"Before We Were Strangers" by Renee Carlino

Book 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? M”

“Before We Were Strangers” Review –

After finishing this novel, I gave it a Goodreads rating of 5/5 stars. ‘Before We Were Strangers’ is a New Adult novel featuring course language, mild adult scenes, and some drug use. In saying that, this book I found was fantastically written and it made me cry more than two times 😅 (yes, I counted). The features I loved most about this book was the story of Grace and Matt’s relationship from their first year of college together to their separate grown adult lives. The friendship between the two main characters in the narrative I found to be so electric. Half of the time I was shouting “Just get together already!” or “Stay friends because you’re just too cute :).” The novel also explores how adult decisions made during their early lives affected their relationship further on in the novel. I thought the book was really heart breaking in terms of the life problems thrown their way and how they dealt with them. The romance and chemistry within the novel was amazing. It’s not something that’ll make you cringe but rather make you "aww". If you’re not interested in romantic novels, then this probably wouldn’t be one of your favourite contemporaries. Therefore, I definitely want to read more of Renée Carlino’s novels. If you are interested in Grace and Matt’s story, I definitely advise you to give this narrative a read.