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About this item
Highlights
- There are two sides to every love story--and every breakup.
- About the Author: Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and the bestselling author of Sweet Thing, Nowhere But Here, After the Rain, Before We Were Strangers, Swear on This Life, and Wish You Were Here, which was optioned for film with Julia Stiles directing.
- 384 Pages
- Fiction + Literature Genres, Women
Description
About the Book
"After twenty-two years together, Danielle and Alex are getting a divorce. Once fiercely in love, they can barely stand the sound of each other's voice. To save money during the separation process, they decide to share a nesting apartment, swapping days with their two boys at the family home. In the apartment, Dani and Alex, on their own, begin to reflect on the last two decades - why they fell in love, and why the marriage fell, spectacularly, apart. The distance provides a chance for them to get to know their autonomous selves again. They both get back in the dating pool, Dani finds major success at work as a showrunner on her own TV project, and Alex starts dating a much younger woman. Still, they find they just can't stay away from each other, and somehow, the distance allows them to remember (for the first time in years) what they what they used to love about one another. Then, a family crisis suddenly draws them back into each other's orbit"--Book Synopsis
There are two sides to every love story--and every breakup. Get ready for an emotional roller coaster of family, marriage, and divorce that will have you both laughing and crying, from the bestselling author of Before We Were Strangers. "Hilarious, unnervingly relatable, romantic, and heartbreaking in the best way."--Julia Stiles"This book is a gut-punch to the feels."--Karina Halle, New York Times bestselling author After twenty-two years together, Danielle and Alex are getting a divorce. Once fiercely in love, they can barely stand the sound of each other's voice. Instead of shuttling the kids between two broken homes, Alex and Dani decide to share a nesting apartment while swapping days with their two teenage boys at the family home. In the apartment, Dani and Alex, on their own, begin to reflect on the last two decades--why they fell in love and why the marriage fell, spectacularly, apart. With the newfound space and time, they are given a chance to rediscover their autonomous selves again. They both get back in the dating pool. Dani finds major success at work as a showrunner on her own TV project, while Alex faces the challenges of a new relationship. Still, they find that they just can't stay away from each other, and somehow, the distance allows them to remember (for the first time in years) what each used to love about the other. When a family crisis draws them back into each other's orbit, Dani and Alex are once again put to the test, which leads to a dramatic conclusion that will have readers weeping.
Review Quotes
"I'm recommending Renée Carlino's This Used to Be Us to everybody this summer--it's a wincingly funny, jabbingly poignant examination of two people locked in an absolute car crash of a marriage, and like a car crash, you can't look away."--Kate Quinn, People "An emotionally-charged and heartfelt look at the realities of marriage in all its beautifully broken moments. Carlino's engaging prose brings Dani and Alex's vibrant love story to life while reducing you to tears. This book is a gut-punch to the feels."--Karina Halle, New York Times bestselling author "This Used to Be Us is an unflinchingly raw and relatable tale of humanity that stirs laughter even while your heart aches for the characters. I was utterly immersed."--K. A. Tucker, USA Today bestselling author of The Simple Wild "This Used to Be Us is a sharply penned, wincingly funny, jabbingly poignant examination of a marriage in shambles: Alex and Danielle snipe and snarl their way through a divorce, aware that they have become the worst possible versions of themselves, wondering where exactly they went wrong. The answers are complicated and painful, as they navigate co-parenting, new romance, and old wounds around the memories of what they used to have. Renee Carlino's knack for answering the hard questions of the human heart is masterful."--Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye "Hilarious, unnervingly relatable, romantic, and heartbreaking in the best way, I devoured this book. Renee Carlino has that rare ability to utterly transport you, and to create deeply human characters you won't soon forget."--Julia Stiles "This Used to Be Us is a real and heartfelt portrayal of the rollercoaster ride that is our time on this planet. It made me laugh, it made me weep, and it made me so grateful for each small moment of beauty in my life. This book will stay with me for a long time to come."--Jill Santopolo, New York Times bestselling author of The Light We Lost "Renée Carlino takes us through the anatomy of a failing marriage in this heartfelt novel that hits all the right notes. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll fall in love with Dani and Alex as they fall in and out of love with each other. You won't want this book to end!"--Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, authors of Forever Hold Your Peace "Carlino has written an exquisite novel about love and the pain that comes with divorce and loss. . . . This heartbreaking novel will have Tracey Garvis Graves' readers hanging on every word."--Booklist
About the Author
Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and the bestselling author of Sweet Thing, Nowhere But Here, After the Rain, Before We Were Strangers, Swear on This Life, and Wish You Were Here, which was optioned for film with Julia Stiles directing. She lives in San Diego with her two sons.Dimensions (Overall): 7.94 Inches (H) x 5.27 Inches (W) x .81 Inches (D)
Weight: .61 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Sub-Genre: Women
Genre: Fiction + Literature Genres
Number of Pages: 384
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Format: Paperback
Author: Ren E Carlino
Language: English
Street Date: July 9, 2024
TCIN: 90128478
UPC: 9780593729281
Item Number (DPCI): 247-29-2704
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
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Shipping details
Estimated ship dimensions: 0.81 inches length x 5.27 inches width x 7.94 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 0.61 pounds
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5 out of 5 stars with 5 ratings
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$16.99
MSRP $19.00
4.3 out of 5 stars with 3 reviews
100% would recommend
1 recommendations
Meh
3 out of 5 stars
ks924 - 5 months ago, Verified purchaser
First off, I love Renée Carlino’s books. Her writing is always beautiful, emotional, & has me in my feels! So I was counting down the days for this one to come out. Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. And it really doesn’t have anything to do with the book itself, I’ve just come to the conclusion that I don’t think the “divorce/marriage in crisis trope” is for me. And I just didn’t like the characters. So this one was just a ‘meh’ for me.🫤 I will continue to read her books, because again, her writing is beautiful & I love the way she tells her stories. But this one was a miss for me. And the ending…what was that?! I feel like the whole thing was so blah, that by the time she got to the end-she needed to throw in something so big to really get the reader’s attention. And then it just made me wanna throw the book at the wall😭🤧🥺😑
You'll wish this will never end!
5 out of 5 stars
Kathleen - 6 months ago
This Used to be Us is the story of the slow end of a marriage, a marriage that began with love. Narrated in turn by Dani and Alex, they remember events whether trivial (coffee grinding in the morning) to more serious. Each has a very different view of the same situation. As their love disintegrates into seething and verbal sniping, they separate, divorce and share an apartment where one stays while the other remains with their two boys in their house. They begin to communicate again, trying to understand what happened to them and their passionate love affair. As Dani says “I repaired my marriage by getting a divorce.” Unfortunately life is not that simple for them. I really don’t know how to review this book. Dani and Alex, their sons Ethan and Noah and their friends project such emotion that your feelings shift with them from joy, sadness, humor and frustration. I guarantee that This Used to be Us will leave you in tears, wishing Dani and Alex’ story would never end. 5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group and Renée Carlino for this ARC.
Another Emotional Read by Renee!
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Kaylahewett - 6 months ago
Danielle and Alex were happily married for 22 years, until they weren't. While going through the process of divorce, Danielle and Alex decide to share a nesting apartment so that their two boys don't have to leave their family home. While in the apartment, they each have silent downtime for the first time in a long time. They each use that time to reflect on their lives thus far and focus on their careers and personal lives. Once settled in their new lives, they each can't seem to shake memories of the past. How did their love story go so horribly wrong? Review: 4.5 stars This was my third Renee Carlino book and I just love her writing and characters so much!! 3/3 of the books I have read by her have made me cry! This was not your typical love story, but I loved that! It was a love story in reverse. This is another story where the characters are far from perfect. They make mistakes (big ones), they make you laugh, and make you mad. But, they are relatable and that's what makes me love them! Even though the ending made me cry, I was not a huge fan of it. It came out of no where and definitely was not a happy ending, but it was a "life doesn't always work out the way you picture it" moment. And that is realistic and life. This read definitely reminded me why I love Renee's writing so much and that I need to pick up some of her backlist books immediately!!