The Life We Almost Had

Henley (All for You, as Louise Jensen) makes the jump from thrillers to love stories with a magnificent, sweeping tearjerker about the transformative power of love. After Anna Adlington is dumped by her fiancé, she travels to their planned honeymoon destination, the Spanish island of Alircia, taking her best friend instead. When she almost drowns, fellow vacationer Adam Curtis saves her life, and the pair become inseparable for the rest of their stay. Back home in England, they live four hours apart, and when this distance proves a strain on their whirlwind relationship, Adam asks Anna to marry him. Fast forward five years, and Anna and Adam’s once-happy marriage is fracturing, impacted by Anna’s sorrow about being unable to get pregnant despite repeated surgeries for endometriosis. Adam books a trip to Alircia for their anniversary, hoping to recapture the magic of their early relationship. But their efforts at a new beginning are impacted by a tragedy that forever alters their future together. Henley’s beautifully flawed characters and their all-too-realistic struggles keep the pages of this poignant romance flying. Readers will want to devour it in a single sitting—but are advised to keep a box of tissues handy. Agent: Rory Scarfe, Blair Partnership. (June)