Remember when I thought Barney was a stupid name and Lucy Maud Montgomery went and wrote the sexiest soft fool of a man in fiction and dubbed him thus just to flex on me 100 years earlier?

He’s just a heap of endearing moments? All filthy while fixing his terrible car! Running helpful errands! Casually suggesting Cissy’s shitty ex should be shot!Throwing one punch and JUMPING OUT THE WINDOW! Running out of gas for his terrible car! Buttoning the overcoat!

He’s a big fan of sitting in comfy silence! Thinks about ballooning! Stands on his snowshoes waiting to DIE while getting his own writing quoted at him! Builds tree bough beds! Needs a new quilt for him and his cats (and significant other.) Will chuck snake oil INTO THE LAKE!

FANTASIZES ABOUT KISSING HER COLLAR BONE AND ADMITS TO IT. “You have such a nice voice for lovemaking.”

Like, I’m never going to be over that?

So things get a LITTLE contrived in the back eighth of the book like does he HAVE to be a millionaire and her favourite author? No, but it’s better she finds that out after she’s already in love with the hatless dope who everyone thinks is a broke criminal.

She’d be just as happy with the broke criminal and that’s the point. It just happens that Valancy deserves everything good so that’s what she gets.