ONLINEBOOKCLUB.org review-3 out of 4 stars

This Nearly Was Mine by Nancy Farkas is a romantic memoir. The story follows Annie as she reminisces about a life-changing summer in Spain. When her daughter tracks down a flame from Annie’s past, Annie begins to wonder if the love she left behind in Spain was her true soulmate. 

In 1980, Annie decides to take a vacation to her parents’ vacation home in Costa del Sol, Spain. During her summer in Spain, Annie hosts various friends from the United States and introduces new characters such as Gustavo, Pablo, and Johann. However, her most important relationship is with Francisco, the handsome concierge in Annie’s apartment building. Over the course of a few months, Annie and Francisco fall deeply in love and dive into a whirlwind affair. As the summer draws to an end, Annie returns to New York and ultimately settles down with her husband, presumably leaving her Spanish romance behind. Nearly thirty years later, Francisco re-enters the story, and Annie faces a difficult choice in her search for love, romance, and happiness. 

The story unfolds in a series of flashbacks and flash-forwards and goes back and forth between Annie’s past and current lives. While this technique is unique, it makes it difficult to follow the story at times. The writing was often disjointed, and there are numerous passages where the author goes on tangents that did not contribute to the plot. 

My favorite part of the book is the vivid imagery that Farkas uses to describe Spain. She illustrates with incredible detail as she depicts the food, wildlife, and sweltering summer heat. I also appreciated the cultural anecdotes, such as noting the songs playing on the radio during certain years and highlighting the differences in technology between 1980 and 2006. 

The author puts a lot of effort into detailing the characters of Annie and Francisco. Since the story comes from Annie’s point of view, the reader gets a strong sense of her conflicting emotions and heartfelt struggles. However, most of Annie's friends and family do not contribute to the story; at times, it seems like the author only mentions certain characters as an outlet to complain about the people they were based on.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I would be inclined to add another star if the writing style were more organized, including limiting the time-hopping and editing out passages that do not contribute to the story. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys memoirs, autobiographies, and exploring the psychology of relationships. I also recommend this book to anyone looking for 1980s nostalgia. However, I do not recommend this book to readers who are looking for typical romance novels or who need a satisfying conclusion.