A stunning and original debut, perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver, Alain de Botton and Nancy Mitford.Venus Rees is left devastated by the sudden death of her husband, Gilles. But when she discovers that he died of a treatable genetic condition she knew nothing about, she is haunted by the thought that he didn't love her enough to save himself.As time passes, the emptiness of Venus's life becomes apparent, no more so than when she meets the handsome and sensitive Alex. Her attraction to him eclipses even her preoccupation with her dead husband as she embarks on an unusual love triangle. But what she doesn’t reckon on is Alex's past link with Gilles.An intimate and life-affirming novel about the nature of love, from its incandescent beginnings to its final breath and back again.