It’s Better This Way
Buy Now
Synopsis
After divorce shatters her family, one woman’s struggle to pick up the pieces finally leads to a new beginning–but is the past truly behind her? #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber explores the powerful intersections of love and family in this poignant novel.
It’s been nearly six years since Julia Jones had her heart broken. After her husband became involved with another woman, she did everything she could to save their marriage, to no avail. Their two daughters continue to stand by Julia in the wake of their father’s behavior–and they’ve had a tough time getting along with the “other woman” who became their stepmother. Distraught after selling the family home, Julia moved into a condominium complex that offers the warmth and charm of a fresh start. Now, having settled into her new community and sold her successful interior design business, she’s embraced a fulfilling new life, one that doesn’t seem to need a man in it. Her beloved father’s trusty saying is ringing truer than ever: It’s better this way.
But when Julia meets a handsome new resident in the building’s exercise room, she can’t help but be drawn to him. Heath Wilson is a welcome change from the men she’s encountered on the occasional–mostly disastrous–dates her sister has eagerly planned for her over the years. As she and Heath, a divorcé himself, begin to grow close, their friendship blossoms into a love neither of them had expected. However, they soon realize that combining families, even with four adult children, presents inevitable challenges.
When a dramatic revelation threatens the happiness they’ve found, Julia and Heath must reconcile their love for their children with their love for each other. If they can’t, their bright future together may be nothing but a dream.
Details
First Published: 2021/07/13Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 9781984818782
Reading Guide:
Download GuideIt’s Better This Way
Discussion Guide
1. Initially, Julia is skeptical of entering back into the dating scene after her difficult divorce with Eddie, but she finds herself falling in love again. Discuss a time when you were surprised after your initial expectations changed?
2. Throughout the novel, Julia gathers strength from her late father’s words, It’s better this way. Has life ever thrown you unexpected curveballs? Where do you draw strength from in times of hardship?
3. Julia’s unexpected romance with Heath quickly develops into a passionate love story, changing her life forever. Along the way, Julia learns how to open up again. Discuss a time when you had to be vulnerable to develop a new relationship.
4. In the heat of her divorce, Julia sends nasty text messages to Laura, an action she comes to regret when attempting to reconcile with Heath’s sons. Have you ever said or done things you wish you could take back?
5. Both sets of siblings, Marie and Hillary and Matthew and Adam, continue their rivalry despite seeing how happy their parents are. Their stubbornness holds all the characters back, until the end when they put their grudges aside. Are you holding onto any old conflicts? What could be the resolution?
6. In the end, the two families make way for peace and love, forging new relationships that continue after the last page. Communication plays a big role in this resolution, but how could each character have found a resolution sooner?
7. Heath and Julia share a rare love, one of mutual trust and respect. They both make gestures that show they care, whether that’s a kiss or a birthday surprise. Do you think these gestures are important in a relationship? What’s a gesture you can do to show a loved one you care?
8. All the characters have deep wounds from the past, which continue to fester throughout the novel. Julia realizes that there won’t be any resolution until they heal the wounds of the past. Discuss conflicts in your own life that began from past wounds. How can you work past them?
9. When Edward asks for a divorce, Julia does everything in her power to save her marriage, even after discovering Edward’s affair. Why do you think it was so difficult for her to let go? Do you think Julia should have left sooner?
10. In the beginning of the novel, when Julia asks her therapist whether she should sign their divorce papers, he responds “Love that isn’t faithful has little value. It really isn’t love at all.” Do you agree? Why or why not?
11. When Carrie and Eric first meet, they are stark opposites of each other—Carrie is extraverted and active, while Eric is a recluse workaholic. Why do you think they make such a great pair? Do opposites attract?
12. Six years after graduating college, Carrie finds herself unable to find a steady job or move out of her childhood home. When do you think children should be independent from their parents?
13. Julia is constantly being set up on horrible blind dates by her sister and friends, making the dating scene unbearable. Have you ever been set up by friends? Can you identify with Julia’s sentiment?
14. Before meeting Heath, Julia is content with being single. A man is not necessary for her to be happy. Do you believe people can be satisfied without a significant other? Why or why not?
15. The first couple years following Julia’s divorce had been a battle, until she wrote Eddie a good-bye letter, one she never mailed. Have you ever struggled to let go of someone or something? Take some time to write a short letter to this person.
16. Many of the characters reach out for advice and encouragement about issues in their life. Julia asks her sister for advice, while often being the person her daughters and niece turn to about their own problems. Discuss a time in which someone’s advice guided you to make a decision. Did it pay off?
17. Given that both Hillary and Marie were adults at the time of the divorce, Julia assumes they would not be emotionally affected, but their conflict with their father proves otherwise. How do you think divorce affects children of different ages?
18. After Eddie’s betrayal, Julia doesn’t expect to fall in love again. Then she meets Heath, who was also betrayed by his former spouse. How did they bond over this shared experience? Do you think it’s possible to fall in love twice?
19. Eddie’s pride blinds him throughout the novel, making communication difficult and further hindering his relationship with his daughters. Do you have a similar blind spot that interferes with your relationships and what you want in life?
20. If It’s Better This Way was made into a television show or movie, who would you cast to play Julia and Heath?
Praise
“Bestseller Macomber (Cottage by the Sea) wows with this heartwarming romance between middle-aged divorcées… Macomber keeps her well-shaded, believable characters at the heart of this seamlessly plotted novel as she probes the nuances of familial relationships and the agelessness of romance. This deeply emotional tale proves it’s never too late for love.” – Publishers Weekly
"When two marriages are left in tatters following a torrid affair, the surviving spouses must piece together their lives and start anew. But grown children from both families refuse to accept and forgive the sins of their parents. Will everyone involved ever be able to move on in life or will they hold fast to their resentment forever? Find out in Debbie Macomber’s heartfelt new novel, It’s Better This Way.
Julia Jones is a talented interior designer with a beautiful home, a lovely family, and a golf pro husband. But when he leaves her for one of his students, it not only decimates their marriage but turns his own daughters against him.
Six years later, Julia has sold her home, moved into a gorgeous condo, and semi-retired. Another romance was never even on her radar, despite her sister’s determination to fix her up with Mr. Right. Then she meets Heath, the handsome new resident in her building, and suddenly her future is looking up.
Also the victim of divorce, Heath and Julia soon forge a fast friendship built on common ground, and it doesn’t take them long to realize that something special has sparked between them. But when their children find out about their budding romance, they aren’t about to stand idly by and watch their parents build a life together. Will Julia and Heath’s grown children spoil everything? Or will the new couple be able to reconcile their love for their children with their desire to be together?
With It’s Better This Way, Debbie Macomber examines the toll divorce takes on families, no matter how old everyone is. She proves that infidelity is never a victimless crime, and that it does far more than just break hearts. It also destroys trust, polarizes friends and relatives alike, and obliterates the natural bonds that exist between parent and child. Yet Macomber takes the opportunity to remind us of the awesome power of forgiveness, and how sometimes, with hard work and humility, families can find their way out of the wreckage and rebuild, brick by brick.
Having experienced this same scenario myself in recent years, I frequently felt like the author had been spying on my family as research for this book. Everything that happened when our own family unit imploded happens here within the pages of this novel! To Macomber’s credit, she deftly captures every emotion a family experiences during this difficult time, and that’s quite the feat because I can tell you, emotions run high and vacillate wildly after the dirty laundry is aired out for everyone to see. Eerily enough, even some of the conversations she writes are the same ones I remember us having after the bottom fell out of my parents’ marriage. This all works to provide the novel with both accuracy and authenticity, and it made for immersive and compelling reading.
As with most of Macomber’s work, It’s Better This Way is a cathartic read that invites introspection. It is a heartfelt tale that makes us understand “the rest of the story,” as Paul Harvey used to say, rather than just our own piece of the puzzle. As such, it makes us examine how we react to the aftershocks of such a life-changing event, and ultimately it helps us heal too. If you’ve been affected in any way by divorce, this is a must read. Macomber tells it like it is, but always with the quiet dignity of a class act. I highly recommend it!" - Jathan Fink