'Reunion: Coda' Explained: Why My First Novel is Not a Romance

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Not a Romance Novel: Why Emotional Truth Matters More Than Genre

Readers often ask: Is Reunion: Coda a romance?
The answer is more nuanced than a shelf label.

Yes, there is love—aching, tentative, redemptive. But this isn’t a story built on tropes or tidy resolutions. It’s a novel with romance, not a romance novel. The difference is emotional gravity.

Jim Garraty’s journey isn’t about finding “the one.” It’s about living with memory, navigating regret, and learning how to love without losing himself. Romance in the Garratyverse is never spectacle—it’s sanctuary. It’s the quiet miracle of being seen, of being accepted, of being allowed to feel without apology.

In Reunion: Coda, love is complicated by life. By traffic. By missed calls. By the weight of history. And that’s what makes it real.

This is a story for readers who crave emotional fluency over formula. Who find resonance in quiet moments, in letters never sent, in friendships that hold space when romance falters.

If you’ve ever loved someone imperfectly—and tried to forgive yourself for it—this book might feel like home.

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