Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsAn unexpected five star novel.
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2021
I have read over 50 Debbie Macomber novels. Most of them I really like, but there have been some recently that I only thought were "okay." (Most of the "okay" were part of the "Classics" series.) Because of this "hit and miss" response, I was not sure what to expect from It's Better This Way. Once I started reading it, I could not put it down. The characters were very well developed. I found myself really getting caught up in the ups and downs of their daily lives because the plot had a sense of truthfulness. Yes, "girl meets boy," and there are the usual conflicts, but this did not come across as just a typical romance. There were times when I actually thought "I did not see that coming," which sometimes never happens in some of Macomber's other novels. Maybe it was the fact that this novel was able to take me away from the craziness of today's reality. This novel shows that love can happen even after 50 (which some novels, and people, seem to forget or think is not possible.) I recommend it to anyone who has been hurt by someone they loved because it shows that sometimes what seems like a tragedy ends up for the best. Even if a person has not had those experiences (but I would guess most people have) I would recommend it for its ability to take the reader away even for just a little while.
