The Half of It by Juliette Fay (Review by Danielle Urban)

5 out of 5 stars

The Half of It by Juliette Fay is a contemporary romance fiction novel. The book is divided into the past and present. One chapter is from the past then the next is form the present moment. I did not think that this format would work. However, it did work for this plot and the characters. It shows the love and lost chances of a lifetime of love between two protagonists. These characters met, fell in love, and then things separated them. Lost chances at a forever romance. Until they meet again and again, and then again. The term: the third time is the charm, comes to mind while reading this novel.

Inside, I meet Hellen and Cal. Hellen is a spit fire of a woman. She hides her pain and anger well. As I read, her feelings pop off the pages. Then, there is Cal. He never stopped loving Hellen. Seeing her again, brings to surface all the mistakes and lost chances. He feels like his teenage self-wanting to relive all those lost moments between them. Yet, life went on, they are both old grandparents now. Cal is stunned when he does not recognize Hellen. She ages well. Cal works out to keep himself fit. Despite their aging, both are still kindhearted and funny.

Their banters keep me laughing. The things they say and the things they do not say, are felt through these pages. It only deepens as I dig further into the book. Their love story is filled with heart and soul. Out of the two characters, Hellen handles everything with perfect grace. How she bubbles everything up and only lets out a mild version of what she really feels is amazing. These characters never gave up and kept on going with what life brought them. Eventually, these characters were destined to be. Overall, Juliette Fay writes well. Her book is for fans of Susan Mallery, Brenda Novak, and Mona Shroff. I have learned a lot from this epic romance tale.