Insta-Lust and Insta-Love
They meet. Sparks fly. Tension soars. Emotions tangle. Bodies collide. Love fills the air.
And it’s only been a week...
Oh no, not intsa-love! We cringe, we roll our eyes, and we rant about how unrealistic it is.
But it’s FICTION!
I’m guilty, I admit, to having a few eye-rolling moments myself when reading. But when push comes to shove, insta-lust is an absolute must (in my opinion) in romance. And insta-love doesn’t bother me, in fact, I kind of insta-love it.
As a woman, I crave the heart pounding, butterflies-in-your-stomach, sweaty palms rush of excitement you get in those first few lustful moments. Attraction—the building block for love. Hell, at the very least, the stepping stone to sex.
Does it happen in real life? Absolutely. Does it happen often? Probably not as much as we hope. But I think it’s safe to say relationships would be a lot hotter if it did!
Incorporating that out-of-this-world-stop-in-your-tracks attraction to someone in romance is what I love to write, and what I love to read. Sure, sometimes the unrelenting desire a character feels towards another can come across as over-the-top, but why would you want to read anything else? We read to escape, right? We plunge into the sensual depths of romance because we want to be wooed and seduced and we want to feel the pitter-patter in our chest. And even while our characters may not understand the intense attraction they are experiencing, we as the reader know we are only witnessing the beginning. Sigh. Knowing more is to come is part of the appeal!
“A tangible current charged between them. It was heady and carnal. She swallowed. She didn’t lust. She didn’t. Yet her body begged to differ. Her pulse accelerated and a twisting started in her chest and worked its way into her stomach, spreading a warmth she never expected.
His eyes seemed to have that effect on her, though. There was a depth to them, like a secret or a promise or maybe even a threat, and it compelled her, confined her.” ~ A Beautiful Distraction
So let’s dabble on the oh-so unrealistic notion of insta-love. I see readers grumble about this often. I get it, I really do. But I want to write about that all-consuming love, the kind that takes you by surprise and burrows in deep and unexpectedly. I want to write about the kind of love that is steadfast and uncontrollable.
There is beauty in a love that grows over time, nurtured and caressed. But there is something about the fear that encompasses a love that is intense and instant that stirs emotions inside me. The fear of loving someone so fast, so completely—the uncertainty of logic that has been replaced by passion—is exciting.
“It had never felt like this. This all-consuming passion. And she knew it never would again.
The indescribable need to melt into him, to seep into his essence, just to get more, closer—just to feel more—was overwhelming her.” ~ A Beautiful Distraction
““I love you,” he whispered, and the last sturdy barrier of her wall shifted beneath those three words, crumbling until she was left vulnerable, exposed, and terrified. But with their heartbeats syncing in rhythm as their bodies remained connected, she wouldn’t have it any other way.” ~ A Beautiful Distraction
In the newest novel in my Hard Feeling series, A BEAUTIUFL DISTRACTION, readers get the chance to experience that heart-stopping attraction and that fearful, intense love. The lust is magnetic, and the love is uncontrollable. And for those of you who take a chance on this novel, I hope you enjoy all the insta-ness of this romance!
