Monday, November 30, 2015

Reading Challenge Update [November 2015]


So NaNoWriMo didn't go as well as planned for me this year, but I did get a bit of reading done, so I'll take it! Only one more month and two challenges left to finish up. I'm so close to completing all my challenges this year, so I'm going to push through December and try to make it happen!


This Month: 7 books
*COMPLETED*
The Books:
Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
A Really Awesome Mess by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Cat on the Edge (Joe Grey #1) by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares (Dash & Lily #1) by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan


This Month: 6
Total: 47/50

The Categories/Books:
A book with a number in the title: Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
A book with nonhuman characters: Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles #3.5) by Marissa Meyer
A funny book: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
A book set in high school: A Really Awesome Mess by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin
A book set during Christmas: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares (Dash & Lily #1) by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
A book written by an author with your same initials (SM): Cat on the Edge (Joe Grey #1) by Shirley Rousseau Murphy


This Month: 1 TBR book
Total: 30/40

The Books:
A Really Awesome Mess by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin


Sunday, November 8, 2015

Reading Challenge Update [October 2015]


I'm so close! I'm confident I'll finish my overall Goodreads challenge, but I may not make my other challenges. I'm in the middle of NaNoWriMo right now, but I'm hoping I can catch up and maybe make some of those other challenges in December.


This Month: 6 books

The Books:
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Dracula by Bram Stoker
In the Heat of the Night by John Ball and adapted by Matt Pelfrey
Bone Gap by Laura Ruby
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf


This Month:2
Total: 41/50

The Categories/Books:
A book written by someone under 30: Once We Were (The Hybrid Chronicles #2) by Kat Zhang
A banned book: Monster by Walter Dean Myers


This Month: 1 TBR book
Total: 29/40

The Books:


Monday, October 5, 2015

Reading Challenge Update [September 2015]


I stepped up my reading in September! Hopefully this means I'll get at least a couple of my challenges completed by the end of the year! NaNoWriMo is coming up in November, so it will probably take a hit then, but I've gotten far enough ahead it shouldn't matter. Happy reading!


This Month: 10 books

The Books:
Boundless (Unearthly #3) by Cynthia Hand
Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey
Racing Savannah (Hundred Oaks #4) by Miranda Kenneally
Wither (The Chemical Garden #1) by Lauren DeStefano
Fever (The Chemical Garden #2) by Lauren DeStefano
Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld
Sever (The Chemical Garden #3) by Lauren DeStefano


This Month: 6
Total: 39/50

The Categories/Books:
A book a friend recommended: The Emperor's Edge (The Emperor's Edge #1) by Lindsay Buroker
A book at the bottom of your to-read list: Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey
A trilogy: The Chemical Garden 1-3 by Lauren DeStefano
A book with a love triangle: Boundless (Unearthly #3) by Cynthia Hand
A book set in the future: A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2) by Beth Revis
A book that takes place in mentions your hometown: Racing Savannah (Hundred Oaks #4) by Miranda Kenneally


This Month: 7 TBR books
Total: 28/40

The Books:
Boundless (Unearthly #3) by Cynthia Hand
Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey
Wither (The Chemical Garden #1) by Lauren DeStefano
Fever (The Chemical Garden #2) by Lauren DeStefano
Sever (The Chemical Garden #3) by Lauren DeStefano
 

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Reading Challenge Update [August 2015]


I didn't get many books read in August, but even slow progress is progress, right? Hopefully I'll get more done in the fall!

This Month: 4 books

The Books:
4 to 16 Characters by Kelly Hourihan
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Attachments by Rainbow Rowell


This Month: 4
Total: 33/50

The Categories/Books:
A popular author's first book: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
 A book with bad reviews: 4 to 16 Characters by Kelly Hourihan
A book from your childhood: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi


This Month: 3 TBR books
Total: 21/40

The Books:
4 to 16 Characters by Kelly Hourihan
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Bachelor in Paradise Season 2 Week 2 Highlights Recap


We begin this week just after last week's rose ceremony. Just as with last week, most of the drama that starts this episode involves the sisters Ashley I. and Lauren. Lauren is not into anyone and doesn't want to be there anymore and trying to take care of her sister is distracting Ashley I. from the reason she is there. Some of the other contestants complain that Lauren shouldn't be there because she obviously does not want anything to do with the group.

Between the sister drama, we learn that Mikey T. is still not realizing that Clare is not as into him as he is into her and that Jared is very interested in Clare as he reveals he would have given his rose to her had she not already been kept by Mikey. The next day we learn that Lauren is someone's mistress and that she is in love with the guy despite being his side-piece. Ashley I. says that Lauren really wanted to meet Joshua the welder from Kaitlyn's season, so she hopes he arrives before Lauren just gives up and gets out of dodge.

And Joshua does arrive, carrying a date card. Ashley I. jumps at him to try to get him hooked up with Lauren. However, Joshua offers the date to Tenley. J.J. evidently thought Joshua was not threat to his psuedo-relationship of less than a day with Tenley, so when he finds out Tenley is going on the date with Joshua, he is surprised, but at least he says nice things about her instead of disparaging her. However, despite how nicely J.J. might speak of Tenley, he has no problem making fun of Joshua. Tenley and Joshua have a great time during and after their date, though J.J. gets some time with Tenley and continues to be confident that he will prevail over Joshua.

Back with the sister drama, Ashley I. is upset (read: sobbing and wailing) that Lauren is bailing and going hardcore on the fact that Lauren is with a guy who won't commit to her. To me, this whole scenario explains why Lauren was so weepy at Marcus and Lacy's wedding (love/marriage is something she wants but can't have with the guy she's in love with). The rest of the cast does not care that Lauren leaves.

Joe from Kaitlyn's season is the next cast member to arrive and he has a date card as well. Everyone is talking about how funny he is and how much the guys like him, but then it gets really awkward as he just sits and stares at everyone and disagrees when the girls say the guys said he was funny. Then Joe just straight-up insults Clare which causes her to break down a bit (and gives the editors another opportunity to make it look like she's talking to another raccoon). Joe continues to act bizarre and awkward. Eventually Joe sort-of asks Juelia to go on the date with him. Juelia has a great time on the date with Joe, but we see Joe talking to a producer and he reveals that he's just trying to get a rose so he can stick around to meet Samantha.

Jared is the next to get a date card and he chooses Clare, who agrees to go on the date. This makes both Ashley I. and Mikey upset. Jared and Clare seem to have a great date (they go sailing and bungee jumping over the ocean). They seem to have chemistry and even kiss several times, which is farther than Ashley I. got with Jared, but later after they are back on the beach, they have a conversation in which Jared indicates he's just not that into Clare, so now Clare, having burnt her bridge with Mikey, doesn't know what to do.

Tenley learns from a couple of the guys that Joshua was talking about partying and doing drugs, so she goes to talk to him about that because that is not the kind of lifestyle she is interested in. Joshua tries to reassure her that that was a one-time thing but she is still conflicted about this information. Then Michael from Desiree's season shows up and he is there specifically for Tenley. He asks her on his one-on-one date and she accepts, and they have a nice, romantic dinner and seem to have a lot of fun, but Tenley now has three guys vying for her (J.J., Joshua, and Michael) and she doesn't know what to do.

Mikey is trying to stick around so he sets his sights on Juelia, but she is nearly 100% positive that she is choosing Joe. At the pre-ceremony cocktail party, she says as much, and Jonathan pulls her aside to tell her he thinks Joe is not there for the right reasons and not there for her. She gets the same thing from Mikey, which leads Juelia to go talk to Joe about it. Joe soothes Juelia's worries, but in private to a producer says a bunch of nasty things about both of the other guys.

Mikey confronts Joe and Joe pretty much lies to Mikey's face, saying that he is into Juelia and not just trying to get a rose. Joe then goes and confronts Jonathan and basically makes Jonathan feel terrible for thinking Joe was there for the wrong reasons. Jonathan considers Joe a friend and apologizes, saying he got caught up on the game and didn't mean it. Joe says he'll forgive Jonathan as long and Jonathan says to Juelia what he said to Joe in his apology. It is so messed up how manipulative Joe is! It makes me wonder how ticked off Jonathan is watching this back and now knowing that Joe was playing every single person there just so he could stay and meet Samantha.

Jared finally has a conversation with Ashely I. after all the drama with Clare. He says some vague stuff about doing what feels right in the moment and then goes for the kiss, completely surprising Ashley I., but she is down and much happier than she has been the whole show so far. Then, before the rose ceremony gets under way, Clare starts crying and gives a random speech about how she is there for love and this time is not like last year in paradise because there is more strategizing and plotting this go around and no one is really there for love. When they get to the ceremony, Jade speaks up before it starts and says she was offended by what Clare said because she and most of the people she has talked to are there for love.

Finally, the rose ceremony starts and the roses are given out as follows: Carly to Kirk, Ashley S. to Dan, Jade to Tanner, Tenley to Joshua (surprising J.J. and Michael), and before the next person is called up, Clare walks out crying and stops to talk to Chris Harrison. Clare says she doesn't feel right being there and that is where the episode ends with a To Be Continued!



Well, it stinks we don't get the full rose ceremony this week (which was one of my biggest pet peeves with Kaitlyn's season of The Bachelorette) but we don't have too long to wait to see what happens.


Thanks for visiting!

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Bachelor in Paradise Season 2 Week 1 Highlights Recap


We are finally back in paradise with a (mostly) new cast of former Bachelor/ette hopefuls who are ready for a second chance at love, or at least, a summer fling. We get four hours of BIP each week: two on Sunday, one on Monday, and the one hour After Paradise show. I'm only going to focus on the main show because I didn't much care for After Paradise. Yes, there are some outtakes and snippets not shown on the main show, but it's not worth sitting through that extra hour IMHO. Also, I'm going to try to focus on the major happenings because there is so much show each week.

So we begin the show with an intro from a rather smarmy Chris Harrison. I think he seems smarmy because he is basically on vacation here and knows as much as we do that this show is ridiculous. We get a bunch of intro videos, then the arrivals begin with Jade (Chris's season). The rest arrive as follows: Jared (Kaitlyn's season - and rocking less facial hair, which is good), Tenley (Jake's Season/Bachelor Pad), Carly (Chris's season), Jonathan (Kaitlyn's season), Tanner (Kaitlyn's season), Mikey T. (Desiree's season), Ashley I. (Chris's season - with little sister opposite-of-virgin Lauren in tow), Juelia (Chris's season), Kirk (Ali's season), Dan (Desiree's season), Jillian (Chris's season - complete with nice breast enhancements and the ever-present black box), J.J. (Kaitlyn's season), and Ashley S (Chris's season).

Right away the two hot commodities seem to be Jared and Jade. But before too much can happen, Chris Harrison arrives to talk to the group and explain that they have to couple up each week in order to stay. If the guys get the date cards one week, then the girls will be giving out the roses that week. This will reverse each week and new people will arrive throughout the show. The sisters, Ashley I. and Lauren, will be considered as one person, so as long as one of them gets a rose, both will get to stay.

Then Harrison takes the group down the beach to a little area set up with benches and it turns out it is a wedding for Lacy and Marcus, who were the couple that got engaged at the end of Bachelor in Paradise Season 1. After the cast spends a little time with the newlyweds getting advice and encouragement, they return to the house. I must interject here that the digs this season are better than the previous season. The main room and the lodging areas look nicer and they have a really great pool and hot tub. And, of course, an always-open bar.

The first night begins with everyone drinking and hanging out on the beach. The first drama we see is Lauren crying and she can't even talk, so she and Ashley I. go off to talk and try to calm Lauren down. Lauren starts calling some of the cast old and that she doesn't like anyone there, and then she decides to just go to sleep. Ashely I. says in her ITM that this is kind of what she expected from Lauren on the first night. Then she tries to go talk to Jared, but when she likes a guy, she clams up, so she just does a lot of sitting near him and not talking, and we get Ashley I.'s first tears over her inability to talk to Jared. She finally succeeds by bringing up her love of princesses, specifically Princess Jasmine. Then Jared says he's going to walk on the beach and invites Jade along, sending Ashley I. into a tailspin of anger and tears.

The next morning we see everyone rehashing who is into whom. It looks like the pairs, at least for the moment, are Carly/Kirk, Ashley S./Dan, Jade/Jared, and Juelia/Jonathan. Then Jillian comes in with a date card and it is for Ashley I. Of course her choice is Jared, but she is too nervous to ask him, so she practices repeatedly on her sister before asking him. When she does, he says yes. Jade is a little bummed because she likes Jared. On the date, Jared and Ashley I. go riding around in a dune buggy then have a picnic on the beach. They seem to enjoy each other's company and talk about Jared's potentially still existent feelings for Kaitlyn. But Ashley I. is pleased by her time with Jared and feels confident that she will get his rose.

The next date card arrives and it is for Jade. She goes off to think about who to pick. She wants to choose Jared, but he has just returned from his date with Ashley I., so she picks Tanner. Ashley I. is mondo relieved. Jade and Tanner's date consists of a private dinner in a little grotto by a river. They seem to really be into each other and talk and laugh and are just beaming at each other. They have a sweet first kiss, which leads to a bit of a make-out, then they drop their clothes (surprisingly, they were not wearing swimsuits underneath) and have a swim in the river. Back at the beach, Ashley S. is being taken to the hospital in an ambulance. Dan is worried about her so he hops in with her.

So the couples are now Carly/Kirk, Jade/Tanner, Ashley I./Jared, Ashley S./Dan,  and Juelia/Jonathan, and then we get a new arrival: Clare from Juan Pablo's season and Bachelor in Paradise Season 1. She also gets a date card, but all the guys she is interested in are paired up (Tanner, Kirk, and Jared), so in her struggle to pick someone, Mikey T. kind of invites himself so she decides to go on the date with him. Their date involves tantra yoga, which involves a lot of touching. They laugh their way through it and end up in the hot tub. Mikey T. is feeling it, but Clare is not, but no matter what she says, Mikey T. is not getting the message.

The last date card arrives via Tanner and it is for Ashley S. She is back from the hospital and feeling better and she picks Dan. They go for a nice dinner and a night on the town, dancing and such, and there is kissing. They kind of consider the one-on-one as a second date, saying their first date was at the hospital. Back at the beach, Tenley is worried because everyone seems to be coupled up. She likes Jared so when she spots him alone walking on the beach, she goes to talk chat with him. Ashley I. can't stand this and butts in as soon as she can stop crying and takes some shots for courage. She opens up to him, but he doesn't exactly give her the validation she's seeking.

So the pre-rose ceremony cocktail party gets underway and J.J.'s rose is really the only one up for grabs. Jillian is confident it is hers, but Tenley talks to J.J. and they seem to make at least a tiny connection, but really J.J. is just relishing the power giving out a rose gives him. We also see an interesting conversation between Jared and Clare where Clare expresses her interest in him and he says that if his name is called and she doesn't have a rose yet, he will give her his rose. Ashley I. sees them talking and is upset (though she would definitely be more upset if she'd overheard what he'd said). Then the rose ceremony begins and the results are as follows: Tanner to Jade, Kirk to Carly, Dan to Ashley S., Jonathan to Juelia, Mikey T. to Clare, Jared to Ashley I. (and Lauren gets to stay), and J.J. to Tenley, which means Jillian goes home.




That's the first week of paradise! A lot of Ashley I. drama, but other than that, not too much craziness yet. But BIP is all about the crazy, so we'll see what happens next week!


Thanks for visiting!

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Reading Challenge Update [July 2015]


I'm staying just ahead of my Goodreads Reading Challenge and am behind on my TBR Takedown by quite a bit, so here's to hoping I can get caught up!


This Month: 9 books

The Books:
Halloween Rain (Buffy the Vampire Slayer #2) by Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Mosquitoland by David Arnold
Speak by Lauri Halse Anderson
Twilight (The Mediator #6) by Meg Cabot
Foundation (Foundation #1) by Isaac Asimov
A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott


This Month: 7
Total: 29/50

The Categories/Books:
A book with more than 500 pages: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
A mystery or thriller: Twilight (The Mediator #6) by Meg Cabot
A Pulitzer Prize-winning book: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
A book your mom parent loves: Foundation (Foundation #1) by Isaac Asimov
A book that scares you: Speak by Lauri Halse Anderson
A book more than 100 years old: A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott
A book based on or turned into a TV show: Halloween Rain (Buffy the Vampire Slayer #2) by Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder


This Month: 5 TBR books
Total: 18/40

The Books:
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Speak by Lauri Halse Anderson
Twilight (The Mediator #6) by Meg Cabot
Foundation (Foundation #1) by Isaac Asimov
A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

The Bachelorette Season 11 Finale/ATFR Recap and Thoughts


After a season full of tantrums, surprise exits and an entrance, silly dates, tears, sex, and a screwed-up format, we finally made it to the finale! The two remaining guys are the infamous Nick, who has made it to the final two twice now in the Bachelorette franchise, and Shawn, the hot-but-needy DNA mash-up of Ryan Gosling and Calvin Harris. Not only are they completely different from one another, but they hate each other with a fiery passion rivaled only by the hots they have for Kaitlyn.

But who should win Kaitlyn's heart? Not only was my money on Shawn, but he is who I preferred to win. While he definitely has some qualities that are unfortunate (dude really needs to chill with the jealousy and insecurity), I felt like he and Kailtyn were a better fit, and overall I liked him better than Nick. A lot better. See, I was a fan of Nick early on in his season with Andi, but the more that was revealed of him, the less I liked because he seemed petty and immature. He really showed that when he kiss and told on Andi's After The Final Rose special, and seeing him insert himself into Kaitlyn's season didn't make me like him any more than before. He may have come off a little better this go around, a little more reserved, cool, and collected, but there was still that aura of weasel that just wouldn't go away.

But let's get to the show! This final episode begins with us going to Chris Harrison live in studio. He promises the finale will be shocking and wants us to remember to tune in for the ATFR special. Well, Chris, you always say that ("most shocking," "most exciting," etc.) and of course we'll be watching AFTR. Then we're off, and we begin by seeing Nick and Shawn talking about Kaitlyn and how she got along with their families. They are both preparing for the end of this road, but first, they have to meet Kaitlyn's family.


We join Kaitlyn as she's hanging out with her family in L.A. and she admits to them that she is in love with both guys and both guys are in love with her. She reveals that one of her final two is Nick and the fam is shocked. Kaitlyn explains what has happened with the two guys hating each other and about how her relationship moved too quickly with Nick and her mother looks a tad worried.

Nick arrives and Kaitlyn prepares him by telling him that she told her family about she and Nick having sex in Dublin and Nick was not happy about that. Once inside, Nick has to explain himself all over again to Kaitlyn's family and Kaitlyn's sister brings up the concern about his motives. Nick tells her family that his first time on The Bachelorette was about having an experience, but this time he was there just for Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn's mom takes Nick for a little talk and we find out that she did not have a high opinion of him from watching Andi's season. She gets right to the point with her concerns about Nick, very bluntly, and he tries to soothe her worries and answer her questions. Nick seems to get a pass based on Kaitlyn's mom's reaction to Nick talking about him being in love with Kaitlyn and about proposing. Even Nick gets emotional. It was kind of weird to watch. Kaitlyn's mom reverses her view on Nick based on him getting emotional (and we know he is a smooth talker). Nick works the same magic on the dad and gets his blessing to propose.


I feel like Nick seems like a safe choice because he is a more subdued person than Kaitlyn is and her family seems to like the calming influence Nick has. I remember being at this point in Andi's season and thinking the same thing and how it was hard to imagine Andi not ending up with Nick, and it is kind of this way this time around as well because you can tell how strong the attraction is between Nick and Kaitlyn.

The next day Kaitlyn meets again with her family and preps them for meeting Shawn. They are concerned due to his insecurities but they see that Kaitlyn wants him there and wants them to give him a chance, so they are going into the day with open minds. When he arrives, Shawn admits that he is very nervous. He makes an instant impression on Kaitlyn's sister with his welcoming gifts for her kids. Also, Shawn is wearing a nearly identical shirt to her dad. Shawn makes a big impact by telling her family how he came on the show for Kaitlyn and he is very open with his feelings and they are enamored by him.


Kaitlyn's mom steals Shawn away for a talk and asks him about the Nick situation and about potential jealousy in the future. Shawn gives a good answer but the mom just keeps on drilling about how he feels about Kaitlyn and Nick and the sex (though she puts it more delicately than that). Shawn says that once they are in an exclusive relationship (which he understands that they have not been through the show process) they will be fine having been made stronger through their struggles on the show. Kaitlyn's mom is won over and impressed by his maturity and confidence. Kaitlyn's sister drops the bomb to Kaitlyn that she is Team Shawn and says that Kaitlyn and Shawn's connection is much more than what she sees Kaitlyn has with Nick. Shawn has another good conversation with Kaitlyn's dad, then he brings over Kaitlyn's mom and formally asks Kaitlyn's parents for their blessings to marry Kaitlyn. Shawn is clearly over the moon after meeting Kaitlyn's family and seems 100% confident that they will be engaged the next week.

After seeing the guys meet the family, I think the difference between the two relationships is that Kaitlyn and Nick are cute together and have a lot of connection and an obvious attraction. However, Kaitlyn and Shawn look and act like a solid couple that has weathered storms and is strong and confident. They may not be as cutesy together like Kaitlyn and Nick are, but it is also a testament that they are not stuck in the honeymoon stage of their relationship and have moved beyond that.


We get a quick moment back in the studio with Chris Harrison and he asks the crowd who Kaitlyn's family liked more. The crowd is probably 60-40 Shawn, but Chris calls it 50-50. This would have been nothing to talk about except it was extremely awkward because just in the background you can see Nick's mom, little sister, and other family in the audience.

Back to the show, we see Kaitlyn and Nick on their last date. They spend some time on a big boat on the water talking about their families, drinking wine, and kissing of course. I mentioned in an earlier post about how in his ITMs, Nick seemed to be half-asleep or something, but this week he looks more awake, but he is still extremely mumble-y. In Kaitlyn's ITM she enumerates Nick's qualities and how she really needs clarity because she cares for both of the guys so much.

The date continues into evening and they have dinner and talk more. They basically rehash how Nick came on the show and where they are now in their relationship and how Nick took a chance on her and she appreciates it. Nick says he has a gift for her in his bedroom and it takes a few times for her to believe that he is not making a joke. What he gives her is a picture of the two of them on their first one-on-one date with a hand written note about his feelings for her. She talks about how what they have is right and how she knows she is in love.


Shawn's final date with Kaitlyn begins with him arriving and they go to a little picnic spot in what appears to be a vineyard. Kaitlyn is not as care free as on her date with Nick because she is worrying and still needing clarity about her decision that is to come. Shawn says how incredible it is that they're here after the journey they've had and how he hopes that this isn't their last date. The mood is much more serious than with Nick. Kaitlyn just looks really confused and worried and it is causing their date to not look very comfortable. They talk about the awkwardness (while she smooths his leg hair???) and the reality of what is coming the next day (the final day) is weighing on them but Kaitlyn's vibe has made Shawn go from confident to nervous, and it could affect if he proposes to her.

So they go into the dinner portion of the date trying to overcome the awkwardness and trying to enjoy the time together. They are still pretty serious as they discuss things and Shawn is definitely bringing the emotion and talking about how he hopes he gets to share the future with her and get to know her family more. Then they start talking about being married and having kids and then Shawn has a gift for Kaitlyn as well. And I have to say, his gift is super cute. It is a big jar full of their memories, including souvenirs from their dates, notes, pictures, etc. After the way the day ended, Shawn says he will definitely be proposing to Kaitlyn.


In her ITM Kaitlyn is crying because she knows she is going to blindside someone with her decision and she feels terrible about it. We return to Chris Harrison in the studio and the studio is deathly silent. We next get to see Shawn meeting with Neil Lane and picking out Kaitlyn's engagement ring (OMG SHINY *drools*). Next we hear Nick talking about Kaitlyn as we see her getting ready for the big day. Then Neil Lane shows up for Nick, who awkwardly shares the story of the last time he was supposed to meet Neil Lane but got sent home. Then Nick picks out a ring as well.

This portion of the show is moving along quickly as we go back and forth between the guys with glimpses of Kaitlyn. We're back to Shawn and he's getting ready and says that he only wants to propose once in his life. We get a shot of Nick getting ready and then we see Kaitlyn looking worried in a car on her way presumably to the final destination, which is the mansion from the beginning of the season. Kaitlyn arrives and meets with Chris Harrison while we get shots of Shawn in the car, who is saying he would be heartbroken if Kaitlyn didn't choose him. Nick is also shown in the car looking worried. Kaitlyn walks to her post, looking not excited but more ill than anything, and waits while we see more of the guys in the limos, probably both wondering who will be the unlucky one to arrive first.


The limo arrives and out gets...Nick. Chris Harrison leads him in and we know now that Kaitlyn is waiting back there to tell him goodbye. In her ITM she says she's upset about having to do it but looking forward to the happiness that is on the other side of tonight with Shawn. As Nick walks up to her, Kaitlyn looks like she's about to bust from the tension. Nick starts talking and Kaitlyn looks sad but Nick seems to be ignoring the vibe she is giving off. He gets emotional and then pulls her closer, holding her hand and is about to propose but she stops him and she's crying then looks away before saying she's sorry and crying more.

She is shaking as she's telling him her heart is with someone else and he backs away and even kind of cuts her off as she's trying to explain her feelings. She tries to explain again and Nick has a look on his face that he's heard this before (which we all know he has) and he even tells her he doesn't need to hear it. He does not let her off the hook easy, I guess preferring to do this now than on ATFR like he did with Andi, saying it's not fair for her to say what she felt was the same as he felt because if that were true they wouldn't be essentially breaking up right now. She walks him out and he is clearly pissed and in his ITM in the limo he says he is the world's biggest joke and he throws away the Claddagh ring he got in Ireland. We go back to the studio and the audience (his family included of course) is silent again.


Kaitlyn is shown crying about how hard it was to say goodbye to Nick but that it will all be worth it when she sees Shawn. Shawn arrives, looking nervous, and is led in and Kaitlyn is shaking as she waits. They kiss and Shawn goes into his speech and she's smiling and he's smiling and the music starts to build and soar then backs off as Kaitlyn starts her little speech. It seems like the conversation is about to go south but Kaitlyn tells him she has never loved anyone like she loves him. He gets on one knee and proposes and she's crying and she says yes and she is still shaking, now presumably from happiness.


Finally free of all obstacles, Kaitlyn gets to be her crazy little self, squawking that she loves him before presenting him with the final rose. They skip giddily off to the limo and drive away to live happily ever after!

But wait! There's more! The After The Final Rose special begins immediately following the end of the episode. Chris Harrison brings out the happy couple. Shawn's skin looks particularly nice, either because he's finally not stressed and upset all the time or because he got put in the makeup chair before coming on. Either way, he looks well rested and Kaitlyn is giddy and goofy.

But next, we get to see Nick and find out how he's doing after all of this. He's got more of a beard than before and of course there is the déjà vu joke. Nick says he was shocked and blindsided. Chris Harrison dives in, asking more about the pre-existing relationship between him and Kaitlyn. Nick explains that they clicked and when Harrison asks if they were on the phone for hours, Nick keeps responding that they were having a lot of great conversations and getting to know each other, which is the party line he and Kaitlyn have been saying all season. Nick explains that when they hooked up in Dublin, it didn't feel too soon to them because their pre-existing relationship covered a lot of ground and they were already on a different level when he came on. Then Chris Harrison asks why Shawn hates him so much and Nick says it was silly and immature but it was a tough situation. Harrison reveals that Nick will get a chance to talk to Shawn and it seems like nobody is sure how that will go.


Shawn is brought out and he shakes Nick's hand then makes a joke about how small the couch is. Nick jokes by formally introducing himself and it's a awkward. Like a lot. It's hard to tell if they are being nice or being sarcastically nice. When asked why he had a problem with Nick, Shawn tries to explain but won't go into some stuff that was said in the house. Harrison asks if they are more alike than they think because Kaitlyn fell for both of them. Nick brings up that they didn't get to know each other at all and that a lot of what Shawn thought about him was about his reputation from Andi's season. He explains he was frustrated by the lack of ability to get to know Shawn. Harrison asks Shawn about jealousy and he explains that pretty well, saying his beef with Nick was about 3% of his ITMs but that was what the show chose to air.

Harrison goes back to Nick asking about his worries coming into the show and Nick says he expected to be disliked because of it. Shawn says Nick shared a little much about his Dublin date with Kaitlyn when the guys had agreed not to talk about what happened on the dates. Harrison makes a joke about them hugging it out even if Nick won't be a groomsman in the wedding, and they don't hug it out but do agree they took away from the main focus of the show, the love story, as Shawn calls it, with their feud. Shawn says all this in a way that makes it sounds like he's agreeing with Nick without actually agreeing with Nick.

Then they bring Kaitlyn out for a chat with Nick. Harrison hands the reigns over to Nick, who talks about it being a difficult process. Like with Andi, Nick brings up something personal, but instead of asking why Kaitlyn had sex with him, he asks her why she said she loved him. Kaitlyn's face at the moment was worth the screen shots:


Nick keeps talking and Kaitlyn talks and it ends amicably enough, but Harrison isn't done yet! He keeps asking questions and even plays back the horribly awkward breakup with the picture-in-picture of their faces as it plays. Nick seems to want answers as to why she let him continue to say those things to her when she knew he wasn't the one. Kaitlyn tries to explain she maybe should have done it a little different but Nick keeps harping on the point and just won't shut up about it when we all know the show wanted something from that situation and Kaitlyn is not allow to say "The producers made me do it!" so she has to just sit there and take his ire, which is really not fair. I think maybe Chris Harrison finally felt pity on her and wrapped it up so we could finally talk more to Shawn! You know, the winner?

The couple is brought back out and we get to see again how happy and in love the two are. I really hope they are too, and last longer than what everyone is guessing. Shawn says he is finally glad to be able to live his life out in the open with her and defend her in public now. It was super cute. Hey, if they're together long enough, maybe I'll be able to run into them in Nashville some time! Yeah, probably not, but a girl can hope!


Well that's it! We have our winner and now we must prepare ourselves for Bachelor in Paradise!




Thanks for visting!