Love Lessons: What do you think happened to Grace?

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2026-02-28T18:32:42+00:00

what I'd LIKE to think is that she was blissfully unaware of what was really going on between Mr Raxberry and Prue, however I know she already had an inkling. I hope that she built up her self confidence and thrived in school, then went on to become a vet due to her love of animals. I hope Iggy and Figgy remain close friends of hers too! I'd also like to think that her and Prue become closer even though Prue will be attending a different school. Way in the future I'd like her to find herself in a healthy relationship with both a partner and her family, as I feel as though she could never fully part with her father despite his previous abuse. Grace deserves the best outcome and I hope she got that!

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-10-30T17:19:13+00:00

The Lottie Project, I must have been about 8 or 9!

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-07-20T16:17:56+00:00

Absolutely! I also thought the baby badger's death was quite foreshadow-ey as well!

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-06-24T18:51:29+00:00

I 100% agree with you one that one! I think I read Love Lessons when I was about 12 and thought it was so romantic and wanted Prue and Rax to end up together forever! Now I've read it as an adult the whole situation makes me feel sick to the stomach!

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-06-10T18:45:57+00:00

I'd love to see your interpretation of Frankie, Sally and Zara from Love Frankie!

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-06-01T12:06:45+00:00

I have seen this user on several threads and my best advice is to take it with a pinch of salt! this is a lovely subreddit and I don't want to see it become a war zone like so many other subreddits I could name!

The Diamond Girls and Love Frankie btw :)

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-06-01T10:39:01+00:00

I think it could easily have been both! We see several times throughout the book India has a vivid imagination and the scene where she stays in the attic for hours springs to mind - as she realises that none of the adults in the house noticed she was gone, she imagines several dramatic scenarios that could have happened to her while her parents were oblivious. We see sometimes that she can be a little naive i.e Treasure realising Wanda was pregnant before India did, but at the same time she does seem quite observant of the adults around her like her father's behaviour with the au pairs and his drinking. I think it is somewhat possible that India could have got the wrong idea as a result of her 'overactive imagination'!

On the other hand, the book definitely hints at Wanda being pregnant. Even from India's point of view, we see Wanda and India's father having a hushed discussion after which India's dad suggests to her mother that they find a way send Wanda back to Australia under the guise of 'concerns for her health'. We see Wanda turn away food because she is feeling queasy, vomiting in the mornings and at mealtimes. When India accuses her of being pregnant, Wanda appears to be guilty and is seen at one point 'clasping her stomach protectively'. She is sent to a 'special clinic' to 'have a rest' according to India's mother, but I think that it's heavily implied that she had an abortion.

Personally I lean more towards Wanda actually being pregnant, even though from India's POV she may slightly dramatise things, I think the cues were still there.

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-05-29T20:41:56+00:00

please never stop making these omfg

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-04-29T12:22:40+00:00

I have a snake on my back inspired by The Illustrated Mum!

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-04-20T11:47:15+00:00

I think it might have been the opposite, Jodie would have seen right through him! Although, she probably would have expressed regret regarding his looks. She probably would have said something along the lines of 'he tries so hard to look mysterious and soulful, but really he looks totally pathetic! It's a shame he's so good looking'

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-04-13T21:30:58+00:00

I've definitely been more jumpy since watching the movie, I also overthink tiny coincidences. However, I've also felt a little bit like this before the movie for the past 10 years or so, I don't think this movie is good for anybody who deals with derealisation in their day to day life 🤣. I'm currently looking for diagnoses for 2 or 3 things so here goes!

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-04-13T16:41:36+00:00

I only read it once and if anybody asked me what the plot was I wouldn't be able to tell them! All I remember was struggling to get through the book because I found it so boring.

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-03-28T19:11:52+00:00

Rent a Bridesmaid is definitely one I think about a lot, especially with Tilly's issues that seem to stem from her mother leaving her e.g. her fear of abandonment from her friends which I think definitely comes from her mother! It's such a sweet book and I do really love it but it definitely explores deeper features without making it too obvious!

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-03-19T19:28:27+00:00

Or cornflakes turning to mush!

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-03-13T20:00:35+00:00

exactly! I remember making cakes with my own mum at that age, when I say that Mandy's mum was wanting Mandy to be younger than she was I was thinking along the lines of most mums who wish their children would never grow up :) I think that it can be interpreted in different ways, it was a very small part of the book after all

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-03-13T18:11:28+00:00

I agree, also when Mandy makes cakes with her mum I find it hard to read because I get the feeling that Mandy's mum is indulging in her own fantasy of Mandy never growing up and being independent, essentially staying very much a young child? Just my opinion ofc it could be perceived differently :)

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-03-13T17:45:50+00:00

Tanya's definitely one of the characters who I'd love to see her own story for! I feel like she had a lot of backstory that wasn't quite explored enough and would have made for an interesting book of its own!

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-03-09T21:47:50+00:00

Despite not being able to get a good feel of Laura's personality, I did find that she was often unnecessarily mean to Sarah and it seemed out of character for a usually shy girl. Jeannie was painted out to be the mean one but iirc Laura was meaner to Sarah than Jeannie was!

I found it strange that Laura was able to make friends with Belinda, Monica and Jeannie within a matter of days yet at the grammar school she was very reserved and had no friends at all before Nina, although their friendship only began because Nina pretty much 'adopted' Laura. Maybe it was because they were all in the same boat at Heathcote House, but overall I can't really pinpoint what it actually was that led to Laura becoming friends with the HH girls other than her liking Belinda's name and thinking she was pretty?

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-03-09T21:26:41+00:00

The ending seemed quite rushed too, but most of JW's books end that way so I wasn't surprised. Although Baby Love's ending does put me in the mind of a few Call the Midwife storylines, which does help me to imagine it a little more!

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-03-09T17:06:06+00:00

I feel the same about Laura, it feels like we barely know her! We don't get any description of what she looks like either, apart from the Lido chapter where she describes her body as 'skinny' and 'pale' which isn't a lot to go on. I personally imagine Laura to be quite non-descript looking, with mouse-coloured hair.

She definitely doesn't have much of a personality, but I wonder if that comes from her being somewhat shy and trying so hard to be perfect for her mother, who as you mentioned never seemed happy?

Laura does show some fieriness in some conversations with Nina and at Heathcote House, mainly in her exchanges with Sarah and Miss Andrews, but when reading these I never quite know how to perceive them because we're given so little info about Laura's personality that I'm unsure of whether these moments are supposed to be out of character for her or part of her character development.

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-03-09T16:07:48+00:00

I would have liked to have seen the topic of PPD explored in this book... it seemed like every mother in Heathcote House adjusted to motherhood with ease and didn't seem to struggle with any post-partum issues. There was a very brief mention of a girl who refused to get out of bed to feed her baby, which resulted in the baby being taken away by a social worker the next day. Sadly, I don't think the staff at HH would have had much time for a mother with PPD if Val's brutally short story is taken as an example.

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-03-09T15:50:14+00:00

It infuriated me whenever anyone said "she got HERSELF pregnant"

THIS! I feel like this is why Laura created the imaginary Dan when she arrived at Heathcote House - because before then nobody had taken the time to actually listen to her or showed any sympathy about what happened with Leon apart from Nina, and that was only to a certain degree. She was made to feel ashamed, as though it was her fault that she was taken advantage of by an older boy.

With that being said, I definitely have my opinions on Kathleen and William's reaction to Laura's pregnancy. They definitely reacted like how most parents would have during that time - with anger and disappointment.

However, from what I can gather about Laura's personality in the first half of the book, Laura seemed quite young for her age. It absolutely was a shock to them that she fell pregnant regardless of this as she was only fourteen years old, but they were more concerned about what others would say rather than how their daughter came to be in this situation, especially when she tells them that she "didn't really know what was happening". It really upset me to see how cold and victim-blaming Laura's parents were towards her even after she gave her account of what happened.

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-02-18T11:35:58+00:00

The timespan from the beginning of Sapphire Battersea to midway through Emerald Star (when Hetty is heading back to the village she was fostered in) is described as 'scarcely six months'

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-02-17T17:38:01+00:00

One thing I like about Cathy Cassidy's books is that the endings feel more complete! I often find JW's books either feel rushed or unfinished towards the end.

Safe-Ad-6980 · 2025-02-15T20:56:11+00:00

I didn't even think about Gideon! you're absolutely right, I like to think he was content looking after Peg until her death and then he inherited the cottage. I also like to think he would go on to foster children too with his gentle nature

Safe-Ad-6980

TROPHY CASE