Briefly, Forever

**Full of joy and wisdom, a heart-stopping, emotional debut showing that a life isn't measured in how long it stretches, but in how much love it can hold. “Fans of A Man Called Ove will devour this, as I did. Like a perfect piece of music, there is not an off note in this entire book. I loved it.” —Annabel Monaghan, New York Times bestselling author of Dolly All the Time** Alexander Kirk writes perfect love stories—but he doesn’t believe in them. When his favorite café is taken over by Wendy, a quirky single mother with two kids and strawberry earrings, their relationship unfolds exactly like the romances Alexander pens: enemies to lovers, laughter, longing, and a happiness that feels almost scripted. Except this isn’t one of Alexander’s stories. Briefly, Forever begins where most love stories end—with loss. Told through three timelines, the novel traces the tender beginnings of Alexander and Wendy’s relationship while following Alexander as he learns how to parent—and love—her children without her. It is a story about grief and joy, about the power and limits of art, and about loving fully even when happily ever after isn’t guaranteed. Briefly, Forever reminds us that the most important part of a love story is not how it ends, but how we embrace the strangeness and beauty of being alive, loving and living.