The present is our own. The right-this-second, the here-and-now, this moment before the next, is ours for the taking. It’s the only free gift the universe has to offer.” Her books have been featured in national publications, including Cosmopolitan Magazine, InStyle Magazine, USA TODAY, Huffington Post, Latina magazine, Publisher's Weekly, Redbook, Sunset Magazine, Coastal Living and the Union Tribune. You can’t re-create the first time you promise to love someone or the first time you feel loved by another. You cannot relive the sensation of fear, admiration, self-consciousness, passion, and desire all mixed into one because it never happens twice. You chase it like the first high for the rest of your life.” The present is our own. The right-this-second, the here-and-now, this moment before the next, is ours for the taking. It’s the only free gift the universe has to offer. The past doesn’t belong to us anymore, and the future is just a fantasy, never guaranteed. But the present is ours to own. The only way we can realize that fantasy is if we embrace the now.” Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and the bestselling author of Before We Were Strangers, Swear On THIS Life, Wish You Were Here, Sweet Thing, Nowhere But Here, Sweet Little Thing, Lucian Divine, After the Rain, The Last Post, Shopping For Love, Blind Kiss, and - coming soon - THIS USED TO BE US.

Before We Were Strangers is no doubt the best contemporary romance book I've read this year... What I loved? EVERYTHING... [E]very component of this book is perfect. -- The Book Enthusiast T]his is an author to watch... This book was the perfect combination of a swoony romance filled with laughs, touching heartfelt moments, and even a few tears. Such an emotional read that gave me the warm and fuzzy feelings I was hoping for. A perfect summer romance that you will fall into headfirst and come out grinning from ear to ear, and possibly even wiping away a few tears. -- Lost in LiteratureAuthors, if you are a member of the Goodreads Author Program, you can edit information about your own books. Find out how in this guide. PDF / EPUB File Name: Before_we_were_strangers_-_Renee_Carlino.pdf, Before_we_were_strangers_-_Renee_Carlino.epub You can’t re-create the first time you promise to love someone or the first time you feel loved by another. You cannot relive the sensation of fear, admiration, self-­consciousness, passion, and desire all mixed into one because it never happens twice. You chase it like the first high for the rest of your life. It doesn’t mean you can’t love another or move on; it just means that the one spontaneous moment, the split second that you took the leap, when your heart was racing and your mind was muddled with What ifs?—that moment—will never happen the same way again. It will never feel as intense as the first time. At least, that’s the way I remember it. That’s why my mother always said we memorialize our past. Everything seems better in a memory.”

Renée grew up in California and lives in the San Diego area with her husband, two sons and their sweet pup John Snow Cash. I've read and really enjoyed all of Renee Carlino's previous books. Before We Were Strangers is her best work yet! I loved everything about this book-the unique storyline, the writing style, the characters, the emotion. It is absolutely brilliant...one of my favorite books of the year! -- My Little Library Book Blog This book is sweet, emotional, sad, heartbreaking, at times overwhelming, but most importantly it is an uplifting love story! ...I not only highly recommend this book, but can't wait to dive into other books by Renee. -- Three Girls & A Book Obsession Wisdom is not the same as information; it's something entirely different. It's often mistaken for good advice, but wisdom cannot be imparted to someone. Wisdom can only be earned.”

Her adaptation with Julia Stiles for “Wish You Were Here” is currently in production and scheduled to shoot in New Jersey in summer 2023. This lady knows how to write pure romance and infinite love. She writes about seemingly real people with realistic plots. No fluff, no bull! Before We Were Strangers was sheer perfection! It is a timeless and epic love story... This book has it all. DO NOT MISS THIS ONE! Fabulous job Renee. You are one of the great ones! Keep going... -- Blushing Babes are Up All Night A dazzling and heartbreaking story of missed connections and the possibility of a second chance at love. Epic, emotional, and stunningly beautiful... It's easily my favorite book this year and one of my all-time favorites. -- Nestled in a Book With Renee Carlino's highly anticipated fifth release, I'd say she has finally found her writer's groove: she knows what's up and how to bring it... What sets Carlino and Before We Were Strangers apart from all the other romance novels, in this incredibly fast-moving market, is her ability to set the tone and bring the stage to life... No doubt, Before We Were Strangers will satisfy any voracious romance reader. This novel is writing at its best, and then some. -- Read This Hear That

This is Renee Carlino's BEST. WORK. YET. This book broke my heart and built it up all over again and is complete and utter perfection. Just read it.... My words won't do it justice. This is most definitely one of my favorites of 2015 and a book that I will never ever forget <3. -- Shh Moms Reading I felt like I found a piece of my soul in this book. I've highlighted so many lines to use as a reference for daily inspiration. I was that moved. -- Kim Jones, author of Red Krista wrote: "Hey Renee! Just wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS! - on signing with Atria Books. You deserve it. "Sweet Thing" is one of my favorite reads for 2013. And I can not wait for more great books to come." And in that moment, you realize how little control you have over your own destiny. From the time you're born, you have no control; you can't choose your parents, and, unless you're suicidal, you can't choose your death. The only thing you can do is choose the person you love, be kind to others, and make your brutally short stint on earth as pleasant as possible.”Tears had poured from her eyes without any change in her facial expression. It’s pure pain and pure surrender when your soul cries without any fight from your body and that’s how I knew she was deeply affected.” It's truly unputdownable once you start it. Renee Carlino gave us a story we won't forget. We loved everything about it. Incredible, heart pounding, beautiful-pure perfection. -- Schmexy Girl Book Blog