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Is Love Enough?
All The What-Ifs follows a woman from an abusive marriage who is recently divorced and looks back into her life in an effort to find happiness for her future. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I have always wondered about the “what-ifs” of life. What if I had done this or that differently? It intrigues me to think that one single decision can alter an entire lifetime. Or can it? Is what meant to be going to find its way to you regardless? The inspiration for this story centers around that concept.
Mae questions how she ended up where she did and what she can do to pull her life back together after her divorce. Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?
While I have never gone through a divorce, I have encountered instances in which I had to pull my own life together. I found myself wallowing or maybe feeling some self-pity. Although I couldn’t necessarily change the unfortunate circumstances I was in, I realized that I could change my attitude about it. I definitely gave Mae a similar kind of mindset in the later part of the book.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
One theme that is probably quite obvious is simply love. Is love enough? Is there really only “one true love” that a heart desires? And what do you do when the person you love instead loves another? Another theme that was important to me to be able to relay through this story was also self-trust. Mae is very indecisive at times. She questions everything and wants desperately to do the right thing. Through her abusive marriage, her self-trust really breaks down. She shelters a lot of the blame and holds herself accountable for a lot of the problems she faced. However, her journey to healing pushed her outside of her comfort zone and forced her to make some quick decisions — many that she didn’t have time to weigh out the what-if’s to. This gives her the ability to trust herself again.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
The Summers I Had With Her will be available July 2024.
Author Interview: GoodReads | Instagram | Amazon
Deciding to leave her abusive husband leads her to revisit her past while simultaneously trying to create a new future. However, her past will ultimately dictate the kind of future she has.
Will she accept things as they are and keep herself wondering about all the what-ifs? Or will she finally find all the answers she’s been looking for by simply speaking up?
All The What-Ifs
All The What-Ifs, by T. A. Reese, intertwines elements of suspense and romance within its contemporary fiction framework. The protagonist, Mae, reevaluates her life and past decisions as she finalizes her divorce from an abusive marriage of five years. Seeking a fresh start, she returns to her childhood home in Eldrock, where she reconnects with her first love, Miles. This reunion sparks a journey towards self-discovery and happiness. However, her newfound peace is threatened when her ex-husband, Judson, follows her to Eldrock, determined to uphold their marital vows to any extreme.
Reese’s narrative style is captivating, maintaining engagement with a balanced pace throughout the novel. In her debut work, she effectively conveys themes of hope, renewal, and the importance of self-forgiveness. Particularly compelling is the use of first-person perspective, which provides a deep dive into Mae’s internal conflicts and growth. The inclusion of detailed flashbacks serves as a poignant method to explore Mae’s traumatic past without depicting real-time abuse, adding a layer of sensitivity to the storytelling. While Mae’s journey is thoroughly explored, I feel the novel leaves readers eager for more details about her life after the pivotal second encounter with Judson. This anticipation speaks to the engrossing nature of Mae’s story and the readers’ investment in her character. I believe extending the narrative to offer a deeper glimpse into her post-conflict experiences could enrich the resolution, providing a more rounded and satisfying exploration of her newfound stability and growth.
All The What-Ifs is a promising debut that successfully delves into the complexities of revisiting old wounds and the challenging path toward healing and empowerment and is a highly recommended read for anyone looking for an uplifting tale laced with the perfect blend of suspense and romance.
Pages: 140 | ASIN : B0CSV9T24P
LITERARY TITAN 