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lmrivas54 's review for:
The Choices I've Made
by J.L. Berg
A small island off-shore from the mainland in North Carolina and a second-chance romance. This is a recipe for a sweet romance or one of those romances you take to the beach when you're on vacation. However, this one has a little darkness mixed in with the fun stuff. Jake and Molly were friends since they were kids and later on sweethearts. They were supposed to have a forever after, but something happened that affected Jake so deeply he left the island, promising to never come back. Twelve years later he had to return for his father's funeral and had to face Molly and his former best friend Dean. Another horrible incident on the way to the island happens that affects the way Molly, Dean and Jake interact.
What didn't change in all these years was the deep connection that Jake and Molly had, that they tried to deny and hide but it was evident to anyone in front of them. The impasse was that Molly has a life settled in the island, managing the inn she took over from her parents and Jake is a cardiothoracic surgeon in Chicago.
For Jake, being back in the island means facing all those demons that made him escape the island. He wants Molly again, but he doesn't feel he can stay and be her forever-after. In Molly's case, she decided to have a quiet life in the island and rarely leaves it. I think Molly also has demons to deal with, related to Jake's departure. They both have to deal with the hurt of their separation and the history of twelve years apart.
In the beginning of the book, my heart hurt so much for Jake and Dean and Molly. I totally understood Jake's decision to leave. If you have goals that aren't compatible with island living, it's perfectly acceptable to pursue your dreams. But the hurt he left behind, the lack of contact, the clean break he made with everyone left scars. Meeting again was both joyful and painful. Jake felt guilt and yearning for a lifestyle lost. Molly felt resentment for the guy who left her devastated. I was rooting for Jake and Molly but I didn't see an easy way out for them. The book dragged a little around the middle, mostly because most of it was predictable. The end was different, but for some reason it was not convincing to me. I didn't love the book because I liked each one's style of life. Molly had always wanted to run the Inn after her parents, and that was great. Jake had always wanted to be a doctor and he worked hard for twelve years to be a successful cardiothoracic surgeon. I didn't feel it was right for any of the two to compromise and change their lifestyle. I'm still conflicted on how it turned out.
What didn't change in all these years was the deep connection that Jake and Molly had, that they tried to deny and hide but it was evident to anyone in front of them. The impasse was that Molly has a life settled in the island, managing the inn she took over from her parents and Jake is a cardiothoracic surgeon in Chicago.
For Jake, being back in the island means facing all those demons that made him escape the island. He wants Molly again, but he doesn't feel he can stay and be her forever-after. In Molly's case, she decided to have a quiet life in the island and rarely leaves it. I think Molly also has demons to deal with, related to Jake's departure. They both have to deal with the hurt of their separation and the history of twelve years apart.
In the beginning of the book, my heart hurt so much for Jake and Dean and Molly. I totally understood Jake's decision to leave. If you have goals that aren't compatible with island living, it's perfectly acceptable to pursue your dreams. But the hurt he left behind, the lack of contact, the clean break he made with everyone left scars. Meeting again was both joyful and painful. Jake felt guilt and yearning for a lifestyle lost. Molly felt resentment for the guy who left her devastated. I was rooting for Jake and Molly but I didn't see an easy way out for them. The book dragged a little around the middle, mostly because most of it was predictable. The end was different, but for some reason it was not convincing to me. I didn't love the book because I liked each one's style of life. Molly had always wanted to run the Inn after her parents, and that was great. Jake had always wanted to be a doctor and he worked hard for twelve years to be a successful cardiothoracic surgeon. I didn't feel it was right for any of the two to compromise and change their lifestyle. I'm still conflicted on how it turned out.