This week we will be discussion Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner Chapter 9 - 16.
Spoiler Warning!!! This post is full of spoilers for Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner.
Trigger/Content Warning!!! Racism, sexual harassment, and homophobia
Discussion:
Jacilyn: Hello friends, welcome to discussion #2 of Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner. As we came towards the end of chapter 16, both of us had a hard time putting the book down and refraining from reading ahead. I, for one, didn’t realize that I could be so invested in a book where romance is the primary focus of the story. Sure, I’ve read plenty of books that are heavy on the romance, but in most cases that’s a compliment to the plot as opposed to the primary driver. I’ve read some that were fun reads, but this story has me dying to know how it ends and rooting for Emma and Jo. Clearly, I’ve been enjoying it.
I damn near got whiplash from how hot and cold Emma and Jo’s relationship was in this section. It seems like each time one of them wants to be honest and address something, they misinterpret the other one’s signals and then a wedge forms again. But, we can’t say they didn’t try communicating better this time around. Jo finally gets over herself and gives Emma a sincere apology for not telling her about 1) spending time with Avery at the baseball games and 2) not telling her she was investing in Floured Up, and I think Emma was absolutely within her rights in accepting the apology but making it clear that she hadn’t earned Emma’s trust back yet.
Michaela: I am genuinely in love with this book. I ended up having to kind of toss the book away from me so I would stop reading! I need to know what happens! Like you said, I’ve read books with heavy romance but it's never been the main plot whereas this book is all about the romance and everything else is complimentary. I’m really into it and it gives me the warm and fuzzies.
However, the characters frustrate me like any good book. This miscommunication and the back and forth of emotions is driving me absolutely insane. I just wanna scream at them “Just talk to each other! In actual sentences!”. It’s a bit ridiculous. I still do not understand why Jo lied or omitted the baseball games or the investment. I don’t know that I’ll ever understand that decision. Don’t hide stuff from your friends, people! It’s not healthy!
Jacilyn: I think one of the key issues here is that Jo and Emma aren’t sure what to consider each other. They’ve both struggled with how their feelings interfere with their official roles- that of boss and assistant. I can imagine that makes it more complicated to handle these kinds of conversations and decisions.
Jo’s initial reaction to Emma during Barry Davis’ visit made me angry at first, and I didn’t think Emma was even going to tell her that Barry propositioned her. And a part of me even worried that if Emma did tell Jo what happened, that Jo would think it was Emma’s fault and perpetuate the same bullshit reaction to accusations of sexual assault in Hollywood as most people do - with victim blaming and disbelief. Thankfully, Jo proved me wrong and not only believed Emma, but realized how traumatic the experience was and respected Emma’s wishes in regards to the statement. And the fact that Jo thought to call Annabeth, someone Barry Davis had worked with extensively, to warn her about the statement…. That was huge.
Michaela: Jo made it so much weirder than it needed to be. If she had just said something the first time like “oh hey I saw your sister yesterday haha”. Boom done, over. Kinda awkward probably but over with. Jo and Avery made it weird when it didn’t need to be and for no reason. I will forever be grumpy about it.
Barry’s visit went in a completely different direction than I thought it would. I was not expecting Barry to be that kind of person at all. From what Jo was saying about him I fully expected it to be a cool experience for Emma and then at the end of the day her and Jo would talk about all the things Emma learned. I was so excited for that. He was awful. I felt gross just reading his dialogue, and then when he propositioned Emma my skin crawled. Utterly disgusting.
I was not okay with how Jo spoke to Emma on set, though I can understand that from her perspective Emma was just being rude but Emma was right about his direction anyways. Jo even agreed it was the wrong direction. If Barry hadn’t acted the way he did then Emma yelling at him would have been inappropriate but considering the circumstance it was not. Which Jo apologized for when Emma told her what had actually happened. I fully expected Jo to react the way she did. Having been in show business for so long and how much she worried about being inappropriate with Emma, I never doubted Jo’s support of Emma. Jo’s intensity surprised me a little bit but it was also a really serious situation. I also really appreciate how Jo didn’t try to crowd Emma or even touch her in a comforting way without Emma’s permission, that is such a mindful thing to do.
Everything leading up to the released statement and everything that came afterwards was just beautiful. Jo giving Annabeth a heads up, then that gave Annabeth and other actresses the chance to come forward with their own statements in addition to Jo’s. Then all of this led to the creation of the Cassandra Project. It’s just amazing and I love it and I want something like that to happen in real life Hollywood. This kind of sexual harassment and much worse things have been happening for far too long and there should be support for actresses, actors, writers, costumers, prop masters, etc. Everyone deserves the chance to get help. And calling out these people and educating people will hopefully in the long run stop this kind of inappropriate and dangerous behavior.
Jacilyn: Speaking of Jo worrying about being inappropriate with Emma, I really think Chantal is the leak. She walked by Emma and Phil right when Phil made a joke about Emma and Jo, and she has physical reactions whenever she encounters things like that. And, inevitably, there’s a story the very next day. I’m convinced of it at this point, unless there’s a big twist at the end.
Jo’s intense support of Emma showed itself again when her father decided to pay a visit and insult Emma. I love that Jo stood up for Emma like that and found the strength to kick her father out, but I wish she felt like she could do that while defending herself as well. Jo’s father was dismissive, disrespectful, and the homophobia was very evident. He’s a disgusting human and the mental image of him being hauled out of the building was *chef’s kiss.*
I love the Cassandra Project. I almost hope that Emma ends up playing a key role in that organization if she doesn’t stick on at Innocents. With the outcome of Barry’s visit, I’m really not sure if directing is something that Emma wants to do still. The bigotry of Hollywood is embedded into the entire structure and fighting against it is difficult to say the least, but an organization like the Cassandra Project could be an invaluable resource to people experiencing sexual harassment in the industry.
Michaela: I suspect either Chantal or Phil. He sounded like he was joking when he said he’ll “stop selling his stories” and “people do weird stuff for money” but maybe he wasn’t really joking. If it’s not Chantal then she’s being a straight up bitch with her reactions to every little thing that Jo and Emma do, it’s unnecessary. Especially considering she’s known them for a long time by this point. If it’s Phil I will be so disappointed, he was supposed to be Emma’s friend and he can clearly see how bothered she is by all this.
I agree with what you said about Jo and her father. I love that she stood up for Emma but I wish she could have found that confidence when she was just defending herself. But I think this gave her that extra burst of confidence and power she needed against her father who clearly was oppressive and judgmental her entire life. She must have felt a release and a sense of freedom after he was escorted out.
I really don’t want Emma to give up being a director because of Barry. I hope she uses this incident as a powerful leaping off point rather than an act of suppression. She wants this so badly and no one should be able to take that from her. She has to work through what happened no matter what though. She was trying really hard to play it off as no big deal to Jo and Avery but it is a big deal and it’s okay for her to feel things. I hope that if she doesn’t do directing she will find something else that will make her excited. A job with the Cassandra Project would be great for her I think but I don’t know if she would want that. I’m excited to see how the Cassandra Project grows throughout the rest of the book.
I’m also super excited to see if this relationship actually turns into a relationship. I am way too invested in Jo and Emma. I need a happy ending. I need it. The baseball game was just beautiful. Though Jo was excessively aware of Emma and how she was perceived by others who might be watching, I thought their interactions were so easy and fun for once. They didn’t have the media watching them or people at work judging them. They were just with their families and enjoying life in the same space and time. Finally!
Jacilyn: You’re right. No matter what Emma says to Jo and Avery, the experience was traumatic, even more so because it was someone she looked up to so much. Clearly, she’s shaken by it, and I don’t feel like she’s taken enough time to really process what happened and let herself feel those feelings. I’m hoping that Jo can help her work through those feelings, and that Emma can help Jo work through the trauma she’s been through as a woman, as a child star, and as partially closeted lesbian. I’m hoping that the book doesn’t end immediately after they confess their love to each other and ride off into the sunset, so to speak. I would love to experience their relationship unfolding more.
I think the baseball game was a great peek at the life they could potentially have together. The way the two families click makes me so happy, and everyone seems comfortable enough to just be themselves. I will never get over how much I adore the little trio Emma, Jo, and Avery make. After learning what happened with Barry, Avery jumped on the phone to Jo so quick to make sure Jo was doing something about it. No need for pleasantries, just jumping straight to business and discussing various ways to “dispose” of the creep. More than anything in books, I enjoy well-created characters. I want to feel invested in the lives of the people I’m reading about, and I know I’ve read a good book if I wish it were a series so I could ride along them a little longer.
Michaela: If this book ends in the ride off into the sunset kind of way before we get to see a real relationship happen first I’m going to melt and then evaporate. I will not be able to handle it. I need to see it happen with my own eyes!
The families click so well. Even if they chose not to be together in a relationship I hope they remain friends because they all just meld so well together. Emma and Avery are so close and the fact that Jo fits in so well to their private sister world...my whole heart. It fills me with so much joy. Then the evil genius tag team that is Jo and Avery *chef’s kiss*. Can’t get enough of that friendship. I totally agree, these characters are wonderfully created. I love this author’s writing, they have really captured my heart with these characters.
They also have created the most sweet yet steamy moments between Emma and Jo. The small kiss during the party was sweet but the almost kiss in Jo’s office. Wooooo that was intense and nothing even officially happened. Just stomp on my heart why don’t you! Then they both reacted to the almost kiss in such an extreme inner doubt way. Just love each other already!
Jacilyn: It’s so frustrating getting both of their inner monologues as readers, because we see how they examine the situation in opposite ways, decide to address it up front, and then feel like the other is rejecting them. If I were in either of their shoes, I would have felt the same way! It’s like we’re watching them get so close to admitting how they feel, just for it to be jerked away at the last second. I wanted to scream with frustration when chapter 16 ended.
We are super excited to finish the book now that we’ve had our second discussion. Join us next week to discuss the last section of the book. I’m crossing my fingers for a good ending!
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