Renee Carlino is a screenwriter and the bestselling author of Sweet Thing, Nowhere But Here, After the Rain, Before We Were Strangers, Swear on This Life, and Wish You Were Here. She grew up in Southern California and lives in the San Diego area with her husband and two sons. To learn more, visit ReneeCarlino.com.
"Before We Were Strangers is as steamy as it is sweet. With
two characters who are meant to be but just can't get the timing
right, Renee Carlino has mastered the missed connection. I found
myself rooting for Matt and Grace at every turn and aching to crawl
into the book to go back to the '90s to join them. Evocative,
tender, and satisfying, Carlino has outdone herself." -- Taylor
Jenkins Reid, author of Maybe in Another Life, After I Do, and
Forever Interrupted
"Powerful and poignant, Before We Were Strangers captures
the magic and heartache of first love. I couldn't turn the pages
fast enough." -- Tracey Garvis-Graves, New York Times bestselling
author of On the Island and Covet
"I loved every single thing about this book! Nostalgia, first love,
the echo of heartbreak, the rocky road to where you were always
meant to be-this book has everything and then some. You can't help
but be transported." -- Jay Crownover, New York Times bestselling
author of Better When He's Bad
"Sometimes we need a reminder that love is worth fighting for.
Before We Were Strangers is a beautiful, real, heartfelt
reminder." -- Kim Holden, author of Gus and Bright Side
"I felt like I found a piece of my soul in this book. I've
highlighted so many lines to use as a reference for daily
inspiration. I was that moved." -- Kim Jones, author of Red
"Compelling and evocative. Matt and Grace's story will pull at your
heartstrings while reminding you that true love can conquer the
most difficult challenges. This is Renee Carlino's best, most
poignant work to date." -- Vilma's Book Blog
"Exquisitely written... I highly recommend this if you're in the
mood for a really great, heartfelt journey, loaded [with] angst and
healing, all in the name of true love." -- Maryse's Book Blog
"One of the most romantic, heartfelt, and consuming books I've ever
read. To say that I'm in love with it would feel like the biggest
understatement, ever... I'm blessed, so insanely lucky, to have
found a story that I finished reading with tears in my eyes and a
more beautiful outlook on life, love, and believing in second
chances." -- Book Baristas
"Ms. Carlino has a flair for dreamy, passionate love stories that
warm our hearts and feed every romantic bone in our bodies, but
this time around, she has given us a true gem, a timeless tale of a
never-ending love set against the backdrop of a magical city she
captured oh-so perfectly, a tale that I suspect will become a
favourite for many." -- Natasha is a Book Junkie
"This is Renee Carlino's BEST. WORK. YET. This book broke my heart
and built it up all over again and is complete and utter
perfection. Just read it.... My words won't do it justice. This is
most definitely one of my favorites of 2015 and a book that I will
never ever forget <3." -- Shh Moms Reading
"Before We Were Strangers is an extraordinarily superb
second chance, friends-to-lovers combination that you won't be able
to put down, or forget. It's also one that needs to be owned in
multiple formats." -- Holly's Red Hot Reviews
"[T]his is an author to watch... This book was the perfect
combination of a swoony romance filled with laughs, touching
heartfelt moments, and even a few tears. Such an emotional read
that gave me the warm and fuzzy feelings I was hoping for. A
perfect summer romance that you will fall into headfirst and come
out grinning from ear to ear, and possibly even wiping away a few
tears." -- Lost in Literature
"This book is sweet, emotional, sad, heartbreaking, at times
overwhelming, but most importantly it is an uplifting love story!
...I not only highly recommend this book, but can't wait to dive
into other books by Renee." -- Three Girls & A Book Obsession
"A dazzling and heartbreaking story of missed connections and the
possibility of a second chance at love. Epic, emotional, and
stunningly beautiful... It's easily my favorite book this year and
one of my all-time favorites." -- Nestled in a Book
"Mesmerizing. Intoxicating. Heartbreaking. Before We Were
Strangers was everything I love about reading. I was completely
enthralled by Grace and Matt's story that I was unaware of
everything that was going on around me... This story will stay with
me forever... This is one I could reread every year." -- Eclectic
Bookworms
"It's truly unputdownable once you start it. Renee Carlino gave us
a story we won't forget. We loved everything about it. Incredible,
heart pounding, beautiful-pure perfection." -- Schmexy Girl Book
Blog
"Before We Were Strangers was a stunningly beautiful story.
I would go so far as to say that it is in my top favorite second
chance at romance stories... 5 Serendipitous, Sweet Passionate
Love, Soulmates Forever Filled Stars!" -- A Bookish Escape
"Heartbreakingly beautiful and wistfully poetic, Before We Were
Strangers is the type of book that will immediately capture
your attention and won't relinquish its hold until the very end...
[R]efreshingly real, hopelessly romantic, and uplifting in a way
that had me smiling nonstop throughout the final chapters. It's
rare for a book to have such a deep emotional effect on me that 6
stars is the only possible rating to give Before We Were
Strangers." -- Nose Stuck in a Book
"This lady knows how to write pure romance and infinite love. She
writes about seemingly real people with realistic plots. No fluff,
no bull! Before We Were Strangers was sheer perfection! It
is a timeless and epic love story... This book has it all. DO NOT
MISS THIS ONE! Fabulous job Renee. You are one of the great ones!
Keep going..." -- Blushing Babes are Up All Night
"Before We Were Strangers is no doubt the best contemporary
romance book I've read this year... What I loved? EVERYTHING...
[E]very component of this book is perfect." -- The Book
Enthusiast
"This book blew me away... I was so enthralled with this touching
heartwrenching story, and the incredibly well developed
characters... This was my first read by Renee Carlino. Now I can't
wait to go back and explore some of her backlist titles!" -- The
Romance Reviews
"With Renee Carlino's highly anticipated fifth release, I'd say she
has finally found her writer's groove: she knows what's up and how
to bring it... What sets Carlino and Before We Were
Strangers apart from all the other romance novels, in this
incredibly fast-moving market, is her ability to set the tone and
bring the stage to life... No doubt, Before We Were
Strangers will satisfy any voracious romance reader. This novel
is writing at its best, and then some." -- Read This Hear That
"I've read and really enjoyed all of Renee Carlino's previous
books. Before We Were Strangers is her best work yet! I
loved everything about this book-the unique storyline, the writing
style, the characters, the emotion. It is absolutely
brilliant...one of my favorite books of the year!" -- My Little
Library Book Blog
"I read this pretty much in one sitting. This book was equal parts
beautiful and heartbreaking... This will be on my top books of the
year. It was just so damn beautiful." -- A Book Whore's
Obsession
"Before We Were Strangers is easily one of my favorite books
of 2015... Renee Carlino's writing is effortless, and the story is
engrossing and intensely poignant... This book is so skillfully
crafted it can be considered both a New Adult and an Adult
Contemporary novel. It's a friends-to-lovers story as well as a
second chance romance... This is the first book I've read by Renee
Carlino, but it certainly won't be my last." -- The Book Geek
"[B]eautiful and heartbreaking... Before We Were Strangers
was a book I'm thoroughly happy that I picked up; it spans a one of
a kind, beautiful relationship that readers won't want to miss out
on." -- The Reader's Den
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