Better To Have Loved by Christy Nicholas – Review by Jennifer Gordon

Better To Have Loved by Christy Nicholas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Based on the author, Christy Nicholas’s own parents love story and also Christy’s journey to find her father this fictionalised memoir was a touching and heartwarming read. Set in a changing America during the Summer of Love in 1969 this novel has a sixties feel about it and due to the authors wonderfully descriptive narrative the era is bought to life through the sights, sounds, smells and emotions of the time. The storyline centres around Julie Jensen’s escape from her “hide-bound world” and midwestern family as she embarks on her own adventure to find her independence whilst in the background America is full of cultural revolution and new freedoms. Following her dreams of art and travel Julie leaves the charming town in southern England and journeys into the decadent realm of Haight-Ashbury and then on to the exotic Barcelona coast. It is on the coast that Julie finds love but then a phone call one night has the opportunity to change her life forever as she has to make a choice between family duty and her own needs. Ultimately she must decide if the love she has found is worth all those she may loose. “Based on a true stories of love found and love lost, and one woman’s discovery of what matters to her”, this story is full of faith, free love and the freedoms of the 1960’s but also family drama and betrayal.
A wonderfully written novel with family and love at the heart of the storyline, the narrative flows well and the characters are likeable and relatable making this an easy read. I felt immersed in the settings described due to the detailed descriptions of time and place. I was fascinated to discover this was based on a true story and the authors personal investment in the novel does come across in the writing making this an engaging read. An enjoyable romantic love story which is all the more poignant for being based on a real couples romance.

View all my reviews