Negative - Shop now
$8.99

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The 39-Year-Old Virgin (Silhouette Special Edition Book 1983) Kindle Edition

4.4 out of 5 stars 19 ratings

A former nun returns home and finds love with a widower who once harbored a crush on her in this heartwarming romance from a USA Today–bestselling author.

But was ex-nun Claire Santaniello ready for it? Her yearning for a home and family had her shedding her habit and moving back to California. But her true calling definitely wasn’t with sexy single dad Caleb McClain. Was it?

The stunning redhead seemed uncomfortable in the crowded bar. She was also tantalizingly familiar. Caleb couldn’t believe the girl he’d once loved was now a teacher in their hometown. Soon after he rescued her from the dance floor, Claire made it her mission to bring out his softer side, arousing feelings Caleb couldn’t ignore. Was it finally time for them to create the future together they both craved?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

This USA TODAY bestselling and RITA ® Award-winning author has written more than two hundred books for Harlequin Books and Silhouette Books, some under the name Marie Nicole. Her romances are beloved by fans worldwide. Visit her website at www.marieferrarella.com.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B002F082DA
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Silhouette Special Edition; Original edition (June 27, 2009)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 27, 2009
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.2 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 268 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 19 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Marie Ferrarella
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
19 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2009
    Exceptionally written characters make up this Silhouette Special Edition about a former Dominican Sister who decides to leave the order when she suddenly realizes it just doesn't feel right anymore. She goes home to take care of her ailing mother and meets a man, whom as a boy she used to babysit.

    This is a real crossroads story for Claire as she tries a assimilate with a world where she isn't quite sure God is standing by her side anymore. All has not changed for Claire though. Even now when she doesn't quite know where she fits into this new world she is creating for herself, she is lending a helping hand. When she sees that the boy she once knew is experiencing a world of hurt in his own right as a man, she steps in to help him.

    Caleb is no longer the smiling face boy Claire remembered. An already hardened police, vice detective Caleb experienced a great loss when his wife was violently killed the year before. He makes it through the day only because of his son, Danny.

    Claire knows that just surviving isn't working anymore for either Caleb or Danny and she pushes her way into their lives to make a difference.

    One of the best part about Marie's writing is that she succeeds in producing believable, exciting characters. She has done her best work with both Claire and Caleb. Readers can feel the emotion sizzle not only between these two characters, but also when they are dealing separately with their own issues. I also like the fact that she doesn't try to fix all their hurts in just one week and suddenly the two are falling in love, but gives both characters time to adjust to the new world they've been thrown into and to come to terms with everything.

    Note: While Claire is an ex-nun in this book, the religious aspect of the book remains very neutral. The story line is based on the individual characters and how they adjust to the world around them.
    10 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2010
    I liked the plot of this book, and I loved the characters, except Claire's mother. She said some harsh things to her, things that, if my mother told me, I would have cried. Claire was a wonderfully sweet, and honest character, who was probably the best female lead I've ever read about in any of Marie Ferrarella's books. Caleb was a wonderful guy, except we never really got to know what he was thinking.

    The thing that bothered me about this book, however, was the inaccuracy. I am Catholic, go to church every Sunday, was even discerning becoming a nun at one point, and I just wonder, where Ferrarella did her research on this. She got many things wrong. For example, you can't become a nun at 17, or at 18, so she was not actually a Sister for twenty years. Also, when one does enter the convent, you are not immediately made a nun. You are indisposed for a while as you learn about the life of a nun, and all this other stuff, and it seemed like Marie was just writing what she thought, and not facts. Which is what I'm getting used to her doing. I don't think I'll be reading any more from her either, because, except for this book, and one other, I've hated all of her stuff.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2010
    Claire was a nun for 22 years, but finally left the order after discovering her mother had cancer and losing her calling. At home she runs into Caleb, the boy she used to baby sit for, now all grown up and with a son of his own, and also a missive pool of grief he likes to swim in over the death of his wife.

    Claire's sunny and optimistic personality helps to crack through the husk around Caleb's heart and also bring Caleb's adorable son Danny to life again.

    This is an incredibly sweet and touching tale. The religious aspect is very very well done, being not a religious person myself, sometimes books that focus on religion can come off sounding preachy, but that doesn't happen here. The journey that Caleb takes to recover from the loss of his wife is well paced and very realistic, and the relationship between Danny and Claire is very touching too.

    The only real problems I had here was the fact that Caleb and Claire were never officially "dating" and yet they had slept together. It didn't seem unnatural in the book, but I don't think that it's something Claire would have really done, no mater how well she knew Caleb. I also wasn't overly fond of Claire's guilt about having sex. I know she used to be a nun but still before she started to have a relationship with Caleb she said sex outside of marriage was ok so long as there was love involved.

    The ending was a little bit fast, and it really needed about 5 or 10 more pages because I thought the inevitable happy ending happened at an inopportune moment. But all in all, this was an incredibly sweet, surprisingly touching, and throughly entertaining little gem of a book. I hope more people will seek it out because it is well worth the effort.
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?