A Forty Year Kiss

A Novel

De: Nickolas Butler

Narrado por: Richard Poe

"A story that captures the hope, grace, and joy of new love—but also the mistakes, scar tissue, and regret of past love. It's a wonder to behold, a novel capable of such breadth. This is the kind of book that makes me a better human."—Nathan Hill, New York Times bestselling author of The Nix and Wellness

From the critically acclaimed author of Shotgun Lovesongs comes an exquisitely written small-town story about one couple's hard-won second chance at love, forty years after their divorce.

Charlie and Vivian parted ways after just four years of marriage. Too many problems, too many struggles, even though the love didn't quite die. When Charlie returns to Wisconsin forty years later, he's not sure what he'll find. He is sure of one thing—he must try to reconnect with Vivian to pick up the broken pieces of their past. But forty years is a long time. It's forty years of other relationships, forty years of building new lives, and forty years of long-held regrets, mistakes, and painful secrets.

A brave and triumphant exploration of redemption and sunset triumph, A Forty Year Kiss is a once-in-a-lifetime love story, written with dazzling lyricism and remarkable clarity of spirit, from a celebrated author at the top of his game. It's a literary valentine that promises to be a love story for the ages.

©2025 Nickolas Butler (P)2025 Recorded Books

Beautiful sentences

Lovely book by a master writer. Everyone will find someone to relate to in this book. Chicagoan’s and Wisconsinites should read it for the shout out!! Butler writes about pain elegantly. He weaves many ideas together to show two sides of every conflict.

Love story without the sap and grunge

I enjoyed the characters at first page. The narration was perfect for the tone of the book.

Two formerly married, to each other, work through their past hurts, current fears and challenges.

Ending was satisfying and I’m glad I bought it!

Lovely story of a Second Chance romance.

This was a heartfelt, feel-good second-chance romance that pulled me in from page one—I finished it in 24 hours. Charlie and Vivian, once married in the ’80s but torn apart by his drinking, reunite decades later. From the start, they dive into the past, rebuild trust, and rediscover each other with hard-won wisdom. Their journey is full of healing, surprises, and quiet joy.

If you’re in your 20s or 30s, this might feel different from the romances you’re used to—but if you’re an old soul, don’t miss it. It’s a sweet, satisfying story that ends just right.

Heartwarming story, beautifully written.

I love Nick’s writing, this is a wonderful story and worth the listen. I like Shotgun Lovesongs the most but all of his work is great American writing!

Loved it.

I loved this story. It had all the good feels and made me cry too. The narrators were great and the story touched my heart. It’s beautiful.

Realistic love story for mature adults

I liked the narrator and the story of older adults who have lived life and can appreciate a second chance. Story dragged on a bit