If It Ain’t Love is one of those rare stories—in every way. Rare that a captivating, lovely cover has equally captivating, lovely writing. Rare that a pure romance is so much more than just a romance. Rare that a short story felt like a complete novel.I honestly don’t feel like I’m overselling when I say that Tamara Allen crafted a masterpiece. The level of depth, connection, time, scene, and movement was astounding in such a brief work of art. She did in less than forty pages what I strive to do in over three hundred. Both the story and the writing is lovely, a term I’ve already used, but I think it’s rather perfect. There was no gasp of surprise, I knew where the story would go and end up nearly from the first page. At times, I find that a sign of poor craftsmanship. Not so here. Instead, it created a warm, cozy, comfortable blanket sensation. It made the story timeless. Free of gimmick and slight of hand. It was perfect in its purity. rating: 3/5 During the Great Depression a reporter, Whit, meets Peter, a man whose fall from riches poses a mystery he can’t ignore.The first half that sets up the mystery is interesting and actually well written which surpassed my expectations; the descriptions are vivid and interactions between characters natural. The second half fell into the romance genre cliché but that was to be expected. The short story gives us a very sappy and sweet ending but sometimes we all need an uncomplicated happily ever after.
