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Willow Bend #1
Full Circle
An alternate cover edition can be found here.
Bella Thompson has she’s pregnant. But before she can tell her boyfriend Jeffrey, he shatters her with the news that he’s going to marry someone else. The textile mill, owned by Jeffrey’s father, is the town’s main employer, but textile mills all over the country are losing market share and Lambert Textiles is no exception.
Bella is given a Go to Atlanta and give up her child for adoption or leave town and raise her child on her own. The choice is clear, and she travels to California where she settles in Santa Monica.
Determined to make her own way in the world and return to Willow Bend on her own terms, Bella puts all her energies into building a successful business with her partner Rafael Vargas. But at what cost?
Follow Bella as she struggles to balance her passion for business with the ultimate prize... love.
Bella Thompson has she’s pregnant. But before she can tell her boyfriend Jeffrey, he shatters her with the news that he’s going to marry someone else. The textile mill, owned by Jeffrey’s father, is the town’s main employer, but textile mills all over the country are losing market share and Lambert Textiles is no exception.
Bella is given a Go to Atlanta and give up her child for adoption or leave town and raise her child on her own. The choice is clear, and she travels to California where she settles in Santa Monica.
Determined to make her own way in the world and return to Willow Bend on her own terms, Bella puts all her energies into building a successful business with her partner Rafael Vargas. But at what cost?
Follow Bella as she struggles to balance her passion for business with the ultimate prize... love.
170 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
1430 people are currently reading
1847 people want to read
About the author
Mona Ingram
83 books298 followersMona Ingram is the author of over 60 romance novels, including twelve novellas. Many of her stories take place in British Columbia, where she has lived since the age of twelve. In recent years she has lived in the Okanagan Valley and on Vancouver Island. In addition to reading and writing, traveling and bird watching are among Mona's favourite pastimes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
June 10, 2013
I had such high expectations when I found this and was thoroughly disappointed in the end. The dialogue was stiff, the story predictable, the climax lacking and the characters had little depth. I rarely give a bad review of a book but honestly it was just difficult to read and I read it all the way through. As an author I know that it is heartbreaking to put all of yourself into a book and then get a bad review. I think that this book could have been so much more, but it felt rushed and because of that it suffered. I am giving this book a 2 out of 5 rating.
September 5, 2016
Currently free on Amazon.uk
I unfortunately lost interest.... I mean it took them 20 yrs to finally get together! And these two are meant to be super smart (oblivious not smart enough to make a move sooner). It seemed like there wasn't enough attraction there to push them over or they didn't love each other as much as they both claim to!
I unfortunately lost interest.... I mean it took them 20 yrs to finally get together! And these two are meant to be super smart (oblivious not smart enough to make a move sooner). It seemed like there wasn't enough attraction there to push them over or they didn't love each other as much as they both claim to!
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July 3, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/3/2019)! 🎁
September 6, 2013
I didn't enjoy this as much as Mona's other books and I think that's because it was too short considering the time span it covered, everything was just glanced over, you could jump five years with the turn of a page, and also because I don't honestly believe two people could work so closely together for fifteen years and not know they loved each other.
It felt predictable in places and just too neat and tidy in the end. It was an okay read but it didn't rock my boat.
It felt predictable in places and just too neat and tidy in the end. It was an okay read but it didn't rock my boat.
September 9, 2012
At first I couldn't get into the book and then BAM! I was drawn in and couldn't put it down!!
February 19, 2012
This was a great read! I didn't want to put it down!
This could have been the typical high school girl gets pregnant, boy gets with someone else, girl leaves home, girl goes down a terrible path, but it wasn't.
Although Bella finds herself pregnant, alone, and away from home, she doesn't play the poor me card. She is determined to make something of herself and make her father proud.
Answering an apartment for rent ad her first day in California, Bella meets a woman by the name of Sofia and they become fast friends. They share a pregnancy in common. Little did Bella know, but this friendship would change her life forever.
Five years later, as Bella and Sofia are celebrating their daughters birthday's together Bella is confronted by her daughter Melissa about the scratchiness of her outfit. Bella tells her daughter she will fix it. It is then she wonders why she has never made her daughter's clothes considering she learned to sew from her mother and knows about fabric because he father worked at the textile mill in her hometown. Bella and Sofia then create an outfit based on a suggestion from Bella's daughter. While out at the beach with the kids Bella and Sofia are approached by a woman who has spotted the girls in their outfits and wondered where they bought them, they told her that they had made the outfit themselves. Based on this Bella and Sofia decided to create some additional outfits and sell them at the vendor site at the beach. This idea was a success and they became and even bigger success when a famous actress's daughter was photographed with one of their outfits on.
Along comes Rafael, who hasn't been in the states long (he is from Peru). His family is actually in the textile business, and he is branching out on his own, to prove a point to his father as well. When this little group of three partners up, the business now called Bella's explodes!
I don't want to tell anymore of the story, I think you should read it for yourself. You will definitely enjoy it. Some secrets are revealed and love after many years is finally in the air.
I look forward to reading additional books by this author, especially if they are as good as this one!
This could have been the typical high school girl gets pregnant, boy gets with someone else, girl leaves home, girl goes down a terrible path, but it wasn't.
Although Bella finds herself pregnant, alone, and away from home, she doesn't play the poor me card. She is determined to make something of herself and make her father proud.
Answering an apartment for rent ad her first day in California, Bella meets a woman by the name of Sofia and they become fast friends. They share a pregnancy in common. Little did Bella know, but this friendship would change her life forever.
Five years later, as Bella and Sofia are celebrating their daughters birthday's together Bella is confronted by her daughter Melissa about the scratchiness of her outfit. Bella tells her daughter she will fix it. It is then she wonders why she has never made her daughter's clothes considering she learned to sew from her mother and knows about fabric because he father worked at the textile mill in her hometown. Bella and Sofia then create an outfit based on a suggestion from Bella's daughter. While out at the beach with the kids Bella and Sofia are approached by a woman who has spotted the girls in their outfits and wondered where they bought them, they told her that they had made the outfit themselves. Based on this Bella and Sofia decided to create some additional outfits and sell them at the vendor site at the beach. This idea was a success and they became and even bigger success when a famous actress's daughter was photographed with one of their outfits on.
Along comes Rafael, who hasn't been in the states long (he is from Peru). His family is actually in the textile business, and he is branching out on his own, to prove a point to his father as well. When this little group of three partners up, the business now called Bella's explodes!
I don't want to tell anymore of the story, I think you should read it for yourself. You will definitely enjoy it. Some secrets are revealed and love after many years is finally in the air.
I look forward to reading additional books by this author, especially if they are as good as this one!
July 25, 2016
This whole story just doesn't make any sense. Not the plot itself, but the reactions by the characters to the events that happen in this book were so unrealistic and just stupid.
Also, the time skips were too much. In almost every chapter there is a large time jump.
I think this could have been another decent new adult, but there isn't even much romance at all. A lot of it was about Belle's clothing company, which was super boring.
This was just not for me.
Also, the time skips were too much. In almost every chapter there is a large time jump.
I think this could have been another decent new adult, but there isn't even much romance at all. A lot of it was about Belle's clothing company, which was super boring.
This was just not for me.
April 2, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. It truly shows the power of women when we work together instead of against one another.
May 31, 2012
So I am not much of a romance reader, but I found this one somewhat interesting. A quick read by the pool (assuming your kids swim) or while hanging out in the backyard. Don't expect a great deal of character or plot development, just enjoy the simple story of this hard-working single mom that was kicked out her house by her parents when pregnant and then finds an "unexpected" romance. Okay, so it is predictable, too. But, hey...it's a romance that is written at a level that encourages a wide audience.
March 29, 2018
Everything reads a little differently when you’re reading it at 3 AM. I’m not sure Full Circle would be a four star read in the daylight, but after 3 AM and a crappy new adult romance novel before it, this was so good.
I still had the anger from reading Falling Into Infinity in my head, and I happily noted every time this novel triumphed where Falling Into Infinity failed. For a romance novel, I liked that Full Circle was intensely a slow-burn story. This might drive some readers crazy, but as a heavy fanfiction writer I am so into it. I liked that it spent time on building Bella as a character and creating her world before it ever brought romance into the picture. I like how you saw her business grow. I like how you saw her and Rafael become partners and then close friends. I like how you could tell the entire time that these two people should be together.
At one point, the novel veers into soap opera territory, and I was so upset because it had been so good to that point. Of course, I shouldn’t have doubted Full Circle. They quickly and painlessly deal with it. Everyone in Full Circle behaves like a human. They act like real people and respond like real people, not romance novel characters. I also loved that Bella and Rafael were always equals on an equal level.
My biggest complaint of Full Circle is that I wish it was longer. I wish it lingered in certain plot points and character beats, but overall it was a great palate cleanser from Falling Into Infinity. Recommended if you need a good romance novel that won’t drive you insane with toxic tropes!
I still had the anger from reading Falling Into Infinity in my head, and I happily noted every time this novel triumphed where Falling Into Infinity failed. For a romance novel, I liked that Full Circle was intensely a slow-burn story. This might drive some readers crazy, but as a heavy fanfiction writer I am so into it. I liked that it spent time on building Bella as a character and creating her world before it ever brought romance into the picture. I like how you saw her business grow. I like how you saw her and Rafael become partners and then close friends. I like how you could tell the entire time that these two people should be together.
At one point, the novel veers into soap opera territory, and I was so upset because it had been so good to that point. Of course, I shouldn’t have doubted Full Circle. They quickly and painlessly deal with it. Everyone in Full Circle behaves like a human. They act like real people and respond like real people, not romance novel characters. I also loved that Bella and Rafael were always equals on an equal level.
My biggest complaint of Full Circle is that I wish it was longer. I wish it lingered in certain plot points and character beats, but overall it was a great palate cleanser from Falling Into Infinity. Recommended if you need a good romance novel that won’t drive you insane with toxic tropes!
September 20, 2016
The following review was originally posted on my book blog The Book Challengers.
This one was a rather short and sweet story that tells a story about Bella's success and reluctance to grab the fate by it's horns over the course of almost two decades. Although Bella basically ran away from her home town when she got pregnant by her high school sweetheart at 19, she managed to make a life for her and her daughter and also excel as a business owner. And there is plenty of talk about the business side of things - where to expand, what to sell, etc.
But what Bella doesn't excel all that much at, is love. She and Rafael have a great understanding of each other for the longest time, they're in love with each other for almost 15 years before the two finally do something about and I would love to call this story a real slow burn romance, but unfortunately I felt that there were not enough details and length of story for that. Plus, the somewhat random and big time jumps didn't really help with the slow burn aspect of things.
While the writing is decent, I have to admit that there isn't enough depth for me to really feel the love and romance part of things... But in the end I enjoyed it and that's all that really matters, isn't it?
This one was a rather short and sweet story that tells a story about Bella's success and reluctance to grab the fate by it's horns over the course of almost two decades. Although Bella basically ran away from her home town when she got pregnant by her high school sweetheart at 19, she managed to make a life for her and her daughter and also excel as a business owner. And there is plenty of talk about the business side of things - where to expand, what to sell, etc.
But what Bella doesn't excel all that much at, is love. She and Rafael have a great understanding of each other for the longest time, they're in love with each other for almost 15 years before the two finally do something about and I would love to call this story a real slow burn romance, but unfortunately I felt that there were not enough details and length of story for that. Plus, the somewhat random and big time jumps didn't really help with the slow burn aspect of things.
While the writing is decent, I have to admit that there isn't enough depth for me to really feel the love and romance part of things... But in the end I enjoyed it and that's all that really matters, isn't it?
August 19, 2019
3-
This is the second MI book I've read recently, and while I enjoyed this one more, it was still VERY CONVENIENT, STAGED AND JUMPY.
This was actually a pretty good story, and if we had of actually been able to sink into it, it could have been awesome. The jumpy, skipping, scene from scene, month to years for every part just didn't work for me at all. Skips and time lapse can work, but it's a primary function in this (and the other) book and not a beneficial element. Instead of showing us time passing, it's telling us it can't be bothered worrying about flow, but this next bit has happened now, and we are already skipping again to the next bit.
The staged and convenient writing is pretty annoying for me cause everything's 'just perfectly placed and said'. There's no real emotions or events cause what needed to happen was 'stamped' in and done already.
0819
This is the second MI book I've read recently, and while I enjoyed this one more, it was still VERY CONVENIENT, STAGED AND JUMPY.
This was actually a pretty good story, and if we had of actually been able to sink into it, it could have been awesome. The jumpy, skipping, scene from scene, month to years for every part just didn't work for me at all. Skips and time lapse can work, but it's a primary function in this (and the other) book and not a beneficial element. Instead of showing us time passing, it's telling us it can't be bothered worrying about flow, but this next bit has happened now, and we are already skipping again to the next bit.
The staged and convenient writing is pretty annoying for me cause everything's 'just perfectly placed and said'. There's no real emotions or events cause what needed to happen was 'stamped' in and done already.
0819
April 4, 2013
Bella leaves her home town because she is pregnant. The father is the son of the textile mill owner. The biggest employer in town. Bella went to California, met a soul mate and had a daughter. They live in the garage apartment that belongs to sofia. She has a daughter the same age as Bella's daughter. They join forces and design clothing that becomes a major business. They provide many women with jobs in a wonderful working environment.
This is such a happy story, women are successful, daughters are happy, business is good, etc.
This is a feel good book
This is such a happy story, women are successful, daughters are happy, business is good, etc.
This is a feel good book
May 14, 2013
Bella Thompson is a young teenager, when she learns she is pregnant. Before she can tell her boyfriend he announces he is going to marry someone else. She has two choices leave town and give up her baby for adoption or leave town and raise her child on her own. She moves to California to raise her child and starts a successful business with her partner Rafaella .Does she pass up the chance for true love? I truly enjoyed this book .Its not your typical teenage pregnancy book. I Look forward to reading more books by Mona Ingram
March 10, 2013
This was a light and easy to read story that I completed in just a few hours while sitting poolside on a cruise recently. The storyline was very easy to follow, the words made visual pictures in my head too. However, there seemed to be no real "issues" in the theme with the exception of the beginning. So much fell into place throughout the story. That being said, the story was good enough to keep my attention
August 21, 2013
This came to me because Amazon thought it was similar to something else I'd read. No way.
Years go by from one paragraph to another, no character development at all, predictable circumstances and resolve. And where the heck are we??? most of the time.
The best thing is that the poor writing, and lack of a real plot (where was the conflict?) was all over in a couple of hours. Sorry, just not one thing to hang a star on, or even hope for. Terrible, not recommended.
Years go by from one paragraph to another, no character development at all, predictable circumstances and resolve. And where the heck are we??? most of the time.
The best thing is that the poor writing, and lack of a real plot (where was the conflict?) was all over in a couple of hours. Sorry, just not one thing to hang a star on, or even hope for. Terrible, not recommended.
April 14, 2013
I have become a big fan of Mona Ingram's writing. I love her books and this one was no different. I loved the friendship between Bella and Sofia. That is rare to find nowadays. I also enjoyed the progression of the romance between Bella and Rafael. As an independent woman, I wished that Bella had dated more, just like Rafael. Other than that, this was a good read. As usual Mona Ingram delivers.
June 2, 2013
I read this book a wile ago and I thought it was great it was a free book and in all honesty I hated the cover but as the saying goes "never judge a book ..." I couldn't put it down, it took me all of two days to read, it was well written with fantastic character's I found it a uplifting read and I want to read more by this author !
January 9, 2013
I loved the romance, it is sweet and central without ever proving to be overpowering.
The love of a mother for her daughter is touching and the end could not have been better written.
It is truly a good romance and I, somebody with no real love for romance enjoyed it thouroughly.
WaAr
The love of a mother for her daughter is touching and the end could not have been better written.
It is truly a good romance and I, somebody with no real love for romance enjoyed it thouroughly.
WaAr
January 23, 2013
Amazing story! Love it from the start to the end.Just finished reading in one night. This is the first book I have read from this author ' Mona Ingram '. Wish the ending was more longer and love to read more of Rafael and Bella. Looking forward to reading more of this author's books. :D
August 19, 2012
Nice story about friendship, determination and power.
October 25, 2012
Really good e-book. Great story and had me hooked straight away. Loved it!
February 18, 2013
What's nice quick interesting read. I was hooked from the start and finished it far too quickly. Will be looking for other books by this author.
March 24, 2013
Great storyline, loveable characters. I couldn't put this book down! It is definitely a must read.
March 29, 2013
This was a lovely little story. I really don't know what to say about it. If you are looking for something nice, charming and easy to read then this is the book for you.
June 8, 2012
Another Kindle freebie that was such a pleasant surprise. What a lovely book!
March 11, 2020
Loved the premise of this storyline. Small-town southern girl falls in love with small-town boy, but it’s sure not forever. See, small-town boy is a few notches above small-town girl on the social scale. He breaks her heart and so much more. He won’t even realize how much damage he did till 20 years later. That’s when that small-town girl ends up saving that small, southern gossipy town she was forced to flee. There will be a lot of twists and turns. Lets just say that small-town girl gets her HEA, but that boy that dumped her way back then? Well, not so much.
👁 OBSERVATIONS:
Jeffrey: The past 20 years haven’t been nice to him… but he asked for it. It was hard to fathom him staying in the situation he was living in, especially when he knew what Angela did. Talk about duplicity! He surely lacked cojones. He couldn’t stand up to his parents, nor did he confront his scheming, duplicitous wife when her lies were revealed… lies that totally changed everything.
Bella: Jeffrey may not have had cojones but Bella certainly did, if that’s even possible. She took control of her life and didn’t look back. That small-town girl wasn’t so small-town anymore. Her determination wasn’t overboard, just very effective.
Rafa: Should have made his move much sooner. Wonderful man, father figure and business partner but way to slow in matters of the heart.
Melissa: What’s not to like about her. She seemed a little too adult when she was five but perfect when she was 20.
Mom’s and Dad’s: Both sets have big issues…
…Where were Jeffrey’s parents when the truth came out? They were such a role in his marriage, why did they just disappear from the storyline? They too, had been duped.
… Belle’s mom didn’t want the small town gossip so chases her daughter away. If she regretted it so much, why not try to make amends? And Belle’s dad was wonderful but why didn’t he try to stay in Belle’s life? Why was it Belle that always made the moves for reconciliation?
… Secondary characters played a good support role and were needed.
🧐 WISHES:
✓ Wanted to be drawn into the story with more emotion. This was the perfect storyline for emotion and feelings but it didn’t come across that way. I didn’t feel I was there watching things happen, it was more like I was simply reading the lines.
✓ Would love to know Jeffrey’s thoughts and feelings. A lot happens during a space of 20 years. His choices affected a lot of people, including himself. Needed more of his thoughts. I never felt his remorse. I never felt his shock when he learns the real impact of his choices. Especially would like to know his thoughts/emotions as he watched Bella’s success from a far-away distance. Where was his mind while reading article after article, about Bella and her daughter?
Also, why was Jeffrey so concerned about Angela when he learned who Melissa was? Seems like again, Angela takes precedence, first place, even though she brought everything she’s experiencing on herself. Did Jeffrey really love her after all? Why keep putting her selfishness ahead of everyone else?
✓ Where was Todd in all of this? How did he react when he learned just who Melissa was and what happened between her parents all those years ago? Does he make excuses for his dad, his mother, or does he confront them?
👁 OBSERVATIONS:
Jeffrey: The past 20 years haven’t been nice to him… but he asked for it. It was hard to fathom him staying in the situation he was living in, especially when he knew what Angela did. Talk about duplicity! He surely lacked cojones. He couldn’t stand up to his parents, nor did he confront his scheming, duplicitous wife when her lies were revealed… lies that totally changed everything.
Bella: Jeffrey may not have had cojones but Bella certainly did, if that’s even possible. She took control of her life and didn’t look back. That small-town girl wasn’t so small-town anymore. Her determination wasn’t overboard, just very effective.
Rafa: Should have made his move much sooner. Wonderful man, father figure and business partner but way to slow in matters of the heart.
Melissa: What’s not to like about her. She seemed a little too adult when she was five but perfect when she was 20.
Mom’s and Dad’s: Both sets have big issues…
…Where were Jeffrey’s parents when the truth came out? They were such a role in his marriage, why did they just disappear from the storyline? They too, had been duped.
… Belle’s mom didn’t want the small town gossip so chases her daughter away. If she regretted it so much, why not try to make amends? And Belle’s dad was wonderful but why didn’t he try to stay in Belle’s life? Why was it Belle that always made the moves for reconciliation?
… Secondary characters played a good support role and were needed.
🧐 WISHES:
✓ Wanted to be drawn into the story with more emotion. This was the perfect storyline for emotion and feelings but it didn’t come across that way. I didn’t feel I was there watching things happen, it was more like I was simply reading the lines.
✓ Would love to know Jeffrey’s thoughts and feelings. A lot happens during a space of 20 years. His choices affected a lot of people, including himself. Needed more of his thoughts. I never felt his remorse. I never felt his shock when he learns the real impact of his choices. Especially would like to know his thoughts/emotions as he watched Bella’s success from a far-away distance. Where was his mind while reading article after article, about Bella and her daughter?
Also, why was Jeffrey so concerned about Angela when he learned who Melissa was? Seems like again, Angela takes precedence, first place, even though she brought everything she’s experiencing on herself. Did Jeffrey really love her after all? Why keep putting her selfishness ahead of everyone else?
✓ Where was Todd in all of this? How did he react when he learned just who Melissa was and what happened between her parents all those years ago? Does he make excuses for his dad, his mother, or does he confront them?
June 6, 2025
A relatively clean contemporary story minus all the details about this new high school graduate who takes off upon becoming pregnant when her boyfriend plans to marry another girl he impregnated. Taking off to California she finds a pregnant new widow whereupon they both have their daughters. With the same talents, they establish unique children's clothing which takes off, expanding by leaps and bounds. Rafael from Peru, attempting to establish himself from his father's textile business becomes a partner, eventually establishing the brand country wide. Both attracted to one another, they remain business partners over the next 14 years until an opening in Bella's hometown occurs whereupon they must work with her daughter's father unknown to everyone but Bella. Author obviously knows the business aspect of becoming successful but it is a bit unrealistic to expect an attraction (while both remaining single) to fester for that length of time. Otherwise, portrays strong women who support one another to become successful.
July 2, 2020
So Bella's boyfriend is marring his ex and she has his baby and Bella also has his baby this book is starting off messy already I can see this happing in the movies. Her mother wants her to go away just because she has a baby what kind of a mother does that who cares about what others will say I don't like that and after she has her baby she will have to give it up terrible all her mother seems to care about is what the people in their town will think. Glad she found a nice place to live and found a friend. Ok her daughter is 5 now but why does she talk like she's in her 20s. So glad her business so going so well, but sad that her mother is sick her daughter met her grandma before she died that was sad. I wonder if Jeffery will find out that Melissa is his daughter. or is his son going to figure out that's his sister? Nevermind Jeffery's son is adopted which means Angela lied to him. So Angela lied I really don't like this chick.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2020
FULL CIRCLE
Willow Bend Romances
MONA INGRAM
Reviewed by
Author Roy Murry
'It was an overcast the day Bella found out she was pregnant.' is the first sentence of this tearjerker. The circle is Bella's journey after said event.
The highs and lows on Bella's trip through life keeps the reader pulled into the story. A strong-willed woman appears to arrive with one link to the circle, not complete - her love of a mate.
She has compassion and good energy all around her: her daughter, and friends. Success creeps into her life, but something is missing since the day referred to in that first sentence.
When the events happen, the missing links complete Bella's life. The reader will need a box of tissues at that moment.
Ms. Ingram’s writing is crisp and commits the reader to find out what comes next. The read is quick and flows smoothly.
Bella's life is the basis for the beginning of a series. For Romance Lovers, it is one series to buy.
Willow Bend Romances
MONA INGRAM
Reviewed by
Author Roy Murry
'It was an overcast the day Bella found out she was pregnant.' is the first sentence of this tearjerker. The circle is Bella's journey after said event.
The highs and lows on Bella's trip through life keeps the reader pulled into the story. A strong-willed woman appears to arrive with one link to the circle, not complete - her love of a mate.
She has compassion and good energy all around her: her daughter, and friends. Success creeps into her life, but something is missing since the day referred to in that first sentence.
When the events happen, the missing links complete Bella's life. The reader will need a box of tissues at that moment.
Ms. Ingram’s writing is crisp and commits the reader to find out what comes next. The read is quick and flows smoothly.
Bella's life is the basis for the beginning of a series. For Romance Lovers, it is one series to buy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews