Five Star Review for An Alternate Romance

Readers' Favorite today awarded a Five Star review to An Alternate Romance

"An Alternate Romance explores the depths of human loneliness with almost frightening frankness. Robert E. Kearns describes the conditions of Purcell's everyday life in great detail, making us wonder how someone could be contented with a life like this. For me, inner distress is skillfully shown by the gifted author. The fact that Purcell has enough money to renovate his home but doesn't want to spend on it makes him a perfect example of a captive of routine. Thus, the contrast becomes even sharper after Purcell meets a girl without a leg, for the routine gets broken. I liked the depiction of this important metamorphosis. Purcell cares about the unknown girl who looks cold and miserable, representing the other kind of loneliness - imposed by others. Robert E. Kearns exposes the hypocrisy of a cruel society that turned away from a young woman with special needs, revealing it step by step. I cannot praise enough the fine irony of the unforeseen ending of this little masterpiece. Robert E. Kearns entwines old Irish superstitions, a Catholic worldview, and the main features of a perfect horror story. I recommend An Alternate Romance to fans of short and psychological prose, romance, and horror genres."

Link: Book review of An Alternate Romance - Readers' Favorite: Book Reviews and Award Contest (readersfavorite.com)

An Alternate Romance - Description

In the heart of rural Ireland, where winter’s chill seeps into both the home and the soul, Patrick Purcell lives a solitary life in his antiquated nineteenth-century farmhouse. A man of routine, tethered to a meat processing plant and haunted by the specter of a lonely retirement, Purcell finds solace in the flicker of his television screen. But then a mysterious encounter shatters his isolated existence.

One stormy night, a one-legged young woman, Deirdre, appears on the stone wall outside his home, her presence as enigmatic as the rain that soaks her. Drawn to her quiet beauty and stirred by an unfamiliar longing, Purcell invites her in, offering tea and warmth in a house stripped bare of most comforts. As their fleeting conversations unfold, Deirdre reveals a tragic past; a life undone by a farm accident, a broken engagement, and a choice that bound her to a cycle of eternal rain-drenched wanderings.

What begins as an act of kindness evolves into a haunting connection that defies the boundaries of life and death. As Purcell grapples with his own fears of a future alone, Deirdre’s ethereal presence offers him a chance at redemption—and perhaps something more. An Alternate Romance is a poignant and atmospheric tale of loneliness, compassion, and the unexpected ways love can transcend even the darkest of nights.

Perfect for readers of introspective and supernatural fiction, this short story weaves a delicate balance of melancholy and hope, inviting you to question what it truly means to find connection in a world that feels out of reach.