:43

Josh Josh. Josh.

SPEAKER_05 30:46

Josh. You got fucking short sticked, bud. Yeah. Short sticked. Real bad.

SPEAKER_04 30:50

There is a Josh in Ashley's life, and she does not like this.

SPEAKER_01 30:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:55

She's like, I'm gonna just ruin this name for her.

SPEAKER_03 30:58

I'm gonna ruin Josh. Um, and there are a guitarist and a bassist. They have they come from like a similar background to Storm and Phoenix. They're like brothers, but they're not really brothers. Josh has a longtime girlfriend/slash fiance, Skylar, and they are just the couple that's always breaking up. He always cheats on her. Yeah, he's just always partying, he's just a wild animal. And because like Josh is such a fun guy, he's like, Hey Phoenix, do you want some blow? But it's actually heroin. So that's neat. That's how you know you're really good friends with somebody. Right? Someone tricks you into doing heroin. That's nice. They go on an adventure, they steal their manager's Mustang. Josh is doing more drugs because yeah, you know what would make this party better? More problems. Yeah. DUIs. And Phoenix is like, man, I can't drive. Like, I'm too fucked up. They switch spots, and Josh is like, yeah, I'm good. It's cool.

SPEAKER_01 31:52

Like, oh, it just this makes me so fucking angry. Like, what a couple of fucking douchebags. But they're written so well, but like I hate Phoenix so much at this time. He's hurt me a lot. I know I'm supposed to love him because he comes from this horrible background. He's been through shit. I hate you. I hate you. If you're willing to get behind the wheel of a vehicle and you're fucked up, I hate you. And there is no retribution. Wow. I hate you forever. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 32:21

Yeah. Okay, well, if it's real life, I hate you forever. But if it's Rex Walker, I will let it pass. I'm gonna hate you for a long time. I'm gonna hate you for a while. Until I forget, but I don't think that I would hate you. Um Josh starts driving and they fucking crash. They're like laughing about the crash, like, oh my god, he's gonna be so pissed. We trashed his Mustang. And then Josh is kind of like saying Skylar's name, and then his eyes just glass over.

SPEAKER_01 32:52

This was such a shock for me the first time I read it, and I've reread it multiple times. Now every time we get to this part, I'm like, it still upsets me. Like it still surprises me every time. Well, it's I know we know it's coming.

SPEAKER_03 33:05

Yeah, but like no one ever stays, no one ever like dies and stays dead in books. But like he dies. He he dies. Yeah, that's why his name was Josh. We should have fucking seen it coming.

SPEAKER_00 33:17

A hundred percent.

SPEAKER_03 33:19

The rest of the band arrives on scene because they had like called them when they were driving and they're like, Yeah, we're partying, we're on the strip, blah blah blah. They show up. Storm is pulling Phoenix from the wreck. Chandler, which is their manager, he gets there and he's like shouting, like, the people in the other car are dead. They hit someone, yeah, they killed people. Phoenix passes out, and as he like loses consciousness, it's no longer Storm's voice that he hears, but it's hers.

SPEAKER_01 33:48

Oh, life heart, nice.

SPEAKER_03 33:50

This, this right here, this right here. This is why women read smut. To read a man written by a woman, she's putting the words in them. That romance, that is longing. That is yearning.

SPEAKER_01 34:03

Like Yeah, yearning is a drug. It is. That's your friend telling you that they're giving you cocaine and it's actually heroin. And it's actually heroin. That's what you're that's what yearning is. Yes, perfect description. I want to do it. And you know how he solves those problems? He drove his car off the road. Yeah. So you know what?

SPEAKER_03 34:21

If you're like legends, if you're Josh, yeah. Watch out. Watch out. If you have a very common name and all of your friends have like crazy names, I don't know. It might not be looking so good for you. You should do heroin and drive all the time. Yeah. Um, so it's it's again still like four years later. Lennon is now working at a strip club as a bartender. She went to Dartmouth, she got a boyfriend, she got healthy, she got herself to like a good weight, and then everything changed in her life. Her dad has early onset dementia.

SPEAKER_01 34:57

Uh yeah, absolutely no breaks for this girl.

SPEAKER_03 35:00

Oh, no. And he declined super quickly, so she had to quit school to like help him and like help pay for like the bills.

SPEAKER_01 35:08

Like she's literally bartending just to make ends meet for like medical bills to keep her dad at home with her. And that is so sad. It's so sad.

SPEAKER_03 35:17

Um, three months after the crash, Phoenix is a fucking wild animal. He is like trashing hotel rooms, like he is not dealing with his grief well at all. He's like screwing people in public, he's an uncontrollable mess, he's like ruining the fucking tour. Like, he's just we're gonna lose the farm. They're gonna lose the farm. This thing that he works so hard for. Yeah, he's freaking trashing, stupid idiot. And there is a big problem. Phoenix has gone through 10 sober companions because he keeps banging them all. And if it's a guy, he gets the groupies to bang them, or they're getting drunker and more fucked up than he is because everybody just loves him. He's just so charismatic. And you know, they're like, we gotta find someone, like everyone loves him. And Storm's like, um, I know someone who doesn't love him. At all. At all. She kind of hates him. And the manager whose name is Chandler Dickey, yeah, shows up at her work and is like, I want to hire you to be Phoenix Walker's sober companion while he's on tour.

SPEAKER_01 36:28

I love that her first instinct is to be like, your last name is Dickie. Like, she's not even like, yeah, how much does it pay? She's like, your last name is Dickie. Which that's what I would say too.

SPEAKER_03 36:40

Like, how do you spell that? Like, you know that you can legally change your name pretty much whenever you want the most popular bands in the world.

SPEAKER_01 36:47

You're telling them you don't have money. Yeah, you know how easy it is to change your name?

SPEAKER_03 36:50

It's really not that hard. Like, I think it's like 500 bucks. Uh, you could probably even do it yourself for free. It's cheap. Like, do it. It's not that hard. If your last name's Dickie, I don't know. It's uh it's a doozy. No offense to anyone whose last name is Dickie. Um, she figures she's like, you know what? Like, at first there's like a lot of pushback, but then she's kind of like, hey, this guy robbed me of this hit song. You know, like I can regain some of the money. Also, like the bills are piling up. I need money for my dad. Um, I should have gotten money from this song that was stolen from me, but also I might uh take Phoenix down. Like, I can I can work from the inside to like get my payback. Revenge, man. Yeah, revenge. It's a great reason to do a lot of stuff. I do a lot of things out of revenge. And her neighbor, she has a sweet old lady, next door neighbor, who's going to watch her dad because they've already been helping a lot, and she's like, go, like, it's eight weeks, get that bag, girl.

SPEAKER_01 37:50

Yeah. Also, her neighbor, Mrs. Palma. Palma, Palma. What an angel. Yes, she was like Lennon's basically only girlfriend growing up. So she'd like go and talk about Phoenix when she was like a teenager because she doesn't have a mom, so she doesn't have girlfriends, and she's helped her doing makeup and like well. She's yeah, she is a fucking but her telling Lennon, like, go do this. Your dad barely remembers you now. Ow. Why'd you that is fucking painful shit? Why do you think? Because she has I feel like she knows Lennon well enough that like she has to hurt her in order for her to like do something drastic. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 38:32

And but also for eight weeks of work, she's gonna be offered 30. No, how do I say this word?

SPEAKER_01 38:39

350,000.

SPEAKER_03 38:40

$350,000. You were so close. Not even close at all. I had a three. I had the three right. The three was there. Um, but the deal is she's only gonna get paid at the end of the contract. And they want Phoenix like sober, but mainly like in control. They want him out of the news, they want him off hard drugs. He needs to perform. So you're gonna need to have like joining rooms with him, you're gonna need to follow him everywhere. You gotta follow him into the bathroom, and no matter what, no sleeping with Phoenix, no sex whatsoever. And she's like, not a problem. I fucking hate him. I hate this guy. I hate him. Dickie just drops her off at the hotel room and is like, good luck. He she gets in there and Phoenix has this like party going on. He's got two chicks sucking his dick at the same time, doesn't even know that this is happening. There's like all these people partying around him, and he's like, Yeah, he like sees her and he's like, Come on over, doesn't even recognize her. He's so fucked up.

SPEAKER_01 39:37

I want to know how many drugs you'd have to be on to not recognize the girl that you've been in love with for like the last four years of your life. Lots of drugs to be like right in front of your face, lots of drugs.

SPEAKER_03 39:48

And she like wanders over and is like, hey, like, let's have our own party, let's just like kick everyone out of the room. And he's like, Yeah, okay, fine, like that's cool. And then she handcuffs him to the bed and leaves.

SPEAKER_05 40:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 40:03

So good. Yes, girl. Like this man, this is an enemies to lovers. Like, ooh, there is some time where they just hate each other. Yeah. He wakes up handcuffed and he sees Lennon. He sees her for the first time. This is why male characters written by female authors, like the yearning, and also like, because I don't know. Do men's brains really work like this, where they just like see this girl and like their breath is just taken away. Probably not.

SPEAKER_01 40:35

I think so. I don't know if you're a dude listening to this, which like what are you doing? Yeah, what are you doing? Um, but second of all, can you please tell us that this is like real thoughts that you have in your in your brain? Also, do you have to wait until you're like very old and your brain is very developed for this to happen? Like saying you're all dumb, but like at a young age, but like questions.

SPEAKER_03 40:56

Does this happen? Like, if you're in the grocery store and you just see someone and you're like, oh my god, do you just like crash your cart into like the milk and just spill shit everywhere? And you're like, oh, but do you just start curing women?

SPEAKER_05 41:10

Like, I just didn't nobody else.

SPEAKER_03 41:17

Like, I just I need to know. Or anyone whose like husband is super open with you and tells you like things, have they ever said that to you? Like, please email us at smut syndicate at gmail.com. Like, we really need to know. This is important, but anyways, so she warns him, I'm here to reclaim the song that you stole from me.

SPEAKER_01 41:36

Oh, and to like more or less ruin your whole fucking life. Yeah, like pretty much. You're a sinking ship and you are going down. Yeah, my guy.

SPEAKER_03 41:44

Buckle up, shit's about to get real in here. And he's like, even if I wanted to, like, I I can't give this up. Like, I can't give up the limelight. Like, this may have been your song that like started this, but this was my talent, my hard work. This was my bandmates. Like, we built this success. Like, and you know, like I can't. There's there's too much. And he's like, I'm gonna get you fired. Like, I'm gonna tell him that you're like a crazy stalker. And Storm's like, ah, just so you know. Like, I convinced I convinced Dickie to hire her. So, like, she's not gonna be, you're not gonna be able to like convince him to fire her so easily.

SPEAKER_01 42:25

What a ruthless, like, stuff. That's such a betrayal from your best friend of like all time to be like, yeah, you remember that girl that you like we all know you love still, but you're telling everyone that you fucking hate. And that you're fine. She's gonna be glued to you.

SPEAKER_03 42:41

She's on the next statement. But it's also like he explains like Phoenix needs your help, like he is in a bad way. It's not just like the accident, you know, and like Josh dying, but there's also like issues with his father.

SPEAKER_01 42:55

Like, he is just he's turning into the person that he hates the most, which is everything his dad was to him.

SPEAKER_03 43:01

Yeah, pretty much. And she explains to him, like, about her dad. Like, she tells Storm, like, this is why I'm here. I had to drop out of college, like, I wasn't working at a strip club just because I was like, girl, get that bag. I was like, I'm shaking ass. No, I literally need this. I need this, I need this job. I can't, Phoenix can't fire me. Um, so while she like joins the tour, we find out that Phoenix will not sing her song. He's like, I'm not doing it while she's watching me, which love it. And she meets the new bandmate, George. He's the one who replaced Josh. Um, and so she kind of like as a dick move, I think she does this as a dick move. Has like a little bit of interest in him. And so Phoenix also does this, like, kind of this push and pull with her. He like goes into the the green room with like some group. And then he sneaks out the back door.

SPEAKER_01 44:03

And I love that everyone's like blaming her. Like, are you fucking stupid? Of course there's a second door in the green room. She's like, hi, I've been on tour for two days. Yeah. How would I know this information?

SPEAKER_03 44:13

We're at a different event every day. You think that buildings are all the same? They're not. I don't know if you know, but they're different. Um and they catch him like because they're out in Vegas. He's swimming in the Bellagio fountains. Like his bitch ass almost gets arrested. Storm and her show up to like save the day. They like offer the cops like front row tickets, like that. Absolutely briberies. And they're like, okay. And she's like, Phoenix, like, fuck off. And he's like, okay, like I'll I'll behave if you like kiss me.

SPEAKER_01 44:45

And be like, and she's like, Yeah, I'll kiss you if you let me restrain you to the bed for the rest of the night. Because you are not leaving this hotel room.

SPEAKER_03 44:55

Right? Like, yeah. And so the next day, Phoenix like sees that he she has still has the shirt that he gave her, like after like the pig slop incident, and she like wears it like to bed every night. And like, yeah, like he's hooked up with a lot of women, but he's been like sad about like what he lost with her.

SPEAKER_01 45:14

Like, uh, yeah, I but also like doesn't she tell him at one point to take his dirty dick and get out of there? Yeah, she does. Yeah, yeah, she goes. I think the dirty dick is his feelings. Like, she knows. She's like, get that shit away from me. Get that. Also, like, I hate you, but I'm gonna sleep in the t-shirt that you can't. The t shirt is a teenager. Right?

SPEAKER_03 45:36

But I hate you that I've had for four years. Ben, I have t-shirts after a year that are like holy and like just totally beat to shit. Right? Like, there's like nothing to it. It's like now a baby blanket for her, it's just like a scrap that she like carries around. Creepy. Um, so because she's been like having this kind of thing with like George, they're like watching movies, and like Phoenix is all jelly belly, like she's mine. Like, what the hell? And George just sucks.

SPEAKER_01 46:08

Yeah, she has the personality of a used condom. One million. I hate that guy. Yeah, I really hate him. And there's just something really icky about him, too. Like, somebody should be checking his hard drives. That's the vibe I get from him.

SPEAKER_03 46:22

Yeah, you know, a hundred percent. And Phoenix like tells her, like, if you fuck him, you'll be fired. Like, I don't care. I'll I'll do drugs, I'll do whatever, like, you'll be gone. Like, it it won't matter. Um they pick up another character along the way. Her name is Skylar. And so in this book, she's only a side character, but she has her own book, which we will be covering at some point. It's called The Choice. Um, we're not gonna give away too much of her story because we're gonna be covering it there. But basically, what you need to know about Skylar is that her book is frickin' heartbreaking. Like, it's oh my god, it ripped my heart out. She might be this like beautiful blonde bombshell, but her fiance treated her like absolute shit when he was alive. Um, you know, like he made her get like a boob job and like liposuction, like basically made her feel less then. And now that he's passed away, everyone just sees her as like oh poor like Josh's fiance, like she's the widow, like and we will cover her love interest when we cover the choice, but she is a girl's girl, and I love her as Lennon's friend because after growing up, like being bullied by such horrible bitches, she deserves this kind of game.

SPEAKER_01 47:38

I love Skylar, like Skylar and Lennon together, they just make me so fucking happy. Um, and like Skylar tells Lennon Phoenix isn't even the problem child, like Memphis is. TMZ just released an article that two women came forward saying that they were both pregnant with his babies, and one of them is a minor. Which, like, hi, nice to meet you. Also, did you know this to me? Let me just build it for you.

SPEAKER_03 48:02

It's been so great. My name is Skylar. Um, and that guy impregnated a child.

SPEAKER_01 48:08

Like, yeah. Also, my fiance's dead, but it's okay because he treated me like shit and he cheated on me for our entire relationship. So, like, don't feel bad for me because fuck him.

SPEAKER_03 48:17

I love when people why am I not meeting people like this who like meet me and just tell me all this crazy shit? I need to wrong people. It's not that great. Well, I feel like it'd be great a little bit. Like, I just want to meet a few people. If anyone wants to like trauma dump smut syndicate at gmail.com.

SPEAKER_01 48:34

Free therapy. I would love actually not licensed to do this, but we'd love to read about it.

SPEAKER_03 48:41

Um, so she's got like her little thing going on with George, and Lennon ends up going to like Phoenix's room because she handcuffed him to the bed because that's what she keeps like doing to him, and he is having a nightmare and he's crying out for Josh.

SPEAKER_01 48:58

Honestly, like a mean, moody man nightmare is a trope all in itself. Oh, right. This happens so many times in books where I'm just like, is this a thing that dudes are doing? Are they crying in their sleep? I don't know. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 49:15

I heard my husband like even say a word in his sleep. Like at the worst, I get like snoring. Um but so she like wakes him up, you know, is like, hey, like you were freaking out, and he just starts fucking losing it. He starts trashing the room, he's throwing bottles everywhere, and he's like, It was my fault that I was the one who was driving. I was too messed up to drive, and then Josh was like, Hey, I'll drive. And he's like, I just handed him the keys. I knew he was more fucked up than me, but I just I was selfish, and it's like So he watched Josh die.

SPEAKER_01 49:49

Yeah, and he didn't even realize that they had hit another car until Chandler told him.

SPEAKER_03 49:54

Yeah. And then he like he found out that the person that they killed was like this young pregnant mother. She had her four-year-old son in there, and like they were fans of hers, or like of his, which is like it just and he's like, he's realizing like I'm exactly like my dad.

SPEAKER_01 50:12

Yeah, you are, and he's going through the motions, he's got like the biggest sad, and he just really wants Lennon to stay with him. Of course he does, because they're each other's safety blanket, and I love them both so much.

SPEAKER_03 50:25

Um he obviously is like super torn up by this. The next day it's like sound check. Phoenix is MIA, they need somebody to do sound check.

SPEAKER_01 50:33

And George is like, uh, you know, Phoenix, yeah, I saw him like took off with a groupie. Nick. And so she like lies to Chandler and says he has the shits, which is like so fun. And she's like, oh yeah, I didn't lose him. He's just uh he's he's shitting.

SPEAKER_05 50:47

He's got mad diarrhea. It's uh it'll be okay.

SPEAKER_03 50:51

I give him some immodium, we good. Shouldn't have ate that street meat the other night. It just fucked him up bad. And he's like, I don't give a shit. We need to finish warm-up. So Lennon gets up and she sings her song, and everyone loves it. And Phoenix is pissed.

SPEAKER_01 51:07

He is for sure an only child, 100%. Like he has that, like, my song. It's my song. Like he's just such a spoiled brat for being such a like dirt bank child. Like, dude, you had suit, like your upbringing was too rough for you to be this much of a spoiled little bitch. Isn't that right? Why be such a crybaby?

SPEAKER_03 51:29

Because like you want Lennon, but also you don't want her to tell anybody your secret. And like it just fuck off for a little bit. She's such a man child. Yeah. Um, we meet Memphis's one of his baby mamas, alleged baby mamas, alleged young stalker. Her name is Quinn, and she's like, Yeah, I got pregnant by Memphis.

SPEAKER_01 51:52

She's 15 years old. She has been going to a lot of shows. She's gonna be like a real problem going forward because it's gonna be really hard to fight the allegations because she has been at the locations, yes, and there's proof of it. Um also George, that freaking leanie, yes, he asks to kiss Lennon and she finally agrees, but like headbutts her in the process. So, like if you thought that he was like had the moves, he don't, he got no moves, he's just gross, he got sans moves.

SPEAKER_03 52:28

Um and then we have kind of like Phoenix is like just roasting her for like her life, and you know, like you're working at a strip joint, your dad must be so proud, and she like runs off crying, Avi, because like dick, low blow, because he doesn't know what's going on.

SPEAKER_01 52:49

Dude, you killed a pregnant girl and her son in a car accident because you were on drugs, okay? Who's who's the real dirt egg here? I bartend at a strip club.

SPEAKER_03 52:58

True facts, these are some hard-hitting facts. She like runs off, and like Storm is like hugging her, and he's like, Oh fuck, maybe I did fuck up. But then, of course, because he's a super dick, he invites the high school bully Sabrina to their show, and he brought her just to make Lennon jealous. What a fucking bitch.

SPEAKER_01 53:19

She introduces herself to Lennon as his high school sweetheart. Yeah, girl, I will boil your teeth. That's a great one. Like, what do you mean? That is you also don't recognize her? You tormented her for years.

SPEAKER_03 53:33

And this like totally sends her spiraling. Like, she goes back to her hotel room, she's binging again, she grabs a black Sharpie and she starts writing these fucking horrible things on herself.

SPEAKER_01 53:45

I hate it.

SPEAKER_03 53:46

And it just it's so sad. Thankfully, she like overhears Sabrina like whining, like, you're just wasting my time again. And that's when we find out, like, he's not actually banging her, he was literally doing this to make you jealous. Again, the miscommunication trope, like I hate it, just tell each other how you fucking feel. Phoenix walks in and he sees her like crying and writing on herself, and he's like, Stop! Like, you're stop doing this to yourself. He like helps her wash it off, and he admits, like, I wasn't with Sabrina, and I I wasn't with her that first time when he kicked me in the nuts. I I didn't want to break my promise to you.

SPEAKER_01 54:29

He he gives me whiplash. Like, you don't get to bring your hose around to be intentionally mean and then walk in and be like, oh, you're crying? I did that. Let me just take care of you now. Like, ew, it's so toxic.

SPEAKER_03 54:42

No, you're toxic. He's the sweet perfect baby angel.

SPEAKER_01 54:46

He is kind of shit from a butt for like 95% of the city. You know what?

SPEAKER_03 54:51

When you put it that way, you might be right. Might be not 100% sure. Might be right. Um, he kind of like realizes like, okay, yeah, maybe I was shit from a butt. He tells Lennon, I want you to count, like, I want you to be in the crowd at the show tomorrow. He brings Sabrina out on stage at the show, roast the fuck out of her for being a bitch. Like, roast the fuck out of her. And then pours pig slop on her, and everyone laughs her off the stage.

SPEAKER_01 55:22

Ruthless. Yeah, ruthless. And again, he's just so toxic. He really like to everyone around him.

SPEAKER_05 55:31

He really is.

SPEAKER_03 55:32

Wild. Yeah. Um, but then like kind of having this like happen, this is when I think like she's kind of starting to like forgive him a little bit. Um, because they're starting to like text each other. It's like because two wrongs make a right. Yes. Yeah. This time they do. It's like super saucy because also she like realizes like he can't read or write real good. So obviously he's like fusing voice to text, which like because he can't read or write good is like you.

SPEAKER_01 56:09

Oh, he just can't read or write good for kids who want to learn to read and write good too. What is this? A school for ants? Like, oh my god. His IQ is on airplane mode, but he's still fucking shooting his shot, and you gotta respect him. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 56:29

Uh, I think I hate you. Um he is a perfect baby angel, and you know who's not perfect? Me, okay.

SPEAKER_01 56:38

And it's like you're way perfect than he is. Okay, thanks, girl. But yeah, you're welcome.

SPEAKER_03 56:44

We get a few of these, like, I don't know, some of these scenes that are in this, like the spice that's in this book.

SPEAKER_01 56:51

Once it gets spicy, it stays spicy and the spicy spice. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 56:58

Which love it. We get to meet Phoenix's dad. He's still around. Like we met him before, he was a real piece of shit. He's still around and he just shows up drunk as fuck, harassing Phoenix for money. And he's like, Yeah, I don't know. He shows up all the fucking time.

SPEAKER_01 57:14

Like But like he only shows up now that his kid is fully cooked and cash flavored. This guy's such a deadbeat. And he only, yeah, he like only rolls out every once in a blue for like that little sweet treat handout.

SPEAKER_03 57:28

Yeah, he takes his money and then he fucking bails.

SPEAKER_01 57:30

I hate him.

SPEAKER_03 57:31

But it's also good because she like kind of admits, like, you know, because obviously he's super embarrassed by this, and he's like, hey, um, there's a lot of problems in my life, too. Like, me and my dad, shit ain't going so well. Like, he's, you know, she like tells him everything that's going on.

SPEAKER_01 57:49

Which I love that they're finally sharing this shit with each other.

SPEAKER_03 57:54

Which they should have been doing before. But they finally are. He's like, the stadium can wait. He drags her to the tour bus and they bang for reels this time.

SPEAKER_00 58:06

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 58:07

He did give her an ultimatum that if she didn't need to like that if she didn't, he would be like doing coke off of uh Groupie's t-tay. Yeah. So it was like she was a little crazy. I don't know why you want me to hate you. I don't know why you want me to hate him. I don't know why we want to go through this every single time. I can't I cannot. I cannot. I am too black and white. I am such a realist. I'm just like, oh I think I hate him. No, but then he'll do something nice and I'm like, maybe a little no.

SPEAKER_03 58:45

I just love him so much. But I have to say, I'm gonna go on a small tank.

SPEAKER_01 58:51

I'm so sorry. This is so funny to me because you're like, this is a real person. It could be a real person, and you're like, you're appreciating the good and the bad of him. I am fucking feral for Tobias Mitchell in a way. Yes, that guy is a psychopath. Yeah, and he can do no wrong in my books.

SPEAKER_03 59:12

Okay, he I was gonna be like, Phoenix didn't even kill anybody, and then I stopped saying my words. He did kill people. So he is Tobias Mitchell. I don't know what it is about Phoenix Walker. Phoenix Walker just he can get it. Like, I I see what I say at the beginning. I think this is my favorite MMC of all time. So everything when it's like, yeah, and then he did this, and then he threatened that, and I'm like, what? What? He loves her. Okay. You were misconstruing what happened. Like, I just I can make up excuses for him all day. It they are now like kind of gonna be together. Um, they go out for George's birthday, everybody's all drunk, they dip away, and Phoenix and her bang in the club against the railing, and fucking George watches them bang.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:06

He gives me such an ick. Like he he abang it. He's written as if he's like a man that's never actually touched a woman before.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:15

Yeah. And he's like he's in the cuck chair.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:19

He's watching them bang. Happy birthday, Georgie boy. Like what the fuck? And so, like, everybody hates him.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:27

Yeah, everyone hates him because he like replaced Josh. He's kind of a bitch, like, he's just not fun. We fucking hate him. And he like confronts her because she has kind of said, like, hey, I'm sorry, like that this shit happened on your birthday. I'm sorry that you had to witness that. I'm sorry. And he's like kind of given her the gears, and Phoenix is like, whoa, whoa, whoa, her rejection wasn't predictable, it was inevitable. And we get this.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:53

Because you begged her to kiss you, and she begged me to fuck her.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:57

And this is why Phoenix can get it. Because he's toxic. He's so good. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:05

Okay, you know what? Yes, crack off.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:07

Like it's fine. It's allowed. It's it's a kid. Why not both? He can be both. Yeah, fine. Hate y'all. We get there's like kind of still this like annoying push and pull, like, which I get it. Obviously, if books were written the way that I wanted them to be written, they would be a minute and a half long, and it'd be like, and then they were together. Because she's like, I don't want to be with you because I'm still kind of here for my vengeance. And he's like, but I want to be with you. And so they like kind of make an agreement, like, okay, we have like four weeks left on the tour, we're good. So they go bang, bang, bang. Which, whoo, yeah. Yeah, they are. We get to like, they're still on tour, we get Phoenix's hotel room, and we meet Quinn again. This was the underage pregnant girl who wasn't actually pregnant. She was doing all of this to meet her brother, Phoenix. And she thought that by pretending to have this baby with this other guy that somebody would track her down, but no one did.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:13

That is so funny. Also, like, so smart. They had the same mom, and this crafty little delinquent finally got to meet her big brother. And not her half-brother, because that implies that you don't like them. And how can they not like her if they don't know her yet? Like, she is I love Quinn. I know we're not gonna talk about her a lot. No, in this book, but I love Quinn.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:39

I love her. She is the comedic relief in this book. Like, she is one of my favorite side characters. I really want a Quinn book. We're gonna talk about it a little bit later, but she is like so funny and just such a strong, like fun character. We find out that Phoenix and Quinn's mom, so they share the same mom, she left shitty papa, fucking Phoenix's dad, and then found another equally shitty dude who is some sheriff. And I don't know if American sheriffs are like different than our sheriffs, because if some fucking Paul Blart mole cop was putting their hands on me, things would happen. Yes. Anyways, mom's new boyfriend husband, whatever he is, he has been putting his hands on Quinn and on the mom.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:22

Yeah, mom is a piece of shit.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:24

Yeah, she really is.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:26

Because, yeah, like she just left like one shit sandwich for another shit sandwich and has really not been doing that great of a job protecting her kids, especially her son's like a fucking rock star. Why didn't you reach out to him? Like, there are memes right there.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:40

You're letting your partner put his hands on your child. Put that man in a fucking grave. That's it. That's where that's where it ends. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:50

Phoenix's mom shows up to collect the daughter, and Lennon and Skylar are like, uh-uh, like you ain't taking this kid. Like it's not happening. She wants Quinn because, like, it turns out that like the boyfriend or whatever, they're like involved in this domestic, they're now married, and she's like, I have to bring the daughter back because if I don't, like, I'm gonna get my shit rocked. And, you know, she also like explains to the mom, because Phoenix is also having this blowout with his mom. Like, why did you leave me? And she's like, Well, this cop or sheriff or whatever he was, he was the one who showed up for a domestic between me and your dad, and we kind of started our own relationship, and he said, like, I could go with him, but you had to stay behind.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:44

Yeah, that's horrible. Um Phoenix unloads on her, though. Yeah, and honestly, like, good for him. He's probably had this like pent up for years. But he tells her now he was beaten, he was abused by his father for years, and mom tells him that like she left because she got pregnant with Quinn and cop daddy, and he didn't want a reminder that she was with someone else, so she had to leave Phoenix behind.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:07

I hate it so much, I hate it so much, but also I love it because then we really get like the protective side of Phoenix, like you're not taking Quinn. The dad is putting his hands on her, like you're not taking him, and she ends up running off, which you know, they're like desperately searching for her. A few weeks go by, they find her, and she's been returned to her parents, and Storm finds her. Okay, and this again, keep these words in your head. Storm shows up with Quinn. And she has been beaten half to death.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:39

Her mom dropped her off, and like she is like beaten, like black and blue, covered in blood. She doesn't want an ambulance though. Um, big brother Phoenix calls up his private doctor, gets him on the way, though. Yeah. Like beat to shit. Yeah. Fifteen.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:57

She's a 15 year old. Which is fucking heartbreaking. But Phoenix goes with a couple of the guys and just beats the fuck out of mom's new husband. So woo. And then they agree to let Quinn live with Phoenix, which woo-woo.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:10

I mean, they did initially go to kill him and they settled on like a beating. So a win is a win.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:18

Yeah, a win is a win.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:19

You know what? Yes. Yeah. Love it. So basically, Quinn gets to stay with him now.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:28

Which, you know what? It's good. Because then she kind of like comes on a tour with them. Again, she's like the great comedic relief. They're like back on the tour. Phoenix and Lennon are getting like closer than ever. They're playing their old little like they're up to their old tricks again. They're gonna play like truth or dare. And Phoenix ends up admitting to her that when she was at Dartmouth, he went to see her. He called to her and she like turned and he thought that she saw him and her face like lit up, but it was for her new boyfriend. And he said, like, that was the moment that I knew I knew that I lost you because you were happy and I had lost you for good.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:13

I don't know why, but I love it when like MMCs get like real big sad feelings when the girl they love just like smiles at another man. That's my craft, man. You should know. You should have known.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:28

You should have treated her good because we get to because people always, you know, like when you have like those shit relationships or whatever, you're like, no one's ever gonna love you the way that I do, or like you don't know how good you have it, and then you never get to see it actually play out, and you just go, Yeah, I'm sure I was the one that got away. I'm sure, but in these books you get to see it, and you're like, Oh, see, I told you, like it feels good for all the girls. Um, and she admits to him, like, yeah, I also saw you like over the years, like I saw you on tour. Just one time, and you know, she's like, they kind of like again, they're like breaking down and like really explaining everything, and she's like, I don't understand like why. Why did you steal the song from me? And he's like, I had the look, I had the voice, I had the drive, but I didn't have the words, like I wasn't, and she's like, I would have given you everything, like I would have given you the song. Why didn't you fucking ask?

SPEAKER_01 1:08:36

Like because we had we wouldn't have had a book about miscommunication, yeah. Otherwise, I love that they're like hashing this shit out though, and they're like starting to finally open up. Um which is so it takes so long, yeah, it takes fucking forever for them to start like hashing out their shit.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:56

That they should have been talking about forever, yeah. But also, I think they're also kind of like realizing like our tour is wrapping up, they're getting to the last few weeks, they end up making it to Florida, which is where they're from, and they take the day off to go see like Lennon's dad. It's like it's really sad because when they get there, she thinks the dad thinks that it is her dead mother, which is like horrible. And then they have a guest who shows up, which is Phoenix, but he and he like recognizes him and is like, Oh my god, you're so talented.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:28

But it actually turns out he thought that he was Steven Tyler, which is which, like, what does he look like? Right? Which is from what are you looking like? You are getting mistaken for Steven Tyler, right? Because any Steven Tyler is not a good Steven Tyler.

SPEAKER_06 1:09:46

It's not great, but whatever.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:48

They end up spending the day like playing music together. Like Phoenix plays like her song for the dad, and Phoenix admits to her dad, like, that he didn't write the song.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:00

Like, it just oh she like overhears them having this moment, just not something that she's even like really involved in. And her dad's finally having like a fully lucid moment and tells Lennon like how proud he is of her, and goddamn it, I don't know, maybe it's like I have daddy. Fairy issues, deep down embedded daddy issues. Anytime like the dads are like involved and it's like not going well. Oh, it just breaks my fucking heart.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:30

Like, yeah, yeah. And so Phoenix kind of like he runs off because he's also having a fucking moment. This is the shithole town that he also came through. Yeah, we can't fucking find him, and he's at the trailer park and he is going true. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:45

Like he gets mean when he's in his fields. Like he does. He should probably just try don't know. He really should.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:50

He should dunk.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:51

Um because he's like smashing windows, he's throwing bottles, yeah, and then he fucking like Maltog cocktails his dad's trailer and just torches it. Torches it. And Lennon is there, and he's like, you know what makes me feel better? If we bang on the hood of your car. Yeah. Um, because that's like an obvious follow-up to committing arson.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:14

I have been thinking, I'm going to write a self-help book, but all of my coping mechanisms will be stuff that our main characters do. Yeah. So it's gonna be like driving off the road, perfect, dancing your feelings out, pinting, banging on the hood of the car. It's gonna be a bestseller, so please, nobody take this idea because this is mine. And like Matt, this is gonna be a good book.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:38

Yeah, I would purchase that.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:40

We they're like back on the tour now, like it's still continuing on. It's like winding down. We're in the last few weeks, and Skylar comes into her room and is like, hey, yeah, like how you doing, girl. And she's like, I'm doing good. Like, what? What's wrong? And she's like, there are photos of you on the internet, and it's from one night on the bus when you and Phoenix were banging, and George did it.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:10

Yeah, he's such a cuck. All the captions online are like making fun of Lennon's weight, and Skylar is again Girl's girl. She is doing literally everything she can. She's working on getting all these photos taken down.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:25

But it's like, it's so sad because there was obviously like the one stipulation in her card. You can't sleep with Phoenix. You cannot sleep with Phoenix, and she gets fired.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:35

Yeah, and now she won't get a single penny because she wasn't supposed to get paid until the end of it after completion. And so she completion.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:44

Completion.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:46

So she goes and tells Phoenix, like, yeah, I got fired, and he fucking like loses it. He whoops George's ass, which oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:55

I love that while he's like kicking the shit out of George too, like everybody on the tour is just like, do. Do you hear something? Is something happening?

SPEAKER_03 1:13:04

And then they just like pay security to just like drop George off at the hospital and be like, say that you found him in a back alley, and they're like, Okay. Can we have like free tickets? Yeah, they just give him like free tickets to a show or something, and like, no problem. Perfect. Phoenix, this is like a really great time because we start seeing like Phoenix choose Lennon. He basically goes to the label or like the boss or whatever, and he's like, hire her back, or I'm like done forever. Like, I won't do any of your shit. I'm out, I'm done.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:35

Which is like and love it. Not just to like the label, but like Dickie. He's like, You're gonna rehire her, or like you'll never see me again. Phoenix punches Dickie in the face. Finally, like I've been waiting the whole book for someone to assault this guy.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:53

Yeah, he needed it.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:54

He did it, and then he forces Dickie to apologize to Lenin.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:58

It's really good. It's really good. And so she gets her apology. She gets her job back. And her apology. And so she's gonna get the money. They finish the tour, they wake up, hung over as fuck, on the last night of the US tour. They're like, you know, everybody's like, she goes to have her cute little like goodbye moment with everyone. They're like leaving for Europe because they're now going to the European part of the tour. They're like, hey, here's your check. Like, we're so happy. She says her goodbyes to everyone, and then the plane leaves without Phoenix on it.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:35

Because he's taking her home with him to LA. There's something about a grand gesture that just maybe it's because I've never had one. But like, I need one before I die.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:48

I really, I know, I know. We should give each other grand gestures. I will grand gesture. Please, please do because I I am such a sucker for a grand gesture ticket. Yes. And he's like, I got mine pushed back. I'm gonna go to Europe tomorrow. Like, so I'm I want to spend because he like he's finally got her back. Like he spent four years waiting for this fucking girl to come back into his life, and he's like, I'm cashing in all the time that I have. Like, so he takes her to his home. It's actually the home that him and Storm share, which again, I love that they're bros like this. I love that they're like bajillionaires.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:29

Yes, and they have these like fancy LA homes and they're like still so freaking cute.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:36

Um, he has his like the garage is set up and it's set up the way that it was at Graham's house, like back in the day. He even has the sex futon. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:45

Stop. Like it's so gross, but it's also so cute.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:50

It's so cute. And they have this like cute little time where he like gets like, you know, the meal that they had on like their last time that they tried to kind of like have a date, and it's like their redo of their little like perfect day before he ruined everything. Like, it's so fucking cute. It's so cute, and then later on, she's like Snoopy around his house, and there was like a room that he didn't like let her into earlier. So, of course, girl got a snoop, which I would do it too, and there's a piano in there and has all these letters on top of the piano, and like I'm gonna need another fucking cry break or like advanced my feelings break. Take five, take five, girl. I got you, or like sex on the hood of a car after arson. Like, I need something. Drive your car off the road. Yes, they are all letters to her, and they were all written after he stole her song, and it's about like how sorry he is, how much he's thought about her, how he's tried calling her, and it's like it's written in his hand, which you gotta remember. He ain't so good.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:57

It's for the kids that are writing and reading that can't learn good. Um it's literally an entire collection of him slowly realizing that he has lost her because he fucked up. And he comes in and she calls him out for not telling her, and then they do hell yeah. What a perfect time to bang.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:16

That's I mean, you know what makes it feel better? Sex on the hood of a car. Sex on the hood of car. Burn my house down.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:23

And that night, like while she's sleeping, he's writing on her with like a Sharpie.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:30

Which fuck you?

SPEAKER_03 1:17:31

Why are you laughing?

SPEAKER_01 1:17:32

Like, okay, I had someone writing on me in my sleep, I would immediately be awake. Second of all, like the visual where she's just like dead asleep, like dead asleep enough for only two minutes, and he's just like he's got like a headlamp on and he's like dribbling his chitty can't read and write real good writing on her.

SPEAKER_05 1:17:52

Like, why are you doing this to me?

SPEAKER_06 1:17:58

But also, what a great visual that you're painting, because that's totally what it was. That's what it is.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:04

It's like favorite painting, but it's him trying to write.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:07

It's him trying to write. I hate you. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:10

But it's like, I'm beautiful, like you're beautiful, like I'm sorry, like all the stuff that he should have been like saying all along, like, and then there's something else like written. He wakes her up and is like, I need you to come to Europe. Like, I this cannot be over. Like, you need to come to Europe. Like, something's gonna happen in Europe. I absolutely need you to come. And you know, obviously, man, if someone was like, Hey, I need you to go to fucking Europe, I'd be like, Yeah, of course, sure. Like, yeah, no problem. Hey, why would you say no to right? Why are you like what? So, of course, she fucking goes while she's there. The girls have like picked out, like, you know, for whatever reason, they've got this like cute outfit for her, and they're like helping her get ready. And it's like, um, your back says, like, I love you in this weird scribble writing. Who did that?

SPEAKER_04 1:19:03

It's fucking Phoenix, which like why'd you have to take my moment from me?

SPEAKER_01 1:19:08

I hate you. Why did he have to tell her the first time that he tells her I love you? He fucking writes it on her in her sleep. Because he was scared.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:19

He's scared of projection, he's a perfect baby. He goes out on stage, he's singing Sharp Objects, it's the end of the show, he's closing it out. The crowd loves it, they're getting like, you know, it's great. He's finally singing it again. And Phoenix is like, she wrote it. I stole it from her. Yeah. I made the wrong choice, but now I want to make the right one.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:48

Like the gestures are getting grander.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:50

Yeah, yeah, they top that. Yeah, I don't know. You maybe shouldn't have done that. Everyone is fucking pissed. Yeah. Because obviously it was like being filmed. The band members are losing it, everyone's fucking screwed. And Lennon gets a call from Mrs. Palma and she's like, yo, your dad like had a stroke, like he's in the hospital. And so her, she wasn't like really going on the tour, so obviously she goes back home. Phoenix bails on the tour. Well, he pretty much torched the tour. Uh, so there really is no tour. It's like a huge thing. He comes to be by Lennon's side in the hospital. Her dad is not going to get better. Lennon is like freaking out. She's spiraling, like, my dad's not gonna see me get married. I'm not gonna have anything that I wanted. And Phoenix is like, we could change that. Let's get married right now in front of your dad in the hospital.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:42

And like the gestures are getting grander.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:46

Thank God I am already married because I love the grand gesture marriage proposal.

SPEAKER_04 1:20:53

I would literally marry a bum on the street if you asked me. Like, if someone asked me on the first date, I would do it. Like, I need therapy or another dark romance book. Like, sure. I could have been in a real bad marriage. If somebody would have swooped that up. Yeah. If somebody knew I had that problem.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:18

Sad. It's so sad. Also, Phoenix couldn't ask her dad for his blessing because he's like in a fucking coma. But he like talks to him and promises him that he'll always take care of her. Because he's perfect. And after he tells the dad that, they like do their little wedding and right after they say.

SPEAKER_04 1:21:41

Like seconds. Seconds.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:46

What the flippin' heck? Why did Ashley? Why'd you do that? Why'd you make me feel so sad?

SPEAKER_03 1:21:51

I'm a good person.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:53

I pay my channel. Could you imagine? Like your wedding anniversary is also the death anniversary of all the employees.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:03

Why don't you just let me be a good one?

SPEAKER_01 1:22:04

I just feel obligated to ruin it.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:06

Well, that's true, I guess. That's rude. So obviously, after this happens, like she is not okay. She like totally spirals. The band all shows up to the funeral because they want to like support her. Um, but they're also like super pissed, and Phoenix hasn't been like talking to them. He canceled the rest of the tour. Dickie's like trying to fix it, but also nobody's talking, nobody will do anything.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:29

So the band members have a fucking graveyard fight and oh, like a straight up brawl in the cemetery and like a dirty fight. Phoenix like poking Storm in the eyes, like one move off of an atomic wedgie kind of brawl.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:49

It's just a mess. And he's like, I don't care. Like, I want to be with Lennon. I spent years not choosing her, like, I don't care. And Lennon is a mess. Like, after the funeral, after they finally get home, she's not eating, she's just sleeping or she's crying, which is like understandable, but also like Phoenix doesn't know how to fix this, which is also understandable since he didn't have a parent that loved him growing up.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:14

Like he doesn't understand why she's feeling any of this.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:17

Yes. And we find out that, like, so the band has all kind of like gone home. Everybody's like split, doing their own thing. Quinn, so the sister, has been staying with Storm in LA, and this is where I get the idea from. Okay. Storm and Quinn could end up together. I know that Storm is like older. And Quinn is like, you know, he's like 23 or something, and she's like 16, but like years down the road, I really think that they could end up together. He was the one who like saved her. They're having this like enemy thing while they're living in this house together. Like, she's super getting on his nerves. It's like best friends, annoying little sister. Girl. Yeah. The book is writing itself.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:02

I love an age gap. Yeah. But I don't know how I'd feel about it if we also had like the childhood version for the game. Right? It's it kind of like gives me a little roomy. But also Because why are you falling in love with your best friend's young child sister when you were like literally her guardian?

unknown 1:24:23

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:24

You were her guardian. What's wrong with that? You basically raised her. You made sure she went to her acting classes.

SPEAKER_06 1:24:30

Why won't you let me be happy?

SPEAKER_03 1:24:34

I had all these great ideas. But then when you bring logic into this, we're not here for logic today. We're here for feelings. I have feelings about logical things.

SPEAKER_05 1:24:47

I don't like your logical feelings. I want my apologizing. You're not getting your grand gesture today.

unknown 1:24:54

This is rude.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:55

And I don't think I want to be friends anymore. But okay, maybe they just maybe they hire a nanny to help her. And then it becomes less groomy. I know, I know, I know it's problematic, but there's like I'm getting all excited. Yes. There's times in the book where I just it feels like a good idea. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:20

It just we'll see what happens. It feels like a good idea. Girl. Maybe do or do not make this happen. We'll see. Yeah. I'll read it either way.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:31

Yeah. But uh don't make it problematic, okay? Just try and like fix that for us. Um, so Phoenix finds out that if he doesn't get back with the band, they're gonna find a new singer. They're already interviewing guys, and he's like, Yeah, it's fine. I'm staying with Lenin.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:49

Yeah. He's like calling in reinforcements at this point, too, because Lennon is not okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:54

She's not. And of course, we get Skylar, the bestie. She tells her, like, Lennon tells her, like, I want to get an annulment. Like, I'm not leaving this house. I'm not letting Phoenix like pull me back into his world. He made me go to Europe and I missed my dad. Like, that would have been my last chance to like be with my dad. And I didn't because I was up Phoenix's ass. But also, he doesn't need to throw his life away for me.

SPEAKER_01 1:26:24

Meanwhile, he is throwing his entire life away because she is his new life.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:29

Well, and then that would also be like, bitch, like we the song was for nothing, the tour was everything was for nothing. It was all for nothing. It was all for nothing. Um, we find out that, like, yeah, he told them, like, yeah, go without me. Like, the record label is moving on without Phoenix. They have a meeting with a new guy, and they're also going to sue the band for breach of contracts. They're gonna sue them for all the money that they made off of Lennon's song because Phoenix lied. They signed because of this. They, you know, all this stuff, and like Phoenix is like, I don't care. Like, none of that fucking matters. So we're getting the grand gesture at this point. Um, because he's like, I don't care. Like, I'm not leaving without Lennon. If she wants me to live in this like one horse town again, she's my wife. Like, she is everything. And Lennon's like, uh, well, I'm not letting him like give up like everything. Like, are you kidding me? And she's like, you know what? I'm gonna come up with a plan. Me and Skylar, we the bitches, we're gonna come up with this. And she's like, I'm gonna swear under oath that me and Phoenix wrote those like lyrics together. I'm gonna smooth over his reputation. And if they don't go for it, guess what? I'm gonna sue the record label for stealing my song. Which, like, yeah, girl.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:52

Good for you, Lennon. Yeah. She does the scorned woman thing real good.

SPEAKER_03 1:27:56

Yeah, she does. Which, you know what, man, I would love to like. Like, have this kind of like aggressive, like, yeah, you well, you know what? I'm gonna you think you're gonna do it to me, I'm gonna do it to you.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:07

You just need to put on like a pant suit and practice it at all, it'll be fine.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:12

Good idea. You know what? This is what I want. That's my grand gesture. I want that. Lennon is like slowly starting to get better. She grieves a little bit less, like she's starting to like channel it through her music. And like Phoenix tells her, don't let your grief define you. Don't let your dad's death be the end of him. The greatest thing he ever did is still here, and he wouldn't want you spending the rest of your life mourning him. He would want you to live.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:42

God damn it, that's good. So fresh, tasty.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:49

Man, I've read like quite a few of like Ashley's books. The girl just cuts you in your goddamn heart.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:56

Like she just she just kicks you in the dick, man.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:00

But she really does. And she doesn't stop. No, she's like, hey, how about 700 pages of tears? And you're like, I guess. Like, why? She's like, ha ha ha. And you're like, okay, well, that was something. Yeah. So we get our epilogue three months later. Phoenix is back with the band. They're working on new music. They're finally like the record label is giving the band what they want because he's been like fighting for it. There's like the magic is happening again. He leaves the like recording studio because he's going to this like bar that's playing live music, and Lennon is performing because they've made a deal that they both need to be pursuing their dreams. And that's the end.

SPEAKER_00 1:29:41

I love it.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:45

The end. The end. Okay, first, honorable mentions. There is a real short movie of the words that you can watch. So, like, girl, Ashley, you killing it in the game. Yes. I cannot watch it because I have ideas in my head of how the characters look, which is me and my husband. And so if they don't look like that, it's gonna affect me. And I also I have a really hard time with like ages. This is why I think the age gap romance doesn't bother me because everybody is my age.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:19

So when I saw like the trailer for it, I was like, oh, they're so young, but they are young in the book, it's just hard because they're my age in the book.

SPEAKER_03 1:30:30

Oh, I know, but they're agree. Like I just I change it, but also like girl, it makes me very happy. I love that for her. Um, so now that we've kind of thrown out our honorable mentions, Danielle, I want to know your thoughts.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:45

I love it. I love this book. This is like one of my first rock star romance books that I ever read. And like the first time I read it, I was like, absolutely gutted the second time. I was like, still gutted the third time. Yeah, I still had feelings. Yeah. And it's so funny because like in the moment when you're reading it and you're just like enjoying it, you're not really dissecting it. And when we have these conversations about it, and I start dissecting it, I'm like, hmm, okay, so am I the problem?

SPEAKER_03 1:31:09

Or is like you are the problem for me?

SPEAKER_01 1:31:11

I think I'm the problem. No, because I love it.

SPEAKER_03 1:31:14

I'm the same way. Like it, this was also my first rock star romance, which, like, how did I not know that this was a thing? If I knew about this when I was like young, I for sure would have been a groupie. Like, yeah. This would have told me some crazy ideas. It like blew my wig straight off. Um blew. It blew right off. Straight off. This was my first Ashley Jade book, and like her writing I love, her spice, like the spices spice in, like three chili peppers all the way. Um, it hurt my heart. The like bullying and the weight struggle I felt to my freaking core. I like every time that I read this book, I've bald. And I think the only book where I've like cried more than this is like Binding 13, which like that's on its whole other fucking level.

SPEAKER_00 1:32:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:03

Um, the first time that I read this book was when I went through that weird phase where I needed like a real, real happy ending. Like I needed to know that they had children and I needed to know that they were married. So the first time I read this, I was like, What? What? Like they're just happy together? They're just singing songs separately? Why aren't they married? Why don't they have nine children? So then once I like sought therapy and like danced and like lit cars on fire. Like once I did like coping mechanisms and I read it again, I was like, oh, that actually is a happy ending. I was just confused the first time, and I've like loved it even more.

SPEAKER_06 1:32:47

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:47

Um, I cannot wait until we get to the choice. Like, I left the choice unread for years. Don't even get me started on that right now. That book makes me feel. I am so excited for that book. Like, I I love it. The only negative thing that I have about this book is that I have not come across a fancy hardcover special edition of this book that I can purchase. That doesn't mean that it doesn't exist, like maybe it does. I don't know. I I need a fancy hardcover special edition, something like any price I'm in. I need something I need someone to do it.

SPEAKER_01 1:33:32

Like I assume out there because we there was one for sure. My Twisted Desires book box. There's so many book box subscriptions. I believe that's the one. Um, that's the only one I've ever come across. And I think it was a super limited time, so yeah, you'll never get one. Right.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:47

I know. Why? I need I need this book. I I need I need it. I need it because I have a couple of paperback ones, but my paperback doesn't go on my shelf with my hardcover.

SPEAKER_01 1:34:01

And I need it to you. You have a couple of them.

SPEAKER_04 1:34:06

Yeah. Why? How many should I have?

SPEAKER_03 1:34:11

They have different one is not good, and I'll take that negativity and I'll see a one right hook.

SPEAKER_01 1:34:21

No, maybe one of Ashley Jade's Angry Girls will be able to point you in the right direction.

SPEAKER_03 1:34:27

Yes. Please email me at smut syndicate at gmail.com. I've looked and then I get sidetracked. So if you know of a quick and easy way, you know, I would really love that. Or if there's like a book box out there that wants to do one, like please, I need one. Um, thanks again, guys, for listening. Please come see us on the social. Heads up. We have got some book giveaways on the horizon. Woo, woo, woo! We're gonna be doing those on Instagram. So that's uh Smut Syndicate is our handle. So you're gonna want to watch that if there's any of these books that you're trying to get your hands on. If you have any questions, comments, or book recommendations, please email us because uh honestly, we just kind of read whatever we feel like. So if there's something special that you guys want to hear, like we we would love to do that. You can also use the text feature that is in this episode's notes. We love hearing from you guys. Thanks so much to everyone who has like commented, left us reviews, subscribing. It really warms my cold dead heart. Yeah, I love it. Yeah, right. It feels good. It feels good. Thanks again. Live laugh moral trash.