“‘It’s been lovely meeting you, Gabe.’ ‘Likewise.’ He held out his hand to her and the touch of it was a promise of something that couldn’t be promised. An evocation of a life that could never be lived.“

This book leveled me in a way I was not expecting. Spanning decades, it weaves through the life of Rachel, as she settles into her life with Jonny, only wanting stability and safety. But in every decade, she finds herself meeting up with Gabe, an American artist that is everything she wants, yet does not allow herself to have.

Through the years Rachel’s life gets more settled, but Gabe is always there, a reminder of what could have been. The story was both amazingly ordinary, yet heartbreaking. It highlights how much we can never know about the time we have, and that the grass may not be greener on the other side… but then again, there is always the chance it could be.

This is a story about love, the kind of love that does not diminish. The kind of love that maintains as a thread throughout everything, hoping that you can find it again and follow it home.

This was a fantastic read. Will be posting my full thoughts and review soon, but I just wanted to comment and say this was a great introduction to my netgalley reviewing/acquisition. I loved arachels story. I was so invested to know if she would land up with Gabeor stay with Jonny. I was not disappointed. Thus pulled me out of a slump. Beautiful writing, interesting characters, and a great storyline. Cover was attractive as wel.
4/5 stars

Four decades. Four seasons. Four chance encounters with the same man.

Spring 1986, Oxford. Rachel has landed on her feet: engaged to handsome author Jonny, soon to be stepmother to his young daughter Teddy, and with a dream to open her own art gallery. It’s everything she wished for during her unsettled childhood. So when she meets candid and carefree American artist Gabe at a party and feels a familiar spark, she knows she needs to resist.

But as her perfect life moves forward, Gabe is never far away, and there’s no denying the lure of the spontaneous, wildly adventurous existence he seems to offer. His is a world of endless possibilities—ones Rachel can’t let herself be tempted by if she’s ever to stay the safe course with Jonny. But how can she focus on the life she thought she wanted when she can’t help imagining the alternative?

One thing’s for certain: Gabe is more than a minor character in Rachel’s life. And as their paths intersect over seasons and decades, each meeting presents Rachel with a choice that could alter everything, and she has to wonder whether the life story she once fought for is the version she’s meant to be living…

An interesting story with well-developed characters.
Thank you Fiona Collins, NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of this book.