Author: Renee Carlino
Title: Before We Were Strangers
Published On: August 18th 2015
Publisher: Atria Books Pages: 320
Purchase Links:
|
|
SYNOPSIS
From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Sweet Thing and Nowhere But Here comes a love story about a Craigslist “missed connection” post that gives two people a second chance at love fifteen years after they were separated in New York City.
To the Green-eyed Lovebird:
We met fifteen years ago, almost to the day, when I moved my stuff into the NYU dorm room next to yours at Senior House.
You called us fast friends. I like to think it was more.
We lived on nothing but the excitement of finding ourselves through music (you were obsessed with Jeff Buckley), photography (I couldn’t stop taking pictures of you), hanging out in Washington Square Park, and all the weird things we did to make money. I learned more about myself that year than any other.
Yet, somehow, it all fell apart. We lost touch the summer after graduation when I went to South America to work for National Geographic. When I came back, you were gone. A part of me still wonders if I pushed you too hard after the wedding…
I didn’t see you again until a month ago. It was a Wednesday. You were rocking back on your heels, balancing on that thick yellow line that runs along the subway platform, waiting for the F train. I didn’t know it was you until it was too late, and then you were gone. Again. You said my name; I saw it on your lips. I tried to will the train to stop, just so I could say hello.
After seeing you, all of the youthful feelings and memories came flooding back to me, and now I’ve spent the better part of a month wondering what your life is like. I might be totally out of my mind, but would you like to get a drink with me and catch up on the last decade and a half?

[usr 5]
Managing to knock Sweet Thing off of the top of my favorites list of Renee Carlino books was no easy task. Before We Were Strangers, a fabulous second chance story of what was, what could have been, what is, and what will be.
Too often a story will rush into a relationship so it can “get to the good stuff” as it were but this one really takes its time in a great way to build up the foundation. Sadly though you know it’s going to crumble.. you’re just not sure when or how.
I really enjoyed the pacing, some might find it a bit slow but the payoff is so worth the wait. Don’t think things will go as smoothly as the writing though because some unexpected twists just might blindside you.
Semi-spoilery so if you’re very sensitive to such things *loooook awaaaay* Ok, still with me? Really you know things are going to go horribly wrong at some point. I’m not going to go into any details but I’d like to comment that it’s not done in a stupid senseless manner, your eyes aren’t likely to roll and your hand itch as you’re suppressing the urge to smack a character in the back of the head because they’re being dumb. Maybe it’s not how you think you’d react, or what you think should happen, but it at least makes sense!
Great read, love the characters, awesome book!