Crazy Little Thing Called Love

BOOK: Crazy Little Thing Called Love
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Praise for Beth K. Vogt

“Take the safe way or risk it all for love? In
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
, Beth Vogt takes her characters (and readers) on a journey where the choice must be made. Move forward or stay mired in the results of the past? Choose the safe path or risk everything for a love that takes your breath away? Settle or fly? In the journey, readers will be reminded that God can turn our old mistakes into a beautiful present.”

—Cara Putman, award-winning author of
Shadowed by Grace

“Crazy Little Thing Called Love
is another winner! I truly love Beth Vogt's voice, and the characters she has created here are authentically honest. Logan and Vanessa's love story is one that will stick with me for a long time. They're imperfect people with a past, trying to make it through on their own steam, like everyone else. But God has other plans for their future. Better plans, more than they could ever imagine. I loved every page I turned, eager to discover what would come next! This is a wonderful story with a heartfelt message of forgiveness and redemption.”

—Catherine West, award-winning author of
Yesterday's Tomorrow

“Second chances at love, storm-chasing danger, and a destination wedding? I'm in! Beth K. Vogt's newest book,
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
, hits all the right notes, touching on more serious subject matter without losing any of Beth's signature charm. This is sure to be a favorite addition to any fan's Christian romance library.”

—Carla Laureano, RITA Award–winning author of
Five Days in Skye
and
London Tides

“In
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
, Beth Vogt shows us that indeed love is crazy, in the best possible way! This story had everything I've come to expect from a Beth Vogt novel: high-quality writing, a deep spiritual journey, and a poignant love story. Throw in the fun of a destination wedding and you have yourself a story that is sure to touch hearts and entertain readers. I can't wait for the next installment!”

—Katie Ganshert, award-winning author of
The Art of Losing Yourself

“Curl your toes into the sand and relish the delicious warmth of Destin, Florida, in Vogt's
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
. A must-read with engaging characters, rich scenery, and the high tension of a hurricane that carries us into love, forgiveness, and the joy of discovering treasures once lost.”

—Katherine Reay, author of
Lizzy & Jane

“With
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
, author Beth Vogt has unequivocally established herself as a master storyteller. Her characters leap off the page and invade my life, making putting the book down almost impossible. Her novels have a place of honor on my shelves with others I return to again and again.”

—Edie Melson, senior editor at
NovelRocket.com

“Logan Hollister is a storm chaser by profession, but he's never been able to tame the storms in his personal life.
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
is an exciting, romantic adventure as Logan and his ex-wife, Vanessa, are forced to confront both a hurricane and the emotional storm that rages between them. Beth Vogt takes readers on a heart-pounding journey through both the present and the past even as her characters try to sort out their future. Second chances are a rare gift, and Beth unwraps this one perfectly.”

—Melanie Dobson, award-winning author of
Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor
and
Chateau of Secrets

“Beth Vogt has done it again! Her heart-tugging characters and writing makes you feel like you're right there on a sunny—and sometimes stormy!—Florida coast. I especially loved the underlying themes of mistakes and regrets turned to joy and new hope. Another winner!”

—Melissa Tagg, author of
From the Start
and
Three Little Words

“Second-chance love at its crazy best! Beth Vogt is a master at wringing tears from the eyes and sleep from the soul in a tender love story that both heals and haunts.”

—Julie Lessman, award-winning author of the Daughters of Boston, Winds of Change, and Heart of San Francisco series

“Beth K. Vogt's amazing ability to create complex, true-to-life characters with realistic flaws and emotions keeps me hungering for her novels before they're even available for sale. The depth of her stories pulls me in, leaving me to ponder the spiritual truth she has woven into the plot long after I've finished the book. Beth's novels are automatic buys for my keeper shelf.”

—Lisa Jordan, award-winning author of
Lakeside Redemption

“Beth Vogt is a master at capturing the sometimes stormy emotions of the human heart. In
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
, Vogt takes the reader on Vanessa and Logan's road back to each other—a journey that is both deeply felt and realistic. She makes us believe in the power of second chances, all the while reminding us that it's never too late to have faith in our first love.”

—Kristy Cambron, author of
The Butterfly and the Violin
and
A Sparrow in Terezin

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For Sonia, Shari, and Mary, my Preferred Readers:

Writing novels is easier knowing the three of you have my back.

Just remember: I called “dibs” first!

Friends . . . they cherish one another's hopes. They are kind to one another's dreams.

—HENRY DAVID THOREAU (1817–1862), AMERICAN AUTHOR

ONE

What we once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.

—HELEN KELLER (1880–1968), AMERICAN AUTHOR

T
housands—even millions—of women had routine choose-a-church, select-a-dress, plan-a-reception kinds of weddings.

For some unknown reason, she was not one of those women.

Vanessa scanned the brochures spread out across the scarred top of her mission-style coffee table, her plate of Chinese beef and broccoli shoved to one corner. Photographs of white sandy beaches curving around sparkling oceans presented an enticing mirage for a destination wedding. And then she reread the list of medical workshops her husband-to-be would be attending two days after they exchanged
I do
's.

TIA
s
AND STROKES: STATE OF THE ART APPROACH

ADVANCED AIRWAY ENDOSCOPY COURSE

HOT TOPICS IN PEDIATRIC EMERGENCIES

Not the typical themes for a honeymoon following a romantic destination wedding. She'd be lounging on a tropical beach, sipping a refreshing drink flavored with pineapple and coconut, adorned with a tiny paper umbrella. Meanwhile, Ted would be safe from the sun's rays, watching PowerPoint presentations, and earning Continuing Medical Education credits.

Ted leaned forward, shuffling through the pamphlets, his brow furrowed behind his silver wire-rim glasses, his dark hair flopping onto his forehead. With a well-practiced motion, he smoothed it back with the palm of his hand.

“Where's the one I'm looking for? Bahamas . . . Hawaii . . . Aha! Florida.” He opened the trifold paper, laying it on top of all the other brochures with a flourish, as if he were presenting some previously undiscovered medical cure. “There. I know it's not as exotic as the other locations, but it offers the best selection of workshops for CMEs.”

Vanessa took a sip of her soda, her glass of Coke flavored with a squeeze of real lemon carrying the punch of caffeine she needed. The “Knife and Gun Club” had been out in full force last night, and she'd seen familiar faces for the full twelve hours of her paramedic shift. Some of the same instigators who'd been at the bar brawl she'd reported to at the beginning of the evening also showed up at the subsequent knife fight in an alley and again at the shooting at one of the seedier Denver apartment complexes. After more than five years as a paramedic, she shouldn't be surprised by anything. And, most days, she wasn't.

She needed to concentrate, which was a challenge when all she wanted was to give in to her body's demand for sleep. Picking a destination-wedding site based on what medical conference to attend cued discordant background music in her mind—an off-key version of “Isn't It Romantic?” Vanessa understood the need to multitask, but was it necessary to coordinate their wedding with the needs of Ted's medical career?

“Can't we just stick with the original plan?” She indulged in a morsel of her seasoned beef before continuing. “Get married in our church here in Denver like we talked about? Keep things simple?”

“Don't you see how perfect this is?” Ted waved his chopsticks at the brochure, somehow managing to not drop any sauce on his chinos. “I'm always behind on my education credits. It's almost October, and look how I'm scrambling to get some before the end of the year.”

“Well, yes.” Vanessa resisted the urge to say,
Tell me something I don't know
. Both their schedules wreaked havoc on their romance. “But won't a destination wedding cost more than a local one?”

“I'm going to have to travel to a conference anyway, right? We'll kill two birds with one stone . . .”

Vanessa rubbed her temples, a few more notes of “Isn't It Romantic?” interrupting Ted's logic as his words lobbed a verbal rock at her wedding plans.

“. . . combining the cost of the travel for the wedding and the conference. What's our projected guest list? About one hundred thirty people? Destination weddings are expected to be much smaller—even as few as thirty guests. And we don't pay their travel costs.” Ted settled back on the couch, a smile spreading across his face. “What do you think, Nessa?”

This was one of the things she loved about Ted: he was practical. But sometimes maybe a little too practical. She leaned one elbow on the table, running her fingers through her hair, which she'd released from its customary braid. She stopped when the still-unfamiliar engagement ring snagged in the strands and twisted around her finger. The classic-cut round diamond set off on either side with six smaller diamonds was just a half-size too large. When would she find time to get it resized? She was either on the clock for four days straight, or off—and recovering. Trying to sleep or catch up on paying bills, maybe clean her apartment, while checking her in-box to see if she'd received any response to her applications to physician assistant school.

And now she was planning a wedding. Or rather, replanning a wedding.

BOOK: Crazy Little Thing Called Love
4.79Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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