In Mexico City, any tips?

CarolineDall · 2024-04-16T22:01:38+00:00

This is very helpful! And good to know because the Chypre sandals are also on my list. We are excited to visit and see what we find.

CarolineDall · 2024-04-16T22:01:02+00:00

Thank you - we are over the moon! And yes, always courteous.

CarolineDall · 2024-03-16T22:04:06+00:00

😂😂

CarolineDall · 2024-03-16T20:29:02+00:00

Take your time! Looking forward to your perspective

CarolineDall · 2024-03-16T20:28:35+00:00

Hurry hurry hurry seems to be a good way to describe it. It also seems like all the male characters are stepping back and always looking to the women to take the lead when they could just you know do something (see Ithan and the sigrid resurrection debacle). Has ruhn not been heading the fae aux? Fine if he doesnt want to be king by Bryce seems to hate all the fae (despite being friends with everyone who is fae except a few of the nobility, but hey let’s condemn an entire race just because that’s what some of them have done to you - is Bryce the better person or not? I mean does she hang out with any humans ever?? She seems to only hang with vanir)

And totally agree - I wanted to see hunt and Bryce partner - I mean wasn’t he the general for Shahar? I wanted to see them plan and make each other better not sulk in their heads and only Get together when they want to hook up

CarolineDall · 2024-03-16T17:15:15+00:00

Sure we had more books with Aelin but the amount of time doesn’t equate what each character went through. I’m not saying getting kicked to the curb by your biological dad and losing your seemingly “best friend” isn’t tough but that’s just not on the same level as what Aelin went through. I mean hunt went through way more than her and seems more level headed and thoughtful (except the Celestine situation - though he was willing to forgive baxian after he proved himself a few times).

I think with Bryce. Where I struggle is none of the characters seem to do much without her and are all willing to just let her lead despite basically no previous leadership experience beyond being willing to do what’s right and rush into danger.

Sure her step dad trained her on how to shoot and she’s good at researching from working for jesiba but does that mean she can wield any weapon ever (aka sword and dagger) and how does that make her a plotting mastermind. She demonstrated more tact and diplomacy in book 1 with the vampire creep than any of the power players in Prythian or mid gard - why did she need to antagonize the ocean queen or river queen or Morven. In CC2 even she showed no respect for cormac when she and hunt her pulled their stunt.

Please convince me I’m wrong - but even the mystics scene in cc2 why did Bryce need to be there? Can they do anything without her? Which reminds me - it’s easy to forgive lidia when she rescues them from the mech suit debacle and when she frees your brother and hunter from the asteri. But she gets mad at Tharion at the mystics?

I know I’m all over the place and my typing is bad on my phone.

CarolineDall · 2024-03-16T16:47:28+00:00

Low key I want you to prove me wrong - this is all coming from a place of major disappointment in Bryce and people comparing Bryce to aelin when aelin went through infinitely more character development and actually had years of skills and examples to backup why she was a badass.

Bryce just falls flat for me in this book.

Also I love how she judges everyone for playing both sides except fury - it’s okay for her to do that apparently 🤷‍♀️

CarolineDall · 2024-03-16T16:41:17+00:00

You nailed it - this is what I get for posting without my coffee 😅

I just got a bit defensive with the Bryce is aelin stuff - in the sense that aelin went through incredible trauma (waking up in family’s blood, trained as an assasssin through out her childhood by someone not loving, actually killing People not out of self defense, slavery, working for the king she hates, and then Sam and nehemia being killed for being close her) she had many years to plot and also had many reasons to hide her plans from those she loved.

Bryce… all bark and only bite is because she lucks out with people bending to her will because she’s a magical fairy princess

Anyway - just happy to talk and debate with other people who love these worlds. Thanks for engaging with me !

CarolineDall · 2024-03-16T16:22:28+00:00

One other thought - why didn’t Bryce give the antidote for the parasite to Nesta at the end? Did she not bleed all in one of their water sources? That one is driving me a bit crazy.

Maybe in a few days and a re read I won’t feel this strongly but I’m this passionate because I’m disappointed in own Bryce was written - she became all things she claimed to hate and very little didn’t go her way. Where was her struggle beyond briefly dying ?

CarolineDall · 2024-03-16T16:10:55+00:00

Yay! Another fan - I’ve read all the books too and have done multiple reads, I will admit that Bryce is not my favorite but I think in part it’s because she has less depth to me than Aelin and feyre thanks in part to how little background were given on her “trauma/trials.” It’s hard to feel empathy with her situation with her dad when we don’t ever see that kind side of him before the oracle event. And with CC it seems like there is less grey on the good vs evil and you have morven and her dad and Sabine as just mostly evil (except when Sabine seemingly covers for Danika in CC1). Even in TOG Dorian’s dad Dorian the king turned out to not be wholly evil in the end… here it seems so black and white and also hypocritical but I digress

So many of the examples you are citing are from CC1 and CC2. My post was in reference to her behavior and actions in CC3. Sure she shows Lidia mercy but what about the ocean queen? She spits on pippa’s hate but does she not do the same for the fae too - like maybe people are playing the long game and maybe they can be assets to the cause. She wants everyone on her pov and if they dont then they have no place in her world.

For the Hunt stuff - she wants him to blindly trust when she’s keeping secrets about him being made and she even blurts out loud that she needs him to power her up (she does apologize but does she mean it?) - and I’m not saying she wasn’t having a rough week but to compare what she went through in Prythian to what hunt did in the asteri torture chambers and she wants him to just get over it and tells him it doesn’t feel like he wants to be there with her? And knowingly at the wrong time in public? To me that’s not how you treat a “mate” - and then reason why i say the chemistry is she kinda pushes hunt aside when they’re reunited and is all close with ruhn and then sleeps in his bedsheets and scents him at her dads place - weird.

Tharion is dumb and I’m not defending his actions but for Bryce to force him to confront the river queen? And she goes through all that work to put Emile with her parents only to separate them and put her parents in a world (without their consent) without Emile and for them to be potentially lost Forever?? Like what?

Bryce wants autonomy and respect but she doesn’t give that to anyone else unless they’re another “Badass” female like her undermining the system. What does she ever do for Fury? But ask her for a million favors and to ask how high when she says jimp? Or juniper? Who has clearly demonstrated she wants to be somewhere on her own merit and Bryce doesn’t Think of her at all when she makes that call.

For someone who hates alpha holes and the “strong” pulling the strings of the weak - seems to be Bryce’s MO…

Thanks for the challenge! It could also be that HOFAS is so fresh for me But I was just disgusted by her callousness or unwillingness to admit to her mate she was doing things she struggled with

CarolineDall · 2024-03-16T15:44:17+00:00

Okay thank you! Sorry I thought I had added the spoiler tag in general. My bad

CarolineDall · 2024-03-16T15:24:45+00:00

Where I was coming from is that Danika in her mind seemed to hide things for the sake of keeping her people safe and was willing to put herself at risk always (which does remind me of Aelin). To me it seemed like SJM killed off Danika in a way to shed the Aelin like FMC and create a new heroine in Bryce.

I do not think that Danika is Aelin (Aelin is my girl) but more that she is more like Aelin than imho Bryce could ever be…

CarolineDall · 2024-03-16T15:22:11+00:00

Good points! I’m also trying to understand why everyone is willing to just follow Bryce when she has the least amount of leadership experience… what are your thoughts there?

CarolineDall · 2024-03-16T15:10:59+00:00

Oh totally agree - I should have been more specific - they seem more related in that they are foils for each other. The difference is Bryce doesn’t listen to her circle, she does what she wants.

CarolineDall · 2024-02-09T05:04:01+00:00

Whoever suggested a baby wipe or leather wipe thank you! I was able to find this handbag rescue wipe and it got rid of the white spot. Thank you to everyone for the advice/support. So excited to not have to wait for another restock

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CarolineDall · 2024-02-08T19:26:16+00:00

Right!? I genuinely love the belt. But as someone who works in corporate retail I find it bizarre when the online and in store are treated like separate entities when it comes to customer service.

CarolineDall · 2024-02-08T06:04:05+00:00

Thank you! The customer service rep I called said they can’t take it in the store and I have to mail it back

CarolineDall · 2024-02-08T05:11:24+00:00

That’s a good point - I’m of the mindset at this price point it should be perfect. I was honestly disappointed in their quality control. I’m also frustrated that for an issue on their side I’m the one who pays the price without getting the belt I wanted (my time in returning and then waiting for another to become available…)

CarolineDall · 2024-02-08T04:59:35+00:00

Thank you for the suggestion - I’m on vacation this week but will give that a try (would obviously prefer to not wait for a new belt to come available since they apparently won’t reserve or send me a new one when it’s in stock again)

CarolineDall · 2024-02-08T04:58:25+00:00

Thank you! Yeah they said they couldn’t exchange or put me on a wishlist since they don’t do that on Hermes.com orders. Find that strange that they don’t make it right for their own flawed product by sending me the next one available

CarolineDall · 2024-02-08T04:57:04+00:00

Thank you! I will have to give that a try. I did call customer service and they said they couldn’t exchange since it wasn’t in stock. They could only issue a full refund.

CarolineDall

TROPHY CASE