All Comments on 'The Scrapbook'

Like it or lump it, this was a well thought out and nicely crafted Romance that makes ya feel good inside. Both the Hero and the Heroine were dealing with a whole group of complex, emotions and attitudes on their way to growing up.

Lucky for us the ending was just what the doctor ordered. Sometimes love (and the people involved) need to grow up before moving on.

Great Job and I for one loved it.

Foux Pas

It is a tremendous story. But as an individual, I am not sure I could accept another mans child in the belly of the woman I love and want to marry. Nor could I wait five years and go right back to her, I am just not made that way. The only way this story held together was Amber and Richard. In the real world, that sort of thing almost never happens.

For an old romantic like me this was a very good story.

but the "reason" for Steph and Mark not having another child for over 4 years --- only to be brought up in some perfunctory manner at the last minute there --- just didn't do it for me. <p>

it's all rosy pink and all that, as a romance story. but in reality, Marks hurt could not have been mended that easily: 4 plus years of wanting to add to the family but with Steph knowingly, directly, overtly NOT wanting to do it, because there's always some hope in the back of her mind about "re-uniting" with Tony,,,, but she said: "That night, at the 5 year re-union, I knew for sure, it was all infatuation, when he kissed me and I treated it more like a brotherly kissed." <p>

wow! supposed the kiss had turned out to be more opportune and a red hot chrished kiss (as opposed to it being more like brotherly?) would she, then, come clean, IF THAT HAD HAPPENED, to Mark and said: <p>

"Thank you for all your help, all these last 4 years. And our girl will miss you a lot, being that you're her only father up to now. But that night convinced me behyond doubt, that Tony and I were/are meant to be together..." <p>

Of course, that didn't happened; but there is still NO reasonable explanation, from Steph, as to why she and Mark didn't have another kid.... Neither author nor Steph explained it, although Mark perfunctorily said, "I know having childrene takes plannin' and all, but..." Yeah, but why not? It's not like neither of them wanted to have another child; it's not like they have explicitly talked about delaying having one, either! <p>

having Steph realizing how infinitessimally close she came to losing the only father her little girl has ever known, as well as having her realizing how her feelings about Mark MUST have been real [despite doubts] and those about Tony infatuation [despite youthful naivete], FOUR plus years later, at the 5 year-re-union, was kinda extreme, wasn't it? <p>

the fact of the matter is, (one) had Tony been more tactful in his approach to Steph and (2) had MISS AMBER not told Steph what a TOTALLY SELFLESS, generous, good-hearted, self-sucrifizing young man MARK was/is (delaying his Harvard education to provide a home and stability for the woman he loved but was willing to lose her virginity to the big well to do Tony ----- had those two things/events come out in a different permutation, Mark would simply had spent over 4 years (plus the life time before that, growing up with Steph and loving her from way since they were small...) loving a woman that wasn't worth all his love and devotion! and she would STILL be the same Steph at the end of THIS story here! <p>

personally I think the author concluded the story in the tradition of all "romance"; but I would have liked it more had he concluded with Mark and Steph going their separate ways ---- being true star-crossed lovers (never ending up together) and never knowing it until it was too late, with a chasm between them so big, all the tears and yearnings in heaven never being enough to bring them back together. THAT would have been a much stronger ending, though sad.

I rated 100, although I somewhat felt 75 (or something in between) would be more approriate. As usual, very well written but the characters, in my mind, may have some flaws.

G.Belgium

Once more I went and read all three submissions of this particular story, and loved every minute of reading them.

Hope for more in the future.

Many thanks

From a dedicated U.K. fan.

Another well crafted story where closure, hope, caring, love, and perseverance helped bond these characters. Gaps in this storyline can best be explained with closure. Thank you for another Excellent read. D.J.McLellan Jr.

I think this story is placed in the correct category, even though the others could have worked. A great read as usual from Wetapap's stories. My only criticism is that the <b>bold</b> and the <i>italics</i> are a distraction. Otherwise, perfect!

It just goes to show that the football hero goes on to live happily ever after. wetapap wrote this story so well, that the chemistry and raw attraction between Tony and Steph in the scene where they hook up is very apparent. The same cannot be said for the scenes of "loving interaction" between Mark and Steph. I found myself rooting against Mark after that scene where Steph becomes Tony's girlfriend in high school--Fer cryin' out loud, Tony gives her a cutesy pet name then and there. I feel a conclusion where Mark and Steph end up together would have been better served with a sex scene or two between them. As it stands, Tony should have married Steph: he confessed he would have married her had his parents not interfered (a cop-out to serve the ultimate reconciliation).<p>Tony not only pops Steph's cherry, he knocks her up to boot! Then if that don't beat all, he ends up engaged to the knock-out, Kasey. Kasey is a red herring, since she was set up as a good match for Mark (much better than Steph). So not only does Tony fuck and knock up Mark's childhood sweetheart, but he also fucks the chick who carried a torch for Mark. And to top it off, even Richard likes Tony, and was even grooming him to be a CEO. Tony comes off smelling like a rose. I wish Tony had married Steph out of high school and Mark had married Kasey out of high school, but if that had happened, there'd be no conflict. Too bad, as those pairings would have worked out well.<p>I know this is a feel-good story, but it would have felt much better if Tony and Steph were together from the beginning to raise their daughter and Kasey hooked up with Mark. This is in the "Romance" category, after all. This is the weakest of the Wetap stories, but it could have been stronger. Even Miss Amber's meddling rubbed me the wrong way. I'm all for happy endings, but the imposed resolution to this story left a bad taste in my mouth. I'm left with the impression that Mark is a sap, and Tony gets the last laugh on everyone. The golden boy reigns supreme.

Your depth of characters as always is great. I do think this needs a follow up story explaining why no children, and where they go from here. Also it needs a branch off into Ken and Marcie. Thank you for your time and words.

Nicely crafted. I am happy that in the category we do not

have trolls brandishing their clubs and singing Wimp, Wimp!

There is a big question mentioned below about why the gal got preggie on the first penetration and never again. Basically it could only because the hero does not have the appropiate swimmers if she was not avoiding pregnancy. If she was that unresolved that she blocked for five years because she was still carrying a torch for Tony, then she robbed them both.

But it may be a case of an unrepairable plot failure.

Dare we hope that this series will continue on unabated and unending?

Boyd

This whole series has been great! I know you said this was the last of a trilogy but if you ever feel the need to write another... I know one reader that will be very happy. A wonderful and well told tale. I don't think it's possible for you to write something I don't love. Thank You very much for aq fine story that I will read again.

It made me feel GOOD. And this is a good season to feel GOOD and LOVE. Thanks

Good writers write good stories and you are a very good writer,Thanks!

for everyone that has left comments. i try to send a personal note to each individual. some i have no way of contacting. i do appreciate the comments and wish to thank everyone who has taken the time to read the story. i hope everyone has a happy new year.

I have to give it a 5 because well .... we have argued about this one enough.<p>

One can see this as a story of childish people growing up, the wife, the stud and our hero, or you can see it as emotionally crippled youths whose die is cast to be lost.<p>

It's really how you read it.<p>

The best part is the updates on your older characters AND you easy flowing style of writing.<p>

It's really easy for me to forget I am READING a story of yours and instead sit back and watch the movie in my mind's eye.<p>

Well what other travesty will you lay on the English language my friend? ;> Can't wait.<p>

One of the best stories that I have read. Thank you very much for writing. The characters were very well developed. You could feel the love between the husband and wife. I realy enjoyed the way you developed Tony from a spoiled jock to a real person.

Well I don’t have any feedback to help you as a writer as I just enjoyed it very much and am not qualified to give any professional critic. This is like a friend told me who is a connoisseur of wines, “It’s not what I or anyone else says is a great wine, it is what tastes good to you that makes a good wine.” I liked your romance and it did so entertain me. <P>Thank you for all the detailed effort you give in your stories! Happy New Year<P>PT

Now I for one loved this wonderful little romance, it was in depth enough with out too much extra. I hope there are more stories just like this one to make me happy on a cold winter's nights.

Keep up the great work,

JAD

request for more, have asked if this is going to be the last in the 'wetap' saga. it was always my intent to do the series in four parts. the fourth story is underway and i hope to have it finished in the near future. but, with my speed of writing, the near future may be awhile, so please bear with me.

What a f**kin waste

It almost doesn't get any better than this for me. Steph lost her way for a while, I love my reconciliation but I also want retribution. I can only hope that when Mark becomes CEO, he gives Tony the boot. Thank you for writing such a wonderful story.

... so many 100%/Comments/Votes. I agree with them and will add one more. Thank you. Good entertainment. Painting with words at it's best.

<p>Sincere regards</p>

<b>Nucleus</b>

always bet on love?... when for 5 years the wife secretly Wanted to fuck Tony and would NOT let herself get pregant ?

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Frankly the idiocy of this story is fucking offensive

...you will continue to write more stories for the Wetap Series. I just love how you intertwine the lives of those who live and work there. Wonderful story!!

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As for the anonymous person who left a comment on 4/28/08. In your words...<b>"You Suck Moose Cock!!"</b> Everyone makes mistakes! No one is perfect! Quit reading into the story so much and let the tale fo true love weave it's magic. The only thing offensive is you and your comment.

i loved the whole of the "wetap" searies and i didnt care that there was no sex in it, it was everything a true romance should be and thats stunningly beautiful

I must say. Most of the stories we read on this site are for the sex. But every now and then we get real gems of writing (and this applies to all your work, even the ones that suddenly end!). Even as a guy I can appreciate the hopeless romaticsm in your work.

Keep it up. I look forward to readind many more.

Thanks for a super series in the Wetap stories. Tremendous romantic plots with enough twists to satisfy the most demanding. Thanks for the privilege of reading your material. Enough to warm the cockles of an old cops heart, and believe me that really takes a lot. I'm just about to print them off for my wife of 52 years to read

Not as good as the other romance stories. The only good character in this one was Mark. Even Richard let me down when he supported Tony so much. Even after eventually finding that Tony had abandoned his pregnant girlfriend. Face it, Tony made no effort to do anything as a man other than at first promising to marry Steph. Especially after he got on his flight out of town. He did not meet Richard's high moral standards then...or at the Reunion! Steph emotionally cheated on her husband for five years by wondering what her life would have been like if Tony had not left. She dumped her steady boyfriend Mark to be with Tony and got pregnant? Would she have ever gave a shit about Mark again if Tony had married her as she wanted? What if Tony had showed at the wedding and told everyone it was his child she carried? Would she have jumped into his arms and jilted Mark again? It was only romantic at the end because you made it go that way from the kiss at the reunion. It would have been just as romantic if she had divorced Mark and married her true love Tony! Richard liked him just as much as Mark evidently... Oh whatever! As I said and a few agree...this was not as plausible as the others! This was more of a cheating wife story to me.

Nuff said.

W,

Thanks W. Wonderfullof Love. Look forward to reading more.

best wishes

x

Give that man a creampie!

So caled "author" should desist in imposing such a crap on unsuspecting readers. Pity there is not a "0" to wote!!

Brilliant there is no other word to describe what I have just read. thank you

I was impressed with the first story but each succeeding story became more tedious and poorly plotted and paced til I had the misfortune of finishing this piece of zwieback. This story had too many characters and jumped around from one to the other destroying any rhythmn or enjoyment. It was impossible to enjoy the story let alone follow the reasons for the silly cameo appearences of all the characters. The author obviously fell in love with his characters to the detriment of the reader and the story. HUBRIS! In reality, the plot was too simple. Why so many pages? The sub plots, which could have saved this story, went nowhere or were never fully developed.

Thats what I say to anyOne who knocks this story. Stories are stories and this is one of the best.

I completely blame the author for causing me to fall asleep in class

This story had a good start but degenerated rather quickly. The fact is that she cuckolded him and had a child that is NOT his. No where did I read where it really was addressed that he raised another man's child. Truly he was a wimp.

I only read this story because of the high score it got, and because I enjoy first two story on the "wetap" stories. After I read it, I'm astounded that this story got a very high score. I'm not a troll but I really believe that high score isn't justified. Nicholls9 sums it best on his comment, it boggles the mind how awful and illogical Mark is treated and how Tony seems to be rewarded for his irresponsible behavior. There's even no talk about child support for Tony to pay. This story is a quintessential "nice guy finish last story", but then again I don't feel sympathy for this particular nice guy, because he is truly an idiot and a wimp. Last but not least, I regret that I ever read this story, the author talks about true love here, but I can only infer that love made you stupid and/or insane. What a load of crap and waste of time.

J [drazvich(at)live(dot)com]

The reasoning behind her hooking up with her old highschool lover at the reunion was kind of difficult to swallow. Then her sudden conversion back to realizing that she really loved her husband afterall just was not presented in the story as being very convincing.

She definitely wanted to test the waters with Tony but she was still calculating enough to understand that she couldn't make a complete ass of herself by slobbering spit with him out on the deck with everyone watching them through the door. So she follows him back inside hoping to get a chance in a more private place.

I am in the camp that believes that if she truly loved her husband, she wouldn't have put her marriage at risk by testing the waters to begin with.

When Mark challenges her behavior with the scrapbook and asks how she could possibly love him while she obviously longs for another man, the author never gives her a chance to explain what she was doing or thinking. He never made her account for what she did. That is my biggest problem with the story.

On the other hand, I thought the scene at the end when they ran to each other was kind of nice.

Thanks for sharing the story, wetapap.

damn you, now i have to go to work with only 4 hours of sleep ;)......this awsome story of yours wouldn't let me go to bed befor i finished reading it.....i truly hope you keep writing and giving us joy as you did sofar. thank you so much :)

If you post anonymously, anywhere, you can expose your bias, prejudice, and stupidity. As Ron White expresses so well, Anonymous of 5/22/2011, "The next time you have a thought, keep your mouth shut". Mark couldn't have been cuckolded, because 1. He was on a date the same as she. 2. She was drunk. 3. He accepted a baby he knew WASN'T his and married her, after the fact! This is a poignant, sweet story with a great ending.

However, the fact of the matter is, that our main hero Mark, is the very definition of a cuckold. Forget what LW readers and authors babble on about when they go on about cheating wives and bbc's and shit like that. Mark is knowingly (but the knowledge doesn't matter in the definition) bringing up another man's child.

In this particularly well written story, it's even worse because Tony gets treated very well and even rewarded by the family. Steph treated poor Mark horribly when she unceremoniously dumped him while still in high school, and his reward for stepping up to the challenge and saving Steph's reputation by marrying her, is to have her pine away at what could have been with Tony. Enough to create and hide a scrapbook of him. Something that took much effort and time and collusion with friends to achieve. These are not the actions of faithful, life long friends.

I don't think I'd like any of the three main characters in this story, and the whole 'true love' thing I think turns out to be quite diluted by the end of the story. Sorry, and even though I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story, I must admit to not liking several key aspects of it. It can't be that great when the reader walks away thinking "If I wrote this, these things would have been handled differently."

All three stories were good, tho I think I liked #1 best. These are all, however, worth reading again. Thank you!

It's been a long time since I've been as moved by a story. In fact I was moved to tears. Thanks.

Not too many honorable folk around. I guess having one or two is sufficient.

whole paragraph. It's like throwing tacks on the path. Irritating and painful to have to cross over.

Like your other stories there is clearly a romantic theme - you enjoy seeing people get good things - I suspect there is a lot of Richard in you - or maybe you in Richard heh

A story can certainly be not just good but great even is the reader has opinions differing from those of the author - it just means the author made you think for yourself - a pretty neat thing when it happens - thinking is what makes us grow and progress - not just agreeing with everything and everyone.

I do agree that some of the characters in this one have or had some work to do on integrity and simple honesty - but there were overt acts of cheating - bad thoughts yes no acting on them however and no direct lies to abuse another - lots of imprecision.

So flawed people yes - dishonorable - evil - malicious - not that I found - so let;s forgive them there flaws and enjoy a good story??

The site will not accept a vote and you my not ever know, but i do believe this is one of the best short stories ever written.

You are a real good writer and come up with some very creative and entertaining stories. However, this is a tough reconciliation to take. Most of the husband's problems were his own fault. He married a girl that was pregnant with her lover's child, as a matter of fact she was still in love with her lover.

She didn't want to have her husband's children, she kept a secret hidden scrapbook of her lover's exploits, she contacted other friends for info -pictures and letters- about her lover. She even called her husband her lover's name. At the night of the party, she ignores her husband and dances inappropriately with her lover, she goes out to the patio with her ex-lover and doesn't do anything because everybody is watching, so she goes by the restrooms and starts making-out with him --again ignoring her husband. I guess all that sure shows true and real love.

He did good when he left her (should have divorced her). I can't really see taking her back. Thank you for a very creative story.

It's hard to justify for the reader why they get back together. We are only told that she loves him, but never see any actions that make this point believable. So it's hard to swallow when they get back together. Still a good read.

there were just too many holes in it for me. The biggest negative was how Richard looked the other way with Tony. Knowing who he was and what he did to Steph was outside the conduct and behaviour expected of an employee. Then to keep an eye on him as he climbed the corporate ladder and still let his life style slide was too far below the bar established in part one.

Reconciliation under some circumstances can be OK, but this story was not one.

This story needed a knock down drag out about the scrapbook. I know it would have been difficult to write well, but it was needed.

I'd also like to hear what Marcie's reasoning was for keeping it hidden.

What if their had been sparks with Tony at the reunion? What would Steph have done then? Just too much missing to make this a solid reconciliation.

Lives up to the promise of the first two.

Thanx Wetapap.

Great story, do yourself a favour and read this story.

What I didn't like is how she really didn't react as I thought she would when she woke up and realized she had sex. Tony, and maybe others, took advantage of her while drunk. That shows a huge character flaw in Tony but fits the jock self centered character of the story. Then why for five years does she just pine away about Tony? Why not chase after him? If she is worried about her daughter she has her parents to help and she would get child support from her soon to be ex.

I have no problem with Mark being involve and getting over what happened. Her cheating was an emotional affair and as far as he knows the only physical contact in his marriage was that kiss. But I would still wonder why she wants back? Is it because she realizes what she would lose so good thing she had plan B? What if Tony was not engaged? If she wanted mark back she gave up long ago and was even moving cross country with his kid.

As of the date of this comment,

I examined the 6 stories that follow The Scrapbook

chronologically on the Submissions page.

I did not find any that had to do with wetap.

Paul in Oklahoma

Whatever it is , believe me at the back of your mind there would always be a sad feeling. That would never go and eventually leave a pain full void in the mind.

What a great love story, it took 4 years of separation but in the end true love prevailed. 5/5

This is very well written, but utterly disappointing. She's a selfish *&(*& who does not deserve a good man. Too many reasons to list but the fact that she let her parents think that Mark impregnated her is just one of a hundred.

And he's a stupid schmuck who decided to ruin his life (OK, in the diner he was self aware enough, finally, to admit it) by marrying said sefish *&()) with her not loving him.

And the whole turning around of the jock into a good person was incredibly difficult to buy. (also, he should have at LEAST offered back and ongoing child support, if he actually turned into a semblance of a decent human being - AND Richard should have enforced it.

While I am sucker for romantic stories with happy endings - I felt Mark was cheated properly by everyone all around him (including benevolent Richard/Amber). But a happy ending is happy ending.

Congratulations. This is what a wonderful story should be. Definitely a five star 🌟💫🌟💫🌟💫🌟💫🌟

Is there ANYONE not lying or manipulating Mark?

This is less of a "romance" than it is a "get out of jail free" for everyone BUT Mark.

Even Amber turned out to be a manipulative liar.

Wow, one story and a total destruction of what Wetap claims to be.