I read the abridged version, in a book published by Reader's Digest. The story was barely 100 pages long. 
 And that's who I find fault with. Reader's Digest. Because of the lack of length, I believe that the delivery of the story was not brought out to its full potential. The romance was too fast, and there was no time for the surprises and twists to sink in. I've read many books by Patterson; I know he's a great writer. And I'm sure he can do better than that. 
 Now that I've read the synopsis of the book, I know all the major details of the story. It's unlikely I'll be pining for the unabridged version should I ever come across it. Too bad, really.