Before We Were Strangers

Before We Were Strangers is an intimate, deeply emotional second-chance love story about timing, regret, and two people whose connection never truly died.

The novel follows Matt and Grace, who meet in college in New York City during a period of artistic discovery, music, photography, and youthful chaos. Their bond is instant and magnetic—they become inseparable, sharing creativity, vulnerability, and the kind of love that reshapes who you are. But life pulls them apart. Miscommunications, bad timing, and the pressure of reality push them into different worlds until they become complete strangers.

Fifteen years later, Matt—now older, unhappier, and stuck in a life that feels too small—spots Grace on a subway platform. In a desperate attempt to reconnect, he posts a “Missed Connections” ad, hoping she might still be out there, still thinking about what they once had.

What follows is a haunting, emotional journey through memory, regret, and rediscovery. Matt and Grace must confront the truth of why they drifted apart and whether love, after all these years, can survive the damage time has done.

This is a tender, nostalgic, beautifully written romance about the one that got away—until fate gives you a second shot.