‘From Now Until Forever’ by Roman Coleman is a deeply romantic, hopeful novel that crosses over generations of history. It’s an unusual and unpredictable storyline that kept teasing snippets of the outcome but left me wanting to carry on the journey with Vita and Ben. The characters are built up with a good amount of emotion and felt relatable, despite the unnatural turn of events. I thought the quality of narration was fantastic, capturing Ben and Vita’s characters perfectly. I did find it hard to grasp the true age of Vita and Ben but that confusion does lend itself to the storyline. I’d definitely recommended this as a book and audiobook.

This was rather different. I got into the story quite quickly and enjoyed the pace. A bit far fetched but mostly enjoyable. Vita has been around for quite some time and falls for Ben at a difficult time in his life. They are besotted with each other but Vita has a secret that she really needs to share with Ben.

I’m a big fan of Rowan Coleman and her writing, so I was very excited to read her latest book. I think she’s one of the UK’s best authors, and I’ve never read one of her books I didn’t like.

From Now Until Forever has a really unusual plot, but one I enjoyed unravelling. At times I did find it a bit convoluted, but that’s possibly because I’m not a big fan of art and artists, and therefore don’t know an awful lot about the subject. I definitely know a bit more now, and I think I would enjoy this book even more if I read it again.

Ben and Vita are both layered, realistic characters with contrasting stories. I can’t say too much about them without spoiling the plot, but they’re both at different points in their lives, physically and emotionally, and this leads to some very deep conversations and revelations.

From Now Until Forever explores themes of facing our own mortality and what it means to live an unapologetic life, and I’m sure it’s a story that will stay with a lot of readers. It’s definitely not what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised by the direction it went in. It’s another memorable read and one I may even revisit in the future!

3.5/5.

I tried really hard and read about 60% of this one but I just couldn't get into it. I struggled with which character was who and so I didn't make that connection to really care for/about them.

From Now Until Forever by Rowan Coleman is an unforgettable novel about living life to the fullest and loving forever. The story follows Ben Church, an ordinary man who realizes he is running out of time to fulfill his dreams. He decides to take a chance and pursue his passions, including visiting his favorite painting by Leonardo da Vinci. It's there that he meets Vita Ambrose, a woman who appears to have everything but is searching for meaning in her life. Together, Ben and Vita embark on a journey to make every moment count, to make time stand still, and to find a way to make their love last forever.

Coleman's writing is beautiful and evocative, painting vivid images of the characters and settings. She explores the themes of time, love, and mortality with sensitivity and depth, creating a story that is both heartwarming and heart-wrenching. The characters are well-developed and relatable, making it easy to empathize with their struggles and root for their happiness.

Overall, From Now Until Forever is a touching and uplifting novel that reminds us to cherish every moment and to never give up on our dreams. It is a perfect read for anyone who loves a good love story or who wants to be inspired to live life to the fullest. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a heartwarming and poignant read.

A touching tale of love and seizing life's opportunities as Ben and Vita, brought together by the urgency of time, embark on a passionate journey to make every moment count. It's a reminder of the importance of cherishing the present and the people we love.

This book was gorgeous, so unusual, interesting and intriguing that I could not put it down. I love this author and she didn’t disappoint. When Ben is told he doesn’t have long left in this world he doesn’t confide in his family however he does meet a new friend who opens up new possibilities for him. What develops is a rather sweet friendship with a mysterious thread running through it. It’s quite hard to review this one without giving anything away. I would say please do yourself a favour a buy a copy of this one.

This book is a beautiful love story which is bittersweet.

I started it and couldn’t put it down.
Easy to read but very emotional

Beautiful

This is a general fiction/romance book, which I loved. It was so well written, and the story about Ben and Vita was just amazing, heartwarming, emotional and touching. Ben has a brain problem which means he doesn't have much time left on the earth, and he meets Vita, who is an art curator. Together they have the perfect romance, which is so deep and loving. As we go through their story, there are many sad and uplifting moments which will make you feel emotional and perhaps cry, but you will really enjoy it. With many layers and beautiful writing, this book will open your heart and touch your soul. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

I have read other books by Rowan Coleman and have loved them all so I didn’t read the blurb re From Now Until Forever and this book did not disappoint – in fact it was amazing and I had book hangover after finishing it.

You can read the blurb elsewhere so I will just say that I loved the characters and how Rowan weaved their stories some, in present day, and some in the past almost like time travel.

Rowan is very good at entwining history together with fiction and makes both seem plausible. She did this in “The Summer of Impossible Things” too and I feel that if you like books about Time Travel then I recommend From Now Until Forever and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.

Thanks to Net Galley for letting me read it, for an honest review. I give this 5 stars.

A stunning read, beguiling, intricate and romantic. It's hard to explain this one in advance so the best advice is just to open the story and jump in. Probably best read in a noisy cafe in a busy town while the world whirls around you...

Free courtesy of Netgalley

I love a Rowan Coleman book, but this one will be hard to review without giving away any spoilers.

When Ben is told his life could end at any moment by his doctor, he panics and gets on a train to London instead of going home to tell his family.

Fate intervenes when he runs into Vita, who gives him hope that he can change his ending with a secret left by Da Vinci.

This book is a pure love story, which suspends disbelief and is slightly in the fantasy genre.

It is a wonderful book, that I would recommend to all my friends

A love story for all times and a bittersweet romance I really enjoyed reading. Great characters, the plot cleverly unfolds with such a moving end. A great read.

My usual genre is crime and indeed I have very much enjoyed Rowan Coleman’s Bronte Sisters investigations written under her Bella Ellis pen name. But one of my long-time favourite books is Coleman’s The Summer of Impossible Things so I knew I had to read her latest romantic novel, From Now Until Forever.

It is a fantastic book, epic in scale and sweeping in its historical provenance. What Rowan Coleman can do is to make me believe in her world and her characters; she can make me care about them even though I know she’s writing about the impossible. But she gathers you in, makes you love her characters and then charms you into believing it all. It’s like being wrapped in a fluffy cloud and wafted away to a land of infinite possibilities.

Ben has come to London to get away from the pressure of all his problems. A good man who is trying to process bad news, he wants to get his thoughts clear before he returns to his mother and sister. While he wanders, he bumps into Vita – a chance meeting that changes everything.

Vita is everything that Ben needs right now. She is beautiful, charming, intelligent and caring and there is an immediate attraction between the pair.

Vita Ambrose is a curator of the Bianchi Collection, and she is on the eve of unveiling a new exhibition – a collection of Leonardo Da Vinci’s portraits. Vita has worked long and hard to pull this exhibition together and her motivation is driven by her need to discover a secret that she has longed to uncover for a very long time.

In one of those strange twists of fate, it seems that Ben, an optical engineer, may just have developed the specialist tool that will help her to do that. In the meantime, Vita introduces Ben to Jack, a long-time friend and to Maria, an elderly woman with elderly onset dementia.

Coleman’s story is told from both Ben and Vita’s perspectives in alternating chapters and so the reader is carried along by their developing attraction and by understanding that they both have secrets that they are withholding from each other.

Ben is down to earth and loving; Vita is beautiful, but like a flitting butterfly, always on the move, forever seeking the secret that she knows can define her life.

As the two fall more deeply in love, Ben only wants to help Vita and Vita realises that Ben’s love is everything she has ever wanted or needed.

As Ben and Vita embark on a bit of a dangerous adventure, you find yourself hoping that love really can conquer all and Rowan Coleman’s achingly beautiful writing carries you through some difficult moments to an ending that is executed perfectly.

This is an unashamedly dazzling, magical, romantic story that sweeps you up and carries you with it, weeping copiously as you go. It is tragic, beautiful, full of affirmation and just what I needed after a diet of serial killers and crime.

I was attracted by the cover and the story sounded promising, but I didn't enjoy this book as much as I'd hoped. I nearly gave up early on but managed to plow through it until the end. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This book is a mixture of genres, mainly romance and fantasy but there is also some art history, science and mystery in there too. I was intrigued by the synopsis and on the whole the book did not disappoint. It did take me a couple of chapters to get into the story and to get to know the characters and get my head around what the situation was with Vita , which is introduced slowly. The characters are nicely portrayed .
Chapters are narrated by the main characters in turn which worked okay for me .Some reservations about the superfast acceptance of both into each others lives, but this is fiction ! A romantic read with a little more substance
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Ben has been living reasonably well with an illness, that suddenly spirals and becomes life threatening. Vita is introduced to the reader as a lover of Leonardo de Vinci paintings that she has gathered together from around the world and is exhibiting in London.
Their paths collide one night and their lives become a beautiful love affair, but it's not without it's pitfalls and drama.

Unfortunately, though I liked the premise of this book from the description, I had to DNF it.
There was far too much discussion around art for my tastes and it seemed as though the entire book was going to revolve around this which, had I known that was the premise, would have stopped me from requesting the book.
I also felt there were some incredibly rose-tinted glasses in the way that London was described and I couldn't get past this, as someone who has been to London enough times to decide that it is not somewhere I could ever romanticise like the author clearly does.
With that said, if this book is marketed as a love letter to art and London as well as a story about a time travel love story then I'm sure it will do well.

Ben doesn't know if each day will be his last, while Vita is living forever. When these two meet and fall in love, they know they are doomed, but together they try and find a way to have a future. Full of interesting characters and a real love of London, with a lot of power given to DaVinci, this is an interesting and enjoyable read.

What an original novel involving Ben and Vita who meet, but unfortunately life takes a different turn. I actually found it a strange read, but kept going with it. Ben has travelled to London after he has been told he only has a short time to live without telling his parents. The story also revolves around Da Vinci and Vita’s art gallery.