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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Innocence, rebellion, town gossips and true love, 29 April 2008
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 doesn't excuse the meanness as a mere trivial detail of youth. indeed, this plot element builds an image of both Freya and Daniel as good parents and as their romance being not only a hero-heroine romance, but a romance that brings a richness to the happy ending for Mia, the daughter.
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. Don't skip them. A powerful romance all the way around!
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