UNWRITTEN RULES by M.A. STACIE

Gitte: I found Unwritten Rules a really hard story to read. Not because it was badly written…it wasn’t, in fact, it was beautifully written. It wasn’t because the story didn’t affect me either because it did, in fact, it made my heartache and the tears well up. It was a hard story to read for the simple reason that it was torturous, it hurt, it was emotionally intense and I read it with a worried heavy heart.

Jenny:  Absolutely Gitte.  This was indeed a torturous journey and one you are in for the long haul.  You are invested in Jonah and you share every conflict and emotion he goes through.  It is indeed with a heavy heart that you read his and Elle’s story.

Gitte: This story is about a beautiful broken and damaged soul: Jonah. It is about a strong faithful and dedicated soul: Elle. Together they make sense, both needing and seeking comfort finding it in each other.

Jonah and Elle ‘dance’ around each other in the mailbox hallway of their apartment building. Both checking the other out; both blushing in embarrassment when caught.

“You captivated me” – Jonah

30 year old Elle has never felt this intense attraction to a man before. Every time she closes her eyes she sees Jonah…his blue eyes and his blush however but Jonah has never shown signs of reciprocation.

“They were blue. The eyes that I had only imagined were the clearest azure I’d ever seen and before I could stop it, a sigh escaped my lips” – Elle

Elle tries to get Jonah out of her every waking thought but is unable to, in her own words she needs a “sexorcism” to forget.

Every morning Elle sits in her apartment listening to Jonah playing his piano in his apartment switching to guitar in the evening. Elle immerses herself in his music…the haunting tunes surround her. The only music Elle listens to are the concerts Jonah plays for her unbeknownst to him. She knows every song…every lyric.

The journey of Elle and Jonah begins the day Elle gets mugged. Jonah comes to her rescue and the intensity of their connection takes them from strangers in a hallway to a deeper addictive and compulsive emotional connection.

 “I..um…I waited up for you. I could hear you…crying. I just wanted to know you were sleeping before I turned in.” – Jonah

The beginning of their journey is heart-breaking, confusing, frustrating and extremely emotional.

Jonah insisting on not being good enough or even deserving of Elle which in turn makes her want him even more, makes her want to help him. Find the core of his sadness. Elle is determined to be a friend first and foremost to Jonah.

Jonah is a gorgeous, tattooed musician and artist.  He is shy, reserved and his sadness is all-encompassing. His self-directed anger, the self-loathing, the fury is all so overwhelming. A tragedy rocked Jonah’s world and made him into the shell of a man he is now. Tortured and stuck in tragedy. He has hated himself for so many years he is unable to connect…he hides…he is lonely and prefers to be alone and have no one get close to him because of the fear of rejection.

“I don’t deserve you. I’m not made for relationships. I know I’m going to fuck this up. I’m going to drive you away, or do something that will hurt you, and you’ll be added to my list of people I’ve screwed over. You should walk away now.” – Jonah

He is so afraid to show Elle the real him…

“Jonah Quinn is a stunningly beautiful enigma, but I won’t make him open up to me” – Elle

These two cannot stay away from each other though and there is one scene which both melted my heart yet made me well up too. All I’ll say is the first date…the movie, the red sofa….the ambience…the black dress and a pair monster slipper….

“You are an addiction I would never want a cure for” – Jonah

Jonah, when confident and not thinking of his past rather living in the moment, is sexy, cocky and extremely hot!

“Now I have you exactly where I want you….Underneath me”

Jenny:  I’m a sucker for a rock star story, but this was so much more than that.  Johah the tortured tattooed artist.  His self-loathing was so sad.  So tragic.  He was unwilling to give himself to Elle, to face his past demons,  but she never relented, she delved and Jonah began to trust.  Elle was there for him, though at times I did despair at her for running away from Jonah when he would open up she was the one person who could help Jonah deal with his past and his fear of rejection.

Gitte: I really can’t describe adequately how much my heart hurt reading this story, Jenny. I cried for Jonah. He lived an effed up existence cutting himself off from the world scared of hurting people with an intense fear of rejection.  And Elle, so rash at times yet so strong and she gives her love with no conditions. Jonah saves Elle and in return she saves him, their story is one of forgiveness, love and overcoming the errors of your past.

“I know I’m not perfect. I know I still have a way to go, but I need you in my life. I need you next to me when I wake up, need you holding my hand when everything gets to be too much, and I want you in my bed at night. I know there is no one else for me. You were made to be a part of my life, and I can make you happy, baby. I can make you so happy”

Jenny: This story certainly pulls at the heartstrings Gitte.  My heart broke for Jonah.  I needed him to believe he was worthy.  These two souls saved each other while saving themselves.  This really was an emotion-packed story and one I devoured from start to finish.