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An unforgettable, emotional, riveting journey., February 16, 2015
By Rachelle This review is from: This Nearly Was Mine: A Novel (Kindle Edition) Wow! I was hooked from page one. This book made me feel so emotional I was sick to my stomach. But in a good way. It moves you so deeply. It has so many appeals. It is a great romance/chick lit story. But there is the theme of travel, which is interesting. Then characters and their conflicts, major life changing decisions. And how the main character grows as a person. I couldn't read it fast enough, but I was very sad when I finished the book. This novel shows just how hard life can be, the decisions we make can have dire consequences on the rest of our lives. I highly recommend this! A tear-jerker. Intelligently, passionately and remarkably written.
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Great story, great characters, great prose, just great., February 15, 2015
By HeftyBanks - See all my reviews This review is from: This Nearly Was Mine: A Novel (Paperback) This novel has so much low key realness within its pages I felt like I was reading a diary more than a story at times. Most of the relationship dynamics within the pages are relationship dynamics we've all experienced at one time or another to one degree or another, but seldom with the depth that is brought forth here. The dialogue between characters is some of the most intimate dialogue I've read and again it made me feel like I was reading a diary about a relationship more than a novel. Great story, great characters, great prose, just great. I thoroughly enjoyed this book about Annie and the emotionally draining relationship ..., January 26, 2015
By Glorybe "Penny" (N.Ireland) - See all my reviews This review is from: This Nearly Was Mine: A Novel (Kindle Edition) I thoroughly enjoyed this book about Annie and the emotionally draining relationship she has with Spain and Francisco, with her husband Matthew and her challenging children. She does not seem able to leave behind the time and people she left behind in Spain and is totally reliant on a dream that may or may not have been! Life seems to come along and knock her for six at regular intervals and she clings to things that are not really there for her. She is a decent person, in my view trying to capture something she would have liked but never really came close to having (if that makes sense!) I do not usually go for chick lit, but this was interesting and quite thought provoking! And I would very much look forward to reading Nancy Farkas' next book. Chicklit Romance That Goes Deeper, January 21, 2015
By Cheri Clay "Cheri Clay" (Circleville, OH) - See all my reviews This review is from: This Nearly Was Mine: A Novel (Kindle Edition) Farkas writes a poignant tale of chicklit romance that is more than a romance novel. It's about the consequences of the choices we make in life. Maybe not so much the regrets of Annie's happy time in Spain but more of the “what ifs” of what might have been if she hadn't left and met her future husband. Reading in first person memoir as Annie relives romances, the beauty of Spain, sicknesses, the existence of her very heart and soul gives us more than a character in a book but a friend that stays with us. I think that is what I enjoyed most about Farkas' writing that it goes deeper, giving us a thinking novel something to sink my teeth into. The characters are real and the storyline fresh giving us more than we bargained for. So if the reader seeks fluff novels, this isn't it. But if you seek something deeper, something real, emotional and raw then this is the needed escape. Take a journey to Spain and back with Annie you won't regret it. i really liked this book, January 18, 2015
By Joseph T. Colagreco "cojaysea" (okayama japan) - (REAL NAME) This review is from: This Nearly Was Mine: A Novel (Paperback) i really liked this book . i say that first because i thought it may have been a girly girly gossipy kind of thing all from a woman's viewpoint that i may not have liked .but you should never judge a book by its cover or what you think it might be till you finally read it. the proof is in the pudding as they say and a good writer can make anything readable regardless of the theme . told almost totally in the first person by Annie a jewish girl from long island about her adventures in Spain, her marriage back in the united states and all the ups and downs that come with relationships with the opposite sex..she has sex with Francisco a Spanish man she meets who can rival the legendary Babe Ruth when it comes to getting it up but this is not a work of sleaze.She falls in love too and theres a lot going on here with other characters as well. The writing flows along beautifully and i couldn't wait to see how it would end but also didn't want it to end too soon because it was so enjoyable and brought back many thoughts from my youth when i was traveling. Depending on what generation you are from you may find yourself identifying heavily with many of the events that take place throughout the tale .( i did and coming from the New York area helped). This book made me think of my past, and brought back great and sad memories from my own life. A great read that i zipped through, there wasn't a page i didn't like or struggle with . i wouldn't add or delete one sentence from this work everything fits just perfectly. Fit me like a glove in fact. A beautiful, funny, poignant book--wonderful read!, January 9, 2015
By Amazon Customer (Berlin, NH) - See all my reviews Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: This Nearly Was Mine: A Novel (Kindle Edition) This is a beautiful book. At first I was taken in by the vista of Spain (in the middle of snowy weather, a great idea!), and then the character grew up, grew older, kept returning to depict her life as relationships changed, grew, shifted--and it felt like I was hearing from a good friend about the challenges of love, children, bills, illness, trips--and above all of a recurring love that went through transitions with her. (The more I entered her life, though, the less I wanted the notes on how to make the book into a movie! I think other people loved it.) The final section, with its bittersweet picture of a love unfinished was poignant and beautiful. I loved the memory of this book, it will keep resurfacing for me! 4.0 out of 5 stars Nostalgic Romance, January 8, 2015
By im1rarebird (Jacksonville Florida) This review is from: This Nearly Was Mine: A Novel (Kindle Edition) Nancy Farkas is compassionate writer who has a unique understanding of human nature. Annie is going through a crisis, she is torn between the life she has and the life she might have had with another man in another place. These feelings are stirred to a boil when her daughter actually finds the man she spent time with in Spain. What I found interesting is that the book will have appeal for men as well as women because a mid-life crisis is common for both. I highly recommend "This Nearly Was Mine" to all readers. 4.0 out of 5 stars `Does anyone really live in Paradise for very long?', December 31, 2014
By Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (TOP 100 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME) This review is from: This Nearly Was Mine: A Novel (Kindle Edition) New York author Nancy Farkas studied psychology and linguistics and earned her Master of Social Work degree from New York University and her TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificate from Westchester Community College. Now this beautiful young woman opens a new chapter in her life as an author; THIS NEARLY WAS MINE appears to be her debut novel, and if this book is followed by others in the same vein, then chick lit has a new champion - and chick lit rules at present! Nancy peppers her page with references to films and stars in a way that makes us feel we know her main character Annie form the moment we meet her (even the name of her novel reflects the famous song form `South Pacific'). `My story is a jumbled version of South Pacific, The Drifters, Swept Away, Shirley Valentine, and sadly, Against All Odds. So, how did a nice Jewish girl from Long Island end up with the history and the memories that I have?' The synopsis of the story follows (many details excerpted for reasons the reader will discover): `In the summer of 1980, Annie, fresh out of graduate school, escapes a doomed engagement by fleeing to the Costa del Sol in Spain. The young traveler is seduced by the striking landscape and the shimmering sea, but not as profoundly as she was by Francisco, a local musician with a complicated past and a troubled soul. Her adventures propel her into adulthood and a life teased with what might have been. Twenty-six years later, Annie's teenage daughter Marielle, curious about her mother's stories, searches for Francisco while on a backpacking trip through Spain. When Marielle's search is successful, Annie's thoughts return to her romantic past amidst the magnificent backdrop of the steamy Mediterranean coast. Francisco's unexpected reappearance ignites powerful feelings she didn't know were still simmering. Annie obsessively questions every decision she made that summer and wonders about a life that could have been hers had she stayed. She is torn between her love and devotion to her husband Matthew and the intercontinental pull to the life she has fantasized about for decades. Annie faces a conflict only she can resolve - return to the early and perpetuated love affair with Francisco or recognize the meaning of her marriage to Matthew, enlightened by her re-visited passion for a long ago dream.' The book reads rapidly, like a back porch chat with a dear friend who is recovering from dalliance with dreams. If at times the dialogue seems to move toward slang, then consider the fact that we are dealing with `now people', not caricatures painted for simple show. Nancy Farkas has style - and it seems she will succeed. Grady Harp, December 14 "Full of Raw Emotion and Real Life Experiences...." 5/5 Stars
Reviewed by Holly Newhouse for Eternal Book Reviews To be honest, I don't usually read non-fiction memoirs or books that read like them. With that being said, this one caught my attention right away and kept it as I read the whole book in one sitting. I loved the references the Author uses pertaining to movies, especially having seen them all and loved them all myself. I also love Author Nancy Farkas's use of witty remarks on who should play each character in the movie version of the book. The first thing that came to mind was that I really could relate to the character Annie and to some of her experiences and especially, to her educational background. First being an author myself and then because I too went to school in the same field, not for social work but for Marriage and Family Therapy and Victim Traumatization. Another thing I noticed was that Annie is a brave and courageous woman who really is much stronger than she realizes or sees herself as being. This is seen throughout the story of the book which Annie herself narrates. It's a story full of raw emotion, joys and sorrows, heartbreak and triumph. There will not be one man or woman who will not be able to relate to this story in one form or another. As someone who is 20 years younger than Annie in the book, I could relate well to the story and to Annie's life experiences. Her story is extremely raw and real life over choices made in her younger years and the acceptance she finally comes to having made those choices. This author is extremely well written and writes in such a way that it captivates the reader and keeps them reading until the end and then leaves the reader wanting more of the story. By the time this reviewer finished reading the book, I was unaware that five hours had just flown by in what felt like mere minutes, so engaging is engrossing is this book. The story flows nicely and the scenes as well as the characters are easily visualized. The author is right in saying at the beginning of the story that there is plenty of room for character development and she develops the characters in such a way that is completely relate-able and endearing. The characters and story pull you right in to the point where you feel you are living through all of the experiences right along with all of them. Being the hopeless romantic that I am, there were parts I expected or hoped maybe would end differently than they did, but in the end, the conclusions were the right ones for Annie and her family and for her deep love for her husband. That in itself is a testament to true love in real life. People come and go out of our lives as they are meant to but life doesn't stop because of it. The author's account of Annie's life is as raw and as true as one can get when baring their soul for the whole world to read through her writing and we can all learn from it too. I would give it 20 stars if I could, a terrific read!  This Nearly Was Mine by Nancy Farkas relates the life of Annie, a social worker who goes to Spain in 1980 after a broken engagement. She meets Francisco, a handsome local musician, and the two have a brief relationship. Annie returns to the United States, marries Mathew and has children. She speaks fondly of Francisco and her time in Spain, and twenty-six years later, her daughter Marielle locates him. This stirs Annie’s feelings as she remembers her naivety, and a past filled with bittersweet memories. Annie is still insecure about her life and often feels unappreciated by Mathew. Her renewed friendship with an old flame opens emotional scars with some regrets. She compares her relationship with Mathew and Francisco as both men show their love and support in different ways. This Nearly Was Mine is an intense and nostalgic drama by Nancy Farkas. It is narrated by Annie who still displays a bit of naivety, but she retains a sense of humour, while struggling with her complex emotions. Nancy Farkas writes very nicely and with compassion. She approaches the story in a straightforward, unpretentious writing format. This is so evident from the first page and continued to the conclusion. Her characters are very interesting, and it appears that a few are based on the author’s own family and friends. There are several characters who have realistic issues which are amusing, sad and painful at times. This Nearly Was Mine is a novel that both men and women will appreciate reading. |
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