The Year of What If - by Phaedra Patrick

About the Book

"On the verge of her second marriage, Carla Carter knows she's finally found the one. She and her fiancâe Tom met through Logical Love, a dating agency she founded for the pragmatically minded, and she's confident that, together, they will dispel an old family curse claiming Carter women are unlucky in love. For peace of mind, Carla's family insists she visit a fortune teller before she ties the knot. Except the tarot unexpectedly reveals that the love of Carla's life is not Tom, but one of the several men she briefly dated during her European gap year--twenty-one years ago. Only weeks away from her big day, Carla sets off across Europe to track down her exes from that unforgettable year, desperate to prove the fortune teller wrong"--

Book Synopsis

Can the future be rewritten?

On the verge of her second marriage, Carla Carter knows she's finally found the one. She and her fiancé, Tom, met through Logical Love, a dating agency she founded for the pragmatically minded, and she's confident that, together, they will dispel an old family curse claiming Carter women are unlucky in love.

For peace of mind, Carla's family insists she visit a fortune teller before she ties the knot. Except the tarot unexpectedly reveals that the love of Carla's life is not Tom, but one of the several men she briefly dated during her European gap year--twenty-one years ago. Only weeks away from her big day, Carla sets off across Europe to track down her exes from that unforgettable year, desperate to prove the fortune teller wrong. From Spain to Portugal, Italy to France, will one be her perfect match? And can a face from her past help Carla rewrite her entire family history--forever?

"[An] uplifting tale of a woman searching her past--and herself--in pursuit of her one true love." --Lucy Gilmore, author of The Lonely Hearts Book Club

"An absolute vacation of a book... I loved every moment." --Suzy Krause, author of Sorry I Missed You

"A magical, whimsical journey in which one woman seeks to answer the question so many of us have asked ourselves... What if I'd done it all differently?" --Gretchen Anthony, author of Tired Ladies Take a Stand

Look for Phaedra Patrick's previous charming bestsellers!

• The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper
• Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone
• The Library of Lost and Found
• The Secrets of Love Story Bridge
• The Messy Lives of Book People
• The Little Italian Hotel

Review Quotes

"Phaedra Patrick hits her stride in this uplifting tale of a woman searching her past - and herself - in pursuit of her one true love. With unforgettable characters, gorgeous scenery, and a journey worth taking, The Year of What If asks the most important question of all...how far would you go to reach your happily ever after?" --Lucy Gilmore, author of The Lonely Hearts Book Club

"Anyone with a meddling family and too many exes will feel right at home in Phaedra Patrick's The Year of What If, an escapist romp that offers it all: a European vacation, an unsolved mystery, and a whole lot of love." --Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling authors of The Unhoneymooners

"The Year of What If is an absolute vacation of a book. Phaedra Patrick's descriptions of the sights and food and people are so vivid, transporting us to beaches, vineyards and cobblestone streets. All the while the reader is pulled along on a current of questions and family mysteries and musings about fate and superstition. I loved every moment. --Suzy Krause, author of Sorry I Missed You

"Treat yourself to The Year of What If, a magical, whimsical journey in which one woman seeks to answer the question so many of us have asked ourselves... What if I'd done it all differently?" --Gretchen Anthony, author of Tired Ladies Take a Stand

"Everyone comes to a point in their life where the question arises: What if I hadn't... What if I had...? The French call this reflection "the nostalgia of the impossible," and Phaedra Patrick has written this journey into the past as the start of a future so lovingly, compassionately and enchantingly that, after reading it, one has the intense feeling of having made a new, close friend, Carla. I thank Phaedra for this new friendship, I wouldn't want to miss it!" --Nina George, internationally bestselling author of The Little Paris Bookshop

"Readers looking for a touching story about love and self-discovery in the vein of One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle or The Year of Second Chances by Lara Avery will find much to enjoy in this heartfelt and appealing story of following your heart." --Booklist

"Thoroughly charming...perfectly suited for a plane trip or a day at the beach." --Library Journal