I got to chapter 10 and I'm hating the characters more and more, Rory is a selfish little girl who thinks only of herself, she's angry because she didn't like having sex with Jess, she had to talk to him about it, not others and keep talking to her friends, if for her Jess sucks at having sex you need to humiliate him so in front of everyone and I've always hated him continuing to compare Jess to Dean Dean , I found this annoying on the show too. Rory is really childish who only cares about having fun at the dance and not like Jess is, but also you didn't show the reader what Jess feelings and I should understand from you and from what I know from the show

I love domestic Literati and Jess taking care of Rory’s cut

I like meta like this where writers have the characters watch movies or shows with the actors of those characters

And I love Tuck Everlasting (the movie) but I haven’t read the book

The end where Jess helped Rory to conquer her fear of the ocean was beautiful.

I think Lorelai Leigh sounds pretty too but Rory suits Rory more

I really liked the callbacks in this chapter to Lost and Found and the bracelet and the Lorelai and Jess convo

Jess is right (he and Rory would’ve had so much more fun at that book fair)

I love love LOVED the Notebook style ending of this chapter

I love how you write Paris in your fics lol

I really enjoyed this fanfic.
I enjoyed it so much cause it made me laugh a lot, it had good humour in it, it was very lovely. And I really liked that it wasn't very dirty.

GOOD JOB!
-Sav-

I managed to read the entirety of this fic while on vacation and I'm so sorry I couldn't get to reviewing it sooner, but my wi-fi sucked there. Thankfully I'm back at home and just in time to finally give this fic the review it deserves!
I'm gonna note on separate things through bullet points, since it's a lot better to read through in that form:
• First, the season 3 scenes were incredibly heart breaking to read through. I actually think you captured the whole atmosphere of the situation of Jess and Rory sleeping together before he leaves Stars Hollow. I also like how you implemented that scene with all of the other in-verse scenes, right down to the dialogue which is pretty much the same, but a bit tinkered to fit in this new happening. The miscommunication you placed between Jess and Rory after they sleep together, and Rory’s feelings on how it all happened was very well captured, I actually cried reading the scene where she confesses to Lorelai about how she felt throughout all this. I also think you did well on Lorelai and Luke. Never really been a fan of Lorelai’s extended antagonism towards Jess in season 3 and later on, but I do think you managed to integrate how she would feel if he slept with her daughter and her first time turned out bad.
• The way you wrote in them starting to connect again after the Truncheon incident and becoming friends again was my favorite. I usually dislike any time Jess and Rory fight, but you have a way of having them make up well and in character. I really love the whole scene in the café shop where they just began communicating with each other again, in their own original way.
•I loved how you focused on their relationships with their half-siblings in this part, and then continued to evolve it into Rory still being unable to connect with her father because of how he handled coming and going into her life as he pleased. Really like how you had her call him out on his over-protectiveness regarding her boyfriends only now when he never actually knew enough to understand before. I feel like a lot of it also stemmed from all the conflicting feelings and anger Rory feels towards her father in general, which is also interesting to see.
•Them talking about Rory’s mistakes and life in general was a definite highlight. Pretty much all of their talks/discussions regarding their pasts mean a lot because they never had that kind of connection when they were younger, which means a lot when you consider it as them growing up from that.
•I love how you built up the tension between them in small but significant moments, and the almost-kiss and first real kiss happening in times when they’re emotionally vulnerable and open with each other, especially Rory.
•I also love how you wrote in Lorelai, Luke, Christopher and of course Lane in all of this. This fic features a lot more of them than “Avocado is not the only fruit”, especially the latter ones and I really like that. It feels like a Jess/Rory fic, but at the same time it feels like a general Gilmore Girls fic, which is amazing.
•Paris is a definite highlight throughout all of this, especially the first 30 chapters. It’s pretty much a given that of course she’d continue to be friends with Rory in their later adulthood lives, and I love how you wrote their dynamic as so similar to what they had on the show. Her randomly barging into Rory’s apartment was a great comedic experience.

Another great but also significant moment was them getting drunk together and unable to get up afterwards. Brings back great show memories.
•Jess and Rory’s (second) first time in the middle of a rainstorm after arguing with each other was actually very funny but also incredibly interesting. I don’t think many people write scenes where they just do it without actually thinking through things for it and considering how it was the outcome of having a shouting match on the street, it was very nice to read through. You definitely capture the desperation felt through that whole occurrence.
Also Paris busting into Rory’s apartment immediately the day after was a wild ride.
•I also like how you had them continue avoiding the subject of what they currently are after that, it just feels very in character for them, but especially for Rory, who I feel like has always had a fear of confronting people she cares about in certain situations, and this definitely seems plausible. But also in general, after everything that happened to them, it’s just like them to avoid talking about this because they don’t want to screw it up like last time.
•On an unrelated note, the one thing that was kind of a flaw for me was how some of the things Rory does/says feel like they’re meant for her to have said at a younger age? I know this might not make much sense but I couldn’t really see Rory still feeling so terrible about what happened at Yale at the age of 28. It would be more believable for me if she was around 24/25, but I can’t really see her almost being 30 and still stressing herself out over this. The same goes for Jess and pretty much all the characters to be honest, I can see this plotline happening 2-3 years after the end of the show, but it’s a bit less believable when it’s 6 years after it. In any case though, I loved all of it and I appreciate you writing this story. And even though I hate fights in general, I do like how you still had the characters be developed, but still flawed. Like Jess throwing out very sarcastic remarks only to apologize for doing that, and developing beyond it. Also for Jess and Rory in general.
•Rory skipping work for the day and spending a day with Jess was so nice and wonderful to read, and I loved how you had the whole scene play out where they decide to try being in a relationship again. It really helped that you didn’t drag out this whole “no labels” storyline, because I can’t really see it continue forward for a long time when they’re older. Especially if they’re living in the same city and seeing each other regularly.
•I loved all the imperfect moments between Lorelai/Jess/Rory later on, especially Lorelai still struggling with how she feels towards Jess as a person in general. Also them putting their differences aside to try and be better and more mature about this.
•The storyline with Jimmy emerging again and Jess feeling very conflicted with it, along with him being mad at Luke was hard to read through because it was just very intense as a storyline, but well done from my perspective. I feel like you took a lot of unresolved issues and emotions with Jess and Rory from the series and decided to resolve them here, especially those regarding their family members, their family members’ opinions on the other, etc. And at times it can be a lot, but it’s well done.

I love all the things Jess threw back at Jimmy when he finally sat down to talk to him, because if anything Jess was never really given the space to be actually mad and voice what he was mad about regarding his terrible familial dynamics with his mother and father. His relationship with Liz is something that I think will always be complicated, and I can’t ever really see him calling her ‘mom’ casually because of their past, but I do think he is still protective of her as a person, whereas with Jimmy it’s just shitty all the way through. Especially him trying to convince Jess that being a father isn’t in his character when he tried to deny his own son a bed and a place to stay.

Throughout all of this, I also love Rory wanting to find a way to somehow comfort him and just be there for him, but feeling useless in the process. While I do love Rory and all her imperfections, I do think that at times she can have a pretty narrow-minded view on other people’s lives.
•I don’t really know how to feel about Jess being angry at Rory for not being able to say “I love you back” primarily because I can’t really see him do that? Jess can be imperfect also but this isn’t something I see him ever doing. He can definitely be unsure and insecure about their relationship but like, after everything they went through when they were younger I just can’t really see him do this sort of thing.
I do love how Rory says “I love you” back to him though. That was a very nice and touching moment.
•The first (of many significant family dinners in this fic) with Emily trying to get Logan back into Rory’s life was another definite highlight. I loved a lot of things about it, especially Rory standing up for herself and telling Emily that she’s in love with someone else.
I love Emily as a character but the way she knows how to meddle in her and Lorelai’s lives can be pretty overwhelming at times, and I can easily see her trying to pull something like this again.
•Logan and Rory’s big interaction was very interestingly written, I like how Rory called him out on his inability to strip away from his family’s lifestyle and therefore thinks of himself trapped in it forever, even though he could if he tried, and I appreciate how Rory told him off but then just said to him that he can do it, if he wanted to.
•The second family dinner with Richard and Emily meeting Jess finally was a sure riot. It was filled with fights and tension and it felt so, so well done and just like something I could imagine happening on the show. I loved how you wrote in Emily’s meddlesome and strict views in her attitude towards Jess versus Richard being very unsure of him as a person, but more protective of Rory in all of this. The balcony incident was hilarious, I loved how you inserted a bit of comedy into that whole spectacle. And I also love Rory just standing up for Jess in all of this.
•The other main thing in this fic was of course Rory meeting Liz and her family in Maine, and Jess’s fight with Liz. I like how you developed them staying together in the beginning, but I also found it interesting how you built up the tension Jess just felt while staying there. Reading his fight with Liz and then him venting to Rory was tough to go through, but it was very honest of him. And despite all the issues he’ll likely forever have with his mother, I do love how he cares for Doula a lot. I could’ve always seen him as a protective older brother, mainly from knowing how growing up with Liz can be like.
•Luke and Jess throughout this fic was also really interestingly done. I loved Luke hating himself for how he kept the emails a secret from Jess, but only because I can see him do that very easily on the show. Luke can try and pass off as a very gruff person and not very emotional, but I feel like he’s actually very insecure about certain things and can feel very deeply, especially towards the people he loves and his family members. He can also be very loyal, which would make it harder for him to have gone through this.

On another unrelated note, Jess and Luke in this fic are just so well done. I love so many elements about them, from the banter, to the emotional moments, to Luke wanting to communicate with him more. They’re one of my favorite relationships on the show, so I just love how you continue to present them as they are here.
•Lorelai and Emily was definitely another highlight. Everything was just there for them in this fic: Lorelai’s humor and jokes, Emily’s dry remarks towards her, having conversations where Emily tries to hide her emotions from her. I also loved how Lorelai stood up for Jess and Rory and tried to act as the glue between Rory and Emily during this time. For all of her complicated relationship with her parents, she knows they love Rory, so she would do pretty much anything to secure that.
•While I did think a second dinner where Emily repeats the same arguments was a bit much, it was also something I could see happening on the show because it just thrived off drama between the main women in it. I also loved how Richard was pretty much absent throughout the entirety of it and only came back once all shots were fired. It made me sad that all this occurred throughout Lorelai’s birthday, but I loved the little moments in between, like with Lorelai and Luke, Jess, Rory and Luke giving her their presents. It also made me feel so proud to see Luke stand up for Jess so much throughout this. It’s so very in character for him, but also just wonderful to see.
•The storyline with Jess trying to reopen the Truncheon was also interesting, and it also made me glad that he continued to do his own thing and write and keep up a semi-stable career even after that. Writing as a whole can be a risky profession, and I appreciate you showing that through this. But I also love him re-opening it and it becoming successful again.
•Rory’s subplot of having to write a new speech for the reunion at Chilton was interesting, I like how you tackled her still being haunted by her stint in Yale and that feeling like it sets her back from writing the speech. Paris, again, was a highlight throughout the process as well. And I love her talking through her insecurity about it with Jess. I just love the concept of them talking through their problems in general, it’s very in character of them as adults in a way that it never really was when they were young.
•Really appreciate finally resolving the whole thing with Emily by her finally accepting Jess into Rory’s life. I also loved Richard showing appreciation towards Jess and his work. I always felt sad that they never met on the show or had a real chance to, because I firmly believe that if the class differences were set aside, Richard would deeply respect and admire Jess for being so well-read.
•I also love how you resolved the question of Luke and Lorelai in this. It just feels right for them, that after everything, they get back together again.
In general, it was a hell of a read, very intense in certain moments, but considering how many things you try to resolve through in it, it’s only expected. Thank you so much for writing such an interesting, amazing fic with all of these characters. I feel like you’re one of the only writers who manages to bring out Rory’s imperfect character in a way that never really was on the show, in the sense that, yes, it was brought out but it was never really resolved well? I don’t think the show ever did well on having Rory realize her issues and try to do better by herself, without someone else leading her on throughout this. Hence why I love your work so much. And I also love how you wrote Jess in this too, along with every other character.

Such a great story

Such a great story!

I just blitzed through this entire fic in one day. Absolutely fantastic!

I really really enjoyed this story. I loved that it didn't go all soppy and I loved the characters. I think you really nailed them.
I think you captured them beautifully. Let's face it- Rory and Jess and Luke and Lorelai were made for each other and I love the way you explained why!

Is was such an amazing fic, thankyou so much for sharing it. The ending was wonderful. I look forward to reading more of your work.