Date: October 16, 2020 08:32 pm Title: Prologue
It was time for me to jump in on this one. ive got a lot of catching up to do but if you can find time to read and review all you do in between saving people's lives and delivering your own child then I can commit to a chapter a night and maybe caught up by the time we know who will be president.
Ok first impression, well written and would expect nothing less from you. I'm picturing Top Gun, mixed with Call of Duty (yes I picked up on the Stamford call name and of course Jim is Jester) mixed with A French Village as I read.
Pam on the cockpit dash. I would have like more of her but I know it's the set up and leave them wanting more applies here. So much that I'm on to the next chapter already.
Author's Response: Glad to have you hear. Honestly I didn't even remember Jester from Top Gun for that one. It was more along the lines of Jim is a prankster, thus a Jester and it sounds good. Also the Cooper call sign is a shout out one of the restaurants in Scranton the characters sometimes mentioned.
Glad the set up chapter worked well for you. I remember having a lot of fun writing those chapters so I'm glad you enjoyed them too.
Date: October 13, 2020 04:15 am Title: Songs from Home
Ahhh the inclusion of Waltzing Matilda... I love it!! Such an iconic Australian song
Author's Response:
Author's Response: Thank you. I had been planning on using that song for a long time. Thanks for reading and the comment.
Date: October 09, 2020 10:08 pm Title: October Rain
Man, screw Danny Cordray. Never liked that guy.
I do like the mix of epistolary and narrative here, and I hope for Pam's sake the new major is as willing to ignore her going forward as Danny was in the show. Obviously by now I'm out of jellybeans, but I also really liked the moments with the three women just hanging out; I like the way you've brought Penny into her own in this fic.
Author's Response: Always glad to hear your thoughts Comfect. Yeah Danny's not great here, though there is a reason for it. Glad you like the letters. They're a lot of fun to create. Penny has also been fun to explore too.
Date: October 09, 2020 10:15 am Title: October Rain
My eyebrows literally raised when I read the last line! I wasn’t expecting that at all. Definitely very interested to see how that works out!
Their list of things to do when Jim gets back looks an awful lot like a list of one shots that could be written once this is finished 😉 Just sayin. Haha!
As always, enjoyed this update! Glad things have settled down some for you! I know the adjustment from one kid to two was rough for me for a bit but it definitely gets easier. Congratulations on the new baby and I hope everyone is doing well!
Author's Response:
Glad I can still keep people on their toes with this one. I'm really liking the List of Things to do When Jim Gets Back as well. I've had some ideas for that, but I'm always on the lookout for new material, so thank you.
We're getting used to new routines is all, but we're hanging in there. Thank you for your review and thoughts. Always lovely to hear from you.
1 [Report This]Date: October 06, 2020 09:30 pm Title: October Rain
Not sure how to write a review after reading almost 140,000 words. 😂 But I loved reading it and felt SO transported! And your sprinklings of lines from the show is just wonderful.
My next reviews will be more specific, obviously. But great job!!
Author's Response: Glad you liked it WW. It's been a fun project to work on, so I'm very glad to hear this story resonates with people. Glad to have you on board as we go forward.
Date: October 06, 2020 04:15 am Title: October Rain
Oooh. Danny Corday. That’s a bit of an entrance. I can 100% get behind him and Karen as a thing.
Ugh. There goes that idea. It’s nice of the bartender to support Pam like that!
Captain Jim! Well, that’s no surprise given his track record.
Of course he’s still finding a way to prank Dwight - personalized stationary seems right up his alley, even in this world.
“house with a terrace” That’s a sweet touch!
Oh boy... That’s an ending!
Author's Response:
I alway love reading your reviews Jenna. Especially the review as you read format because it's like watching you react to everything. I was thinking of a Danny/Karnen thing, but with what I've got planned, this seemed a better course to take. Not that I like cads like that mind you. It's the 1940's, sadly misogony was tolerated a lot more back then. Not by everyone though.
After some hard moments I wanted to make sure we added some nice stuff too, thus Jim's latest promotion, pranks, and dreams of the future.
I was debating on continuing, but felt the cliffhanger was just to good a place to leave off.
Thanks as always for your review.
Date: October 05, 2020 03:53 pm Title: October Rain
I was wondering if Danny was going to show up. This was... not how I anticipated it happening. Poor Pam - reporting to the guy that groped you is a hell of a comedown from being a star pitcher. Although it's not like Craig from Albany would've been a better pick.
It's nice to see they've won themselves some fans, though. (I kinda like the idea that somewhere in Brooklyn there's an old-fashioned bar hanging an aged, signed picture of Pam and Penny up on the wall to this day.)
Not going to lie - every time I see the list of things to do when Jim gets home grow I get more and more nervous. Maybe I've seen too many movies.
Anyway, this was another solid chapter, and I'm glad you were able to find the time to update with all the other excitement going on in your life right now!
Author's Response: Yeah, it's the 1940's. Sad to say that creeps seemed to a have a lot more leeway to behave like that. Good thing there's still good guys out there too. I like that idea of the faded and signed picture of Pam and Penny. May have to use that later. Thanks for the comment darjeeling.
Date: October 05, 2020 01:17 pm Title: Black Thursday
So happy for the update. Couldn’t imagine hating Danny this much. Can’t wait to read more!
Author's Response: Thanks Makeda. Yeah, this Danny's not the best. Stay with me though. It'll be an interesting ride for sure.
1 [Report This]Date: October 05, 2020 12:30 pm Title: October Rain
I loved the letters as always, they're some of the highlights for Mr in this story.
Danny as a creep definitely checks out, glad Pam got out of that situation alright. Him turning up as the new logistics boss... Less fortunate. Definitely looking forward with interest into how that all plays out.
Great job as always, an all-round excellent chapter.
Author's Response: Thanks DG. The letters are fun since it's their only way to banter with each other right now. The Danny thing is something I've been planning for a while. Glad to have you hear for it.
1 [Report This]Date: September 26, 2020 09:16 pm Title: Black Thursday
Fantastic chapter as always--you make history come alive, and somehow deftly manage to weave in parallels to the Office we know and love. It's always a treat to read your story.
Author's Response: Thank you oncelet. It's a fun challenge to get all that in there so I'm glad you're enjoying it. Always lovely to hear from you.
1 [Report This]Date: September 15, 2020 04:33 pm Title: Black Thursday
Just amazing the amount of research that you have put into this story. Please do not apologize for any time miscues that may arise.
As has been said before the incorporation of The English Office and our heros is amazing. Wondering if we are going to see if Dawn is going to be Davids secretary or show up in the RAF administration? Wondering minds and all.
So many nuggets of story line you have made. As always thank you for this wonderful story.
Author's Response: Thank you. It's been a lot of fun delving into history to help shape this story. That's an interesting idea with Dawn. I'm not as familiar with the UK Office plotlines, but I'll do some investigating. See what we come up with. Thanks for the review.
1 [Report This]Date: September 01, 2020 07:17 pm Title: Black Thursday
Some nice classic bits of levity with Andy's wall punch and Ryan's new office in an otherwise pretty dark and intense chapter. Roy and Jim seem to be crawling towards an inevitable reveal that they're in love with the same woman, and Dwight gets a promotion, but in the worst way imaginable.
You know with a checkovs gun hidden in there like that, you might just have a guy hoping that Jim and Pam might end up on the same continent with the secretary comment.
This was a really long chapter indeed, but k still look forward to more!
Author's Response: Thanks DG. Even though this is set as AU as it is, I still want to try and pull in as much from canon as I can. Glad that all worked out for you. Sorry to get your hopes up about Pam getting out to England. I've already done her appearing out of nowhere behind a secretary desk once in this fic, to do it again might be a bit much.
Glad you liked it.
Date: August 29, 2020 07:32 pm Title: Black Thursday
Extremely powerful.
Ugh. Ryan. It's amazing, there's so many different universes you can imagine these characters in, but not one in which Ryan is not a manure pile of a person.
Author's Response: Yeah, that was one of the lowest points of the war for the 8th Air Force. I'm glad it resonated with you. Also yeah, Ryan exactly that. Thus into the closet he goes.
Thank you so much for all the reviews you've left. I'm really glad you're enjoying this story so much. Hope to hear more from you going forward.
Date: August 29, 2020 07:11 pm Title: Songs from Home
Okay, that was amazing, and it is now officially a shame that Dwight and Gareth never met. And I thought that might be a JennaBennett shoutout in the works!
Author's Response: Thank you. That chapter was months in the work. Trying to find the right songs and tone through it all. Glad you like it so much.
Date: August 29, 2020 07:03 pm Title: Fortress Defense
The action sequences are coming together really well.
Also - Tim Canterbury????? ::bows::
Author's Response: Glad you like the dogfights. I'm really trying to make sure it's clear what's going on in those scenes.
They're in the UK, how could I not add in the UK Office cast? Just to good an opportunity not to miss.
1 [Report This]Date: August 29, 2020 04:06 pm Title: Pointblank
A) Again, the research reflected in here is impressive.
B) The detail about Jim finding the traces of the last pilot's blood is really strong - and chilling.
C) I'm *very* happy you've managed to hook up Dwight and Angela.
D) THE TWIST AT THE END. DAMN.
Author's Response:
A) Thank you. Glad the hard work pays off for you.
B) War is hell. Not much to say past that.
C) Of course Dwight and Angela are a thing. That's just to good not to pass up.
D) Yeah, that's one of those fun things that I'm having a lot of fun with.
Thanks.
Date: August 29, 2020 03:55 pm Title: A New Diamond
You're doing a really good job with remixing show canon into this story - the mash-up of Casino Night and the proposal here was adorable.
Also, this is a very strong Michael - a good balance of his more obnoxious tendencies and the heart underneath it all.
Author's Response: There's also a bit from "Paper Airplanes" in there. Where they lean forward, forehead to forehead and say "I love you" at the same time. Glad you liked Michael too. He can be a challenge to write.
1 [Report This]Date: August 29, 2020 03:39 pm Title: New Directions
Not a twist I saw coming, and a pretty fun one - you run into a lot of wartime AUs where the one left at home ends up not having much to do but sit around and worry. Should be a lot more interesting. Plus more Larissa is always a plus in my mind.
Also, have to take a moment to praise the research here - the details are really working for me.
Author's Response: Yeah the whole baseball thing was the origianl idea for the whole story. Glad you liked it. Also thank you for the comment about the details. That's probably why it takes me so long between updates. Looking into everything to get the details as accurate as possible.
Date: August 29, 2020 03:14 pm Title: Dying Coals
Not how I expected to see the Booze Cruise be incorporated! Clever.
Author's Response: It's been fun taking lines from canon but using them in new ways.
Date: August 29, 2020 03:08 pm Title: Black Thursday
Jumping right into the realities of war with Jim here. It’s really lovely that Pam’s letters are what he goes to to settle his mind - even if it’s not always enough.
I’m a little bit sad that it feels like Roy and Jim’s camaraderie (or friendship even) is doomed. I quite like their interactions when they’re getting on (& not realizing that Pam is between them in this universe too).
Well, that was unexpected with Andy! I mean, kind of expected, because Andy, but still a surprise. It’s definitely come from very different circumstances here. Oh Andy.
Griff is lovely. He’s kind of how I picture Mark would have supported Jim post Casino Night. I love a good friendship.
Oh no. Not Ryan. Anyone but Ryan. This is the real downside to Andy losing his cool.
Ugh. We’re diving back into the thick of battle and it scares me a little every time.
No. No, no, no. Not Pete. Oof. I’m glad he lands. But that whole scene was heavy.
I’m still weirdly in to this Roy and Jim friendship. Their interaction after the landing was nice.
Jim and Griff are the real deal though. Talk about a solid friendship. We have this whole mateship thing as a massive value in our society here, especially around war. I see that here with Jim and Griff.
Interesting to see the supply/broom closest out to use in this world. I definitely wasn’t expecting that. You’re really bringing in some elements from canon - it’s pretty cool to see especially given how vastly different this world is.
Oh Dwight. I like that he’s subdued and not jumping on the table. It’s very appropriate. Dwight can be an idiot, but not an ass. You capture that nicely here.
A truly epic chapter!
Author's Response:
Yeah I brought a lot of canon elements into this chapter. I'm really glad you picked up on them. The Jim and Roy friendship here is really something I've enjoyed leaning into. I know it's making for drama but at the same time, it's fun to see them act friendly rather than rivals.
Andy's Andy regardless of time period. Full of piss and vinegar. Kind of fun to bring in that element. Which of course leads us into the return of Ryan to Blue Flight. Likewise Ryan is still all talk and now show. This time around with the stakes being war rather than selling paper, there's less tolerance for that kind of thing. Which made it fun to bring in the closet scene.
I was debating on what to do with Pete. Have him shot down or able to come back to base. This is war we're talking about. Not everyone's going to get through unharmed.
I really like the Jim and Griff friendship too. I've got a couple guys like that in my life. Buddies who though aren't related to me are as close as brothers. Also it adds another element. Ryan goes alone and fails. Jim lets his friends support him and is able to stand up to the pressure.
Thanks for the words about Dwight as well.
Thank you so much for the epic review.
1 [Report This]Date: August 29, 2020 02:23 pm Title: The First Letter
This is an interesting and unusual take on the Pam-Helene relationship - and one that actually adds a bit of context to Pam staying with Roy.
Author's Response: I didn't plan on the Helene-Pam conflict at first when I started this story. It just came organically. Glad the twist worked for you.
1 [Report This]Date: August 29, 2020 02:14 pm Title: Coney Island
I was going to say that the stuff with Hannibal was very JAM and gleefully cute - and knowing the backstory makes it even moreso!
Author's Response: Thanks. It's fun to bring in fun things like Hannibal.
1 [Report This]Date: August 29, 2020 01:45 pm Title: Night on the Town
This is deeply charming, and quite a nice use of Dwight.
Author's Response: At first I thought this review was for my latest chapter which, when you get there would be odd. Then I saw what chapter this is for. Thank you for taking the time to review the old chapters as well. I remember having a lot of fun writing them. Glad you're enjoying everything so far. Looking forward to hearing what else you have to say about this story.
Date: August 28, 2020 10:22 pm Title: Black Thursday
I liked how you had Dwight react to his promotion appropriately but still in character. I'm also enjoying the constant near misses with Roy and Jim. Great work on the dogfight too. Love them. Good chapter all around!
Author's Response: Thanks. I know I put a lot in this chapter. Glad you liked it all.
Date: August 13, 2020 09:32 pm Title: Summer's End
You had better not make Pam go back on this I can't the way she did on her canon one.
I really enjoyed this. Good baseball play by play, very fun with William as always, and good work keeping us on our toes with Jim/Pam/Roy and the discovery.
Author's Response:
Great to hear from you again. I wish I could let you know where we're going but what fun is that? There is a plan, don't worry.
I'm really glad you liked this chapter. Thanks for the review.