WHILE I WAS AWAY by STYLO FANTOME

“I’ve got you, I’ll fall with you. Just let go.”

Have you ever read a scene in a book, a romantic scene that speaks so much to the heart, is so incredibly profound and beautiful it quite literally takes your breath away? Well, we experienced exactly that in While You Were Away. We experienced a moment so sincere and beautiful we had to take time to fully absorb every meaningful word through heartfelt tears. Wow! What a moment!

“Always,” he whispered. “Always remember me, always.”
“Always,” she agreed
“And always, always remember us.”
“I will. I always will.”

This was such a warm and thought-provoking story, and one we can honestly say held us captive from start to finish. Stylo Fantome managed to communicate directly to our romantic hearts, and for two true believers in fate and soulmate love, we hung on to, and became completely captivated by this somewhat otherworldly story……or was it?

“No dream could ever compare to us, Adele. No fantasy, no mirage, no fairy-tale. You and I, we’re something bigger. Something better. Something…. magical.”

We’ve all had a sense of Déjà vu, they take us by surprise, but do these experiences have a hidden meaning, is it fate’s way of telling us to keep our eyes open, so a moment doesn’t pass us by? Stylo Fantome explores this and so much more in While I Was Away, and we devoured it.

“How can I love someone I’ve never met?”

We firmly believe this is one of those stories you need to go into blind. Do yourselves a favour and allow Stylo Fantome to guide you through her story, because the twists and turns left us gasping, tearing up, smiling and swooning. This really was a romantic hearts dream!

‘Please let me dream tonight. Let me dream of us and let it be good and let it be the last time ever.’

Along with Jones and Adele’s story, there’s also a secondary age gap love story happening in the background which only made our hearts sing louder. What a delight and double the swoon!

“There’s never, ever, been a moment in time more perfect than this one.”

Not only do we hear Adele’s point of view, through her ‘dreams’ and real life, we also have her three brothers povs, and oh wow did we fall in love with those Reins men! Ocean, River, and August (yes, their parents were hippies in their younger years lol), three burly blokes who loved and cared for their sister deeply, and the effect Adele’s situation had on them broke our hearts.

“You’re not broken.”
“I’m so broken I can’t even be put back together.”

Including their perspectives gave the story a sense of family as well as a romantic one, and the supporting characters were fabulous! Adele’s best friend Zoey was a breath of fresh air. A sassy, prickly young lady who was loyal to Adele with every fibre of her being! Every girl needs a Zoey!

“I believe in you…and I’ll find you.”
“I believe in you, too.”

Stylo Fantome has beguiled us time and again with her emotional, in-depth storytelling, her mesmerizing characters, her ability to deliver a love story that keeps us guessing whilst giving our hearts a workout, and she delivers it with distinctive and clever writing. While I Was Away has now been added to that list. Only one small issue, a twist of sorts towards the end prevented this from being a 5 star read. For us personally, it felt a little unnecessary, however apart from tiny hiccup we loved every minute. Every heart aching and heart-warming minute! What a story!