Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino Summary

Before We Were Strangers by Renée Carlino is a second-chance romance novel about Matt and Grace, two former lovers who reunite fifteen years after a mysterious separation. The story begins when Matt spots Grace on a New York City subway and posts a Craigslist "missed connection" ad to find her. The narrative alternates between their passionate college romance at NYU and their complicated present-day reunion, revealing secrets and misunderstandings that tore them apart.

Renée Carlino is a bestselling author and screenwriter from the San Diego area known for emotionally charged contemporary romance novels. Her notable works include Before We Were Strangers, Swear On This Life, Wish You Were Here, and Sweet Thing. Her books have been featured in major publications like Cosmopolitan, USA TODAY, and InStyle Magazine. Carlino's adaptation of Wish You Were Here, directed by Julia Stiles, was released in January 2025.

Before We Were Strangers is worth reading if you enjoy emotionally intense second-chance romances with rich character development and nostalgic flashbacks. The novel features compelling dual timelines that showcase Matt and Grace's college love story alongside their present-day reconnection. However, readers should note that some find the last third controversial due to the male lead's reactions to revealed secrets. The book excels at capturing the bittersweet nature of lost love and destiny.

Before We Were Strangers appeals to readers who love emotional, character-driven romance with themes of fate and missed connections. It's ideal for fans of second-chance love stories, dual timeline narratives, and New York City settings. Romance readers who appreciate artistic characters—photographers and musicians—and stories about young love rediscovered will find this particularly engaging. Those sensitive to relationship drama involving secrets about children and ex-spouses should approach with caution.

Matt and Grace meet during their senior year at New York University, where Matt studies photography and Grace is a music major specializing in cello. They bond immediately through their mutual love of the arts and musician Jeff Buckley. Their friendship quickly deepens as Matt becomes mesmerized by Grace's free spirit and talent, often listening to her play cello through the dorm walls. Despite their different backgrounds—Matt from a wealthy LA family, Grace from a poor family—they become inseparable.

Matt and Grace's separation stems from miscommunication, misunderstanding, and deliberate interference at the end of their college years. Matt's ex-wife intercepted letters that Grace sent him for years, preventing him from knowing Grace was trying to reach him. Grace wrote pretending letters from Matt that made Grace believe he had moved on with another woman. The combination of youthful ambitions, poor timing, and these betrayals created a fifteen-year gap in their relationship.

Before We Were Strangers alternates between past and present chapters, showing Matt and Grace's college romance alongside their current-day reunion. The past timeline reveals their first meeting, developing friendship, and eventual love at NYU, while the present follows their reconnection after Matt's Craigslist missed connection post. This structure allows readers to understand what they lost while watching them navigate revealed secrets and lingering resentments. The alternating perspectives create emotional tension as readers know the heartbreak is coming.

The Craigslist missed connection post serves as the catalyst that brings Matt and Grace back together after fifteen years apart. After Matt spots Grace on a New York City subway and they make eye contact, he desperately posts a "missed connection" ad hoping she'll see it. The modern internet element adds contemporary relevance to their second-chance romance. This device symbolizes how fate and timing can intervene—offering them another opportunity to reconnect despite the years and distance.

The major secret in Before We Were Strangers is that Grace had Matt's daughter and he never knew about her existence. Matt's ex-wife intercepted all the letters Grace wrote over the years trying to inform him about their child. When Matt finally discovers the truth, he reacts with anger toward Grace rather than understanding she had been trying to contact him for years. This revelation creates significant tension in the final third of the book as Matt struggles with the betrayal and lost time.

The main criticism of Before We Were Strangers centers on Matt's behavior after learning about his daughter, with readers frustrated by his anger toward Grace despite her attempts to contact him. Critics point out that Matt doesn't immediately apologize or pursue a relationship with his daughter, instead accepting a job abroad. Some readers found the last thirty percent problematic as Matt and Grace remain separated despite the emotional revelations. The male lead's self-centered reactions and failure to appreciate Grace raising their daughter alone disappointed many romance readers.

Before We Were Strangers beautifully captures artistic passion through Matt's photography and Grace's cello playing as expressions of their souls. Matt constantly photographs Grace, capturing her essence on film as a way to preserve their connection. Grace's music becomes a language of emotion that Matt listens to through dorm walls, creating intimacy before they're physically together. Their shared love of Jeff Buckley and the arts forms the foundation of their bond, showing how creativity connects people deeply. The novel suggests that artistic souls recognize and need each other.

Before We Were Strangers epitomizes second-chance romance by reuniting Matt and Grace fifteen years after their relationship ended. Both characters spent over a decade unable to forget each other or fully move on, with Matt going through a divorce and Grace raising their daughter alone. The subway encounter and Craigslist post represent fate offering them another opportunity to reclaim their lost love. However, their second chance isn't simple—they must confront painful truths, betrayals, and the reality of wasted years before finding their way back.