From Willa, With Love (Wedding Planner's Daughter #6)

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From Willa, With Love (Wedding Planner's Daughter #6)

4.01 of 5 stars 4.01 · rating details · 280 ratings · 60 reviews

It's a surprising, sparkling summer for Willa!

It's August on Cape Cod and Willa has a lot to look forward to. Soon, JFK will return home from baseball camp, and Willa has an idea for an exciting new project that will challenge her to dream big! But life throws Willa some unexpected twists and turns: Ruby has bad news, a beloved friend leaves, a dear friend returns, her bro...more

Hardcover, 208 pages

Published July 1st 2011 by Scholastic Press

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May 04, 2012 Sarah B. rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is about a girl named Willa who has lived on Cape Cod all her life. She has a boyfriend who is away at baseball camp for the summer and she has to go on without him until he gets back. During this time, a guy named Jess wants to ask her on a date to come see his band play. Willa is now torn between her long time boyfried Joey and Jess. Her family owns a very popular hotel where they basically plan weddings and she finds out that one of her family members, Mum, has cancer and her bestfr...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Lily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished

The book I read for my March book review was From Willa, With Love By: Coleen Murtagh Paratore. It's August and Willa Havisham has to spend her summer without her best friend Mariel or her boyfriend,JFK. Then she discovers that she has a new brother, Will and her annoying friends Tina and Ruby returning with her Mum to Cape Cod. The inn is running a wedding and Willa has to help plan alot of it but she has some upsetting news with her chef, Rosie is leaving the inn, and Willa is being split betw...more

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Jul 19, 2011 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

See my full review here: http://www.hippiesbeautyandbooksohmy....

First Impressions: I actually didn’t realize that From Willa, With Love is the 5th installment in Paratore’s Wedding Planner’s Daughter series. Regardless, I had requested it from the publisher for review because I thought the story plot sounded cute.

First 50 Pages: Even though I had not read the previous 4 books in the series, I didn’t have a hard time following the storyline. Of course, I was expected to know some of the characte...more See my full review here: http://www.hippiesbeautyandbooksohmy....

First Impressions: I actually didn’t realize that From Willa, With Love is the 5th installment in Paratore’s Wedding Planner’s Daughter series. Regardless, I had requested it from the publisher for review because I thought the story plot sounded cute.

First 50 Pages: Even though I had not read the previous 4 books in the series, I didn’t have a hard time following the storyline. Of course, I was expected to know some of the characters, but I don’t think that had any huge effect on me.

Willa: The book revolves around her. This character is adorable and lovable, dynamic and completely relatable. She is a really sweet girl who has this tremendous passion for reading and a great love for books. She also has an interest in planning weddings and being involved in her community. What I loved the most about Willa is that I think she will inspire young adults to read. Any book that can inspire a love for reading is a must-have in my opinion. She is a true role model I wouldn’t mind having my children look up to.

Plot: There seems like there is a lot going on in this book, maybe a bit too much for such a short book. There are so many side-plots happening, that I think the author could have spent more time developing each one. This isn’t a bad thing, for what I am saying is, is that I would have enjoyed a longer book. It just felt a bit rushed to me. There is this love triangle that is introduced, but I won’t give away which boy Willa chooses in the end! Both boys are likable, but I liked Willa’s choice. This book is very PG rated. There is romance, but no heavy stuff. Nothing that would make a parent concerned for their younger child to read. It is all very innocent.

Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book, even though I am much, much older than the intended audience. It was sweet, a fast and easy read, and I think it can inspire children to read. Young girls could always use another great role model in their lives, and I think Willa makes an exceptional one.
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Jun 28, 2011 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ncbla

It's the summer before her sophomore year, and Willa Havisham has a lot going on. Her mother is in the middle of planning a huge wedding at their Cape Cod inn, and she is getting to know the half-brother she never knew she had. While her boyfriend, JFK, is in Florida visiting his grandparents, Willa is drawn to Jessie, a friend of JFK's. Middle grade readers will enjoy reading this book, the fifth in the series, since Willa is so open and may remind them of themselves as they grow up in the same...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Amy Jacobs rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

This was a really hard book to review for me. While I didn't hate the book, I didn't thrill in it either. I loved the reading concept and the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. I liked how the author had a character who seemed to have a brain in her head, though at times I wanted her to use it more. I liked the family feel to the book as well.

What didn't work for me was how young the book felt. I see this book geared more for the younger teens and the older teens becoming bored with it bef...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Julia G rated it 5 of 5 stars

With Love,Willa
248 pages
realistic fiction

This book is about a teenage girl named Willa who has alot to look foward to. She works at her family hotel in Cape Cod and soon her boyfriend, JFK is coming back to visit her.Willa had never really met her dad, because people claim that he had sank in the ocean of Cape Cod years ago. Randomly, a young boy named Will comes into the hotel. He says he is Willas brother and their dad is still living, on the other side of Cape cod. He wants Willa to come on...more

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May 17, 2013 Emily Kurland rated it 5 of 5 stars

In this book there is a girl named Willa and she lives in Cape Cod and for the summer she is left with just her mom and dad while her bestfriend and boyfriend are out of town for the whole summer. Willa lives in a small town where everyone knows each other and a lot of people own an inn. In Willas household they live and breathe in their inn and it is almost their whole life because their inn is more nice and more expensive. When Willa sees her half brother for the first time will there be somet...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Peyton Alexandra rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is my favorite of all of them. I have grown up with willa while reading this series, and it's so amazing how willa stays centered during all that goes on in her life. I hope that there is more books to come because not only is the book humorous and fun, it also touches base on series problems going on in the world, and reading about all that willa has done and is doing to eliminate these problems, makes me want to too. She inspires me to do things for my community and give back all tha...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Victoria rated it 2 of 5 stars

For some reson I was expecting a coming of age novel with more of a beginning and an ending, more change in the main character, and what I got was a series story in the life of a bright fourteen year old girl in a liberal community. The values in the book - reading, strong community involvement and community service, not getting too involved in romantic relationships too young, caring about friends and neighbors, are all values I subscribe to, but it seemed like the book was too much about selli...more

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Jun 07, 2011 Bridget R. Wilson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction, ya-contemporary

Willa's summer continues to be eventful. She has a new brother who is convinced their dad is still alive. While she's waiting for her boyfriend Joey to return from baseball camp in Florida, another local boy catches her eye. The only problem--he's friends with Joey. Add to this some startling new about two friend and an overwhelming desire to make a difference. All in all, a typical situation for Willa.

What I thought: The Willa books keep getting better. The two things that most endear her to me...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Tania rated it 4 of 5 stars

Real good book, everything in the book seemed plausible, just like real life, things that I could relate to. Love that this book has exposed relationships between half brothers and sisters, parents, friends and boyfriends, and the things that can happen when people drift apart and come back together, not that this book was all about that, but it did have other things too, which was much appreciated. I love the things that Willa has to realize during this summer. I am surely going to read more fr...more

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Jul 13, 2011 Kris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile-mg, contemporary, books-reviewed

Review posted at Imaginary Reads..

From Willa, With Love is the fifth installment in Paratore’s Wedding Planner’s Daughter series. While Willa expects her summer to be boring without JFK (as she likes to call her boyfriend), it’s actually pretty eventful. Her half-brother Will looks for their father, there are weddings and there is sad news. There is also a cute boy who seems to be expressing interest in her….

I hadn’t realized that this was the fifth installment in a series when I requested an ad...more

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Jun 29, 2011 Michelle rated it 2 of 5 stars

From Willa With Love is the perfect summer beach read for the middle-grade set. Equal parts fluffy romance and moral dilemma the reader experiences the life of Willa Havisham as she works her way through a summer on Cape Cod.

As an adult reader, I admit I struggled with this book. It came across as a story comprised of lists, product placements and name drops. The descriptiveness of every single tourist location on the Cape and long lists of names of books and authors was excessive and at many po...more From Willa With Love is the perfect summer beach read for the middle-grade set. Equal parts fluffy romance and moral dilemma the reader experiences the life of Willa Havisham as she works her way through a summer on Cape Cod.

As an adult reader, I admit I struggled with this book. It came across as a story comprised of lists, product placements and name drops. The descriptiveness of every single tourist location on the Cape and long lists of names of books and authors was excessive and at many points overbearing. I got the point the author was trying to make (reading is a worthy endeavor, hanging out on the Cape is cool if you go to these hot spots) in spades. However, with so much emphasis on this type of description the story lacked the smoother transitions between prose and dialogue that I need. The choppy nature made it difficult for me to get into the story and then stay with it through the end. I felt no real investment as I kept wading through the description to try to get to the meat of it all then remain connected.

Knowing this to be true, I was then brought to a bigger issue. There was so much going on in the story! This was a short book at just about two-hundred pages, approximately one third of that was descriptive of surroundings, events, people or products. The remaining two-thirds included plot lines related to a long lost brother dealing with having to go home to an family that doesn’t love him, the search for a long dead father, a love triangle, two major medical crises, a wedding, and reconnecting with long ago friends. This much to work with naturally means that not a whole lot was explored in depth. Personally, I would have preferred to have had two out of the list handled more deeply than all of the different twists and turns of having as much to follow as there was.

The greatest strengths of this book were it’s philanthropic tendencies and the message that it’s cool to be literate. Willa makes a strong role model — she’s generous with her time, her money and her possessions. Always willing to help she works for her mother as well as her grandmother and takes on a variety of other roles in the community. This is all done in an effort to remain well-rounded and give back to those that she feels may need love and care. More times than not she puts others before herself but in doing so it seems she is always the person who benefits most. For this reason alone I would encourage young girls to scoop up the Willa books (including this one) and read them as quickly as possible.

There are some romantic tendencies but I wouldn’t say that it’s something that was all that in depth. Again, for the middle grade reader it’s perfect as it shows Willa analyzing her current and potential relationships as well as listening to her heart. I won’t speak to which of the two boys she chooses but I will say she does so with honesty and thoughtfulness. Probably more so than the typical teen would undertake.

Though not an adult YA reader’s best choice I would say that From Willa, With Love would be a good choice for teachers hoping to show the benefits of philanthropy and literacy. Also, if a parent is looking to teach their child about the intricacies of extended families melding together, the art of acceptance and the finesse of relationship building Willa is a good bet there as well.(less)

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Aug 17, 2011 Erica rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was so cute and just so much fun to read. I loved reading about Willa's adventures throughout her summer. I definitely did not realize this was a series, until I looked on goodreads. So I'm assuming that would mean you can read all the books out of order. After this one, I will definitely be checking out the other Willa books, as her story was just too much fun!

The plot was a lot of fun. Just Willa's every day life made me want to go to Cape Cod and check it out. I loved the family-es...more

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Jun 10, 2012 OCLS Staff Picks rated it 5 of 5 stars

When her best friend Mariel and boyfriend JFK spend the summer away from Cape Cod, sophomore-to-be Willa, who works part-time in her family's inn, is unprepared for new romance and other surprises.

Dream Big (Summer Reading Program 2012) recommended book

Available from OCLS in print.

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Mar 26, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Girls

Recommended to Laura by: The Book Fair

This was a really good book!!! It was so sweet. It was a light read. I loved the story line and I felt like I could really relate to the charcter because she liked some of the same things I like. I loved how the author communicated how the main charcter was feeling through out the whole book. There wasn't a second where I was confused about her life because she has a pretty crazy life. There were lots of characters and things happening in the book that the author organized really well. I loved t...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Jan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Another book in the Willa Havisham series. Because the author spends some time giving a brief history of what happened in previous books, each book in the series can stand alone. Willa's boyfriend Joey is away for six weeks to visit his grandparents, and while he is gone, another boy shows interest in Willa. How can she balance two boys she likes, who both like her? Light fluff, summer chick lit for young teens.

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Apr 22, 2012 Caroline Scheper rated it 5 of 5 stars

An amazing story every girl should read. What would you do if you had two boys that liked you. And one of them is your boyfriend who just happens to be away in florida visiting grandparents and interning for a baseball team. This story tells the real story of growing up and young love. Also you just found out you have a long lost half brother. Willa's life has been turned upside down.

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Apr 02, 2012 Julie keenan rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was very insightful and it was a "Skinny Punch"! There were many eco-friendly ideas in here, and also many problems a teenage girl has to deal with. The main character Willa is a very bubbly, mature, and intelligent person, and when you're flipping the pages, you're wondering how in the world did an author create such an outstanding character? It's worth reading!

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Apr 02, 2012 Amanda Christy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Nice for teenage life who has a complex matter with love and family, overall from this novel story is about a girl who have a long distance relationship with a guy name JFK and have anoter feelings for JFK best friends Jess, at the front was not quite interesting for me but chapter after chapter it getting interesting, try :)

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Feb 05, 2013 Florence Wee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Personally I think this is good.I can relate to the character in some ways: we both love to read, we're about the same age, we worry a lot.....This is about a girl who finds herself taking new responsibilities and learns that sometimes you have to let go of the people you love....even both of them,in this case

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Nov 13, 2011 Brenda Kahn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, middle-grade

Do-gooder Willa is back in another week of the summer without JFK, but with so much else going on, it's hard to believe the book is only 200 pages long. Conversational, rambling, part-travelogue, part-character education, tweens looking for romance and a gentle read will find it here.

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Sep 24, 2012 Amanda Lee rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: could-do-so-much-better-books

Well to me, that was terribly disappointing. I was reading the last few chapters when all of a sudden shes about to choose which boy, the book ends. I dont think this was the greatest book.

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Jan 30, 2012 Brett rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-realistic

The fifth book in Paratore's "Wedding Planner's Daughter" series, starring high school sophomore Willa Havisham, picks up its story for more peacefulness & light drama in a small Cape Cod town. Fans of the series will no doubt enjoy this as it continues it gentle & spare tone & the same loving, closely knit characters. Kids who enjoyed Ann M. Martin's "Main Street" series but are getting older would eat this up.

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Jan 19, 2013 Mentari Rania rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book made me wanna go to Cape Cod. And I love the idea of Willa giving away book. I imagine She is the nice, mature, smart girl.

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Mar 08, 2012 Mas5thgrade2012 added it

Shelves: 5b, cutienumber1

this is the best book ever mabey this book can solve one of your problems in real life. LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!
-cutienumber1

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Feb 05, 2012 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction

Book #6 in the Wedding Planner's Daughter series. Again, fun quick read full of good book suggestions.

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Mar 05, 2011 Noelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Actually, I haven't even read Forget Me Not or Wish I Might, but I still really want to read this one!!!

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Mar 15, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love this series and I was so happy when it had a new installment. Loved it! :)

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Mar 05, 2012 Shiloh rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-book-ever

So far it is great. I still want to see more. I love the Wedding Planner's Daughter.

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About Coleen Murtagh Paratore

I majored in English at The College of Saint Rose, in Albany, and after two internships in advertising and public relations, decided to enter the communications field, which is a place where writers can write and make a living too. I got married three months after graduation (my husband Tony and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary next August ), and we moved to Connecticut. I worked...more I majored in English at The College of Saint Rose, in Albany, and after two internships in advertising and public relations, decided to enter the communications field, which is a place where writers can write and make a living too. I got married three months after graduation (my husband Tony and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary next August ), and we moved to Connecticut. I worked at a large advertising/pr firm during the day and got my master's in English at Trinity College nights. When we moved back to the Albany, New York area a few years later, I took a job as a publicist for Russell Sage College in Troy and soon became Director of Communications for the Sage Colleges. Our son, Christopher, was born in 1989. Two years later I took out a small-business loan, left my "safe job" and founded Books Worth Writing, to develop and publish The Remembering Book, an heirloom-quality tribute to a loved one's life (created after losing my best friend to cancer and wanting to be sure the story of her life was remembered and celebrated). This book-product is now in its 3rd printing, 10,000 copies sold. Around that same time, I began teaching as an adjunct instructor in the English Department at Russell Sage, doing freelance public relations assignments for business and nonprofit clients, and leading public-speaking workshops for women. Our son, Connor, was born in 1992 and then our third son, Dylan, in 1994.
After Dylan was born, I hopped off the career train for a few years to chase after three boys under the age of 5. I wrote a song for each of my sons and sang their special songs to them as bedtime lullabies. I kept a journal (I have on and off since college), wrote poems, and "roasts" for friends' birthdays, planted a perennial garden, a vegetable garden, read tons of books, started a book club, cleared a walking trail in the woods behind our house…and with my three young sons in tow, I returned to my "library days."
We devoured books together, morning, noon and night. We'd fill an L.L. Bean sack full of picture books every week, snuggle up on the couch, and read, read, read. I didn't know it at the time, but in addition to it being enormously FUN, this was fabulous research. As I was devoting my best creative energy to my children and sharing my love of books with them, I was soaking in lessons in characterization and plot and structure and language... feeding my writer's voice in happy hibernation.
I still didn't know that I would write children's books, yet everything in my life was leading me on that path. Ironically, I'd meet former business colleagues out and about and they'd say, "you're writing children's books, right?" I can't tell you how many people asked me that. It wasn't my goal or my intention.
Breaking into this business was the hardest and longest race I've ever run. I wrote stories for four years before I felt the work was ready. And then, once my writing was of publishable quality, it took two years of submitting before I got a contract. 179 rejections later. You've got to want it badly. You've got to read, read, read, and write, write, write and revise, revise, revise, and listen to people who are wiser than you, and learn from your rejections, and take comments from editors very seriously, and be willing to catch the fireflies of inspiration before they fly off forgotten, and, most of all, you've got to BELIEVE in yourself. Believe, believe, believe.
Emerson said "nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." Write on.(less)

More about Coleen Murtagh Paratore...

Books by Coleen Murtagh Paratore

The Wedding Planner's Daughter (Wedding Planner's Daughter, #1)

The Cupid Chronicles (Wedding Planner's Daughter, #2)

Willa by Heart (Wedding Planner's Daughter, #3)

Forget Me Not (Wedding Planner's Daughter, #4)

Wish I Might (Wedding Planner's Daughter #5)

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From Willa, With Love (Wedding Planner's Daughter #6)

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