Review: Ten Years and Then… by J.J. DiBenedetto

The story of two star-crossed lovers who can never get the timing right, Ten Years and Then… by J.J. DiBenedetto is an honest portrait of connection that transcends conventional coming-of-age romances.

As Daniel and Nora begin their collegiate careers, falling in love is far from a top priority, but as their orbits continue to serendipitously intersect, the magnetic attraction feels impossible to ignore. Friendship soon shifts to flirtation, and it doesn’t take long before they’re meeting one another’s families and talking eagerly about the beautiful future they could build.

After two infatuated years, their diverging directions pull them apart, leaving them with echoes of regret. With a promise to never forget one another, they part after graduation, drifting into new chapters in Chicago, Boston, and beyond, but fate has other plans, tugging their lives back together at technology conferences, karaoke bars, cruise ships, and European capitals. Their love surges, only to become another memory, but neither can deny the bond they still share, or how quickly those feelings can resurface.

Romantically candid and tinged with a relatable sense of longing, this novel is a pour-your-heart-out reel of slow-burning desire and long-delayed release, as the two continue to grow apart and emotionally mature, but can never fully escape the sense that something is still missing. After nearly a decade of quiet longing and near misses, they finally have the chance to make it happen, unless the cruel whims of fate have one more trick to play on this Shakespearean pair.

Though the setting and time period clearly put these characters in Generation X, the story of college sweethearts drifting apart and re-crossing paths with dramatic results is timeless, and will appeal to readers of any age familiar with the sting of lost love. Balancing pragmatism and reality against passion and destiny, the story is fused with raw vulnerability, rather than fairy tale situations, though there is an element of traditional romantic synchronicity, as the two continue to meet each other over time.

The alternating perspective style gives readers a thorough view of the characters’ emotions, but the frequency of switching can make the flow of the story choppy, particularly when adjacent scenes are titled with “at the same time” or “one moment later.” Some of the interactions between Daniel and Nora would flow more smoothly and more powerfully if they maintained the same narrative voice, rather than jumping back and forth, which can actually slow down the pace as the reader has to reorient themselves with each change in perspective.

Similarly, the reliance on stream of consciousness for both protagonists leads to tangential stretches that can give too much insight into the characters’ every thought and action, robbing readers of suspense. Some of the chapters begin to feel like unfiltered diary entries, rather than intentionally framed pieces of an overarching story, with extraneous procedural details that aren’t necessary for the story. The daily and weekly minutiae of early adult courtship are recognizable and emotive, but some moments in the book feel as if the author is trying to pad out their story.

While the novel could more effectively zero in on the emotional themes being explored, and leave out some of the superfluous detail, the long-term arc of these romantic protagonists is heavily emotional and affecting.