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kcolglazier21's review against another edition
4.0
Have you ever wanted to just drop everything and run away? In The Way We Weren’t our main character is feeling completely frustrated and down on life and takes off for Florida, without telling anyone, for a well needed escape. Once in Florida she befriends an older gentlemen who helps her to make sense of things. This was a quick read for me. I felt the main character was written in a really relatable way and this book brought me a ton of emotions. I loved the relationship between the older gentleman and the woman. This one will have you reflecting on life. Just coming back from Florida, I loved the setting, especially the turtles. Thanks @berkleypub for my copy, this just released this week!
aqlovestoread's review against another edition
5.0
The Way We Weren’t features an unexpected but much needed friendship between the seventy year old Herman Flint and the 43 year old Marcie Malone.The book starts with Marcie running away from her life by driving from Georgia to the south western shore of Florida where she finds herself waking up and seeing Herman. Herman finds Marcie collapsed on the beach outside his window.
Marcy and Herman find themselves both dealing with their pasts and helping each other move forward as well into the future. Sometimes you have to deal with the hurt in order to find peace. Marcie is reevaluating her life including her job both her job and her marriage.Herman has had many losses in his life and prefers to keep to himself.
The story is told beautifully and it’s wonderful to see these two characters interact with one another. Sometimes you need a stranger to help you find yourself in the present. Watching Marcie and Herman develop a friendship which also helps them both deal with their lies is heartwarming. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and felt it was a beautiful story.
Thank you to Berkeley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
Marcy and Herman find themselves both dealing with their pasts and helping each other move forward as well into the future. Sometimes you have to deal with the hurt in order to find peace. Marcie is reevaluating her life including her job both her job and her marriage.Herman has had many losses in his life and prefers to keep to himself.
The story is told beautifully and it’s wonderful to see these two characters interact with one another. Sometimes you need a stranger to help you find yourself in the present. Watching Marcie and Herman develop a friendship which also helps them both deal with their lies is heartwarming. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and felt it was a beautiful story.
Thank you to Berkeley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
familywithbooks's review against another edition
4.0
It's publication day for The Way We Weren't by Phoebe Fox! A huge thank you Berkley Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy for review! Let's get right into it!
Wow. I mean just...wow. This book gave me many different feelings that I am going to try to unpack in this tiny space.
Have you ever just looked at your life and wanted to walk away and start over somewhere new? Marcie just does it. No plan. No thoughts. Just goes until she ends up passed out on a beach, where Herman Flint (Flint for short) finds her. Flint is the cranky, old 70-year old who needs no one and nothing. But for some reason, he picks Marcie up off the beach and takes her home.
When Marcie comes to, we slowly unravel what made Marcie run away from her husband and career. We get to know her and watch her piece together what could make her happy. In addition, we also get to know Flint and find out why he's alone. We watch an unlikely friendship form as both characters begin to piece together what's happened in their lives.
I loved this story! The pacing of the story felt right, and the details of both of their lives were fleshed out throughout the course of the book to where you didn't feel like any of it was "extra" or unnecessary. Now, I have had a thought or two about running away from my family on those days where the kids are screaming and the husband is being extra unhelpful. This book does not glorify it, and I appreciated that. Not everything was wrapped in a pretty bow - this felt more like real life. I loved the relationship between Marcie and Flint, and kept turning those pages to see where they both would end up.
There is a side story where there are turtle eggs that were laid on the beach that Flint watches out for and teaches Marcie about how they are born, chances for survival, etc. I had learned about this a couple of weeks ago from a Hallmark movie. Then, randomly, I was watching Tik Tok and there was a video about turtles hatching under someone's beach chair at a resort. So many turtles keep popping up in my life, I had to look this up - is it a sign? If it is, then many websites indicate that I must slow down as my thoughts and physical world begin to meet, and to go after what I want determined but slowly/carefully. For me? That's my blog and bookstagram! Check it out at www.familywithbooks.com and instagram.com/familywithbooks!
Wow. I mean just...wow. This book gave me many different feelings that I am going to try to unpack in this tiny space.
Have you ever just looked at your life and wanted to walk away and start over somewhere new? Marcie just does it. No plan. No thoughts. Just goes until she ends up passed out on a beach, where Herman Flint (Flint for short) finds her. Flint is the cranky, old 70-year old who needs no one and nothing. But for some reason, he picks Marcie up off the beach and takes her home.
When Marcie comes to, we slowly unravel what made Marcie run away from her husband and career. We get to know her and watch her piece together what could make her happy. In addition, we also get to know Flint and find out why he's alone. We watch an unlikely friendship form as both characters begin to piece together what's happened in their lives.
I loved this story! The pacing of the story felt right, and the details of both of their lives were fleshed out throughout the course of the book to where you didn't feel like any of it was "extra" or unnecessary. Now, I have had a thought or two about running away from my family on those days where the kids are screaming and the husband is being extra unhelpful. This book does not glorify it, and I appreciated that. Not everything was wrapped in a pretty bow - this felt more like real life. I loved the relationship between Marcie and Flint, and kept turning those pages to see where they both would end up.
There is a side story where there are turtle eggs that were laid on the beach that Flint watches out for and teaches Marcie about how they are born, chances for survival, etc. I had learned about this a couple of weeks ago from a Hallmark movie. Then, randomly, I was watching Tik Tok and there was a video about turtles hatching under someone's beach chair at a resort. So many turtles keep popping up in my life, I had to look this up - is it a sign? If it is, then many websites indicate that I must slow down as my thoughts and physical world begin to meet, and to go after what I want determined but slowly/carefully. For me? That's my blog and bookstagram! Check it out at www.familywithbooks.com and instagram.com/familywithbooks!
katieneedsabiggerbookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
After miscarrying the baby she didn’t know she wanted, Marcie can’t go back to the way things were. So on her way to work, she just continues to drive, and ends up waking up on the couch at an old mans beach house. Herman is tired of the idiots that get drunk and pass out on the beach, but when he sees Marcie something makes him bring her inside to recover. From there an unlikely friendship blossoms.
This book was exactly the sweet and tender story that I needed. My heart broke for both Marcie and Herman and the crap that life threw at them. Herman was such a crotchety old man, he had me laughing several times throughout the book. I also just loved the cast of characters Marcie found in her new life. If you are looking for a second chance story that will fill your heart, look no further!
This book was exactly the sweet and tender story that I needed. My heart broke for both Marcie and Herman and the crap that life threw at them. Herman was such a crotchety old man, he had me laughing several times throughout the book. I also just loved the cast of characters Marcie found in her new life. If you are looking for a second chance story that will fill your heart, look no further!
whatstephisreading's review against another edition
3.0
I don't think I was in the right headspace to read this one. It's a story of unlikely friendship between a grumpy elderly man and middle-aged woman who runs away from her life. Since I loved stories like All the Lonely People and The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot, I thought this would be up my alley, but I didn't feel the connection with the characters.
I was sympathetic to their experiences and enjoyed watching them come to terms with challenges in their lives, but it didn't tug at my heartstrings like other stories. I still recommend picking it up if you like flawed, complex characters and stories of second chances.
Thank you Berkley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
I was sympathetic to their experiences and enjoyed watching them come to terms with challenges in their lives, but it didn't tug at my heartstrings like other stories. I still recommend picking it up if you like flawed, complex characters and stories of second chances.
Thank you Berkley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
ancia's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
When we first meet Marcie she's just a bit of a mess, in a love-able and sad kind of way. She finds herself miles away from her home, job, and family. This is where a story of friendship comes along and she meets Flint, a rough around the edges 70 year old man.
I initially wasn't very interested in this book, mainly because I had a hard time relating to Marcie, totally my flaw not the book's. Now I'm really glad I read this story. I enjoyed it throughly and definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a story about starting life from scratch in search of fulfillment.
I initially wasn't very interested in this book, mainly because I had a hard time relating to Marcie, totally my flaw not the book's. Now I'm really glad I read this story. I enjoyed it throughly and definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a story about starting life from scratch in search of fulfillment.
annette45's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This isn't my normal genre so this was a bit different for me, but it was still good. I was reminded while reading this why this isn't my norm though because I prefer using reading for escapism and I didn't feel I was escaping much when reading this probably because it touched and discussed some things in life that I've experienced that are hard and I prefer not to think about too much.
In this story, Marcie finds herself trying to navigate and figure out how to cope with an unexpected and hard loss. As she's trying to deal with things and get back into normal life, one day she ends up driving from her home in Georgia to a town in Florida instead of driving to work. She is found by an old ornery man, Flint, on the beach passed out and he isn't quite sure who she is or what is going on with her, but since he's lived alone for a long time, he doesn't want anything to do with her or knowing anything. Flint ends up, reluctantly, agreeing to let Marcie stay with him for a short time to get back on her feet and go back home as long as she stays out of his way. Of course, for a while, they are like passing ships in the night and have little to do with each other. They don't even really see each other until one day when an incident brings them to where they have to talk, interact and become more like roommates. This becomes a bit more heartwarming as it goes on with the friendship that comes between Flint and Marcie as they deal with the hard things in their lives and in the end I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I didn't like how Marcie dealt with things or rather didn't deal and ran away though, but I can see why it may have been what she needed though I wouldn't recommend that.
This is a thought-provoking at times heartwarming read that I would recommend if you're a fan of this author or these types of stories. I would put a content warning that it may be triggering for some who've had difficulties in marriage, with divorce, separation, and/or miscarriage.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
In this story, Marcie finds herself trying to navigate and figure out how to cope with an unexpected and hard loss. As she's trying to deal with things and get back into normal life, one day she ends up driving from her home in Georgia to a town in Florida instead of driving to work. She is found by an old ornery man, Flint, on the beach passed out and he isn't quite sure who she is or what is going on with her, but since he's lived alone for a long time, he doesn't want anything to do with her or knowing anything. Flint ends up, reluctantly, agreeing to let Marcie stay with him for a short time to get back on her feet and go back home as long as she stays out of his way. Of course, for a while, they are like passing ships in the night and have little to do with each other. They don't even really see each other until one day when an incident brings them to where they have to talk, interact and become more like roommates. This becomes a bit more heartwarming as it goes on with the friendship that comes between Flint and Marcie as they deal with the hard things in their lives and in the end I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I didn't like how Marcie dealt with things or rather didn't deal and ran away though, but I can see why it may have been what she needed though I wouldn't recommend that.
This is a thought-provoking at times heartwarming read that I would recommend if you're a fan of this author or these types of stories. I would put a content warning that it may be triggering for some who've had difficulties in marriage, with divorce, separation, and/or miscarriage.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Miscarriage
bucolicbookshelf's review against another edition
5.0
This book is one of the finest I’ve read this year.
The author has brought these characters to life and as I spent more time with them, I just fell in love with them. This story was amazing and incredible, and excellent, and I don’t even know what to write about it. It was so beautiful.
It made me smile and cry; you really come to care about these characters, who are so fleshed out and real in a way not often seen. I am so very glad that I read this and recommend it to everyone who still holds onto hope and gratitude.
Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for an eARC of this title. Opinions shared are influenced by nothing other than my reading experience.
The author has brought these characters to life and as I spent more time with them, I just fell in love with them. This story was amazing and incredible, and excellent, and I don’t even know what to write about it. It was so beautiful.
It made me smile and cry; you really come to care about these characters, who are so fleshed out and real in a way not often seen. I am so very glad that I read this and recommend it to everyone who still holds onto hope and gratitude.
Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for an eARC of this title. Opinions shared are influenced by nothing other than my reading experience.