It's Better This Way by Debbie Macomber ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

While I prefer Macomber's Christmas books, I enjoy her summer books enough to keep picking them up. And I'm glad I did because of all of her summer books that I've read It's Better This Way is my favorite.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

July 2021; Ballantine Books; 978-1984818782
audio, ebook, print (320 pages); women's fiction

As has become standard for her summer books, It's Better This Way features a divorced woman who has grown children. But what I found different about Julia was that she was happy being on her own. She was devasted by her divorce, but it has been six years and she feels life is good. While she would like to have a companion to go to dinner or the movies with, the dating disasters she has experienced has her feeling that being single is better. I appreciated that she wasn't a "woe is me" woman. 

Just because she doesn't care to be set up on any more dates by well-meaning friends and family, it doesn't mean she won't find love. It's the classic case of when you are looking for it, you find it. And that is what happens when she changes her workout time to the mornings and finds an older, good-looking, man in the condominium's gym. Heath has also experienced a number of dating disasters since his divorce six years earlier and the two of them ignore each other for a couple of week's and then it is just to introduce themselves. After a coincidental meeting at the local coffee shop, where they bond over their dating disasters, they find that maybe they aren't as closed to the thought of dating as they thought.

I immediately liked Julia and Heath. I really liked Carrie, too, who provided a younger romantic storyline (seriously her story could have been its own story though it probably would fit better with Macomber's Christmas books which often feature younger characters). 

Of course, there has to be a stumbling block to the budding romance. I saw it coming and I thought "wouldn't it be funny if" but dismissed it as being too obvious and rather silly. Then, behold, I turn the page and that is exactly what threatens their relationship. For those not fond of the drawn-out separation, you don't have to worry here. While it is a few days for the character it is just a few pages for the reader.

Overall, it was a fun novel - one that I looked forward to reading each afternoon. It is also incredibly easy to lose track of time while reading and I stayed up past my bedtime each night (thankfully it was the weekend, but it did leave me exhausted for the start of the week).

Buy It's Better This Way at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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