Before We Were Strangers: A Love Story

by Renée Carlino

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414	15	61,083	(4.11)	3
Fictio Romanc HTML: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? … (more)

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3.8⭐

I liked everything about this book up until part three.

The first part was emotional and hooked me to the story instantly, the second part( fifteen years earlier) was my favorite. I fell in love with Matt and Grace as they did with each other and I loved their friendship more than anything. I connected with young Grace immediately and loved her so much( crazy ideas and all).

Things started going down hill on the third part( the now) where young Grace disappeared and I don't know where to start with the plot, the "surprise"( I'm going to ignore it to keep this spoiler free but let it be known that I hated it!) or how their relationship developed again so quickly it was unbelievable. There was a lot that could've been showed, a lot of things that could've happened that would've made this much better.

Overall, this was a solid second chance romance and although the last half wasn't the best, this was cute, emotional and nostalgic. (

)

souhailaa | May 20, 2022 |

This was a beautiful, sweet, heartbroken and realistic story. I was so drawn into Matt’s and Grace’s relationship that I could not put this book down till I finished it. The inclusion of Ash in the story made the book even more wonderful!

This is my first book by Renee Carlino and I can't wait to read more of her books! (

)

Vanessa_Menezes | Mar 17, 2021 |

I have never heard of this book and just went by raves of friends. I'm glad I read this, I couldn't put the book down. The love story between Grace and Matt, from how they met, how they slowly moved from friendship to more, their heartbreak and finding each other again. I enjoyed Ms. Carlino's writing. Her characters were witty, charming, real. She didn't rush the development of her characters. Loved the book! (

)

Cookie1975 | Feb 17, 2021 |

This book was predictable in many ways, but it's also fun to read. Matt and Grace make for a fun couple to watch fall in love twice over the course of this book, as the college sweethearts rediscover each other years later after a chance encounter. This is a love story, so the ending is pretty much certain, but still makes for a sweet novel to read. (

)

wagner.sarah35 | Dec 16, 2020 |

Oh dear. The most painful of types of second chances.... The missed connection (EVERYTIME I will think of I looked for you of Julian and Emma. And now I just want to torture myself with THAT book.)

Well, this kind of starts with an actual missed connection...and leaves you wondering what the hell happened to them.

I am actually pretty impressed with Carlino's ability to weave together a story that spans 15 years where you get pissed and also forgive both characters. Matt would've been perfect, but he could definitely be cruel. He was easy to love though because he was so nice and smitten.

Grace was sparkly and vivacious. There's an angle with her life that sort of falls apart for me, or rather, a couple of them, but I guess I forgive the 22 year old version of her....

There was a plot device I don't care for. At all. In this book though, it gave me a bunch of over-the-top painful feels, as if their 15 years wasn't quite enough to be frustrating. The book is a 3.5 but I was ridiculously satisfied and entertained. I'm just that picky right now. (

)

samnreader | Jun 27, 2020 |

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Fictio Romanc HTML: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?

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