Friendly Friday - Featuring Sandra Bunino

I don’t know about you, but I’m a complete sucker for a reunion romance. I love to learn the H/h’s story about their past as well as their painful and often misunderstood breakup. But what really gets my heart pumping are the oh-so-sexy scenes when they meet again, years later.

Here’s a little taste of one such scene from Sara’s Smile:

While he spoke, she stared at his mouth, remembering how his kisses felt on her lips. A glance at his hands awoke her memory of the way they had encircled her waist as she made love to him.

Stop it, she ordered herself sternly, and shook her head.

“Are you okay?”

Oh shit. I didn’t say that out loud, did I? “Y-yeah, I’m fine,” she answered with a laugh.

“Now that we’ve made a dent in these martinis,” he said, looking down at his glass, “I have to tell you… You broke my heart, that last night. I really loved you, Sara.”

“And you don’t think I felt the same way? Will, I made a clean break between us for you, as much as me. It never would have worked out, given our situations. You were traveling the world on the fast track to success, and I had a challenging course schedule. Look at us now, with everything we wished for. Our hard work paid off.”

Will’s gaze sharpened. “Have you ever regretted it? You know, not giving us a chance?”

Sara paused and looked into his eyes. Every day. That was what she wanted to answer, but instead she said, “I think our table is ready. Come on. Let’s go sit down.”

I’ve been in the reunion state of mind lately. Coincidently my reunion romance, Sara’s Smile, released on the same weekend as my high school reunion (I’m not giving up the year, so don’t ask   ;-)). What a great time I had, too! I’m very happily married and so seemed most of the attendees but I could definitely understand how sparks could fly under those circumstances for past lovers, especially first loves. This begs the question, can bringing one back to his/her keg-stand days (yes, there were keg stands performed at my reunion) really rekindle lost love? If so, is it just a passing fling or can it work out in the long term?

I did a little research and found five fun facts about rekindling a past romance:

1. Who are the prime candidates to rekindle a romance?

The most successful rekindled romances were lost lovers who had been 17 or younger at the time of the initial romance -- first loves -- and had separated for situational reasons, like parents disapproved, one of them moved away or went to college. Age of the couples didn't matter -- if they were 18 or 95, the romance worked the second time. In fact, the older they were for the reunion, the better their chances of success.

2. Is lost & found love successful the second time around?

Yes! 2,000 people between the ages 18 to 95 were polled about their rekindled romance and guess what? 72% of them reported that they are still together with their lost and found lover. First loves had the highest stay together rate -- 78% are happily reunited, and remain blissfully in love over their many years of marriage. These weren’t just romances of convenience. They were reported as wildly sexual, soul mate reunions. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder!

3. Are rekindled romances more intense than other loves?

Again, the answer is a resounding yes. Participants were asked to rate the emotional involvement of the rekindled romance, as compared to all their other loves in the past, and 71% of them said that this was their most intense romance of all. Additionally, 61% of the participants said that the rekindled romance started faster than any other romance in the past, and that the sexual involvement was intense.

4. Why does rekindled love endure?

The couples grew up together, they spent their formative years together, and many of the first loves reported that the lost love became the standard for all their other romances. They knew each other well, many times they shared roots and values. It is these similarities that form the strength of the bond. For the most part, these romances began as friendships.

5. Isn't there some research that suggests that this love might have a biological component?

Absolutely! There’s something to the term ranging hormones. When teens are in love for the first time, hormones like oxytocin and vassopressin are released into the bloodstream. These chemicals form emotional memories in the brain, stored in an area called the amygdala. When the lost lovers meet again, those memories are released by the familiar sight, smell, touch and sound of the long lost lover. The feelings are comforting and familiar as well as sexually arousing!

Interesting statistics!

If all this talk of rekindled love has you in the mood for a sweet reunion romance, you’ll enjoy Sara and Will’s steamy story. Sara’s Smile takes the reader from young love found on the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard to the fast paced streets of New York City and sexy shores of Santa Monica. It’s the perfect summertime read that’s sure to leave you breathless.

Source credit:

Marriagepartner.com and Nancy Kalish, Ph.D., author of Lost & Found Lovers. 

And now, for the contest! We're giving away one copy of "Sara's Smile" to one lucky winner! To enter, just leave a comment below, telling us what your favorite reunion story is. Whether it's a real life story or a fictional story from a movie or a book - we want to know! Be sure to include your    

e-mail address!

Blurb:
As an architect who specializes in restorations, Sara Wiley is a genius at returning neglected structures to their former glory. But when it comes to her own life, she has no idea how to reclaim the ruins, which are all that remain of her first true love.

When the biggest opportunity of her career and a sexy contractor comes her way, she’s thrilled…until she learns that the client is the long-ago boy who captured her heart and continues to invade her dreams. Is it a bittersweet coincidence or might there be a chance, after all, for Sara to revisit the mistakes of her past and build the future she has wanted for so long?

Author Bio:

Sandra Bunino began a love of romance stories while penning a creative writing assignment in high school. The story ended with the heroine receiving a long stem red rose in her locker on Valentine’s Day. Since then, all of her stories feature the hero presenting the heroine with roses. Sandra is constantly searching for different ways to achieve a heart-pumping, stomach-flipping, breath-catching reaction from her readers.

These days, Sandra lives on a wooded mountaintop not far from New York City with her family. She always looks forward to hearing from her readers and she may be contacted at sbunino@gmail.com. Come back often to find out more about her current and future releases. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter (@sandrabunino). Remember, following is sexy!