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These Things Take Time : A first love, second chance romance unfolding over forty years
Steve and Julie Carter's ‘These Things Take Time’ is a beautiful, nostalgic and compelling tale of growing up in northern England in the 1960s and 1970s.
A chance encounter in a playground leads two children to meet and fall in love. Over the next 40 years fate intervenes to constantly keep them apart.
Was meeting the right person at the wrong time simply their destiny, or is it that ‘These Things Take Time?’
Praise for These Things Take
‘It is so beautifully written, so descriptive of a time. I smiled constantly as I read it, without a break, laughed out loud and cried.’
‘From a man that is lambasted by his wife for never reading fiction books this is a game changer for me, and I lost count of the nudges on the plane with you MUST read this love.’
‘As I was reading your book, I not only had the words in front of me but the images in my head.’
‘It's a celebration of life, love and faith.’
From the press
‘Poignant and page-turning, this latest novel from husband and wife writing team Stephen and Julie Carter offers an eloquent recounting of the chemistry that ignited between Angela and ‘Pele’ in childhood and continues to flicker for the next forty years.
The heart of this novel is all about love at first sight, immersing readers in the realities of growing up in a northern working-class town in the 1960s and 1970s. When fate intervenes, they discover that forming romantic relationships with other people isn’t easy when the deep connection to each other refuses to break.
The plot unfolds in six chapters—starting in 1969 and concluding in 2010. The descriptive detail of the novel’s protagonists and the northern working-class environment is nostalgic, beautiful, and authentic.’
A chance encounter in a playground leads two children to meet and fall in love. Over the next 40 years fate intervenes to constantly keep them apart.
Was meeting the right person at the wrong time simply their destiny, or is it that ‘These Things Take Time?’
Praise for These Things Take
‘It is so beautifully written, so descriptive of a time. I smiled constantly as I read it, without a break, laughed out loud and cried.’
‘From a man that is lambasted by his wife for never reading fiction books this is a game changer for me, and I lost count of the nudges on the plane with you MUST read this love.’
‘As I was reading your book, I not only had the words in front of me but the images in my head.’
‘It's a celebration of life, love and faith.’
From the press
‘Poignant and page-turning, this latest novel from husband and wife writing team Stephen and Julie Carter offers an eloquent recounting of the chemistry that ignited between Angela and ‘Pele’ in childhood and continues to flicker for the next forty years.
The heart of this novel is all about love at first sight, immersing readers in the realities of growing up in a northern working-class town in the 1960s and 1970s. When fate intervenes, they discover that forming romantic relationships with other people isn’t easy when the deep connection to each other refuses to break.
The plot unfolds in six chapters—starting in 1969 and concluding in 2010. The descriptive detail of the novel’s protagonists and the northern working-class environment is nostalgic, beautiful, and authentic.’
221 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 28, 2024
43 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 21, 2024
I read your and Julie’s book over the past two days and having read the first chapter, I was really looking forward to it. I was not disappointed. I loved the references to the passage of time to music, film and TV. A love story that spanned decades for Pele, so many missed opportunities due to circumstances a certain amount of apathy and his strong moral compass. I loved how it took Caitlin to help him see the need to fight for his , and Angela’s, future using the analogy of Captain Ahab. Your writing is descriptive, emotional and thought provoking at times and I enjoyed it immensely.
Well done both of you. Xxx
This would make a great film 🎥
August 24, 2024
A sweet love story with great nostalgia!
As someone who grew up in the 70s in Manchester, I absolutely loved the trip down memory lane - we really did live just like that! The story is a little too syrupy but still very enjoyable and heart warming - a good read overall and especially good if you are from that era.
As someone who grew up in the 70s in Manchester, I absolutely loved the trip down memory lane - we really did live just like that! The story is a little too syrupy but still very enjoyable and heart warming - a good read overall and especially good if you are from that era.
October 9, 2024
Oh my goodness I loved this book and read it in 2 sittings. Can’t remember the last time I was so hooked on a book. The characters were just so real and the descriptions so vivid that I felt I was there. You can’t help but feel pity for the main character’s predicaments. Have never written a review before but felt compelled to say how much I enjoyed this one. What a super talented duo to put this together!
December 14, 2024
Although I was raised a “Military Brat” in States earlier than Steve and Julie so vividly describe I totally understood and related to the entire arc of the novel.
I recommend this without reservation.
I recommend this without reservation.
April 15, 2025
I loved this book.
So beautifully written and so evocative of a past I remembered well. I liked every moment of it and would thoroughly recommend it, especially to those who lived through these times.
So beautifully written and so evocative of a past I remembered well. I liked every moment of it and would thoroughly recommend it, especially to those who lived through these times.
November 11, 2024
Excellent
A heart rendering book which I could stop reading .I shall be with to all of my friends.I hope they have done more moved .
A heart rendering book which I could stop reading .I shall be with to all of my friends.I hope they have done more moved .
September 11, 2025
A very enjoyable story but I think it was a bit slow in the middle, with so many needless references to pop music and bands.
August 21, 2024
Lovely wee story!
Couldn’t put this down. Not normally a reader but this might get me back into it! Loved all the memories from the 70s and 80s my era. Sad but happy .. happy but sad all at once.
Couldn’t put this down. Not normally a reader but this might get me back into it! Loved all the memories from the 70s and 80s my era. Sad but happy .. happy but sad all at once.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews