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: #1318 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01-16
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

Western Daily Press
'It's beautifully written and, despite the tragic storyline, makes compelling and ultimately uplifting reading.'

Thebookbag
'This is Louise Douglas' first novel and she has achieved something very accomplished.'

Nuneaton Telegraph
'This first novel is a compelling and sensitively written account of love and passion, grief and death.'

Customer Reviews

Sad, sexy, beautiful, haunting...
I read the first few chapters of this online and bought the book on the strength of that and couldn't put it down. Olivia returns to her hometown for the funeral of her beloved husband Luca and straight away you realise that something has gone badly wrong in the past because his family make it clear she is not welcome. To make things worse, Olivia and Luca's brother Marc begin an affair to help each other through the weeks after Luca's death - each reminds the other of Luca, and although you understand how this happened, you know it's bound to end in disaster.
Over the course of the book, the story of Olivia and Luca's relationship is told, and the strength of their love is made clear, and it becomes painfully obvious why Luca's family will never allow her in to their inner circle. Events spiral, there's a cruel twist and Olivia is pushed so far that she finally accepts that she has to let go.
The characters in this book all have their faults, and this makes them real. I empathised with Olivia who is engaging but far from perfect - the descriptions of her as a difficult teenager are brilliant. It's beautifully written but also very easy to read and the emotions are powerfully described. The ending gives some hope for the future although the last three chapters made me cry my eyes out. Like Olivia, I am now more than a little in love with Luca, I can't get him out of my mind.

Haunting love story
This is a beautiful and very sad book about love and life. I've never read anything quite like it because on one level it's an easy to read page turner but its also very intense and moving. The characters are real people you really believe they exist adn the situations are so real. It could easily be an autobiography rather than a novel. The central love story is so powerful it stays with you. This is a classic story. Very highly recommended.

Fantastic!
This is without doubt one of the most believable books i have ever read! It is Funny in places and moving in most, Was a complete obsession for me that i complete this book as fast as possible as i wanted to know what happens next for Olivia and the ending is not dissapointing as it finishes how you feel it should, but wont ruin it for you by saying anymore, just make sure you read this superbly written book.