The Choices I've Made - J.L.Berg

I swore I’d never go home again.

With nothing more than a few boxes and a beat up truck, I left behind my old life at the tender age of eighteen to pursue my medical career. 

And I never looked back. 

Twelve years later, I find myself traveling back to the sandy shores of that North Carolina town where my late father has left me his medical practice. Coming here means facing my past… My memories… And her—Molly McIntyre. 

Growing up, Molly had been my entire world, first as a childhood friend and then so much more. We’d made promises to each other back then. Promises I broke when I walked away. And now that I’m back? Well, let’s just say she’s not exactly the head of my welcoming committee. But even she can’t deny the undeniable spark that still burns so brightly between us and soon, we’re tumbling fast and hard into the past.

But I need to keep my eyes set to the future, because mine isn’t here in this dead end town. Not anymore. 

All Molly has ever known is here, on this small island. Could I really ask her to give it all up? For me? If I walk away again, will she follow?





The Choices I've Made by J.L. Berg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was just in the mood for a certain type of romance book and having a trawl on netgalley, I came across this and the second in the same series The Scars I Bare. There is of course, always danger that when you're in the mood for something specific, it just won't live up to what you're looking for. Fortunately, this time, this was exactly what I was hoping it would be.
This is a second chance romance. After the death of his mother, Jake leaves his home, his family, the life he had planned and most importantly, the love of his life Molly. Molly and Jake have been childhood sweethearts and although they haven't seen each other for ten years, they still haven't really moved on, despite trying to.
This story starts with a bang, in more ways than one. I was a little worried that this explosive start would leave to a story that was over the top in every way, but I probably shouldn't have been so concerned. After the initial first chapter or so, it settled into a rhythm of rediscovery and questioning if things have really changed.
The path to the happily ever after is not a smooth one and both Jake and Molly need to evolve and discover themselves before they can finally find out who they are. I loved the fact that Molly wasn't just left behind where they had both grown up, she had her own discovery and growing to do too.
I couldn't help loving both Molly and Jake and feeling their pain as they come to terms with the ghosts of their past. This was just the book that I was looking for and I can't wait to give the second in the series a go.

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