Series:
Holidays, Heart and Chutzpah (Book 1)
Options: Turning the bitterness of the past…
Into a sweet future!
When big-city advocate Sarah Abrams returns home for the
High Holy Days, she's got a lot on her mind -- especially whether to marry her
perfect-on-paper boyfriend. The last person she wants to encounter is Aaron
Isaacson, her first love and the one who broke her heart. But after Aaron and
Sarah join forces to fight an act of hate, it's clear that their deep
connection never abated. If only they could forgive one another for the past…in
time for a sweet new start!
Terrific second chance story. Aaron and Sarah had been
together through high school and college when a lack of communication drove a
wedge between them. Now Aaron runs the family deli in their hometown, and Sarah
works for an agency in DC. She rarely goes home, preferring not to risk running
into Aaron. She has a boyfriend, Matthew, who has proposed and is considering whether
to accept.
The first person Sarah encounters when she returns home
for the holidays is Aaron. The meeting does not go well, as he acts cold to her
and walks away. Sarah doesn't know his problem since he was the one who walked
away from their relationship. There are several more encounters where Aaron's
animosity rolls off the page. I loved when Sarah confronted him and called him
out on what he did.
During this time, both Aaron and Sarah face crossroads in
their lives. Aaron is a man who takes responsibility very seriously, from
running the family deli to dealing with unexpected crises. He has trouble
asking for help and carries the burdens on his shoulders rather than sharing
the load. Sarah must decide if she wants to accept Matthew's proposal, and she
doesn't understand why she has so much trouble making the decision. The more
time she spent at home, the more she realized that she had changed in ways she
didn't like. I liked seeing her look at herself and her choices and realize
that she'd lost herself along the way and that it was time to do something
about it.
I liked watching
Aaron and Sarah rekindle their relationship. The sparks and attraction between
them are evident from the start. Though each believed they had moved on, it was
clear that the feelings were still there. They had the opportunity to repair their
friendship once they cleared the air about their breakup. I liked watching them
spend time together and seeing the chemistry between them. I got frustrated
with both as they realized the truth of their feelings but couldn't see how
they could be together. Aaron's resistance to change and Sarah's belief that
she had to be in DC to make a difference was an obstacle to their future.
A crisis in their community changed Aaron and Sarah in
ways they didn't expect. I ached for Aaron and his intense anger over what
happened. It was understandable, but it also ate away at his peace. I liked his
discussion with the rabbi and his friend Dave and how they helped him move past
it to a healthier response. I loved how Sarah used her experience in her job to
help Aaron and the community find a way to counteract what had happened. Her
actions also opened up new opportunities for her. I liked how each saw their
mistakes and moved to make changes. I loved Aaron's big moment at the end.
Sarah's wariness was understandable, but love won out.
Sarah and Aaron's families are loving, supportive,
boisterous, and interfering. I liked seeing Sarah and her mother reconnect. My
favorite family member was Aaron's grandmother. She is fun, outspoken, and
mischievous. I laughed out loud at the scene at the bingo game as she tried to
help him with his "female trouble."
No comments:
Post a Comment