Share with us your experiences of long-distance relationships for a chance to win a copy of THE TURNING POINT plus a COUPLES EXPERIENCE WORTH £100

[UrsulaMumsnet]

Life is short. Sometimes you have to take a chance.

Two single parents, Frankie and Scott, meet unexpectedly. Their homes are far apart: Frankie lives with her children on the North Norfolk coast, Scott in the mountains of British Columbia. Yet though thousands of miles divide them, a million little things connect them. A spark ignites, a recognition so strong that it dares them to take a risk.

For two families, life is about to change. But no-one could have anticipated how.

With almost 300 5 star reviews online, readers and critics are falling in love with The Turning Point :

‘Keep the tissues close…a gripping love story’ Good Housekeeping

Share with us your experiences of long-distance relationships and one lucky poster will win a copy of The Turning Point plus one of 17 Virgin couples experiences

Find out more about Freya North, author of fourteen bestselling novels, on Facebook, Twitter and her website.

This discussion is sponsored by Harper Collins

[FoxInABox]

My only long distance love was the result of a holiday romance, we ended up meeting up a few times, but remained friends for a few years.

[Pamaga]

Similarly to FoxInABox, I had a long distance relationship post a holiday romance. We met a few times but he was anxious to proceed at a quicker pace than I wanted - eg suggesting packing in work, relocating to where I lived, even moving in with me. It was all too much for me and I was better off financially than him and worried that he might be trying to take advantage of this.

[Leannevg13]

I met my husband 7.5 years ago when I came to England, from New Zealand, to be bridesmaid for my best friend at her wedding! We had a long-distance relationship for 2.5 years. It was hard but it was the best at that time. We had both ended our first marriages and my son was only 7. He knew nothing of our relationship until we knew we were serious about each other. After 1 year of meeting the two of us met half way - in Hong Kong for 9 days! We never looked back - coming up to our 3rd Wedding Anniversary!

[jammy388]

I had a relationship with a soldier which went fine by letter (he was posted overseas soon after we met) but quickly fizzled out once he returned to the UK and we found we didn't have that much in common.

[catoritala]

My long distance romance doesn't start with a holiday romance. I met a guy online when I was around 17 for years and years we talked online exchanged numbers and sent thousands of text messages a month to each other. I was living just outside London and he lived in derby. For 10 years we were friends talking nearly everyday till on day about 6 years ago now we decided to meet up. He came down to London and we met in St James park and had a picnic together. It was lovely. 6 years later we are about to celebrate our first wedding anniversary and we are expecting our first child.

[Rae1000]

I lived in Spain for six months. My then boyfriend cheated on me so I guess not too well...

[StillNoFuckingEyeDeer]

I met DH when I was on holiday. He was meant to be a weekend fling, but we ended up dating long-distance for 18 months, meeting up for weekends in his city, mine, or somewhere inbetween, before I moved over to live with him. We've been together over 12 years now and living in the UK.

[busterj]

I met my girlfriend via a blind date ,we hit it off ,fell in love and every night i travelled 17 miles to her parents house to take her out ,i dont drive so used the train or bus ,i dont know how many times i fell asleep on the bus and missed my stop,so in the end we got married ,she moved to my hometown and we have been happy ever since ,we now have 2 children and 2 grandchildren and life could not be better

[cookiemonster66]

I had a boyfriend that was a soldier serving in Iraq, it was hard, all the worry, but the sexual tension build up was great, longing for when he returned home from duty.

[crimeworm]

I had a long-distance romance, again leading on from a holiday fling. He was an incredibly handsome French fireman - so handsome I was, "Me? Seriously?"! We both knew it wouldn't...well, couldn't lead to anything long term, but I had many lovely weekends in Paris, and he came and stayed with me in Glasgow too. We managed to see each other every month or six weeks. The thing that was so different to him compared to British men was his exquisite manners, and his friends and family were the same. In the end, we both realised we couldn't afford to keep going back and forth, and I'd just bought my first flat; he had his career - it simply wasn't meant to be, so after a year we reluctantly agreed it really couldn't go any further without one of us getting badly hurt. This was about 18 years ago, and I hadn't thought of him for quite some time until the horrendous Paris terrorist attacks. I thought of him fondly then, and he'll always be a lovely memory, as I hope I am for him.

[Anj123]

Many years ago when I was a student I had a long distance relationship. We had a couple of intense weekends together then it fizzled out. I guess it wasn't meant to be.

[allybird1]

I met my first love, who was my pen friends brother, when I stayed with her in Canada a summer, many many years ago. I was only 17, and unfortunately it was too great a distance at such a young age. I did think my heart was going to break when I realised it wasn't going to work out. He was such a lovely sweet guy that 23 years later and I still think wistfully of him and what might have been.

[sjonlegs]

I fell in love with a man on a plane when I was a teenager. He was ridiculously handsome and French ... a businessman. He initially thought that I was French too (I'd agreed that I would speak nothing but French as soon as I left England). I was super nervous, my first trip abroad, alone and to be with a family I didn't know. (Full credit to my French teacher, who taught me so well and gave me confidence). Anyway this Frenchman was incredibly lovely. We spoke at length on the plane and he waited with me until I found my family at the arrivals lounge. He gave me his address and phone number, in case I had problems whilst I was in France with my pen pal and urged me to contact him if he could help in anyway. I had a fantastic holiday and I didn't contact him until I got home. I then wrote and thanked him for being so caring and a gentleman. He was a wealthy man and regularly travelled. He wrote often and sent me gifts from around the world. He called me his English princess. We wrote up until a few years ago ... and now, whilst we're both married with children - we still send Christmas cards. I will never forget his kindness..

[kateandme]

long distance hmmm the only one I know of is between my sis and her man when they went to diff universitys. they were amazing. he did struggle and fukd up one time. but they are still here today and inspire me. I see so much love in them. they just fit. they are one and I cant imagine life without him or them as one.
for me I don't have one with a man. my long distance though if I'm aloud was as love renching. I was taken from my family from age 11 to 15 due to reasons. it was the hardest of my life. I saw them little and I still want to vomit now when I remember how we screamed when we had to part and how I just see there backs as I clawed at the windows to get them back to me.
I did get back to them. I live now with a sickening love for them and an appreciation so strong I don't think many other know of it being possible.

[Emrob86]

I had a long distance relationship for nearly three years before I moved to be with my then boyfriend. We're from different countries and met abroad on holiday but now we over 10 years later, we're still together - living together, married and with two children. It was all worth it though having a long distance relationship was very hard due to missing each other lots.

[1033MICHELLE]

My long distance love was a boyfriend who lived in my hometown whilst I was at University. We lasted a year before I finished my course and returned home then 2 more years.

[SuzCG]

Well, my story is as cheesy as they come! My best friends ex husband was getting re married and I took her to Blackpool (of all places) for a girly fun filled weekend to forget about it. That night we giggled away about the fella in the pub who kept staring my way - who eventually plucked up the courage to come over and chat. We joined their group and went off clubbing the night away - giving him my number at the end of the night but never expecting to hear from him. I did. I lived in Lancashire and he lived in Bristol which meant about 170 miles between us, so no date nights in the week. We then spent every weekend for the next 9 months with one of us doing the journey after work on a Friday night to spend the weekend together - and because we hadn't seen each other all week we both made extra efforts to make our weekends nice & special. We really did have some lovely times, always making a point to do something memorable. I guess the distance between us and the effort it required made us decide pretty soon if it was worth it and we were going to go the distance and after 9 months we decided that it would be easier for me to move to Bristol and I started looking for work. Within 2 weeks I'd secured a job and that was it - off I moved, leaving all my family & friends behind and knowing only him. An engagement followed a few months later with a wedding the following year. Now here we are 2 children later and approaching our 14 year wedding anniversary. Who'd have thought! Sometimes fate plays a part and you have to follow your heart and give love a chance!!

[WannaBe]

My current relationship is a long distance relationship. He lives in Birmingham, I live in Kent.

He was a friend who had approached me about doing some freelance work for the organisation he works for but he had found me through a mutual friend. We met up as friends and just clicked. Nearly three years later he travels to me every weekend (I live here with DS whereas he lives in a house share).

We got engaged last year, however, he has worked for the same organisation for the past twenty years and it's a very niche job, whereas I am struggling to find work here, and due to the fact that DS is just about to head into GCSE years I am unable to move so we have no idea how or when we will be able to be together permanently. we're not going anywhere though. .

[daisyduke66]

I experienced a long distance relationship during my University years. We were other ends of the UK (so not overseas far!!) But we managed to meet pretty much every weekend over four years. We eventually married - we are now divorced!!

[tamalyn1]

moving as a teenager 250 miles to north wales was quite sad for me as i had recently fallen in love with a lad i had known all my life and he had liked me too! we did try and write to each other and phone once in a while but it soon fizzled out, he went into the army, i got a full time job after school, then years later while i was going through my divorce we accidently met up in a friends wedding, we started dating and now 20 years later we are very happy!! who says long distance doesnt work hey?

[kaiseroo16]

Never had a long distance relationship so cannot understand fully all the issues

[nerysw]

Mine wasn't even that longer distance (couple of hours drive) but I was young and it didn't work because I wanted everything in one place.

[imacmum]

My boyfriend at the time, announced he was off to business college to do his MBA and was then a 2 hour drive away. I was distraught and thought that would be the end of things for us. In fact, it made him realise how much I meant to him and he invited me to visit for the weekend. I ended up typing up his assignment and then we went to the pub, next morning I did his washing. After a year of us both driving 2 hours up and down the motorway, he graduated, we moved in together and he popped the question. We've been married 27 years now, it can work, it just takes patience and lots of give and take. Still doing his washing!

[sambababy]

I met my now husband 12 years ago when he came to the uk to study a masters at my university. 9 months after meeting, he had to return to Brazil to finish his studies there and we had a long distance relationship for the next 2 years. The longest period that we didn't see each other for (I had no iPad/iPhone/webcam at the time, but thank goodness at least for Skype!) was 8 months and it was really hard. He had two failed visa applications during that time in order to come back, but eventually managed it. We've been married 3 years, have a 2 year old DD and another due in June. It can work if you both want it to!

[Goingtobeawesome]

I will need to come back to this.