Okay, I'm coming in early with the book club. Those of you who are reading later in the week please come back and talk to me and share my feelings 
Also I'm odd so may well read again before the week is out.
Also I'm odd so may well read again before the week is out.Aaaaah I'm so excited to read this again for the first time in ages.
Many many things I love about this fic. It's just so well written.
But one of the things I absolutely love the most is how it's third person but John POV but he never thinks about fancying Jack, there's nothing really in there to suggest it, until Jack mentions it. The author is hiding the information from us through John choosing not to think about it and that's so clever because we feel his little rush of shock when it gets mentioned.
And the John of this series is so special to me because he's a man who doesn't always understand his own feelings, who deals with them by compartmentalising, and he's working on himself and doing okay. So many fics portray characters as either broken or perfect and the ones I like best are where the character feels alive, and that's John here. He's sad but trying to be kind, he doesn't want to acknowledge his feelings but at the same time he can't stop feeling them, and he's awkward and uncertain but instinctively caring and I love it.
And Jack
The Jack of this story, in the aftermath of the final, is wild and chaotic and unpredictable and nervy, he's a bit of a mess but you can still see why John likes him, not just his looks but his personality, and why he's been guarding his heart against him a little. Even at his messiest he's charming and compelling and warm. One of the things that sticks with me most in this series is the contrast between John's struggle to connect with his feelings and the way Jack's practically drowning in his, and that first starts here.
Then the sex scene is so hot, flowing seamlessly into something so sweet. I love how it's not love, just two people using physical closeness to soothe an emotional distress, but without the sex being angsty or making anything worse.
Feel like I've missed lots of other talking points but I really am rambling now so will come back to the conversation later in the week when other people's comments prompt me to think of more.
Many many things I love about this fic. It's just so well written.
But one of the things I absolutely love the most is how it's third person but John POV but he never thinks about fancying Jack, there's nothing really in there to suggest it, until Jack mentions it. The author is hiding the information from us through John choosing not to think about it and that's so clever because we feel his little rush of shock when it gets mentioned.
And the John of this series is so special to me because he's a man who doesn't always understand his own feelings, who deals with them by compartmentalising, and he's working on himself and doing okay. So many fics portray characters as either broken or perfect and the ones I like best are where the character feels alive, and that's John here. He's sad but trying to be kind, he doesn't want to acknowledge his feelings but at the same time he can't stop feeling them, and he's awkward and uncertain but instinctively caring and I love it.
And Jack
The Jack of this story, in the aftermath of the final, is wild and chaotic and unpredictable and nervy, he's a bit of a mess but you can still see why John likes him, not just his looks but his personality, and why he's been guarding his heart against him a little. Even at his messiest he's charming and compelling and warm. One of the things that sticks with me most in this series is the contrast between John's struggle to connect with his feelings and the way Jack's practically drowning in his, and that first starts here. Then the sex scene is so hot, flowing seamlessly into something so sweet. I love how it's not love, just two people using physical closeness to soothe an emotional distress, but without the sex being angsty or making anything worse.
Feel like I've missed lots of other talking points but I really am rambling now so will come back to the conversation later in the week when other people's comments prompt me to think of more.
