Rom-coms and pop culture love peddling the idea that relentless devotion wins love in the end. But Kayla Gilheany’s If I Could Turn Back Time ruthlessly deconstructs this myth. Through Elaine’s raw journey, the book challenges the toxic belief that “nice guys finish last”—or that love is a prize earned by suffering. In this third blog, we explore how Kayla reframes rejection, not as a failure of worthiness, but as a mismatch of hearts. Spoiler: The witch was right all along.
The “nice guy” trope thrives on entitlement—the idea that goodness deserves reciprocation. But Kayla flips this script. Elaine’s turning point comes when the witch snaps, “He just didn’t love you. That’s not a crime.” This moment isn’t cruel; it’s liberating. By refusing to frame Jack as a villain (or Elaine as a victim), the book rejects transactional love. Real growth begins when Elaine stops asking “Why not me?” and starts asking “What now?”—a shift from bargaining to agency. Fans of Modern Love’s essays will recognize this hard-won clarity.
Cultural narratives often equate persistence with passion, but Kayla’s story dissects the damage of this ideal. Elaine’s seven-year wait isn’t romantic; it’s self-abandonment. The witch’s lesson—”Every second wasted on someone you can’t change is stolen from your life”—echoes research on “limerence” (obsessive unrequited love). Kayla’s candid portrayal of Elaine’s social-media stalking and magical bargaining rings true because it mirrors real psychological patterns. The book doesn’t offer pat answers but something better: permission to walk away, even when love isn’t “wrong,” just unreturned.
So does kindness doom you to loneliness? Hardly. If I Could Turn Back Time argues that true “nice guys” don’t finish last—they just stop racing for the wrong finish line. Elaine’s closure begins when she trades fantasy for creativity, channeling her pain into writing. Kayla’s own journey underscores this: By publishing this book, she transforms her “loss” into art that connects with thousands. The real happy ending? Recognizing that love isn’t a contest, and rejection isn’t a verdict on your worth. (Take that, rom-coms.)
The witch’s toughest spell wasn’t time travel—it was breaking Elaine’s delusion that love is earned. Kayla’s story is a manifesto for anyone tired of being “the understanding one.” Next week, we’ll dive into the book’s magical realism: How fantasy elements amplify emotional truth. Until then, consider this: What if “finishing last” is just a detour to somewhere better?
