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Member Reviews

This Used to be Us was my first Renee Carlino book and I can happily say that I understand the hype. This book crushed me in the best way. This Used to be Us is a heavy book that touches on a lot of difficult topics and the nuances that go along with them. I felt so many different emotions while reading this book. The love and disdain that Dani and Alex had for each other was so honest and their journey through such a challenging time in their lives was so raw. As a child of divorce, I found this book to be both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. I love the way the book was written with dual POVs and I also enjoyed the chapter titles. While I was reading, I wasn’t sure where the book was headed and I can confidently say that I did not expect the ending at all. Without spoiling anything, the end of this book had me ugly crying on my couch. I felt like the ending came from out of nowhere and happened fairly quickly, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless (if one can even really “enjoy” that). Overall, I really enjoyed this and can’t wait to read more of her books!

Thank you so much to Random House, The Dial Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

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This book was intense, realistic and heartbreaking. For me - kind of hard to get through because I wasn’t ready for all these feelings. It gave me flashbacks to how I felt when I watched Irreconcilable Differences as a kid. That said, I’d highly recommend to anyone in the right mindset and those that love a heartbreaker.

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Messy and realistic and a real roller coaster. It’s very hard for me to express my feelings for this book without spoilers, so I’ll just say that I loved it and it was beautifully written, but don’t expect this to end the way you think, or hope, or even what the book leads you to believe will happen. Go in with an open mind.

I loved the musical references and the storytelling through “journaling” on the liners of old 33 records. It created nostalgia that pulled me in and made the characters three dimensional. There are some heartbreaking scenes, which might be difficult for someone who has experienced infertility, pregnancy loss, and/or the loss of a child. I would advise reading the content warnings. And having a box of tissues nearby.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for the electronic ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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With her latest book, “This Used To Be Us,” author Renee Carlino takes the reader on an emotional journey quite like no other—a journey paved with love, loss, regrets, and second chances. It’s the story of Dani and Alex, whose love story went awry when life dared to intervene, breaking their bubble of happiness and sending this couple down separate and lonely paths. Theirs is truly a heart-wrenching story that had me reaching for the tissues more than once.

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This is a wonderful look at a marriage from start to finish to start again. Loved the characters. I read this quite quick as it kept my interest. Thank you for the chance to read this!

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I love this authors books so much when I seen she had a new release I couldn’t wait. So I went to NetGalley and prayed it would be there. I was so thankful it was and the day it showed up on my kindle I jumped right in. This book made me think so much. Being a wife and a mom I could relate to so much of what was written. This book hit differently. I’m a romance girl and though I didn’t get that feeling reading this. I felt like I was reading someone’s life story and it made me feel more great full from my family. Because we all struggle and life is hard. It had opened my eyes to life and love. I may have ahead a few tears at the end too Because life is precious and we never know how much time we have.

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I was so excited to get this, as I loved Before We Were Strangers. I haven’t disliked a book as much I disliked this one in a long time.

First, I felt like we spent so much time understanding Alex and Dani’s disdain for each other. I mean I am pretty sure their relationship was still a disaster until 80% in. And the ending!!!! So sad and rushed. So many terrible things happened at the end. I’ve never considered DNFing a book at 96% but I did consider that with this one. So disappointing.

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I have loved all of Renée Carlino's books, and though it has been a while since her last book, This Used to be Us, proved that she still has the amazing ability to write a compelling story! This was a devastating yet beautiful story about two individuals who become divorced but find their ways back to each other. I absolutely loved the dual perspective of Dani and Alex which gave such depth to their characters and made this such a poignant and realistic story. Highly recommend! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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This was not the right book for me. It is the story of the end of a long marriage, and I felt that the re-hashing of all of the mistakes that Dani and Alex made created a heavy book. I wasn’t able to feel like I was rooting for either of them. I had not read a book by Renee Carlino before, but saw that her books came with lots of glowing reviews, so I gave this one a try. Ultimately, I found that it was a character-driven, slice-of-life story, and while lots of readers like this, it was not a good fit for me. Also, spoiler alert: the ending is way too sad. But, I appreciate the opportunity to read an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

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After 22 years of marriage and two children, Dani & Alex are getting a divorce. They once thought their love was a once in a lifetime kind of love but it all falls apart. They decide to get a nesting apartment to trade places so the transition is easier with their children. Once they have time to themselves they begin to look back on how they fell in love and where it all went wrong. They get to find themselves again and begin to notice more things about each other. They try to move on and begin dating and working on their careers but begin to really miss things about their relationship. Sometimes second chances just might be worth it.

Sometimes you get so caught up in life that you forget to slow down and really appreciate each other for the little things. Resentment can add up and can make you forget about what truly matters. You get to see both Alex and Dani’s side of the story and at times you can’t decide if your frustrated with them and just want them back together or if you just want them to move on so they can be happy separately.

I usually devour books that have pulled me in like this one but I found myself taking my time because I didn’t want it to end. This was my first Renee Carlino book and I look forward to reading more by this author. I can’t recommend this book enough but I mean it when I say you need tissues handy.


Thank you Random House Publishing Group for my ARC of This Used to Be Us. This title will be released on July 9, 2024.

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I loved this book until the 90% mark. LOVED. It was a unique premise and I loved reading about characters that were in their 40s and actually acted like they were in their 40s. There was a perfect blend of what was going on in their lives currently (a married couple that is navigating through an amicable divorce) and their past (how they met, key events that occurred throughout their lives).

It was clear that this was a couple that loved each other and their two sons. Both Dani and Alex were flawed characters, and that's what made this so believable - they weren't perfect and neither pretended to be. They recognized that they each made mistakes in their marriage and they could look at those and even if they didn't fix them, they could see them.

Dani and Alex decide that the kids are going to stay in the house and they are going to get an apartment that they will share on the days they aren't with the kids (a "nesting apartment"). They handle everything like adults which was just refreshing.

And then. No spoilers... but then. The last 10 percent of the book. Why? What was the purpose?

Ugh. Renee Carlino... I love your books. I love your writing. I DID NOT love the ending of this one.

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I don't even know where to start with This Used to Be Us...it was so many things. From the very beginning, I felt like the words on the page could have (or maybe even did at some point) come out of my mouth. It was so painfully real it *almost* made it difficult to read. I loved switching back and forth between Dani and Alex, and I feel like Carlino did such a good job of writing from both points of view. The last 100 pages or so really picked up for me, as I was truly invested in the characters and needed to find out what their ending would be! I suppose in some ways it was predictable and in others a complete shock for me. I feel like anyone who's married needs to read this book, and I plan on making my husband read it. Now waiting for it to be turned into a movie or TV series....

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Wow. This book reminded me of why I will eagerly read anything Renee Carlino writes! She has a knack for making me care deeply about the characters. This always leads to smiles and tears while I devour her writing. Families and relationships aren't perfect or easy - this book handles different stages of delicate moments throughout those relationships beautifully. Bravo, Renee, you did it again.

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Renee Carlino knows how to bend the heart strings! So glad to be offered an ARC by NetGalley. It was worth the wait for this author’s latest work!! Can’t wait for her next novel, again!

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Dani and Alex have been married for 22 years but now they can't stand being around each other and file for divorce. They get a nesting apartment to share while the other one is with the boys, to make the transition smoother. This was a really raw look at divorce and how sometimes it takes losing something to realize how important it was in the first place. I really like the dual point of view in this novel. At times I was frustrated with both of the main characters, but I think the author wanted it that way. There was also really beautiful moments as well as they looked inside at themselves and realized how they made mistakes and remember why the loved each other in the first place. It is a heart wrenching book of second chances. The ending was way to rushed for me, but other than that it was a solid read. There is some language and mature content.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the advance read copy

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Dani and Alex had it all, great careers, wonderful kids, a nice house, and their dog, Louie Louie. But somewhere along the way, everything they loved about each other seemed to now be causing them turmoil.

I've read a few Renée Carlino books in the past and adored them, so I figured this was a no-brainer. Boy, was I wrong...

Right off the bat, every character in this book was unlikable, especially the MC's (but I imagine that was the point). The story really just trudged along as the couple goes further down the road to resentment with each other and acted like children. I'm a product of divorce, so I know this happens, but man, it was just dragged out and sometimes hard to push through.

At about 90% through, I figured it would end a certain way, but Carlino had other plans and pulled out such a heartbreaking twist. Normally, I would be all for that, but the characters had all been through such nightmares already. It really just felt unneeded (especially since it made me overly emotional).

I did finish the book, but I almost felt like I wasn't the target demographic, and that's why I couldn't love it. I won't rule out any of her future novels, but this one was only 2.5/5 for me (rounded to 3 on GR).

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Read this if you like:
•second chance romances
•marriage in crisis
•emotional romance

Getting divorced after a 22 year marriage and all that comes with that. This book was a slow burn and I do feel like the book wrapped up too quickly in 3 short chapters. If you love an emotional romance, this one is for you!

Thank you Dial Press for eARC!

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Good book that has a solid story in its pages. I liked the way the author laid the story out for the reader.

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Thank you to Dial Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Renee Carlino is one of my top authors, and her books are always a must-read. This Used to Be Us did not disappoint me! It was full of dual perspectives and emotional roller coasters, which are Carlino's bread and butter.

Alex and Danielle have gone through many challenges together, but for some reason, a build-up of many leads to a divorce. The two are at each other's throats until they finally call it quits, but they have the boys to think about within all the mess of things. Without truly being able to step away, the two are given space to reflect on the years that they were together.

Carlino pulled at my heartstrings because she made each of the characters so real and relatable. Relationships are not easy, and sometimes, you can get lost along the way. However, There's always a chance to find your way back to each other in some way or another if you want it enough.

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Dani and Alex’s story had me both laughing and sobbing. This book chronicles their divorce, including how it impacts their sons and friends/family. I loved the dual POV and some tropes (like miscommunication) didn’t annoy me as much. It was so incredibly relatable in many ways, and the ending was both beautiful and tragic. I will say it can be triggering for anyone who has experience loss; it definitely was for me.

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