Addressing the pace at which Olivia and William's relationship escalated

I'm currently participating in a virtual blog tour where some bloggers have posted excerpts from A Time Apart: Book One of the Macauley Series. I thought it only fair to also share those excerpts with those who have been following me for quite some time, so I posted the scene where William and Olivia first begin interacting with one another on my blog earlier today.

The reason I am writing this post and referencing that scene is because I have received some feedback, both directly and via reviews here on Goodreads, that Olivia and William's relationship seems rushed, and I want to acknowledge that feedback ... and validate it.

Their relationship seems rushed because it is rushed.

And that's because of William, who he is, and how he sees the world. I wanted readers to feel the acceleration of timeline the way that Olivia would have during the course of what I can only describe as a whirlwind courtship. Again, you can blame William because he refuses to follow the correct order of things.

So why this excerpt in relation to this critique? Well, I tried to establish that about him from this scene. It tells the reader that he's not going to play by the rules. In no way does it make sense for him to show up at her hotel in the middle of the night, but that's just who he is. A normal man would have called her in the morning, then they would have met for coffee, and then, once they had become comfortable with one another, they would have moved on to dinner. In a normal world, inhabited by normal people, they would have casually dated before jumping into an intense relationship.

But, as we see, this is not an option for William. He wants her, and that's that. There are no rules for him and we see Olivia respond positively to him in this regard. She grew up in a world of fabricated politeness where everyone followed the rules publicly even if privately they were the worst sort of person. To skip all of that and to just go for what you want? That's enticing. He's enticing.

And so she jumps in, lets the rushing tide carry her on, and never stops to consider any alternative.

From their comments and asides later in the book, we see that they both knew it was moving too fast - faster than they could have ever anticipated - but neither tried to stop it because to do so would have been futile. They've both accepted that their togetherness is their destiny and there's no point in delaying the inevitable.

I hope that helps clear up some of my intention with the pacing of their relationship, and why certain sections of the book moved at what could be seen as an alarming pace. If it doesn't, and you think I'm crazy and that I missed a great opportunity to further establish their connection, I can totally understand that too. But I just wanted you all to know where I was coming from.

Thanks for taking the time to hear me out.
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Published on March 18, 2015 15:59
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