Love that lives in the moment thrives forever.
ALL AT ONCE
by Author Vera Mae
Genre: Romance, Literary Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Jayne meets Lyel, the hottest star on television, in an elevator. When the lift lurches to a stop mid-ride, they share a candid exchange before Jayne faints, waking minutes later on the floor in Lyel’s arms. It takes less than fifteen minutes for the cords of love to tighten, and Lyel pursues Jayne, having fallen utterly and completely in love.
But Lyel has a secret, and after he spends three inseparable days with Jayne, he disappears into thin air. Jayne is shattered, left to mend the heart Lyel’s torn to pieces. Then, as though he’d never parted from her, Lyel returns and confesses his truth.
“Our hands, soldered together as they were, spoke for us. A comfortable fit, I couldn’t imagine my hand joining with another ever again.”
All At Once is about a young actress named Jayne who is swept up into an intense, passionate, all-consuming love affair with TV star, Lyel Baird. They spend three amazing days together and then as if he was a ghost, he’s gone… she wonders if she imagined the whole affair.
Jayne busies herself with rehearsals and her waitress shifts, trying to distract herself from Lyel and her debilitating “love hangover”. And just when she feels cleansed of her sadness, Lyel reappears in her life.
This romance novel is so unlike the fluffy romance stories I usually read. It really made me think about living in the moment and how our memories leave marks on our soul, making up the tapestry of our lives.
I loved how Jayne and Lyel fell in love all at once. I loved their insta-love, because I’m a strong believer in love at first sight. I also enjoyed how the author put these two actors together in an elevator where they meet for the first time — instead of on the stage where you might expect them to meet. I thought that was a nice touch!
Our hero, Lyel, isn’t perfect. He has flaws and makes mistakes and because of this, their romance is believable. No relationship is perfect like in the movies and All At Once stresses this.
I also liked how All At Once was told strictly through Jayne’s POV. This made Lyel all the more mysterious! The reader is left in the dark, regarding his motivations, much like Jayne was.
Overall, an enjoyable read! I hope to see more romance novels from Vera Mae in the future. I would recommend this story to fans of smartly written romance! 5 stars.
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About the Author
Vera Mae is the pen name of an author who writes speculative fiction with conflicted and rebellious heroes, romantic in their own right.