A review by leximarie06
Before We Were Strangers by Renée Carlino

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Im going to be honest, i was not expecting to like this book so much. Ive read my fair share of romance books but this one just had a more realistic vibe to it, it was so much easier to sympathize with the characters because the plot-line was just so raw and real. There was nothing crazy about it, it was just a story of two young college students in love. They both went after different things after they graduated, but met again 15 years later, and found out news that completely changed everything. 

The middle section of the book was pretty full of smut, and usually i don’t particularly seek out books with it, and when i read books that are heavily filled with smut, i have to soldier through it but it was different with this one. I didnt mind it, it just was a reflection of the intense love these two shared, it didnt feel forced. It, again, just felt so real. I can picture this being a real persons exact scenario which i think is why i liked it so much. A lot of romance novels feel too forced and rushed? they took their time with this which i appreciated.

I definitely recommend this book, it truly was a beautiful story. It was a “right person, wrong time” case. 

Im so happy Matt was able to form a bond with Ash, i think Ash was truly the best thing that could have happened to him at that point in his life, and i LOVE that Grace named her that. “The evidence of a love burning well” indeed.
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