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
AMAZON *** BARNES & NOBLE *** iBooks
Robin’s Review
I knew it would have to be a very special story to surpass my love for Sweet Thing, but I now have a new Renee Carlino favorite! Before We Were Strangers has all of the characteristics that I love to see in a contemporary romance. I love the friends-to-lovers scenario, and if it is done right, they can be so very satisfying. Carlino had me wrapped around her little finger with Matt and Gracie. I just love how they dance around each other as their feelings for each other evolve. Before We Were Strangers is also a second chance romance. These are characters that I absolutely adore, and I fell in love with them, their relationship, not once, but twice.
In many ways, Matthias William Shore and Graceland Marie Starr are a typical college couple. They meet at the beginning of their senior year at NYU. They are kindred, free spirits. A photographer and cellist, both having extremely artistic souls. Their relationship is lighthearted and sweet. Matt and Gracie are fast friends, confidants, and before the year is over, lovers. It is a whirlwind year, but graduation closes in around Matt and Gracie, and they are pulled in separate directions. Fast forward fifteen years. Matt and Gracie have been living completely separate lives. That is, until the day Matt sees Gracie on the subway train that is pulling away, and his heart aches to reconnect with her.
There is something very special about Matt and Gracie, and more specifically, how these two interact to each other. Their college relationship is playful, and their personalities are buoyant. They enjoy each other’s friendship, but there is a real tension which sparks between them. In reality, they face problems like all college kids do, but it’s the way they respond to their problems which sets this couple apart. I really connected with these characters, and I found myself fully invested in their story. I felt all of the emotions you are supposed to feel when you read a really good book – everything from pure joy to sadness and loss.
Renee Carlino included some very profound passages in Before We Were Strangers. You’ll find beautiful descriptions, including one which stood out to me that describes the intensity and importance of the first time you feel loved by another person. Another excerpt that caught my attention focuses on the passing of time. So many of us spend too much time focusing on memories or looking forward to the future, and we miss out on the beauty and opportunities of the now. Renee Carlino inserted a ton of wisdom into this story. Her writing has always been exceptional, but in my opinion, it continues to strengthen with each new novel. The writing in Before We Were Strangers is Carlino’s best yet.
working on her next project, she likes to spend her time reading, going to
concerts, and eating dark chocolate.
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And a cute Missed Connections Link that is a great companion piece that you can use:
http://enterprise.supadu.com/images/ckfinder/26/files/sam-graham/48138-BeforeWeWereStrangers-MissedConnectionAd.jpg
Saucy Southern Readers 
