$10.99 sale price when purchased online
$17.99 list price
Target Online store #3991
About this item
Description
About the Book
"When a young graduate student discovers she is the romantic inspiration behind a pseudonymously published literary sensation, she embarks on a search for the elusive writer"--Book Synopsis
Booklist, Top 10 Women's Fiction of 2016 Goodreads Best Romance of August Redbook.com's "20 Books by Women You Must ReadThis Fall" Popsugar's "21 Fiction Reads to Add to Your Fall Reading List" Bustle's "11 New Romance Books Perfect for Summer Beach Reading" Brit+Co's "16 Must-Read Adult Books Out in August" Sunset magazine's "Bookmark this: Your ultimate summer reading list" From USA TODAY bestselling author Renée Carlino (Before We Were Strangers), a warm and witty novel about a struggling writer who must come to grips with her past, present, and future after she discovers that she's the inspiration for a pseudonymously published bestselling novel. When a bestselling debut novel from mysterious author J. Colby becomes the literary event of the year, Emiline reads it reluctantly. As an adjunct writing instructor at UC San Diego with her own stalled literary career and a bumpy long-term relationship, Emiline isn't thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of a young and gifted writer. Yet from the very first page, Emiline is entranced by the story of Emerson and Jackson, two childhood best friends who fall in love and dream of a better life beyond the long dirt road that winds through their impoverished town in rural Ohio. That's because the novel is patterned on Emiline's own dark and desperate childhood, which means that "J. Colby" must be Jase: the best friend and first love she hasn't seen in over a decade. Far from being flattered that he wrote the novel from her perspective, Emiline is furious that he co-opted her painful past and took some dramatic creative liberties with the ending. The only way she can put her mind at ease is to find and confront "J. Colby," but is she prepared to learn the truth behind the fiction?Review Quotes
Praise for Swear on This Life:
"Swear on This Life is Renée Carlino at her finest. Raw, real and gripping; I read it in one sitting."--Colleen Hoover, #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends With Us
"[Readers] will find themselves simply smitten by both the novel in front of them and the story within the story. Romance readers and women's fiction fans should snap up this charming love story."-- "Booklist"
"A beautifully-written second-chance romance that stays with you long after you're done."-- "Vilma's Book Blog, 5 stars"
"Carlino fans will love this one, and so will readers who have not yet made her acquaintance. The tale is engaging and paced to keep the pages turning long after the lights should be out."-- "Kirkus Reviews"
"Carlino's writing will transport you."-- "Book Baristas, 4.5 coffee cups"
"Compelling and unique...If you enjoy second chance romances, emotional reads, and books by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Colleen Hoover (and Renee Carlino!) don't miss Swear on This Life."-- "The Reading Date"
"Easily one of the very best reading experiences I've had all year. I absolutely loved every word and highly recommend it to everyone!"-- "Aestas Book Blog"
"Holy schnikes, this book...I love the juxtaposition of the story within a story, and I'm addicted to Emi and Jase's ill-fated love."-- "Heroes and Heartbreakers"
"I know we're only a little more than halfway through 2016 but I'm proclaiming Swear on This Life to be a Top Pick of the Year. It has to be, thanks to the incredible storytelling ability of Renee Carlino." -- "Harlequin Junkie (Top Pick)"
"Mesmerizing. A story of love and redemption, Renee Carlino's novel is a perfect reason for staying up too late to read."-- "Shelf Awareness"
"Mysterious and compelling, Swear on this Life is the epic love story your summer needs." -- "Bustle"
"Renée Carlino is an author whose stories always make the heart grow tenfold, but with this book she brought mine to the point of bursting...[I] cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone seeking an exquisitely-written second-chance romance that will leave you lost in thought for days to come."-- "Natasha is a Book Junkie"
"Renee Carlino continues to astound me with her unforgettable and unique stories that touch readers' hearts, and I am a FOREVER fan."-- "Shh Mom's Reading"
"Romance fans will find this heartfelt story of resilience and first love hard to put down."-- "Library Journal"
"The single most intoxicating reading experience I've ever had."-- "Angie & Jessica's Dreamy Reads (#1 Favorite Read of 2016)"
"This bestselling author knows how to deliver a literary punch, and Swear on this Life is her strongest yet."-- "Redbook.com"
Dimensions (Overall): 8.1 Inches (H) x 5.3 Inches (W) x .9 Inches (D)
Weight: .75 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Sub-Genre: Romance
Genre: Fiction + Literature Genres
Number of Pages: 320
Publisher: Atria Books
Format: Paperback
Author: Renée Carlino
Language: English
Street Date: February 21, 2023
TCIN: 50505526
UPC: 9781501105791
Item Number (DPCI): 059-04-7390
Origin: Made in the USA
If the item details above aren’t accurate or complete, we want to know about it.
Shipping details
Estimated ship dimensions: 5.3 inches length x 1 inches width x 8.5 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 1 pounds
We regret that this item cannot be shipped to PO Boxes.
This item cannot be shipped to the following locations: American Samoa (see also separate entry under AS), Guam (see also separate entry under GU), Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico (see also separate entry under PR), United States Minor Outlying Islands, Virgin Islands, U.S., APO/FPO
Return details
This item can be returned to any Target store or Target.com.
This item must be returned within 30 days of the date it was purchased in store, shipped, delivered by a Shipt shopper, or made ready for pickup.
See the return policy for complete information.
Frequently bought together
Guests also viewed
Related Categories
4.7 out of 5 stars with 3 reviews
100% would recommend
2 recommendations
A new favorite!
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
ks924 - 10 months ago, Verified purchaser
Picture this: Your roommate gives you a new book to read & while you’re reading it you find out that the love of your life, who you haven’t spoken to in 12 years, wrote a bestselling novel about your painful childhood & heartbreaking love story! Definitely one of my new favorite romances. This book was everything. Read it in a day & couldn’t put it down. This is my second Renée Carlino book & loved both. This one was unique, being a story within a story, & I just loved it so much. The characters consumed me. It was nice to not only see the present chapters through Emiline’s POV but to also see the past chapters through Jase’s perspective, in his book ‘All the Roads Between’. Their story was so heartbreaking but also so beautiful. Jase & Em are the true definition of epic soul shattering love & they deserve the absolute world. Tears were definitely shed during this one, Jase’s banter had me chuckling out loud, on top of feeling so many other emotions!🥺 It had me hooked from the 1st page. Go read this one!! “Isn’t it weird that we had nothing at the time ... but somehow it felt like we had everything.”✨
Enjoyed it
4 out of 5 stars
Jessica - 4 years ago, Verified purchaser
I enjoyed this book, but I wouldn’t say it’s a favorite. As the book summary explains, the main character Emiline discovers that her childhood/teenage love wrote a book that covers their childhood and the young love they experienced from her perspective. So the book basically switches back and forth from her life now and her reading the book Jace wrote. I really enjoyed the sections when Emiline was reading the book rather than the actual book itself which is her life now. I also feel like Emiline and Jace aren’t really like the characters in the book he wrote about them. Jace was so sweet and kind to Emiline when they were younger but now just seems different in present time, so this threw me off a bit. Overall, I still enjoyed it and took about a day and a half to read. I honestly was hoping this book would be similar to Christina Lauren’s “Love and Other Words,” but it didn’t come anywhere close to it. This was also my first time reading a book from this author, but still recommend it as a weekend book.
(no review title)
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Lynn - 4 years ago, Verified purchaser
By far the best book I’ve read in 2020! I read it in a day! It’s such a good book that even when it ended I wanted it to continue!! I hope to find more books like this one. Highly recommend.