'Before We Grow Old had me from the first page, and crying buckets by the last!' Katy Regan

'Before We Grow Old is an unashamedly  big, life-affirming, tear-jerking love story. Beautifully told, characters Fran and Will had me from the first page, and crying buckets by the last ! Just gorgeous.' Katy Regan

'Heart-breaking and life-affirming in equal measures, Before We Grow Old is the tender story of a chance meeting between former childhood sweethearts Fran and Will, and is packed with secrets and revelations. Through her beautiful writing, Clare Swatman delivers a powerful lesson in learning to love with your whole heart and accepting the same, no matter what life throws at you.' Sarah Bennett

'Before We Grow Old took me on an intense emotional journey, and I cried at the end (and I rarely cry when I'm reading!) The portrayal of the mother and son bond - with its peaks and troughs of intensity and frustration - felt incredibly real, and the dialogue in particular was brilliantly done.' Victoria Scott 

'A beautifully written tale of enduring love' - Rowan Coleman 

'Irresistible . . . A delightfully bittersweet story that will appeal to fans of One Day' - Sunday Mirror  

'Wonderful' - Sun

'A beautifully written tale of enduring love' Rowan Coleman

One night in December, twenty-two year old Ted Green makes his way to Waterloo Bridge. Lonely and despairing, he worries he has become a burden to his friends and family.

That same night, Marianne Cooper is running away from a party. Having found her boyfriend in a passionate clinch with someone else, Marianne can’t get away fast enough. But as she makes her way along London’s South Bank, a figure catches her eye on top of the bridge.

Then she sees him, a man she fears might make a fatal choice.

When Marianne saves Ted’s life, this night in December becomes one they’ll never forget, and what could be the start of a love story to last them a lifetime. There's no better reason to choose life, than finding a true love to live for. But as Ted watches Marianne leave in a black taxi, all he can think is he should have asked her name.  

'Heart-breaking and life-affirming in equal measures, Before We Grow Old is the tender story of a chance meeting between former childhood sweethearts Fran and Will, and is packed with secrets and revelations. Through her beautiful writing, Clare Swatman delivers a powerful lesson in learning to love with your whole heart and accepting the same, no matter what life throws at you.' Sarah Bennett

'Irresistible . . . A delightfully bittersweet story that will appeal to fans of One Day' - Sunday Mirror  

'Wonderful' - Sun

There’s nothing a mother wouldn’t do for her children – even if it means telling a lie…

Sisters Georgie and Kate have always been close. Brought up by their mum Jan after the death of their father, this family of women have always been able to rely on each other. 

Jan loves her daughters with all her heart. She knows some people think she’s an over-protective mother, but they didn’t know what she knows. She has always kept her girls close but now she can feel them slipping away.

Secrets have a nasty habit of refusing to stay hidden, and now Georgie and Kate are about to discover that while lies can cause pain, the truth could destroy them all.

Two beloved girls. The mother who adores him. The secret that could tear them apart.

Bestselling novelist Clare Swatman returns with a heart-breaking, devastating, but ultimately uplifting story about mothers, daughters and the bonds of love.

Praise for Clare Swatman:

'Before We Grow Old is an unashamedly  big, life-affirming, tear-jerking love story. Beautifully told, characters Fran and Will had me from the first page, and crying buckets by the last ! Just gorgeous.' Katy Regan

'Before We Grow Old took me on an intense emotional journey, and I cried at the end (and I rarely cry when I'm reading!) The portrayal of the mother and son bond - with its peaks and troughs of intensity and frustration - felt incredibly real, and the dialogue in particular was brilliantly done.' Victoria Scott 

'A beautifully written tale of enduring love' - Rowan Coleman 

'Irresistible . . . A delightfully bittersweet story that will appeal to fans of One Day' - Sunday Mirror  

'Wonderful' - Sun

'A beautifully written tale of enduring love' 

When you’re meant to be together forever, you want forever to start today.

Then the unthinkable happens – one morning, on his way to work, Ed is knocked off his bike and dies. Zoe is left facing a lifetime of what-ifs and could-have-beens. How can she let go of all the memories they made, all the missed chances they’d had to be together…

But what if Zoe had the chance to revisit all their important days again, the chance to say all the things she never said? And what if Zoe had the chance to change Ed’s destiny…

Clare Swatman’s heart-breaking novel is an unforgettable tale of sliding doors, a life well lived, and a forever love. Perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes, Sophie Cousens and Isabelle Broom.

Praise for Clare Swatman:

'A beautifully written tale of enduring love' - Rowan Coleman 

'Irresistible… A delightfully bittersweet story that will appeal to fans of One Day' - Sunday Mirror  

'Wonderful' – Sun

'Before We Grow Old is an unashamedly big, life-affirming, tear-jerking love story. Beautifully told, characters Fran and Will had me from the first page, and crying buckets by the last ! Just gorgeous.' Katy Regan

‘Through her beautiful writing, Clare Swatman delivers a powerful lesson in learning to love with your whole heart and accepting the same, no matter what life throws at you.' Sarah Bennett

'Before We Grow Old took me on an intense emotional journey, and I cried at the end (and I rarely cry when I'm reading!).' Victoria Scott 

Numa fatídica manhã, Ed e Zoe têm uma discussão terrível, algo recor­rente no seu casamento em crise, e ela acaba se despedindo de forma brusca quando ele sai para o trabalho.

Pouco tempo depois, um ônibus acerta a bicicleta de Ed, matando-o e deixando Zoe arrasada por não ter lhe dito quanto o amava. Se tivessem ficado mais um pouco juntos aquela manhã, ele ainda estaria vivo? Será que poderiam ter reconstruído o amor que os unira?

Após dois meses, Zoe ainda não conseguiu se conformar. De luto, decide cuidar do jardim do marido, quando acaba caindo e desmaiando. Então, algo estranho acontece: ao acordar, ela está em 1993, no dia em que conheceu Ed na faculdade.

A partir desse instante, Zoe passa a reviver momentos cruciais de sua vida e percebe que talvez tenha conseguido uma segunda chance: uma oportunidade de fazer tudo diferente, de focar naquilo que realmente importa, de mudar os rumos do relacionamento – e, quem sabe, o destino de seu grande amor.

"Clare Swatman nos faz rir, suspirar e chorar com este romance comovente. Ela escreve com confiança e estilo, mesclando os tradicionais dilemas de amor, perda, arrependimento e redenção em uma história provocadora e habilmente construída." – Lancashire Post

Si vous pouviez revenir en arrière, que changeriez-vous ?
Zoe et Ed étaient prédestinés à s'aimer. Aujourd'hui, en couple depuis vingt ans, ils traversent côte à côte les plaines et les sommets de la vie conjugale. Comme un couple de vingt ans, ils s'embrassent tous les matins. Sauf que ce matin-là, Zoe est excédée et envoie balader Ed... qui meurt, fauché par un bus. Comment Zoe pouvait-elle savoir que c'était la dernière fois qu'elle le voyait ? Mais était-ce vraiment la dernière... ?
Quelque temps plus tard, Zoe se réveille dans sa chambre de jeune fille. La vie semble lui avoir offert une seconde chance : revivre les moments les plus importants de son histoire avec Ed. Et les revivre en mieux, afin d'en changer le destin...


Dans ce roman chatoyant d'émotion, Clare Swatman brosse le portrait d'un homme et d'une femme et interroge les ressorts du couple, confronté aux problématiques du deuil ou de l'infertilité. Quelques jours de nos vies séduira toutes celles et tous ceux qui n'ont pas honte de pleurer en lisant un bon roman. Préparez vos mouchoirs !