I would like to thank NetGalley and The Dial Press for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it in your local and online bookstores and libraries on July 9, 2024.

This Used to Be Us stole my heart in all the right ways. This book is about love, heartbreak, second chances and endings. I tore through this one. The writing is spot on! Be prepared to bawl. I did.

I want to start by saying Renee wrote two of my favorite romance books. I was so excited to get this new one from her. I liked it. I just feel there were some pacing issues, and it ended so abruptly for me. I would have liked to seen more of the ending story and less of the lead up.
With that being said, the writing is beautiful and it is a beautiful love story. I was just hoping for a little bit more.

** spoiler alert **

Thank you to Net Galley and the Publisher for the ARC of Renee Carlino's newest book, Ths Used to Be Us. This is not my first Renee Carlino book and I am a big fan of hers so I was excited when I was chosen to read this book. This book did not disappoint.

Let me begin by saying, I spent 24 hours debating if I should give this book 4 or 5 stars. It was SO hard for me to decide. I ended up giving it 4 and you will see why below. Yes...spoilers below.

Unlike most love stories, this book was about divorce. The book opens up with the two main characters, Alex and Dani, basically unable to be in the same room with each other civilly. They decide it is time to divorce after 22 years together. Throughout the book you see them fall in love with themselves again. Learn to be who they are as single people and what it is actually like to be single. They learn more about their children and their families. They both grow professionally and personally and in the end, they realize that they truly love each other and want to be together. I LOVED all of this.

OK, now for the reason why I just couldn't bring myself to give the 5th star. I mean, ALS? Dani FINALLY gets her Emmy, has her successful TV show and legacy, the love of her life is back in her life and she gets a diagnosis of ALS and to top it all off it's progressing rapidly? The book was already pretty devastating to watch these two poor people trying to navigate their divorce and then they finally are going to get their HEA and she gets a death sentence 2 months later? I was let down by that one. YES, I know not everyone gets their HEA but I was SO hoping that Dani and Alex were going to after all the loss and devastation they have been through. The last few chapters tore me up. Like sobbing uncontrollably.

I haven't cried over a book in a long time, and Renee Carlino always knows how to make me. This story is an excellent reminder that two people who are meant to be together will always find their way. And even when the circumstances aren't always the best, the right person will stick by you until the end.

Alex and Danielle are getting divorced. They have two kids together and decide instead of moving the kids around they will share an apartment and swap out depending on who is with the boys. Told in dual points of view, the story is so raw and takes you a roller coaster of emotions.
I have been waiting for so long for a new book by Renée Carlino, and this one doesn't disappoint. I found it a little slow at the beginning, but once the story picked up and I couldn't put it down. The ending left me broken and in tears. It is beautifully told and will tug on your heart strings in every way possible.
Thank you to Random House, Renée Carlino and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This Used to Be Us publishes on July 9, 2024.

Wow. Another amazing book by Renee Carlino. It's refreshing to read such a real and relatable story of a married couple on the verge of finalizing their divorce. The story goes back and forth and we get to learn how their relationship ship started and how it all fell apart.it epitomizes what happens so often after a couple once in love, has children and loses themselves and their marriage. The things we once loved about our partner become the very things we no longer can stand! (This will make sense if you read the book!) She has such a gift with words and story telling that you get lost in the characters and feel every single emotion along with them. I was not expecting how it ended and needless to say, my jaw was on the ground and the tears were streaming down my face. This is a beautiful and tragic story that I will keep in my heart. My only critique, is that I wished it was a bit longer. It felt slightly rushed.

Renée Carlino is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I believe going in to a book blind is the best way to do it, I don't even like to read the synopsis at times. But I can say this story was raw, real, emotional and it felt like I was on a journey with a friend. I loved the dual pov's and it kept me hooked, unable to put this book down. Carlino does it again for me with another 5 star book!

What causes the demise of a marriage? How do two people deeply in love find themselves repulsed by each other after two decades of marriage? This Used to Be Us takes the reader on a journey told from the two perspectives of Alex and Dani from the beginning of their relationship through a divorce and then a potential reconciliation. It is a messy, emotionally wrought process that at times becomes tedious, if not realistic in its descriptions of their pain and confusion. The ending will leave some readers upset with the outcome.

Overall, it is not a book I would recommend for entertainment – as the publisher’s promotional synopsis describes, it is an “emotional roller coaster of family, marriage and divorce.” There is an occasional bit of humor, but not enough to leaven the heaviness. The redeeming quality was the insights the couple discover once they get beyond blame and accept responsibility for the slow dissolution of their relationship. My favorite characters where the two sons, who seemed wise beyond their years.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

A perspective that is rarely represented in books related to love/romance is anything beyond new love or the honeymoon phase...but what happens next? No one can be your everything - in life, in romance, in friendship, or in marriage. Different relationships offer you different things, often at the center of relationship discord is the expectation of what the other person should be for you. Reading this book felt like an eloquent take on marriage therapy. How a loving partnership dissolves, how the things you love about the other person are ultimately also the things that get under your skin, how you might never stop loving the other person. Stepping back from a relationship and remembering yourself as an individual, remembering the other person as an individual.

I honestly loved the first 95% of this book and found it relatable and honest. I think it tells a beautiful story where there's room to tell more stories like this, a realistic take on marriage and partnerships. The last 5% of the book felt out of place and gut wrenching and like it belonged in a different story. Without the last portion of the book, my overall rating would be higher. I 100% think that this book is worth a read and the majority of it is a lovely story.

A few chapters in, I didn’t think I would like this book but somewhere along the way, I got hooked. There was so much raw emotion and I started actually caring about the characters and felt pits in my stomach whenever they did. I was so happy….up until the last few chapters. It ruined the book for me- it just felt like it was a completely separate book. Would have been 5 stars without the ending.

Being a mom and wife, the emotional pull this book had on me was so strong. I cried so many times! This one is for all the sad romance girlies! It was incredible! Renee is such a great romance author and if you haven’t picked up any of her books, you must!!

The book goes back and forth between present day where Alex and Dani are navigating divorce and flashbacks to the moments where they were so deeply in love. The little flashbacks were some of my favorite parts of the book. The themes were very heavy in this one, but the emotion was so authentic and raw and I felt everything they went through with my whole heart.

This story is about falling in and out of love, second chances, loving your people, and finding yourself through life’s ups and downs. The ending will leave you feeling EVERYTHING! I had to stop and catch my breath.

I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for a new Renee Carlino book, and it did not disappoint!
Dani and Alex are the “it” couple, the one with all the love and chemistry and the one everyone else envies. But life happens and they’re left picking up the pieces of the life they’ve known for the past 20 years. But fate is a sneaky b**tch, she played a role in both the demise and the resurrection of their relationship, but also the ending I didn’t see coming. I couldn’t put it down and I loved every moment!!

This was a fantastic book about the disintegration of a marriage and each spouse later reflecting on why it happened and what they still meant to each other. While it was sad to read about, it acts as both a cautionary tale and a reminder that you're not alone in your own marital struggles.

That ending though! I was blown away and as promised by the description, I definitely cried. My only criticism is that the end of the book was very very fast. A bit more time to give a bit more closure to the reader would have been nice in my opinion.

Wow, wow, wow. How to even put into words what I felt for this book 🥹.

I really love a good read about a couple that has been together for a rather lengthy time, that faces some wavy waters, and end up finding their way back to where they started and remembering their why. This book did it for me - I loved every minute of it. There were some special things in this read that I though were so sweet - the situation with the records and the sleeves and notes - so beautifully done.
I didn’t expect what happened in the end, tugging at my heart strings more than I would have hoped for in any read. Can’t knock stars off for that though. This was such a different, heart-felt love story.

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing, and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

Thank you to Random House publishing group and Net Galley for the early ARC of this book.
This is my first book by this author and to say I was completely enthralled by the story is an understatement. As a middle aged, married female, this book spoke to me. I think any woman can relate to the feelings that the MFC has. The feeling of inadequacy, fear, and coping with the changes in ourselves and our relationships. This book takes a close look inside marriage, love, and loss.
Danielle and Alex have so much love for each other. The story weaves back and forth through their memories to present day. From the beginning of their relationship when they were so engrossed with each other to present day when they can't stand each other. I loved how Renee weaved music as a tether to their relationship. Music can trigger so many memories and ellicit such strong emotions that only a simple melody can conjure up.
This book is about falling in and out of love. Even a well rooted relationship develops cracks from the external forces of life and being. This book is about how we change over time and how that directly impacts our relationship with others. What happens when we stop growing together? It asks the question of what choice do we have when the space between us has grown too far, and we can't find our way back.

Let me start by saying Renee is such an amazing author. She has done it again and given us all the feels with this book.
This is a very relatable book with a second chance at love and a little devastation built in.
I really didn’t want this book to end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the arc

I truly am I huge fan of this author, however this book was middle ground for me. The beginning 75 percent was exactly what I look for in a second chance love story. I also enjoyed the duel pov so we could hear both of their inner thoughts which added alot to the story, However, once I found the couple was just getting together again and starting to build their relationship, the plot twist hits. I found after this happened I lost interest in the story because I knew what the final result would be. I also felt the ending was a bit abrupt and I felt no closure, which may be the point but I wanted definite answers after the roller coaster the last forth of the book was. Overall, I really did enjoy the story however the ending kind of ruined it for me. I am still a fan of Renee Carlino and will continue to read her books in the future.

First of all, I would like to thank Renee Carlino for writing this book for me, Dani, a.k.a. Danielle is so kind of you to write a book for your biggest fan. Just kidding, but it was fun to see my name in a book especially a book as great as this one!


Renea Carlino has the ability to break your heart, and weave it back together where yes it's together but that ache that you felt that moment of loss or grief, or that character you cried for it's woven into your heart and it's gonna stay there. It's beautiful, it poignant, it's wonderful and it's real. Alex and Dani are getting a divorce. They have spent a whole lifetime together. They have two boys, but they have simply fallen out of love. We get glances of that young love throughout the story from both point of view, which was great. The story is woven together from different time points in their relationship up to current day. They are heading towards a divorce and having to live without the other person and having to support their person while not being their person anymore.
This Used to Be US is a beautiful story about falling in love when you're young land having to figure out what that love means as you grow. It's about the world outside your perfect newlywed bubble changes, and how it can alter you as a person which ultimately would change your relationship, it's about who you wanna spend the worst years of your life with and it's beautiful. I loved it!

I received an arc of #thisusedtobeus from #netgalley - release date is July 9. Wow! This one has all the feels! It reminded me of After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid which I absolutely loved. Dani and Alex have been married 22 years, were fiercely in love, and things just kind of fell apart and they are now divorcing. They rent a nesting apartment and swap days with their two boys at their home. The storyline follows them navigating divorced life and reflecting on what went wrong and remembering what they loved about each other. The ending will leave you feeling all the things. I highly recommend you add this to your TBR and snag it in July!