Cover Image: Before We Grow Old

Before We Grow Old

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Member Reviews

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

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Imagine your childhood crush disappearing suddenly out of your life.
Fast forward 20 years and you bump into him having your lunch break. Will sparks fly and relationships reform or is the past firmly in the past?

An enjoyable easy read that had good character development. Enjoyed switching between now and then.

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Most stories start with the meet-cute, lead up to the conflict, and finish off with the happy ending.
Not this one, though.
Here, the supposed happy ending arrives a fifth of the way in. What happens afterwards, is the longest goodbye I've ever read.
However, what this story did not do, was make this goodbye all about the sadness that comes with it. Rather, it showed both the brutal-ness and the beauty of life, the way death happens not just to the person dying, but also to those surrounding them - and mainly: how every choice you make may be the right one, and yet still not work out...
All in all, this was a beautiful book, that truly left me speechless and reluctant though I may be to admit it.- with actual tears in my eyes.

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Yeah, wasn’t the book for me.

It was too slow and kind of gimmicky for me. The cover is SO cute though!

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I loved this straight away from the synopsis and I was not disappointed when I started reading. This was an adorable love story, and I loved the addition of the dual timeline here.

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"When seven-year-old Fran first met Will they knew instantly that they were made for each other. For eleven years they were inseparable, but then, at the age of eighteen, Will just upped and disappeared. Twenty-five years later Will is back. Is fate trying to give them a second chance?"

The synopsis had me at second chance romance - I do really love this trope. Then throw in a duel timeline and I'm all in! This book packed more of a punch that I expected it too, I even teared up a little. There was a lot more too this one than the light-hearted second chance romance that I was expecting - definitely recommend!

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I have enjoyed this bitter sweet story. This book is told in two timelines, past and present. In the present timeline Fran is in her 40s, a single mum and feels quite adrift. One day she unexpectedly meets Will, per childhood sweetheart and the boy who broke her heart. While the story develops, there are 'Then' chapters who explain why they lost contact and a few other things that happened that shaped the two into the people they are today.
I liked the story and I liked the ending. It was sad, but it made clear sense in the story.
I also enjoyed the bucket list plot line and how everyone got involved.

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Thank you, Clare, for making me cry buckets of tears at 3 a.m.🥲
This book was... Oh my God, it was so captivating, and the irony was that it started so slow and i was contemplating not finishing, but i kept reading and I'm thankful i did.
The story wasn't that out of the box, but the author made up for this by giving a big dose of emotions into every paragraph that it would really take someone empty not to feel affected by.
The similarity between this book and " a thousand boy kisses" wasn't lost on me, but I've always wondered how it would've been like if the characters were older, this book gave the perfect embodiment of my fantasy, and it was just as i expected it, the feelings were more mature and Everything felt more striking.
The characters and their love story touched me deeply, you can't understand the heartache unless you read the book.
Definitely recommend it.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
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*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher*

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This was surprisingly an emotional read, but one I did enjoy, nonetheless.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

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What a beautifully written book. Made me laugh out loud but also made me cry. Loved the whole story. Would highly recommend

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Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was an enjoyable book.

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I really enjoyed this book - I couldn’t put it down. The characters were likeable and I was totally invested in each and every one of them! A bit of an emotional rollercoaster, you definitely need tissues handy but it made me laugh and cry in equal measures which is always the sign of a good read! It’s a difficult subject that the author handles well - realistically and with compassion. The first book I have read by Clare Swatman but I will certainly look out for more.

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This story was not what I was expecting. I thought I was getting a light hearted romance and this felt like the complete opposite. Overall I enjoyed the story but found it to be quite predictable.

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This book addresses many poignant and deep issues, and I thought they were all dealt with well. Each was given a lot of respect and written with tact.

However, I'm not sure I loved the story of rediscovering a first love, and I don't think it was done well in this instance.

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Fran and Will met when they were 7 and were inseparable until 18. After 25 years of estrangement, they meet again unexpectedly. What follows is a poignant story about love, life, and second chances. In an alternating format of Then/Now, which was done quite well I may add, we get a well-rounded understanding of Fran and Will's lives and choices over the years. I enjoyed the intricate story and reflective tone throughout. This is a beautiful story that reminds us live life to the fullest and appreciate our loved ones every day. Based on the cover and blurb, I expected a light and sweet romance story and boy I was wrong. This is a heavy story based on tough life choices and situations. It's the kind of story that makes me think and will stay with me for a long time. More than a few tears were shed.

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Definitely a case of it's me not you with this one I Think as many have enjoyed it. I think was expecting more of an easy and enjoyable romance story from this book and sadly it fell short for me.

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This book is such a good read, it sends you on a rollercoaster of a ride, friendship, humour, happy and sad. Serious issues are also covered in the context of this book. I was hooked from the very 1st page.

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Book: Before We Grow Old
Author: Clare Swatman
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BLURB:
Some people are just made for each other…When seven-year-old Fran first met Will they knew instantly that they were made for each other. For eleven years they were inseparable, but then, at the age of eighteen, Will just upped and disappeared.

Twenty-five years later Will is back.
Is fate trying to give them a second chance?

Still nursing the heart break from all those years ago, Fran is reluctant to give Will the time of day. The price Will must pay is to tell the truth – the truth about why he left, the truth about why he’s back…

And Fran has her own secrets to hide. The time has come to decide what Fran and Will really want from life – before it’s too late.

MY THOUGHTS:

This is a story of second chances, love, family, and strength that is written in such a beautiful way. Swatman had me hooked from the blurb and I laughed, cried, huffed and puffed through the pages and I loved every second of it! It’s a story of how love you think was gone years ago can always spark again in he future, I stormed through this, it was such a quick read that I more or less read in one sitting. Basically I loved everything about this tory and I look forward to reading more from Swatman again in the future.

Thanks so much to @netgalley and Boldwood Books @bookandtonic for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Before We Grow Old is in stores now!

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So funny and sad, so poignant and addressing so many serious issues, but with friendship and humour thrown in. Look forward to reading more by this author.

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Fran and Will met as children, fell in love as teens and soon split up. 25 years later, they meet by strange coincidence in a cafe and rekindle their love. But was it just a coincidence and what secrets are they both hiding from each other? This was a beautiful and heartbreaking story.

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