Fly Away Book Review + $100 Giveaway!


A couple years ago, I read a touching novel, Firefly Lane, by Kristin Hannah.  To say it was touching doesn't do the book justice.  Hannah's style of writing is so mesmerizing and yet so easy to follow along... I couldn't put the book down.  It was fun and happy, yet sad and sentimental.  
Firefly Lane is a story of a friendship between two girls.  It starts in the 60's and follows their relationship over the next 30+ years.  They go through school, careers, love, loss and so much more by the time the novel comes to an end.  I distinctly remember being in tears as I read the last page and I instantly wanted to pass the book along to all my best girlfriends...and give them a hug in the process.

It's just one of those books that makes you happy to know you have that "best friend forever" in your life.
So when I learned that there was a follow-up, Fly Away, now available in paperback, I was excited to pick it up.  Since I had read Firefly Lane, the new book Fly Away instantly resonated with me again, but in different ways this time.  Of course, as a new mom, I read into this story much differently now.  The theme of loss is pretty predominant (I was bawling), but the thing that drew me most to it, is how we, as the friend, spouse and parent, deal with loss.  How we heal and move forward once again... always remembering, of course, but we move from survival mode, back to thriving move.  Hannah's writing truly captures the essence of what love, family, motherhood, loss, and especially friendship, really mean.

It's great to get lost in another great book again and because I consider you all girlfriends of mine, I would be remiss not to pass along this book recommendation.

And happily, one lucky reader has a chance to win the Fly Away book AND win a $100 gift card, simply by commenting about what you love most about your best friend in the comment section below.  It can be fun, silly, or serious... I want to hear it all.  You can even visit the website to read an excerpt and watch two videos that bring you into the world of Fly Away. And I hope you do get the chance to read both books soon... I know you will all love them.

xo natasha
Sweepstakes Rules:No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

  1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
  2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
  3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
  4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 72 hours to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 4/1/2014-4/30/2014.
Be sure to visit the St. Martin’s Press brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

110 comments :

  1. My best friend has a wonderfully large shoe collection (we are the same size) and an even bigger heart! She inspires me to be as giving as she is!

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  2. What I love most about my best friend is that she just 'gets me'. She's sincere in her friendship for me and I know I can trust her with my heart.

    I love Kristin Hannah's writing! I didn't know about 'Fly Away'!!! <3

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  3. Oh, I love Kristin Hannah! Why I love my best friend because she just gets me. You don't even have to talk---they know how you are feeling, how to respond, and have fun:)

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  4. What I love about my best friend is that he is very honest

    elena150980@yahoo.com

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  5. https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/451066129381732354

    elena150980@yahoo.com

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  6. I love how my best friend is the sweetest person & tries to have a great outlook on life!!

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  7. What a great giveaway! My best friend moved to Malaysia several months ago with her family for a temporary assignment. But we don't skip a beat. Even thought we don't get to talk every day, we keep in touch with photos, funny honest emails and the occasional hour-long phone call. We'll be very excited to reconnect when she moves back to Texas!

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  8. Great giveaway! My best friend is always there for me whether it is good or bad news she always knows what to say!

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  9. So fun! I have read other books of hers but never Firefly Lane! What I love about my bestie there is too much to list! She makes me laugh and I feel pretty special to claim possession of her!!

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  10. My best friend, although far away, is so supportive and caring. But, my favorite thing about her is her genuiness, for better or worse, she is transparent and I love that about her!!

    Norma
    P.S. I LOOOOOOVE to read, so this is perfect!

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  11. My best friend is my sister and my favorite thing about her is her sense of humor - mostly because we have a similar one and nobody else seems to realize how funny I am!

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  12. my best friend and I have been thru everything in each other lives the good and the bad. you know you can always just be yourself

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  13. I absolutely love Kristin Hannah! Have you read Winter Garden or Night Road? Two of my favorites and you won't be able to put them down!

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  14. What I love most about my best friend is that he's also my yummy hubby.

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  15. I love that my best friend and I can pick up right where we left off at.

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  16. I love that my best friend has heard all my stories and doesn't mind hearing them again.

    mami2jcn at gmail dot com

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  17. tweet:

    https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/451152603292786688

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  18. I love that my best friend is always honest with me. The good, the bad, the ugly, she doesn't hold back.

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  19. My bestie is always encouraging and uplifting. She will pray for me no matter what time of day or night! And she has a little girl just three months older than mine, which is a plus :).

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  20. https://twitter.com/lauren_aiken/status/451179960519376896

    lauren.ashley.aiken@gmail.com

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  21. I love that no matter how long it's been since we since each other, it's like we never parted.

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  22. I would love to read both of these books. I lost my best friend in November to cancer. We'd been best friends for 30 years. I loved her always upbeat attitude, her sense of humor and her grace. She was genuine.

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  23. I've heard of this book and always wanted to read it, but never have. I love the way you describe it. It really captures the essence of the story and makes me want to go buy it right now!

    The thing I love most about my best friend is that she is always there. No matter what time, day, or the problem, she is there. No judging, just helping, understanding, and listening. And no matter how long it has been since we last saw each other, it feels like just yesterday!

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  24. My best friend and I were bump buddies (if only for a couple months)!! I love that no matter how long it's been since we last talked or saw each other it always feels like it was just yesterday. Also she is the most supportive friend I know. I am so so lucky to have her in my life!!!

    atparsons.blogspot.com

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  25. I love that my best friend always tries to stay in touch with me no matter what is going on in her life.
    kellywcu8888ATgmailDOTcom

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  26. tweet
    https://twitter.com/Kellydinpa/status/451311494307672064
    kellywcu8888ATgmailDOTcom

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  27. My best friend always listens to me vent when I'm upset or worried--she's the best!

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  28. What I love most about my best friend is her brutal honesty. Often times, she is the only person that has the guts to tell me like it is, challenge me and tell me what she's thinking even though it's not what I want to hear ... it's what I need to hear. I love her for that! :)
    sbgcrockerATgmailDOTcom

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  29. I love that my best friend has been by my side through all kinds of ups and downs in our younger years. We never fight and always have so much fun when we hang out! Can't wait to go see her next week!

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  30. I loved these books!!! I just read them last month, and I think they would be awesome to give as gifts too. Last week, I had to call my bestie for a last minute dinner to be able to say all of the things that had been on my mind and that I needed to vent about as my husband didn't need to hear my rants anymore. She was there for me immediately, and I felt so much better after leaving her! She agreed and understood - we laughed and had real moments too. There's nothing that can replace that.

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  31. I love that I can say anything to my best friend.

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  32. Tweeted: https://twitter.com/connsean71/status/451392579234328577

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  33. My bestie and I have been besties since 1968 and other than my husband she is the only person who has ever "gotten" my weirdness (I think DH is just afraid of my reaction if he were to ever call me on the weirdness)

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  34. Tweet -
    https://twitter.com/AlinaConn/status/451420034657570816

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  35. I'm intrigued to read this book. My best bud and I have the most fun times and we can laugh at the same things without anyone knowing why.

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  36. I love that I can be completely honest and open with my best friend.

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  37. what I love about my best friend is that she has known me longer than anyone else and she still loves me and wants to spend time with me :)

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  38. My best friend is two people: my kids! They are smart, funny and so much fun to be around. I love their creativity and their independence. Amazing people that I'm so lucky to know :)
    anastasia2013@gmail.com

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  39. Tweeted :) - https://twitter.com/BookSwag1/status/451546522434277376
    anastasia2013@gmail.com

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  40. My best friend is always there to listen to me, and I feel safe telling her my most intimate thoughts!

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  41. I love my BFF so much because she would drop everything when I need her. I am very blessed!

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  42. My best friend, Joe, is hilarious and knows how to make crack a smile every time I am down.

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  43. My best friend is the person I call when I am sad, lonely, hungry, excited, nervous... or all of the above. She is always there for me, and I love her for it!

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  44. Tweeted!

    https://twitter.com/kelseymcmurtrey/status/451774819839639552

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  45. I love that I get to teach kindergarten with my bestie! We think so much alike we even wore the same dress to school today!

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  46. I love that we can talk to each other about anything!

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  47. I love that my best friend and I can talk about ANYTHING together!

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  48. https://twitter.com/MelanieShebel/status/451929909724987392

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  49. I love that my best friend, my mom, is always there for me. She has been my inspiration and the one person I know is always in my corner and who I can tell anything to.

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  50. https://twitter.com/nystateofmind5/status/452102298563772416

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  51. I love my bestie! She loves me unconditionally and is so kind, funny and selfless...
    heatheranne99 at gmail dot com

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  52. Tweet!
    https://twitter.com/ScoomerBlog/status/452109639916613632
    heatheranne99 at gmail dot com

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  53. What I love about my best friend is that she is very honest and always gives me her opinion. She is also fun to be around and is these when I need her.

    s2s2 at Comcast dot net

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  54. https://twitter.com/susan1215/status/452491346449039360

    s2s2 at Comcast dot net

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  55. Tweet: https://twitter.com/OneFrugalGirl/status/452554894533468160
    onefrugalgirl AT gmail DOT com

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  56. I met my closest friends in my neighborhood growing up. Later in college!

    onefrugalgirl AT gmail DOT com

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  57. I like that she GETS me...I don't always have to explain everything, she just knows what I mean or understands how I feel.

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  58. Tweeted
    https://twitter.com/rubylorikeet/status/452613885443313664

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  59. What I like about my best friend: since we live in different countries, we almost always end up laughing uncontrollably every time we meet!

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  60. I love that some of my best friends are actually my parents. They know me best, and they're much wiser than I gave them credit for as a kid!

    chambanachik(at)gmail(dot)com

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  61. My best friend is the most giving and loyal person; I am SO lucky just to know her. (she's also my moth-in law!)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    margueritecore [at] gmail [dot] com

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  62. I posted a tweet too: https://twitter.com/AnnaZed/status/453013829665165312
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    margueritecore [at] gmail [dot] com

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  63. She's loyal...probably to a fault! :)

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  64. I love that my best friend never judges me, and appreciate my silliness jokes.
    tcarolinep at gmail dot com

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  65. -https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/453367045459943424

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  66. I love that I can tell her anything.

    hewella1 at gmail dot com

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  67. We both think alike and have the same interests.

    rhoneygtn at yahoo dot com

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  68. Tweeted: https://twitter.com/rhoneygee/status/455233472185892864

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  69. What I love most about my best friend is that it does not matter how long ago it has been, since we last saw eachother, we can still pick up the phone and talk like we did as kids.... Since we live on two different continents, this is very important.

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  70. I love that my best friend is there for me, even if in the middle of the night, if I really need her!

    Thanks for the chance to win!
    wildorchid985 at gmail dot com

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  71. tweet--https://twitter.com/WildOrchid985/status/456027203160276992

    wildorchid985 at gmail dot com

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  72. I love that my best friend is just that, my best friend. No matter what, we are there for each other, the highs and lows!

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  73. tweet: https://twitter.com/myfolly/status/456586872827817984

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  74. i love that she is good listener

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  75. https://twitter.com/purplelover04/status/458000539889184769

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  76. She gets me and tells it like it is.
    MCantu1019 at aol dot com

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  77. I have known my Best Friend since Elementary School and what we both love about each other most is that we are more like sisters than friends, and even though she is slightly older and got to do everything first, she always brought me along for the ride (in a good way), we have spent decades sharing laughs, smiles, secrets, our biggest moments of triumphs and our greatest losses and have stood the test of time!

    Tracy @ Ascending Butterfly

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  78. Funny you ask about best friends, I was just thinking about mine, and we're coming up on our 20th best-friend-iversary! I love her because no matter how long it's been since we've seen eachother, we immediately devolve into 11 year old girly giggle fits. It's the best! :) (Also, I read Kristin Hannah's Winter Garden and LOVED it, so I think I'm due for another of her novels!)

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  79. My best friend is most definitely my husband. We were friends for awhile before we even started dating. I love that he has ALWAYS been there to talk me through tough times, to pick me up when I was sad, has always had my best interest in mind, and of course can make me laugh more than any other person I know!

    pittsy82@hotmail.com

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  80. I love that I can talk to her about anything! And I also love that we always have fun together!
    nuthouse(at)centurytel(do)net

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  81. tweeted: https://twitter.com/KerryBishop/status/459474856237465601
    nuthouse(at)centurytel(dot)net

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  82. my best friend, my husband, listens, is supportive in everything, caring.

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  83. https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/459671406058274816

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  84. I love how I can tell her anything and that we are open and honest with one another.

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  85. I love how my best friend aka my husband always makes me laugh
    neiddyruiz@gmail.com

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  86. tweet - https://twitter.com/neiddy_ruiz/status/459802409372381184
    neiddyruiz@gmail.com

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  87. I love that my best friend accepts me for me and is always supportive and encouraging.
    tweety800265(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  88. https://twitter.com/disneyfan40/status/460248624819998720
    tweety800265(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  89. My best friend always has my back; that's what I like most.

    hlee99 at gmail dot com

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  90. i tweeted
    https://twitter.com/leedhowell/status/460526315905777664

    hlee99 at gmail dot com

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  91. I love how funny my best friend is.

    ajoy1332 at yahoo dot com

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  92. https://twitter.com/ajoy1332/status/461262132470755328

    ajoy1332 at yahoo dot com

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  93. We can have fun whatever we're doing!

    debbiebellows (at) gmail (dot) com

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  94. i posted a tweet:

    https://twitter.com/bellows22/status/461328848605286400


    debbiebellows (at) gmail (dot) com

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  95. That she is always there when I need someone to talk to and can make me smile when I am feeling down

    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

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  96. tweet

    https://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/461374719086710784

    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

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  97. What I love is that although we are so different in a multitude of ways we always just love being together. We always have fun and can talk endlessly!

    willitara [at] gmail [dot] com

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  98. Tweet - https://twitter.com/willitara/status/461408608412901376

    willitara [at] gmail [dot] com

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  99. My best friend always makes me laugh and thats what is most important to me.
    pokergrl8 at gmail.com

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  100. https://twitter.com/aes529/status/461521147390361600
    pokergrl8 at gmail.com

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  101. My sister is my best friend.We don't see each other that often but we can pick up as if we saw each other yesterday. She makes me laugh and feel comfortable with myself thanks aunteegem@yahoo.com

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  102. i love being able to be myself with my best friend pryfamily5@gmail.com

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  103. tweeted https://twitter.com/DaPryz/status/461544041755066368 pryfamily5@gmail.com

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  104. I like that my best friend is really funny.

    rounder9834 @yahoo.com

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  105. https://twitter.com/thomasmurphy40/status/461578586374164480

    rounder9834 @yahoo.com

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  106. I love that I can be 100% totally honest with her, and she never gets mad! And I love that we can go months without talking, and pick up the phone and start right where we left off!

    coriwestphal at msn dot com

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  107. Tweet: https://twitter.com/coriwestphal/status/461623750979383296

    coriwestphal at msn dot com

    ReplyDelete