Book Description:
The one that she wants…
Adam Bowers; handsome, funny and with the charm of a rock star, from the moment she laid eyes on him, teenage Erin was smitten. But first loves don’t always last, and after a whirlwind romance, Erin and Adam go their separate ways. Yet, Erin never lets go of the feeling that Adam may have been her soul mate…
The one that she needs…
Greg fell in love with Erin in their first week at university. Solid, trustworthy and hopelessly devoted to Erin, he knows he’s better for her than the feckless Adam, who is forever leaving Erin broken-hearted, before winning her back with his charm. As far as Greg is concerned, it’s easy to promise the world, but it’s harder to love someone for a lifetime.
The one that got away…
Years later Greg and Erin are married, and although life hasn’t always been easy, Greg’s love for Erin has never dimmed. But when Adam comes back, in desperate need of Erin’s help, everything changes. Erin starts to wonder whether fate is trying to tell her something…
Will Erin risk it all for the man she had thought was ‘The One’?
From the author of the bestselling Before We Grow Old, Clare Swatman. A Love to Last a Lifetime is for anyone who had a first love, a lost love or a love that lasted forever. Perfect for all fans of Sophie Cousens, David Nicholls and Josie Silver.
My Thoughts:
I really didn’t envy Erin in this story. She is torn between two men, Adam and Greg. Adam is her first love and someone she has never fully gotten over whilst Greg, her husband, there is no doubting she loves him but is it the same as being in love? Having Adam come back in to her life, Erin is at war with her heart and head as to whether she made the right decision all those years ago and more importantly has her questioning herself as to what she really wants in the here and now.
I think most of us would like to find that all consuming love that we see in the movies or even read about in books. To meet that one soul mate who makes you feel complete. Does that love really exist? And if so, is it enough? There are so many factors that we forget to take into account and will give food for thought. As if Erin doesn’t have enough on her plate with some tough choices to make, she also has to deal with her mum who is in a home having been diagnosed some years before with early on set dementia. Understandably, these parts were hard too swallow. If you have watched a loved one going through this horrible disease or similar, it truly is heart-breaking and my heart poured out to Erin and her family.
Though I felt for Erin to be in the situation she was in, my compassion went out to Greg. His position is not an easy one to be in and I could feel my heart breaking just that little bit more as there is no doubting his love for Erin and I surprisingly found myself torn as to what Erin should do and how I felt about both the male characters. Erin thankfully does have some good friends in her life of which I loved Sam especially. You can see how much they want what is best for their friend and I loved how they weren’t afraid to mince their words!
A Love to Last a Lifetime is a story that consumed me and was a lot deeper than I had envisioned. This isn’t just any love story, it is so much more. It is thought provoking and had my emotions in turmoil. Towards the end I felt some trepidation as I wasn’t sure how I wanted Erin’s story to end. Could there be such a thing as a happy ending when it involves three people? I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how it did end and I have to applaud the author for getting it so right. For me, it was the perfect ending to what had been a highly emotive read. A heart-gripping read that blows other love stories out of the water!
My thanks to Rachel’s Random Reads for inviting me to be part of the blog tour. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
Clare Swatman is the author of three women’s fiction novels, published by Macmillan, which have been translated into over 20 languages. She has been a journalist for over twenty years, writing for Bella and Woman & Home amongst many other magazines. She lives in Hertfordshire. Before We Grow Old, was published in January 2022.
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