This Used to Be Us: A Novel BY Renee Carlino

From the bestselling author of Before We Were Strangers comes an emotional roller coaster of family, marriage, and divorce that will make you laugh and cry. Julia Stiles calls it “hilarious, unnervingly relatable, romantic, and heartbreaking in the best way,” while New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle describes it as “a gut-punch to the feels.”

After twenty-two years together, Danielle and Alex are getting a divorce. Once deeply in love, they now can’t stand each other’s presence. To spare their teenage boys from shuttling between two homes, Alex and Dani opt to share a nesting apartment, swapping days at the family home.

In this shared apartment, both begin to reflect on their past—how they fell in love and why their marriage disintegrated. This newfound space and time allows them to rediscover their individual identities. Dani finds professional success as a showrunner on her own TV project, while Alex navigates the challenges of a new relationship.

Despite their separation, they find themselves drawn back to each other, remembering what they once loved about the other. When a family crisis pulls them back into each other’s lives, Dani and Alex face a critical test that leads to a dramatic and heartfelt conclusion.