What readers think of Next to Love, plus links to write your own review.

Next to Love is an impressive and powerful story of three best friends and the men they love set during World War II. It focuses on their lives as they live through the war and beyond. I loved watching the women face the challenges and events of their lives as the book moves from saying goodbye to their men and transitioning through the intervening years as their children are about to start their own adult lives. I enjoyed watching them deal with their trials and tribulations and seeing how their lives and friendships evolved. As a baby boomer I loved reading about this time in history.

Being a child of that generation (1940s-60s), this book haunted me. Having read all the letters written by my own parents to one another during WWII, I can say that the author has done her research and quite accurately captured the mood and character of that period.

Her portrayal of the psychological and emotional trauma of war, affecting not only the soldiers, but their families, is heart wrenching. Writing in third persion, she really allows you to get "inside the heads" of the characters.

While I enjoyed reading the book very much, I was somewhat disappointed in the ending. I felt that the author was trying to cover too much in too little time. She attempted to tie up all the loose ends, but still left me hanging out there waiting for "the rest of the story."

It was a very good read though and I did enjoy.