First Loves and Second Chances — Virginia Kantra
Sam: “When I heard you were coming back to the island, I wanted to see you again. I wanted to find out if you were still the girl I remembered.”
Meg: “So, now you know. I can’t be that girl anymore, Sam. I’m grown up. I have places to go, things to do. I have a life.” “You always did. That’s part of what attracted me. And intimidated me.”
She snorted. “Please. You were never intimidated.”
“Was, too. Why do you think I didn’t make the first move?”
It was ridiculous how much she wanted to believe him. “Well, it doesn’t make any difference now.”
“It makes all the difference. The timing was wrong for us. But we . . .” He reached out, taking her hand for emphasis. “We were right.”
She looked at his hand covering hers on her lap and felt her breath go. “The timing isn’t any better now.”
–from Carolina Girl
I love reunion stories. Which is kind of ironic when you consider I’ve been with the same guy since we were both nineteen years old.
Or maybe not. Because even in a long-term relationship, every few or fifteen years you look at each other–how he’s changed or how you’ve grown and where he fits into your life now—and you have to renegotiate what you need.
(My husband aka Italian Guy read this and laughed. “Are you talking about what you need right now? Because when you’re under deadline, all you need is coffee. And to be left alone.” Well, um, yeah. But at least I’m with a man who understands that.)
My point is that even if you’re with the same person for a long time, sometimes you have a chance to look at an old love with new eyes; to see what attracted you in the first place; to accept failings you were blind to or find new things to admire; and to work out your own happily ever after.
Carolina Girl is a reunion story, about first times – first crush, first sex, first big, big mistake – and second chances. Smart, ambitious Meg Fletcher, the heroine of Carolina Girl, had a school girl crush on her brother’s best friend, Sam Grady. But back in high school, Meg had places to go, and Sam had things to prove, and except for one disastrous New Year’s Eve, she never acted on her attraction.
Years later, in the wake of her company’s restructuring, Meg is back in her family home on Dare Island to nurse her wounds and plot her corporate comeback. The last thing she needs complicating her life and her plans is Sam, all grown up and irresistible as ever. But this time Sam is determined to make Meg take a chance on them…
I hope you enjoy reading their romance as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Thanks so much for hosting me at the Book Binge. I love to hear from readers. Connect with me through my website www.virginiakantra.com on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/VirginiaKantraBooks or join my mailing list!
Giveaway: We have a copy of Carolina Girl to giveaway! Leave a comment on this post to enter. Please note: You must include a valid email with your comment to be eligible. Contest Ends: 6/4/13 @11:59pm. US Only.
This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.