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BOOK
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Wanted:
White Wedding
by Natasha
Oakley
Innocence, rebellion, town gossips and
true love
Natasha Oakley's Wanted: White
Wedding is a powerful and emotional short romance read, likely
to touch the heart of any reader who has ever had even the slightest
rebellious streak or suffered from malicious gossip in youth. In this
single dad hero romance, characterization and plot work together
exquisitely, creating a richness that makes this short romance a big
read.
Freya Anthony is back in town and she is determined to protect her
grandmother from this unscrupulous auctioneer despite the vicious
Fellingham network of gossips and jealous women! When she marches into
Daniel Ramsey's office, dos she ever have a surprise waiting for her
---- a sexy man and a very disorganized office. When a call comes in
about his daughter, she suddenly sees a side of him she never imagined
--- a caring man. The only trouble is that she also spotted a wedding
ring on his finger. When she spots a teenager caught in the rain, she
sees herself in this youth, a rebellious kid in need of help. Can she
get through to Mia when no one else seems able to understand, least of
all her father? Will Mia bring together this handsome single dad and
Fellingham's most notorious rebel? When the Fellingham tongues start
wagging, can Freya and Daniel set the record straight? Can Freya come
home again and find all her inner dreams, the dreams she had before she
lost her innocence? Can a woman find a child's dream of a white wedding
when the past just won't let go?
Wanted: White Wedding
draws the reader in from the first pages with a humorous yet touching
scene as Freya investigates the character of this auctioneer.
Intelligent and not about to let her grandmother be a victim, Freya
also notices small details, the kind of details that might just
contradict her initial assumptions. Freya is a woman with
self-awareness and a heart for others. From the outset, the reader
catches a glimpse of the hero, a man overwhelmed by the demands of
family and work but a man who still cares for others. As the romance
develops, the reader gains an ever-increasing glance into his
character, a man overwhelmed by a past tragedy, but a good man and
father worthy of love. Natasha Oakley adds depth to her
characterization in the initial encounter between Freya and Mia as well
as the relationship between these two as it develops throughout the
romance. Freya, by looking into her past, the very past that makes her
feel uncomfortable in her hometown, reaches out to Mia in a way that
transforms them both. To this reader's delight, she describes youthful
rebellion and hurt without simplifying or dismissing either in a black
and white rules versus leniency manner. By doing the unexpected, Freya
reaches Mia on a deeper level and also captures the reader's heart with
her spunk, daring and ability to feel compassion.
Natasha Oakley writes the town gossips brilliantly --- cruel, nasty and
devious. The author draws the reader emotionally into Freya's past
through the present day gossips. Natasha Oakley fits this plot element
into the entire romance scene to create a multi-faceted and rich
characterization. Wanted: White
Wedding
Readers with grandparents deceased today or even those alive will be
touched by the scenes of Daniel and Freya looking over her
grandmother's items. These scenes create a thoughtful, personal
nostalgia, inspiring readers to remember their grandparents and
ancestors as one sees plates and silverware now unused from another
time, the reader's youth as well as the character's youth of a time now
passed. The reader feels the changes between generations as a special
gift, a legacy, given from those who came before just as Freya's
experiences add a richness to Mia's life.
Natasha Oakley's Wanted: White
Wedding is packed with precise action, humor and emotion. Each
plot detail adds a richness to the characters and their romance.
Throughout Wanted: White Wedding
the romance keeps reaching out to the reader and the characters more
and more, in an ever expanding richness. The ending delights with some
very nice details and surprises. The author notes and dedication are
very heart-moving too. A powerful romance all the way around!
Publisher: Harlequin
Romance (May 2008)
Reviewed by Merrimon,
Merrimon Book Reviews
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