The Choice [Paperback]

I have been reading Susan Lewis books since she started writing and have always been a huge fan. Don't get me wrong, not always perfect, but her books never fail to leave me with an immense feeling of satisfaction. Therefore, I find myself almost waiting for a book to not live up to my expectations, which unfortunately happens to some authors who have been writing for a while. What I wasn't prepared for was a book as fantastic as this one.

Nikki Grant is a young girl who is at odds with her parents. She is only young and has huge dreams and ambition to become a screenwriter. Her boyfriend Spence lives in a shared house with her along with some other friends and between them they all have talents that lie in the acting, producing and directing field. Nikki's parents have made it clear that they do not like her lifestyle or her choice of friends and boyfriend. Spence is the love of Nikki's life and she decides that no matter what her parents say she is determined to live her life the way she wants to. If that means her relationship with her parents disappears then so be it. When Nikki discovers she is pregnant she decides to give it one more shot to make things work with her parents. Unfortunately it fails and she decides that she will make the most of her life with Spence and the baby on her own.

In the house that Nikki and Spence share is Danny, David and Kristen. All three of them have contributed to a short film along with Nikki and Spence and the work has caught the eye of Drake, a very famous and successful man in the film industry. When he offers Spence the chance to start a new project for a small fortune he takes the opportunity to start providing for his girlfriend and baby. Although Nikki is tied due to her pregnancy she supports his decision and together all five of them in the house start to make progress. When Nikki goes into labour, she delivers the perfect little baby boy that they call Zac. Although Spence, David, Danny and Kristen are working and having to split their time between their current home and London, Nikki has never been happier. With Zac in her life and the help of David's Mum she feels completely fulfilled. When tragedy strikes everybody's life turns on its head. Nikki finds herself in the middle of a mother's worst nightmare and that is only the beginning.

This book was truly wonderful. Written with such emotion and reality, it brought tears to my eyes. I don't like spoilers in book reviews which is why I won't elaborate on the tragedy that Nikki and Spence endure. I will say however that this is by far the best book I have read in a long time in this genre. Susan Lewis' books can normally be found under Chick Lit however her writing is so much more than that. There are not always fairytale endings but the story is told with feeling and is written beautifully. I cannot praise this book enough and am shocked and surprised that Susan Lewis has surpassed my expectations and written the best book of her career. If you haven't read her books before then my advice would be to start now. A truly wonderful book.

I am surprised by some of the negative reviews of this book - if I had read the reviews first I wouldn't have bothered reading the book. This is a sad story in many ways but not miserable and is also quite uplifting in places. The relationships between all of the characters are portrayed very well and the reactions of a family that is used to wealth and is now dealing without the comfort of money, is handled very well. Friendships are put to the test in this storyline and the challenges faced by all are dealt with very well. This is a book well worth reading.

This is definitely one of my favourite Susan Lewis books. An emotional roller-coaster which had me in tears, it was so moving. A subject obviously thoroughly researched and added to characters with such depth made for a gripping read. Like other reviewers I would never have guessed the outcome, a book I found hard to put down. Can't wait for the next one.