Caroline

***Please note this is an ARC and may contain typos or errors that will be corrected in the final, published edition of the book***

Passion meets perplexity in the gripping new novel, “Caroline” (Feb. 15, 2022, Books Fluent), Adrian Spratt explores the past with a deft hand in his new book, pulling from the best of literary and historical fiction, with a touch of mystery.

In 1980s New York City, young lawyer Nick Coleman meets free spirit Caroline Sedlak in an evening fiction writing course. A vivacious fixture at a Greenwich Village bar, she remains mysterious about her life until their teacher reads her story submission to the class, and Nick realizes that a darker past lurks beneath her happy-go-lucky exterior. This doesn’t trouble Nick, who struggles with demons of his own: as a blind lawyer launching his career prior to the Americans with Disabilities Act, he struggles to prove himself at a law office that handles appeals for indigent convicted felons. 

Nick’s practical, goal-driven approach to life balances Caroline’s quixotic nature, and their friendship soon deepens into something more. For some time, they’re happy together. But as the two become closer, Nick’s reluctance to commit collides head-on with Caroline’s need to be loved and belong. Soon, they realize that Caroline hasn’t left her past far behind after all … and the behavior that Nick once found charming first frustrates, then terrifies him. As the two spiral toward an inevitable clash, Nick must choose between the life he thought he wanted, and the woman he can’t bring himself to admit he loves. 

***Please note this is an ARC and may contain typos or errors that will be corrected in the final, published edition of the book***