I received a copy of Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Having grown up on the quiet island of Guernsey, Betty Dean can’t wait to start her new life in London. On a mission to find Clara Pickle – the mysterious beneficiary in her grandmother’s will – she arrives in grungy, 1990s Soho, ready for whatever life has to throw at her. Or so she thinks…
In 1920s bohemian London, Arlette – Betty’s grandmother – is starting her new life in a time of post-war change. Beautiful and charismatic, Arlette is soon drawn into the hedonistic world of the Bright Young People. But less than two years later, tragedy strikes and she flees back to Guernsey for the rest of her life.
As Betty searches for Clara, she is taken on a journey through Arlette’s extraordinary time in London, uncovering a tale of love, loss and heartbreak. Will the secrets of Arlette’s past help Betty on her path to happiness?
Review:
There was a lot I liked about this book, and just little that I didn’t so much love. The mystery aspect – who is this Clara Pickle, how does she tie in with Arlette, will Betty be able to find her? – was a lot of fun to read about. I’m also a sucker for books that flip back and forth between past and present, and my favorite era happens to be the ‘20’s, so I of course was quite happy with that! Betty also has some interesting characters enter her life while she is on the search for Clara, and they made a nice (and sometimes comical) addition to the story. I became entranced near the end of the book when you realized all the answers were going to be revealed, but I was also a little let-down towards the end. We follow Betty through her quest, but then when a huge chunk of the Arlette’s past is found out, we don’t get to see it through Betty’s eye. Someone else tells her and the chapter cuts away and we miss Betty’s reaction, which is something I was really looking forward to. It was almost anti-climatic in a way. But overall, I thought this book was really charming, and I would recommend.
