The Wilson Mooney Series by Gretchen de la O
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Book Description
Publication Date: September 5, 2011
Abandoned by her mother at the vulnerable age of eight; only to be shipped off to a boarding school in Northern California by her grandparents, Wilson Mooney, is one girl who knows what it’s like to have to grow up way too fast. Now, a month away from turning eighteen and orphaned by the death of her grandparents, she knows exactly what she wants. All it takes is a spontaneous ski trip with her narcissistic roommate to Colorado to make it a reality. Whenhe happens to show up at a party in Aspen, Wilson becomes tangled in the powerful emotions of first love, sexual inexperience, and society’s principles. She lives a whirlwind weekend filled with newly discovered boundaries, calloused aches for a family she never had, and all the pressures of keeping their weekend together a secret.
Excerpt
I opened the window and looked down. I saw the impression of his body where he’d fallen, but no other sign of him. He was gone. I knew that the faster I could get ready to go, the sooner we’d be together. I hurried to the powder blue baby vomit of a spacesuit, unzipped it, and threw it on the bed. I pulled off my top and slid off my pajama bottoms. As ugly as that thing looked lying there, I hoped it would cling and hang in all the right places. If I was going to be looking like I belonged in a seventies space movie, I wanted to make sure I was the sexiest seventies space babe around. I grabbed the suit and slid one leg in, then the next. It actually felt silky-smooth against my skin. I pulled it up over my hips—it was really comfortable—pushed one arm through, then the next; I grabbed the zipper and pulled it up to my navel. That’s when I caught myself in the reflection of the window. The suit was actually really cute. I pulled the zipper up to just cover my bra. Hello, cleavage! I turned and spun to see how I looked from all angles. I pushed my arms against my body making my breasts to look bigger than they really were.
“Wow, wouldn’t Max like to see that,” I mumbled to myself. I bent down, grabbed the white fluffy headband out of the pile of stuff Cindy had given me, and flipped my hair back, pulling it onto my head.
“Yeah, I would.”
I spun around quickly. Max was crouched on the windowsill, holding onto the glass for balance.
“Oh my God! You scared me. What are you doing here?”
“I’m sorry. I got down to my car and realized my keys were still here. I thought you would have left already.” He hopped into the room. His nose wrinkled and he winced as he landed.
“Are you okay?”
He was still bent low.
“I’m fine, just landed wrong when I left the first time.” He stood up, his eyes traveling across my body as he smiled and bit his lower lip. I grabbed the zipper on the snowsuit and pulled it up to the bottom of my chin.
“How long were you there in the window?” I pulled the headband off. My face burned red, I totally couldn’t believe he saw what I’d been doing.
“I wasn’t there long; just long enough to hear you say something about me—liking this.” He shook his head. His hands pushed up and down through the air pointing at the moon suit I had on. He couldn’t stop staring at me. I had to feel good about that. I guess it clung and hung exactly where it should. My body temperature rose I was getting real hot.
“You really like it?” I grabbed the zipper and lowered it without thinking, just enough to make his mouth open.
“Absolutely,” he said losing his breath. He nudged super-close. His eyes fixed, his aroma swarmed my body as his hand slid around to the small of my back and his other caught the handle of the zipper. I lost my breath.
~~~
Review 4 Stars
Wilson Mooney is all alone at a boarding school except for her best friend. She has no family. As she is approaching eighteen, she is more fragile and vulnerable than she realizes. She has deeply rooted needs for a family and love. On a weekend away, she falls in love. Her choice in a man, may be questionable to many.
To me this book is a start, I feel like there is going to be so much to learn about Wilson Mooney. Perhaps, Wilson Mooney has so much to learn about herself.
For me this did start off a little slow, however I got over that and its pace definitely picked up.
One thing that I look for in a book that I enjoy, is do I get that tingly feeling? There are some sweet, some sensual moments where Gretchen de la O delivers the chills. By the time this book is finished I am looking forward to continuing on with her story.
Synopsis
Chained by unfortunate timing and restricted by society’s expectations, every choice Wilson and Max make becomes pivotal to their future together.
Eager to take their relationship to the next level, Wilson returns to Aspen with Max to celebrate her eighteenth birthday. When an uncontrollable situation leads to a split-second decision, both will be tested like never before. Butterflies will soar, hearts will clash, and Wilson’s relationship with Max will spin into a silken cocoon with choices that seem too impossible to overcome.
Could it be…uncovering the deep ache that lays dormant in their hearts will become the real threat to their forbidden love? Or will the pressures of keeping their relationship a secret be too much to bear?
Excerpt from Wilson Mooney Eighteen at Last
A massive, thick bubble sat wedged against my vocal chords, but I held back my need to cry. Max tightened his arms around me, the card pinned to my heart just beneath my hands. I knew Max was hurting so much more than me, and yet again he was making sure I was okay. I couldn’t let him worry about me.
I could feel Max’s breathing become shallow, his heart thumping faster, and I knew he was struggling to stay strong for me. He pushed his face against my shoulder before turning to press his lips to the space between my collar and the bend of my neck. He took a deep breath before his hands pushed harder against my back. I felt him ripple as he battled to catch his breath, and knew he didn’t want me to know he was crying. Worn from the emotional rollercoaster of the day, I pushed him slightly toward the bed.
“Honey, I think you should try and get some sleep,” I told him as I pulled slightly away from him. But he adjusted his hands and held me tighter.
“I can’t let go. Please—I don’t want to let go.” He struggled to say the words that admitted he was broken.
“You don’t have to,” I whispered, trying to soak up his pain.
We stood in each other’s arms for a good five minutes. I rocked back and forth, swaying my hips in a hypnotic rhythm. Then I felt Max take the lead and continue the motion until he loosened his grip to a relaxed pressure across my back.
He pulled away, making sure he didn’t make eye contact as he led me to the bed. I didn’t question him. I let him take me wherever he needed to be healed. He knew what he needed, I wasn’t about to change that. Turning to face me, his gaze rose to meet mine. His red and wet, eyes searched for some type of answer to help him heal faster. I wished I had it—wanted to have it for him. With his hands pressed warmly on my cheeks he kissed me. His lips, salty from his tears, tasted painful, achy, and remorseful. I cautiously kissed him back. My butterflies trembled down low, trying to keep from being discovered. I didn’t want anything to stop us, but he was balancing on such a precariously thin edge of anguish and guilt.
Max nibbled at my bottom lip—his way of telling me he wanted more than a reserved kiss. He pushed, I opened my mouth, and the tip of his tongue slowly moved to taste more. His shoulders rose, his hands pressed against my ears, and the echo of our desires filled my head. Now I couldn’t keep my butterflies from coming to life. He sparked a desire low in my groin that vibrated up through my body and caused my hands to seek a way to soothe him. I pressed against him, my hands knotted in his hair, with no idea where we were heading or how far we were going let this go.
Wilson Mooney finally is basking in the love she has longed for. She is in love with Max and her plans for her becoming eighteen are quickly becoming a reality.
This book is about when faced with challenges and struggles, can their love endure? There are plenty of sweet, sexual, beautiful moments. Moments that keep you falling in love with the couple right a long with them. This book also has some teary eyed, want to hug a character moments. There was heart break in so many different ways.
In some ways my thoughts on Wilson Mooney is that she is just eighteen and she is so young. It seems she has so much to figure out. I am hoping I get to watch her growth a little more.
By the end I am left wiping my tears, hoping that in the next story things will work out.
I think that there is a ton of room for a lot of story to be told in the future which is exciting and I can’t wait to see what more Gretchen delivers.
Teaser from Beyond Eighteen, Wilson Mooney #3
The driver’s side door flung open and the freezing chill that lingered and tapped on the windows found its way in. Max plopped into the driver’s seat, preoccupied and inattentive he pushed the keys into the starter and the engine roared to life. Max stole a glance, his eyes dark and distant; like something beyond what problems I caused for us by kissing Nick. He forced the shifter in gear and took off. The car hugged the road, round the curves and bends. I tried to find the courage to say something but couldn’t. Finally, when he reached for the radio, I said something to break the silence.
“You know, Joanie didn’t come with us so we could have some time to talk, alone.” I looked over at him, his expression stoic as he stared at the road. The muscles in his jaw flexed, his lips compressed tight, as his eyebrow bent heavy around his narrowed expression. I swallowed hard, waiting for the pins and needles to stop attacking my skin.
He looked like he wasn’t going to engage in a conversation. His head swayed back and forth, like he was trying to clear away unwanted thoughts. I felt the influence of the car’s speed increase against my chest before I felt my body sway and push toward him. The seat-belt pulled at my shoulder and suddenly, we were stopped on the side of a mountainous road as the sun dropped behind the trees and the night decided to take over.
He turned off the car and sat silent for a moment. His head dropped, his damp black hair tumbled forward. An endless break in our lives sat square between us as I waited anxiously for something to come out of his mouth. I wanted to reach over and grab him. I wanted to annihilate the vacancy growing between us so we could just be Wilson and Max again; a couple of people who fell in love, even when everything screamed we shouldn’t.
Max turned to me, his emerald eyes were narrow and clouded with red as every moment of forever lingered between us. His lips struggled to formulate the words locked in the wreckage behind his eyes. It was like he wanted to love me, but something was stopping him. I wanted to know what the hell it was. What changed from the point of coming back for me and right this moment?
Max cleared his throat before he whispered the thoughts that crowed his head. “I can never take back my mistake of never coming for you; just like you can never take back kissing—” Max choked as he dropped his eyes from mine. My heart crumbled in my chest. My eyes burned with regret. He continued, “Do you think we can find a place where we can bury our mistakes and pick up where we left off?” Max looked at me. His eyes narrowed and dampened as they vacillated up my body to my face. “Wilson, I am so sorry I never came for you. I’m sorry I let you…down,” he uttered regretfully.
Silently, I reached over, tangling my fingers in the random pieces of his hair that dangled in front of his eyes, I pushed them over as my thumb trailed against his forehead. His skin was so soft, something I’ve missed feeling. He caught my hand and dragged it down to his lips. I felt his warm lively breath push against my palm; his damp soft kiss as he closed his eyes.
“I love you so much,” I answered as he opened his eyes.
About the Author 
Gretchen resides in beautiful Northern California with her amazing husband, their three terrific children, her awesome mother, a goofy dog, a self-indulgent cat, and eight happy chickens.
