Between Yesterday and Tomorrow

by Luan Goldie

****

Zoe lost a part of herself after a heartbreaking loss and when she returns to work, everyone is tiptoeing around her and hoping she is back to her old self. But she knows she’ll never be the same carefree party girl she was before.

Then she meets Cian – her disarmingly charming colleague, who’s working from home after a climbing accident left him temporarily immobile. As they spend the summer hiding from the heatwave, arguing about Studio Ghibli, and sharing moments of vulnerability, their cautious friendship grows into something deeper. But with Cian grappling with his own restless spirit, and Zoe keeping everyone at arm’s length, there are a hundred reasons for them to hit the brakes.

Zoe has a choice to make – retreat into her shell and cling to the safety of what she knows, or risk it all and take a leap of faith into the unknown?

Between Yesterday and Tomorrow is a story of courage and connection, and examines the messy, beautiful ways we rebuild our lives when everything feels broken. It finds the humour in the darkest moments and reminds us of the ways we find hope.

****

Praise for Luan Goldie

‘Important and remarkable’ Bonnie Garmus, Lessons in Chemistry

‘Luan Goldie is one of the most important voices in contemporary British fiction … A story of resilience, family and community, it is finely wrought and unnervingly timely’ Kia Abdullah

‘Intense and powerful novel’ Platinum

‘A brilliant book written with warmth and sensitivity that I recommend most highly. I loved it unreservedly’ My Weekly

Genres: Romance

384 pages, ebook

First published July 30, 2026

About the author

Luan Goldie is a Glasgow born novelist and short story writer from East London.

Her debut, Nightingale Point, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the RSL Ondaatje Prize. She is also the author of Homecoming and These Streets.

Her first book for children, Skylar and the K-Pop Headteacher is a body swap adventure for middle grade readers, set within the world of K-pop fandom.

In 2018 she won the Costa Short Story Award and her short stories have appeared in Stylist, HELLO! Magazine and the Sunday Express.

A former teacher, Goldie has over a decade’s worth of experience teaching in the capital’s schools. She also tutors for Arvon, Spread the Word and First Story.

Reviews

[Bella Azam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not gonna lie, I think I was duped by the synopsis of Studio Ghibli there and I barely get anything about it and now here I am questioning my choice of read 🙃. While the premise promised a sort of contemporary romance of two people connecting, a friendship that happened out of circumstances, I found myself bored most of the time. Its a simple story of love and romance, Zoe the carefree party girl whom suffered from the loss of her best friend and soon ends up depressed and unable to let go of her loss meets Cian, injured from a wall climbing incident which caused him to be homebound at home. They are work colleagues but never interact until Zoe dropped off his items knowing they lived right across the neighbourhood. This meet up leads to the friendly banter, lots of flirting and a spark of attraction.

Both characters are miserable in their own ways while trying to be quirky and flirty, I found myself cringing the more I read on. Its character focused and the back and forth timeline to show how deeply Zoe was suffering from the loss of her best friend, Kasie which I didn't feel much for. The romance is messy cuz both of them are carrying baggage and wounds of their own which need to be treated first before jumping into a relationship and I just knew it will probably won't last until they solve the root cause first.

Thank you Times Reads for the review copy

[mila_readss · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know when you flip the page, reach the end, and suddenly you're like WAIT… I NEED MORE?! 😭 Well, this is that kind of book.

I genuinely never wanted it to end. I absolutely adored these characters, including all the side characters with their own quirky personalities. They felt so real, raw, and wonderfully human.

This novel doesn't shy away from difficult topics either. It explores grief, unexpectedly losing someone, and trying to find your way back—not to who you were before, but to discovering yourself all over again.

It also beautifully explores not feeling ready for a relationship and pushing it away, learning how to open up to someone, building trust, finding empathy, and allowing people to be there for you even when it feels incredibly vulnerable.

I just knew from the very beginning that this was going to find its way to a 5 ⭐ for me—and those are SO rare! So when a book manages to capture me like this, you know it has done something special.

Please do yourself a favour and pick this one up. It will completely hook you, and I already know these characters are going to stay in my mind for a very long time.

5 ⭐ — an absolute favourite.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Nightingale Point and These Streets also by this author, so I was extremely excited to get my hands on this, her latest release.
In it we meet Zoe who is returning to work after suffering a devastating loss. She used to be the life and soul but, well, basically, has had all that sucked out of her and she is a shadow of her former self. Her colleagues try their best, especially Nicole but they don't know what to do to help her. Well, they wouldn't cos she has no idea how to help herself.
Until she meets Cian, another work colleague she hasn't previously noticed. He is currently having to work from home after shattering his knee in a climbing accident and, as his father, who he is staying with during his recovery, lives very near her, her boss asked her to take some things round to him.
Cian is handsome and charming and Zoe is soon drawn to him him more ways than she initially feels comfortable with. But she is still deep in grief and still has unresolved feelings and issues around that loss. She loves the safety of the world in which she lives just now, even though she is pretty much just watching life go by, But is she ready to take that leap of faith...
Oh my days, I really felt for Zoe and her confused feelings over Cian all the way through, having strongly connected to her right from the start. I can't say too much about the loss and the person she is grieving for as you need to meet them and get to follow their journey as the author intended, but suffice to say she's scared of this new connection to another person. Cian is also suffering from his knee injury and having lost his mobility so the two of them are both on healing journeys albeit it very different ones. Cian is assisted by his father Brendan who he is staying with, Zoe by her brother Eric who is currently staying with her. She also has an on and off casual lover Ikenna who she's still clinging on to, even though it should be over. And then there's Wuffy/Stormzy the cat!
The story was compelling and gritty, and tugged at all the right emotions within me. Yes the subject matter does mean it's a wee bit dark, but there is so much more positive stuff peppered throughout that it never gets too dark. The banter between the characters keeps it light, some of which is also very clever and funny.
It's a very character driven story and, as such, the characters need to be strong enough to drive the narrative and, well, they most definitely are. Just as in her previous books, she has created some brilliant characters, some of whom have stayed with me way beyond the final page. Some who I would love to catch up with, to see how things are going now. Ones who I totally invested in and was more than happy to have done so.
And the ending, when it came, was perfect!
All in all, another winner from another author now firmly cemented on my watch list. I appear to have missed out reading one of her books so I will endeavour to sneak it into my tbr whilst waiting for her next release.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

[aemynadira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zoe is back at work after a devastating loss, but everyone keeps waiting for the "old Zoe" to show up. Except she doesn't know who that person is anymore. Enter Cian, her colleague stuck at home recovering from a climbing accident, equal parts ridiculous & unexpectedly sweet. What starts as easy banter slowly becomes a connection that neither of them saw coming. The plot itself is pretty simple & slice-of-life, but don't let that fool you. Underneath all the warmth is an exploration of grief & how it reshapes you.

Okay, can we talk about Zoe & Cian for a second? Because they absolutely stole my heart. Their witty banter had me grinning like an idiot, & Cian is just so silly & funny. I honestly just can't with him 😂 He's exactly what Zoe needs, even when she's being frustrating. And oh, I did get frustrated with her sometimes. Her hesitance & self-doubt made me wanna shake her a little, because after everything she's lost, she should know life's too short to be unkind to herself. But then I'd remember, that's grief, isn't it? It makes you second-guess joy. Still, even when they're being petulant with each other, they're ridiculously cute together. Cian never lets things get too heavy & that balance is what keeps the book from ever feeling bleak.

I appreciate that the author doesn't pretend grief has an expiration date & doesn't let love magically fix everything either. Instead, Cian's presence reminds Zoe that there's still a life waiting for her, not the same one, but something new. The book sits in that messy middle space between who you were & who you're becoming, & honestly? It felt so real. You don't move on, but you do learn to carry it. This story is sad in places, sure, but it's mostly full of humor, friendship, & hope. It would make a good movie, no?

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe this is the third book I've read by Luan Goldie, and the thing that has hit me with each one is how well written the characters are. They are truly a joy to read as they have a real depth and complexity while being effortlessly natural. However I've started to realise they can make me gloss over the story, both while reading and when reflecting afterwards.

This story is apparently a romance. I can see that argument, there are people doing romance things after all. if that's what you want then enjoy, I'm not the best judge on the genre but the characters fit that plotline and I think it works well. But for me, this is a book about healing. I don't just mean Cian's knee healing, both he and Zoe have broken spirits. Two outwardly confident people if you didn't know them, but both carrying scars very near to the surface. Their friends and family know their suffering, it's no hidden secret. Their self-assuredness not an act, but a remnant of before their respective worlds fell apart. And yes, they find comfort in each other. They heal with each other, and find a way to move past their traumas. A way to start living again instead of just pretending everything is fine like before. So a romance? Sure, that's here to enjoy. But if you want more, that's here too. There is so much pain in the world these days it felt good to see two people find a lighter path. To see the spiral of doom and gloom stopped and to feel optimism. Amazing characters, but a story I can't help but appreciate right now.

[Chris L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luan Goldie's 'Between Yesterday and Tomorrow' is a beautiful meditation on grief and getting through life when you're carrying such emotional pain. Zoe is grieving the loss of a loved one, and she grapples with how to focus on work and the loss. How do you move on when a part of your life is gone? Grief is not linear; it can hit you at any time. Goldie captures that brilliantly.

While the book is about grief, Goldie's prose style is never maudlin. It's witty and insightful. It's a highly readable book. You would think it would be utterly depressing, but surprisingly it reads quickly. Goldie achieves this by allowing her characters to behave realistically rather than putting them through emotional pain for the sake of needless drama. There's a lightness to the book that makes the story and Zoe's story so attractive.

When Zoe meets up with Cian, I was worried it would turn into a rather dull romance. However, Goldie gives these characters enough quirkiness to feel like people we meet in our real lives. We know these people. We're rooting for them as individuals because they are believable.

Luan Goldie's 'Between Yesterday and Tomorrow' is a richly observed book about the way grief permeates every aspect of a person's life. I would not be surprised to see it as a contender for the Women's Prize longlist in 2027.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zoe lost part of herself after a heartbreaking loss and when she returns to work, everyone is tiptoeing around her and helping her back to her old self. But she knows she won't be the same old party girl she was before. Then she meets Cian - her disarmingly charming colleague, who's working from home after a climbing accident left him temporarily immobile. As they spend the summer hiding from the heatwave, arguing about Studio Ghibili, and sharing moments of vulnerability, their cautious friendship grows into something deeper. But with Cian grappling with his own restless spirit, and Zoe keeping everyone at arms length there are a hundred reasons for them to hit the brakes.

What a well- written story. The characters are well-developed and likeable. Zoe is not coping well after the death of her best friend Cassie. Zoe meets Cian, a colleague who is working from home after a climbing accident, and Zoe is asked to hand in some work stuff to him. They quickly become friends. This is a story of Loss and friendship.


Published 30th July 2026

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HQ #Juniper and the author #LuanGoldie for my ARC of #BetweenYesterdayAndTomorrow in exchange for an honest review.

[MISS RACHEL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zoe is not really coping. Ever since her best friend Cassie died, she's really retreated into herself. Her friends and family are worried about her - but she's not bothered - she's happy just doing the minimum.
Cian is a colleague who Zoe doesn't really know at all but when she's asked to drop some work stuff off at his house while he recuperates from a leg injury, they seem to click and before long Zoe falls for him....

To be honest, it feels like that's most of the 'story'. They become friends, then more than friends, then things cool off, then they get their HEA.

I was kind of expecting something else to happen - something that would make me care more about whether they were going to work things out between them. Neither of them really seemed that likeable either - they were both pretty rubbish at communicating and being honest and yes, I know there were some reasons behind their behaviour, but still.

This just didn't really do it for me.
Grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced reading copy.

This is the second book I've read by Luan Goldie, and I'm becoming a real fan of her writing. There's something about the way she creates her characters that completely draws me in. They feel authentic, complex, and easy to invest in, which makes it hard to put the book down.

If I'm honest, not a huge amount actually happens in Between Yesterday and Tomorrow, but that never felt like a problem. I kept turning the pages because I genuinely wanted to spend more time with these characters and see where their journeys would take them. That, to me, is a testament to Goldie's skill as a writer. She doesn't rely on constant twists or high drama to keep you engaged—her storytelling and character work do all the heavy lifting.

I really enjoyed this novel and would happily recommend it to anyone who enjoys thoughtful, character-driven fiction. I'll definitely be looking forward to whatever Luan Goldie writes next.

Big thank you to NetGalley and HQ

[Jodie Boast · Rating 3 out of 5]

Between Yesterday and Tomorrow is a story of courage and connection, and examines the messy, beautiful ways we rebuild our lives when everything feels broken. It finds the humour in the darkest moments and reminds us of the ways we find hope.

A struggling main character who seems to becoming out of a breakdown after the loss of someone close to her. The story follows her journey of finding herself again and that is all the story. Easy reading, humorous characters that you do fall in love with. There isn't much that happens, but because the characters are so likeable (yet rubbish at communicating) you are intrigued to know more. I think the key theme for this book is finding yourself before you find anyone else and it really resonated with me.

I would absolutely pick up another book by Luan Goldie. I'd like to thank the publisher for the gifted copy.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay read about two individuals going through shit in their own lives, and finding comfort and understanding with each other.

I enjoyed the messaging that people don’t just “get over” loss. Grief will never shrink, no matter how much work you try to enforce that. You only have to grow around it.

That said, I didn’t love that the FL was so anxious-avoidant and self-sabotagey, and did not seek the help she needed (i.e. therapy), especially when she was going through that rough grief. I felt that the she wasn’t growing throughout the book, and only really took a baby step at the end.

I also wish we could have explored more of the ML pov because with his injury and backstory, he definitely experienced a different type of grief, and that could have been explored more to just make the overall character growth experience feel more full.

[Alan M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rarely read fiction but I find Luan Goldie's books engaging and enjoyable. There was a degree of predictability to the plot but Zoe's (the central character) grief and hesitant communication seemed real and relatable; Cian wasn't quite so richly drawn but he gets more depth as the story runs on. Anyone who has been in a relationship, or wanted to start one will identify with Zoe's' anxiety of saying the wrong thing and the chasm between what you feel and what you say.

There are plenty of smiles and a few outright laughs and Luan does a great job of making Zoe both sassy and uncertain. The backstory to Zoe's time off work and the way those around her support her (or otherwise) as she gets back on her feet kept me turning the page.

[jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed previous books by Ms Goldie and like her style of writing so was looking forward to reading this one.
At its core, and the part I enjoyed the most, this is an empathic and warm book shot through with humour about grief and how losing a loved one affects a wide circle of people in different ways with many different ways of dealing with it. I liked the characters with a more minor role in the story and the way they tried to support Zoe and Cian. However, I didn't enjoy the "romcom" aspect of the main protagonist's relationship and I found both of them quite annoying, and was so tired of the "will they won't they" scenario that by the end I didn't really care about the outcome
Thank you to netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of this book.

[Jane Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zoe is grieving for her lost friend, and deep down she knows she needs to do it her way, but life goes on around her, and everyone she knows, from work colleagues to family and friends, has an opinion. Zoe is exhausted trying to live up to their expectations. Then she meets Cian, who is also on a healing journey after a climbing accident. There's darkness, friendship, humour and poignancy in this tale which resonates with its complex, relatable characters and contemporary ethos. Its engaging, immersive narrative draws you into the couple's lives and makes you want to know what their tomorrow looks like.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[Jenny H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loss of a friend and its aftermath. Zoe and Kasie were best friends. The story focuses around Zoe’s gradual acceptance of her friend's death and how she begins to take pleasure in life. Her injured colleague Cian and his quirky sense of humour certainly helps with this. I like the way she confides in her gay brother Eric about her burgeoning love. The ending felt rather flat though. A good read despite that.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few of Luan Goldie's books now and I love how they capture the real London as well as full, memorable characters. This one reminded me of Normal People in a way in that the characters are quite flawed and frustrating at times. Overall though it's a very beautiful description of life after different types of loss and I related to some parts a lot. Will definitely look out for more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the free review copy.

[The Reading Jackdaw]

A warm, gentle and often humorous novel about friendship, family, loss and love which examines connection, family, community and navigating life in your 20s and 30s. Its smooth narrative and well-rounded character made for an addictive read. Moving between two timeframes this is the perfect readers of character led stories.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 4.25⭐

[Rebecca Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

[Saffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed previous novels by Luan Goldie so was looking forward to reading Between Yesterday and Tomorrow. The main character is Zoe who is grieving and balancing her loss, a return to work and living with her brother when she meets Cian, a work colleague. I loved the character of Zoe, her grief was sensitively portrayed as was her vulnerability entering into an uncertain relationship with Cian. The will they/won’t they relationship between the two of them is portrayed with real understanding, I completely believed in it and was really rooting for them. I love the way the author writes and her portrayal of contemporary London. Another well written and moving novel from Luan Goldie. Recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

[Gill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read all four of Luan Goldie's books, this one included. My first one Nightingale Point I loved, then I read These Streets and loved that one too. However this one I wasn't so taken with, much like Homecoming which I wasn't too keen on either.

It was too introspective for me, I found it slow with nothing much happening. It's an intense read, about feelings, of loss, guilt, of reassessing life and in the end realising you have to take chances if you don't want life to just stand still. Perhaps it will give some readers food for thought but on the whole it wasn't really a hit with me, though I did finish it. I think it was a lack of a wider cast of characters, making it like I said, a little too intense, though both Zoe and Cian are interesting, likeable characters, with a quiet humour in the narrative.

I'm probably not the target age group anyway. I'd say it's aimed more at readers in their 30's who would identify with the characters and their situations more so than I did. Times have changed significantly since I was in my 30's.

Luan Goldie is an author whose books I've enjoyed very much and I'd definitely read whatever she writes next.