The Ones We Choose is a compelling family drama, punctuated by scientific explanations that aid understanding of the story's nuances. Some predictable plot developments are forgivable as they move the action forward and provide satisfying dramatic tension. Julie Clark has crafted a story of a modern American family that is both heartbreaking, relatable, and, ultimately, hopeful. Her characters are likable and empathetic. In The Ones We Choose there are no villains -- just folks doing the best they can under the circumstances in which they find themselves and consistent with their own emotional limitations. This i an impressive debut novel and I look forward to reading more of Ms. Clark's work.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a delightful read that will stay with me for a long time. The choice to become a mother on one’s own is not something that is often portrayed in novels and the main character, Paige, is empowering.

Geneticist Paige Robson decides to use scientific methods to have her own biological child, weighing the pros and cons, but confident in her choice. Always upfront with her son Miles, how will Paige handle the questions from her struggling eight year old? Will raising a fatherless boy bring up Paige's own painful history? When her present relationships suffer from past decisions, will matters of the heart prevail over the head?

The Ones We Choose was a fast read with good characterization and plot. I like how Paige is an intelligent, science oriented woman who makes no apologies for the decisions she has made in life. I was not a fan of the pressure that Paige receives from family and friends, from a fairness standpoint more than a plot point. The plot itself was a little too transparent and expected, but the lessons learned from the novel outweigh its familiarity. The author clearly did her research on the subject, giving her characters a realistic base upon which to stand. For these reasons, I would recommend The Ones We Choose and I look forward to reading more by the author.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Ones We Choose via NetGalley and the publisher, Gallery Books. The choice to review this book was my own.

I would love to talk to the author about the research that she did for the book because that is what I found the most fascinating. The story itself was kind of middle of the road, the characters are well written but some of the plot points are a bit cliche. Which is totally fine. This was a quick read and I can see lots of people enjoying it, because I definitely did. I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.

This book was absolutely incredible. All the emotions for sure I could of read this book in one sitting, however I had put down several times and cry and just process It tugged at my heart strings and was a little too close to home dealing with the dynamics of family and forgiveness . Julie Clark's writing was flawless and flowed from cover to cover ..Absolutely recommend this to everyone

I loved this book. The pace was quick and it was serious while being charming. The science aspect between chapters was fascinating, short and to the point. Loved this story!!

Paige Robson is a geneticist who decided to conceive with an anonymous sperm donor. Miles, a normal eight year old, is her son. Miles is tired of feeling different from all of the other kids because he does not have a father. Paige finds her son’s father, but it is not all that great!
This book is a page-turner! I highly recommend reading this exceptional bool by Julie Clark!

I loved so much about this book. The cover is what drew me in and the detailed research and great storytelling by Clark kept me here. This is one of those great novels that examines family, friendship, and the consequences (whether good or bad) of one's actions. Paige is a geneticist whose son was conceived with a sperm donor. Here, Clark's research shines through and I was surprised to find out she didn't have a background in science. The book's synopsis does a great job laying out the plot, so it is more about the superb writing than the surprises that make you turn the pages. I'm excited to see what Clark writes next.

The Ones We Choose is a debut novel that packs a punch. The author uses fiction and fascinating science tidbits about the DNA that shapes each of us.

Paige Robson is a successful genetic research scientist in a small California town. Busy with her career, she soon realizes that her only chance at motherhood might be through the use of a sperm donor.

Fast forward, Paige's son Miles is a lonely 8 year old who has issues fitting in. He also resents his mother's, kind, patient boyfriend Liam, and longs to know why he is the only child who doesn't know who his father is. (Paige, has also had a childhood with an absent father who reappears later in the story.)

As the story progresses secrets to the identity of Miles father begin to unravel and are revealed.

This is an amazing debut novel that blends literary fiction with science. At the beginning of each chapter are interesting genetic facts. I really enjoyed this book, a tender, heartwarming and informational read, reminding me of author, Lisa Genova.

Rating - 4.5/5 stars

I'm Catholic and the Catholic Church has a reputation for being unfeeling and unrealistic when it comes to matters of family planning. Basically the Catholic Church teaches that sex, marriage and babies go together--and that to have one while purposefully blocking the others is wrong. No marriage without sex, no sex without marriage, no sex that doesn't allow the possibility of a baby (no, sex isn't limited to fertile people or fertile times in life, but you can't use artificial birth control to cut out the possibility of a child nor can you engage in sexual behavior that is by design, infertile such as homosexual or auto-erotic acts)and no babies without marriage or without sex (even if having sex doesn't result in a baby). While sometimes those teachings can be hard to live up to and even seem needlessly cruel, The Ones We Choose is Exhibit "A" on their wisdom.



Paige wanted a baby, but not a husband,so she got pregnant via a sperm donor. She sees no reason her son should know or want to know anything about the sperm donor but of course, her son doesn't see it that way.



As fate would have it, Paige had reason to believe she knew who the donor was and had reason to want to confirm it so she broke the ethical rules of her own lab to find out if her suspicions were correct.



During the book Paige was seeing a man who loved her and (of course) was sleeping with her (no graphic scenes). He wasn't happy with that status quo, but she was--she didn't want him too close.



For pretty much the whole book Paige does what Paige thinks is best for Paige, what meets Paige's supposed needs and wants without considering the effect those actions have on others. Nope, I didn't like Paige at all and that I'm sure colored my opinion of the book.



Actually, it was a well-written story with characters you really felt you knew when the story was over; the problem for me was rooting for Paige and not wanting to shake my "I told you so" finger in her face. It's hard to rate a book that I have to admit was well-done, but which is about a woman whose life values are so different from my own. I guess I'll give the book a B.

I was a ball of emotions after reading this one. It tore me up but I also laughed. I related to this book more than I would have thought. There are a few things like DNA testing, genetics and so on but it isn’t dull. I can’t say enough good things about this book and look forward to reading more by this author

I did not have a clue where the story was going and then everything I thought I’d guessed went out the door!

If you are looking for a great physical thriller I highly recommend!!

The Ones We Choose is a beautifully narrated story about family and what truly defines the term. There is science in this book, really well researched and presented. I particularly appreciated the voices of the characters - so realistic and relateable, both their inner and outer dialogues seemed appropriate to the character portraits created by Julie Clark. This is a debut novel, but I would recommend it to readers of Jodi Picoult and Lisa Genova - it's the kind of book where you learn something about the topic while you read an extremely enjoyable, entertaining novel! I cant wait to see what her next book will address,

This book was very Slow to me. I really enjoy fiction and I really did not like this one at all. I had to continuously try to pick it back up and I finally decided to marathon through it. The main character conceives a child from a sperm donation bank and she also happens to have a career in a university genetics lab. The main character, Paige has a hard time while her son is growing up without a father, and longing to know where he comes from. The story is good in theory but there is a lot of added information and there are added chunks of scientific information before all the chapters and I have to admit I did’t think that they were effective to the story and just made the book drag on when I just wanted to finish it.

I very much connected with The One's We Choose. I am adopted and found my half-brother and Half-sister through DNA. The characters were well developed. There was a lot of sadness and loss in the book ~ but there were also some laugh out loud moments as well.

My problem was the science . Math and Science were not much strong suit and it distracted me from the story. The Little chapter separators were unnecessary and a distraction. I felt, at times, I was reading a text book.

The story, the plot, the idea gets 5 stars. The, whoever edits these books and gives them the YAY or nay should have talked to the writer and told her that is drama majors don't get science. It's not in our DNA.
I would like to thank Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. From the story itself to the genetic tidbits at the beginning of each chapter, you are drawn into the lives of the characters. Paige and her son, Miles; the family relationships; their friends, Jackie, her husband, Aaron, and her son, Nick…they weave a story that has you waiting anxiously to find out what secrets will be revealed. Lots of love, loss, anxiety, secrets, hurt, and scars are the threads that make up the lives of the characters.

The author does a fabulous job of developing the characters and making you care about what happens to each of them. You'll cheer, you'll cry, you'll be angry. You don't understand why people make the choices they do. But you want to hang in there until the last page is turned and discover if there is healing in the mess of their lives.

The concept of sperm donors is not new, but this story does a wonderful job of making you take a different look at the positive and negative aspects of choosing to bring a child into the world via artificial insemination. It was a good view and really made me think outside the box.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Julie Clark does a great job in this debut novel. I look forward to more adventures with her on the written page.

Paige Robson is an educated, successful geneticist who decides to raise a child on her own and is artificially inseminated. Her son, Miles,is now eight years old and he has questions about his paternity.
I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the narrator’s voice as well as the story. As mentioned, the main character is a geneticist. The author chose to put a section about science between each chapter. It was usually just a few paragraphs, so not really a big deal. I felt this was not needed. It interrupted the flow of the book for me without adding much to the story.
There are a couple of twists along the way that keep the reader engaged. Overall a good story, not to be missed.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Wonderful debut about an incredibly timely subject. With so many children being conceived via anonymous sorry donors, there will surely be many kids wanting to know about their genetic background. Did not need the science lessons. Just wanted the story.

Julie Clark brought me so much peace and joy with this novel. She was very kind and allowed me access to this book via Netgalley. The overall story premise is so "now" and more common these days which makes the story all so realistic. I enjoyed how much I felt connected to the main character Paige on various levels. Motherhood, juggling life, juggling romance, and all of the twists life can throw at us is what made me adore this book so much. Science becomes interesting and brought to life with such delicate and thoughtful writing. Thank you Julie Clark and Netgalley for access to read this book. Bravo and much love for this book.

5 stars to The Ones We Choose, a story of family and DNA! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

I know it seems like I’ve been doling out the fives lately, but this book is more than worthy. It has it all and offers so many fresh perspectives, I have to give it the full five.

When I saw that The Ones We Choose is compared to Lisa Genova’s work, I had to read it. I adored the DNA tidbits thrown in throughout the novel, and I absorbed as much as I could. Unlike Genova, Julie Clark is not a doctor; simply an author who immaculately researched and presents her knowledge in a light handed, but still important, way.

Paige Robson is the main character, and her 8-year-old son, Miles, begins to question who his biological father is...The problem is Miles’ father was an anonymous donor.

In a twist that is also included in the synopsis, the donor is planted in Paige and Miles’ lives and it’s almost as if a bomb has exploded. At the same time, Paige is processing through her difficulties with her own absent father.

The Ones We Choose is heartfelt, smart, thought-provoking, profound, poignant, emotionally-resonant, and a book I highly recommend. I know the science may be a little heavy for some, but to me, it was just the right amount and added to the originality of the book.

Thank you to Julie Clark, Gallery Books, and Netgalley for the ARC. The Ones We Choose is now available!

My reviews can also be seen on my shiny new blog www.jennifertarheelreader.com