ETERNITY

A couple’s romance may hinge on otherworldly beings in this supernaturally tinged novel.

Two “ethereal creatures” in human form relax at a cafe in Paris. As one of them is bored, they decide to play a game with two humans—a man and a woman in the New York metropolitan area. The man is an author who teaches a writing class (“Often, his students pitch” their stories, “claiming they aren’t writers. He always responds with the fingerprint argument: perspective is unique. The difference is craft, practice, and the balls to finish”). He has just ended an on-again, off-again relationship, perhaps for the final time. His best friend is an Eastern European expatriate and divorced woman with two kids. The unnamed pals confide in each other and even dish about their dating lives. Introducing sex into their relationship is brand new and not opposed by the pair. When it looks as if they’re officially a couple, the woman worries whether her friend can commit; maybe he’s not yet over his ex. Perhaps, she is merely a diversion. Before apathy sets in, the ethereal beings spice up their game with a “test” to prove whether there’s something profound between the friends or if their love is fleeting. Carlos limits the narrative details in this romance. Names, for example, are largely absent, and certain specifics, like the man’s ex and anything about the woman’s children, remain vague. But their growing closeness offers more than enough fuel for the story. The author deftly captures the allure of a new romance—that exhilarating first kiss and the ensuing days eying a phone for a text or call. It’s likewise entertaining to see the duo’s dating prospects or lack thereof. Male strangers hit on the woman constantly, delivering tributes that rarely seem genuine, and the man gets himself entangled in a casual relationship that he tries gracefully to break off. Meanwhile, the mysterious, nonhuman Parisian entities, who eventually transport to other places, appear intermittently. Whatever they’re planning isn’t clear until the end, though it’s definitely worth the wait.

An engaging love story that’s relatable, despite the enigmatic forces at play.