Loved You Always

Natalina
Reis
Genre: 
Contemporary

ROMANTIC COMEDY:  Emily Rose has been best friends with Gem since they were kids, and she has been in love with him since high school.  Confused by her growing attraction she has tried to hide her feelings from Gem.  Love turns to bitterness when Gem leaves her without even a goodbye and goes to Europe.  Five long years pass with no word, until suddenly Gem is back in her life again to claim her heart.

“Loved You Always” is a sweet story. Unfortunately there is little in the way of substance and as a result, main characters Emily and Gem are one-dimensional — they lack depth and personality.  The main conflict of the book is that Gem left Emily without a word and she is not prepared to either talk to him about it or forgive him for it. Throw in a nonsensical kidnapping and magical elements which only serve as plot devices to save the protagonists and the reader is left with an irritating mess that reads like a first draft. Tighter editing would have helped immensely.  Editing would also have helped the book's ending.  The last three chapters do nothing to add to the story and seem tacked on to add length.  

Ms.  Reis’ writing shows a lot of untapped potential.  Her style is clear and descriptive and pleasant to read.  One can look forward to watching this author grow into her creative potential as a great story-teller.

Gwenellen Tarbet