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Runaway Groom

(Watkins Pond #1)

Virginia Nelson (Goodreads Author)

3.14 · Rating details · 286 ratings · 43 reviews

He’s ready and waiting. She’s wanting…but wary.

Watkin’s Pond, Book 1

The groom is back in town.

Abigail lost her best friend years ago when he ditched her at the altar like a loaf of stale bread. Now he’s back and determined to do whatever he has to—even lie, apparently—to get under her skin. Although he makes her hormones rev to life in a way that no one has since he left, ...more

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ebook, 132 pages

Published January 21st 2014 by Samhain Publishing

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2014 Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense (January - June)

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Dec 23, 2013 Ipshita rated it did not like it

Shelves: contemporary, cr-hr-pnr

Not even twenty pages into the book, and I already wanted to punch the daylights out of Braxton. My god the letters that he sends Abby! Let me just quote one line from the letter that he sends her , “If you ever get the stick out of your ass and take a moment to answer me, know this: I still love you, even though you are kind of dragging this out longer than I thought you would.” And this is after he left her at the altar to face all the repercussions alone and went on a merry tour all over the Not even twenty pages into the book, and I already wanted to punch the daylights out of Braxton. My god the letters that he sends Abby! Let me just quote one line from the letter that he sends her , “If you ever get the stick out of your ass and take a moment to answer me, know this: I still love you, even though you are kind of dragging this out longer than I thought you would.” And this is after he left her at the altar to face all the repercussions alone and went on a merry tour all over the world. How sweet! Not. (view spoiler) He is such a brat. He was the one who dumped her without a word and didn’t even have the courage or courtesy to show his face to her for ten years after that. Well Mr. Braxton, I have news for you , if that were me I would have sicced wild dogs after you, before you could even come 50 meters near me. And that’s not even the worst of what he says in his letters.

When he faces Abby after ten years again, I was hoping that she would give him something more substantial than just a slap across his face, but no luck there. He brings Abby her favourite food when she’s suffering from a nasty hangover, and that small action , no matter how considerate *rolls eyes* , makes him a “ thoughtful man”. Seriously? So all that he did to you ten years ago is negated by one tiny thoughtful action? Oh Abby doesn’t forgive him *disbelieving snort*, but at this stage she’s already started getting the butterflies-doing-a-little-jig-in-her-stomach feeling. I was only on the fourth chapter then, and there were eighteen more chapters plus an epilogue to go.
Abigail had basically been his slave, writing his high school reports and basically spoon-feeding him through his life. Leaving her at the altar was exactly the gratitude she deserved right? So ten years later, she is stuck with caring for her disabled mother and flighty sister all alone. And she still thinks laying all the blame at his door is wrong.

She does a good job of pretending to be angry with Braxton, but privately even a glimpse of him makes all her lady parts come to attention. By this time, I’m rolling my eyes so much that I’m afraid my eyes would fall out before I manage to reach the end of this book. Braxton, after ten years is admittedly charming, but he lacks any remorse for his past actions. His apologies are full of excuses.

Okay, I’m done with ranting about this book. There are some good parts I guess, but I’m just so disappointed with both the MCs that even the happy epilogue couldn’t sway my view.
...more

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Sep 26, 2013 Tori rated it really liked it

Shelves: alternating-povs, dirty-talk, e-book, first-love, humor, romance-contemporary, bad-boy-bad-boy-what-ya-gonna-do, exhibitionist-voyeur, review-for-smexybooks, there-s-an-arse-inhere

Originally posted at http://smexybooks.com/2014/01/review-...

Favorite Quote: “Happy Birthday, assmonkey.”

Abigail had her whole world planned out until the love of her life left her standing at the altar on their wedding day. Now, ten years later, her runaway groom has come home. He wants a second chance but Abigail has closed that chapter of her life.

Braxton Dean left town and his best friend when his fears got the best of him. He regrets his disappearing act and after spending years trying to f ...more

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Nov 25, 2015 Talltree rated it it was ok

Shelves: trope-second-chance

2.5 stars

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Feb 04, 2014 Tina rated it it was ok

2 Stars!

Maybe it's because of the string of bad books I've been picking up, but I couldn't enjoy the novel as much as I would have loved to. It has a lot of potential to be fantastic, but for me it seems like it's only part of something great.

Plot
The plot is somewhat interesting. I couldn't get into it too much when it took a The Notebook twist with the letters. As for the storyline overall, it felt like it only told certain parts of an epic romance. There'll be chapters that focus heavily on on 2 Stars!

Maybe it's because of the string of bad books I've been picking up, but I couldn't enjoy the novel as much as I would have loved to. It has a lot of potential to be fantastic, but for me it seems like it's only part of something great.

Plot
The plot is somewhat interesting. I couldn't get into it too much when it took a The Notebook twist with the letters. As for the storyline overall, it felt like it only told certain parts of an epic romance. There'll be chapters that focus heavily on one scene and then the next chapter goes to another scene that seems like the previous one never happened. I was certainly disappointed when we didn't get much more information about Brax's reason for leaving, the history behind Abby's mom, and Brax's reputation as the football jock. While those 3 things certainly aren't as important as the romance plot itself, it seemed like it wasn't enough to just say why this, this, and this is the way it is and not go into further explanation about it which, again, is disappointing since the story seemed like those 3 things are essential to how Brax and Abby's relationship ended up the way it did.

Romance
It worked and it didn't. I had a hard time buying into it the beginning, but sorta warmed up to it around the middle with the letters and Brax's occasional romantic spiel. In the end, I'm still not entirely convinced about their love for each other. Don't get me wrong, you have the scenes and dialogue that definitely demonstrate love, but after the scene is over and I've had time to process it I still question why they would feel this degree of love considering the actions they've done that proven otherwise. With Brax, there were a few occasions where I questioned his love. (view spoiler) Overall, while I did find some of the letters, actions, and dialogue endearing, it wash't enough to completely convince of beautiful romance.

Characters
All of the characters are okay. Character likability is subjective of course so for me personally I just found them frustrating a lot of the time. Frustrated with Abby for not digging deeper in the letter mystery sooner (though I know it was most likely just to prolong the story) and being so hot and cold about her feelings towards Brax (view spoiler) Brax is also frustrating for not digging deeper into the mystery as well. It also didn't help that he didn't try as hard as he should've to convey his love for her. Most of the time it seemed like he was just reiterating how much they lust for each other. When he does have something sweet to say about her, 90% of the time it was either in the letter or to someone other that Abby.

Overall, the story didn't do it for me. Despite my picky negative critique, I say give this book a preview. I'm part of the small group that's the odd man out so maybe it's just me who's not into this story that may be better than how I interpreted it. If you enjoy a romance story with some erotica, a cliche here and there, and a plot that's somewhat developed, this slightly short book is for you. As for the author, I do hope to see more work by her as she certainly has potential to write great stories. ...more

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Sep 26, 2013 Lisa marked it as to-read

I think I need a copy of this now. It's a very interesting concept, I think.

Personally I don't think I would forgive him but it would be fun to see him attempt--and fail--to get me back.
...more

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Jan 27, 2014 Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews rated it it was amazing

Shelves: guiltypleasures-kittyangel

Kitty‘s review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

Review copy provided for an honest review

5 STARS

Wow, a book with a man groveling, a woman who’s wary of him since he left her standing at the altar, a small town full of little-old-ladies with nothing to do but put their noses in other people’s business and 2 friends that will do whatever it takes to make their friends happy. What an amazing, well-written novel Runaway Groom was. Filled with love, laughter, tugging of heart-strings and humor. Kitty‘s review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

Review copy provided for an honest review

5 STARS

Wow, a book with a man groveling, a woman who’s wary of him since he left her standing at the altar, a small town full of little-old-ladies with nothing to do but put their noses in other people’s business and 2 friends that will do whatever it takes to make their friends happy. What an amazing, well-written novel Runaway Groom was. Filled with love, laughter, tugging of heart-strings and humor.

Yes, we have all heard of the “Runaway Bride” and Braxton Dean just may rival Julia Roberts. Yep, left 3 woman standing at the altar, including the one love of his life – Abigail. But, he never did give up on his best friend, first love, first lover .. he missed her. He wrote her every day and told her everything that was going on in his life and ended every letter with an “I love you” of some sort. But, he was getting mad – for 10 whole years , he wrote, she never responded. Time to go home and confront the one woman that has ruined him for all others. Either she’ll forgive him or he will get over her and finally move on.

How is Abigail supposed to trust Brax? He left her standing at the altar. No good-bye, no reason. Poof – just vanished. Just like all the other men in her life. She always felt that she wasn’t good enough for Braxton. He was the high-school football star, handsome and smart. She was just plain old Abby. But, they have been best friends since they were 4 years old. Grew up together and fell in love. And, one thing she can’t stand is liars. How could he stand there and tell her that he wrote letters. She didn’t get any letters. Did he honestly think that lying to her was going to get her back? Or did he write letters … the sweet, beautiful letters that he’s describing just isn’t him.

When Abby finds out what happened with the letters, her life changes. Her view of Brax changes. She never fell out of love with him. Now it’s time to prove it. Show him how much he was missed and how much she still wants him. But, will it be enough to have the Happily-Ever-After that they both planned when they were teenagers or will he run out on her again?

What a beautiful, romantic love story Runaway Groom was. Brax was such a romantic and when you find out why he ran out on Abby, you’ll understand and totally agree with him. Yea, I felt sorry for Abby being stranded but she was being stubborn and refusing to hear why. When everything falls into place and she realizes what she has to do to get Brax back, it’s “amazing”. Congratulations on a wonderful novel and I am looking forward to seeing where this series is taking us. ...more

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Sep 26, 2013 Lisa rated it it was ok

Shelves: january-2014

Unfortunately this Book didn't live up to the hype for me. Too many unanswered questions and lack of detail. There wasn't enough of the story to actually have any feelings for the H/h. (view spoiler)

I g ...more

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Jan 21, 2014 Donna rated it it was amazing

Every once in a while you read a book that just makes you go aww. This is one of those books. You fall in love with the characters and want to see them succeed. How can you not forgive and love a guy who writes love letters over a 10 year span even though he receives no response. I melted into a big puddle of goo. Can’t wait to see what happens next at Watkin’s Pond.

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Sep 04, 2013 Heather Long rated it it was amazing

Loved this book! It had moments where I wanted to growl at the characters, but damn if they didn't make me laugh, and sigh. ...more

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Jan 20, 2014 Harlie Williams rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, funny, spicy

You know the best part of reading a new book in a series? You get a feel for the town, the secondary characters and try to figure out who the author has planned to write about next. I have some thoughts but you need to read this book to find out. The worst part of reading a new book in series? I did not want this book to end.

Braxton stole my heart from the first page. Literally the first page. In fact the first word… *sigh* I’ve never known a hero in a book to be this romantic. At the same time, You know the best part of reading a new book in a series? You get a feel for the town, the secondary characters and try to figure out who the author has planned to write about next. I have some thoughts but you need to read this book to find out. The worst part of reading a new book in series? I did not want this book to end.

Braxton stole my heart from the first page. Literally the first page. In fact the first word… *sigh* I’ve never known a hero in a book to be this romantic. At the same time, my heart broke for him. He knew what he had done was awful but when you are young and dumb, you think you have all the answers but in hindsight, you don’t. Sometimes, it takes people some years to figure out why they did the things back when they younger and how it hurt not just the people around them but to themselves, too. Braxton had some growing up to do being away from Watkins Pond and when he came back, he was all grown up and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Was he all Alpha? In my eyes, no. Just a man who grew from a boy who realized his one big mistake and would do whatever it took to make it right.

Abby, on the hand, was a bit too bitchy for me in the beginning. I totally understood the whole left at the altar in front of the whole town thing but come on…it had been 10 years. She wouldn’t even talk to him. I did like the slap though! :) She was all about the seduction of course because she remembered how great they were before but honestly, it wasn’t until 50% of the book did I finally really, really like her. Now her bestie Carnie was a laugh riot! OMG! The stuff that came out of her mouth…priceless!

Now don’t get all riled up because of my thoughts about Abby, in the end I could totally see her point in the matter; it just took me some time to get there. In the end at the gravestone…yes, I’ve done that and its completely therapeutic. I highly recommend it. One thing that got me with Braxton and Abby was the ability to “talk” to each without realizing it. Yes, they did talk to each other but it wasn’t what they expected. Braxton wanted that sit down, lay it all on the table but in the end…he got much more than that.

I would be remiss to say anything about Braxon seducing Abby again. Imaginative and grown up is all I’m going to say right now. They aren’t teenagers anymore and Ms. Nelson does a great job with that aspect of their story. But for me the best part of the book are the letters. No one writes them anymore and actually mails them. Its all about instant email, messaging and texting. There is something to be said about the written word that you mail to someone and again, Ms. Nelson’s plot point with the letters is brilliant and beautifully written. Please don’t skip this part of the story. This is where I lost it with Braxton. So heartfelt and then for Abby to realize that she never got them.

Please, I beg of you, if you like small town stories with a bit of spice, Abby and Braxton will steal your heart. Plus, I can’t wait to see who Ms. Nelson writes about next. My money is on…. ...more

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Jan 30, 2014 Victoria Rainey rated it really liked it

Shelves: night-owl-reviews

Night Owl Review

Original Review Published here: http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Rev...

Abigail has a lot on her plate after her best friend left her at the altar. Her grandmother got sick and died and now her mother is sick. Abigail is also still very upset at how her ex-fiancé left her without a word.

Braxton Dean is back in town and wants to fix the mistake he make years ago by not marring Abigail when he should have. All of the woman he dated over the years have never matched up to her. Braxt ...more

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Mar 12, 2014 Kaylee rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 03, 2014 Geri rated it liked it

The good and the bad.

The Good: The ways he tries to win her back. His letters.

The Bad: He left her at the altar. He wasn't man enough to discuss this with his best friend (Abby, the woman he was supposed to love and marry). He left for 10 years before he came back to town and try to work things out with her. He almost married, twice to other women. Which he backed out of just before the wedding.

I don't see a good enough reason to forgive him. ...more

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Feb 15, 2014 JoAnne Kenrick rated it it was amazing

Shelves: five-star-rating, favorites

Loved this small town romance so much. Ms. Nelson writes with such style and finesse, and has a unique voice. Runaway Groom is a quirky and sexy small town romance that captured my heart right from the first sentence to the very last. FIVE STARS for Virginia Nelson' s Runaway Groom - think Sophie Kinsella but for grown ups who like their stories a little on the saucy side. ...more

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Jan 20, 2014 Adriana Caceres rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sarah-says-read-romance

Fantastic story... Complete review available on the Sarah says read romance blog.

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Aug 16, 2014 Carol Blackman rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2014-book-list

Cute and short, and the idea of more than 3500 letters is the most romantic thing ever

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Jan 22, 2014 Tania rated it liked it

Shelves: romance, romance-contemporary, heat-hot, new-adult, best-friends-to-lovers

3.5 stars

Really not much to say. Sweet story but nothing terribly exciting.

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Apr 02, 2020 Angela rated it it was amazing

Finished within a few hours and I wouldn't have changed a thing. No chapter went to waste in this story but it packed a punch. I teared up feeling the pain of being left at the altar to think of never hearing from the boy with all of her first's. I laughed at all his crazy antics to get her to talk to him. I began feeling each fear illustrated both in Abby and in Brax. And I swooned at each and every letter written in this story. It was well-paced and fit all the details perfectly to give so muc ...more

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Feb 22, 2014 E_bookpushers rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed, arc, contemporary, series, e-book, romance, read-in-2014, published-in-2014

Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2014/01/20/...

Publisher: Samhain
Publish Date: Jan 21
How I got this book: ARC from the publisher

The groom is back in town.

Abigail lost her best friend years ago when he ditched her at the altar like a loaf of stale bread. Now he’s back and determined to do whatever he has to—even lie, apparently—to get under her skin. Although he makes her hormones rev to life in a way that no one has since he left, she is equally determined not to fall for ...more

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Sep 04, 2014 Christi Snow rated it really liked it

My Review:
I read the two books in this series out of order, because I received book #2 for review. But after reading it, I had to grab the first and I really liked it too.

This book is a heartbreaking story. Abby and Braxton were best friends from toddlers on up. It just made sense that the two of them fell in love, too, and were planning to be married at age 20. But at the last moment, Braxton panicked and fled without a word, leaving Abby sure that he was dead or hurt somewhere. She found out My Review:
I read the two books in this series out of order, because I received book #2 for review. But after reading it, I had to grab the first and I really liked it too.

This book is a heartbreaking story. Abby and Braxton were best friends from toddlers on up. It just made sense that the two of them fell in love, too, and were planning to be married at age 20. But at the last moment, Braxton panicked and fled without a word, leaving Abby sure that he was dead or hurt somewhere. She found out two days later that that wasn't the case...he just left her standing at the altar with her heart crushed and she never heard another thing out of him for the next 10 years. So not only did she lose the love of her life, but she lost her best friend and that began the crumbling of her entire life.

Then Braxton comes back. He wants Abby back, knowing what an awful mistake he made all those years ago. No one has ever filled the "Abby-shaped hole in his heart" and even though he's written her every day for 10 years with no response from her, he needs her back in his life. He's home to get her back.

And that's the mystery of the book...the letters. Over 4000 of them that Abby has never received. She's sure that he's lying.

In those ten years, Braxton missed a lot about Abby's life. Mainly that his father repeatedly verbally abused her, her grandmother became an invalid (she had a stroke when Braxton didn't show up at the wedding), and her mother sunk into her bi-polar disease. She's been trapped in this town when he ran...doing it all alone. This girl is justified in her anger (and hurt) toward Braxton and that was my one real complaint with the story...that was truly never explored. The beginning of the book showed how unreasonable her mother and his father have been, but Braxton never gets to see that. In fact, by the end of the book that entire side of the story line just seemed to disappear and it really needed to be there so that the two can truly find true healing over those events...esp. for Abby.

But even with that one complaint, the book is really good. At first Braxton seems like a class-one jerk and he was. He was right...they were too young and immature to get married and that comes through in his letters. Yes, every chapter starts with a letter so it's easy to track how he's matured over the years. There's a lot of emotion in the book and it worked for me, but some people could find the entire scenario too over the top.

Note: As I read this book, I could have SWORN to you that I've read it before, but I can't find any record of that. And as a reviewer, I keep track of ALL the books I read...no matter if I finish them or not. I kept thinking this had to be some sort of re-release, but couldn't find any other sign of it besides my faulty memory. So...maybe I've read this one before...maybe not. Either way, it was really good this read-through. ...more

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Jan 30, 2014 Sassy Moms Say Read Romance rated it it was amazing

Oh how I loved this book… Let me just start off by saying that Virginia Nelson did an excellent job of bringing us the emotions that can only be felt by someone who’s loved and lost and is weary of giving the person who hurt them a chance. But the overall feel of this emotion I had during this story was laughter…

Braxton left Abby ten years before at the altar, but it was something he regretted the whole time. When he returns to the small town where they grew up he does everything in his power to ...more

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Feb 01, 2014 Heather in FL rated it liked it

Shelves: a-i-own-it, z-from-samhain

This was a cute story of second-chance love. Probably closer to 3-1/2 stars. Braxton and Abigail grew up together as best friends. When puberty hit, they were it for each other. Braxton proposed, the wedding date was set when they were twenty, and then he didn't show up. And Abigail didn't hear from him again. Sure, he came home from time to time, but not understanding why he left, she couldn't bring herself to try to talk to him.

Ten years have passed and Braxton is back to stay. And he's back t ...more

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Oct 06, 2013 HC rated it it was amazing

Ah, Braxton.
How I wanted to hate you. On behalf of myself and every other woman who has been left or thrown to the side. You being Abby's best friend just made it seem all the worse. I was right there with Abby as she slapped your face and gave you many tongue lashings. You're such a douche nugget--I don't see how you can redeem yourself. Seriously you left with no word or anything and after 10 years (a whole freakin' decade) you come waltzing back into her life expecting her to be happy to see ...more

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Jun 09, 2014 Emily rated it really liked it

Shelves: betrayal, second-chances, fiesty-heroine, series

When Braxton Dean ran out of their wedding, Abigail lost not only her fiancée but her best friend. Never hearing from Braxton in those years, Abby has done her best to move on but there is a part of her that still has feelings for Braxton now that he has returned.

�Braxton wasn't expecting a warm hug and forgiveness from Abby, at least not right away. He did write to her almost daily, but she never responded. Braxton is back now and plans to win Abby's heart once more but this time he doesn't pla ...more

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Feb 20, 2014 PAULA rated it liked it

RUNAWAY GROOM (WATKIN’S POND 1) by VIRGINIA NELSON

A cute read. It was short, simple and enough to make you giddy. It didn’t wow me though, I was hoping for more explanation on the male protagonist’s side but it was a kind of read that is worth reading when you want something light, fast and cute. :)

♥♥♥

** Also posted on my TUMBLR account & AMAZON

http://xoxopimpimxoxo.tumblr.com/post... ...more

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Mar 22, 2014 Christine Alibutud rated it liked it

3 out of 5 stars for this book!

I was kind of excited to read this before I did, since the blurb was kind of interesting and it piqued my interest!!

However...... I was kind of disappointed that it did not reach my expectations, nor my interest to continue reading it (so DNF).

But yeah, it still receives 3 stars for me since I did read some funny moments (and I just love funny moments).

Anyway, it was just an okay read for me.

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Nov 19, 2013 Robin Shawn rated it really liked it

This was a short and sweet story. I loved the use of the letters. It made what Braxton did more bearable. This wasn't the greatest thing I've read, but I thought the writing was good and I really like the H/h. I'll definitely be reading more books by the author. ...more

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Feb 04, 2014 saarah rated it it was ok

DNF

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Mar 07, 2014 Teresa rated it liked it

Shelves: romance

~ 2.5 Stars ~

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May 22, 2014 Cass rated it really liked it

I loved it. Funny, good story, great characters and soooo romantic with little spicy scenes ;)
PD: I loved the letters

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About Virginia Nelson

Virginia Nelson

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Virginia Nelson believed them when they said, “Write what you know.” Small town girl writing small town romance, her characters are as full of flaws, misunderstandings, and flat out mistakes as Virginia herself. When she’s not writing or plotting to take over the world, she likes to hang out with the greatest kids in history, play in the mud, drive far too fast, and scream at inanimate objects. Vi ...more