A warm, lovely second chance at love romance novel about finding a lost love after 40 years. This novel takes you on a journey of 2 lovers who experienced a night of passion in their senior year of high school only to separate and move on and marrying another, having children, and grandchildren only to find each other again 40 years later.

This was not my favorite Juliette Fay novel, but it was still enjoyable. It is hard to find characters of a mature age in current women's fiction, so this one stands out. I enjoyed the characters and the supporting characters. It was believable to see how adult children deal with their parents finding a second chance at love. Overall, I would recommend this one to mature readers looking for mature characters.

I wanted to love The Half of It by Juliette Fay. I was in the mood for a romance but this book just didn't do it for me. Sorry, but I just can NOT t wrap my head around the draw to a man who treats a woman like crap which is what happens in this story.
The story is split between past and present and all the messiness of the pandemic just made it difficult for this reader to enjoy.
The writing is good but some of the vocabulary I felt, was too lofty and not appropriate for a romance novel.
The ending was abrupt and I didn't love the story..
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my review.

An intensely relatable book. I'm going to have to get used to reading novels that acknowledge covid. The characters and relationship dynamics felt totally believable - nothing too exaggerated or too precious.

" 'You need a dose of beauty,' Barb says. And she's right. There's something relentlessly uplifting about being surrounded my masterful works of art, no matter how bereft and loveless you feel."

Juliette Fay's THE HALF OF IT is, simply put, a dose of beauty. There's something so recognizable in this story of two old high school friends who owe it to themselves to forgive each other after all these years. It's in the way Fay crafts her dialogue, like you could pour yourself a cup of coffee and join the chat. The way she recounts a scene as if you've been there too, and you find yourself nodding along in agreement, or shaking your head in frustration. And the way she invites you in to a story where you feel so at home, you don't want it to end.

I'm a longtime fan of Fay's work, and it's no exaggeration to say I enjoyed every word of THE HALF OF IT. Much gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read early.

What a sweet, tender, thought-provoking story about the messy layers of love, friendship, and family that entwine when two childhood friends with unfinished business reconnect as young grandparents.

Helen and Cal should have been high school sweethearts, but one disastrous night in the woods upended both their lives. Fast forward forty years and their paths literally cross again--on a woodland trail. Both have little grandkids in tow. That chance meeting changes everything for a second time, but will it keep them chained to the past, or set them free?

As a fan of the tortured hero, I fell hard for Cal, but I also loved Helen, a capable woman unaware of her own strengths. We get to know them as kids, but we understand them through the prism of their mistakes and successes as parents and spouses and yes, grandparents.

I found that to be a unique twist on the theme of second chances.

I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley.

Contents: mild sexual situations

This one was a big meh for me. I didn't feel the romance, couldn't wrap my head around the draw to a man who treated you like crap. The author writes well, but 4 times i encountered words i had to look up. In a romance novel!
Even worse, one of them was used twice. Throw in a sad ending and I'm tapping out.

I did enjoy reading this book! It was quite a bit slower at some parts, but all in all it was a quick and easy read.

The Half of It is a beautiful story split between the past and a gripping present that's grappling with the harsh realities of the covid-19 pandemic. It delivers a powerful message that it's never too late to right your wrongs and try again. I cried for so long after finishing because of the ending. If you love the second chance and right person, wrong time trope, you'll love this.

My main gripe with this story is that the ending felt a bit rushed. I wish we had more time at the end where everything was good before it was over. But other than that, it was lovely.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow Books, and Custom House Books for the e-ARC!