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

Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and bestselling author of

romantic women’s novels. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two
sons, and their sweet dog June. When she’s not at the beach with her boys or
working on her next project, she likes to spend her time reading, going to
concerts, and eating dark chocolate.

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Before We Were Strangers is the kind of book that leaves its marks, and stays on your mind for a long time. I was absorbed and consumed by Renee Carlino’s prose; through a missed connection love story.

This book reminded me how much I love reading and how can words be so powerful and how they can impact you like you can’t even imagine. I was caught into this melancholic and poetic mood, just flowed by Grace and Matthias’ story and how they get a second chance at love with one another.

The blurb was just brilliant and settled the tone of the story and you knew that their love is gonna be EPIC!

Grace and Matthias met at the University; she’s a major in Music and a cellist; he’s a major in photography. Two opposites, attracted like two magnets. When they first met, they created a powerful bound. They just clicked.

I loved the intensity of their relationship; they became quickly friends; always together, just transported by the overwhelming feelings, like they couldn’t stay away.

Of course, there’s an incredible chemistry and attraction, but there’s also the risk to jeopardize their friendship. If taking a step forward, getting things to another level could ruin everything? These two felt deeply and they’re so young when they met. Is their love can be enough?

The lines between friends and lover are quickly blurred, there were so many beautiful moments, gathered by the ambiance of New York City and some awesome background music! I was hanging to every words, and wanted to highlight so many parts of it that it seemed like I could just highlight it all!

All along the story, I felt being an observer into Grace and Matt’s life, I had the strange impression to be there; I was completely transported. I enjoyed so much reading about how after fifteen years later, their souls reconnected like they’ve never been parted. A powerful and undeniable pull, overwhelming feelings crashing into them like waves. The emotion was definitely here; all the things they couldn’t say, waiting for so long to be said.

Is there anything more to say about this book? Yes, definitely! I was really impressed by the way the story unfolds, how the words flowed and also how Renée Carlino can write such beautiful things, just in a simple way and with heart and passion; about how life can surprise you and to dare to take a second chance at love and life.

My words can’t express how much I love this story; how moved I was. Even one month after reading it and received my paperback, I’m still in a phase of a book hangover. I know that this book is one of my favorite ones because I just have to open it and go to one random page and being once again overwhelmed!! I loved EVERY words, EVERY moment, through joy to heartbreak. I was in awe of Renée’s writing. Trust me, you should read it, highly recommended!