ONLINEBOOKCLUB.org review-3 out of 4 stars:

Nancy Farkas' This Nearly Was Mine is a romance novel that gave me a feeling of a nonfiction book - a memoir that chronicles Annie's ups and downs, peaks and valleys of existentialism. The story mentioned both commendable and disgusting topics about travel, friendship, love, religion, passion, commitment, time management, politics, health, parenting, sex, abortion, drug trafficking, neediness, insecurities, and the pertinent adversities of married life.

Annie was madly in love with her boyfriend, Billy, but his infidelity rendered her confused and depressed. The most indelible moments of her life - her trip to Spain - happened in the summer of 1980, when she met Francisco. He was the hotel concierge with a cleft chin just like Cary Grant's. She was able to get over her feelings for Billy when her whirlwind affair with Francisco started. Despite their difference in beliefs and random arguments, Annie just can't get enough of Francisco. Even after Annie's marriage to her high school crush, Matthew, her feelings for Francisco never changed. They still exchanged news about their daily lives through emails and video calls on Skype. How did Matthew react on Annie's affairs with Francisco? Curious why Nancy entitled the book This Nearly Was Mine? Read the entire story. 

Nancy described Annie's trips in a way that ignited my desire to travel into the places where she had been. The characters were all alive and full of emotions, strengths, and weaknesses. I perceived Annie as an insecure and needy person. She acted like a damsel in distress most of the time, but I admired her penchant for traveling and her honesty. Matthew was a good provider but physically and emotionally unavailable to Annie. He found his happiness and fulfillment in his job. He was a practical husband, and I admired his trust in Annie. Francisco had a loving, sensual, and a "bad boy" image. He was Annie's refuge during her troubled times. I was glad he found a way to follow what he thought was the right thing to do.

The story was narrated in the first-person perspective of Annie. It was well-paced and a gripping read. The plot was not complex, but the storyline was unpredictable. Even though there were flashbacks and erratic mentions of timeline events, the narrations were easy to follow along. Nancy extemporaneously interjected quotes, songs, scenes, and lines from random books and movies in the narrations. This was among the quotes I liked: "Marriage halves one's rights and doubles one's duties." It was from a philosopher named Schopenhauer. This highlighted the complexity of a married life...

​I give Nancy Farkas' This Nearly Was Mine 3 out of 4 stars. I recommend this book to the mature audiences who love romance stories with pertinent lessons about personal growth - resilience, independence, and self-confidence. There were sensual scenes and adult themes not suitable for the very young audiences and the squeamish readers.