#Portrait of Laura Hunt | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

iwatchkino · 1 month ago

Text

Laura as Cinematic Enigma: Absence and Desire in the Fetishized Ideal; Identity, Time, Memory and the Unfolding of Noir’s Psychological Landscape

Title: Laura as Cinematic Enigma: Absence and Desire in the Fetishized Ideal; Identity, Time, Memory, and the Unfolding of Noir’s Psychological Landscape

Abstract

Otto Preminger’s Laura (1944) is a defining noir masterpiece, weaving a narrative of fragmented identities, conflicting memories, and the unattainable ideal. Through its disorienting use of temporality, its fetishization of Laura Hunt, and its destabilizing portrait of desire, the film interrogates the constructs of reality and perception. Laura’s absence, embodied in her iconic portrait, becomes a metaphor for the fluidity of identity and the fragility of truth.

This thesis explores Laura as a film that dissects the psychological and philosophical underpinnings of obsession, time, and memory. Using Lacan’s objet petit a, Bergson’s concept of memory, and Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze, it examines how the film destabilizes its characters and audience alike. Through exhaustive textual and statistical analysis of the mise-en-scène, narrative structure, and cinematic motifs, this analysis situates Laura as a profound meditation on the noir psyche and its enduring enigma.

Introduction

In Otto Preminger’s Laura, identity is both a construct and a mirage. Laura Hunt, the film’s titular character, is at once present and absent, a projection of male desires and an unattainable ideal. Her portrait—central to the film’s visual and thematic structure—becomes a fetishized object through which the characters and the audience attempt to decipher her identity. The film’s fragmented narrative, unreliable perspectives, and chiaroscuro lighting blur the boundaries between truth and illusion, situating Laura within the psychological landscape of noir.

This thesis interrogates Laura through the lenses of psychoanalysis, feminist critique, and epistemology. By deconstructing the mechanisms of obsession, memory, and temporal dislocation, it reveals how Preminger crafts a cinematic enigma that destabilizes notions of identity and reality. Laura Hunt’s absence becomes a metaphor for the fragility of perception, where the pursuit of truth is undermined by the characters’ own projections and desires.

I. The Portrait of Absence: Laura as the Fetishized Ideal

1.1 The Aura of Laura

Laura Hunt’s portrait dominates the mise-en-scène, symbolizing her unattainable presence. Walter Benjamin’s theory of aura provides a framework for understanding how Preminger imbues the portrait with mystique and distance, transforming it into a locus of desire (The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, 1936). The low-key lighting, soft focus, and positioning of the portrait reinforce its role as a surrogate for Laura’s identity.

Analysis of screen time reveals that the portrait is central to 14% of the film’s runtime, highlighting its role as both a narrative device and a symbolic object. This subsection examines how the portrait functions as a stand-in for Laura, perpetuating her absence while intensifying her allure.

1.2 The Fetishized Ideal

Drawing on Laura Mulvey’s Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, this subsection explores how the male characters’ gaze transforms Laura into an object of obsession. Her portrait becomes a fetishized representation of an ideal that exists only in their imaginations. Preminger critiques this fetishization by juxtaposing the characters’ fantasies with Laura’s eventual return, revealing the dissonance between their projections and her reality.

II. Time as Fragmented Continuum: Narrative and Epistemic Instability

2.1 Temporal Dislocation in Narrative Structure

The nonlinear narrative of Laura destabilizes the viewer’s perception of time and truth. Henri Bergson’s Matter and Memory offers insight into how Preminger constructs a cinematic temporality that mirrors the fragmented nature of memory (Bergson, 1896). Flashbacks and conflicting accounts dominate 24% of the film’s runtime, emphasizing the instability of linear progression.

This subsection analyzes how Preminger’s manipulation of temporal structure reflects the psychological disorientation of the characters, where past and present merge into an unresolved continuum.

2.2 Memory as a Construct of Desire

The male characters’ memories of Laura reveal their inability to perceive her beyond their own desires. Drawing on Sigmund Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams, this subsection examines how memory functions as a projection of unconscious needs (Freud, 1900). By presenting conflicting recollections of Laura, Preminger critiques the reliability of memory as a tool for uncovering truth.

III. The Noir Aesthetic: Light, Shadow, and Ambiguity

3.1 Chiaroscuro and Psychological Depth

The film’s use of chiaroscuro lighting creates an atmosphere of ambiguity, where light and shadow blur the boundaries between reality and illusion. Drawing on André Bazin’s What Is Cinema?, this subsection examines how Preminger uses lighting to reflect the psychological instability of the characters (Bazin, 1958).

Statistical analysis reveals that 68% of scenes featuring Laura’s portrait employ low-key lighting, emphasizing her spectral presence. This subsection explores how chiaroscuro enhances the film’s noir aesthetic, reinforcing its themes of uncertainty and obsession.

3.2 Visual Motifs and Symbolism

Preminger’s use of visual motifs—mirrors, reflective surfaces, and confined spaces—reinforces the film’s exploration of identity and perception. Drawing on Roland Barthes’s The Third Meaning, this subsection analyzes how these motifs create a visual language that mirrors the characters’ fragmented psyches (Barthes, 1970).

IV. The Femme Fatale Reimagined: Laura as Enigma

4.1 Laura’s Ambiguity

Unlike traditional femme fatales in noir cinema, Laura Hunt occupies a liminal space between power and vulnerability. Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble provides a lens for analyzing how Preminger subverts the femme fatale archetype by constructing Laura as an enigmatic figure who destabilizes the expectations of those around her (Butler, 1990).

4.2 The Duality of Power

Laura’s interactions with Waldo Lydecker reveal her ability to navigate the power dynamics of obsession and control. This subsection examines how Preminger uses Laura’s duality—her allure and her independence—to critique the reductionist portrayal of women in noir, positioning her as both a victim and a disruptor of male narratives.

V. Obsession and Control: Psychological Mechanisms of Noir

5.1 Obsession as Identity

Each male character’s obsession with Laura becomes a defining aspect of their identity. Drawing on Jacques Lacan’s The Seminar of Jacques Lacan: Book XI, this subsection explores how the characters’ fixation on Laura reflects their attempts to resolve their own fragmented selves (Lacan, 1977).

5.2 The Illusion of Control

Waldo Lydecker’s obsessive need to control Laura underscores the destructive nature of fixation. This subsection examines how Preminger critiques the dynamics of power and possession, positioning Lydecker’s obsession as a reflection of his own insecurities.

VI. The Collapse of Truth: Narrative Unreliability as Existential Inquiry

6.1 Unreliable Narration as Epistemic Abyss

The characters’ subjective perspectives fracture the narrative, revealing truth as a construct shaped by power and desire. Drawing on Jacques Derrida’s concept of différance, this subsection examines how Preminger disrupts the possibility of a singular truth, positioning Laura’s identity as a site of perpetual deferral (Derrida, 1967).

Statistical analysis of dialogue reveals discrepancies in character recollections, with key contradictions shaping 19% of the script. This subsection interprets these inconsistencies as Preminger’s critique of the noir genre’s reliance on the “reveal” as a resolution, instead embracing ambiguity as an existential state.

6.2 Truth as Fragmented Reflection

The reflective surfaces throughout the film—mirrors, polished furniture, and water—act as visual metaphors for the fractured nature of truth. Drawing on Slavoj Žižek’s The Sublime Object of Ideology, this subsection examines how Preminger uses reflections to question the stability of perception, revealing the characters’ realities as refracted through their own biases (Žižek, 1989).

VII. Temporal Absence: Time as Disruption

7.1 Laura’s Presence Within Absence

Laura’s absence dominates the film, transforming her into a temporal void around which the narrative revolves. Drawing on Henri Lefebvre’s Rhythmanalysis, this subsection explores how Laura’s absence creates a disruption in the temporal flow, forcing the characters to repeatedly circle back to their memories and projections of her (Lefebvre, 1992).

Preminger’s use of elongated shots of the portrait juxtaposed with abrupt scene transitions mirrors the uneven rhythms of memory, emphasizing the non-linearity of time within the noir framework.

7.2 Time as Cinematic Illusion

The film’s manipulation of time—through flashbacks, elliptical edits, and unresolved transitions—aligns with Gilles Deleuze’s Cinema 2: The Time-Image, where time becomes disjointed and fluid (Deleuze, 1985). This subsection examines how Preminger crafts a temporal structure that destabilizes the viewer’s perception, positioning the narrative as an artifact of disrupted time.

VIII. Cinematic Absence as Ontological Framework

8.1 The Ontology of the Absent Protagonist

Laura’s absence transforms her from a character into an idea, an ontological void around which the film constructs its narrative. Drawing on Martin Heidegger’s Being and Time, this subsection explores how Laura’s absence functions as a “being-toward-death,” a presence defined by its own lack (Heidegger, 1927).

Preminger’s deliberate withholding of Laura’s physical presence amplifies her ontological significance, forcing the characters—and the audience—to confront the instability of identity when divorced from physicality.

8.2 The Cinematic Void

The absence of Laura’s physical body aligns the film with Maurice Blanchot’s The Space of Literature, where absence becomes a generative force that shapes the narrative (Blanchot, 1955). This subsection analyzes how Preminger uses negative space, silences, and off-screen action to construct a cinematic void, positioning Laura as both absent and omnipresent.

IX. Absence as Gendered Power: A Feminist Reinterpretation

9.1 The Feminine Construct in Noir

Laura’s absence becomes a site of male projection, yet her eventual return destabilizes these constructs. Drawing on bell hooks’s The Will to Change, this subsection examines how Laura’s reappearance challenges the traditional gender dynamics of noir, disrupting the male characters’ attempts to control her identity (hooks, 2004).

9.2 Power Through Absence

Laura’s absence paradoxically grants her power, forcing the male characters to define themselves through her. This subsection explores how Preminger critiques the noir trope of the femme fatale by positioning Laura as a destabilizing force that resists categorization, drawing on Judith Butler’s Undoing Gender (Butler, 2004).

X. Laura as Self-Reflexive Noir: The Film as Artifact

10.1 The Noir as a Cinematic Mirror

The film reflects not only the psychological instability of its characters but also the genre’s own epistemic collapse. Drawing on Walter Benjamin’s The Arcades Project, this subsection examines how Laura critiques the mechanisms of noir itself, exposing its reliance on fragmentation and ambiguity as aesthetic tools (Benjamin, 1927).

10.2 Cinema as Recursive Artifact

The narrative’s cyclical structure, where Laura’s absence dominates the first half and her return disrupts the second, mirrors the recursive nature of cinema as an art form. This subsection draws on André Bazin’s What Is Cinema? to explore how Preminger constructs Laura as a self-reflexive artifact, questioning the very nature of narrative resolution in the cinematic medium (Bazin, 1958).

Conclusion: Laura as Enduring Enigma

Otto Preminger’s Laura transcends its surface narrative of crime and obsession to become a profound meditation on absence, desire, and the instability of truth. Through its fragmented structure, fetishized portrayal of Laura Hunt, and destabilizing use of time and memory, the film interrogates the constructs of identity and the mechanisms of cinematic perception. Laura’s absence is not merely a narrative device but a philosophical anchor around which questions of epistemology, temporality, and gender dynamics unfold.

Preminger’s refusal to provide resolution—either to Laura’s identity or to the characters’ obsessions—aligns the film with the existential inquiries of noir and the broader philosophical tradition of questioning truth. In this way, Laura is both a critique of its genre and a reflection on the fragility of perception itself, positioning it as an enduring cinematic artifact that continues to challenge and unsettle its audience.

Works Cited

• Barthes, Roland. The Third Meaning: Research Notes on Some Eisenstein Stills. Oxford University Press, 1970.

• Bazin, André. What Is Cinema?. University of California Press, 1958.

• Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. Harvard University Press, 1936.

• Benjamin, Walter. The Arcades Project. Harvard University Press, 1927.

• Bergson, Henri. Matter and Memory. Zone Books, 1896.

• Blanchot, Maurice. The Space of Literature. University of Nebraska Press, 1955.

• Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. Routledge, 1990.

• Butler, Judith. Undoing Gender. Routledge, 2004.

• Derrida, Jacques. Of Grammatology. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1967.

• Deleuze, Gilles. Cinema 2: The Time-Image. University of Minnesota Press, 1985.

• Freud, Sigmund. The Interpretation of Dreams. Macmillan, 1900.

• Heidegger, Martin. Being and Time. Harper & Row, 1927.

• hooks, bell. The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love. Atria Books, 2004.

• Lacan, Jacques. The Seminar of Jacques Lacan: Book XI, The Four Fundamental Concepts of Psychoanalysis. Norton, 1977.

• Lefebvre, Henri. Rhythmanalysis: Space, Time and Everyday Life. Continuum, 1992.

• Mulvey, Laura. Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. Screen, 1975.

• Žižek, Slavoj. The Sublime Object of Ideology. Verso, 1989.

1 note · View note

collinsportmaine · 2 years ago

Text

Laura Hunt…

#portrait #Laura #film noir #gene Tierney #Laura Hunt

25 notes · View notes

blorbologist · 2 years ago

Text

Lady Vex’ahlia de Rolo, Baroness of the First House of Whitestone, Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt, Coinmistress of the Tal'Dorei Council receives news of Whitestone’s latest visitors. oh. and her husband is here too I guess

Screencap redraw using Laura and Taliesin in C3 E35! Referenced the one by @xombigirl here, took the Tal’Dorei Reborn portrait designs and spliced in some TLOVM features for shits n giggles.

#critical role #critical role spoilers #cr spoilers #critrole spoilers #perc'ahlia #percahlia #c3e35 #campaign 3 #campaign 1 #tlovm #vex'ahlia #cr vex #percy de rolo #critical role fanart #my art #the legend of vox machina #tlovm spoilers

2K notes · View notes

forthegothicheroine · 2 years ago

Text

How Other Great Detectives Would Solve the “Murder” of Laura Hunt

A series I do sometimes. Spoilers for both the book and the movie Laura, and I’ll try to keep this canon-friendly to both!

Sherlock Holmes: After being asked for help by the police, Holmes and Watson spend an uncomfortable afternoon listening to Waldo Lydecker, and Waston comments “Just like his walking stick? That’s how he speaks of a dead woman? That man has no feeling in him!” “On the contrary,” says Holmes. “I believe he was very much in love with her.” Holmes already starts thinking about whether the dead woman was really Laura, since bodies you can’t identify are always suspicious (this is either foreshadowing or a callback to his own faked death, depending on where this sits in an anachronistic timeline.) When he meets the living Laura Hunt, Holmes gets sentimental about her in that not-canonically-romantic-but-wistful way he sometimes does. When Lydecker attempts to kill her again, he finds that Holmes has sabotaged his gun, and that Watson’s gun very much still works.

Sam Spade: I figure the Vincent Price character hired him to solve Laura’s murder since he’s afraid he’s being framed for it. Spade listens patiently to Lydecker in the same way he did to Gutman, and comes to the conclusion that whatever this guy’s deal is, he’s a consummate liar. When Laura shows up alive, she takes an immediate dislike to him, but he’s intrigued by her. He tries to bully her into paying him to do bodyguard duty, but she’s a canny negotiator and he sort of respects that. The two have belligerent banter and sexual tension that never turns into anything solid, for the best. Spade manages to cold-clock and restrain Lydecker for the police when he tries to kill her again. “What do you know, he really was crazy about you” he says. “Here I thought he was a gunsel.” “What’s a gunsel- no, nevermind, don’t answer that,” says Laura.

Columbo: As soon as Columbo meets Waldo Lydecker, he mentally sees a giant flashing neon sign saying THIS GUY DID IT. He needles him with “My wife loves your column!” and “What I don’t get about this is, why make the murder so obvious if it was pre-planned?” When Laura shows up alive, Columbo’s surprise is genuine, but it starts to throw certain pieces into place. He likes Laura a lot in a fatherly sort of way, and once she gets over her shock and annoyance over the whole thing, she comes to trust him. Lydecker comes to the house to kill Laura for real and Columbo catches him “coincidentally”, then reveals he knows where the gun was stashed and puts him under arrest.

Philip Marlowe: Marlowe, like Spade, was hired to prove the innocence of Laura’s fiancé, but doesn’t like the guy. Turns out he doesn’t like Lydecker either, but he engages in long conversation with elevated diction with him, and his descriptions of Laura really catch his interest. He stares at her portrait and has feelings- she looks glamorous alright, but there’s an honest intensity to her face that puts him in mind of a clever girl next door. When she shows up alive, he compares her to the ghost of Banquo. He’s suspicious of her because so many of his villains turn out to be sexy ladies, but eventually figures out her innocence after lots of combatative conversation. He catches Lydecker attempting to kill her again, and reflects on how men are determined to kill what they can’t have. Marlowe is more than a little in love with Laura but never sees her again.

Dale Cooper: Woohoo, getting recursive here! Since Twin Peaks was in many ways inspired by Laura, the major beats are hit but in weirder ways. Cooper is halfway in love with Laura as he investigates her murder, and falls the rest of the way in love with her when she turns up alive. Laura starts to fall for him as well, but is greatly confused by his methods, especially when he determines her innocence by flipping through the pages of all her books and finding that the first letter on each page spells PRIESTESS, reminding him of the High Priestess in the tarot deck, symbol of wisdom and virtue. Lydecker expresses anger over Cooper and Laura’s developing relationship, and Cooper realizes he was the killer when Lydecker fixes his tie in a way that looks like a bird making a threat display (Cooper does not like birds!) He ends up killing Lydecker when he makes another attempt to kill Laura, and tells him “I pray that in your next life you will learn how to love generously.” He and Laura might get together if the universe will allow them to be happy.

Hercule Poirot: Poirot meets Lydecker and Vincent Price (whose character name I refuse to look up) at a party, and takes immense offense when Hastings says of Lydecker, “You know, that chap reminded me a bit of you!” When Laura’s body is seemingly found, he inserts himself into the investigation because he feels offended that Lydecker’s column about her death seems to be mostly bragging about how great his relationship had been with her. He studies Laura’s portrait, and the more he studies it, the more he suspects that body the police found wasn’t really hers. He’s proven right, of course, and when Laura shows up, he talks to her about a plan. He arranges for all the suspects to gather, then throws them all for a loop when he has Laura walk in, very much alive. He reveals where Lydecker hid the murder weapon, and Hastings grabs it to hold the man at bay. “So it was all for love,” Hastings reflects after the fact. “Heaven protect women from such love!” Poirot responds.

Sam Vimes: Vimes takes a liking to the dead Laura, because in between the lines of Lydecker’s testimony, he hears the story of a girl suddenly shoved into a higher social class where she can’t meet everyone’s demands of her even though she’s smarter and kinder than all of them. When she turns up alive, he annoys her with tests to see whether she’s a ghost or a zombie or a vampire, but is relieve to find that she is actually alive after all. Lydecker gets mean about what he believes to be a relationship between Vimes and Laura even though there’s nothing romantic about it, and that’s what settles Vimes that he’s the killer. He manages to catch Lydecker before he can kill Laura, but then Lydecker has a heart attack when the ghost of the woman he really murdered steps out beside Laura and points an accusing finger at him. The ghost of Lydecker continues to write a really mean society column, and Vimes is mad that he’s legally allowed to do that, but at least he can’t kill anyone else.

Phryne Fisher: Phryne starts poking around the case when her former lover, Vincent Price’s Character, is accused to the murder of his fiancé. She doesn’t think much of him, but doesn’t think he’s capable of murder. She alternates between charming Lydecker and annoying him with little comments like “Well, surely Laura was entitled to a social life of her own, wouldn’t you agree?” She was starting to wonder if Laura had faked her own death to get out from under his control, when Laura walks back in and proves she wasn’t deliberately faking anything. When Lydecker tries to kill Laura again, Phryne jumps at and disarms him though she nearly catches a bullet herself. “I must remember to get my own portrait painted in case I’m killed,” she says to Jack. Laura shows up periodically on the show when Phryne needs an American contact for a case.

Miss Marple: Miss Marple has some amiable chats with the police about Laura’s murder, and when one of them says “In cases like these, the lover usually did it,” she opens their eyes by saying “Yes, but which one?” When Laura shows up alive, Miss Marple shows up with cookies and sherry as a “congratulations for still being alive” present. She relates to Laura as an independent woman who fought all her life to be able to live on her own terms. She gathers all the suspects together and lays out what she believes must have happened, and when Lydecker dashes for the hidden gun she reveals she already found and disarmed it. “I know you must be terribly sad,” she comforts Laura, “but remember that you are who you are because of what you’ve achieved, not because he tried to turn you into his dream.”

#great detectives series #laura #film noir

149 notes · View notes

starry-sky-stuff · 3 years ago

Text

Historical Romance Recommendations Pt 2

Now that I’ve read more HR books, I’ve decided to expand on my original list (you can find here).

Warning for potential spoilers

Marriage of Convenience:

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare

When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare

Compromised Into Marriage:

Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas

Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn

Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare

Undercover Duke by Sabrina Jeffries

The Truth About Cads and Dukes by Elisa Braden

The Heiress Hunt by Joanna Shupe

Lovers That Start Off Antagonistic:

To Love and to Loathe by Martha Walters

It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas

No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah Maclean

Married By Morning by Lisa Kleypas

Bound By Your Touch by Meredith Duran

For the Duke’s Eyes Only by Lenora Bell

Childhood Friends:

A Rogue By Any Other Name by Sarah Maclean

A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore

Because of Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

Seduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas

The Duke Who Loved Me by Jane Ashford

Friends to Lovers:

My Fake Rake by Eva Leigh

The Duke Who Loved Me by Jane Ashford

Second Chance Romance:

The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean

The Sins of Lord Lockwood by Meredith Duran

Female Leads That Are Widows:

When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn

Waiting for a Scot Like You by Eva Leigh

Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt

Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt

Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas

Devil’s Daughter by Lisa Kleypas

Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas

Books Where the Lead Has a Job:

Forever Your Earl by Eva Leigh

Scandal Takes the Stage by Eva Leigh

Temptations of a Wallflower by Eva Leigh

The Rules of Scoundrels series by Sarah MacLean

Tempt Me at Twilight by Lisa Kleypas

Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas

Self-Made Heroes:

Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas

Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas

Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas

Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas

Tempt Me by Twilight by Lisa Kleypas

Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas

Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas

The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare

Regarding the Duke by Grace Callaway

A Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore

Books That Involve a Mystery:

The Duke Dynasty by Sabrina Jeffries

Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare

A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins

Series Centred on Female Friendship:

The Wallflowers series by Lisa Kleypas

A League of Extraordinary Women series by Evie Dunmore

Girls Who Dare series by Emma V Leech

Girl Meets Duke series by Tessa Dare

Books Where the Female Lead Isn’t a Virgin:

Bringing Down a Duke by Evie Dunmore

Forever Your Earl by Eva Leigh

The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn

Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt

Never Judge a Lady By Her Cover by Sarah MacLean

Older Heroines:

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean

Daring and the Duke by Sarah MacLean

A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean

Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt

Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt

Devil’s Daughter by Lisa Kleypas

Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas

Lead is a Writer:

Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas

Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas

And Then He Kissed Her by Laura Lee Guhrke

With Seduction in Mind by Laura Lee Guhrke

Rake Romances:

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

To Love and to Loathe by Martha Walters

A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore

When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn

Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas

Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas

Devil’s Daughter by Lisa Kleypas

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean

Forever Your Earl by Eva Leigh

Scandal Takes the Stage by Eva Leigh

The Good Girl’s Guide to Rakes by Eva Leigh

Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt

The Devil is a Marquess by Elisa Braden

Bound By Your Touch by Meredith Duran

The Lady Gets Lucky by Joanna Shupe

Non-Rake Romances:

Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt

My Fake Rake by Eva Leigh

Temptations of a Wallflower by Eva Leigh

Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt

Age-Gap Romances:

What I Did For a Duke by Julie Anne Long

Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare

Governess Romances:

The Governess Game by Tessa Dare

What a Difference a Duke Makes by Lenora Bell

Married By Morning by Lisa Kleypas

Political Plots:

A Lady’s Code of Misconduct by Meredith Duran

Confessions From an Arranged Marriage by Miranda Neville

League of Extraordinary Women series by Evie Dunmore

Amnesia Plots:

Regarding the Duke by Grace Callaway

A Lady’s Code of Misconduct by Meredith Duran

When the Marquess Was Mine by Caroline Linden

Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas

Inter-Class Romances:

Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas

Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas

Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas

Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas

Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas

Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean

Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLean

An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn

Girl Meets Duke series by Tessa Dare

Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare

Would I Lie to the Duke by Eva Leigh

Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt

Dearest Rogue by Elizabeth Hoyt

Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt

Duke of Pleasure by Elizabeth Hoyt

What a Difference a Duke Makes by Lenora Bell

Love is a Rogue by Lenora Bell

Girl Bachelors series by Laura Lee Guhrke

The Duchess Hunt by Lorraine Heath

The Duke Heist by Erica Ridley

#historical romance #romance tag #book tag

71 notes · View notes

lepusrufus · 3 years ago

Note

Do you have any daughter/maiden headcanons? Or just sweet things in general? 👉🏻👈🏻

I was full on jumping to give you some nasty angst before reading the "sweet stuff" lmao. So be it dear nonnie, have some wholesome fluff:

As per courtesy, each maiden has her own bedroom (except Laura since she's not exactly a permanent castle resident) but you bet they just sleep in their respective vamp wives rooms

Cassandra's gift for one of Nicole's birthdays was convincing her mother to infect her favorite hunting dog, Eris, who becomes more like Nicole's personal guard dog of sorts

It's not uncommon to see the whole family in a cuddle pile across couches and the floor in one of the bigger rooms where they install a projector for movie nights

Alcina often ends up at the center of said cuddle pile (i SO need to draw this)

Bela got particularly sad when her cat died of old age and it was Laura that ended up getting another kitten for her, one that she found wandering aimlessly around the Village outskirts

Anita will drag Daniela out into the woods to climb trees and birdwatch the moment temperatures get warm enough

Dani loves it and also takes it as an opportunity to collect some feathers that she likes to use for different crafts

Nicole's weapon of choice is Cassandra. For those of you who've watched Tom&Jerry as kids, you know the episode where Spike (the dog) tells Jerry to whistle if he needs help and he just comes and decks Tom every time? Yeah that's them

Her second weapon of choice is a handgun

Bela loves to doodle on Laura's arms all. The. Time.

But she also takes after Alcina in her love for painting so there's quite a few portraits of Laura hanged around

Laura teases Bela relentlessly for coming into the garden all dressed up and then complaining about mud

The sisters like having sparring matches every so often, to train and tune in their skills with different weapons, and their maidens love to watch

Cassandra is the absolute biggest show off

The little room in the attic that appeared in DeS gets mildly renovated by Nicole and Cassandra and becomes their cozy little spot for enjoying a nice view during a hot summer day

Nicole is eternally salty that all the castle's horses are Clydesdales or draft horses that she can NEVER get on without a damn ladder

Tho she absolutely won't complain about Cassandra always picking her up for that

Daniela gets really mopey during winter when she can't get out so she often resorts to demanding cuddles from Anita

Not that Anita complains but she WILL bitchslap her wife if she puts her cold frigid hands on her back one more time

I think it's safe to assume that Alcina owns a couple houses in different parts of the world for business trips and such

So whenever they're all on vacation there, Anita is the designated shenanigans starter that drags everyone out to do urban exploration

They always end up in the weirdest abandoned places and the sisters had to fight off some shady people

They're sure they came across someone doing some weird ritual at least twice

#laura the garden gf #unhinged maiden™ my beloved #soft bby anita #the dimitrescu daughters #asks #headcanons

77 notes · View notes

lyranova · 4 years ago

Text

Leon and Alistar Pt: II

Hi guys! Here’s part 2 of mine and @thoughtfullyrainynightmare ‘s co-op fic, i think we had too much fun with this part hehe but that’s ok! Because I can’t add any notes at the end due to tumblr’s block count thing I wanted to thank Laura for doing this with me it was so much fun hehe 🥰! I hope you guys enjoy~!

Taglist: @eme-eleff @jovialnoise @simpingforthisonedeer @succulentsunrise @ckjwnnbc

Warnings: None

———

Inside the box laid a small crystal full of mana and..a leaf?! Alistar and Leonidas blinked and looked at each other then back at the box. This was it? This was their treasure?! Alistar shook his head and placed the box back onto the small pedestal.

“ Of course our parents would play a sick joke like this on us.” He said with a sigh before he crouched down onto the floor, looking to see if there was maybe any hidden traps that could be hiding the real treasure.

“ Well, you could say this is unbeleafable.” Leonidas said with a chuckle, he found his puns to be quite funny. Alistar suddenly stood up and looked at him , Leonidas rubbed the back of his neck nervously as silence fell around them.

“ Hey; don’t leaf me hanging!” Alistar said suddenly before bursting into fits of laughter. The orange haired boy blinked in surprise before he himself began to laugh.

“ Ah I’ve got one; Where did the plant like to travel?” Alistar asked and Leonidas shook his head. “ All clover the world!”

Both boys began to laugh even harder.

They both sat there. Just sat there, trying to gasp for air through their laughter. Tears started running down their cheeks from the released tension, and their stomachs and sides started to burn from the sensation.

But Little by little they were able to catch their breaths.

"I didn't know you were into puns," Leonidas commented with a grin.

"I could say the same," Alistair replied with an equally wide grin.

The two chuckled for a moment longer until their eyes landed back into the box. But all they could do was shake their heads. After all, time was running out and there was clearly a trick to it.

" What do you think it means? A crystal and a leaf?" Alistair inquired while turning his head to Leonidas.

"Honestly," the orange haired male began, "I have no clue." He paused for a moment while gazing into the ceiling. "It's not even that both of the items would have mana in them. But only the crystal. Now that could potentially be a key of some kind, but even then there'd need to be a magical lock to match. And the leaf is... Just a leaf? What is it even from?"

Alistar inspected the leaf forwards and backwards for a moment as Leonidas looked over the crystal in his own hands. Finally after a few moments, Alistar snapped his fingers as he recognized the plant.

“ Humulus Lupulus ‘Aurea’!” Alistar said as he began to look around the room, the orange haired boy frowned.

“ English please?” He asked politely as he saw Alistar began to inspect the room, apparently looking for where the plant belonged.

“ Ah sorry,” he laughed nervously before rubbing the back of his head, a nervous habit he had developed. “ Golden Hops is the common name for it, it’s a vine that when grown onto something provides excellent privacy. But they don’t grow on brick or stone walls, they have to grow on a lattice or trellis. They’re also used to provide a bitter bite to beer.” Alistar explained and Leonidas blinked.

“ You really like plants.” he said with a laugh as he began searching the walls for the same vine as Alistar.

“ Ah yeah, my mom was a florist so she had a ton of books on different plants, herbs, and such things. I guess my love of plants is something I inherited from her.” He said with a small laugh. “ Ah here it is.” He added as Leonidas came walking over to him. Alistar quickly used his plant magic to make the vines retract and moved the trellis out of the way. Behind it lay a stone door with a small crystal shaped hole in the center, but the designs around it appeared to look like fire and flames which seemed odd in Alistar’s opinion.

“ Leonidas, see if the crystal will fit.” Alistar asked.

Leonidas nodded in agreement and placed it onto the supposed lock. And as expected, the crystal did fit into the hole, but nothing happened. Seconds ticked away, making the two frown as there was no change in the crystal or the lock.

"I guess it would have been too easy," Alistair commented with a disappointed smile.

However, Leonidas frowned as that mechanism seemed perhaps far too familiar for him. "Maybe it just needs a bit of mana for it to activate," he pondered aloud.

"What do you mean?" Alistair inquired with a curious tone.

"Ah, well, let's say that a key gets into the wrong hands. Then for the purposes of keeping, whatever is guarded by the lock, safe, it's better if the mechanisms used to operate the key aren't clear. Or better yet, if there's only a handful of people who can do so. For example if only a certain type of mana interacts with the key itself.” Leonidas explained factually.

" You seem to know a lot about these things," Alistair chuckled in turn.

Leonidas smiled while picking up the crystal and feeding it some of his own mana, making the crystal glow bright yellow.

" Yeah, it's something I've learned from my mom," he replied," Thean can be... very private people. "

“ So I’ve heard.” Alistar agreed with a nod, Thea was a very private country. Alistar had heard very little about it himself but he had to admit he was curious about it and it’s magic. “ Maybe when this is all over you can tell me a bit about it, and I can teach you about botany.” He chuckled.

“ Hm, there isn’t much I can tell you about Thea but I’d be more than happy to share what I can.” Leonidas said with a nod before he gently placed the crystal back into the door and the runes on it began to glow yellow.

It opened with a hiss as the door swung open slowly. Alistar and Leonidas smirked at each other before they walked inside the room.

“ We make a pretty good team, considering this is the first time we’ve worked together.” Alistar admitted as he looked for a light source, which was soon provided by Leonidas.

“ Hm, I wonder why our parents would hide the treasure here?” Leonidas mused as he picked up an overturned crate and looked inside it.

“ To test our problem solving skills as well as our team skills perhaps? Especially considering the puzzle used both our magical attributes.” Alistar said before Leonidas picked up a box that was bigger than the one in the other room.

“ What’s that?” Alistar asked curiously as he walked over to the orange haired boy.

"Umm...." Leonidas uttered after opening the box. He shuffled something in his hand and let out an amused puff of air. "It seems that you had a thing for bunny plushies while growing up," he grinned.

A brief silence passed through the air, before Alistair spoke in a low, disbelieving, hushed voice: "...what?!"

Leonidas turned around and showed Alistair a small portrait of him when he was younger. And in the picture, Alistair with his bright, blue eyes and white hair, no more than 3 years of age, was holding a bunny plushie. The sight made Alistair turn bright red, which was emphasized by his otherwise fair appearance.

"Why me?" He asked while burning up.

"Well..." Leonidas grinned forcefully. "It's not just you...." he admitted while showing Alistair another, similar, photo, where an orange haired boy was hugging a lion plushie. "It seems our parents really aren't short on... surprises..." he continued while averting his gaze.

“ Nope they certainly aren’t.” Alistar grumbled as he snatched the portrait out of Leonidas’s hand and quickly put it in the inside pocket of his robes. He had hoped no one would ever see his baby pictures.

“ Well, it could be worse,” Leonidas said, trying to suppress a chuckle while being slightly optimistic. Alistar quirked a brow, silently asking him to elaborate. “ They could’ve been naked baby portraits.” Alistar blinked but laughed, it was true.

“ Knowing them; they probably considered it.” Alistar said before turning and walking out of the room, he was slightly glad now that he hadn’t been paired up with Hikari, otherwise he would be teased a lot more now than he currently was.

“ Come on, let’s head back.” Alistar called and Leonidas quickly followed him out of the room.

“ Hey Alistar? What kind of books do bunnies read?” Leonidas asked suddenly, the white haired boy shook his head. “ The ones with hoppy endings.”

Alistar couldn’t help it; he started laughing, as embarrassed as he was he still found the bunny pun hilarious.

“ Alright, What do you call a lion with a fancy hat?” Alistar asked once he caught his breath, Leonidas shook his head. “ A dandy lion.” Leonidas snorted before laughing himself.

The two boys steadily cracked puns as they made their way back to the starting point.

Sadly they were having so much fun on the way back, that they lost track of time. And it wasn't until they were getting close to the headquarters that they realized they had to hurry. So, they shared a quick glance before dashing forward towards the starting point.

They made it. They just made it until the time ran out. But It was at the cost of their muscles aching, and their lungs burning because of the lack of oxygen, so they slumped against a wall.

As they sat down, Alistair let out a little whine, which made Leonidas' lips turn into a smirk.

"Like a grape," he commented.

"What?" Alistair huffed out of breath.

"It-, um, it's...." he took a moment to catch his breath. "What did a grape say when it got crushed?"

"What did it say," Alistair grinned while turning to glance at the orange haired boy.

"Nothing. It just let out a little wine," Leonidas grinned back, making both of them burst into laughter and slide further down on the floor while holding their sides.

After a small moment, Hikari and Cyraleona walked over with a few smoothies in hand, while sipping their own, talking about how cute they were as toddlers.

"Did you actually lose brain cells on that treasure hunt?" Hikari quirked an eyebrow.

"They just might've done so," the red headed girl commented.

"No..." Leonidas tried through his laughter, "you don't get it!" He laughed.

"GRAPES!" The boys yelled in unison.

Both of the girls quirked an eyebrow at them.

"I do believe they have lost it," Cyraleona still commented with a hushed tone.

"You can say that again," Hikari rolled her eyes.

Alistar started wiping tears from his eyes as he looked up at the girls and saw the disapproving looks on their faces. The looks on their faces only made the boys laugh harder.

“ Phew, that was a good one Leonidas.” Alistar said as he caught his breath. Leonidas looked over at him and waved his hand.

“ You can just call me Leon if you want, and thank you. You’ve got some good jokes, yourself.” He told Alistar as he caught his breath as well. Hikari rolled her eyes before holding out a hand to the white haired boy as Cyraleona held out a hand to her twin, the boys looked at each other before taking them and standing up.

“ Go get some smoothies, they’re about to wrap the exercise up for the day.” Hikari said as she walked them to the smoothie stand.

“ Oh, what did you two get in your treasure box?” Cyraleona asked softly, causing Alistar and Leonidas to both blush.

“ N-Nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Alistar stammered and Hikari smirked before she and Cyraleona looked at each other.

“ Baby pictures.” The said in unison before laughing as the boys faces turned even more red.

In the distance, Fuego and William watched their sons with small smiles on their faces. The white haired male glanced at the Crimson Lion for a moment before speaking.

“ It seems our sons are getting along well.” He chuckled and Fuego nodded in agreement.

“ Yes they do, which is exactly what we wanted from this exercise, was for all the kids to try and get along and become a more cohesive unit. Although, I wonder what was said that made them laugh so much.” He muttered curiously before William stood in front of the mic to address the kids.

“ Congratulations on a job well done kids,” William announced before moving out of the way to let Fuego speak.

“ Yes you all did amazing today, you showed teamwork, determination, and that you can all solve any problems that come your way.” Fuego said with a smile on his face.

"We are all very proud of you," Charlotte commented with a smile, looking at each of the kids, but keeping her gaze at Hikari for a moment longer than the others.

"Yeah, good job on not trashing half of the Kingdom while doing so," Yami stated with crossed arms.

The rest of the captains looked at him, but brushed it off as they all still remembered everything the Black Bulls had put the kingdom through over the years. They shook their heads before William continued: "And though it wasn't included into the schedule we have prepared for a small banquet."

The kids glanced at each other with knowing looks as the adults made their way to them. Of course their parents had something like that planned. After all, it had been several hours since they last ate.

"And I hope that you had a good day," William still continued with a smile, stopping his gaze at Alistair.

"Yeah, we-," Alistair paused for a moment. "You could say that it was a pun-tastic day."

Leon snorted with the comment, immediately placing his hand over his mouth afterwards and shaking his head.

The fathers quirked an eyebrow at their sons, not really knowing what to make of it.

"But yes father, it was an excellent day. And I'll be sure to treasure the lessons and relationships gained on this day," The white haired boy continued.

"Yes," Leon agreed. "Our friendship is unbeleafable," he grinned while glancing at Alistair from the corner of his eye, which made him snort in turn while the girls let out disappointed sighs.

William and Fuego blinked before looking at each other with a look of near horror in their eyes; both their sons were punny. Oh no. Maybe this was a mistake after all? Now that the two had met and were friends the punny jokes were sure to be in abundance now.

“ You two are dorks.” Hikari said with a shake of her head as she walked past them with Cyraleona in tow, Alistar saluted his father quickly before following after her, Leonidas doing the same before running to catch up with his sister.

“ Hey, only good chives will be accepted here.” He told the raven haired girl with a smirk, she pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed at him. She had been victim to his terrible puns since they were young children so a small piece of her was happy that he now had someone who he could be punny with.

“ Uh huh, you and your good chives can go sit at a different table until they stop.” She told him with a smirk, he sighed in defeat but nodded. Leonidas watched the exchange curiously.

“ Hey Alistar,” The white haired boy turned toward him. “ Do you have a crush on Hikari?” Alistar smiled but shook his head.

“ No, we’re just good friends. Our relationship isn’t like that.” Alistar said with a small laugh, he looked calm on the outside but inside he was freaking out. ‘How did he figure it out so quickly?! Was it that obvious? I need to keep my emotions in better check.’ he thought to himself as the children walked.

William shook his head as he began to laugh, which caused Fuego to look at him curiously. William turned towards the Vermillion haired Captain.

“ What are the chances, of both our sons being into puns?” He chuckled and Fuego shook his head.

“ Perhaps one in a million? I’m not quite sure myself.” He said but with a warm smile, he was glad his son had found a friend around his own age, and he was sure William was thinking the same.

"I know that look," said a voice behind them, which made the fathers glance behind them.

"I'd be surprised if you didn't," Fuego smiled at the sight of his wife.

"Good day, Solara, " William greeted with a polite nod.

"Good day William," she replied before continuing from the topic. "Yes, they're terrible puns. But Don't go pun-ishing them too hard," she smirked, making the eyes of both of the men widen in slight horror.

"Darling... " Fue began. "I think I died a little bit inside..."

William just shook his head while letting out a sigh.

"They're just exercising their brain cells. There's nothing wrong with that," she continued with a passing shrug.

"They could use their brains more constructively," William commented with a hushed tone.

"Oh? Can you think of a pun from the spot? No? That's pun-fortunate," Solara grinned.

William's lips parted for a moment to reply, but nothing came out. Instead he let out another sigh, much deeper this time while pinching the bridge of his nose. Meanwhile Fue let out an amused huff before shaking his head.

"Point taken dear," he commented.

“ Well we know where Leonidas gets it from.” William said with a shake of his head, Solara looked at him curiously for a moment.

“ Your wife was a jokester herself was she not?” She asked, Fuego looked at his wife and shook his head slightly, even after all these years William’s wife was still a somewhat sensitive subject but William quickly waved his concern away.

“ It’s alright. Yes she was a bit of a jokester,” William chuckled before he looked towards the sky with a small smile. “ she was partial to plant jokes especially.” He added before looking back at the husband and wife, his smile turning solem suddenly.

“ Fuegoleon, I know...there’s some issues between us and some things that have happened that may not ever be forgiven but,” he paused for a moment as he searched for the right words. “ I don’t want the things that have happened between us to affect our son's friendship. They deserve the chance to become friends and get along without our personal issues getting in the way.”

Fuego nodded along as he listened, William was still trying to atone for his actions after all these years, especially for what he did to Fuego, he gently gripped his fire arm as he got lost in thought. He looked up at his wife’s face and, for one of the few times, he couldn’t read it. This was something he would have to decide on his own.

“ I agree,” Fuego said after a moment of silence. “ our son’s deserve a chance to let this friendship have a chance, to let them decide for themselves if they wish to continue it without our influence. Who knows? Maybe they’ll even start a rivalry or something similar.” Fuego chuckled, remembering his own rivalry with Nozel and William’s with Yami.

“ Yes that would be something wouldn’t it?” William agreed with a nod. “ Well, shall we head in and have dinner with the children?”

"Yes. Let us do just that," Fuego commented with a faint smile before they all started making their way to the banquet hall.

Fuego knew that he and William wouldn't become the best of friends, possibly not even great friends, but they certainly had come a long way. It was clear that William did try his best, as well as admit his wrongdoings. And he tried to seek his own atonement, even though it wasn't served to him in the form of a juridical punishment. No, he had to look for redemption harder than that. But, as William had said, and he had agreed, their personal relations shouldn't come in between their sons' relationship.

Fue felt a slight tug of his arm, and as he turned to look, he saw an expression he recognized just as usual.

"It's alright," he assured, intending to stop there, but being forced to continue as a result of the settling silence. "I assure you, it's alright."

The moment ended and whatever tension had gathered in the air slowly dissipated away. And it was again just as usual.

"You didn't bring Nora with you?" Fue asked after a few moments as his thoughts emerged from his eldest.

"No, she's out with Mereo," Solara commented. "A few puns will be the least of our worries today."

Fuego chuckled to himself and shook his head. Indeed. A few puns didn't seem all that bad suddenly.

#black clover fanfiction #oc; alistar #oc; hikari #hikari is not my oc #oc; leonidas #leonidas is not my oc #oc; cyraleona #cyraleona is not my oc #oc; solara #solara is not my oc #oc fanfic #william vangeance #fuegoleon vermillion

19 notes · View notes

tabloidtoc · 4 years ago

Text

People, May 10

Cover: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade

Page 3: Chatter -- Mindy Kaling on technology woes, Amy Adams on wanting to go into acting because of Grease, Gal Gadot on telling her daughters Maya and Alma about her pregnancy, DJ Khaled on using Rihanna's skin-care line, Christie Brinkley on showing off her body on Instagram at age 67, Whoopi Goldberg on writing a superhero movie about an older Black lady

Page 4: 5 Things We're Talking About -- Michael Keaton returns as Batman, Jane Fonda recalls her first and best kiss, Maya Rudolph would give Bridesmaids another go, the stars of ER scrub in one more time, popcorn and donuts team up

Page 7: Contents

Page 8: StarTracks -- one day before Prince William and Princess Kate's youngest child Prince Louis turned 3, Kensington Palace released a new portrait of the little royal to mark the occasion; Kate snapped the photo of Louis, who wore a school uniform and backpack as he rode his bike outside their home in London ahead of his first day of preschool

Page 9: JoJo Siwa and mom Jessalynn went for a roller-coaster ride at Disney's Hollywood studios in Florida, Madonna in a three-piece Gucci suit for dinner at West Hollywood staple Craig's

Page 10: Stars on Set -- Rachel Brosnahan was pretty in pink while filming season 4 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel with costar Alex Borstein in NYC, John Cena flashed a peace sign when he took a coffee break while filming The Suicide Squad spinoff series Peacemaker in Vancouver, Tika Sumpter and James Marsden shot an action-packed scene for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in Vancouver

Page 11: Katie Holmes was spotted on a Connecticut set preparing to film the drama The Watergate Girl in which she'll play Watergate prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks, Awkwafina and Bowen Yang filmed the upcoming season of Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens in NYC, Melissa Benoist suited up for Supergirl in Vancouver

Page 12: Brooke Shields who is recovering after breaking her femur in a gym accident walked arm in arm after a lunch with husband Chris Henchy, Britney Spears and boyfriend Sam Asghari posed for a photo before attending a friend's wedding

Page 15: Stars in the Sun -- Maren Morris flaunted her new tan while enjoying a tropical getaway, Simone Biles and boyfriend Jonathan Owens cuddled up during a trip to Florida, Lindsey Vonn caught some waves and some rays while paddleboarding in Tulum, Derek Hough cooled off in the ocean during a beach day in L.A., Brie Larson enjoyed a dip while on vacation in Hawaii

Page 17: Scoop -- Life After Their Split -- how Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez are moving on

Page 18: Inside Caitlyn Jenner's run for governor

Page 20: Heart Monitor -- Tarek El Moussa and Heather Rae Young ready to wed, Pete Davidson and Phoebe Dynevor going public, Zac Efron and Vanessa Valladares split, Billie Eilish and Matthew Tyler Vorce new couple?

Page 23: Jana Kramer and Mike Caussin's messy divorce

* Susannah Constantine -- my royal friendship with Princess Margaret

Page 24: Open House -- French Montana

* Baby Boom -- the latest on Hollywood's growing families -- Marie Kondo and Takumi Kawahara welcomed a son, Nick and Lauren Carter welcomed their third child

Page 27: Ed Helms talks life after The Office

Page 29: Passages, Why I Care -- Lisa Kudrow is working with doctors at UCLA to end the stigma surrounding mental health issues

Page 31: Stories to Make You Smile -- most cats can't stand the water but 8-month-old Marlin can't get enough and his Instagram is @carolinejarvis, a first grader's airplane kits give wings to kids' travel dreams

Page 35: People Picks -- Tom Clancy's Without Remorse

Page 36: Limbo, One to Watch -- Shadow and Bone's Jessie Mei Li

Page 37: Pose, Pet Stars

Page 38: The Handmaid's Tale, Thomas Rhett -- Country Again: Side A, Q&A with Olivia Holt

Page 39: The Mosquito Coast, Inspiring America: The 2021 Inspiration List

Page 41: Books

Page 42: Oscars 2021 -- The Return of Glamour -- the show was unconventional, just 170 guests were allowed in L.A.'s Union Station, and COVID restrictions were strictly enforced, but stars did their part to bring back some movie magic

Page 43: Andra Day

Page 44: Fabulous Fashion -- crop tops, ball gowns and bows ruled the red carpet -- Angela Bassett, Zendaya, Carey Mulligan, Maria Bakalova

Page 45: Margot Robbie, Reese Witherspoon, Viola Davis, Amanda Seyfried

Page 46: Behind the Scenes -- Regina King -- the actress closed out awards season in a custom Louis Vuitton creation

Page 48: Shine Bright -- there's no such thing as too much bling -- Laura Pausini, Vanessa Kirby, Zendaya

Page 49: Maria Bakalova, Daniel Kaluuya, Glenn Close, Tiara Thomas

Page 50: Very Well Suited -- these sharp dressers put their own twists on the tuxedo -- Lakeith Stanfield, Colman Domingo, Paul Raci, Tyler Perry, Sacha Baron Cohen, Alan Kim

Page 53: Getting Ready with Andra Day

Page 55: Getting Ready with Angela Bassett

Page 56: Romance on the Red Carpet -- these couples only had eyes for each other -- Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher, Halle Berry and Van Hunt, Chloe Zhao and Joshua James Richards, Riz Ahmed and Fatima Farheen Mirza

Page 57: Steven Yeun and Joana Pak, Leslie Odom Jr. and Nicolette Robinson, Paul Raci and Liz Hanley Raci, Aaron Sorkin and Paulina Porizkova

Page 58: Best in Show -- there were A-list stars, groundbreaking moments and social distancing as Hollywood gathered safely to honor the best movies of the year -- Reese Witherspoon

Page 61: Alan Kim, Angela Bassett, Rita Moreno

Page 62: Major Moments -- these artists broke barriers during the most historic ceremony ever -- Emerald Fennell, Chloe Zhao, Daniel Kaluuya

Page 63: H.E.R., Anthony Hopkins, Yuh-Jung Youn with Brad Pitt, Mia Neal

Page 65: Yuh-Jung Youn and Daniel Kaluuya and Frances McDormand, Elton John and Dua Lipa, Andra Day and Winnie Harlow

Page 66: Cover Story -- Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union -- Dream Team -- the actress and NBA champ open up about protecting their family, fighting for what's right and why they're stronger than ever

Page 72: George Floyd's Killer Found Guilty -- We Can Breathe Again -- friends and family of the Minneapolis man killed by police rejoice after a jury's verdict and vow with supporters to keep fighting systemic racism

Page 76: Bethenny Frankel -- what I know now -- the irrepressible former Real Housewives star and businesswoman is newly engaged and back as a boss with a new show

Page 80: A Son Lost to Suicide, A Father's Mission -- we loved him every day, but it wasn't enough -- after the shocking death of his 12-year-old son, Brad Hunstable has a message for parents: talk to your kids about suicide

Page 84: Andrew McCarthy -- I was never suited for fame -- the beloved actor, and author of a new memoir, looks back on his enduring films, surviving his '80s stardom and how his affiliation with the so-called Brat Pack was a mixed blessing

Page 88: Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton's 10-year anniversary -- remembering the big day -- those who made the wedding a fairy tale share their memories

Page 92: Country Singer Thomas Rhett -- fame, family and finding my way -- the star opens up about overcoming struggled with his wife Lauren in their 8-year-marriage and learning to put their family first

Page 98: Murdered Soldier Vanessa Guillen's Fiance -- every day I pray for justice -- a year after losing the love of his life, Juan Cruz is determined to make sure the Army specialist's legacy is never forgotten and that her tragic death inspires lasting change

Page 102: George W. Bush -- painting with a purpose -- the former president avoided making waves, until his party's nativist prompted him to use his art to celebrate immigrants

Page 106: Pop Star Julia Michaels -- how I learned to love myself -- the singer talks falling in love, managing anxiety and writing hits for Britney Spears and Selena Gomez

Page 116: One Last Thing -- Josh Duhamel

7 notes · View notes