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The Choices I've Made (By The Bay Book 1) by [J.L. Berg]

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J.L. Berg

The Choices I've Made (By The Bay Book 1) Kindle Edition

by J.L. Berg (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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Twelve years ago, he drove away with my heart in his hands.
I’ve moved on since then.
Or so I thought.

Growing up in a small town, there weren’t too many options when it came to friends. But, even in a sea of a million, I’d always choose Jake Jameson.

I felt safe with him. Safe with my secrets, my dreams and eventually — my heart. I thought we’d have forever together.

That was a long time ago.

I thought I’d forgotten those piercing blue eyes and the sound of his laugh. I tried to obliterate the memory of his touch from my mind.

But, one single glance, as he stands at my door, twelve years later, and I’m suddenly transported back to a simpler time when love was easy, and my heart was whole.

The problem?

I’m marrying his best friend.

Length: 320 pages	Word Wise: Enabled	Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
Page Flip: Enabled	Audible Narration: Audible Narration Switch back and forth between reading the Kindle book and listening to the Audible narration. Add narration for a reduced price of $3.49 after you buy the Kindle book. Ready	Language: English

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Product description

About the Author

J.L. Berg is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ready series, the Walls series, the Lost & Found series and more. She is a California native living in the beautiful state of historic Virginia. Married to her high school sweetheart, they have two beautiful girls and two pups. When she's not writing, you will find her cuddled up, watching a movie with her family, obsessing over fandoms or devouring anything chocolate! J.L. Berg is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.

Product details

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 596 KB
Print Length: 320 pages
Publisher: JL Berg, LLC (28 September 2017)
Sold by: Amazon Australia Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B07628H3FZ
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
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Word Wise: Enabled
Screen Reader: Supported
Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
Customer Reviews: 136 customer ratings
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #4,663 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
- #793 in Contemporary Romance (Kindle Store)
- #192 in Women's Fiction (Kindle Store)
- #976 in Whispersync for Voice

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Choices and second chances

Reviewed in Australia on 6 February 2019

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They were the Three Amigos. Jake, Molly and Dean. Inseparable through childhood.
But, twelve years ago Jake left. He walked away from Molly, the girl he had loved all of his life.
Now, a Chicago-based surgeon, Jake returns to Ocracoke Island, North Carolina to attend his father's funeral.
Preparing to take the ferry, Jake meets up with his old friend, Dean and they travel together, catching up on old times.
Out of the blue, there is an explosion. The lives of Jake, Dean and Molly will never be the same again
Molly has tried to leave the heartbreak behind her. She is running the family inn and has been engaged to Dean for two years.
When she hears of the accident, Molly rushes to Dean's bedside. But, nothing will ever be the same again.
Meanwhile, Jake's reconnection with Molly has been a revelation and Jake wonders how life will work out with his life in Chicago and Molly's in North Carolina.
A very emotional read. The choices that this couple had to make took a long time to come to fruition, but eventually, a HEA.

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Jezzie

Enjoyed it

Reviewed in Australia on 5 June 2018

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This is the first book I have read of JL Berg and I thoroughly enjoyed it, so much so I could not put it down. Jake and Mollys story is not your typical romance. I loved JL Berg writting there was just enough drama, heartache and romance. I was really connected to the characters.
I loved it so much I'm now reading the next in the series - the Scars I Bare.

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A Battle for Survival and Happiness.

Reviewed in Australia on 30 September 2017

Reviewed by Emma-Louise on behalf of KFF

‘Death is easy. Surviving it is the hard part.’

The cover and quote for The Choices I’ve Made are so eerily right for the feel and theme of this story. The hip deep water on the front cover reminds me of the regrets Jake daily wades through. Even from the opening sentence of the prologue, the feel of this tale was clouded by the darker colours of the spectrum. No light or colour was allowed into their lives, only delusion and lies.

Molly and Jake had been childhood sweethearts with the belief that their love would last forever. Children at fourteen don’t know that reality often kicks you in the teeth when you least expect it, because four years later, eighteen year old Jake was driving out of Ocracoke and away from Molly, leaving her broken.

Twelve years on, Jake has to return to his childhood home to sort out his recently deceased father’s affairs. Having grown up on a small island, the inevitable meeting of Molly and Jake is as awkward as you would think. A tragedy separated them twelve years ago and another tragic series of events brings them back into the fray. Their love for each other never waned, they denied, they ignored and they tried to bury it underneath the trauma and heartbreak they had caused one another. Jake didn't want to stay on Ocracoke and Molly had never even considered leaving; two people so different and so in love, hanging on to the fairytale they had first imagined. Two love struck teenagers never see the reality and harshness of life until they grow up or they're thrust into a situation that makes them see it.

Second chance romances are my go to reads when I need to disappear from the real world for a while. I'm addicted to the toing and froing and the raw emotion. Second chance romances don't have that instalove theme to them, the characters have pasts together and emotions and misgivings, events and feelings that carry the story forward without the author having to work in the angst and or the emotion. The Choices I've Made did not disappoint. Only a handful of books have EVER had me worrying there wouldn't be a happily ever after and this book fit into that column.

“I tried to forget you. But I never could. I tried to forget this place and all it represented, but the memories never faded. You never faded.”

‘It reminded me of the scared boy I’d once held in my arms as he wept for his mother. It tugged at the few remaining heartstrings I had for this man.’

Jake spends a large portion of the story battling to crawl out of the shadow that was his father. His father was a broken man living two lives in a small town where the residents all had him on a high pedestal. Anybody with this much self-burdened grief who puts themselves under a microscope that close, can never look good.

The Choices I've Made was gripping and emotional from front to back. Personal and familial development was created for both Molly and Jake, a way to rebuild their crumbled foundations and move on from who they were to who they want/should be.

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What love got to do with it 4.5*

Reviewed in Australia on 31 August 2018

Jake & Molly were everything to each other, however his mothers death had a profound effect on him. Instead of living their dream on the small island town, Jake up & left everything behind, not having to return until his fathers death.
His return dredges old memories between the two of them but this is compounded by a tragic incident on way over.
Jake doesn't want to take over his fathers medical practice & feel confined with no way of escape. Molly on the other hand knows nothing different & loves the B & B she has taken over from her parents.
So this is the stalemate between them. Love is not enough for either to give in & change their ways. Due to the impasse they part ways again.
It's a constant battle between them dredging up many memories even though everyone can see how perfect they are together. This is full of angst, indecision with some good secondary characters. It's not a light read or a warm & fuzzy one. Perhaps it's a bit more realistic & life like without the fluff or sugar coating a relationship. You'll need to read it to find out who wins in the end as their is a thing callled compromise.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

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Jackie Cuthbert

the choices I’ve made is such a great read.

Reviewed in Australia on 30 September 2017

Jennifer L Berg you was again delivered a fabulous book.... the choices I’ve made is such a great read... how Jake Molly and Dean come full circle from when they were younger till now and how true love and friendship survives everything never give up on hope it’s always there.... I thoroughly loved this book... I voluntarily reviewed and advanced readers copy

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Sue D

Sadly didn't live up to the promise!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 October 2017

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This story started brilliantly with a bang. Jake was returning to his childhood home to bury his estranged father after leaving their small island home 12 years previously. Jake now a successful heart surgeon meets his childhood best friend whilst waiting for the ferry home and realises his friend Dean is engaged to the love of Jake's life Molly who wouldn't leave the safety of the island with him when he left over a decade ago.
The excitement builds really well in the first few chapters, but then the story seemed to fizzle out and became just another basic love story when the couple want different things out of life. Such a shame after so much promise in the beginning. It also left lots up in the air with a scant epilogue which I hate; however I do believe there is more to come in the series so maybe we will catch up with Molly and Jake then.

5 people found this helpful

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A Woman of a Certain Age

Deeply Disappointing, Even For a Free Book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 February 2019

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It sounded such a good plot but unfortunately I don't think this author made the best of it. I don't mind at all that the chapters alternate between Jake's viewpoint and Molly's. My problem was that i couldn't get any emotion at all from Jake. Whether he was describing being frustrated/happy/disappointed it all came across as cold and clinical. About as much emotion as he would put into reciting his shopping list for the week.
There was a bit of humour based on small island life and everybody knowing everybody else's business. And Dean came across as a nice, genuine man with real emotions. Having said that I wasn't made to care about him enough to actually spend money on another book to find out what happens to him.

One person found this helpful

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Lisa

a good read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 July 2018

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The book where it all started. A tragic accident that changed so many lives but that also became a source of healing for those who live and visit this small town. I read books 2 and 3 in this series first before retracing my steps to this first book. This was not my favourite of them all but was still a very good read. Molly and Jake are meant for each other but Jake's choices took him away from her but now he is back in town after his father's death. When tragedy strikes it reminds him of all he left behind. Molly has never ventured far from home, preferring to learn on the job by running the family B&B. She has always feared leaving the comfort of the town and people she loves. They must first make their own choices before they can move forward together. This lacked the emotions of the latter installments and the ending a little underwhelming. Still a good read.

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Cindy

The Choices I've Made:À By the Bay Stand-Alone Novel by J.L. Berg.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 March 2019

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A great love story of two people so much in love with each other, but life and careers got in the way with family values and upsets that they both got caught up in and after nearly losing each other , they both compromised and eventually came back together that much stronger as their type of love however long it took would stand the test of time. Reading this story made me realise thé absolute depths of their love for one another however frustrating the reader gets it was à super story.

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Angie Hackett (Stormageddon)

Ok but not great.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 February 2019

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The writing flowed for the most part as did the plot, though I did feel that it could have done with a fresh edit.

Both Jake and Molly irritated me. I understood the need to ‘find themselves’. But this seemed a bit much. I couldn’t help feeling that they were both slightly toxic together. Maybe that was the point? I didn’t get it either way.

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L beaver

Enjoyable

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 February 2019

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Jake had to return to the island, the place he hated even though the woman he had always loved lived there. There was an accident on the ferry and his old friend was hurt. Seeing Molly again brought back all his memories of her and the fact she never wanted to leave the place. He slept with her but still knew he would leave. He needed Molly to spread her wings and maybe then she would come to him

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Julie Fletcher

The choices

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 October 2017

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Omg was on the edge of my seat with these two characters, will they won't they. I think sometimes you have to find yourself before you can move forward from your past, Molly Jake had so much past but not lived beyond the island they were from but once Molly started too see what she'd missed it only took her two years to go after him. Jake was stuck in the past, once he'd forgiven his dad, lived through the heartache of no Molly he could move forward. Fantastic book couldn't put it down. Roll on Dean book in February now.

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lyn lawton powys uk

Exceptionally beautifully crafted love story - a must read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 September 2019

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Not just heartwarming but a really powerful tale of love lost & found again. I even had tears at the end it was so well written. Were they tears of joy - you'll need to read this to find out! 😉

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