A wonderfully and beautifully written historical fiction with three story ties : Corfu, 1942, Corfu 2004 and Florida 2019. I"ve been to Corfu before so it was great being able to picture these scenes. A great debut !

I enjoyed the three generation focus of this book. This is an emotional read that involves family secrets, love, forgiveness, broken hearts. The back-and-forth chapter focus was handled well. I enjoy learning about new places and aspects of WWII. And this book did that through the island of Corfu. I had no idea they had a camp for Jews. Life-altering decisions are made and you need to read to the last page to discover how things end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This is a historical fiction/women's Fiction that jumps between three time points (1942, 2004, and 2019). I found the writing a little to much, and I did not really connect to any of the characters. I feel that the storyline drove this book and not the characters. I loved the cover of this book, and that is what made me want to read this book. I do not feel this was a bad book, but it was just not a book for me. I love a character drove book. This book does have some twists and turns that are good. Also, I for a historical fiction book most of the book to part in 2004 or 2019, so I think this is more of a women's fiction book with some flash backs to 1942. If you are reading this hoping for more of a historical fiction then this may not be for you. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Forever) or author (Jaclyn Goldis) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Forever books of any kind are always worth a read to me, and this cover + synopsis captured my attention right away!

Goldis’ debut did not disappoint, with three generations of women in multiple timelines and immersive characters that kept you engaged throughout the book! A mix of historical fiction and romance, it was a powerful read and I enjoyed it.

Captivating, poignant, and nostalgic!

When We Were Young is a heart-wrenching, affecting tale that takes you on a journey into the lives of three main characters. Sarah, a young Jewish girl who can never quite forgive after her love for a fisherman saves her life but not her family during the Nazis invasion of Corfu; Bea, an uninhibited mother of two who loves spending summers with family friends while simultaneously hiding a secret that could possibly destroy them all; and Joey, a woman whose life becomes completely upheaved when the love of her life suddenly reappears a few days before her upcoming nuptials to another man.

The prose is emotive and smooth. The characters are confused, troubled, and heartbroken. And the plot using a past/present, back-and-forth style intertwines and unravels effortlessly into a touching tale of familial dynamics, drama, emotion, secrets, love, loss, duty, heartbreak, passion, tradition, and self-discovery.

Overall, When We Were Young is a sentimental, heartfelt, promising debut by Goldis that does a wonderful job of highlighting the complex ties that bind families together and reminds us that happy-ever-after endings rarely resemble those we read about in fairytales.

When We Were Young is the powerful story of three generations of women from different periods.

In Nazi driven Corfu of 1942 we meet sixteen-year-old Sarah Batis. Tradition states that Sarah marry a Jewish man. Only Sarah has fallen in love with a fisherman outside her faith, leaving her family to force her to choose. Then a sudden Nazi invasion leaves Sarah’s family in jeopardy. Can they survive imminent danger?

Then in Corfu of 2004 we meet Sarah's daughter, Bea who has a happy life with her husband and two daughters. First love blossoms between Bea's daughter Joey and a young man named Leo Winn. But is there a threatening secret on the horizon?

Finally in Florida, 2019 we once again follow Joey who is days away from marrying the Jewish man her family adores. But then Leo returns. Why did he break up with her all those years ago and what does he want now?

When We Were Young is a fictional account of women who struggle with relatable topics such as family, identity, and secrets. Categorizable as historical fiction, this reads more like women’s fiction with historical fiction touches. Some of the characters overlap which makes the timeline jumps easier to navigate. If you enjoy historical fiction stories with a strong emphasis on women’s journeys of self discovery, then this might be a great addition to your TBR!

Thanks to upcoming featured author @jaclyngoldis, @netgalley, and @foreverpub for a copy of this memorable debut!

I am linking a longer review below, but general consensus is tick tick tick - very enjoyable and ambitious book!

What an incredible debut from this author. I look forward to what comes next from her. This is a historical novel that goes back to Corfu, Greece in 1942 to contemporary times in Florida. Three strong women who love each other, but also have secrets that have brought them to where they are, but could also alert the fabric of their relationships and lives forever. We travel through time to understand what brought them to where they are. I loved the relationship between Sarah and Joey. There is nothing sweeter and more loving that that of a grandparent. Lots of emotion, twists and turns along the way. A truly wonderful read.

Thank you to Forever Publishing, the author, and Netgalley for the gifted copy of When We Were Young. All opinions in this review are my own.

When We Were Young follows the love stories of Joey and her grandmother, Sarah. Only a few days before her wedding, Joey’s first love, Leo, reappears with a devastating secret. Fifteen years before, Leo broke up with Joey unexpectedly on their vacation in Corfu. Joey never got an explanation why.

Joey’s grandmother, Sarah, is facing her own choices she made back in Corfu in 1942. As the Nazis come closer to her home, Sarah falls in love with a Greek boy. Her family forbids it because he is not Jewish, and Sarah must make a choice that will affect the rest of her life.

While I liked both Joey’s and Sarah’s storylines, I feel like they could have tied together more. When We Were Young follows Joey’s storyline much more than Sarah’s. I would have loved to read more about Sarah and her relationships, especially with her husband. However, I always enjoy the second chance trope so I liked reading about how Leo came back into Joey’s life, even if it was slightly disastrous!

I recommend When We Were Young if you like second chance love stories and multiple romance storylines in one book!

Three generations of women in a family full of secrets

Corfu 1942, we find Sarah Batis, a young girl in love with a young fisherman who her family does not approve of. She runs away with him only to hear that her family has been taken by the Nazis. She must now make a decision that will change the course of her life.

Corfu 2004, Sarah’s daughter Bea has a happy life, a wonderful husband and two beautiful daughters. Bea has been living with a long-buried secret that may just destroy her family.

Florida 2019, Bea’s daughter Joey is days away from getting married when her first love from her summers in Corfu comes to see her to explain why he left her so many years ago. This secret that he has been carrying could destroy not only Joey’s family but his own.

What a brilliant story by Jaclyn Goldis. The character development was fabulous, and I loved how the story would build and then go back in time to fill in the missing moments. It blended so beautifully. It was joyous, heart breaking, and so tender giving the reader a full range of emotions from these women’s stories. I highly recommend this book and would like to thank the author Jaclyn Goldis, Forever ( Grand Central Publishing) and Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book. All opinions expressed for this review are unbiased and entirely my own.

📚 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 / 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝗪 📚⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Title: #WhenWeWereYoung
Author: @jaclyngoldis
Publisher: @readforeverpub
Pub Date: 2/16/21⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ - *OUT NOW*⁣
Type: #PhysicalBook #ARC
Genre: #HistoricalFiction⁣ / #WomensFiction
Must Read Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My thoughts:

-Get ready to pack your bags because you'll want to transport to Corfu, a tiny Greek island in the Ionian Sea after reading this book! The first thing that caught my eye was the cover (which does a beautiful job of depicting the scenery in this book) and I felt instantly swept away!

-This story is told in 3 separate time periods and 2 main storylines (1942, 2004, and 2019 - Joey and Sarah) and definitely has a mix of historical fiction (WW2) and women's fiction. I found myself wanting more of the historical chapters that featured Sarah's story. Perhaps it was the setting or because I am on a historical fiction kick. I felt very drawn to her character and Milos was such mysterious character that I was hoping for a bit more background on these two. My advice is to slow down while reading this one - the hop between time periods was confusing if you weren't paying attention.

-Family secrets run STRONG in this book which made for an interesting plot. If you like highly emotional, complex situations fraught with anger, frustration, lies and bad decisions, you will definitely like this story! There is a lot to unpack in this one, but it keeps your attention!

This all engrossing, debut page turner had me attached to these characters from page one. The story of three generations of women, finding themselves, find their way to each other, their search for love and the secrets that threaten to tear them all apart.
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This book has so many layers and I absolutely loved it. Told in three timelines you truly understood these characters in a way you don’t always get in a book.
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Corfu, 1942 is Sarah’s story (Joey’s Grandma). In present time Sarah wants Joey to marry a nice, Jewish boy but in her timeline we see why. We see how difficult life is for her when she falls for a boy who is not a Jewish boy. We see how her parents disowned her but in doing so they inadvertently saved her life. She went to go live with the man she loved while her parents, little brother and everyone she knew and loved were sent to Auschwitz.
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Corfu, 2004 Sarah’s daughter Bea her husband and two girls spend the summers in Corfu. These summers are a pure dream and for their daughter Joey they are perfect, especially when the boy she loves lives right next door, until her heart is shattered abruptly.
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Florida, 2019 Joey is days away from her wedding to a wonderful man when her first love Leo returns with the secrets of that summer in 2004 and why he broke her heart. The tender string that held these secrets together threaten to unravel all of their lives.
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I absolutely loved this one. I could not stop reading it. This is a book that will stick with me, especially Sarah’s story.
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Check this book out tomorrow!!
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Thank you to #NetGalley and #readforeverpub for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Forever and Netgalley for an advanced copy of When We Were Young by Jaclyn Goldis.

With a synopsis of "three generations of women come together in this page-turning debut full of family secrets, heart-wrenching drama, and the promise of second chances" I was drawn into reading this novel told from the viewpoints of a grandmother, mother and daughter. While there is some historical fiction with the grandmother's story taking place on the Greek Island of Corfu in 1942, I really would say this is more women's fiction.

The week before her wedding Joey's ex-boyfriend from 15 years ago pops up in her life and sets off decades of family secrets that come out, what impact will these have on her and her family?

I really enjoyed the writing and descriptions of Corfu from 1942 and 2004. The characters were all well written and while I didn't love all of their decisions and some were a litle selfish. But I loved the historical notes about Corfu and World War II at the end. Parts of this were heartbreaking and you could see why the Grandmother made some of her decisions later on.

Some books and their characters stay with you long after you finish them, and this is one of those books for me. I loved the depth to the characters in this book, and how their stories fit together across the years. I was intrigued by the storyline and all the twists and turns, needing to turn the pages to find out what was going to be revealed next. The tales of love and loss throughout the book, both broke my heart and gave me hope. This book made me feel so many things, it was such a beautiful story. I received an ARC from netgalley, and this is my honest review.

I love this cover! This book has dual timelines which I found a bit confusing to follow. I didn’t really care for the characters and had a hard time reading this book. I’m sure there will be others who really like this book but it just wasn’t for me.
Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy

The glorious cover drew me in. Sarah, Bea, and Joey...three generations with so very many similarities. Each generation falls in love and then makes poor choices in following their heart. All three hurt men who loved them and seemed so very selfish to me. Each had their own reason they felt justified their decisions. I was drawn to Milos and did feel sorry for Sarah, whose life was crushed on that horrible day. A multigenerational story that delves into Corfu during the war, interfaith relationships, family secrets, adultery, and the heartbreak of being with someone other than your true love. The setting of Corfu added an ethereal quality to the passages with Milos and Sarah. I appreciated the mystery of Leo’s sudden departure from the restaurant but struggled with his timing of sharing his rationale. An interesting read but didn’t quite capture my heart. Many thanks to Jaclyn Goldis, Forever Paperback, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this soon to be published story. Look for it on February 16th.

It's hard to believe this is Goldin's debut novel! #WhenWeWereYoung highlights three generations of women, the choices they made, the choices that were made for them, and the outcomes that have shaped their lives. The chapters jump between Sarah (the grandmother), Bea (her daughter), and Joey (her granddaughter), as well as between decades. I was worried that this would be confusing, but Goldin's writing talent makes it a seamless read. I was wholeheartedly invested in all three of the women's lives, especially Sarah. I love a WWII love story and this one just might top them all. Goldin's writing is so atmospheric, I felt like I was in Greece, eating baklava, smelling the flowers along the streets of Corfu. While this story tackles some serious topics like infidelity and war, all three women have a fun side that made the story lighter than the average WWII story. Take me away to Greece!⁣⁣⠀

This is a well written book but it has so much going on that at times I had to go back and re-read a couple of pages. But once I got into the book it was a really good read. I loved the scenery and how the author transported you to each time period. Thank you Forever via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is one of those books where the setting becomes a character all on its own! It totally transports you the way only good writing can really do. I also love the way the author weaves in the fascinating history of Corfu, giving it color and character. And the secrets and twists of the plot keep you turning pages long past when you told yourself you'd stop! (True story.) It's hard to believe this is a debut author. Her next book cannot come out soon enough!

DNF. Didn't get past chapter 3. Told from several points of view, I was just lost as to what was happening. Please get the book and read it for yourself. Just a miss for me.

This is a work of historical fiction tied to the Second World War and the intertwine of two families.