Books › Same time, next year
Same time, next year
First published 1975 · 188 pages
A witty, decades-spanning portrait of an unconventional romance that captures the bittersweet beauty of growing older alongside someone you can never fully have.
What it feels like
Reading this feels like eavesdropping on a private, decades-long conversation between two people who know each other better than they know themselves. Because it is built almost entirely on dialogue, the pace is brisk and theatrical, pulling you through twenty-four years of shifting cultural tides and personal milestones with effortless charm. The mood is deeply intimate and cozy, yet tinged with the bittersweet reality of time passing and lives lived mostly apart. It balances wry, laugh-out-loud humor with moments of profound vulnerability, exploring how a secret, unconventional connection can become the most stabilizing force in a person's life. It will delight readers who love character-driven, time-jumping romances that prioritize emotional evolution, sharp banter, and the messy, enduring nature of love.
- Mood
- intimate
- bittersweet
- cozy
- Tone
- wry
- affectionate
- nostalgic
- poignant
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the passage of time · evolving relationships · unconventional loyalty · enduring friendship
- The writing
- Sharp, dialogue-driven, and theatrical, relying on witty banter to reveal deep emotional truths.
- The arc
- Begins as a lighthearted, guilty spark and deepens over decades into a profound, life-sustaining anchor.
- Who it's for
- Fans of decades-spanning romances who appreciate sharp banter, character-driven intimacy, and the bittersweet reality of aging.
Content notes
- infidelity
- grief
- pregnancy loss
About the book
Story of Doris, a Roman church going housewife, and George, New York accountant, who have a one night fling that turns into a 24 year annual assignation. Their relationship grows into an intimate friendship as they share the good and bad about their partners, their love for their children, the ups and downs of life and finally their mutual love for each other.
Description from Open Library.
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