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.

As a sucker for second chance romances, I had to read this book. It was beautiful, heartwarming, heartbreaking. My poor heart still had the hope of a happy ending, but I still loved the story nonetheless. I loved the bucket list plot, the family relationships, the romantic relationships, I feel like the author did an amazing job with that. I look forward to read other works by this author in the future and maybe even reread this one with a physical copy. Totally recommend it! Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for access to the eARC, thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author.

This is a beautiful romance with a lovely meander pace and beautiful descriptions of each event, the main two characters are realistic and beautiful and I wanted them to get together so bad I was emotionally invested in this novel as I read it. it felt like I was in the novel.

This story is beautiful written. I really liked the way the author wrote about Fran’s bond with her teenage son as their interactions with each other were so true to life. There is laughter and light hearted moments throughout the chapters even when the plot starts to deal with some much heavier and emotional topics.

Before We Grow Old is a life affirming read that will bring tears to your eyes and warmth to your heart.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. 25 years after they break up they met again. A story of second chances, making the life most of it, forgiveness, and a bucket list to finish. Honestly, I love how this book was written well, it makes me speechless and teared up. Plot twist among plot twist. It's the story of Will and Francesca oh how childhood friends are one of the special things you could have in your life.

A book which will have you laughing but also in tears. A story of second chances but a love story with no happy ending . I really enjoyed the bucket list items that Will and Fran had made at the age of 17 and tried to carry out 25 years later!
An emotional read which is beautifully written
Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books, and Clare Swatman for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

What I enjoyed most was reading about Fran and Will, their families, and friends. The story is beautifully written and fun in places where everyone comes together to try and complete a bucket list that Fran and Will prepared when they were seventeen. The author handles the concept of death rather delicately and I quite liked the way she handled the whole plot. Though sad in the end, there is something so fulfilling and positive in the way Will handles life and Fran steps up to deal with everything. In the end, the bonds of family tie everyone together and we can each learn something from this story.

This is a story of second chance romance when Fran and Will who were childhood sweethearts meet up again 25 years later.
They're both keeping secrets from each other and I was able to predict early on what those secrets would be. Despite this I did enjoy the storyline. Clare Swatman's writing was easy to get engrossed in.

I expected to get all the feels with this novel but I didn't really. Maybe it says more about me. Or maybe I just found it too predictable. I dunno 🤷‍♀️.

Thank you to @bookandtonic for providing me with a copy via @netgalley for review.

Be prepared for an emotional read! As you soon find out, Will and Fran have known each other since childhood. Over the years their relationship has changed and there are some shocks and surprises which emerge from the past. Reconnecting after many years, you follow their story as they get to know each other again and face up to some terrible news.

Fran struggles throughout to work out her feelings about Will. She carries a great burden of guilt and is also aware of the effect of her relationship on her family. You see some steadfast friendship throughout and also rifts within families and in contrast, strong sibling relationships. The past never stops having an effect on the present. Will and Fran learn that it is crucial to live for today and to cherish what you have.

In short: Starting over, moving on, forgiving.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book

Really enjoyed this book! Such a fun read with great character development! Such a fun one and great to grab!

Loved every page of this love story the writing the characters were amazing the story was beautiful made my heart melt. Everyone going to love this story and be hooked from the first page.

This was hard for me to get through. I really wanted to like it. I’m a sucker for sad, heartbreaking stories. But it just didn’t work for me. So much wasted time! The writing also had so many repeated phrases that stuck out to me and made me feel disconnected from the story.

The characters frustrated me. And while the plot is one that seems like it would certainly be a book I cry over… I didn’t shed a tear!

Maybe because there’s a “love story of the year” sticker on the cover I went in with high expectations. But I was not blown away by the love story. I just felt disappointed by these characters and how they wasted most of their lives.

I didn’t love it. I didn’t hate it. But, I certainly cannot recommend. The “twists” in the book were extremely predictable and I felt like I could see them coming a mile away. By the end I was just trying to finish.

I, unfortunately, didn't finish this book, its content I found very strange. The whole story revolved around the main character keeping two huge life-changing secrets from the man was in love with and then held a grudge against him for years. This book was not what I was expecting compared to the synopsis,

The Blurb :
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 :
We meet Will and Fran, having been friends and inseparable since they were children, at age 18 Will up’s and leaves suddenly with no goodbye or no explanation.
25 years later, as fate would have it, they meet once again in a London coffee shop.
As they get to know each other again, its clear both still have very strong feeling for each other.
We learn what has happened to them both in the past 25 years, told from Fran’s point of view we go on a journey of the lost years between them. But Will is hiding something from Fran, can they move on with each other or is it too late!?.
Full of twists, surprises, love and second chances this is a heartbreaking, emotional story with lots of highs and lows. This is one story that will tug on the heart strings
Looking forward to more from Clare Swatman in the future.

Clare Swatman’s Before We Grow Old is an uplifting, emotional and feel-good love story that is absolutely wonderful. Keep a box of tissues handy, clear your schedule and get ready to fall in love with this wonderful book.

Fran and Will had met when they were still in primary school and even at that tender age, the two of them had known that they were made for each other. From that day onwards, the two of them had been inseparable and Fran had truly believed that Will would be in her life forever – unfortunately, fate had other ideas in store for them. One day, when they were eighteen years old and on the cusp of adulthood, Will had upped and disappeared from Fran’s life. Naturally, Fran had been crushed and heartbroken. She truly believed that she would have a lifetime with Will and she simply couldn’t believe that he would vanish off the face of the earth without so much as a goodbye. Fran never thought she would ever clap eyes on Will again – until he came back into her life twenty-five years later….

Fran might not be that dejected eighteen year old anymore, but she has never quite got over Will or managed to forget the pain she had suffered after he had walked out on her without a backward glance. Not willing to go through all that heartache all over again, Fran plans to give Will a very wide berth, but as he comes clean about the reason why he had left her all those years ago, she finds herself forced to confront uncomfortable truths about her own secrets.

Fate has given Fran and Will a second chance, but will they let the past stand in the way of their future? Can they grasp this second chance at happiness? Or is it already far too late?

Clare Swatman’s Before We Grow Old is a beautifully written tale full of hope and heart that cannot fail to bring a tear to the eye. Fran and Will’s story is affecting, emotional and incredibly real. A sensitively told and highly engaging tale about love lost and found, letting go of the past and healing from old wounds, Before We Grow Old is a bittersweet, heart-breaking and life-affirming page-turner perfect for Jojo Moyes and David Nicholls fans.

Before We Grow Old is a powerful yet emotional story of love and loss. Fran is a single mum, living comfortably. During a break at work in the local Cafe, she is flabbergasted to see Will; Will was her very best friend growing up which turned to live when they were teenagers. The attention to detail in this novel is outstanding, i was drawn in from the first page. Tissues will be needed!!

What an emotive read this book proved to be
Needing tissues at the ready, before the end you'll see.
A second chance romance after 25 years apart
This story is one that'll move your heart!

Reconnecting after 25 years apart
Fran is still nursing a broken heart.
Aged eighteen, Will left and disappears
Never to be heard from for all those years.

Is this another chance for a love that's true?
Or something that you should never do?
With children involved and family, too,
Filled with drama, secrets what should they do?

This is so much more than pure romance
Though these two are given a second chance.
There are no guarantees that things will work out
In a world that's filled with secrets, pains and doubt.

If you're looking for a different, emotional read,
This could well be the very book that you need.
However have the tissues nearby, too
In case, like me, you're moved by what they go through.

For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
I throughly enjoyed reading it and this is my honest review.

I think I've gone through every emotion possible with the book. So beautifully written with compassion and love. I like many others I'd imagine would have loved for Will and Fran to have been reunited much sooner but that would have made for a very different story. Every single character had been created with great thought. Despite being extremely sad there was so much more to this book. I found myself smiling so much. I will definitely be reading more from this author

I read this book for a blog tour.

http://ramblingmads.com/2022/01/23/blog-tour-before-we-grow-old-clare-swatman/