I rated this 4.5. Beautiful writing. I got hooked into Dani and Alex’s relationship right away. Carlino had an accurate portrayal of a marriage in deep trouble. Then she slowly brought them back together only to have Dani die!!!!! I couldn’t believe that twist. Great read.

Have tissues handy! Alex’s and Dani’s relationship was real- emotional, passionate, and messy. I really connected with the characters and was rooting for them the whole way through. I appreciated reading from both perspectives and loved reliving their memories with them. It is refreshing to also read a great and well written love story about a couple in their 40s! I definitely recommend!

I have long been a fan of Renee Carlino's books and have been eagerly awaiting an announcement that she would be releasing a new one. This is Carlino's first release since 2019 and it was absolutely worth the wait. This book was so well written and powerful, it broke me and make me feel whole again. I only hope I won't have to five more years for another book from her!

Wow. I’ve read almost all of Renée Carlino’s books. I fell in love with her writing years ago so when I saw this new one, it didn’t even matter what it was about. I had to read it.

We enter Dani and Alex’s broken marriage right in the heart of the anger, resentment, sharp words thrown at each other and full on bitterness. We’re shown the heartbreak of finding a new normal, the uncertainty of being with someone other than your spouse of 22 years and the roller coaster of emotions once a divorce is finalized. While the whole situation is sad, watching the characters grow and find themselves again was worth it.

It’s hard to say I “enjoyed” this book but I certainly couldn’t put it down. I found myself reading at 2am and thinking about these characters when I wasn’t reading. And the ending…what a wildly emotional ride this book takes you on! Do not pass this one up. It’s easily Renée Carlino’s best book!

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the chance to read this book a little early.

This story had a very familiar tone to it but I can't place where I may have read something like it before. Passion and marriage and parenthood and divorce are all subjects that interest me. This book had all of those pieces. Carlino wrote great, realistic characters and dialogue. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Danielle and Alex are going through a divorce. A long, drawn out divorce. The last few years sleeping in separate rooms and avoiding any intimacy whatsoever - it is finally time to cut the last threads of marriage. They decide on a nesting apartment - a current concept for yuppies - to not disrupt their boy’s lives while the adults manage the shuffling of their responsibilities and the children remain coddled and comfortable. Dani is a successful screen writer in the volatile world of Hollywood. After suffering a severe writers block she has stumbled upon a huge winner. Alex is a physical therapist running his own clinic. Twenty years ago they were deeply and wholly in love, the perfect couple, building a home and the life they had always dreamed of. A love they imagined would get them through the many ups and downs of life. But after two unfortunate miscarriages, caring for Dani’s sick mother and a continuous flow of blame they have finally admitted defeat. Narrated by Dani and Alex’s acerbic conversations and sad little notes left on album sleeves, the reader witnesses the details of their topsy turvy marriage, divorce and unfailing commitment to their children. Somehow, no matter how hard they try to stay apart they are like two magnets that continue to find their way back together again. Heartbreakingly beautiful and well written, there are huge life lessons buried beneath the banter and I can’t say more or it will spoil the read! Releases in July. A must for your summer TBR!

Heart wrenching and tragic romance about a crumbling marriage/divorce and a couple falling back in love. Thanks for the arc

I enjoy books about struggles in relationships and figured this one would be about a couple struggling through divorce and finding their way back to each other. Well, it absolutely was that but the last 10 percent of the book takes quite a turn. Highly recommended but expect quite an emotional ending.

I'm basically writing this reviewing waiting for my tear duct reservoirs to replenish themselves. And apparently, I'm finding out that having your heart ripped out by a Renée Carlino novel isn't a rare occurrence!? We let this woman just roam free in these streets???? 😭 This is my first book of hers and I definitely think I'm a masochist because I may just come back for more.

If I could describe this book in one word, it would be cathartic. It was so beautifully and painfully written, I couldn't bring myself to stop reading once I got started. I will say, that for a good chunk of the book I thought that Alex and Dani were equally insufferable. While I did appreciate having both sides to this story, they were honestly both extremely mean (towards each other) and unlikeable. My own heart was going into fight or flight mode during some of this post-divorce interactions. I was almost like GIRL, pick yourself up and leave this man for good 🤧 but the scary part is that any married couple, who have been together for anywhere upwards a decade+, will probably not find any of this surprising. It was an oddly comforting knowing this wasn't just dramatized fiction.

I especially enjoyed the little extra touch of adding Dani's love for music and the vinyl record notes 🥲- and how a certain song transported the story to an alternate pocket of time and glimpses into why these two fell in love in the first place and what went wrong.. by the end I was weeping, rightfully so. This one is released in July 2024 so you have time to prepare your tissues!

Thank you Dial Press & netgalley for the early copy 🫶🏼

Wow! I couldn’t put this down! 5 huge stars. The character development was perfect. The whole book was paced in a way that I didn’t even feel like I was reading. Alex and Dani truly can relate to SO many people going through these obstacles.

Finally holding the book I'd eagerly awaited, I was drawn into a captivating tale of a couple navigating the complexities of a long-term relationship. In one night, I devoured the pages, feeling an uncanny connection to the characters who, despite their shared interests, found themselves unable to stand each other. The portrayal of their journey, complete with family dynamics and the delicate dance of adjusting even in separation, resonated profoundly.

Amidst the heartfelt narrative, moments of genuine laughter peppered the storyline, offering a welcomed relief. Yet, the overarching theme delved into the profound reflections of a relationship weathered by over two decades. The authenticity struck a chord, and I found myself both smiling and shedding a tear at the poignant finale.

The author masterfully weaves intricate details that make the story immersive, igniting a wish for life's simplicity, even as the narrative insists otherwise. This captivating tale, rich with reflections on love's endurance and the intricate dance of family dynamics, has left an indelible mark on my heart. A story that will surely stay with me forever, inviting contemplation on the beauty of human connections.

"You dont have to keep up, you just need to stay in the right place. A place I can always find you. That's what home is."

"You are My Times New Roman. The original, bold and classic."

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the arc.

Renee Carlino is hit and miss for me, but I'm always excited when she publishes a new book. This one was more on the miss side for me, but I think I'm likely to be in the minority.

First off, I found both Dani and Alex to be very unlikable. But I think this was the point? Often times in books, we're shown only the characters good traits. But here, I think Carlino was trying to emphasize the point that no one is perfect, especially in a marriage. We're meant to see that both Dani and Alex are to blame for what happened to their marriage. But I think we were shown too much of the bad, and simply told the good. I wanted to get a better understanding of why they loved each other and I don't feel like this was accomplished.

I also felt like the ending was rushed. Especially given what happens in the end, I wanted more. Again, I wanted more show and less tell.

Despite the fact I disliked more things than I liked, I read this book quickly and thought about the characters when I wasn't reading. I will definitely be recommending it to others.

This book, like most of Renee Carlino books made me sob! There’s just something about the way she writes couples that absolutely wrecks me. This one was no different.

Renee Carlino is one of my absolute favorite authors and having read a good amount of her books and having received this book as an ARC (thank you so much Netgalley and penguin random house) I can honestly say this is Renee Carlino’s best book yet.

The way I knew from the first couple of chapters that I knew this was going to be one of easiest 5 stars I’ve ever given to a book, along with being one of my favorite books I’ve ever read.

This story about Danielle and Alex really makes you feel a party of their story, apart of their relationship and the pain they are both feeling going through this divorce.

I can honestly say there were times I thought I knew how this story would end, but I truly wasn’t expecting that ending. I don’t think I’ve sobbed that hard about a book couple in a long time.

I couldn’t recommend “This Used To Be Us” by Renee Carlino enough to anyone and everyone. I already want to reread this book. I know it’s only January but this book is definitely going down as one of my favorites of the year!

I just turned the last page, and I'm in tears. Renee Carlino was born to write books, and I can't express how deeply this one moved me. I equally loved both main characters and admired their maturity (most of the time) while navigating one of the most challenging decisions any married couple could face. Witnessing Dani and Alex relive their memories, co-parent, and rediscover themselves was genuinely touching. I didn't want it to end, and when it did, I cried—really hard. In the end, it gave me hope.

Renee has a way of writing characters that feel so raw and real. The story of Dani and Alex was heartbreaking but also hopeful at the same time. Their journey was very unexpected with a lot of twists and turns and was very emotional at the end. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Before We Were Strangers is one of my favorite books of all time and I was so excited that Carlino was coming out with a new book!!

Renee Carlino knows how to write a gut wrenching love story that’s for sure and this was definitely the most emotional one I’ve read by her.

She has such a way of making characters feel like real people that you’re spending time with and not fictional people you’re reading. I didn’t want to put it down because I had to know what was going to happen. And her chapter titles always get me 😭

I also think the second chance romance with a marriage is very relatable compared to one about childhood friends which I enjoyed.

Overall, I loved this book so much even though it absolutely destroyed my heart in the process. If you’re wanting an emotional romance, this is it.

I think I’m sitting at a 4.5 rating!

I now have the book hangover of the century. I’m not ready to let this story go. I can’t let it go. I want to keep reliving it, re-reading it. I want to experience this majestic love story over and over again and let it keep sinking deeper into my heart. Every time I re-read quotes, tears fill my eyes and the feels come flooding back. the beauty, the love, the loss, the healing, all of it. In every way, this is an unforgettable story.

Renée has done it again! I was obsessed with "Before We Were Strangers" so I was really looking forward to this release and it didn't disappoint. From the beginning, I was immediately drawn in by the story and the characters. You really feel the love in the beginning, empathize with both sides during the messy divorce and then find yourself crying alongside both of them when they finally make it back to one another only for it to be ripped away. Was a truly beautiful messy story, would absolutely recommend.

Renee Carlino knows how to write a heart wrenching romance book. This was outstanding as always. The conflict between the two main characters was so raw and realistic, which I appreciate when it comes to a contemporary romance. I loved this one

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the arc.

Renee Carlino has a way of ripping out your heart and putting it back together.

From page one, I was absolutely hooked into the story line. I really connected with the way the story was told and I could "hear" the characters in my head. I loved the short chapters and the multiple timelines. I loved the songs that matched a certain phase in the character's lives. I played the songs to enhance the experience of this book. This is unlike Renee Carlino's other books, but it is absolutely a masterpiece nonetheless. It broke me, it made me ugly cry, I laughed, I was frustrated, I fell in love with the characters all over again.

Absolutely grateful to the publishers for early access to this book. I am so in love and can't wait to re-read it when it publishes!

PS. My only complaint is that this book had to end. I need more of Renee Carlino's writing in my life!