I’m delighted to share my review today of the latest book from Clare Swatman, A Love to Last a Lifetime: published by Boldwood Books on 23rd January, it’s now available as an ebook (just 99p, or free via Kindle Unlimited), in paperback, and as an audiobook. My thanks to the publishers for my advance reading e-copy (provided via netgalley).
Not part of a blog tour today (sorry Rachel, I was afraid I might not be able to fit this one in!), this was a book I just really wanted to read. I SO loved The Night We First Met (I read it as How to Save a Life – you’ll find my review here) and included it – without a moment’s hesitation – as one of my 2022 Books of the Year. Have you read that one? My goodness, it was just wonderful – as I said in my review, it’s one of those books you live and experience rather than simply read, and I’d recommend it really highly. And when I saw that the publishers were promising her latest would be an “epic love story”, I knew it was a book I just had to read… let’s take a closer look.
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.
This really is one of those books where the author gets everything absolutely right – the first love that you were convinced was so perfect that nothing else can compare, the real life compromise of marrying the supportive friend who adores you, then the emotional rollercoaster when that first love reappears just at the point when life is going less than smoothly in so many ways. But real life never is perfect – as well as Erin’s disappointment with husband Greg and the temptation from a newly-vulnerable Adam, she’s also coping with her mother’s early-onset dementia and her father’s mental health issues. Every single character is beautifully and sympathetically drawn, each with their different foibles and failings – and your main thought as you grow to understand the ramifications of the decisions Erin needs to make is “what would I do?”.
It’s a story in which memory figures large. There are the flashbacks, where we find out more about Adam and Erin’s former relationship and Greg’s being there to pick up the pieces – and a deeply hidden secret in Erin’s parents’ past that adds intrigue to the storyline. But the elements of memory are also deeply woven into the story – Erin working as a therapist using music to unlock the past and ease suffering (something that really hit home with me, having witnessed it in action with my own mum), Adam’s own present day issues and the possibility of being able to help.
The whole construction of the story is extremely clever, tied together by the music that might trigger the individuals’ memories – as a rather older reader, I did find myself making regular visits to Spotify to extend my musical education (Blink-182 and the Pixies rather passed me by…) but that was something I rather enjoyed.
But what I enjoyed the most was the book’s emotional impact, and the portrayal of the different aspects of love that you feel at your core – these were real people living their lives on the page, and when they hurt, I hurt too. The portrayal of Erin’s mother’s decline was painfully authentic, but so sensitively handled – but I felt a deep sympathy for so many of its characters, every one of whom had a place in my heart. And then, after weighing up her options, Erin has a personal decision to make, one of the most difficult possible – and the book’s uplifting (and, for me, rather tearful) ending was everything I wanted it to be, and perhaps the greatest love of all.
I couldn’t recommend this book more – a moving and compelling story, tremendously engaging, emotionally complete perfection, and totally unforgettable. I can’t wait to see what this very talented author does next.
About the author
Clare Swatman has had six novels published. Before writing books, Clare spent 20 years writing for women’s magazines in the UK.
Her latest novel is called A Love To Last a Lifetime and is about music, memory and love.
Clare lives in Hertfordshire in the UK with her husband and two boys. Even the cat is male, which means she’s destined to be outnumbered forever.
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What an interesting review Anne, I shall look forward to reading this xx