I read Alone by EJ Noyes almost a year ago now, but when I think about it, I can still remember how I felt. It was hot and I was sitting in the garden, and I felt so free because of the story of Celeste, who chose 4 years of solitude for a large sum of money. It is a psychological experiment looking at how a person reacts when completely alone for such a long time, no one to talk to except yourself. What does that do to someone? Can the subject handle it, or will they slowly go crazy? It seemed to me that the experience could act as a catharsis. 4 Years alone is quite a long time, but it still gave me a kind of liberating feeling. Oddly enough.

The experiment has been underway for 3 years when the reader meets Celeste. Being alone for a long time has made Celeste hear voices and think she sees people. However, the first time she really sees another human being is when she comes to the aid of an injured hiker. Because of this, the attractive Olivia Soldano disturbs the solitude. Which is welcome on the one hand and disturbing on the other because Celeste doesn’t want to miss out on her prize money.

This is a romance novel so there is romance. And I love that 😬. But in this case, this wasn’t even the main thing that attracted me to the story. Rather, it was the story of Celeste in her loneliness and what that did to her. That doesn’t take away from the fact that the romance in this story is also very nice. Obviously 😏.