5-Star Amazon Review

Thought provoking and nostalgic, February 16, 2015
By Chelsy - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Nearly Was Mine: A Novel (Kindle Edition)
This novel is the nostalgic and intriguing memoirs of Annie, now middle aged but reminiscing of a the time in her early twenties when she spent a life changing summer out to stay at her parent’s villa in Spain and the lifelong ramifications.
This novel beautifully demonstrates the importance and difficulty of decisions made when young, the memories, regrets and connections made, the constant second guessing over if you made the right choices and the dreaded question of ‘what if’ which can sometimes hang in the air for a lifetime. Even after all the years spent apart, the emotions between Francisco and Annie are strong and speak volumes. As they re-establish contact and eventually reunite it is fascinating to watch the effects this has in Annie’s wider life and on those herself and those she loves.
All in all the cast of this book are well written, complex individuals with Annie in the centre as quite the character of contrasts- at times relatable and endearing and at others infuriatingly naive. It speaks credit to the complexity of her character that I spent a great deal of time musing on and analysing her, even after finishing the book I’m still not sure what I would have done in her place or what would have been right for her to do. I recommend you to read this if you like some challenging emotional and psychological questions to ponder, it is a deeply thought provoking and touching novel.