Product Description

'I miss him with every breath and heartbeat. He should have been my happy ending. Instead, he is the sad beginning to my story.' Olivia and Luca Felicone had known each other nearly all their lives, but when they fell in love as teenagers and eloped to London, they broke the hearts of those closest to them. Luca's parents run Marinella's restaurant, the colourful hub of life in the otherwise bleak north-eastern seaside town of Watersford, and his mother, Angela, has never forgiven Olivia for causing such a rift in her beloved family. On a freezing January night Olivia's life is shattered when she learns that Luca has been killed in a car accident on the M1. She is left with nothing, and after suffering from weeks of overwhelming grief, she abandons her job and returns North to where Luca has been buried in Watersford, just to be close to him - even though she knows she will not be welcome at Marinella's. Olivia's chance meeting with Luca's married twin brother, Marc, leads to the realization that he is experiencing a loss almost as painful as her own. Their desolation draws them into an affair which both know has no future, but fills the space where Luca should be. It is a course of action that can only spiral out of control, and when it does, the consequences are both explosive and cruel. "The Love of My Life" is a beautiful novel that portrays both the innocence of childhood, and the dynamics of love and loss with deftness and sensitivity. It is, above all, a stunning debut from an author with a unique and natural narrative voice. 'Sad and lovely. I'm now having trouble finding a book good enough to fill the very deep hole she's left' - Milly Johnson, author of "The Yorkshire Pudding Club".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1573649 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

About the Author
Louise Douglas is a journalist and lives near Bristol with her three children. The Love of My Life is her first novel.

Customer Reviews

Love of my Life - a beautiful love story
There are two love stories in this book which is mainly set in a small seaside resort in the North of England. The first real love story is between Olivia and her beloved husband Luca. They have been friends since childhood and their friendship develops into a secret teenage romance and then into a beautiful, intense and, in the eyes of their families, unforgivable love. Without giving the story away, Luca's family never forgives Olivia for the fact that he chose her over them, so when he dies, and she goes back to her hometown to be close to his grave, they don't treat her very kindly.

The second love story happens after Luca's death. Oliva begins an affair with his brother, Marc, because they both remind each other of Luca and it's a way of coping with their grief. This 'wrong' affair is contrasted with the real love story of Olivia's life, her relationship with Luca, and the result is poignant and moving without ever becoming maudlin or oversentimental. At the end, we find out why Luca's family is so anti-Olivia and the conclusion is life-affirming.

A lovely, clever, well-written book, with a superficially simple story which actually works on a deeper level as a tribute to real love, with all its joys, wherever it may be found. Very highly recommended.