Discover First: Get one of 100 copies of Kiran Millwood-Hargrave's Almost Life before it hits bookshops

A breathtaking story of love and longing, of the lives we almost live and the choices we don't make – and finding the courage to embrace who you really want to be.

Erica and Laure meet on the steps of the Sacré-Cœur in Paris, 1978. Erica is a student, relishing her first summer abroad before beginning university at home in England. Laure is studying for her Ph.D. at the Sorbonne, drinking and smoking far too much, and sleeping with a married woman.

The moment the two women meet the spark is undeniable. But their encounter turns into far more than a summer of love. It is the beginning of a relationship that will define their lives and every decision they have yet to make. Spanning cities, decades and heartbreaks, fate brings them within touching distance again and again.

But will they be brave enough to seize the life they truly want?

'A heart-rending tale of missed chances' Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie Bain

'Immersive, sensual, beautiful and powerful' Marian Keyes, author of My Favourite Mistake

'One of the greatest love stories I've ever read. One Day for a new generation' Stacey Halls, author of The Household