""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 crisscrossing over the years, with near miss after near miss. . . . I couldn't put it down."" -- Sophie Kinsella
For fans of One Day in December, The Flatshare, and This Time Next Year, a wryly romantic debut novel that asks, what if you just walked by the love of your life, but didn't even know it?
""TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE."" Tess can't get the motto from her mother's kitchen knickknack out of her head, even though she's in Florence on an idyllic vacation before starting university in London.
Gus is also visiting Florence, on a holiday with his parents seven months after tragedy shattered their lives. Headed to medical school in London, he's trying to be a dutiful son but longs to escape and discover who he really is.
A chance meeting brings these eighteen-year-olds together for a brief moment--the first of many times their paths will crisscross as time passes and their lives diverge from those they'd envisioned. Over the course of the next sixteen years, Tess and Gus will face very different challenges and choices. Separated by distance and circumstance, the possibility of these two connecting once more seems slight.
But while fate can separate two people, it can also bring them back together again. . . .
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.
Finlay Robertson is an actor, writer, and voice-over artist. He has appeared in Doctor Who, How Not to Live Your Life, and Alfie, among many other films and television series.
Anna Acton, an Earphones Award-winning narrator, is an English actress who is best known for her role as Rochelle Barratt, the wife of a borough commander in the ITV television series The Bill. Prior to appearing in The Bill, she played Geri Evans in the soap opera Family Affairs.
Review :
"An unashamedly romantic novel, but one that also deals with the ongoing and deep-seated effects of grief. Both intricate and engrossing."
-- "Sunday Express (London)"
"Eberlen...shines at keeping the story moving through sixteen years of friendship, purpose, and love."
-- "Booklist"
"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"
"Marvelous...This worthy, wonderful, and witty read is a must-have for all romantics who believe in hope."
-- "Library Journal"
"Narrators Anna Acton and Finlay Robertson alternate chapters in recounting the lives of Tess and Gus...Acton and Robertson dramatize their readings with gusto and emotion. Listeners will smile, laugh, and cry as they await that magical moment with another chance meeting brings Tess and Gus together again. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award."
-- "AudioFile"
"Utterly charming, engaging, moving, a story which is both wonderfully romantic yet also true to life."
-- "Kate Mosse, New York Times bestselling author"
"Wildly romantic, heart-achingly sad, warmly funny, and really clever."
-- "Daily Mail (London)"
