**SPOILERS** - Using “middle aged moms” as an insult is very sexist and ageist and just f*cking gross. So here’s my analysis of the series for those saying the Joining and Poppy's feelings for Kieran came out of nowhere. Because, honestly? It’s hilarious to see people complaining about JLA pandering to some readers when, who do you think got the idea in our heads to begin with? This is JLA’s world we are living in, and she stuffed it full of hints and foreshadowing pointing straight to the Joining from the very beginning. Don’t believe me? Here are the receipts. FBAA FORESHADOWING “You shouldn’t be in here, and I shouldn’t have to explain that.” The first book only had a subtle hint, but it was there, regardless, proving JLA wrote this series with this relationship in mind from the start. AKOFAF FORESHADOWING The Joining is introduced. And it’s said the exchange of blood between the three can become very intimate, leading to sex. Poppy says she’s not repulsed or disgusted by the idea. She just doesn’t know how it would work. And she keeps bringing it up. To Casteel and even Vonetta. She’s intrigued, to quote the book. Then Casteel has to feed and Kieran stays in the room with them to make sure he won’t hurt Poppy. JLA made a conscious choice here to have Kieran behind Poppy, touching her, while Casteel fed from her. And even to make Cas press them both against the wall, trapping them together. “Kieran moved behind me, and then I felt his fingers along the right side of my neck. I jumped a little, telling myself not to think about the Joining. But the scene that made me realize we were getting a throuple in this series was when the three slept together and this happened. “I’d turned to Casteel in my sleep. He was on his back, and I’d all but climbed halfway on top of him. [...] Heat pressed against my back. A heavy arm lay over my waist and a leg was tucked between mine. The line about Casteel being a magnet that drew them both made me realize this wasn’t going to be just about Poppy. These two men had a connection, too. I wasn’t sure if things would be platonic or not between them, but I knew if Kieran joined their relationship, it’d include Cas too. TCOGB FORESHADOWING People without reading comprehension: Casteel is too possessive to share. “I…I tried to eat Kieran.” “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing that,” I whispered. “Would you like to try a casserole?” Kieran offered. “That’s something we can share.” “You’re the only person I truly trust Poppy with. Only you.”
I was just going to have a good time celebrating how good this book was. But noooo, people had to be gross and piss me off. The fact that some readers are insulting and attacking “middle aged Facebook moms”… Let me be clear:
- I can't believe I have to explain this, but here we f*cking go: Women exist and have their own interests and desires and ambitions past their 30s and after having kids, too. Your mom? Yeah buddy, she is a person. Shocking, I know.
- Trying to insult someone for something they can’t change (like their body, age, sexuality…) is f*cking disgusting and you should be ashamed.
- The blatant misogyny makes me sick to my stomach.
- slu*t shaming women (“horny soccer moms”) is nasty. Don't pretend like we aren't all reading these spicy romance books for anything but what it is. So if those women are horny, so are you.
- And lastly: those old FB moms have better reading comprehension than you do so why don’t you show some respect, huh?
“You have nothing to fear from me.”
“Why? Because of him?”
“He would be annoyed to find me in here.” A ghost of a smile appeared. “And then he’d be…intrigued .”
-
“Kieran said you dozed off in the bath.”
“Did he tell you that he came into the bathing chamber?”
“Yes.”
Surprised, my gaze shot to his.
“I trust Kieran,” he said.”
-
I didn’t know how I was still standing or if Casteel or Kieran held me up.
-
[Casteel] pressed into me—pressed me back against Kieran with unexpected strength. The wolven hit the wall behind us with a grunt as Casteel trapped us both. His mouth moved against my neck as his hips jerked against my belly—
-
I didn’t know when I’d stopped thinking about the fact that it wasn’t just Casteel’s body that touched mine, it wasn’t his chest that my head fell back against.”
If I had turned to Casteel in my sleep, Kieran had also turned, as if Casteel were a magnet that drew both of us.”
“[...] Casteel’s arm curled, tightening around my shoulder, drawing me closer. My breath snagged as his movement triggered Kieran. He shifted behind me, and my pulse felt like a trapped bird. A sleek, muscled thigh slid between mine, pressing in. I had no idea if it was Casteel’s or Kieran’s.”
Meanwhile Casteel in this book:
“He won’t hold it against you.”
“I tried to eat Kieran while I was naked.”
“That’s probably why he won’t hold it against you.”
“Which part?” Casteel asked. “The shifting, or Kieran stripping?”
“Neither,” I admitted.”
“What’s a…casserole?”
Casteel looked over at me, a slow grin spreading across his lips. “Poppy…”
“What?”
“You’ve never had a casserole before?”
My eyes narrowed. “Obviously, not.”
“It’s good,” Kieran explained. “I think you’ll like it.”
“Casteel tugged on a loose strand of my hair. “Especially if there’s a lot of…
In this book, JLA increased the tension and sexuality of their scenes together. And this scene is a perfect example. In the previous book, Cas fed from Poppy while Kieran held her. In this book, Poppy feeds from Cas while they have sex and Kieras holds her, too.
“I felt [Kieran’s] arm clamp down on my waist as his fingers pressed into the skin under my jaw. He pulled my head back [...] [Casteel] reached around the wolven’s grip, fisting my hair as he pressed his forehead to mine. Under me, he moved his magnificent body at a furious rhythm. My entire body stiffened and then lightning flew through my veins. My muscles clamped down on him, spasming. My cry mixed with his rough shout as his hips pumped furiously, and he followed me into the wild, mindless bliss that wracked my entire body. [...] I didn’t know how much time passed, but finally, the hand under my jaw eased, and one of the arms slid away from me.”
Right after this scene, Poppy and Cas thank Kieran for his help, and this intimate scene happens.
“I reacted without much thought, pitching forward [...] [Kieran] caught me [...] He folded his arms around me without a heartbeat of hesitation, holding me just as tightly as I held him. I felt Casteel’s hand on my lower back, just under Kieran’s arms, and the three of us stayed like that for a little while.
[Kieran] dragged a hand up to the back of my head and leaned away enough that his gaze met mine. “It was the least I could do.”
“But that wasn’t all you did,” Casteel said, reaching over and clasping a hand on [Kieran]’s shoulder. “You made sure we got here safely and kept watch. You did everything we needed and more. I owe you.”
Kieran lifted his hand from the back of my head and clasped Casteel’s forearm as his pale gaze met my husband’s amber one.”
Poppy is upset about the bond between Cas and Kieran being broken. They reassure her it’s okay because their relationship was more than the bond. And this foreshadowing happens:
“Most of us [wolven] have fostered friendships that can’t break. So, we just…we just made room for you.”
Made room for me.
“I…I like the sound of that,” I whispered hoarsely.
Kieran patted my shoulder, or rather Casteel’s hand. Maybe both.”
To me, this symbolizes the idea that Poppy, Kieran and Cass could love each other without diminishing the love they have for the other, and how they could just “make room” for the other.
Kieran starts to be a lot more touchy-feely with Poppy, too: “Kieran reached over, tugging gently on a strand of my hair.” / “He leaned over so we were eye-to-eye and there was barely any space between us.” / “[Kieran] reached over and tugged gently on the strand of hair Casteel had tucked back earlier”
And of course, things escalate even more when Casteel gets Poppy off while she watches Kieran getting head.
“Are they…?” I sucked in a sharp breath as Kieran’s head fell back. My eyes widened.
[...]
“Are you watching them?” Casteel asked, his voice full of smoke.
[...]
“Have you ever done that? What they’re doing under the canopy?”
“I have. […] Does that bother you?”
“You’re over two hundred years old, Cas. I imagine you’ve done all manner of things.”
[...]
Casteel: “I never found myself constantly hungering, and I believe you need that to find yourself exploring those things with someone you’re committed to.”
[...]
“Do you…do you want to do that with me?”
“I want to do everything imaginable, and things no one has ever thought of with you,” he said. “But I only need you, Poppy. Now. Always.”
Later on, Casteel’s father says they should choose an advisor and Poppy says she already knows who she wants, referring to Kieran.
“He is a good choice. For both of you.” There was a pause as he looked at his son, clearing his throat.”
What could this be hinting at, I wonder? lol
Later on, Willa even offers Poppy to answer her questions if she becomes “curious enough.” Come on, y’all. This is starting to be too obvious.
-
So yeah, this review turned into an essay on How JLA Planned The Joining From The Start And Filled 3 Books With Blatant Foreshadowing But Apparently Some People Don’t Know How To Read. You’re allowed to dislike ménage romance, of course. But don’t insult others and don’t lie about this coming out of nowhere. It’s that simple. You are allowed to disliking this simply because it messes with your PoppyCas OTP. There’s no need to bash the author or other readers, or to say this came out of nowhere with no foreshadowing or build up.
Saying this is fanservice and JLA betrayed her story is ridiculous. Look at the rating of this book compared to the others. In any case, it is the other way around and JLA stayed true to her vision, even though she knew the consequences would be ugly af. So many of the 1 star ratings are from people who haven’t even read the books. Grow up. Learn from those soccer moms you are trying to insult. Be a better person.
Jesus f Christ.
---
March 19th 2022: Apparently people think the Joining was a one time thing and there won’t be a throuple. Which baffles me because, nothing changed after the Joining because things had already started changing before it.
And I bring receipts to back this up:
BEFORE THE JOINING
We all agree Cas and Poppy are madly in love with each other. But let’s establish their feelings for Kieran and vice versa at this point in the story.
Kieran: “Don’t forget what he means to me, Poppy. I’ve known him my whole damn life [...] He was and still is a part of me [...] What he means to me has nothing to do with a damn bond [...] I need to go as badly as you do, and he needs me there just as badly as he needs you.”
Casteel: “But she has Kieran. He would be there for her. And she would be there for him. Knowing that made it a little easier to breathe [...] They had each other, no matter what.”
Casteel about Kieran: “In a lot of ways, we’re two halves of the same whole. Different than Poppy and me, but not that much different.”
Casteel on Kieran’s feelings for Poppy: “I knew his face well enough to know when he looked upon someone he cared deeply about. Those fine, barely noticeable lines of tension around his mouth disappeared. Kieran softened. He’d done that when he looked at Elashya—whenever he spoke of her. He softened in almost the same way now when he looked upon Poppy.”
The fact that Casteel compared Poppy to Elashya is monumental to me.
“I can taste [Kieran’s] blood on your tongue [...] What does his blood taste like to you?”
[...]
“His blood tastes like a fall morning.”
“I’m a little envious of that.” I slid my hand over the soft flesh of her ass, slipping a finger between the cheeks and into the tight flesh there.”
Did Casteel just ask Poppy how Kieran’s blood tastes like while butt fingering her for the first time?? This can’t even be labeled as subtext. Also, is Casteel envious of Poppy because he hasn’t tasted Kieran’s blood before?
Poppy: “[The Joining] would be intimate. Intense. Life-altering. None of us would be the same afterward in any way.”
Poppy on her feelings for Kieran: “I fought the urge to ask him what kind of love he felt for Casteel. For me. I knew it wasn’t a familial one and that it went beyond what one felt for friends. I also thought that it wasn’t the same as what he’d felt for Elashya or what Casteel and I felt for each other. But I also knew that what I felt for Kieran wasn’t the same as what I felt for Delano or Vonetta or Tawny. It was…more.”
To me, this book shows Kieran and Poppy at the beginning of feeling something “more” for each other. It’s still not the same as what Poppy feels for Cas, but it's already “more” than. And there are still two more books left in the series.
“You love me, right?”
“Yes.”
“I love you. And you love Kieran.”
[...]
“I don’t know how to explain what I feel. Because I don’t understand it.”
If Poppy doesn’t understand her own emotions, it’s because they are “more,” like previously stated.
I’VE GOT A THEORY THAT LINKS THE THROUPLE WITH THE MAIN PLOT: Both Malik and Millie told Casteel he was the only one who could stop Poppy. But by then, Poppy had already asked Kieran to do just that if she ever lost control. And the fact that Kieran brought up this moment when she asked what kind of love he felt for her… I think it’s very relevant, because a Primal’s only weakness is love. The same love Poppy feels for Casteel… and for Kieran.
There are also several mentions of “Casteel’s and Kieran’s warmth” reaching the cold place in the center of Poppy’s chest.
And the most important scene before the Joining: “The strangest urge to reach out and stop [Kieran] swept through me. I didn’t understand where that want had come from. Or if it was mine or Casteel’s. And I didn’t know why it felt wrong not to act on it.”
DURING THE JOINING
The Joining could’ve been sexual without any feelings being involved. But instead, it focused heavily on their emotions and how right it felt.
Antis: “Why have Poppy and Casteel get married and be heartmates and then ruin them with the Joining?”
Meanwhile Casteel, right after f*cking his best friend and his wife: “I feel honored, meyaah Liessa. Humbled [...] Awed. Relieved. Chosen. Yes, I feel chosen. Loved [...] Intrigued.”
And Poppy: “All that counted was what [...] we felt. And that was something good. Right. Peaceful. Beautiful.”
AFTER THE JOINING
Casteel’s POV: “I only became aware of [Poppy] because my heart stuttered. I wasn’t sure if that came from Kieran or me. Because he too stared as I did.”
Why would Kieran’s heart stutter at seeing Poppy? Moreover, why would JLA choose to include that if this wasn’t heading into a throuple romance?
“Nothing and everything had changed between the three of us since the Joining. Our relationship remained as it had been, but there was an intimacy now that hadn’t been there before. A closeness. A bond we were reminded of every time I felt our hearts beating in tandem.”
Again, to me this book ends with them at the beginning of feeling something “more” for each other. So of course nothing and everything has changed, because the romance is still developing. The same way that the intensity of their relationship has escalated in each book, it will continue to do so in the next ones.
“I’m going to get what I want. You. In the armor.”
“Gods,” Kieran half sighed, half laughed.
“It’s not like you aren’t thinking it.”
Kieran sounded as if he choked on his breath.
And like I’ve always suspected, Kieran shields his emotions so Poppy doesn’t know he’s, in fact, turned the f*ck on. But the fact that Casteel says this clearly opens the door for at least more sexual encounters in future books.
-
Let’s talk about the infamous “emotional cheating.”
It pisses me off to hear people saying Poppy cheated on Cas, when both her and Kieran were completely devoted to rescuing him. The only person who could understand what Poppy was going through was Kieran, because he was going through the same. And twisting this into something ugly, saying they cheated on Cas “while he was being tortured” is so wrong in so many levels.
It’s funny because it’s Casteel who basically tells us readers Kieran and Poppy love each other. So where’s the cheating? Casteel sure as f*ck doesn’t see it. There are so many moments where Casteel is the one bringing the three of them physically together. All this imagery is in my opinion coded as romantic. Same as when both of them hold Poppy’s face at the same time, showing they are both halves of a whole for her.
They had a reason to do the Joining. But think about this: Kieran chose Cas and Poppy over everyone else. He’ll outlive his parents and sisters. This shows how much Kieran loves them.
Like Sheena said in the comments: “love isn’t a finite source.” And JLA shows this beautifully in how bright and strong PoppyCas love is before, during and after the Joining. They can love each other, and still have space and love for Kieran. And that doesn’t take from their love, only adds more. Their mutual love for Kieran is beautiful, even if it’s different. But different doesn’t mean less. In fact Poppy says so herself:
“Nothing about Kieran was less.”I present my last evidence:
Poppy: “I love you, Cas.”
Casteel: “Always?”
Poppy: “And forever.”
Kieran to Casteel: “You got me. You got Poppy. We’re both here. Always and forever.”
Poppy: “I’m safe with both of you.”
Kieran: “Always.”
Casteel: “And forever.”
In conclusion, I think the emotions were already there before the Joining and only intensified afterwards. And we are getting a throuple.
So, quoting Cas:
Brace yourselves, my Queens.
