You were in a car accident.They say true love can last forever.You hit your head, which caused your brain to swell.Can span any distance, stretch across time, last beyond death.The pressure against your skull damaged your brain.Which leads one to wonder …The damage left you unresponsive to most kinds of stimuli.If you fall in love in your dreams,And this unresponsive state is what’s known as a … stimuli.
If you fall in love in your dreams,
And this unresponsive state is what’s known as a coma.
Can you find that love when you wake up?
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There have been many book, TV, and Movie plots about people in coma’s walking around either in the hospital where nobody can hear or see them, or in a dream or alternate reality where they try to fix something in their life or fall in love. This was a new twist on that theme and it was done much better than I expected. It started just a bit slow, but once it grabbed me, it just kept getting better and better. I loved it.
5 “Always” Stars
I’m not sure I’ve got adequate enough words for the emotions I had while reading this story. It is exquisitely and flawlessly written. It is told from multiple POV’s and I thought it would take away from the story at first, but in the end it just added so much more depth. I really loved Adele’s POV, not only from her “dream world”, but her real world as well. And when the two collide and combine…it’s nothing short of magical.
I’ve always wondered what happens when people are in comas, where do they “go”? I loved Stylo’s take on this question I’m sure we’ve all wondered at one time or another. I don’t want to give away too much because you need to go into this story blind and open to the magnificence that Stylo’s storytelling can bring you. You need to fall in love with all of the amazing characters as they make their way through this trying time and struggle with whether or not their baby sister and friend will ever wake up. I loved every page of this beautiful story about fate and soulmates. This story will speak to every romantic’s heart and if you’re not a believer, you will be by the end of this book. While I Was Away is definitely in my top ten reads so far this year. Brilliant!
Angela – Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
Adele Diana Reins is lost in a coma after a bad accident. After she wakes and having vivid dreams she realize between dream and reality something amazing happened.
Johannes Lund nurse is about to see how his work at the hospital effects coma patients while they sleep. He never expected for Adele to wake and how she knew things about him that scared the crap out of him.
Adele’s brothers are the best August(Auggie),Ocean and River. Zoey omg No filter I love her.
“Eternity almost doesn’t seem scary, as long as I’m spending it with him.”
“I told her once I think that’s why we were destined to be friends. We balance each other out. I give her some bite, and she smooths my edges.”
“Shut the fuck up and absorb this heartfelt moment,Reins. I don’t pass them out often”
“I’m lost in eternity, falling in love with a man who might be an angel, and I don’t know what’s right anymore.”
“You’re never alone, so never be afraid.”
“Don’t be scared. If you stay, we’ll lose each other forever. If you go, maybe we’ll find each other again.””What if I can’t find you?””Have faith.”
“Because his soul resonates with mine, and that’s something even a dream can’t do.”
“No, he’s your soulmate- that makes him a part of your soul.
“And how will you recognize me?”
“I might not”
“But my soul will, and that’s what’s important”
“Time is such a funny thing. I just saw him six wks ago, yet it feels like six yrs. Six millennia. How I missed him.”
“Let me tell you about my dreams”
“I’m saying… my mind is open to the possibility of the fantastic.”
“Love isn’t always easy or fair, but that doesn’t stop it from being true.”
“Our souls were meant to meet. In this lifetime, in the next, in any reality, in any dreams, wherever, whenever. I believe in that.”
“We will.”
“Whenever your dream starts to fade or I start to lose myself to work, we’ll come back. Every time Because I think this place is a halfway point between the two worlds and we can always relieve how we found each other here.”
3.5 stars.
Touching, emotional, and romantic with a touch of magic.
I love surrealism; the dream sequences were a solid 4 stars. The theme of transcendental love was beautiful.
I felt slightly disappointed with the last quarter of the story. It had the potential to be epic, but the plot was scaled down. Maybe a bit too narrow and simple? As much as I loved Ocean and Zoey I found myself skimming their chapters later in the book.
“Be in this now, with me…” This quote is just made me melt. This whole story did.
Wow, I am absolutely floored by this story. This is a new to me author and when I read the blurb I was hooked.
This book is going to put your heart through the wringer. I wanted to shut out the real world while I read this. The magic in Ms. Fantôme’s words was epic. The world which she created was beautiful.
This story is about soul mates and what you would be willing to do to find them. This is a story of a love that spans reality and dreams.
The journey that Adele made was epic and it also gave me a feeling of hopefulness. It was spiritual and moving.
I don’t want to say too much about the story to give it away. But if you never believe me again, believe me when I say, “Read this book!!” It will take you to a place you will wish for. It will move you and give you all the feels.
The secondary characters were phenomenal, they brought a lightness and humor that was needed. I am hoping to hear more from them in future books! They need their own stories!
This story is definitely in the running for my “Best of 2019 Reads”. Well done Ms. Fantôme!! I cannot wait to read more from you!
This is an amazing book. It’s about Jones and Adele meeting before they actually meet in real life. You’ll just have to read it to understand what I’m writing! A really good read!!!
Adele Reins has been dating Charlie Kassen for the past three years and the two finally realize that they are more friends than lovers anymore and decide that it is time to split so they both can find the one for them.
But life has a funny way of turning out sometimes and on their way home the two are involved in a serious car accident that leaves Adele in a coma.
Can Charlie stand by Adele while her future remains unknown and how will her three brothers deal with Adele’s situation?
What happens when you are in a coma and is Adele living her own life?
This was such an amazing book that dealt with heartbreak and a unique way of seeing a person in a coma from a completely different view.
I loved that Charlie and Adele were able to part as friends and really saw their relationship as changed but they knew they would always be close. My heart broke for the car accident and I really felt sorry for Charlie having to remain in a relationship with Adele while she was in the hospital all the while knowing that they had split up.
I liked how each of the brothers dealt with the tragedy and I really hope we get a more in depth look at each of them. They each had their own issues to deal with but Adele was their heart and soul and I loved how they all came together to be there for her and most importantly never gave up on her.
I really loved how we saw Adele in her coma and it honestly just brought such peace to the whole situation. I absolutely loved it and I understood why she was scared to leave.
When everything happens after my heart was so broken for Adele as she was almost living in two different worlds as the person she thought she truly knew wasn’t necessarily the person that was out there and it broke her heart when she finally really came to terms with it all. I was so sad for her!
I loved when certain pieces began to fall into place but then the ride home just destroyed me!!
After holding my breath for what felt like forever I was so pleased with the ending but I truly need so much more!! – By Rebecca
While I Was Away was a beautiful and thought- provoking read that took my breath away. I loved every moment of this unforgettable and emotional journey that held me captive from beginning to end. Love is woven through each page of Adele and Jones’ story and whether it be romantic love or the deep love this family had for each other it made my heart squeeze in the best way. All the different points of view made for such a richly layered story and I adored the Reins’ family and Adele’s friends. The amazing storytelling had me hooked as I was kept guessing with some unexpected twists along the way. While I Was Away isn’t the kind of read I was expecting and am I glad for that because this book was entrancing and just what I didn’t realize I needed.
This book was…WEIRD,like really,really weird.
I have no idea how to review it.
So,Charlie and Adele are at her friend’s birthday party and in one moment Adele realizes that her and Charlie’s relationship is boring.He agrees and they breakup.At the way home they have a car accident.
From this point forward this book was really strange. I’ve never read something like this before.
So Adele end’s up in coma.Her condition is serious and doctors don’t know when will she wake up or is she even going to wake up.While in comas,Adele is transported in fantasy (that;s what I call it) world.While in that world she reflects on some things.Her journey there was really strange,but I liked the way in which that world was presented.It’ between here and there and everything is possible,but you realize what you really want.Also there she meets Jones,he is like her guardian angel and later on,her soulmate.
While Adele is in coma,her family is beside them self.Her brothers and parents and even Charlie use this time to reflect on their own lives.Everyone of them has their own story and they all regret not spending enough time with Adele,because it could happen that they won’t have more time at all.
I’m giving this book three stars because while this was very nicely written and developed everything was so far away from me.As a reader I couldn’t connect with the character and with a story.There was to much fantasy elements.So,it wasn’t really for me.
With a touch of surrealism, Stylo Fantome explores the thoughts of a comatose woman and the strange awakening she has. Adele Reins is departing from a party after making a major life decision when she and another are in a car crash. Life continues to go on, but Adele is trapped inside a world in her head filled with brilliantly colored poppies, ever changing scenery, and a man who leaves such an impact that it is he she thinks of her when she finally opens her eyes. While her family and friends have rallied around her, starting new lives in the city of Los Angeles, Adele can’t move forward and forget the man. When she sees him again her soul calls for him, but he doesn’t know the love she knows.
“Tomorrow. Tomorrow I start on a new life. A new adventure. Tomorrow I find … something.”
Adele is a vivacious woman with a massive heart, she’s so easy to like. Of course, we only know this form of Adele for a short while, as the impact of her dream state changes her drastically. From the moment she wakes up the story gets a bit strange, but in a way that kept me turning the pages, captivated by the romantic notion that soulmates and love can carry over from dreams into reality. Adele’s coma world is so interesting and it takes up a large portion of the novel. This allows us to turn her dream state into a reality, with it leaving its mark even after she awakens. In this case, the dream world is unforgettable and Adele is left searching for it and her lover. I found myself loving the romanticism, especially once we finally meet the man in real life. He’s far more real than the dream version of him, which keeps the novel interesting and keeps it from being too insta-love and mushy. Of course, there is the drama of Adele’s family who have moved closer, her best friend who has grown comfortable with them, and her ex who has stayed close despite their separation.
I did enjoy some of the multiple POVs and I really appreciated that Stylo Fantome didn’t focus only Adele and the impact her coma had on her just her, but on all the secondary characters. However a miss for me, and it seems like this might just be an “it’s me, not you” complaint, was the addition of her brother’s POV’s, I really didn’t enjoy them. It’s almost like there might have been opportunity for other novels to come about the brothers, but ultimately it was combined into one. Their spacing comes across as a bit out of place and I did get them confused as their voices were very similar. I do think it took away from the overall story and it distracted me from the main romance.
“‘Always,’ she agreed. ‘We’ll always come back to the place where we found each other.'”
While I Was Away is a clever novel that kept me intrigued from start to finish. The premise itself was interesting enough for me, but Stylo Fantome takes this surreal idea and turns it into a contemporary romance that is impossible to put down. It’s the sort of book you finish and you don’t immediately pick up another, instead you sit in the feelings she leaves you with. Romance readers looking for something different, particularly those with an interest in the fantastical, will enjoy While I Was Away.
I’m having mixed feelings about this story and I think it has to do with me not liking fantasy/mystic at all. I just cant get into it.
Part of this book is pure fantasy. Soulmates and dreams, love at first sight… But, the story is not all about that. The romantic part of it is entertaining, the beginning of the story is engaging and the end is just beautiful!
It is definitely different from a lot of book out there, so if you want to try something new and unexpected, read it!
While I Was Away by Stylo Fantome was unexpected and captivating. Sometimes you need to take a chance on a story, and this is one of those stories. It is original and thought-provoking. You enter Adele’s world in a very unpredicted way and follow her very surprising journey.
When Adele goes into a coma after an accident, she finds the most astonishing surprise! But when she takes a turn for the better, can she find the one thing she needs the most? While I Was Away by Stylo Fantome gives you a story of a girl who was lost and those around her. This story was different and mesmerizing. I loved the correlation between family, loss, and hope.
Read and reviewed for Reviews From The Heart.
Happy reading.
What an amazing 6 star originally written story that had me reading it in a matter of hours.
This story was so amazing that once I started I couldn’t seem to be able to put it down. It’s captivating, addicting and intriguing. It’s about finding your soulmate where you least expect it. Adele was in a coma and found hers while she wasn’t expecting it.
The author really mastered this beautifully written story with an unique storyline. Amazing characters that made me feel so much. It was funny at times and heartbreaking too. But at the end it all came together with an HEA.
Standalone told in a third person with an HEA. I strongly recommend this story.
Wow While I was away was one of those stories that Peaked My Interest from the first time that I’ve read the blurb then when I received the book and devoured it . It was just a one of a kind story with an interesting plot and likable characters . Thought not only was this about the heroine finding love but her best friend and brother plus we get a lot of point of views so I’m hoping we get to see more on them . Side note would have loved to see a point of view on the hero a bit sooner but over all great story can’t wait to read more by the author Stylo Fantome .
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
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hero=8 heroine=8 secondary characters=8
Chemistry=8 steam=2 romance=8
humor=3 darkness level=3 action=2 mystery= 4
enjoyment=9 angst=3 story line= 9 Story ending=9
character development=9 pacing=9
cover=10 Blurb =10 Stars =4
Is this part of a series = no
Can it be read as a standalone = yes
would I recommend this book= yes
would I re read this book= yes
would I read future books by this author= yes
*** ARC Received for Honest Review ***
4.5 stars
Simply stunning. Completely not what I was expecting from Stylo Fantome, but so beautiful and such a wondrous story of soulmates. The depth of feeling that was created with the romance and fantasy vibe that you come away with will take your breadth away. If you truly love stories of love and fate and soulmates, you do not want to miss this. (Review by Terri “Jane”)
“From the first moment I met you, I knew you. Our souls were meant to meet, and will always meet. In this lifetime, in the next, in any reality, in any dream, wherever, whenever. I believe in that.”
I am honestly at a loss for words as to how to start this review. I’ve read a couple of books by this author before and they were dark, raw and gritty. While I Was Away was nothing like that. It’s a very unusual and original tale of a beautiful and intense love between two kindred spirits. But it’s not just a love story. It’s so much more than that. It’s a story of hope and the strength of love. It’s a story of grief and heartache. It is a story of strength and never giving up. This story will tear your heart out and then put it back together again.
Adele Reins was in a terrible accident, which left her in a coma for months. In this unconscious state, she meets Jones who brings all of her dreams to life. They travel around visiting such wonderful and exciting places. She thinks of him as her guardian angel all the while slowly falling in love with him. They are two souls destined to be together forever. But then the day comes when it’s time to wake up and get back to reality. Will she ever see her beloved Jones again?
This story was such a powerful and thought provoking read. The writing was absolutely phenomenal. I felt like I was right there with these characters experiencing life as they did. In the end, I was left with the happiest of tears and the fullest of hearts. This left my emotions a mess, but in the best possible way. It gave me all of the feels and I couldn’t possibly ask for more. This story is one that will touch everyone’s life and take you on the most amazing journey.
Man this book was really amazing,the imagery
was beyond anything I’ve dived in & read in
awhile. Author Stylo Fantome is an amazing
storyteller and writer. It was a very different
experience reading this book.
This story is even better than I had anticipated! I knew it was going to be good but I could not have prepared myself for this amazing journey. The dream aspect was so vivid and well written I wanted to stay there to see the possibilities, but the way it tied into the real world made me want to see if it could really hold true once the dream was over. I’m so in love with Adelle and Jones. They make you believe there is such a thing as soulmates and so much more.
This is one of those books that will stay with you for a long time. It will change the way you look at your life, your spouse(if you have one) and your life. I swear this book pulls at your heart and never lets it go. It’s different then most books which I liked alot. It makes you think and your brain wonder about what really goes on in your dreams.
Adele thought her life was going pretty good until it wasn’t. She had a great boyfriend but things were just boring with them. She knew she needed more in her life. Then her life changed in a instant.. The author did a fantastic job of portraying a world you wanted to be in. You wanted to witness everything that her and Jones has witnessed. The description was just heaven. I have to credit to Adele’s family. I would be supportive but at the same time thinking she was little crazy. I mean, it makes you wonder if everyone who’s had been in a coma or near death have had this experience before. I want to applaud Jones though. He’s a simple guy, a nurse who was helping a patient. Never knew how much his talking to her would change both of their lives.
I have been a huge fan of this author for some time but this is by far my favorite book by her. I mean it touched me deeply and I will never forget this book.
There are some books that defy description and this is one. I’m really unsure how to explain it, I know it made me think and feel so much. Do you believe in soul mates, that somewhere out there is the one. You may never meet that person or fate will put you in the right place at the wrong time. Everything I could say about the story is a spoiler. I was swept along with the pure love of this story the possibility of finding your soul mate. All the characters add something to the story, I don’t know If this is a standalone but I hope the brothers get a book because they have so much to say.
I’m a fan of this author who never fails to surprise with her diverse range of books. Get ready because you won’t be able to put this one down I know I couldn’t.
reviewed by Sweet Spot Sisterhood