Haunted by a book......

And not just any book, but a bubblegum romance novel that I last read probably back around 1994 / 95 when I was 16 or 17. Hows that for long term on the mind book?

Yes, I read the Harlequin books for pure stress relief. No thinking necessary, plots are all pretty similar, you know in the end the girl gets her man (or realizes shes in love with the one she already has) and life goes on. No need to really think and read, you occasionally learn some interesting facts, and when its done, its done.

I'm a serious book re-reader. I've re-read at least once practically every book that I own. For sure, I've re-read all of the books that I have here in Belgium. I'll get in a mood to want to read a book, and off I'll go to find it, hoping that I've not taken it back to the states for my mom, sister, aunt or cousins to read......I buy them, they read them. Seems to work well that way.

Anywho, back around 1994 / 1995 I let a friend borrow a selection of books, the missing one included. All came back, except that one. It was a favorite at the time so thats why the loss is memorable. And now, the darn book haunts me. But of course, the name and author of the darn book is long lost into the archives of my mind.

Nothing much is special about this book. It was probably one of the first romance novels that I ever read, and was probably published in the mid to late 80s or so.

The plot and characters you ask? Simple. Canadian girl named Allison. Lives with her parents and is engaged to be married. She turns down a job as the horse counselor at a kids camp. Then her finance ups and marries her sister. The camp owner, Clint happens to stop by the ranch to see if he can convince her to go for the job, of course she jumps and is whisked away by this man.

They arrive at the camp and it seems to Allison that Clint is involved with the Camp Shrink (I think Vicky or Victoria). Shucks for Alison. But theres always the poor little camper, Timmy, to keep her occupied, whose parents were in a car wreck and horse therapy seems the way to revive his spirits.

A bunch of drama, a trail ride with rattlesnakes spooking the horse that Timmy is on, a late night pool session or two, a hike to an abandoned cabin with Clint, and of course the moment when she realizes she is in love and goes to tell Clint on the day after camp has ended. What do you know, she catches Clint and Victoria in an embrace and goes running for home. She arrives and all is quiet.

What? He did not come after her?

Lo and behold, a telephone call about an accident and the fact that Clint is unconscious and has only mumbled her name. Away she goes tearing back to the hospital. Where she confesses her love to the unconscious Clint only to find out that he has been faking it in hopes that someone would call her. Victoria is explained as a hug with a friend who had passed her grad exams and had a great new job ahead. Life is rosey and they live happily ever after. The end.

Yup, I have a fairly good photographic memory and could probably re-write the darn book myself. It continues to haunt me seems that it will until the end of my days. *sigh*

I had hoped that writing about it might get it out of my head....will see what happens!