Blog - Love not, lest ye be loved

Read an examination of a throwaway tweet about love that became anything but throwaway.

Ok so this blog entry is going to be a little self-indulgent, but it would be great if you'd just indulge me a little.

A while ago I posted a link to my book on Amazon and used the phrase "Love not, lest ye be loved." The tweet was more successful than many others I'd posted recently so I thought I'd expand on the phrase.


It's something that just came to me one day while I sitting and staring into space, but the more I examined it the fonder of it I became, both as a summary of my novel and also a general warning! I guess it's a bit like “be careful what you wish for” in that respect.

Obviously the style comes directly from "Judge not, lest ye be judged." This biblical proverb is written in many ways, you may know it as "Judge not, that ye be not judged" but I find the earlier form most succinct and poignant.

The reason "Love not, lest ye be loved" sums up my novel so well is that the two main characters both fall foul of it, but in entirely different ways. The character of Becky falls in love with a man who is significantly older than her, without realising the true consequences should he reciprocate that love. On the other hand, Mike has a sense of love for Becky, more so that of a friend/guardian, but by displaying that love he inadvertently causes her to fall romantically in love with him.

What led me to write my novel was the notion that love and relationships owe as much to external influence, circumstance and timing as they do to an innate desire for someone. Do we make the most regrettable romantic choices at the most trying times in our own lives? Do we allow ourselves to be blinded by love when we are blinkered to our own unhappiness? Do we have any choice in these matters or does romantic love simply strong-arm our doubts into submission.

The moral lesson from my story could be expressed as "do not allow yourself to fall in love with someone, without being fully aware of the potential negative consequences of that person loving you back." Or to put it more simply, "Love not, lest ye be loved."

Check out 'Milk: A Modern Love Story' on Amazon using the links below. Why not take a free 'Look Inside' at the first few chapters. Kindle Unlimited users can download and read for free.