Before We Were Strangers & Related Reads 5 Books Collection Set - Fiction - Paperback

Titles in This Set:
Wish You Were Here
The Last Post
Swear on This Life
Before We Were Strangers
Blind Kiss

Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781501105821/9781501189647/9781501105791/9781501105777/9781501189623

Overview:
Renée Carlino’s five-book collection brings together five beloved titles into a single, accessible paperback set. This carefully chosen group showcases Carlino’s hallmark blend of contemporary romance, emotional honesty, and strong, relatable female voices. From reconciling a spark from a past encounter to navigating grief while opening the heart to new love, the collection offers five distinct journeys, each with its own mood, cityscape, and cadence. Readers will enjoy the warmth of candid conversations, the tension of irresistible chemistry, and the quiet triumph of choosing hope. Whether you’re dipping in for a single title or losing yourself in all five, this collection delivers immersive storytelling that resonates long after the final page. Ideal for fans of character-driven romance and women’s fiction, the set is a thoughtful gift for readers seeking heartfelt, hopeful reads with authentic emotional payoff.

What This Collection Covers:
Across these five novels, Carlino explores love’s resilience, the aftershocks of past decisions, and the courage it takes to let someone new into a life already shaped by memory. Wish You Were Here centers on a second-chance romance between two people whose one-night spark lingers into possibility. The Last Post follows a widowed protagonist who processes grief through a stream of candid Facebook posts while learning to trust again. Swear on This Life blends lyrical prose with a powerful attraction that endures across time, earning recognition as a standout within women’s fiction. Before We Were Strangers returns to a New York skyline where a missed connection becomes a lasting, hopeful invitation. Blind Kiss closes the circle with a slow-burn romance that tests boundaries and reveals the strength of vulnerability. The collection, as a whole, invites readers to believe in imperfect heroes, imperfect moments, and the imperfect but perfect fit of love when you’re ready to reach for it.

Book-by-Book Guide:
Wish You Were Here: A heart-forward second-chance romance that reunites a young woman with a soulful artist after a magical one-night connection. Carlino writes with warmth and wit, balancing ache with humor as past and present collide. The result is a tender, emotionally charged journey about reconciling desire with truth, and choosing what’s best for the heart—even when the timing isn’t perfect. The city feels alive around the central pair, and the intimacy of their conversations makes every moment feel earned. This novel sets the tone for the entire collection, offering a hopeful blueprint for how love can reappear when you least expect it.

The Last Post: In this poignant tale, a widow documents her healing through a stream of Facebook posts, a narrative device that blends public candor with private longing. As she confronts grief and learns to trust again, she discovers that vulnerability can be transformative. Carlino captures the quiet bravery of moving forward while honoring the past, and she does so with precise emotional detail that lets readers experience every wave of emotion in real time. It’s a contemporary romance about resilience, connection, and the surprising ways love can re-enter a life when a new chapter is ready to be written.

Swear on This Life: This beloved entry has earned notable recognition in the broader romance ecosystem, including Booklist’s Top 10 Women’s Fiction of the Year and selections on multiple fall-reading lists. It follows a magnetic pair whose attraction endures through the years, delivering a story that’s lush, witty, and deeply human. Carlino’s voice shines in this book—lucid, lyrical, and intimate—making the romance feel inevitable yet unpredictable. Readers who crave a modern, intelligent love story with emotional texture will find it here, along with the sense that some connections defy time and circumstance.

Before We Were Strangers: A Craigslist “missed connection” post becomes a lifeline for two people separated by fifteen years and a city’s worth of memories. The spark is still there, but life has redirected their paths in surprising ways. Carlino paints a vivid New York backdrop as the protagonists navigate missed opportunities, regret, and the patient work of a second chance. The novel blends humor with longing, creating a steady, buoyant rhythm that builds toward a satisfying, grown-up reunion and a fresh start grounded in reality.

Blind Kiss: A powerful, chemistry-filled romance that tests boundaries and authenticity. Two people acknowledge an undeniable pull that neither can easily explain, and their journey explores consent, trust, and the courage to pursue what feels true. Carlino’s character work is razor-sharp here, with a focus on dialogue and small, telling moments that reveal how much is at stake when two hearts finally align. The result is a moving, heat-filled entry about choosing honesty over fear, and choosing love at last.

Who This Set Is Perfect For:
This collection is ideal for adult readers who enjoy contemporary romance and women’s fiction with emotional depth. It appeals to fans of slow-burn romance, second-chance love stories, and character-driven plots set in urban landscapes. It’s a thoughtful gift for readers building a personal library of landmark modern romances, book clubs studying relationship dynamics, or anyone looking for a cohesive, multi-title readingjourney from a single author. Whether you’re new to Renée Carlino or a longtime admirer, this set offers five distinct experiences that can be savored individually or as a complete immersion into her voice and vision.

Key Benefits:

• Five popular contemporary romance novels in one paperback collection
• Engaging, character-driven stories with authentic emotional journeys
• Perfect for binge-reading or gifting to romance fans
• Easy-to-read paperback edition with a cohesive author-driven vibe
• Ideal entry point into Renée Carlino’s acclaimed body of work
• Great for readers who enjoy second-chance love stories and urban settings

About the Author:
Renée Carlino is a USA Today bestselling author known for shearing intimate, emotionally resonant romance with a clear, contemporary voice. Her work often explores love’s resilience, the power of memory, and the complexities of modern relationships, all conveyed through witty dialogue, vivid settings, and deeply felt character journeys. In this collection, Carlino’s signature storytelling shines across five diverse but thematically linked novels, each offering a distinct romance while remaining true to her authentic, heartfelt storytelling style. Readers return to her world for its warmth, honesty, and the satisfying payoff of timely, genuine connections that feel earned and true to life.

Why You’ll Love This Set:
If you adore contemporary romance with emotional realism and strong, relatable protagonists, this five-book collection is a delightful, immersive experience. Owning the full set provides a complete sense of Carlino’s recurring themes—second chances, healing, and brave, imperfect love—while delivering the convenience and value of a single purchase. The paperback format keeps the reading experience intimate and portable, perfect for cozy weekends or commutes. Whether for personal enjoyment or as a thoughtful gift for a fellow romance reader, this collection offers five memorable journeys that resonate long after the last page.

Please Note: The individual books included in this listing will be dispatched as per the original UK ISBN and UK edition cover image shown in the image.