A modern classic first published in 1978 that is as much a sophisticated romantic comedy about the love between two partners as it is a novel...

A modern classic first published in 1978 that is as much a sophisticated romantic comedy about the love between two partners as it is a novel about the powerful bonds shared by family members, friends, colleagues and confidants.

"A funny, loving, celebratory book in which everything is perfect." —The Boston Globe

Guido and Vincent, best friends (and third cousins), aren’t expecting to fall head-over-heels in love, but that is exactly what happens. Guido is smitten with Holly, a dazzling young woman who chafes at the idea of complacency, while Vincent falls for Misty, a work colleague with an acerbic sense of humor who seems as uninterested in romance as she is in Vincent (at first). In the months that follow, both couples will experience the rituals of courtship, jealousy, estrangement, family entanglements, and other perils of the heart as they try to find love in spite of themselves.

Colwin is a master of portraying the messiness of life: here, in hilarious and endearing prose, she follows these two improbable pairs, and their families, as they navigate and ultimately find happiness together—not all the time, but for most of it. 

With a foreword by Katherine Heiny, author of Early Morning Riser.

Why we love this

This is a quiet, delightful novel about happy people in love—and that’s precisely its charm. Colwin writes about intimacy and emotional steadiness without melodrama, giving space to joy and everyday contentment. It’s for readers who want to feel hopeful and gently amused, who crave a love story where conflict doesn’t require catastrophe.