THE LOVING TRILOGY is the combination of the three books Loving Rebecca, Loving Melanie and Loving Selena which make up the trilogy. Although each of the three books is a complete novel in itself they are best read together. They follow on in time and each book includes all the main characters as they experience the ups and downs of love. LOVING REBECCA What circumstances could lead to a young couple madly in love being separated by the Atlantic Ocean in just a few short weeks. And What circumstances could lead them to come face to face again after a year apart. This is a debut novel by Patricia Hooton and follows the will they, won't they passionate relationship between Mark and Rebecca, from the academia at Oxford University to the quiet peaceful village life in the Cotswold tourist area and then to the American Deep South and the picturesque and historical town of Charleston in South Carolina. Mark arrives at Oxford University from the University of South Carolina to collaborate on a research paper with an absent Rebecca and nobody seems to know the reason for her absence. However, three weeks later, she walks in and it is love at first sight as they work closely together. Although she wears a ring there is no mention of a husband. It is not long before her estranged and abusive husband, Jeremy, shows up at the university to argue with Rebecca, but Mark is there to comfort her and so the passionate relationship begins. Tragedy follows a passionate night of love as a brokenhearted Mark immediately disappears back to America and Rebecca is left to pick up the pieces of her own broken life and deal with the secrets that Jeremy has kept hidden. Then one day, Mark and Rebecca suddenly come face to face and have to deal with the ensuing consequences. LOVING MELANIE Melanie, 'the flirt', from a small Cotswold village in England finds herself extending her stay at the other side of the Atlantic in Historic Charleston, South Carolina, to help organise the wedding of her lifelong friend Rebecca. Chad, 'the millionaire playboy', from Charleston in South Carolina and best man at the wedding is delighted with Melanie's extended stay as it gives him time to let her see past the playboy image and see him for who he really is. No matter how many passionate kisses they exchange, Melanie is determined not to be just another notch on Chad's bedpost. However, everything changes when Melanie meets the ruggedly handsome Luke, manager of Chad's family plantation. Chad experiences jealousy for the first time in his life and Chad's mother uses the instant attraction between Luke and Melanie to try and break up any budding romance between her son and Melanie. When Melanie returns to England alone it is time to discover if the passionate relationship that she has with Chad is strong enough to overcome the problems that life throws at them LOVING SELENA It is now two years since Selena's husband of a few months died a hero in Afghanistan and she has begun to rebuild her life again. Far away from her family in Charleston, South Carolina, her art business in the pretty Cotswold village in England is thriving. The village is also the home of Jason, the brother of her friend Melanie. Jason does not hide his attraction to Selena but is aware that it is too soon for her and holds back but Selena finds herself becoming more and more attracted to Jason. However, as soon as she takes a step forward in the relationship she immediately backs off. Guilt and betrayal overwhelm her as she is unable to come to terms with being unfaithful to her dead husband. The feelings of being unfaithful are real to Selena because she has 'The Gift' from her Cherokee ancestors to be able to see and talk to spirits. The spirit of her dead husband is still earthbound and she still sees him and talks to him. Will she be able to overcome her feelings of guilt? Will Jason be patient and wait for her?