The appeal of the characters in Twilight and A Discovery of Witches is easy to understand. We all dreamt that one day we’d find that person who not only truly appreciates but adores us, who would be loyal and loving in the best and worst of times. Years later we find ourselves in relationships where we’ve compromised and rationalized and whittled away our expectations to the point where we accept being taken for granted or deliberately misused, feeling less than appreciated and fulfilled. It’s a hard place to be, knowing you take second place to TV, golf, sports, a bar stool, ambition, etc, etc. And yet, we stay in these relationships because it seems like everyone we know feels less than satisfied with their circumstances. So we buy into the complacency, embrace whatever benefits we can find in our relationships, and trudge ahead. Then, out of the blue comes this thrilling, chilling reminder of what we had dared to hope for so long ago - a story about two people whose love and devotion give them the strength to face any challenge, a relationship in which the lovers are engaged and mindful of what the other is feeling and thinking; a relationship in which the most stressful moments do not devolve into hurtful episodes of lashing out. In this relationship, the lovers seek to protect and are protected. It is hard, when faced with this ideal, not to feel some revival of hope that we, too, may one day meet that person for whom we will be the one center, the person who will accept that they are the center of our world as well, without the testing and games and insecurities that plague us all.
