About the Book
Kate Eberlen, the bestselling author of Miss You, returns with a serendipitous and modern romance. For fans of David Nicholls and Jojo Moyes, If Only is the story of two people who fall in love and the secrets that tear them apart.
How can you know someone until you learn to talk about the past?
Letty and Alf are the only English speakers in an Italian class in Rome, where they discover that the language that really connects them is dance. Alf is nineteen, a former ballroom champion who seems reassuringly confident and at ease with himself. Letty, twenty-two, is unusually reserved and studious, having been forced to give up her childhood dream of becoming a ballet dancer. They come from different worlds, but when they waltz around the Piazza Navona together, a passionate relationship begins.
Can their decision to live in the moment in the Eternal City keep their histories from encroaching? Why is Alf living in a shared apartment, estranged from his family? And what has wrenched Letty away from the apparent security of her Oxford University degree? They each find themselves haunted by the fear that the secrets not yet shared will tear them apart.
If Only is a novel about identity, secrets, passion and dance--and the indefinable collision of physical, emotional and intellectual excitement that we call falling in love.
About the Author :
KATE EBERLEN grew up in a small town close to London and spent her childhood reading books and longing to escape to the big city. She studied classics at Oxford University before pursuing a variety of jobs in publishing, the arts and teaching. Eberlen loves Italy and dance, two passions that are reflected in If Only. She lives in London.
Review :
Praise for Miss You
"If ever a couple was 'meant to be' it's Tess and Gus. This is such a witty, poignant and uplifting story of two lives criss-crossing over the years, with near-miss after near-miss...I couldn't put it down" - Sophie Kinsella
"Brilliantly constructed, with wonderful characters you'll be cheering on, this romantic story is full of poignant moments, has a huge heart and a massive feel-good factor. Engrossing and entertaining." - Sunday Mirror
"Eberlen develops two wonderfully distinct storylines, but her characters are carefully connected by proximity and circumstance. . . . Eberlen's characters are so real and deserving of love-thankfully it's safe to root for them both, and root for them you will." - Kirkus Reviews
"Eberlen...excels in creating realistic characters whom readers will adore-including Tess' unusual sister, Hope; Tess' sassy best friend, Dolly; and Gus' impulsive college pal, Nash. Eberlen also shines at keeping the story moving through 16 years of friendship, purpose, and love. Swoon-worthy." - Booklist (starred review)
"Eberlen's marvelous debut novel captivates and immerses.... This worthy, wonderful, and witty read is a must-have for all romantics who believe in hope." - Library Journal
"If romantic fiction is your cup of tea, you'll love this touching story of a pair of 20-somethings who meet at a language school in Rome [...] Kate Eberlen's previous book, Miss You, was a bestseller and [If Only] is just as good, with wonderful descriptions of Rome's iconic landmarks." - The Independent
"I loved it! I keep thinking about the characters and their lives. It's wonderful to feel Kate's passion for my beloved art form ballet. I felt touched in many ways reading this novel." - Marianela Nuñez, Prima Ballerina of The Royal Ballet
"Eberlen tackles serious emotional issues with empathy and compassion, adding depth to a love story with a difference and its ballroom dancing lead characters will charm fans of Strictly Come Dancing." - Daily Express (London)
"Kate Eberlen's first book, Miss You, was a huge hit and [If Only] is just as compelling. Wildly romantic, touching and wise, it will keep you reading until dawn."
- Sunday Express (London)
"If ever there was a time we needed to be swept off our feet and transported elsewhere, this is it. Cue Kate Eberlen's wonderfully romantic second novel, set in Rome [....] Perfectly plotted." - Woman's Weekly
"A beautiful love story." - Bella (UK)
"The author of the brilliant Miss You is back with a new read you're sure to love. . . . . Exquisite." - The Sun's Fabulous magazine
"While we're all stuck at home, we need to be able to live and love vicariously so [If Only], with its romantic Rome setting is just the thing for some literary escapism." - Red Magazine
"I adored this book: wildly romantic, heart-achingly sad, warmly funny and really clever. Deserves to do just as brilliantly as [One Day]." - Daily Mail (UK)
"An unashamedly romantic novel, but one that also deals with the ongoing and deep-seated effects of grief. Both intricate and engrossing, its real pleasure lies in Eberlen's assured writing with its level of detail and rich characterization." - Sunday Express (London)
"Thoroughly deserving comparison with David Nicholls' wonderful One Day (and I don't say that lightly), this is commercial fiction of the very highest order." - Bookseller (UK)
"Just the thing for long Summer nights." - Good Housekeeping, UK
"Tantalising . . . What makes [Miss You] such a satisfying read is that both narratives are thoroughly satisfying in their own right, with plenty of great subplots . . . A guilty pleasure." - Reader's Digest UK
"This debut romance by the British author playfully upends the expectation of happily ever after." - HELLO! Canada
"Miss You is one of those lovely, comfy duvets of a book that pulls you in and wraps itself around you. A beautifully simple idea, and a simply beautiful book." - Simon Toyne, bestselling author of the Sanctus trilogy
"Miss You is utterly charming, engaging, moving, a story which is both wonderfully romantic yet also true to life. The perfect summer read." - Kate Mosse, author of Labyrinth
"Two lives are unknowingly interwoven in this tantalizing, perfectly-pitched journey through a crater-filled emotional landscape. Miss You is charming, comforting, acutely honest and belongs on the same shelf as One Day." - Mark Ellen, author of Rock Stars Stole My Life!
"If David Nicholl's novel One Day and Richard Linklater's Before Sunset films were to meet, have a brief, thrilling affair and end up producing an unexpected love child, it would be Kate Eberlen's Miss You. A warm and funny romance that will divert and delight you in equal measure." - Leah McLaren, bestselling author of The Continuity Girl
"This delightful novel is a page-turner, and its suspense comes not only from how and when the lovers will find each other, but whether or not they will manage to grow into the people they are meant to be by the time they do." - Kate Hilton, author of The Hole in the Middle
"Funny, poignant and really rather lovely." - The Observer
