When Ben Church receives devastating news about his life expectancy he flees Yorkshire and heads to London where he meets the enigmatic Vita Ambrose. Vita is an expert on Leonardo da Vinci and believes his works contain the secret to everlasting life. Has fate brought them together so that Vita can help Ben, or does she have another motive?

From Now Until Forever from Rowan Coleman is a love story with a twist featuring two engaging characters, and some lovely minor characters too. Ben is a no nonsense Yorkshire man who has devoted his life to engineering. When he discovers that he has months to live he feels cheated. Ben has never had any great ambitions but when he is told that he only has a limited time let he feels that he should have experienced more from life. My heart went out to Ben, it's easy to assume we have all the time in the world, seeing things from the point of view of this character really brings you up short and makes you reassess things.

Vita's voice is completely different to Ben's, you get a sense that she is ethereal, mystical, of another era or universe. Vita's obsession with unearthing the secret to everlasting life she believes da Vinci has hidden in his paintings could be just what Ben needs. Pure chance, or fate, brings the pair together and the spark between them is immediate.

The historical details are fascinating and you become immersed in the quest to discover the hidden secrets. I enjoyed the descriptions of the age old connections between science and alchemy and how they could have a bearing on the information Vita was seeking.

There aren't many additional characters in the story as Ben and Vita are the focus, but those that do appear really add depth and some humour. Ben's sister and mother want to wrap him in cotton wool but accept that he needs to follow his own path. Vita's neighbour, Mariah, offers some light relief but also shows how heartbreaking it is to grow old when those we love die.

As we reach the conclusion there is an intensity, I felt that everything was a constant race against time, a desperation, a hope that fate would deal the couple a winning hand. I certainly felt bereft by the end of this bittersweet love story.

I have read many of Rowan's books but just didn't feel this had the same level of heartache of her previous novels and just didn't have the same level of magic.

This book was so different to anything I've ever read before, and I absolutely loved it. The characters and relationships were all so well written. I really enjoyed being pulled back into history and then the switch back to current day, as well as the dual timeline.
It was such an interesting and thought-provoking concept - I don't want to give too much away - just read it because you won't regret it!

A lovely, romantic novel which really hits the spot in describing huge emotions. Ben's family, as well Vita and Ben themselves, are wonderfully warm and loving but it's all written with such credibility that it never hits a wrong note. The information about Leonardo da Vinci is fascinating and certainly makes me aware of my lack of in-depth knowledge of his work. It's an easy read and it's also easy to suspend belief and go with the flow as regards the supernatural elements. Delightful.

This book is really different to the types of book that I usually read and I had to work hard to get into it. I was very confused at the start when I discovered that 1 of the main characters was 500 years old! Once I'd got my head around it, and persisted with the story, I was gripped. I kept reading until the very end as I was desperate to find out what happened. No spoilers but it will keep you gripped!

This was a marvellous read. Absolutely loved it. No idea how to review it Set in London . Told between Ben and Vita in separate chapters. Both had very different lives . It was sad at times but not. A deep love story .Told around the artist Da Vinci. The ending is so not what I expected but I love it . I would give it a million star review if I could. Read it.

A sweet and sentimental story with an arty element that worked so well. One that will stay with me, very thought provoking.

Simply a breath-taking five-star read. I finished this one a couple of days ago, but every time I sat down to write my review I couldn’t come up with the words. I was not expecting what happened, I hadn’t really read the blurb, just thought ohh I’ve enjoyed that author previously, I’ll give it a go, and the I started reading and if I am honest, I didn’t ever want the story to stop. Ben Church will make you cry, so get your tissues ready, and do you know what you wont care that he makes you ugly cry, as his passion for life, will reinvigorate you. Ben will make you want to get out of bed early and make the most of your day, for people like him, who face the reality that they live every day like it could be their last, living with a complex health problem means you take your life in your hands with every decision you make. Vita has a lovely refreshing quality that brings the joie de vivra to the story, you can’t help but fall in love with her. This is simply one of those stories that will stay with you, and never let you go, much like you have been painted into that moment.

What a wonderful life affirming book! Rowan Colman has written some lovely books and this is up there with them. All about having life and losing life and what life means, bound up in a great tale of Leonardo de Vinci and his search for eternal life. I definitely didn't want it to end. I would happily recommend it to anyone.
Thank you Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Rowan Colman for giving me the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

Ben and Vita fall in love and learn the moment is all any of us have. An emotional and poignant read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

This book was very different to something I have read before. It is very unique which was great. It is a book about living and dying focusing on the great Leonardo da Vinci. Sooo good.

This was a highly unique read about living and dying with an incredible twist focussing on the brilliance of Leonardo da Vinci. Featuring two memorable characters in terminally ill Ben and the remarkable Vita who is searching for answers about her own existence, this is told over a short but intense time period and features unlikely secrets that fate seems compelled to bring them together to uncover. This is a very difficult book to review without spoilers but it is a very well researched and written with a phenomenal thought provoking plot.9/10

Rowan Coleman is an author I read about 10 years ago so was excited to read this novel! A heart warming story with substance and intrigue, Rowan had researched very well as her attention to detail ( art/ paintings) was amazing! Won’t spoil it but not the ending I wanted! An easy, couldn’t put down book!