“Go for a run.” That’s what Charlotte Most said to her husband Paul on that ordinary day. And when he did, her life was never the same.
Yet Charlotte remains the same: mother, daughter, friend, interior designer… and, although single…wife.
Until she meets Brian. When she’s surprised by his little Tiffany-blue box—and the proposal that goes with it—she is forced to make a decision. But questions begin to consume her. Who will Charlotte be if she’s no longer a widow? Does old love prohibit new? Does new love diminish old? How can she marry her one-and-only twice? Heartache and hope propel her through a perilous journey from devoted widow to joyful fiancée.
My Two And Only is a love story about clinging to the past and embracing the present. About memory and the stories we tell ourselves. About identities, inner and outward, and the struggle to make peace between them. Humorous and insightful, poignant and profound, My Two And Only explores the question: how much happiness can we allow ourselves… and which self might that be?
“Love is eternal. Life goes on. How can one heart contain these two verities? That is the question posed by this playful yet profound, perfectly titled novel. Reading My Two and Only is like sitting down for lunch with your dearest friend and getting up to leave only when you realize it's time for dinner. Carla Malden writes with charm and ease, lighting the darker moments with knowing wit.”
—Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey, author of A Woman of Independent Means
Carla’s feature writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, highlighting the marvels and foibles of Southern California and Hollywood. She sits on the Board of the Geffen Playhouse. Search Heartache is her first novel. Carla Malden lives in Brentwood with her husband and ten minutes (depending on traffic) from her daughter.
