Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught

Whitney has loved her childhood crush Paul for as long as she can remember. She is determined to marry him someday, so she is devastated when her father sends her to live with her aunt and uncle in Paris when she turns 15. She decides to make the best of it by making herself into a lady instead of the hellion she is known to be and win Paul when she someday returns. 4 years later her father has sent for to return home. Whitney is now a stunningly beautiful, and very captivating, woman. She sets out to win Paul, but a wrench in thrown into her plans by a new neighbor, Clayton Westland who is determined to have her for himself. (Not a spoiler btw) She finds out he is actually the Duke of Westmoreland, and he also happens to be her betrothed!!

This was a very long book. The version I read was 706 pages long! I confess that for the first half of the book I wondered why we were getting SO much background and why the courtship was taking so long. I understood by the last half. I needed a box of tissue right next to me for that last half. This was a very involved and emotional love story with lots of twists and turns. You REALLY feel for both characters and what they are going through. It was very intense and enjoyable and I see now why it is so highly rated!!! It's a must read!