Love Unfeigned

CONTEMPORARY:  Lorraine and Isaiah have been tied together since the first time Lorraine challenged Isaiah to a game of wall ball on the playground. Their friendship continues naturally for many years until trouble in Isaiah’s family begins to separate the two. Love, longing, jealousy, miscommunication, trauma, and abandonment pull and push Lorraine and Isaiah apart over the next few years until graduation separates them completely. Yet years later they reunite just when Lorraine needs her old friend and first love the most.

An intriguing short-story romance, “Love Unfeigned” rides a balance between Lorraine’s present-day and past memories of Isaiah. A trauma has affected Lorraine’s memory and only Isaiah can help her recover what she lost. The romance between the two characters is sweet but full. It begins in their childhood and thus suffers from the troubles caused by family and adolescent drama. Because of the way the story is written, the reader becomes entranced by Lorraine and Isaiah’s tale. Both characters are relatable and believable. The plot has enough serious threads to keep it interesting without the story becoming too light either. Although, because of the serious content mixed in with the romance, readers will probably wish that the story was longer just to explore some of the events that happen as the pair grow up a bit more fully. Regardless, this is a fantastic short story and a must read!

Sarah E. Bradley