Rating 5/5
This novel, far and away, blew away my standards for a romance novel. Whereas a lot of romance novels are straightforward and not very complicated, Jennifer Wilde inserts very three dimensional characters and poignant incidents that wrenches one's heart. This book is definitely bittersweet, engaging, and highly recommended.
There are a few notable differences in this book from other novels I have read. One of them is that the author writes in the first person point of view. As a romance reader, I am not used to this but, honestly, it hardly mattered. The story was just so engaging. If I could, I would give this book 6 stars, as it stands high above the normal fare of romance novels I've read today.
This coming of age novel follows the life of, first a girl, and then a woman by the name of Angela Howard who first encounters a young, innocent love but learns to let it go due to the circumstances of life. Despite the obstacles and heartbreak, she still follows her dreams to lead a very fulfilling life involving three different men in different periods of her life. She's brazen and direct, but still very sweet and lovable. I cannot begin to describe everything contained in this 600-page book except to say that the descriptions are detailed, the dialogue is wonderfully witty, and you will not regret reading this classic.
As a side note, I find it very sad that the author passed away more than a decade ago but am grateful to have discovered such a treasure in romance novels.
