Penguin Random House
Defining Me: A Novel
Defining Me: A Novel
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A "The-One-That-Got-Away" love story with a twist!
Fragile Hearts, New Starts
Picture a moment when everything you hold dear shatters into a million pieces—your spirit crushed, your ambitions shattered, and your heart left in ruins. Isabelle Connelley knows this pain all too well. Not content to sit still and wait for things to get better, she runs away from her troubles, sprinting towards a chance encounter that could change everything— straight into the arms of her first love.
Alex Hastings, Isabelle’s “The One That Got Away,” has transformed into a man with magnetic charm, drop-dead gorgeous looks, and an air of mystery that leaves Isabelle intrigued. Despite their painful breakup years ago, Isabelle wonders if she ever truly moved on from him. So, when fate aligns their paths once again during her hometown summer getaway, it's like striking gold.
But here's the catch—Isabelle's newfound escape is only temporary. When the sun sets on her whirlwind romance, a whole new set of challenges awaits her in the humdrum of reality. Will she summon the strength to rebuild her life and mend her fractured marriage? Or will she dare to take a leap into the unknown, igniting an old flame with a fierce new spark?
"In her debut novel, Berthiaume captures a woman’s full experience of life in the most realistic way I’ve encountered. She flawlessly paints the steadfast comfort of long-term love and the anguish of forbidden chemistry side by side. This book has everything! The horribly relatable coping struggles throughout the height of the pandemic, childhood nostalgia, the complicated nature of growing and changing relationships with family and friends—even action and drama and twists when you least expect them! Defining Me is the perfect vacation book to tear through, reluctantly setting down for meals and other activities, and one you will want to recommend to every one of your girlfriends. I hope this marks the beginning of a long writing career by a phenomenal new author."
~ Laura Lockwood, Voice Actor & Narrator
"Defining Me’s heroine, Izzy, is every woman. Every woman who is married. Every woman who has loved before. And every woman who still thinks about the one that got away. I couldn’t put it down. From the first word of the prologue, the writing will leave you breathless with anticipation.”
~Indira Ranganathan, Narrator
"Beautiful debut novel full of love and laughter. You don't want to miss it!"
~Jessica Miller, co-author of A Woman's Guide to Successful Negotiating
Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
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