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Before I Met You
London, 1920. Arlette works in Liberty by day, and by night is caughty up in a glamorous whirl of parties, clubs, cocktails and jazz. But when tragedy strikes she flees the city, never to return.
Over half a century later, in the grungy mid-'90s, her graddaughter Betty arrives in London.
She can't wait to begin her new life. But before she can do so, she must find the mysterious woman named in her grandmother's will.
What she doesn't know is that her search will uncover the heartbreaking secret that changed her grandmother's life, and might also change hers for ever...
Over half a century later, in the grungy mid-'90s, her graddaughter Betty arrives in London.
She can't wait to begin her new life. But before she can do so, she must find the mysterious woman named in her grandmother's will.
What she doesn't know is that her search will uncover the heartbreaking secret that changed her grandmother's life, and might also change hers for ever...
592 pages, Paperback
First published July 19, 2012
2725 people are currently reading
27445 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Jewell
47 books88.4k followersLISA JEWELL was born in London in 1968.
Her first novel, Ralph's Party, was the best- selling debut novel of 1999. Since then she has written another twenty novels, most recently a number of dark psychological thrillers, including The Girls, Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs and The Night She Disappeared.
Lisa is a New York Times and Sunday Times number one bestselling author who has been published worldwide in over twenty-five languages. She lives in north London with her husband, two teenage daughters and the best dog in the world.
Lisa's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/LisaJewelloff...
Her first novel, Ralph's Party, was the best- selling debut novel of 1999. Since then she has written another twenty novels, most recently a number of dark psychological thrillers, including The Girls, Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs and The Night She Disappeared.
Lisa is a New York Times and Sunday Times number one bestselling author who has been published worldwide in over twenty-five languages. She lives in north London with her husband, two teenage daughters and the best dog in the world.
Lisa's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/LisaJewelloff...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,796 reviews
June 6, 2013
He was not a boss-eyed sailor. Or a rapist. He was a legend.
...and that folks, is where I cried. There is something about a story where the truth comes out of hiding that really does something to me. While I didn't quite make it to Jellicoe Road snot-inducing tears, there were still plenty of buried hormones which bubbled up to the surface - enough to produce a steady stream of tears to run down my face for a couple of minutes.
I was about due for a book to stir up some emotions in me. Sometimes the apathy can actually get tiring! Experiencing Before I Met You felt like a jump-start to my soul. I needed these feels! The words were so pretty! I kid you not, I was lying on a screwdriver in my bed and was vaguely aware of something poking me, yet I kept on reading because I was completely enraptured by an extremely beautiful scene.
The story is set in motion when an aging woman named Arlette dies, leaving behind an inheritance to a mysterious woman named Clara Pickle. Arlette's step-granddaughter Betty is due the money should Clara not be found within a suitable amount of time. Instead of Betty waiting out the time and collecting her inheritance, she decides to go on an adventure to find the recipient of the will.
She was here.
She was here.
Her life had finally begun.
Now we're at the point where I'd normally say : adventures ensue. In the case of Before I Met You, I might have to word things differently. For the best adventure is not focused around Betty, even though it is her mystery to solve. All of the excitement comes from finding out about Arlette's past. The reader is hurled back in time to the 1920's as we get the pieces of Arlette's life which were unknown to the people who knew her best at the time of her death.
In the case of many books told from two viewpoints in two different time periods, there's always one viewpoint which seems to stand out as stronger than the other. At first, I would have sworn that Betty's tale would be far more fascinating. She was on her own in a new city, she had a handsome and mysterious market man take an interest in her, and she had also become a nanny for a big name musician. And while that was all well and good, Betty's story was merely the catalyst for us to find out about all things Arlette. I never really warmed up to Betty or her cares. Betty's potential musician love interest was meh. I only liked Betty's part of the story when John was in it because he was quite yummy.
Arlette stole the show. Her story captivated me. I could imagine the vividly painted picture of 1920's London, with the music and the frolicking (yes, dammit, people frolicked!) and the dancing. This was not a prohibition tale, for the atmosphere was more open in London during the time period than it was in the states. I fell in love with Godfrey, the charming musician who Arlette couldn't stay away from. This was a time where inter-racial romance was not widely accepted, except for in the clubs and dance halls, where it was all about living life to the fullest. Arlette found herself wondering if she should buck the rules in order to follow her heart, or if she should stick with the man who would be easier to have a life with.
Here she was, torn between the man who kept her safe and the man who made her feel mad with wanting.
So how does Arlette's story tie in to the unknown Clara Pickle? Well now, I can't tell you that. The book is about following Betty on her journey to find out who Clara is. By the time we get there, I felt like I'd been put through the ringer. My little heart was palpitating like crazy when the pieces finally started to come together.
This was my first book by Lisa Jewell but it will certainly not be my last. This woman can write passages which make me want to reach into the pages of the book and see the images for myself, which is so wonderful to experience. If you've read and loved Jojo Moyes (Me Before You, The Girl You Left Behind, etc.) and like books which bring together the past and present, this is going to be one you won't want to miss.
October 17, 2016
I'm the only person on Goodreads so far to give this book one star. I have read all of Lisa Jewell's other books and thoroughly enjoyed them. But I just didn't care about this one. The writing was formulaic, you knew exactly what was going to happen, the characters were one dimensional and stereotypical, and overall it was rather boring. Maybe I've just out grown Lisa Jewell, but I'm sure if she wrote this novel as her first, it wouldn't have been published.
April 10, 2022
Before I Met You is an early Lisa Jewell novel that focuses on the bittersweet moments in a woman's life: falling in love, losing the person you treasure the most, finding a different kind of happiness, longing for children, and looking back at your life as you approach your final days. Jewell is always a wonderful writer who conjures a wide variety of emotions and stirs the right balance of family drama and heartache. In this one, we follow the path of a woman who fell in love with a man of different color in the early 1900s, then her step-granddaughter who must discover the older woman's secret in order to address the terms of her will at the end of the century. Magical moments followed by utter devastation. I really enjoyed this one as it crossed many lines and boundaries during the time periods it covered. I felt the ending was too abrupt, as I always do, and there were times when I thought it was missing enough foundation to believe how people came to accept one another. Rushed in some areas, too slow in others... but overall, it really read well as an entire piece.
July 28, 2019
I've been on a Lisa Jewell kick, and enjoying reading through her backlist. I have to say, this one is my least favorite by far. I almost had a hard time believing this was the same author.
Two alternating timelines, one Arlette- post WWI England, falls in love with a famous black musician but chaos ensues. The other- Betty Dean (Great name!) in the 1990's- cares for Arlette on her deathbed and then goes out to search for the person named in Arlette's will -- Clara Pickle. How are these characters all related? Secrets, racial tension and pop stars all get in the way. I have to admit I was much more interested in Betty's story than Arlette's. (Which almost never happens-- who ever likes the present day better than the historical?).
This one just missed the mark for me. I wasn't super invested in the characters, there were a couple of things that I found hard to believe as actual connections. The writing wasn't as strong and what tension existed was weak and uneventful. If I quit books, this would be one in that category. Still not giving up on my Jewell renaissance, but happy to move onto the next one.
Two alternating timelines, one Arlette- post WWI England, falls in love with a famous black musician but chaos ensues. The other- Betty Dean (Great name!) in the 1990's- cares for Arlette on her deathbed and then goes out to search for the person named in Arlette's will -- Clara Pickle. How are these characters all related? Secrets, racial tension and pop stars all get in the way. I have to admit I was much more interested in Betty's story than Arlette's. (Which almost never happens-- who ever likes the present day better than the historical?).
This one just missed the mark for me. I wasn't super invested in the characters, there were a couple of things that I found hard to believe as actual connections. The writing wasn't as strong and what tension existed was weak and uneventful. If I quit books, this would be one in that category. Still not giving up on my Jewell renaissance, but happy to move onto the next one.
August 18, 2022
English - Español
Elizabeth (Betty) had given up everything to care for her step-grandmother Arlette until her death. Arlette was a very picturesque person in her way of dressing, she did not appreciate her only son, but from the first moment she saw Betty she assumed her as a friend, granddaughter, companion and confidant. She had never left Guernsey Island, or so everyone thought.
When Arlette dies, in her will there is a beneficiary that no one in the family knows about. With her share of the inheritance, Betty moves to 1990s Soho in search of the mysterious Clara Pickle.
The story is told in two stages in Soho, in the postwar years of the 20s by Arlette and by Betty in the 90s.
I would have liked more if Betty had experienced a little more of her adult and independent life in Soho, but it's as simple as arriving on a budget to pay only two months' rent, taking the only job she could get at first, at Wendys, and then babysitting the children of a rock star, with whom she went from not liking him to considering a relationship with him and then abruptly ending up with the first man she saw when she arrived in Soho.
Arlette's story is infinitely more interesting, but also much sadder and more overwhelming.
In short, a reading to pass the time without many pretensions.
------------
Elizabeth (Betty) había renunciado a todo para cuidar a su abuela Arlette hasta su muerte. Arlette era una persona muy pintoresca en su forma de vestir, no le tenía aprecio a su único hijo, pero desde el primer momento que vió a Betty la asumió como amiga, nieta, compañera y confidente. Nunca había salido de la isla Guernsey, o eso pensaban todos.
Cuando Arlette muere, en su testamento hay una beneficiaria que nadie de la familia conoce. Con su parte de la herencia Betty se muda al Soho de los 90s en busca de la misteriosa Clara Pickle.
La historia en contada en dos tiempos en Soho, en la postguerra de los años 20s por Arlette y por Betty en los 90s.
Me hubiese gustado mas que Betty probara un poco mas de la vida en Soho, pero es tan simple como llegar con presupuesto para pagar solo dos meses de renta, tomar el único trabajo que pudo conseguir en un principio, en Wendys, y luego como niñera de los hijos de una estrella de rock, con el que pasó de no gustarle a plantearse una relación con el y luego terminar precipitadamente con el primer hombre que vió al llegar a Soho.
La historia de Arlette es infinitamente mas interesante, pero también mucho mas triste y arrolladora.
En fin, una lectura para pasar el rato sin muchas pretensiones.
Elizabeth (Betty) had given up everything to care for her step-grandmother Arlette until her death. Arlette was a very picturesque person in her way of dressing, she did not appreciate her only son, but from the first moment she saw Betty she assumed her as a friend, granddaughter, companion and confidant. She had never left Guernsey Island, or so everyone thought.
When Arlette dies, in her will there is a beneficiary that no one in the family knows about. With her share of the inheritance, Betty moves to 1990s Soho in search of the mysterious Clara Pickle.
The story is told in two stages in Soho, in the postwar years of the 20s by Arlette and by Betty in the 90s.
I would have liked more if Betty had experienced a little more of her adult and independent life in Soho, but it's as simple as arriving on a budget to pay only two months' rent, taking the only job she could get at first, at Wendys, and then babysitting the children of a rock star, with whom she went from not liking him to considering a relationship with him and then abruptly ending up with the first man she saw when she arrived in Soho.
Arlette's story is infinitely more interesting, but also much sadder and more overwhelming.
In short, a reading to pass the time without many pretensions.
------------
Elizabeth (Betty) había renunciado a todo para cuidar a su abuela Arlette hasta su muerte. Arlette era una persona muy pintoresca en su forma de vestir, no le tenía aprecio a su único hijo, pero desde el primer momento que vió a Betty la asumió como amiga, nieta, compañera y confidente. Nunca había salido de la isla Guernsey, o eso pensaban todos.
Cuando Arlette muere, en su testamento hay una beneficiaria que nadie de la familia conoce. Con su parte de la herencia Betty se muda al Soho de los 90s en busca de la misteriosa Clara Pickle.
La historia en contada en dos tiempos en Soho, en la postguerra de los años 20s por Arlette y por Betty en los 90s.
Me hubiese gustado mas que Betty probara un poco mas de la vida en Soho, pero es tan simple como llegar con presupuesto para pagar solo dos meses de renta, tomar el único trabajo que pudo conseguir en un principio, en Wendys, y luego como niñera de los hijos de una estrella de rock, con el que pasó de no gustarle a plantearse una relación con el y luego terminar precipitadamente con el primer hombre que vió al llegar a Soho.
La historia de Arlette es infinitamente mas interesante, pero también mucho mas triste y arrolladora.
En fin, una lectura para pasar el rato sin muchas pretensiones.
October 27, 2022
“You never really know a person until after they're dead. That's when it all comes out. All the stuff they locked up in boxes. All the secrets, all the lies. That's when you really know the truth.”
― Lisa Jewell, Before I Met You
I have to admit to not having very high expectations based on my GR’s fiends reviews, but whenever I’m at a lose as to what to read next Jewell is my go to. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed both the past and present storylines. Arlette and Betty’s story’s were seamlessly woven together in a believable way and both kept me interested. Only niggle was with Betty’s relationship issues which seemed a lil reaching.
Helen Duff does an amazing job with the narration & think she added so much to my enjoyment of the story.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable novel and one that I can easily recommend. 4.5 stars.
― Lisa Jewell, Before I Met You
I have to admit to not having very high expectations based on my GR’s fiends reviews, but whenever I’m at a lose as to what to read next Jewell is my go to. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed both the past and present storylines. Arlette and Betty’s story’s were seamlessly woven together in a believable way and both kept me interested. Only niggle was with Betty’s relationship issues which seemed a lil reaching.
Helen Duff does an amazing job with the narration & think she added so much to my enjoyment of the story.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable novel and one that I can easily recommend. 4.5 stars.
August 18, 2022
English - Español
Elizabeth (Betty) had given up everything to care for her step-grandmother Arlette until her death. Arlette was a very picturesque person in her way of dressing, she did not appreciate her only son, but from the first moment she saw Betty she assumed her as a friend, granddaughter, companion and confidant. She had never left Guernsey Island, or so everyone thought.
When Arlette dies, in her will there is a beneficiary that no one in the family knows about. With her share of the inheritance, Betty moves to 1990s Soho in search of the mysterious Clara Pickle.
The story is told in two stages in Soho, in the postwar years of the 20s by Arlette and by Betty in the 90s.
I would have liked more if Betty had experienced a little more of her adult and independent life in Soho, but it's as simple as arriving on a budget to pay only two months' rent, taking the only job she could get at first, at Wendys, and then babysitting the children of a rock star, with whom she went from not liking him to considering a relationship with him and then abruptly ending up with the first man she saw when she arrived in Soho.
Arlette's story is infinitely more interesting, but also much sadder and more overwhelming.
In short, a reading to pass the time without many pretensions.
------------
Elizabeth (Betty) había renunciado a todo para cuidar a su abuela Arlette hasta su muerte. Arlette era una persona muy pintoresca en su forma de vestir, no le tenía aprecio a su único hijo, pero desde el primer momento que vió a Betty la asumió como amiga, nieta, compañera y confidente. Nunca había salido de la isla Guernsey, o eso pensaban todos.
Cuando Arlette muere, en su testamento hay una beneficiaria que nadie de la familia conoce. Con su parte de la herencia Betty se muda al Soho de los 90s en busca de la misteriosa Clara Pickle.
La historia en contada en dos tiempos en Soho, en la postguerra de los años 20s por Arlette y por Betty en los 90s.
Me hubiese gustado mas que Betty probara un poco mas de la vida en Soho, pero es tan simple como llegar con presupuesto para pagar solo dos meses de renta, tomar el único trabajo que pudo conseguir en un principio, en Wendys, y luego como niñera de los hijos de una estrella de rock, con el que pasó de no gustarle a plantearse una relación con el y luego terminar precipitadamente con el primer hombre que vió al llegar a Soho.
La historia de Arlette es infinitamente mas interesante, pero también mucho mas triste y arrolladora.
En fin, una lectura para pasar el rato sin muchas pretensiones.
Elizabeth (Betty) had given up everything to care for her step-grandmother Arlette until her death. Arlette was a very picturesque person in her way of dressing, she did not appreciate her only son, but from the first moment she saw Betty she assumed her as a friend, granddaughter, companion and confidant. She had never left Guernsey Island, or so everyone thought.
When Arlette dies, in her will there is a beneficiary that no one in the family knows about. With her share of the inheritance, Betty moves to 1990s Soho in search of the mysterious Clara Pickle.
The story is told in two stages in Soho, in the postwar years of the 20s by Arlette and by Betty in the 90s.
I would have liked more if Betty had experienced a little more of her adult and independent life in Soho, but it's as simple as arriving on a budget to pay only two months' rent, taking the only job she could get at first, at Wendys, and then babysitting the children of a rock star, with whom she went from not liking him to considering a relationship with him and then abruptly ending up with the first man she saw when she arrived in Soho.
Arlette's story is infinitely more interesting, but also much sadder and more overwhelming.
In short, a reading to pass the time without many pretensions.
------------
Elizabeth (Betty) había renunciado a todo para cuidar a su abuela Arlette hasta su muerte. Arlette era una persona muy pintoresca en su forma de vestir, no le tenía aprecio a su único hijo, pero desde el primer momento que vió a Betty la asumió como amiga, nieta, compañera y confidente. Nunca había salido de la isla Guernsey, o eso pensaban todos.
Cuando Arlette muere, en su testamento hay una beneficiaria que nadie de la familia conoce. Con su parte de la herencia Betty se muda al Soho de los 90s en busca de la misteriosa Clara Pickle.
La historia en contada en dos tiempos en Soho, en la postguerra de los años 20s por Arlette y por Betty en los 90s.
Me hubiese gustado mas que Betty probara un poco mas de la vida en Soho, pero es tan simple como llegar con presupuesto para pagar solo dos meses de renta, tomar el único trabajo que pudo conseguir en un principio, en Wendys, y luego como niñera de los hijos de una estrella de rock, con el que pasó de no gustarle a plantearse una relación con el y luego terminar precipitadamente con el primer hombre que vió al llegar a Soho.
La historia de Arlette es infinitamente mas interesante, pero también mucho mas triste y arrolladora.
En fin, una lectura para pasar el rato sin muchas pretensiones.
November 15, 2021
DNF at 35%
I feel terrible quitting a Lisa Jewell book as I usually love her work! But honestly…this story was lacklustre in both plot and audio performance. The characters were…well…forgettable and uninteresting. Perhaps it picks up but I’ve decided not to invest anymore time given how bored I feel. Next!
I feel terrible quitting a Lisa Jewell book as I usually love her work! But honestly…this story was lacklustre in both plot and audio performance. The characters were…well…forgettable and uninteresting. Perhaps it picks up but I’ve decided not to invest anymore time given how bored I feel. Next!
March 22, 2021
Cleaning off the older titles from my list...
This is kind of a bridge book for Jewell. Not chick lit/women's fiction like her earlier titles, yet not a thriller like her more current books. This is a dual timeline novel with Betty in the 1990s and Arlette in the past.
While I was interested to find out about what had happened in Arlette's past, I never warmed to any of the characters. I thought that Betty was way too much of a martyr, even though her longings led her elsewhere.
I did really like the sense of place Jewell created, I could picture the locations and it made me want to visit for myself.
I thought that the prose was a bit too drawn out for the content and the choices the characters made didn't always make sense to me. I couldn't relate to them or what they were experiencing. Overall, this was an ok read, but nothing special. There are much better Lisa Jewell book selections.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
This is kind of a bridge book for Jewell. Not chick lit/women's fiction like her earlier titles, yet not a thriller like her more current books. This is a dual timeline novel with Betty in the 1990s and Arlette in the past.
While I was interested to find out about what had happened in Arlette's past, I never warmed to any of the characters. I thought that Betty was way too much of a martyr, even though her longings led her elsewhere.
I did really like the sense of place Jewell created, I could picture the locations and it made me want to visit for myself.
I thought that the prose was a bit too drawn out for the content and the choices the characters made didn't always make sense to me. I couldn't relate to them or what they were experiencing. Overall, this was an ok read, but nothing special. There are much better Lisa Jewell book selections.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Read
July 24, 2023At 35% I decided to quit reading this book.
It wasn’t for me, therefore I won’t be rating or reviewing it.
I thought that this one was one of her newest books, but it was released in 2013.
If I had looked at the original covers I would have never picked this book.
At least the purchase price was a bargain.
It wasn’t for me, therefore I won’t be rating or reviewing it.
I thought that this one was one of her newest books, but it was released in 2013.
If I had looked at the original covers I would have never picked this book.
At least the purchase price was a bargain.
October 2, 2013
I bailed at 72%. I just really hated this book and its heroines. I will give it points for keeping me intrigued. After all, I kept plunging along even though I disliked its heroines. I kept thinking, "Well, I want to know what happened" even after I figured out who the mysterious Pickle lady was. It was so obvious.
But the heroines just totally suck. While I don't expect them to be perfect..they must have flaws as we all do, can they possibly be more unlikable and STUPID?
The modern-day girl--she constantly wants to remind us she "gave up her life" to care for an old lady. What does she want, a medal? She likes one guy but beds another. She can't wait for the old lady to die but then just sells the stuff she looked forward to acquiring. And the Soho bit...why the obsession with living in a place that is a "kingdom of sirens and neon and filth and chaos and double yellow lines as far as the eye could see"?
To say I don't get her or like her is an understatement. And the past story... The heroine is likable until she lets a man destroy her life. She is so weak it's disgusting. I hate women who allow themselves to be victims, who don't fight back. I wanted to throw up. And the romance was so dry... I failed to FEEL the love they supposedly had. Granted, he speaks politely to her and says things like "violent urge" but it's so dry and his character is so flat when it should be passionate and the romance totally misses the mark.
Just a total miss for me, but I dedicated four days to it so I'm posting my two cents. I hated it.
But the heroines just totally suck. While I don't expect them to be perfect..they must have flaws as we all do, can they possibly be more unlikable and STUPID?
The modern-day girl--she constantly wants to remind us she "gave up her life" to care for an old lady. What does she want, a medal? She likes one guy but beds another. She can't wait for the old lady to die but then just sells the stuff she looked forward to acquiring. And the Soho bit...why the obsession with living in a place that is a "kingdom of sirens and neon and filth and chaos and double yellow lines as far as the eye could see"?
To say I don't get her or like her is an understatement. And the past story... The heroine is likable until she lets a man destroy her life. She is so weak it's disgusting. I hate women who allow themselves to be victims, who don't fight back. I wanted to throw up. And the romance was so dry... I failed to FEEL the love they supposedly had. Granted, he speaks politely to her and says things like "violent urge" but it's so dry and his character is so flat when it should be passionate and the romance totally misses the mark.
Just a total miss for me, but I dedicated four days to it so I'm posting my two cents. I hated it.
November 29, 2012
For me, curling up with a Lisa Jewell novel is like curling up with a coffee in front of a warm fire – comforting, cosy with the guarantee that it will warm the cockles of my heart. This book did not disappoint. Well-written, vivid and at once warm and funny and poignant and moving. It’s a more mature read than some of Lisa’s earlier novels – even with a relatively young heroine, it is less ‘chicklit’ in feel and deals with some serious rather than frivolous themes.
I especially enjoyed the dual points of view explored in the book – of Arlette, a young woman in 1920s London, and her step-granddaughter Betty, in 1990s London. There are wonderful parallels and also juxtaposition of the women’s experiences that made for a compelling and powerful read. The characters are multi-faceted and realistic and likeable, and I was rather sad by the end of the book that their story had come to an end.
For me, the best part of this book is the sense of place that the author creates. I love the island of Guernsey, so I enjoyed the descriptions of that setting, but it is London that really comes alive on the pages. Having read this book soon after finishing The Paris Wife, which depicts 1920s Paris, I found myself drawing parallels and enjoying the glimpse of life in bohemian London during that era. I think the author does a marvellous job of capturing the heart of London – Soho – without over-romanticising it. Take the following extract:
All she knew was that the day was dying and the night was giving birth to itself, and there was something electric, something magnetic pulling her down Carnaby Street, past self-consciously crazy boutiques, past grimy pubs, through the throngs of tourists and teenage girls just like her, girls from somewhere else with overblown ideas of themselves, girls having a special treat with dowdy mothers and bored father, a day in town with an early lunch at Garfunkel’s, overfilled bowls from the salad bar, tickets for a West End show tucked safely in Mum’s bum-bag. It wasn’t real. Even to Betty’s immature, small-town eyes she could see through the fakery and the stage setting. There was something both murky and beguiling beyond this plastic street of Union Jacks and Beatles posters, something grimy and flittering.
By the end of the book, I found myself wanting to visit London and the locations that feature in the story, so alive did the characters feel to me.
Of course, at the heart of the story is romance – that of Arlette and of Betty – and indeed all sorts of relationship are explored in the novel. The result is a touching and memorable book that I recommend to any reader who enjoys romance.
I especially enjoyed the dual points of view explored in the book – of Arlette, a young woman in 1920s London, and her step-granddaughter Betty, in 1990s London. There are wonderful parallels and also juxtaposition of the women’s experiences that made for a compelling and powerful read. The characters are multi-faceted and realistic and likeable, and I was rather sad by the end of the book that their story had come to an end.
For me, the best part of this book is the sense of place that the author creates. I love the island of Guernsey, so I enjoyed the descriptions of that setting, but it is London that really comes alive on the pages. Having read this book soon after finishing The Paris Wife, which depicts 1920s Paris, I found myself drawing parallels and enjoying the glimpse of life in bohemian London during that era. I think the author does a marvellous job of capturing the heart of London – Soho – without over-romanticising it. Take the following extract:
All she knew was that the day was dying and the night was giving birth to itself, and there was something electric, something magnetic pulling her down Carnaby Street, past self-consciously crazy boutiques, past grimy pubs, through the throngs of tourists and teenage girls just like her, girls from somewhere else with overblown ideas of themselves, girls having a special treat with dowdy mothers and bored father, a day in town with an early lunch at Garfunkel’s, overfilled bowls from the salad bar, tickets for a West End show tucked safely in Mum’s bum-bag. It wasn’t real. Even to Betty’s immature, small-town eyes she could see through the fakery and the stage setting. There was something both murky and beguiling beyond this plastic street of Union Jacks and Beatles posters, something grimy and flittering.
By the end of the book, I found myself wanting to visit London and the locations that feature in the story, so alive did the characters feel to me.
Of course, at the heart of the story is romance – that of Arlette and of Betty – and indeed all sorts of relationship are explored in the novel. The result is a touching and memorable book that I recommend to any reader who enjoys romance.
July 18, 2013
A good idea for an interesting plot, but the author couldn't get far enough away from her usual chick lit style to do it justice. The result was much too twee for me and also littered with silly and avoidable inaccuracies. Of these, for me, the worst was on page 430: "a big, empty house on a cliff, with distant tantalising views towards the white cliffs of Dover" . The house was in Guernsey, Dover is over 200 miles away! And if distance and the earth's curvature were not a big enough obstacle, the Cherbourg Peninsula in between the two would certainly block the view. So an easy read but not my type of book!
August 23, 2020
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book! Lisa Jewell has amazed me again by her amazing writing. I can’t wait to start another one of her books.
March 28, 2023
4⭐ su avansu. Visgi manau, kad autorei geriau sekasi rašyti trilerius :)
October 27, 2013
Lisa Jewell has created an interesting story of 20-something Betty, leaving her home island of Gurnsey for the city of London to see what life has in store for her while trying to find the mysterious Clara Pickle, the woman her step-grandmother has left all her money to. The story takes Betty into 1920s London and a world of Jazz clubs and intrigue she didn’t think her grandmother was capable of.
Unfortunately the novelty of the plot is all this novel has going for it. With flat, unrealistic characters, improbable romances with little chemistry, and little that leaves you invested in the outcome. I had high hopes for this book, but it did not deliver.
Obviously, as a Jewell book, this novel falls in the chick-lit, light side of literature. I didn’t come to this book expecting it to be a great workth (10) of literature like The Luminaries (also released in the US on 10.13) but I did expect a little more from it. Chick-lit lives and dies on the lovability of its characters and the reality of the romances. Betty starts of realistic and her relationship with grandmother Arlette makes the first third of this novel live up to what I thought the whole novel would be.
But. When Betty movies to London things just get weird. There’s the somewhat irrelevant side story and rockstar Dom Jones. The tepid kind of sort of romance with John Brightly, and the odd assortment of neighbors that seem to be thrown in as a caricature of what people expect to read about city life that lack the description to make them believable.
Then there’s the flashback to Arlette’s story, which held up a little longer than Betty’s but eventually fell in the trap of “hurry up and make a plot” and the characters started to fall apart, with an almost unbelievable rape side story that really caused the whole thing to take a strange (and confusing) turn.
The writing is done well and there are some chapters that make things interesting, but overall I finished the story more grateful it was over than excited about the outcome.
Unfortunately the novelty of the plot is all this novel has going for it. With flat, unrealistic characters, improbable romances with little chemistry, and little that leaves you invested in the outcome. I had high hopes for this book, but it did not deliver.
Obviously, as a Jewell book, this novel falls in the chick-lit, light side of literature. I didn’t come to this book expecting it to be a great workth (10) of literature like The Luminaries (also released in the US on 10.13) but I did expect a little more from it. Chick-lit lives and dies on the lovability of its characters and the reality of the romances. Betty starts of realistic and her relationship with grandmother Arlette makes the first third of this novel live up to what I thought the whole novel would be.
But. When Betty movies to London things just get weird. There’s the somewhat irrelevant side story and rockstar Dom Jones. The tepid kind of sort of romance with John Brightly, and the odd assortment of neighbors that seem to be thrown in as a caricature of what people expect to read about city life that lack the description to make them believable.
Then there’s the flashback to Arlette’s story, which held up a little longer than Betty’s but eventually fell in the trap of “hurry up and make a plot” and the characters started to fall apart, with an almost unbelievable rape side story that really caused the whole thing to take a strange (and confusing) turn.
The writing is done well and there are some chapters that make things interesting, but overall I finished the story more grateful it was over than excited about the outcome.
July 20, 2023
I've read and enjoyed Lisa Jewell's books for more than ten years, and I highly recommend both One-Hit Wonder and A Friend of the Family. But Before I Met You left me cold. Jewell does a good job of portraying the combination of wide-eyed wonder, tinge of fear, and naive determination that both Betty, in the 1990s, and Arlette, in the 1920s, feel as young women on their own in a big city for the first time. She also keeps the pages turning to find out the mystery behind the beneficiary in Arlette's will whom Betty is determined to find. But the narration is strangely distant from the characters, and I never felt fully connected to them. The object of Arlette's passion is more of a paragon than a real person. In fact, none of the male characters work, with the exception of the taciturn young man who is one of the first people Betty encounters in her new life. All in all, not my favorite Lisa Jewell by far.
July 23, 2012
I enjoy well written chick lit, but I’ve always avoided Lisa Jewell – I have no idea why, but I always thought she was at the “fluffy” end of the spectrum. This book is so good it really moves her out of the chick lit camp for me, it was a wonderful and really different read. If I say it reminded me of the best of JoJo Moyes, I mean it as a real compliment. Betty’s 90s story – part love story, part investigation of the past – is interspersed with the story of Arlette and her life amid the bohemian set in the 1920s. The transitions are effortless, and both timeframes have a depth of detail that is absolutely captivating. Both Betty and Arlette are wonderfully drawn characters, and both stories – with their overlaps – are totally engrossing. It’s a tribute to Lisa Jewell’s writing that I never felt any wrench moving from one story to the other – either thread would have kept me hooked. I understand this dual-time narrative is a bit of a departure for the author, but I do regret not discovering her writing earlier – back catalogue, here I come!
March 21, 2020
This felt like a departure from other Jewell novels I’ve read.
It’s not a romance, but it was essentially a study of how the romantic missteps of two women in different periods shaped the development of their lives and personalities.
And very oddly, they both seemed fairly ordinary except for the siren-like effect each had on men around them, men who found them devastatingly attractive, a characteristic that felt manufactured and out of place with the way you otherwise see the two women in their worlds. Their extraordinary and inconstantly portrayed beauty seemed manufactured to place them in situations and relationships necessary for Jewell to go where she wanted in the story, when more interesting and authentic set-ups could have worked as well. It was just—odd.
I was disappointed by how little of the search to learn to the identity of a mysterious woman occupied the story, and how predictable the eventual results were.
Still, despite my complaints, I enjoyed being immersed in a Lisa Jewell book. Characters and dilemmas are more real than not, the writing is deft and sometimes lovely, and the story lingers well after it’s over.
It’s not a romance, but it was essentially a study of how the romantic missteps of two women in different periods shaped the development of their lives and personalities.
And very oddly, they both seemed fairly ordinary except for the siren-like effect each had on men around them, men who found them devastatingly attractive, a characteristic that felt manufactured and out of place with the way you otherwise see the two women in their worlds. Their extraordinary and inconstantly portrayed beauty seemed manufactured to place them in situations and relationships necessary for Jewell to go where she wanted in the story, when more interesting and authentic set-ups could have worked as well. It was just—odd.
I was disappointed by how little of the search to learn to the identity of a mysterious woman occupied the story, and how predictable the eventual results were.
Still, despite my complaints, I enjoyed being immersed in a Lisa Jewell book. Characters and dilemmas are more real than not, the writing is deft and sometimes lovely, and the story lingers well after it’s over.
May 29, 2018
A marvellously written novel. Lisa Jewell is one of the best women writters. I always seem to be able to get into her books straight away. For any reader that has not read any of Lisa's book , please do try them all. I am sure readers and book clubs with love them all.
March 19, 2019
I have enjoyed all of the Lisa Jewell novels that I have read so far, including this one - but it was not my favorite. I already know this author's style so I expected a slow build up, but this one took me even longer than usual to get into; and I felt the story was kind of weak. There was a dual timeline and I liked the story of the present (well, early 1990's) better. Betty Dean was a really likable main character, a young girl having a good time on her own for the first time in London.
I cared much less about the story of Arlett and her adventures in the roaring 20's. I thought that it was an odd decision by the author to have Arlett be Betty's "step-grandmother" instead of her real grandmother. It seemed an unnecessary detail that made Betty's determination to uncover her story less compelling.
In any case, Jewell comes up with a resolution that ties the two stories together in a way that, as is her trademark, is satisfying and bittersweet.
I cared much less about the story of Arlett and her adventures in the roaring 20's. I thought that it was an odd decision by the author to have Arlett be Betty's "step-grandmother" instead of her real grandmother. It seemed an unnecessary detail that made Betty's determination to uncover her story less compelling.
In any case, Jewell comes up with a resolution that ties the two stories together in a way that, as is her trademark, is satisfying and bittersweet.
January 6, 2020
I’ve read one other Lisa Jewell, and it was a dark little number. I think I expected the same, but that wasn’t at all what I received. Instead I read this, a pleasant 3.5 star read that runs between two time periods: one present and the other in the jazz age of the 1920’s just pre Bright Young Things. Our main protagonist, Betty, a very likable girl almost always does the right thing and is impossibly beautiful and smart. Hard to like a girl like that, but you will. The second, her step grand-mother Arlette, a mythical creature lives in an upstairs boudoir (and after her death, in Betty’s memory and historical glimpses that we see via the grande dame, herself) of a crumbling manse on the edge of a cliff in Guernsey.
June 26, 2016
It was totally unpredictable. You read it and think that you can see where it would take you but the truth is you are totally wrong and nothing from what you've guessed is true.
It took me by surprise in lots of pages and I was dreading to reach the end as I wasn't ready to gave my heart broken. .
.
I liked it so much. It was an enjoyable read and heartwarming even though there is some sadness in it.
It is an underrated book and definitely needs more attention.
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4.5
.5 is taken away because I wanted to know did that person killed herself really? And why
It took me by surprise in lots of pages and I was dreading to reach the end as I wasn't ready to gave my heart broken. .
.
I liked it so much. It was an enjoyable read and heartwarming even though there is some sadness in it.
It is an underrated book and definitely needs more attention.
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4.5
.5 is taken away because I wanted to know did that person killed herself really? And why
September 8, 2014
I was lucky to get this one from the publishers to give an honest review and I must say, this was an excellent detailed read.
After reading her grandmother's will, she became intrigued with a mysterious woman mentioned in there. She couldn't let this rest until she found more out about her and all that it entalled.
It keeps turning pages, it really is an excellent read which you can expect from Lisa Jewell.
You will find this at Random house publishers and other book outlets
After reading her grandmother's will, she became intrigued with a mysterious woman mentioned in there. She couldn't let this rest until she found more out about her and all that it entalled.
It keeps turning pages, it really is an excellent read which you can expect from Lisa Jewell.
You will find this at Random house publishers and other book outlets
March 10, 2014
I was expecting this to be better than what it was. It started off great but then somewhere in the middle I kind of lost interest. I wanted to know what happened so I kept reading but I didn't really get into the characters. Just finished with a lukewarm feeling overall. Just a little disappointed. The use of the f-word was over used as well, which became very irritating!
December 31, 2019
My initial impression of this book was that it was a sweet, historical cozy mystery, but as I read further along I realized it had unexpected heart and depth.
The book flips between dual stories of a young woman in 1995 and her grandmother in the 1920s, tied through a mystery the granddaughter is trying to solve about her family’s past. Their stories, unbeknownst to either of them, have many parallels as they set out from Guernsey to try life in London. They both learn, for good or bad, that one person’s actions can reverberate across the lives of many.
I think you could take away something simplistic in saying that one of the women made better choices that led to a better life, but there is more meat on this bone. How does one protect themselves from the dangers of life? What are the constraints on freedom in different time periods? What do we owe those we love? Does it matter if they love us back?
So many questions and, in this reader’s opinion, Lisa Jewell isn’t moralistic enough to offer us easy answers. Like any of us, each of these women does the best she can with what she’s given and the rest is out of her direct control.
The book flips between dual stories of a young woman in 1995 and her grandmother in the 1920s, tied through a mystery the granddaughter is trying to solve about her family’s past. Their stories, unbeknownst to either of them, have many parallels as they set out from Guernsey to try life in London. They both learn, for good or bad, that one person’s actions can reverberate across the lives of many.
I think you could take away something simplistic in saying that one of the women made better choices that led to a better life, but there is more meat on this bone. How does one protect themselves from the dangers of life? What are the constraints on freedom in different time periods? What do we owe those we love? Does it matter if they love us back?
So many questions and, in this reader’s opinion, Lisa Jewell isn’t moralistic enough to offer us easy answers. Like any of us, each of these women does the best she can with what she’s given and the rest is out of her direct control.
Read
July 16, 2020Before I Met You, by Lisa Jewell, is a story told by the alternating viewpoints of Betty, from the 1990s, and Arlette, Betty's grandmother, from the 1920s. The characters from both time periods are free spirited and independent, but Arlette is the one whose story was unexpectedly intriguing. Arlette lived in Soho during the early 1920s but left and lived the remainder of her life in Guernsey. Betty has been living on Guernsey since a young child and taken care of her grandmother. When Arlette dies, she leaves a small inheritance to Betty and also to an unknown person, Clara Pickle. With her inheritance, Betty moves to Soho to find Clara Pickle. Both Arlette and Betty left Guernsey to experience city life, have a career and find romance. Eventually, both have to make difficult choices that set the course for their futures.
I especially enjoyed the descriptions of life in London during the 1920s, but I would like to have learned more about what happened to Arlette after she returned to Guernsey. Overall, this book was a light and entertaining read. -Jacque C.
I especially enjoyed the descriptions of life in London during the 1920s, but I would like to have learned more about what happened to Arlette after she returned to Guernsey. Overall, this book was a light and entertaining read. -Jacque C.
February 26, 2021
This book was simple wonderful
I’m a big fan of Jewell’s early work it’s so much more engaging than the later stuff. It’s not edge of the seat thriller but it pulls you in and you invest in the characters.
This was told from the point of view of Betty and her grandmother Arlette. Arlette sweeps us through the 1920s. This is a sad story for Arlette whose story we see Betty uncover
I’m a big fan of Jewell’s early work it’s so much more engaging than the later stuff. It’s not edge of the seat thriller but it pulls you in and you invest in the characters.
This was told from the point of view of Betty and her grandmother Arlette. Arlette sweeps us through the 1920s. This is a sad story for Arlette whose story we see Betty uncover
October 1, 2013
Before I Met You is reminiscent of the books by Kate Morton - modern day young woman searching for clues to an old family mystery, while the reader is invited inside the world of that mystery, as the two stories gradually draw closer to each other. This one is perhaps a little more hip, less gothic than Morton's tales. The characters in both time periods are fun - young women leaving home for the first time and looking for adventure in the big city. There are many parallels between the 2 women and the 2 eras, showcasing just how hip and happening the '20's were, what a free time that was for women. They live in the same neighborhood - Soho - 70 years apart, one of them enmeshed in the exciting world of jazz musicians and nightclubs, the other with pop stars. Both are free-spirited and independent, but one is wiser to the world around her, less naive, making better choices. Fabulous storytelling - jazz age London is made out to be so exciting and compelling, but somehow, so is 1990's London. Smart, rich, cool characters you can fall in love with and root for.
December 12, 2013
Formulaic in the sense of "somewhat rootless and or aimless or temporarily lost or adrift young-ish woman moves away or moves home, only to find a tantalizing scrap of family or perfect stranger history that for unknown reasons compels her to find the whole truth and consumes her waking hours; she may not even know why she Has To Do This, except as the entire plot and purpose of the novel existing; that is, the waking hours she is not living a charmingly shabby chic life while juggling multiple possible love interests, only to finally tie the loose ends together, enlighten all those around her, and end up with Mr. Right after all" See also: Lake of Dreams, A Vintage Affair, Sarah's Key, the Art Forget, and The Secret Keeper.
This book just didn't do much for me, though the pace was brisk, and some of the writing quite descriptive; I do enjoy books set in London. Glad this one found a warmer audience with so many other readers, just wasn't one whose plot or writing moved me.
This book just didn't do much for me, though the pace was brisk, and some of the writing quite descriptive; I do enjoy books set in London. Glad this one found a warmer audience with so many other readers, just wasn't one whose plot or writing moved me.
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