Erin's Response to Part One

I am absolutely loving reading this book. And it is so much fun to me to have so much participation from the entire book club. I hope that with Part Two even more readers will ask questions to generate discussion.


From Rachel:

Has this book brought you back to the beginning of a romantic relationship in your life?

Definitely! There is something so exciting about a brand new relationship when you can't wait to talk to the person and every single phone conversation feels like it could last for hours and you would never get tired of talking. I can remember when dating Todd, every single email, phone call, date, movie, dinner, or even just seeing each other in passing was so special and new!

From Erin:

What surprised you about Ree? If this was your first time reading about her background, did anything surprise you about her "beginnings?"

I was surprised by a lot. I knew that she was a "city girl" but I didn't know she had been in Los Angeles or anything else about her background.

From Nina:
While reading Part I of Black Heels, did you find yourself comparing your own love life/story to Ree's?

Yes. I had big hopes of moving to Chicago at one point in my life and those plans changed because a very special man came into my life.

Would you have handled ex-boyfriend (J) the same way or differently than Ree did?

I think I would have been more forceful or gone out to see him just to make sure that he knew that things were over. But sometimes long term boyfriends are hard to just get rid of so easily.

Have you ever made a life-changing decision based on a guy in your life? And how did it work out for you?

I never really have. I have considered making lots of life-changing decisions like where I went to college or where I went after college, but I always ended up going with what was best for me. Todd came into my life at a time where we were both pretty settled in where we live now, so we "fit" into each other's lives very neatly.

From Stephanie:
How do you think Ree's family felt that she was just going to give up going to Chicago for a guy she had just met?

I'm not sure about them, but I know my family would have been very skeptical and would have discouraged me from changing my plans.

From Rocky Mountain Wife:
If you were Ree and started to question your life plan (leaving Cali, moving to Chicago, being independent for a while)...how would you feel when this sudden romance came into your life at the 'wrong' time?

I would have been a little bit worried and nervous about my plans getting messed up. But I love that love comes into our lives when we least expect it and we have so much else going on.

From Meghan:
How do you think the situation with Ree's parents affected her relationship with Marlboro Man? (Or do think it did not affect her?)

I think we find out more in Part Two, but I am thinking it will cause her to cling to him more and treasure what they have even more.

Have you ever felt an instant connection with someone? How did it turn out?

Yes. I married him!

What made you relate to Ree? In what ways could you not relate to her?

I am much more of an open book than Ree. I speak freely and don't hold feelings and words back out of fear. I can't believe she hadn't told him anything about her parents. Or that it took her so long to tell Marlboro Man she loved him. I would have been blabbing that stuff to him the second I knew!

From Meredith:
I love all the details of Ree's cooking for Marlboro Man in the early stages of their relationship. Have you ever made anything for the guy in your life that was just an utter disaster? Did he choke it down anyway?

Right after we got married, Todd and I decided to empty our pantry and refrigerator and cook with what we had. Except he doesn't cook, so I had to cook with what we had. I decided to make a casserole out of spaghetti, shredded cheese, Velveeta cheese, sliced turkey (deli meat), and spaghetti sauce. Todd called it "Velveeta Surprise." The first bites weren't so bad, but then we quickly realized that it was absolutely heinous. He has never let me live that down!

From Amber:
How much of Ree's book do you think is truth or fiction? How much did she embellish? Do you think she omitted or added anything? Obviously she couldn't get EVERYTHING that happened during this period of her life in the book, but I kept wondering what was left out and if some of the stuff she was writing was built up just a teensy tiny bit.

I think a lot of it is exaggerated and I think a lot of things having to do with their respective families were probably left out. I don't think either of them came from very modest backgrounds, which is kind of a big deal when you think about it. But those are private matters that have nothing to do with how much or why they love each other.

If this were my love story, I would exaggerate, too. I would gush about my husband's strong arms and the way I feel when he holds me. It is her fairy tale and the way she remembers it all and I think it's fun that there is some embellishment.