What do you think?
Rate this book
Watkins Pond #2
While You Were Writing
Only one way to tame Crankenstein’s monster. Heart-to-heart combat.
Watkin’s Pond, Book 2
Bestselling author and infamous town hermit Radcliffe McQueen knows what he likes, what he doesn’t, and refuses to pretend social niceties. Particularly with a red-hot mess of a woman who’s taken it upon herself to smooth his rough edges.
She thinks she can change him? Bring it. He’s more than willing to teach her the wisdom of doing things his way. Besides, it’ll distract him from the horror of facing a blank page.
Stodgy. Stubborn. Sanctimonious. Sheri Riddle can think of a long list of adjectives to describe her newest project. An artist by trade, a personality renovator by calling, she’s sure she can transform the blockheaded author into a reasonably personable human being.
Yet as they lock horns, each scrapes away layers of the other until something happens that’s quite outside of Sheri’s plans. Something that’ll take more than one taste of passion to satisfy…
Warning: Contains a temperamental author, a moody artist, a sexy assistant and a hoarder house. Did we mention rabid squirrels? Yeah, one of those too.
Watkin’s Pond, Book 2
Bestselling author and infamous town hermit Radcliffe McQueen knows what he likes, what he doesn’t, and refuses to pretend social niceties. Particularly with a red-hot mess of a woman who’s taken it upon herself to smooth his rough edges.
She thinks she can change him? Bring it. He’s more than willing to teach her the wisdom of doing things his way. Besides, it’ll distract him from the horror of facing a blank page.
Stodgy. Stubborn. Sanctimonious. Sheri Riddle can think of a long list of adjectives to describe her newest project. An artist by trade, a personality renovator by calling, she’s sure she can transform the blockheaded author into a reasonably personable human being.
Yet as they lock horns, each scrapes away layers of the other until something happens that’s quite outside of Sheri’s plans. Something that’ll take more than one taste of passion to satisfy…
Warning: Contains a temperamental author, a moody artist, a sexy assistant and a hoarder house. Did we mention rabid squirrels? Yeah, one of those too.
- GenresRomanceContemporary
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 5, 2014
1 person is currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Virginia Nelson
79 books344 followersVirginia 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. Virginia likes knights in rusted and dinged up armor, heroes that snarl instead of croon, and heroines who can’t remember to say the right thing even with an author writing their dialogue. Her books are full of snark, sex, and random acts of ineptitude—not always in that order.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 8, 2014
Oh this one is so very fun!
Radcliffe is moody, broody and brutally honest as well as opinionated.
Sher is sassy, bold and temperamental.
The snark and battle of the wills in thoroughly enjoyable. Getting into the heads of artists during their creative process was very interesting and accurate. Anyone who has every been swept away by their passion can really empathize with both characters. Also, those who have been hurt and close themselves off from others will connect with these characters.
It was a funny and thrilling love story filled with so much snark and biting wit that your head will still be spinning as you continue to chuckle long after you put the book down.
Radcliffe is moody, broody and brutally honest as well as opinionated.
Sher is sassy, bold and temperamental.
The snark and battle of the wills in thoroughly enjoyable. Getting into the heads of artists during their creative process was very interesting and accurate. Anyone who has every been swept away by their passion can really empathize with both characters. Also, those who have been hurt and close themselves off from others will connect with these characters.
It was a funny and thrilling love story filled with so much snark and biting wit that your head will still be spinning as you continue to chuckle long after you put the book down.
August 8, 2014
Kitty‘s review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
5 STARS
Review copy provided for an honest review
Well, the humor is back as we venture to Watkins Pond again. This time, instead of a Runaway Groom, we are dealing with a cantankerous, surly author and a temperamental artist. We couldn’t have asked for a better match.
The story starts off with Radcliffe McQueen in a supermarket shoplifting everything except the loaf of bread in his basket. He’s being spied on by Sheri Riddle who is absolutely enjoying the experience. Her goal is to take Mr. McQueen on as her project …. Make him into a decent human being, give him a personality other than “grumpy”. She can’t believe that the man that she googled is the same man in front of her now. So, let the fun begin.
Sheri’s Game Plan: First – move in with him. Second – find out what makes him tick. Third – get him to change his ways. Fourth – follow his conditions. Fifth – follow his rules. Sixth – break all the conditions and rules. Seventh – get rid of the assistant. Eighth – fall in love with the petulant, crusty man.
Radcliffe’s Game Plan: First – laugh in her face. Second – set conditions. Third – set rules. Fourth – figure out what she is up to. Fifth – Google her. Sixth – push her out of her comfort zone. Seventh – hire an assistant that gets under both of their skins. Eighth – give in, seduce her, fall in love with her, make her his wife.
Yea, I had fun with “While You Were Writing”. It was so neat watching both of these wonderful characters come to life, look at themselves, see that what the other one was saying was exactly right. Ms. Nelson has a flair of writing characters that just come alive on the page and make you feel like you are living their lives. The back-and-forth, the banter between the two of them is so realistic that you feel like you are eavesdropping on their conversation. And, she takes the saying “Grumpy Old Man” to a new level with Radcliffe McQueen. He was caustic and surly but funny as all hell when he went on his rants. And, Sheri … well, she could dish it out as good as Radcliffe which made me admire her more and more as the story went on. So, yea, I’m glad that I took the trip back to Watkins Pond. Believe me, it was a lot different than Runaway Groom and I would have loved more of the crazy people of Watkins Pond to have shown up, but, I am looking forward to going back in the future.
5 STARS
Review copy provided for an honest review
Well, the humor is back as we venture to Watkins Pond again. This time, instead of a Runaway Groom, we are dealing with a cantankerous, surly author and a temperamental artist. We couldn’t have asked for a better match.
The story starts off with Radcliffe McQueen in a supermarket shoplifting everything except the loaf of bread in his basket. He’s being spied on by Sheri Riddle who is absolutely enjoying the experience. Her goal is to take Mr. McQueen on as her project …. Make him into a decent human being, give him a personality other than “grumpy”. She can’t believe that the man that she googled is the same man in front of her now. So, let the fun begin.
Sheri’s Game Plan: First – move in with him. Second – find out what makes him tick. Third – get him to change his ways. Fourth – follow his conditions. Fifth – follow his rules. Sixth – break all the conditions and rules. Seventh – get rid of the assistant. Eighth – fall in love with the petulant, crusty man.
Radcliffe’s Game Plan: First – laugh in her face. Second – set conditions. Third – set rules. Fourth – figure out what she is up to. Fifth – Google her. Sixth – push her out of her comfort zone. Seventh – hire an assistant that gets under both of their skins. Eighth – give in, seduce her, fall in love with her, make her his wife.
Yea, I had fun with “While You Were Writing”. It was so neat watching both of these wonderful characters come to life, look at themselves, see that what the other one was saying was exactly right. Ms. Nelson has a flair of writing characters that just come alive on the page and make you feel like you are living their lives. The back-and-forth, the banter between the two of them is so realistic that you feel like you are eavesdropping on their conversation. And, she takes the saying “Grumpy Old Man” to a new level with Radcliffe McQueen. He was caustic and surly but funny as all hell when he went on his rants. And, Sheri … well, she could dish it out as good as Radcliffe which made me admire her more and more as the story went on. So, yea, I’m glad that I took the trip back to Watkins Pond. Believe me, it was a lot different than Runaway Groom and I would have loved more of the crazy people of Watkins Pond to have shown up, but, I am looking forward to going back in the future.
September 12, 2014
My Review:
I'll admit I'm a sucker for a story that features a writer and I loved this one because Radcliffe McQueen is the writer that most of us have at heart. Flat out, he's a recluse...he would be happy if no one ever bothered him...EVER. He has absolutely no use for people, but in an interesting twist...he writes romance. I loved that about this character. He may say that he doesn't like or want people, but his books are all about two people connecting at the deepest level. LOVED. THAT.
Sheri is just the opposite. She has a creative heart just like Radcliffe, but she's an artist. She has her own mental scars which have made her who she is today...the opposite of Radcliffe. No, rather than avoid people, she seeks the wounded ones out...looking to find a way to fix them. But that's all just a cover for a person who thinks she can't fix herself.
I loved this book for the fact that both of these characters are creative and so full of life within their art, but they are both so broken within their souls. That comes through each of them in very different ways though. Radcliffe internalizes all that turmoil, Sheri reflects and shifts that turmoil into a focus on others. But as they work around each other, there becomes an internal shift for both of them. I had to laugh as they truly began to each morph into the others bad habits before they found a stable ground together. I loved the two of them especially when they are at odds (which they are a lot of the time), but even through that conflict, they find a common ground where they both became better and healed through their relationship.
It's a beautiful story and one I'm so happy that I read. This is the second book in the series, but it's so separate from the first, I couldn't even tell you the characters from the first. It absolutely works as a stand-alone, but I loved it so much that I immediately bought book #1 and plan to read it too. I recommend this one.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I'll admit I'm a sucker for a story that features a writer and I loved this one because Radcliffe McQueen is the writer that most of us have at heart. Flat out, he's a recluse...he would be happy if no one ever bothered him...EVER. He has absolutely no use for people, but in an interesting twist...he writes romance. I loved that about this character. He may say that he doesn't like or want people, but his books are all about two people connecting at the deepest level. LOVED. THAT.
Sheri is just the opposite. She has a creative heart just like Radcliffe, but she's an artist. She has her own mental scars which have made her who she is today...the opposite of Radcliffe. No, rather than avoid people, she seeks the wounded ones out...looking to find a way to fix them. But that's all just a cover for a person who thinks she can't fix herself.
I loved this book for the fact that both of these characters are creative and so full of life within their art, but they are both so broken within their souls. That comes through each of them in very different ways though. Radcliffe internalizes all that turmoil, Sheri reflects and shifts that turmoil into a focus on others. But as they work around each other, there becomes an internal shift for both of them. I had to laugh as they truly began to each morph into the others bad habits before they found a stable ground together. I loved the two of them especially when they are at odds (which they are a lot of the time), but even through that conflict, they find a common ground where they both became better and healed through their relationship.
It's a beautiful story and one I'm so happy that I read. This is the second book in the series, but it's so separate from the first, I couldn't even tell you the characters from the first. It absolutely works as a stand-alone, but I loved it so much that I immediately bought book #1 and plan to read it too. I recommend this one.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
November 2, 2014
Virginia Nelson is an outstanding author whom I aspire to read every single one of her novels. You will not regret your decision to read this novel. As a fellow writer I can most definitely compare to that of Radcliffe McQueen.
December 19, 2023
"While You Were Writing" by Virginia Nelson delivers a delightful and humorous tale that transcends the typical romance novel. Set in the charming town of Watkin’s Pond, this is the second installment in the series and follows the enigmatic Radcliffe McQueen, a bestselling author with a penchant for solitude and a disdain for social pleasantries.
The story unfolds as Radcliffe finds himself the unexpected target of Sheri Riddle, an artist turned personality renovator determined to smooth out his rough edges. The clash of personalities and the ensuing battle of will make for a compelling and entertaining narrative. Radcliffe, with his stubbornness and reluctance to conform, meets his match in Sheri, whose mission is to transform him into a more socially acceptable human being.
The novel is not just a typical romance; it's a journey of self-discovery and transformation for both characters. As they lock horns, the layers of each personality are peeled away, revealing vulnerabilities and unexpected connections. The witty banter and playful dynamics between Radcliffe and Sheri add depth to the story, creating a captivating read that goes beyond the conventional romance novel.
The quirky small-town setting of Watkin’s Pond and the eclectic cast of characters, including a sexy assistant and the challenges of a hoarder's house (not to mention the unpredictable rabid squirrels), contribute to the book's charm and humor. The narrative is skillfully woven, offering a perfect balance of romance, humor, and character development.
"Warning: Contains a temperamental author, a moody artist, a sexy assistant, and a hoarder house. Did we mention rabid squirrels? Yeah, one of those too." This warning aptly sets the tone for the unexpected twists and turns that await readers in this engaging romantic comedy. "While You Were Writing" is a must-read for those who appreciate a good laugh, a touch of romance, and characters who defy stereotypes. Virginia Nelson has crafted a story that is as heartwarming as it is hilarious, making it a delightful addition to the Watkin’s Pond series.
September 26, 2014
ADRI'S REVIEW:
First of all I would like to thank Virginia Nelson for providing us with an ARC so we could bring you this review.
Ok first off I already told this to Virginia, but it needs repeating... I think she picked my hubby's brain on the Radcliffe's feelings on what a good sexy woman should look like. It was scary to think/know that it is the exact same way that he thinks. But I have to say even though he is cankerous, grumpy man, I really liked Radcliffe, he has his reasons for being the way he is and he also doesn't pretend. I like his take me as I am attitude. I also like that Sherri does just that. Even though she started off trying to change him (in her opinion help him) she is quick to realize that because he is the way that he is he is being true to himself.
Sherri is a great character as well, but it saddens me that she doesn't see that she is trying to change others when she is the that doesn't feel whole. She has let things that happened when she was younger determine how she lives the rest of her life. It takes Radcliffe to point it out for her to really reflect and see how right he is.
Both these characters learn to grow and adjust to being themselves while letting their attraction bring them together.
Hope you enjoy this as much as I did... Happy Reading... Adri
First of all I would like to thank Virginia Nelson for providing us with an ARC so we could bring you this review.
Ok first off I already told this to Virginia, but it needs repeating... I think she picked my hubby's brain on the Radcliffe's feelings on what a good sexy woman should look like. It was scary to think/know that it is the exact same way that he thinks. But I have to say even though he is cankerous, grumpy man, I really liked Radcliffe, he has his reasons for being the way he is and he also doesn't pretend. I like his take me as I am attitude. I also like that Sherri does just that. Even though she started off trying to change him (in her opinion help him) she is quick to realize that because he is the way that he is he is being true to himself.
Sherri is a great character as well, but it saddens me that she doesn't see that she is trying to change others when she is the that doesn't feel whole. She has let things that happened when she was younger determine how she lives the rest of her life. It takes Radcliffe to point it out for her to really reflect and see how right he is.
Both these characters learn to grow and adjust to being themselves while letting their attraction bring them together.
Hope you enjoy this as much as I did... Happy Reading... Adri
September 3, 2014
I very much enjoyed this story! There were times when I felt it moved too quickly and glossed over internal struggles the characters should have spent more time reflecting on, but overall it was a great book. Ms. Nelson does a wonderful job of developing her characters. I'm looking forward to future installments in this series.
April 20, 2015
A sweet and sassy small town romance. I couldn't put it down. A must read.
January 12, 2015
My review for this delightful romance will be posted in the near future on a major review site. Stay Tuned for more details.
November 6, 2014
Review coming soon.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews