The Choices I've Made is the first in the By the Bay series of J.L. Berg. It is a standalone, but when you read the series, you are able to relate more to the characters. In this first part we meet Jake on his way back to the island where he grew up. After high school he left the little community behind, including the love of his life, Molly McIntyre. Determined to never coming back, he is forced to return to take over his fathers medical practice, until he can find someone else.
Molly never understood why Jake had left their island. She has lived on the island all her life and she has taken over the inn of her parents. After Jake left, she was heartbroken, but she moved on. As fiancée to Jake's best friend Dean she enjoys the life on the island.
As Jake is awaiting the ferry, he meets his friend Dean and learns of his betrothed Molly. When a terrible accident happens on the ferry, altering all of their lives, Jake realizes he has to make a decision: stay on the small island, or leave again for good, leaving the love of his life for the second time. Will he face the choices he made?
A wonderful story on love, second chances and life altering decisions. Four out of five stars from me and looking forward to read about Dean in the Scars I Bare. With a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

I read this without putting it down and found myself surviving an emotional ride that resulted in me looking locations up on the map, wanting to visit.

J L Berg provides characters that find their way into your heart, while placing them in a location and situation that hooks the reader. Wonderfully written I seriously didn’t put the book down until I finished and then I read the second book – solely because the background characters capture your attention as you read.

I would not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone who thinks the blurb sounds interesting, along with those readers who enjoy an emotional ride into romance – Wonderful!

Loved this book so much! I couldn't stop reading... I had to sneak off to the bathroom several times while at work to read one more chapter. Several times.... This is how good it was to me.
Jake and Molly have known each other there whole lives... friends then lovers. At 18, Jake leaves Molly and doesn't come back for 12 years and only comes back because his father died. On his way to the island he runs into an old friend... finds out this old friend is engaged to Molly. His Molly. But this friend tells him to take care of Molly and he is sorry he got in the way (I'm not telling you more about this because I don't want to ruin it for you). Jake and Molly see each other and both realize they still (and have always) love each other. Short romance and then it ends. Or does it?
I will say I wanted to smack Jake... but you should make your own opinions.
This is my first book by this author . It is the first in a series.

The Choices I've Made is the first book I have read by J.L. Berg. What caught my attention first is the NC coastal setting of Ocracoke Island. Being a quiet tourist small town area, it is easy to see how the younger inhabitants would long for a more cosmopolitan style of life. On the surface such is what has happened to Jake. Perhaps that would have still happened without the trouble between his dad and him. For those of us who are only “dingbatters” it brings back to mind summer vacations of sand, surf and slowing down. J.L. Berg has captured the essence of the island; ferry rides (though I will never ever take the last ferry of the day), pirate hideaways, treasures and all the rest.

This is a returning to your roots as well as a second chance for high school sweethearts’ story. Jake is only here to tie up family loose ends, not to stay and more importantly not to remember or deal with regrets. Molly had also given some thought to leaving but never did. Now she has no plans to do that nor can she even imagine doing so. It is the classic dilemma of one who is staying, and one who never planned to ever stay. Well written and emotionally rich, it is an engaging story of the two charming characters with different goals and lives now but who share a special connection of young true love along with a present day tragic event that involves another close childhood friend.

Fans of Virginia Kantra’s Dare Island Series will be especially thrilled to find another NC contemporary romance series. However, all fans of excellent contemporary romance will love this book too. This is an author whose books I want to read more.

Jake comes back to the island for his father’s funeral and to make sure his father’s medical practise is sorted so he can go back to his life in the city and keep living it. Things don’t turn out that easily, he has a lot of anger and resentment towards his father that is a running theme throughout this story. My heart truly did ache for him, and the pain he did not really know how to let go of.

Molly, oh my sweet Molly. She’s never truly let go of Jake and I wanted to hug her so many times as I was reading this story, my heart hurts for them. It’s not fair that they had to go through so much hurt and pain. I felt their pain and I screamed at the kindle more than once to try and bang their heads together.

Ah this book, and my heart. They just connected straightaway, the magic, the loss, the anguish and the never ending hope that things will get better drew me in. This book is more complex than I realised and things that you think make sense, actually end up being different. I would recommend this story to anyone who want to fall in love with two characters who hold a lot of pain from their past and are too stubborn to realise that answer to the healing process is right in front of them.

This book is worth it, the journey to get to the end was worth every scream, every tear and every bit of heartache.

The Choices I’ve Made is my first read by J.L. Berg, and what a roller-coaster ride of emotions it is! This story takes readers on a journey of highs, lows and everything in-between. Tragic heartbreak, intense chemistry and laugh out load moments, all combine to ensure the reader is never bored and 100% engrossed in the story’s outcome.

This is definitely a book that will make you reflect on your own choices and how they have affected your life those around you.

The book gave me all the feels. I just couldn't understand why they just couldn't make things simple but life isn't always easy and you have to fight.

Not my favorite book from this author. I tought that the story was just not ...it was missing Something, some passion, i guess... i could not believe it... simply.